Dewdrops of Wisdom
To be angry is to punish ourselves for the fault of another.
It is more difficult to conceal the sensations we have, than to feign those we have not.
Favorites – persons undervalued by the many because they are overvalued by one.
Nothing is more common to try to reconcile our conscience to our evil thoughts by our good actions.
Philosophy, like medicine, has abundance of drugs, few good remedies, and scarcely any specifics.
Duelist – a moral coward seeking to hide the pusillanimity of his mind, by affecting a corporeal courage.
The greatest pleasure of life is love; the greatest treasure is contentment; the greatest possession, health; the greatest ease, sleep; and the best medicine, a true friend.
As they who, for the first slight infirmity take physic to repair their health, do rather impair it; so they who, for every trifle, are eager to vindicate their character, do rather weaken it.
Knowledge will not be acquired without pains and application. It is troublesome and deep digging for pure waters; but when once you come to the spring, they rise up and meet you.
Love is the shadow of the morning, which decreases as the day advances. Friendship is the shadow of the evening, which strengthens with the setting sun of life.
The hearts of boys resemble blades of straw hanging upon the bushes, and the beauty of the girls, the wind which carries them all in its train.
Those who are incapable of shining but by dress, would do well to consider that the contrast betwixt them and their clothes turns out much to their disadvantage.
Words are powerful things – words are weapons – are health and strength – life and death to the body and the soul – see that man about to step a great pit – he hears the word beware, he stops, and is safe – the simple pass on and are punished.
The Jewish Chronicle quotes a beautiful apothegm from a Talmudical philosopher: `The noblest charity is to prevent a man from accepting charity; and the best alms are to show and enable a man to despise and dispense with alms.
Though we may have a hard pillow, yet it is only sin can plant a thorn in it – and even though it may be hard and lonely, yet we may have sweet sleep and glorious visions upon it. It was when Jacob was lying on a stone for a pillow, that he had glorious visions of the ladder reaching to heaven.