The being without an opinion is so painful to human nature that most people will leap to a hasty opinion rather than undergo it.
It is often said that men are ruled by their imaginations; but it would be truer to say they are governed by the weakness of their imaginations.
The best reason why Monarchy is a strong government is, that it is an intelligible government. The mass of mankind understand it, and they hardly anywhere in the world understand any other.
A family on the throne is an interesting idea. It brings down the pride of sovereignty to the level of petty life.
No great work has ever been produced except after a long interval of still and musing meditation.
Conquest is the missionary of valor, and the hard impact of military virtues beats meanness out of the world.
One of the greatest pains to human nature is the pain of a new idea.
You may talk of the tyranny of Nero and Tiberius; but the real tyranny is the tyranny of your next-door neighbor.
Honor sinks where commerce long prevails.
Life is a school of probability.
Progress would not have been the rarity it is if the early food had not been the late poison.
A schoolmaster should have an atmosphere of awe, and walk wonderingly, as if he was amazed at being himself.
It is good to be without vices, but it is not good to be without temptations.
So long as there are earnest believers in the world, they will always wish to punish opinions, even if their judgment tells them it is unwise and their conscience that it is wrong.
