"The strictest law sometimes becomes the severest injustice."

"A place for everything, everything in its place."

"All who think cannot but see there is a sanction like that of religion which binds us in partnership in the serious work of the world."

"Do not anticipate trouble, or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight."

"A house is not a home unless it contains food and fire for the mind as well as the body."

"No nation was ever ruined by trade."

"If you want a thing done go - if not send."

"He that falls in love with himself will have no rivals."

"Reckless youth makes rueful age."

"Tis a great confidence in a friend to tell him your faults, greater to tell him his."

"Nothing is more fatal to health than an overcare of it."

"Words may show a man's wit but actions his meaning."

"I think all the heretics I have known have been virtuous men. They have the virtue of fortitude, or they would not venture to own their heresy; and they cannot afford to be deficient in any of the other virtues, as they would give advantage to their many enemies; and they have not, like orthodox sinners, such a number of friends to excuse or justify them."

"Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing."

"Old boys have their playthings as well as young ones, the difference is only in the price."

"A man of words and not of deeds, Is like a garden full of weeds."

"To Follow by faith alone is to follow blindly."

"Nine men in ten are would be suicides."

"It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it."

"There are two ways of being happy: We must either diminish our wants or augment our means - either may do - the result is the same and it is for each man to decide for himself and to do that which happens to be easier."

"If you wish information and improvement from the knowledge of others, and yet at the same time express yourself as firmly fix'd in your present opinions, modest, sensible men, who do not love disputation, will probably leave you undisturbed in the possession of your error."

"If all printers were determined not to print anything till they were sure it would offend nobody, there would be very little printed."

"There are three things extremely hard: steel, a diamond, and to know one's self."

"When confronted with two courses of action I jot down on a piece of paper all the arguments in favor of each one then on the opposite side I write the arguments against each one. Then by weighing the arguments pro and con and cancelling them out one against the other I take the course indicated by what remains."

"Educate your children to self-control, to the habit of holding passion and prejudice and evil tendencies subject to an upright and reasoning will, and you have done much to abolish misery from their future and crimes from society."

"Pride that dines on vanity sups on contempt."

"Experience is a dear teacher, but fools will learn at no other."

"A great empire, like a great cake, is most easily diminished at the edges."

"Fear not death for the sooner we die, the longer we shall be immortal."

"A man who would sacrifice freedom for security deserves neither."

"Were I a Roman Catholic, perhaps I should on this occasion vow to build a chapel to some saint, but as I am not, if I were to vow at all, it should be to build a light-house. [Letter to his wife, 17 July 1757, after narrowly avoiding a shipwreck; often misquoted as "Lighthouses are more helpful than churches."]"

"What maintains one vice would bring up two children."

"Were the offer made true I would engage to run again from beginning to end the same career of life. All I would ask should be the privilege of an author to correct in a second edition certain errors of the first."

"He that can take rest is greater than he that can take cities."

"And whether you're an honest man, or whether you're a thief, depends on whose solicitor has given me my brief."

"Vessels large may venture more, But little boats should keep near shore."

"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."

"I guess I don't so much mind being old, as I mind being fat and old."

"There never was a truly great man that was not at the same time truly virtuous."

"Let thy discontents be thy secrets."

"Diligence is the mother of good luck."

"Those disputing, contradicting, and confuting people are generally unfortunate in their affairs. They get victory, sometimes, but they never get good will, which would be of more use to them."

"To find out a girl's faults, praise her to her girlfriends."

"Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freeness of speech."

"We must all hang together else we shalFall hang separately."

"God helps them that helps themselves."

"Keep your eyes wide open before marriage, half shut afterwards."

"Mine is better than ours."

"God helps those who help themselves."

"Even peace may be purchased at too high a price."