Each person's work is always a portrait of himself.

What we hope ever to do with ease, we must learn first to do with diligence.

Prudence operates on life in the same manner as rule of composition; it produces vigilance rather than elevation; rather prevents loss than procures advantage; and often miscarriages, but seldom reaches either power or honor.

Life affords no higher pleasure than that of surmounting difficulties.

Disappointment, when it involves neither shame nor loss, is as good as success; for it supplies as many images to the mind, and as many topics to the tongue.