George Savile, 1st Marquess of Halifax Quotes

Modesty is oftner mistaken than any other Virtue.

Laws are generally not understood by three sorts of persons, viz. by those who make them, by those who execute them, and by those who suffer, if they break them.

Anger is never without an Argument, but seldom with a good one.

A Princely Mind will undo a private Family.

In this Age, when it is said of a Man, He knows how to live , it may be imply’d he is not very honest.

Men take more pains to hide than to mend themselves.

When by habit a man cometh to have a bargaining soul, its wings are cut, so that it can never soar. It bindeth reason an apprentice to gain, and instead of a director, maketh it a drudge.

Men are so unwilling to displease a Prince, that it is as dangerous to inform him right, as to serve him wrong.

They who are of opinion that Money will do every thing, may very well be suspected to do every thing for Money.

Hope is generally a wrong Guide, though it is very good Company by the way. It brusheth through Hedge and Ditch till it cometh to a great Leap, and there it is apt to fall and break its Bones.

A Husband without Faults is a dangerous Observer.

A man that should call every thing by its right Name, would hardly pass the Streets without being knock'd down as a common Enemy.

If the Laws could speak for themselves, they would complain of the Lawyers in the first Place.

The Triumph of Wit is to make your good Nature subdue your Censure; to be quick in seeing Faults, and slow in exposing them. You are to consider, that the invisible thing called a Good Name, is made up of the Breath of Numbers that speak well of you; so that if by a disobliging Word you silence the meanest, the Gale will be less strong which is to bear up your Esteem.

Every single Act either weakeneth or improveth our Credit with other Men ; and as an habit of being just to our Word will confirm, so an habit of too freely dispensing with it must necessarily destroy it.