In the infancy of societies, the chiefs of state shape its institutions; later the institutions shape the chiefs of state.

It is necessary from the very nature of things that power should be a check to power.

The deterioration of every government begins with the decay of the principles on which it was founded.

We receive three educations, one from our parents, one from our school-masters, and one from the world. The third contradicts all that the first two teach us.

There is no crueler tyranny than that which is perpetuated under the shield of law and in the name of justice.

Every man who has power is impelled to abuse it.

In the state of nature... all men are born equal, but they cannot continue in this equality. Society makes them lose it, and they recover it only by the protection of the law.

A nation may lose its liberties in a day and not miss them in a century.

For a country, everything will be lost when the jobs of an economist and a banker become highly respected professions.

Liberty... is there only when there is no abuse of power.

Knowledge humanizes mankind, and reason inclines to mildness; but prejudices eradicate every tender disposition.

Gratitude is the key to wealth and abundance, so learn to be grateful in all things.

The sea is rushing in now as unconsciousness does.I can see a chord, hear gospel songs as we hoist the sails.The sails are a soft white bird. We are airborne. We are primitive.

Felicity was horrible and snide, but then Felicity had been a repulsive earwig ever since she first grew a vocabulary.

There's a familiarity that sometimes shocks and annoys the hell out of me. People want a relationship with you that they haven't earned.

I read a lot of obscure books and it is nice to open a book.

Sucking your thumb without a blanket is like eating a cone without ice cream!

If you can be a blessing to somebody else, you're sowing a seed for God to help you.

Money can't buy happiness, but neither can poverty.

The mind in itself wants nothing, unless it creates a want for itself; therefore it is both free from perturbation and unimpeded, if it does not perturb and impede itself.

I see Christ's love is so kingly, that it will not abide a marrow it must have a throne all alone in the soul.