"Heaven and Hell suppose two distinct species of men, the good and the bad; but the greatest part of mankind float betwixt vice and virtue. -- Were one to go round the world with an intention of giving…"

"To be a philosophical sceptic is, in a man of letters, the first and most essential step towards being a true philosopher."

"I am apt to suspect the Negroes to be naturally inferior to the Whites. There scarcely ever was a civilized nation of that complexion, nor even any individual eminent either in action or speculation. …"

"Carelessness and inattention alone can afford us any remedy."

"The only way to make a man trustworthy is to trust him."