George Savile, 1st Marquess of Halifax

When the People contend for their Liberty, they seldom get any thing by their Victory but new Masters.

Most Mens' Anger about Religion is as if two Men should quarrel for a Lady they neither of them care for.

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

Nothing is less forgiven than setting Patterns Men have no mind to follow.

A Prince who will not undergo the Difficulty of Understanding, must undergo the Danger of Trusting.

The People are never so perfectly backed, but that they will kick and fling if not stroked at seasonable times.

A very great Memory often forgetteth how much Time is lost by repeating things of no Use.

The sight of a drunkard is a better sermon against that vice than the best that was ever preached on that subject.

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 …

Love is a Passion that hath Friends in the Garrison.

A Princely Mind will undo a private Family.

Remember that Children and Fools want every thing because they want Wit to distinguish: and therefore there is no stronger Evidence of a Crazy Understanding, than the making too large a Catalogue of things necessary, when in truth there …

In your Clothes avoid too much Gaudy ; do not value your self upon an Imbroidered Gown ; and remember, that a reasonable Word, or an obliging Look, will gain you more respect, than all your fine Trappings.

A Husband without Faults is a dangerous Observer.

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.

Our nature hardly allows us to have enough of anything without having too much.