Idleness and Pride Tax with a heavier Hand than Kings and Parliaments; — Benjamin Franklin

"That it is better 100 guilty Persons should escape than that one innocent Person should suffer, is a maxim that has been long and generally approved; never, that I know of, controverted."

"I congratulate you, as the friend of America, I trust, as not the enemy of England, I am sure, as the friend of mankind."

"You and I were long friends: you are now my enemy, and I am yours."

"Upon one of his [George Whitefields] Arrivals from England at Boston, he wrote to me that he should come soon to Philadelphia, but knew not where he could lodge when there .... My Answer was; You know my House, if you can make shift with its scanty Accommodations you will be most heartily welcome. He replied, that if I made that kind of Offer for Christs sake, I should not miss of a Reward. And I returnd, Dont let me be mistaken; it was not for Christs sake, but for your sake. One of our common Acquaintance jocosely remarkd, that knowing it to be the Custom of the Saints, when they receivd any favor, to shift the Burden of the Obligation from off their own Shoulders, and place it in Heaven, I had contrivd to fix it on Earth."

"There is something however in the experiments of points, sending off, or drawing on, the electrical fire, which has not been fully explained, and which I intend to supply... For the doctrine of points is very curious, and the effects of them truly wonderfull; and, from what I have observed on experiments, I am of opinion, that houses, ships, and even towns and churches may be effectually secured from the stroke of lightening by their means; for if, instead of the round balls of wood or metal, which are commonly placed on the tops of the weathercocks, vanes or spindles of churches, spires or masts, there should be put a rod of iron 8 or 10 feet in length, sharpend gradually to a point like a needle, and gilt to prevent rusting, or divided into a number of points, which would be better—the electrical fire would, I think, be drawn out of a cloud silently, before it could come near enough to strike..."

"Man [is a] tool-making animal."