The manners of our fore-fathers were, I believe, in many respects…

Nations, like men, have their infancy.

Truth lies within a little and certain compass, but error is immense.

[I]t is a pretty shocking observation that the Queen is to be the guarantee for a loan of this extraordinary nature made by the Dutch, and especially at a time, when under pretence of disability they directly refuse to furnish their quotas …

We are born too late to see the beginning, and we die too soon to see the end of many things.

A peace must be had; and all mankind sees plainly now, in how vile a manner former opportunities were neglected of making a better than at this hour we have reason to expect.

They (Thucydides and Xenophon) maintained the dignity of history.