Philip Dormer Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield, KG, PC (22 September 1694 – 24 March 1773) was a British statesman, diplomat, man of letters, and an acclaimed wit of his time. (wikipedia)
Good humor is the health of the soul, sadness is its poison.
Sex: the pleasure is momentary, the position ridiculous, and the expense damnable.
Style is the dress of thoughts, and let them be ever so just.
Know the true value of time; snatch, seize, and enjoy every moment of it. No idleness, no laziness, no procrastination: never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.
The mere brute pleasure of reading - the sort of pleasure a cow must have in grazing.
Any affectation whatsoever in dress implies, in my mind, a flaw in the understanding.
Hear one side and you will be in the dark. Hear both and all will be clear.
An injury is much sooner forgotten than an insult.
Be your character what it will, it will be known, and nobody will take it upon your word.
Firmness of purpose is one of the most necessary sinews of character, and one of the best instruments of success. Without it, genius wastes its efforts in a maze of inconsistencies.