Samuel Johnson

Almost every man wastes part of his life attempting to display qualities which he does not possess.

Let me smile with the wise, and feed with the rich.

When men come to like a sea-life, they are not fit to live on land.

I now know how to steal a watch when someone's wearing it. It's an excellent talent to have.

Sometimes people ask, 'Does writing make you happy?' But I think that's beside the point. It makes you agitated, and continually in a state where you're off balance. You seldom feel serene or settled.

A free life cannot acquire many possessions, because this is not easy to do without servility to mobs or monarchs.