When once-which every body must be-you are convinced of the wickedness and deceit of men, it is impossible to preserve untainted your own innocence of heart. Experience will prove the depravity of mankind, and the conviction of it only serves to create distrust, suspicion-caution-and sometimes causelessly.

Look at your [English] ladies of quality-are they not forever parting with their husbands-forfeiting their reputations-and is their life aught but dissipation?…

I cannot be much pleased without an appearance of truth; at least of possibility - I wish the history to be natural though the sentiments are refined; and the …

To have some account of my thoughts, manners, acquaintance and actions, when the hour arrives in which time is more nimble than memory, is the reason which ind…