Neatness of phrase is so closely akin to wit that it is often accepted as its substitute.

The cat dwells within the circle of her own secret thoughts.

the most comfortable characteristic of the period [1775-1825], and the one which incites our deepest envy, is the universal willingness to accept a good purpose as a substitute for good work.

Now the pessimist proper is the most modest of men. ... under no circumstances does he presume to imagine that he, a mere unit of pain, can in any degree change or soften the remorseless words of fate.

People who pin their faith to a catchword never feel the necessity of understanding anything.

The great dividing line between books that are made to be read and books that are made to be bought is not the purely modern thing it seems. We can trace it, if we try, back to the first printing-presses.

When the milk of human kindness turns sour, it is a singularly unpalatable draught.