Leaves are light, and useless, and idle, and wavering, and changeable; they even dance; and yet God in his wisdom has made them a part of oaks. And in so doing he has given us a lesson, not to deny the stout-heartedness within because we see the lightsomeness without.

In the moment of our creation we receive the stamp of our individuality; and much of life is spent in rubbing off or defacing the impression.

When we skim along the surface of history we see little but the rough barren rocks that rise out of it.

A youth's love is the more passionate; virgin love is the more idolatrous.

They who boast of their tolerance merely give others leave to be as careless about religion as they are themselves. A walrus might as well pride itself on its endurance of cold.

When will talkers refrain from evil speaking: when listeners refrain from evil-hearing.

One saves oneself much pain, by taking pains; much trouble, by taking trouble.