Governments do not govern, but merely control the machinery of government, being themselves controlled by the hidden hand.

No one for a moment can pretend that printing is so great a discovery as writing, or algebra as a language.

Perseverance and tact are the two most important qualities for the individual who wants to move ahead.

Eloquence is the child of knowledge. When a mind is full, like a wholesome river, it is also clear.

What is wanted in architecture, as in so many things, is a man. ... One suggestion might be made-no profession in England has done its duty until it has furnished a victim. ... Even our boasted navy never achieved a great victory until we shot an admiral. Suppose an architect were hanged? Terror has its inspiration, as well as competition.

In the hands of a genius, engineering turns to magic, philosophy becomes poetry, and science pure imagination.

I think there is nothing more lovely than the love of two beautiful women who are not envious of each other's charms.