What art was to the ancient world, Science is to the modern; the distinctive faculty. In the minds of men, the useful has succeeded to the beautiful.

I think that an author who speaks about his own books is almost as bad as a mother who talks about her own children.

It destroys one's nerves to be amiable every day to the same human being.

Nothing in life is more remarkable than the unnecessary anxiety which we endure, and generally create ourselves.

I see before me the statue of a celebrated minister, who said that confidence was a plant of slow growth. But I believe, however gradual may be the growth of confidence, that of credit requires still more time to arrive at maturity.

You cannot choose between party government and Parliamentary government. I say, you can have no Parliamentary government if you have no party government; and, therefore, when gentlemen denounce party government, they strike at the scheme of government which, in my opinion, has made this country great, and which I hope will keep it great.

We are taught words, not ideas.