Books are the curse of the human race.

Luck is what a capricious man believes in.

I do not like giving advice: it is incurring an unnecessary responsibility.

Silence is the mother of truth.

Man is only truly great when he acts from the passions; never irresistible but when he appeals to the imagination.

Perseverance and tact are the two great qualities most valuable for all those who would climb, but especially for those who have to step out of the crowd.

There are few positions less inspiriting than those of a discomfited party.