Never disregard what your enemies say. They may be severe, they may be prejudiced, they may be determined to see only in one direction, but still in that direction see clearly. They do not speak all the truth, but they generally speak the truth from one point of view; so far as that goes, attend to them.

To procrastinate seems inherent in man, for if you do to-day that you may enjoy to-morrow it is but deferring the enjoyment; so that to be idle or industrious, vicious or virtuous, is but with a view of procrastinating the one or the other.

Never suffer youth to be an excuse for inadequacy, nor age and fame to be an excuse for indolence.

The safest principle through life, instead of reforming others, is to set about perfecting yourself.

The greatest geniuses have always attributed everything to God, as if conscious of being possessed of a spark of His divinity.

Genius is nothing more than common faculties refined to a greater intensity. There are no astonishing ways of doing astonishing things. All astonishing things are done by ordinary materials.

How difficult it is to get men to believe that any other man can or does act from disinterestedness!