There surely is in human nature an inherent propensity to extract all the good out of all the evil.

The only legitimate artists in England are the architects.

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.

The great difficulty is first to win a reputation; the next to keep it while you live; and the next to preserve it after you die, when affection and interest are over, and nothing but sterling excellence can preserve your name. Never suffer youth to be an excuse for inadequacy, nor age and fame to be an excuse for indolence.

It is better to make friends than adversaries of a conquered race.

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

Danger is the very basis of superstition. It produces a searching after help supernaturally when human means are no longer supposed to be available.