When you have nothing to say, say nothing; a weak defense strengthens your opponent, and silence is less injurious than a bad reply.

The interests of society often render it expedient not to utter the whole truth, the interests of science never: for in this field we have much more to fear from the deficiency of truth than from its abundance.

The mob is a monster, with the hands of Briareus, but the head of Polyphemus,--strong to execute, but blind to perceive.

There are three difficulties in authorship; to write any thing worth the publishing — to find honest men to publish it — and to get sensible men to read it.

Man is an embodied paradox, a bundle of contradictions.

All poets pretend to write for immortality, but the whole tribe have no objection to present pay and present praise.

Love is an alliance of friendship and animalism; if the former predominates it is passion exalted and refined; if the latter, gross and sensual.