In politics, merit is rewarded by the possessor being raised, like a target, to a position to be fired at.

Intellectually, as politically, the direction of all true progress is towards greater freedom, and along an endless succession of ideas.

Activity and sadness are incompatible.

There is probably no hell for authors in the next world - they suffer so much from critics and publishers in this.

No single character is ever so great that a nation can afford to form itself upon it. Imitation belittles. This appears in the instance of the Chinese. The Chinese are so many Confucii; in miniature. And so with the Jews. Moses, the lawgiver, is poorly represented by Moses, the old clothesman ; or even by Dives, the hanker.

It is with charity as with money--the more we stand in need of it, the less we have to give away.

Troubles forereckoned are doubly suffered.