Those of us who were brought up as Christians and have lost our faith have retained the sense of sin without the saving belief in redemption. This poisons our thought and so paralyses us in action.

The worst vice of the solitary is the worship of his food.

It is significant comment on the victory of science over magic that were someone to say ‘if I put this pill in your beer it will explode,’ we might believe them; but were they to cry ‘if I pronounce this spell over your beer it will go flat,’ we should remain incredulous and Paracelsus, the Alchemists, Aleister Crowley and all the Magi have lived in vain. Yet when I read science I turn magical; when I study magic, scientific.

When in doubt, choose greatness.

The headmistress was an able instructress in French and history and we learned with her as fast as fear could teach us.

Always be nice to those younger than you, because they are the ones who will be writing about you.

The civilized are those who get more out of life than the uncivilized, and for this we are not likely to be forgiven.