A man must keep his earnestness nimble, to escape ridicule.

The novel is the highest example of subtle interrelatedness that man has discovered.

And woman is the same as horses: two wills act in opposition inside her. With one will she wants to subject herself utterly. With the other she wants to bolt, and pitch her rider to perdition.

We make a mistake forsaking England and moving out into the periphery of life. After all, Taormina, Ceylon, Africa, America -- as far as we go, they are only the negation of what we ourselves stand for and are: and we're rather like Jonahs running away from the place we belong.

The great pagan world of which Egypt and Greece were the last living termsonce had a vast and perhaps perfect science of itsown, a science in terms of life. In our era this science crumbled into magic and charlatanry. But even wisdom crumbles.

It's bad taste to be wise all the time, like being at a perpetual funeral.

We don't exist unless we are deeply and sensually in touch with that which can be touched but not known.