As the priest is characterized by his cassock, so the smoker by his pipe. The way in which he holds it, raises it to his lips, and knocks out the ashes, reveals his personality, habits, passions, and even his thoughts.

It is useless to contend with the irresistible power of Time, which goes on continually creating by a process of constant destruction.

Not a single man on earth knows from his own experience the how and where of his birth, only from tradition, which is often very uncertain.

I may be permitted, kind reader, to doubt whether you have ever been enclosed in a glass bottle, unless some vivid dream has teased you with such magical mishaps.

It is true that writers often owe their most inspired thoughts, their most extraordinary phrases, to their generous typesetters, who assist their flights of fancy with so-called typographical errors.

It is nearly always the most improbable things that really come to pass.

Once you are dancing with the devil, the prettiest capers won't help you.