It is easy to get everything you want, provided you first learn to do without the things you cannot get.

Christianity supplies a Hell for the people who disagree with you and a Heaven for your friends.

Every spirit makes its house, but as afterwards the house confines the spirit, you had better build well.

A person may be very secretive and yet have no secrets.

Every tyrant who ever lived has believed in freedom — for himself.

Martyrs and persecutors are the same type of man. As to which is the persecutor and which the martyr, this is only a question of transient power.

I do not read a book; I hold a conversation with the author.