Philosophers make imaginary laws for imaginary commonwealths, and their discourses are as the stars, which give little light because they are so high.

But the best demonstration by far is experience, if it go not beyond the actual experiment.

Dreams, and predictions of astrology....ought to serve but for winter talk by the fireside.

For no man can forbid the spark nor tell whence it may come.

Vices of the time; vices of the man.

I want a very ordered image, but I want it to come about by chance.

An illustrational form tells you through the intelligence immediately what the form is about, whereas a non-illustrational form works first upon sensation and then slowly leaks back into the fact.