The past is our treasure. Its works, whether we know them or not, flourish in our lives with whatever strength they had. From it we draw provision for our journey, the collected wisdom whose harvests are all ours to reap and carry with us, though we may never live again in the fields that grew them.

The greatest of mythologies divided its gods into creators, preservers and destroyers. Tidiness obviously belongs to the second category, which mitigates the terrific impact of the other two.

I do like people who have not yet made up their minds about everything, who in fact are still receiving

The beckoning counts, and not the clicking of the latch behind you.

Love, like broken porcelain, should be wept over and buried, for nothing but a miracle will resuscitate it: but who in this world has not for some wild moments thought to recall the irrecoverable with words?

There is generosity in giving, but gentleness in receiving.

... it is a matter of civilizing everyone or not being civilized at all: the decay has always come from a partial civilization.