Not the intensity but the duration of high feelings makes high men.

But tell me: how did gold get to be the highest value? Because it is uncommon and useless and gleaming and gentle in its brilliance; it always gives itself. Only as an image of the highest virtue did gold get to be the highest value. The giver's glance gleams like gold. A golden brilliance concludes peace between the moon and the sun. Uncommon is the highest virtue and useless, it is gleaming and gentle in its brilliance: a gift-giving virtue is the highest virtue.

It is not in our hands to prevent our birth; but we can correct this mistake - for in some cases it is a mistake.

What does it matter whether I am shown to be right! I am right too much!--And he who laughs best today will also laugh last.

The same relation exists between merchant and pirate, who for a long period are one and the same person: where the one function appears to them inadvisable, they exercise the other.

There are highly gifted spirits who are always infertile simply because, owing to a weakness in temperament, they are too impatient to wait out their pregnancy to term.

There is no pre-established harmony between the furtherance of truth and the well-being of mankind.