Perhaps pure reason without heart would never have thought of God.

To make astute people believe one is what one is not is, in most cases, harder than actually to become what one wishes to appear.

There can hardly be a stranger commodity in the world than books. Printed by people who don't understand them; sold by people who don't understand them; bound, criticized and read by people who don't understand them; and now even written by people who don't understand them.

Do we write books so that they shall merely be read? Don't we also write them for employment in the household? For one that is read from start to finish, thousands are leafed through, other thousands lie motionless, others are jammed against mouseholes, thrown at rats, others are stood on, sat on, drummed on, have gingerbread baked on them or are used to light pipes.

The proof that man is the noblest of all creatures is that no other creature has ever denied it.

A good part of the fame of most celebrated men is due to the shortsightedness of their admirers

Nowadays beautiful women are counted among the talents of their husbands.