We should find ourselves committed to killing a great many people whom we now leave living, and to leave living a great many people whom we at present kill. We should have to get rid of all ideas about capital punishment.

Life's no brief candle-it's a splendid torch!

It is clear that a novel cannot be too bad to be worth publishing. . . . It certainly is possible for a novel to be too good to be worth publishing.

Instead of Otello being an Italian opera written in the style of Shakespeare, Othello is a play written by Shakespeare in the style of Italian opera.

Is the devil to have all the passions as well as all the good tunes?

A government that robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul.

Must then a Christ perish in torment in every age to save those that have no imagination.