Faith in reason as a prime motor is no longer the criterion of the sound mind, any more than faith in the Bible is the criterion of righteous intention.

Patriotism is a word which always commemorates a robbery.

Englishmen hate Liberty and Equality too much to understand them. But every Englishman loves a pedigree.

Of all the anti-social vested interests the worst is the vested interest in ill-health.

No Englishman is ever fairly beaten

Civilized society is one huge bourgeoisie: no nobleman dares now shock his greengrocer.

I finished my first book seventy-six years ago. I offered it to every publisher on the English-speaking earth I had ever heard of. Their refusals were unanimous: and it did not get into print until, fifty years later; publishers would publish anything that had my name on it.