You cannot be a hero without being a coward.

The pianoforte is the most important of all musical instruments; its invention was to music what the invention of printing was to poetry.

To endure the pain of living, we all drug ourselves more or less with gin, with literature, with superstitions, with romance, with idealism, political, sentimental, and moral, with every possible preparation of that universal hashish: imagination.

Most of the money given by rich people in "charity" is made up of conscience money, "ransom," political bribery, and bids for titles.... One buys moral credit by signing a cheque, which is easier than turning a prayer wheel.

Self-denial is not a virtue; it is only the effect of prudence on rascality.

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

Syllables govern the world.