What moments of despair that life would ever be made precious to me by the consciousness that I lived to some good purpose! It was that sort of despair that sucked away the sap of half the hours which might have been filled by energetic youthful activity: and the same demon tries to get hold of me again whenever an old work is dismissed and a new one is being meditated.

We learn words by rote, but not their meaning; that must be paid for with our life-blood, and printed in the subtle fibres of our nerves.

Many an inherited sorrow that has marred a life has been breathed into no human ear.

Children demand that their heroes should be fleckless, and easily believe them so .

In the multitude of middle-aged men who go about their vocations in a daily course determined for them much in the same way as the tie of their cravats, there is always a good number who once meant to shape their own deeds and alter the world a little.

To have in general but little feeling, seems to be the only security against feeling too much on any particular occasion.

You should read history and look at ostracism, persecution, martyrdom, and that kind of thing. They always happen to the best men, you know.