Philosophy may describe unreasoning, as it may describe force; it cannot hope to refute them.

Nothing can be meaner than the anxiety to live on, to live on anyhow and in any shape.

My soul hates the fool whose only passion is to live by rule.

Before you contradict an old man, my fair friend, you should endeavour to understand him.

The passions grafted on wounded pride are the most inveterate; they are green and vigorous in old age.

For gold is tried in the fire and acceptable men in the furnace of adversity.

One of the peculiarities of recent speculation, especially in America, is that ideas are abandoned in virtue of a mere change of feeling, without any new evidence or new arguments. We do not nowadays refute our predecessors, we pleasantly bid them good-bye.