The decay of society is praised by artists as the decay of a corpse is praised by worms.

Progress is Providence without God. That is, it is a theory that everything has always perpetually gone right by accident. It is a sort of atheistic optimism, based on an everlasting coincidence far more miraculous than a miracle.

Very few reputations are gained by unsullied virtue.

Though I believe in liberalism, I find it difficult to believe in liberals.

The poetry of art is in beholding the single tower; the poetry of nature in seeing the single tree; the poetry of love in following the single woman; the poetry of religion in worshipping the single star.

A tragedy means always a mans struggle with that which is stronger than man.

There are no boring subjects, only disinterested minds.