The Party System was founded on one national notion of fair play. It was the notion that folly and futility should be fairly divided between both sides.

When people impute special vices to the Christian Church, they seem entirely to forget that the world (which is the only other thing there is) has these vices much more. The Church has been cruel; but the world has been much more cruel. The Church has plotted; but the world has plotted much more. The Church has been superstitious; but it has never been so superstitious as the world is when left to itself.

For when we cease to worship God, we do not worship nothing, we worship anything.

To be simple is the best thing in the world; to be modest is the next best thing. I am not sure about being quiet.

Many clever men like you have trusted to civilization. Many clever Babylonians, many clever Egyptians, many clever men at the end of Rome. Can you tell me, in a world that is flagrant with the failures of civilisation, what there is particularly immortal about yours?

Daybreak is a never-ending glory; getting out of bed is a never ending nuisance.

There is nothing the matter with Americans except their ideals. The real American is all right; it is the ideal American who is all wrong.