In the fairy tale, an incomprehensible happiness rests upon an incomprehensible condition. A box is opened and all evils fly out. A word is forgotten and cities perish. A lamp is lit and love flies away. An apple is eaten and the hope of God is gone.

Well, if I am not drunk, I am mad," replied Syme with perfect calm; "but I trust I can behave like a gentleman in either condition.

The purpose of Compulsory Education is to deprive the common people of their commonsense.

There are a great many good people, and a great many sane people here this afternoon. Unfortunately, by a kind of coincidence, all the good people are mad, and all the sane people are wicked.

When learned men begin to use their reason, then I generally discover that they haven't got any.

A great city is the place to escape the true drama of provincial life, and find solace in fantasy.

A man must be orthodox upon most things, or he will never even have time to preach his own heresy.