Men reform a thing by removing the reality from it, and then do not know what to do with the unreality that is left.

The State did not own men so entirely, even when it could send them to the stake, as it sometimes does now where it can send them to the elementary school.

Doing nothing is sometimes one of the highest of the duties of man.

Every high civilization decays by forgetting obvious things.

The Catholic Church is like a thick steak, a glass of red wine, and a good cigar.

If the barricades went up in our streets and the poor became masters, I think the priests would escape, I fear the gentlemen would; but I believe the gutters would simply be running with the blood of philanthropists.

Whatever else may be said of man, this one thing is clear: He is not what he is capable of being.