The only words that ever satisfied me as describing nature are the terms used in fairy books, charm, spell, enchantment; they express the arbitrariness of the fact and its mystery.

Men can construct a science with very few instruments, or with very plain instruments; but no one on earth could construct a science with unreliable instruments. A man might work out the whole of mathematics with a handful of pebbles, but not with a handful of clay which was always falling apart into new fragments, and falling together into new combinations. A man might measure heaven and earth with a reed, but not with a growing reed.

I have little doubt that when St. George had killed the dragon he was heartily afraid of the princess.

Modern man is educated to understand foreign languages and misunderstand foreigners.

Hope is the power of being cheerful in circumstances which we know to be desperate.

The man of the true religious tradition understands two things: liberty and obedience. The first means knowing what you really want. The second means knowing what you really trust.

No man can break any of the Ten Commandments. He can only break himself against them.