Tradition is only democracy extended through time; it may be defined as an extension of the franchise. Tradition means giving votes to the most obscure of all classes, our ancestors. It is the democracy of the dead. Tradition refuses to submit to the small and arrogant oligarchy of those who are merely walking about. All democrats object to men being disqualified by accident of birth; tradition objects to their being disqualified by accident of death. Democracy tells us not to neglect a good man's opinion, even if he is our father.

Let us not decide what is good, but let it be considered good not to decide it.

The original quality in any man of imagination is imagery.

A nation that has nothing but its amusements will not be amused for long.

The modern world is full of the old Christian virtues gone mad. The virtues have gone mad because they have been isolated from each other and are wandering alone. Thus some scientists care for truth; and their truth is pitiless. Thus some humanitarians only care for pity; and their pity (I am sorry to say) is often untruthful.

The telescope makes the world smaller; it is only the microscope that makes it larger.

Truth must necessarily be stranger than fiction, for fiction is the creation of the human mind and therefore congenial to it.