Ancient history, besides the still unequalled excellence of the writers, is the best instrument for cultivating the historical sense.

The insular arrogance of the English character is a commonplace joke.

The materials of the novelist must be real; they must be gathered from the field of humanity by his actual observation.

We Jews regard our race as superior to all humanity, and look forward, not to its ultimate union with other races, but to its triumph over them.

As to London we must console ourselves with the thought that if life outside is less poetic than it was in the days of old, inwardly its poetry is much deeper.

America is supposed to be given over to ugliness. There are a good many ugly things there and the ugliest are the most pretentious.

Dante himself is open to the suspicion of partiality: it is said, not without apparent ground, that he puts into hell all the enemies of the political cause, which, in his eyes, was that of Italy and God.