Wherever men have lived, there is a story to be told

Our moments of inspiration are not lost though we have no particular poem to show for them; for those experiences have left an indelible impression, and we are ever and anon reminded of them.

Whatever beauty we behold, the more it is distant, serene, and cold, the purer and more durable it is. It is better to warm ourselves with ice than with fire.

When my legs begin to move, the thoughts begin to flow.

Paper is cheap, and authors need not now erase one book before they write another. Instead of cultivating the earth for wheat andpotatoes, they cultivate literature, and fill a place in the Republic of Letters. Or they would fain write for fame merely, as others actually raise crops of grain to be distilled into brandy.

It is remarkable how long men will believe in the bottomlessness of a pond without taking the trouble to sound it.

I have a deep sympathy with war; it so apes the gait and bearing of the soul.