Columbus felt the westward tendency more strongly than any before. He obeyed it, and found a New World for Castile and Leon.

There is no rule more invariable than that we are paid for our suspicions by finding what we suspect.

The very thrills of genius are disorganizing. The body is never quite acclimated to its atmosphere, but how often, succumbs and goes into a decline.

Faith never makes a confession.

We can never have enough of nature. We must be refreshed by the sight of inexhaustible vigor.

Men are probably nearer the essential truth in their superstitions than in their science.

As for your high towers and monuments, there was a crazy fellow once in this town who undertook to dig through to China, and he got so far that, as he said, he heard the Chinese pots and kettles rattle; but I think that I shall not go out of my way to admire the hole which he made.