Prodigality is indeed the vice of a weak nature, as avarice is of a strong one; it comes of a weak craving for those blandishments of the world which are easily to be had for money, and which, when obtained, are as much worse than worthless as a harlot's love is worse than none.

I have not skillFrom such a sharp and waspish word as "No"To pluck the sting.

A secret may be sometimes best kept by keeping the secret of its being a secret. It is not many years since a State secret of the greatest importance was printed without being divulged, merely by sending it to the press like any other matter, and trusting to the mechanical habits of the persons employed. They printed it piecemeal in ignorance of what it was about.

The world knows nothing of its greatest men.

Shy and proud men are more liable than any others to fall into the hands of parasites and creatures of low character. For in the intimacies which are formed by shy men, they do not choose, but are chosen.

Shy and unready men are great betrayers of secrets, for there are few wants more urgent for the moment than the want of something to say.

He who gives only what he would as readily throw away, gives without generosity; for the essence of generosity is in self-sacrifice.