A letter is a barrier, a reprieve, a charm against the world, an almost infallible method of acting at a distance.

Love is the last and secret name of all the virtues.

... when caught unawares I usually tell the truth, and what's duller than that?

Every book is the wreck of a perfect idea.

The bicycle is the most civilized conveyance known to man. Other forms of transport grow daily more nightmarish. Only the bicycle remains pure in heart.

Writing is like getting married. One should never commit oneself until one is amazed at one's luck.

Every human soul has seen, perhaps before their birth, pure forms such as justice, temperance, beauty and all the great moral qualities which we hold in honour. We are moved towards what is good by the faint memory of these forms, simple and calm and blessed, which we saw once in a pure, clear light, being pure ourselves.