Every one of us ... knows better than he practices, and recognizes a better law than he obeys.

Sacrifice is the first element of religion, and resolves itself in theological language into the love of God.

There are epidemics of nobleness as well as epidemics of disease.

Ignorance is the dominion of absurdity.

You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself one.

Our human laws are but the copies, more or less imperfect, of the eternal laws, so far as we can read them.

Experience teaches slowly, and at the cost of mistakes.