There is something in the eloquence of the pulpit, when it is really eloquence, which is entitled to the highest praise and honour. The preacher who can touch and affect such an heterogeneous mass of hearers, on subjects limited, and long worn thread-bare in all common hands; who can say any thing new or striking, any thing that rouses the attention, without offending the taste, or wearing out the feelings of his hearers, is a man whom one could not (in his public capacity) honour enough.

Pride... is a very common failing, I believe. By all that I have ever read, I am convinced that it is very common indeed; that human nature is particularly prone to it, and that there are very few of us who do not cherish a feeling of self-complacency on the score of some quality or the other, real or imaginary. Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us.

I . . . am always half afraid of finding a clever novel too clever--& of finding my own story & my own people all forestalled.

Grant us peace, Almighty Father, so to pray as to deserve to be heard.

I can safely say, that the happiest part of my life has been spent on board a ship.

I have never yet known what it was to separate esteem from love

Look into your own heart because who looks outside, dreams, but who looks inside awakes.