First and last, what is demanded of genius is love of truth.

I call architecture frozen music.

The soul is indestructible and its activity will continue through eternity. It is like the sun, which, to our eyes, seems to set at night; but it has in reality only gone to diffuse its light elsewhere.

At the end of life thoughts hitherto impossible come to the collected mind, like good spirits which let themselves down from the shining heights of the past.

A leaf that is destined to grow large is full of grooves and wrinkles at the start. Now if one has no patience and wants it smooth offhand like a willow leaf, there is trouble ahead.

He only fears men who does not know them, and he who avoids them will soon misjudge them.

Upon the creatures we have made, we are, ourselves, at last, dependent.