Do people conform to the instructions of us old ones? Each thinks he must know best about himself, and thus many are lost entirely.

We are our own aptest deceiver.

Yes, I have finally arrived to this Capital of the World! I now see all the dreams of my youth coming to life... Only in Rome is it possible to understand Rome.

The unnatural, that too is natural.

There are few who have at once thought and capacity for action. Thought expands, but lames; action animates, but narrows.

He who possesses art and science has religion; he who does not possess them, needs religion.

Alas, that we should be so unwilling to listen to the still and holy yearnings of the heart! A god whispers quite softly in our breast, softly yet audibly; telling us what we ought to seek and what to shun.