What is the destiny of man, but to fill up the measure of his sufferings, and to drink his allotted cup of bitterness?

The older we get the more we must limit ourselves if we wish to be active.

Whoever strenuously endeavors, him we can rescue.

Daily life is more instructive than the most effective book.

The misfortune in the state is, that nobody can enjoy life in peace, but that everybody must govern; and in art, that nobody will enjoy what has been produced, but that every one wants to reproduce on his own account.

You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him.

Wood burns because it has the proper stuff for that purpose in it; and a man becomes renowned because he has the necessary stuff in him. Renown is not to be sought, and all pursuit of it is vain. A person may, indeed, by skillful conduct and various artificial means, make a sort of name for himself; but if the inner jewel is wanting, all is vanity, and will not last a day.