Children see in their parents the past, their parents see in them the future; and if we find more love in the parents for their children than in children for their parents, this is sad but natural. Who does not entertain his hopes more than his recollections.

Mighty of heart, mighty of mind, magnanimous-to be this is indeed to be great in life.

The force of the guinea you have in your pocket depends wholly on the default of a guinea in your neighbour's pocket. If he did not want it, it would be of no use to you.

Without the perfect sympathy with the animals around them, no gentleman's education, no Christian education, could be of any possible use.

What is really desired, under the name of riches, is essentially, power over men ... this power ... is in direct proportion to the poverty of the men over whom it is exercised, and in inverse proportion to the number of persons who are as rich as ourselves.

I cannot but think it an evil sign of a people when their houses are built to last for one generation only.

To know anything well involves a profound sensation of ignorance.