How many people make themselves abstract to appear profound. The most useful part of abstract terms are the shadows they create to hide a vacuum.

When the painter wishes to represent an event, he cannot place before us too great a number of personages; but he cannot employ too few when he wishes to portray an emotion.

Children need models rather than critics.

Tormented by the cursed ambition always to put a whole book in a page, a whole page in a sentence, and this sentence in a word. I am speaking of myself.

I would fain coin wisdom,—mould it, I mean, into maxims, proverbs, sentences, that can easily be retained and transmitted. Would that I could denounce and banish from the language of men—as base money—the words by which they cheat and are cheated!

How many weak shoulders have craved heavy burdens!

Ornaments were invented by modesty.