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!

Genius is the ability to see things invisible, to manipulate things intangible, to paint things that have no features

Religion is fire which example keeps alive, and which goes out if not communicated.

You want to talk to someone; first open your ears.

There are people who are virtuous only in a piece-meal way; virtue is a fabric from which they never make themselves a whole garment.

To be an agreeable guest one need only enjoy oneself.

Antiquity! I like its ruins better than its reconstructions.