Excellence is never granted to man, but as the reward of labour.

The young mind is pliable and imitates, but in more advanced states grows rigid and must be warmed and softened before it will receive a deep impression.

Taste depends upon those finer emotions which make the organization of the soul.

Genius is supposed to be a power of producing excellences which are put of the reach of the rules of art: a power which no precepts can teach, and which no industry can acquire.

Could we teach taste or genius by rules, they would be no longer taste and genius.

The real character of a man is found out by his amusements.

A room hung with pictures is a room hung with thoughts.