The man who is a pessimist before 48 knows too much; if he is an optimist after it, he knows too little.

English humor is hard to appreciate, though, unless you are trained to it. The English papers, in reporting my speeches, always put 'laughter' in the wrong place.

Homely truth is unpalatable.

Who is this Renaissance? Where did he come from? Who gave him permission to cram the Republic with his execrable daubs?

There is only one good sex. The female one.

We regret the things we don't do more than the things we do.

Genius has no youth, but starts with the ripeness of age and old experience.