An inglorious peace is better than a dishonorable war.

A new oath holds pretty well; but... when it is become old, and frayed out, and damaged by a dozen annual retryings of its remains, it ceases to be serviceable; any little strain will snap it.

Do the thing you fear most and the death of fear is certain.

Few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example.

When I want to read something nice, I sit down and write it myself.

In Austria an editor who can write well is valuable, but he is not likely to remain so unless he can handle a sabre with charm.

In America, we hurry-which is well; but when the day's work is done, we go on thinking of losses and gains, we plan for the morrow, we even carry our business cares to bed with us...we burn up our energies with these excitements, and either die early or drop into a lean and mean old age at a time of life which they call a man's prime in Europe...What a robust people, what a nation of thinkers we might be, if we would only lay ourselves on the shelf occasionally and renew our edges!