Human pride is not worthwhile; there is always something lying in wait to take the wind out of it.

in order to make a man or boy covet a thing, it is only necessary to make the thing difficult to attain.

In forgiving, people are not being asked to forget. On the contrary, it is important to remember, so that we should not let such atrocities happen again. Forgiveness does not mean condoning what has been done. It means taking what happened seriously...drawing out the sting in the memory that threatens our entire existence.

We need not worry so much about what man descends from; it's what he descends to that shames the human race.

The only very marked difference between the average civilized man and the average savage is that the one is gilded and the other is painted.

The Autocrat of Russia possesses more power than any other man in the earth; but he cannot stop a sneeze.

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.