There are things which some people never attempt during their whole lives, but one of these is not poetry. Poetry attacks all human beings sooner or later, and, like the measles, is mild or violent according to the age of the sufferer.

The perfection of wisdom, and the end of true philosophy is to proportion our wants to our possessions, our ambitions to our capacities, we will then be a happy and a virtuous people.

I was born modest; not all over, but in spots.

I shall never use profanity except in discussing house rent and taxes.

The only difference between a tax man and a taxidermist is that the taxidermist leaves the skin.

What a man sees in the human race is merely himself in the deep and honest privacy of his own heart. Byron despised the race because he despised himself. I feel as Byron did, and for the same reason.

The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.