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.

I didn't have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead.

Your friends may love you in private but your enemies will hate you in public.

The church is always trying to get other people to reform, it might not be a bad idea to reform itself a little, by way of example

A conspiracy is nothing but a secret agreement of a number of men for the pursuance of policies which they dare not admit in public

My own luck has been curious all my literary life; I never could tell a lie that anyone would doubt, nor a truth that anybody would believe.

Half of the results of a good intentions are evil; half the results of an evil intention are good.