Plain question and plain answer make the shortest road out of most perplexities.

I am a great and sublime fool. But then I am God's fool, and all His works must be contemplated with respect.

Word it as softly as you please, the spirit of patriotism is the spirit of the dog and wolf. The moment there is a misunderstanding about a boundary line or a hamper of fish or some other squalid matter, see patriotism rise, and hear him split the universe with is war-whoop. The spirit of patriotism being in its nature jealous and selfish, is just in man's line, it comes natural to him - he can live up to all its requirements to the letter; but the spirit of Christianity is not in its entirety possible to him.

I think I can say, and say with pride, that we have some legislatures that bring higher prices than any in the world.

To place man properly at the present time, he stands somewhere between the angels and the French.

The true and lasting genius of humour does not drag you thus to boxes labelled 'pathos,' 'humour,' and show you all the mechanism of the inimitable puppets that are going to perform. How I used to laugh at Simon Tapperwit, and the Wellers, and a host more! But I can't do it now somehow; and time, it seems to me, is the true test of humour. It must be antiseptic.

All you need is ignorance and confidence and the success is sure.