In all men is evil sleeping; the good man is he who will not awaken it, in himself or in other men.

The perpetual stream of human nature is formed into ever-changing shallows, eddies, falls and pools by the land over which it passes. Perhaps the only real value of history lies in considering this endlessly varied play between the essence and the accidents.

Tell a man what he may not sing and he is still half free; even all free, if he never wanted to sing it. But tell him what he must sing, take up his time with it so that his true voice cannot sound even in secret -- there, I have seen is slavery.

It is better to believe in men too rashly, and regret, than believe too meanly. Men could be more than they are, if they would try for it. He has shown them that.

One might have supposed that the true act of love was to lie together and talk.

One must live as if it would be forever, and as if one might die each moment. Always both at once.

Miss Searle had always considered boredom an intellectual defeat.