Even a bad man is better than a good book.

What can you do by killing? Nothing. You kill one dog, the master buys another-that's all there is to it.

Writers build castles in the air, the reader lives inside, and the publisher inns the rent.

Silence is terrible and painful only to those who have said all and have nothing more to speak of; but to those who never had anything to say— to them silence is simple and easy.

It is quiet here and restful and the air is delicious. There are gardens everywhere and police spies lie in the bushes. There are nightingales in every garden, but police spies only in mine, I think. They sit under my windows in the darkness of the night and try to get a glimpse of how I spread sedition in Russia.

Lies are the religion of slaves and masters. Truth is the god of the free man.

This fear is what is the ruin of us all. And some dominate us; they take advantage of our fear and frighten us still more. Mark this: as long as people are afraid, they will rot like the birches in the marsh. We must grow bold; it is time!