True genius walks along a line, and, perhaps, our greatest pleasure is in seeing it so often near falling, without being ever actually down.

[T]here are depths of thousands of miles which are hidden from our inquiry. The only tidings we have from those unfathomable regions are by means of volcanoes, those burning mountains that seem to discharge their materials from the lowest abysses of the earth.

We are all sure of two things, at least; we shall suffer and we shall all die.

The sports of children satisfy the child.

Let schoolmasters puzzle their brain, With grammar, and nonsense, and learning, Good liquor, I stoutly maintain, Gives genius a better discerning.

I have seen her and sister cry over a book for an hour together, and they said, they liked the book the better the more it made them cry.

Pity and friendship are two passions incompatible with each other.