An artist should create beautiful things, but should put nothing of his own life into them. We live in an age when men treat art as if it were meant to be a form of autobiography. We have lost the abstract sense of beauty.

It takes a thoroughly good woman to do a thoroughly stupid thing

The nineteenth century is a turning point in history, simply on account of the work of two men, Darwin and Renan, the one the critic of the Book of Nature, the other the critic of the books of God. Not to recognise this is to miss the meaning of one of the most important eras in the progress of the world.

I envy you going to Oxford: it is the most flower-like time of one's life. One sees the shadow of things in silver mirrors. Later on, one sees the Gorgon's head, and one suffers, because it does not turn one to stone.

If one could only teach the English how to talk, and the Irish how to listen, society here would be quite civilized.

He lives the poetry that he cannot write. The others write the poetry that they dare not realize

We are specially designed to appeal to the sense of humour.