If a man knows the law, find out, though he live in a pine shanty, and resort to him. And if a man can pipe or sing, so as to wrap the imprisoned soul in an elysium; or can paint a landscape, and convey into souls and ochres all the enchantments of Spring or Autumn; or can liberate and intoxicate all people who hear him with delicious songs and verses; it is certain that the secret cannot be kept; the first witness tells it to a second, and men go by fives and tens and fifties to his doors.

People suffer all their life long, under the foolish superstition that they can be cheated. But it is impossible for a person to be cheated by anyone but himself.

Men succeed when they realize that their failures are the preparation for their victories.

The element running through entire nature, which we popularly call Fate, is known to us as limitation. Whatever limits us, we callFate.

Every discourse is an approximate answer: but it is of small consequence, that we do not get it into verbs and nouns, whilst it abides for contemplation forever.

Thought is the property of him who can entertain it, and of him who can adequately place it.

Every man's task [his 'great dream' and impassioned life-goal] is his life preserver.