The persons who constitute the natural aristocracy, are not found in the actual aristocracy, or, only on its edge; as the chemicalenergy of the spectrum is found to be greatest just outside of the spectrum.

In the sublimest flights of the soul, rectitude is never surmounted, love is never outgrown.

The Americans have many virtues, but they have not Faith and Hope. I know no two words whose meaning is more lost sight of.

Let the realist not mind appearances. Let him delegate to others the costly courtesies and decorations of social life. The virtuesare economists, but some of the vices are also. Thus, next to humility, I have noticed that pride is a pretty good husband. A good pride is, as I reckon it, worth from five hundred to fifteen hundred a year.

It seems as if nature, in regarding the geologic night behind her, when, in five or six millenniums, she had turned out five or six men, as Homer, Phidias, Menu, and Columbus, was no wise discontented with the result. These samples attested the virtue of the tree.

Nature cannot be surprised in undress. Beauty breaks in everywhere.

The wise through excess of wisdom is made a fool.