The scholar may lose himself in schools, in words, and become a pedant; but when he comprehends his duties, he above all men is arealist, and converses with things.

No rent-roll nor army-list can dignify skulking and dissimulation: and the first point of courtesy must always be truth, as really all the forms of good-breeding point that way.

Nature never sends a great man into the planet, without confiding the secret to another soul.

By necessity, by proclivity, and by delight, we all quote. In fact, it is as difficult to appropriate the thoughts of others as it is to invent.

Next to the originator of a good sentence is the first quoter of it.

Judge of your natural character by what you do in your dreams.

I do then with my friends as I do with my books. I would have them where I can find them, but I seldom use them.