Academic and aristocratic people live in such an uncommon atmosphere that common sense can rarely reach them.

You can do very little with faith, but you can do nothing without it.

A virtue to be serviceable must, like gold, be alloyed with some commoner, but more durable alloy.

My main wish is to get my books into other people's rooms, and to keep other people's books out of mine.

Don't learn to do, but learn in doing.

If you follow reason far enough it always leads to conclusions that are contrary to reason.

Self-preservation is the first law of nature.