The Ancient Mariner would not have taken so well if it had been called The Old Sailor.

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.

When you've told someone that you've left them a legacy the only decent thing to do is to die at once.

Genius might be described as a supreme capacity for getting its possessors into trouble of all kinds

In old times people used to try and square the circle; now they try and devise schemes for satisfying the Irish nation.

Human life is as evanescent as the morning dew or a flash of lightning.