Knowledge advances by steps, and not by leaps.

Generalization is necessary to the advancement of knowledge; but particularity is indispensable to the creations of the imagination.

The opinion of the great body of the reading public is very materially influenced even by the unsupported assertions of those who assume a right to criticize.

Office of itself does much to equalize politicians. It by no means brings all characters to a level; but it does bring high characters down and low characters up towards a common standard.

We cannot absolutely prove that those are in error who tell us that society has reached a turning point, that we have seen our best days. But so said all before us, and with just as much apparent reason.

The Orientals have another word for accident; it is "kismet,"--fate.

The history of nations, in the sense in which I use the word, is often best studied in works not professedly historical.