Under our present enormous accumulation of books, I do affirm that a most miserable distraction of choice must be very generally incident to the times; that the symptoms of it are in fact very prevalent, and that one of the chief symptoms is an enormous 'gluttonism' for books.
Thomas de QuinceyIt is one of the misfortunes in life that one must read thousands of books only to discover that one need not have read them.
Thomas de QuinceyThe whole body of the arts and sciences composes one vast machinery for the irritation and development of the human intellect.
Thomas de QuinceyIt is an impressive truth that sometimes in the very lowest forms of duty, less than which would rank a man as a villain, there is, nevertheless the sublimest ascent of self-sacrifice. To do less would class you as an object of eternal scorn, to do so much presumes the grandeur of heroism.
Thomas de Quincey