To a person uninstructed in natural history, his country or sea-side stroll is a walk through a gallery filled with wonderful works of art, nine-tenths of which have their faces turned to the wall. Teach him something of natural history, and you place in his hands a catalogue of those which are worth turning around. Surely our innocent pleasures are not so abundant in this life, that we can afford to despise this or any other source of them.

Whatever evil voices may rage, Science, secure among the powers that are eternal, will do her work and be blessed.

History warns us that it is the customary fate of new truths to begin as heresies and to end as superstitions.

Though under-instruction is a bad thing, it is not impossible that over-instruction may be worse.

There is the greatest practical benefit in making a few failures early in life.

Some experience of popular lecturing had convinced me that the necessity of making things plain to uninstructed people, was one of the very best means of clearing up the obscure corners in one's own mind.

The only freedom I care about is the freedom to do right; the freedom to do wrong I am ready to part with on the cheapest terms to anyone who will take it of me