The sublime and the ridiculous are often so nearly related, that it is difficult to class them separately. One step above the sublime makes the ridiculous, and one step above the ridiculous makes the sublime again.

The World is my country, all mankind are my brethren, and to do good is my religion.

A man may write himself out of reputation when nobody else can do it.

Accustom a people to believe that priests, or any other class of men can forgive sins and you will have sins in abundance.

Mystery is the antagonist of truth. It is a fog of human invention, that obscures truth, and represents it in distortion.

Lay then the axe to the root, and teach governments humanity. It is their sanguinary punishments which corrupt mankind.

To possess ourselves of a clear idea of what government is, or ought to be, we must trace it to its origin.