Great griefs exhaust. They discourage us with life. The man into whom they enter feels something taken from him. In youth, their visit is sad; later on, it is ominous.

We must never fear robbers or murderers. They are dangers from outside, small dangers. It is ourselves we have to fear. Prejudice is the real robber, vice the real murderer. Why should we be troubled by a threat to our person or our pocket? What we have to beware of is the threat to our souls'.

How frightened hypocrisy hastens to defend itself.

It is the essence of truth that it is never excessive.... We must not resort to the flame where only light is required.

She loved with so much passion as she loved with ignorance. She did not know whether it were good or evil, beneficent or dangerous, necessary or accidental, eternal or transitory, permitted or prohibited: she loved.

There are fathers who do not love their children; there is no grandfather who does not adore his grandson.

There are plenty who regard a wall behind which something is happening as a very curious thing.