It is one of the defects of my character that I cannot altogether dislike anyone who makes me laugh.

For my part I cannot believe in a God who is angry with me because I do not believe in him. I cannot believe in a God who is less tolerant than I. I cannot believe in a God who has neither humour nor common sense.

The crown of literature is poetry.

It must be that to govern a nation you need a specific talent and that this may very well exist without general ability.

Success. I don't believe it has any effect on me. For one thing I always expected it.

I think I was a little disappointed in her. I expected then people to be more of a piece than I do now, and I was distressed to find so much vindictiveness in so charming a creature. I did not realize how motley are the qualities that go to make up a human being. Now I am well aware that pettiness and grandeur, malice and charity, hatred and love, can find place side by side in the same human heart.

Life is really very fantastic, and one has to have a peculiar sense of humour to see the fun of it. [Virtue]