The best reason why Monarchy is a strong government is, that it is an intelligible government. The mass of mankind understand it, and they hardly anywhere in the world understand any other.

The greatest mistake is trying to be more agreeable than you can be.

The habit of common and continuous speech is a symptom of mental deficiency. It proceeds from not knowing what is going on in other people's minds.

War both needs and generates certain virtues; not the highest, but what may be called the preliminary virtues, as valor, veracity, the spirit of obedience, the habit of discipline. Any of these, and of others like them, when possessed by a nation, and no matter how generated, will give them a military advantage, and make them more likely to stay in the race of nations.

Progress would not have been the rarity it is if the early food had not been the late poison.

So long as war is the main business of nations, temporary despotism - despotism during the campaign - is indispensable.

A schoolmaster should have an atmosphere of awe, and walk wonderingly, as if he was amazed at being himself.