Nothing is more unpleasant than a virtuous person with a mean mind.

The cure for admiring the House of Lords is to go and look at it.

Capital must be propelled by self-interest; it cannot be enticed by benevolence.

The peculiar essence of our banking system is an unprecedented trust between man and man. And when that trust is much weakened by hidden causes, a small accident may greatly hurt it, and a great accident for a moment may almost destroy it.

In my youth I hoped to do great things; now I shall be satisfied to get through without scandal.

The great pleasure of life is doing for pleasure things I do not like to do.

It is often said that men are ruled by their imaginations; but it would be truer to say they are governed by the weakness of their imaginations.