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.

The real essence of work is concentrated energy.

A princely marriage is the brilliant edition of a universal fact, and, as such, it rivets mankind.

The reason why so few good books are written is, that so few people that can write know anything. In general an author has always lived in a room, has read books, has cultivated science, is acquainted with the style and sentiments of the best authors, but he is out of the way of employing his own eyes and ears. He has nothing to hear and nothing to see. His life is a vacuum.

Our law very often reminds one of those outskirts of cities where you cannot for a long time tell how the streets come to wind about in so capricious and serpent-like a manner. At last it strikes you that they grew up, house by house, on the devious tracks of the old green lanes; and if you follow on to the existing fields, you may often find the change half complete.

No real English gentleman, in his secret soul, was ever sorry for the death of a political economist.

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.