Men little know when they say hard things to us how well we remember them, and how much harm they do us.

Some of us rush through life, and some of us saunter through life. Mrs Vesey sat through life.

No sensible man ever engages, unprepared, in a fencing match of words with a woman.

The future of English fiction may rest with this Unknown Public - a reading public of three millions which lies right out of the pale of true literary civilization - which is now waiting to be taught the difference between a good book and a bad.

Habits of literary composition are perfectly familiar to me. One of the rarest of all the intellectual accomplishments that a man can possess is the grand faculty of arranging his ideas. Immense privilege! I possess it. Do you?

It is one of my rules in life, never to notice what I don't understand.

I haven't much time to be fond of anything. But when I have a moment's fondness to bestow, most times the roses get it.