He who comes up to his own idea of greatness must always have had a very low standard of it in his mind.

It is hard for any one to be an honest politician who is not born and bred a Dissenter.

Violence ever defeats its own ends. Where you cannot drive you can always persuade. A gentle word, a kind look, a god-natured smile can work wonders and accomplish miracles. There is a secret pride in every human heart than revolts at tyranny. You may order and drive an individual, but you cannot make him respect you.

The way to get on in the world is to be neither more nor less wise, neither better nor worse than your neighbours.

A distinction has been made between acuteness and subtlety of understanding. This might be illustrated by saying that acuteness consists in taking up the points or solid atoms, subtlety in feeling the air of truth.

The origin of all science is the desire to know causes, and the origin of all false science is the desire to accept false causes rather than none; or, which is the same thing, in the unwillingness to acknowledge our own ignorance.

There is an unseemly exposure of the mind, as well as of the body.