One truth discovered, one pang of regret at not being able to express it, is better than all the fluency and flippancy in the world.

What I mean by living to one's self is living in the world, as in it, not of it.

It might be argued, that to be a knave is the gift of fortune, but to play the fool to advantage it is necessary to be a learned man.

We would willingly, and without remorse, sacrifice not only the present moment, but all the interval (no matter how long) that separates us from any favorite object.

The safest kind of praise is to foretell that another will become great in some particular way. It has the greatest show of magnanimity and the least of it in reality.

A strong passion for any object will ensure success, for the desire of the end will point out the means.

The true barbarian is he who thinks everything barbarous but his own tastes and prejudices.