...greatness sympathises with greatness, and littleness shrinks into itself.

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

There is room enough in human life to crowd almost every art and science in it. If we pass ""no day without a line""-visit no place without the company of a book-we may with ease fill libraries or empty them of their contents. The more we do, the more busy we are, the more leisure we have.

Poverty is the test of civility and the touchstone of friendship.

When you find out a man's ruling passion, beware of crossing him in it.

Our energy is in proportion to the resistance it meets.

We imagine that the admiration of the works of celebrated men has become common, because the admiration of their names has become so.