One of the most important signs of the existence of a democracy is that when there is a knock at the door at 5 in the morning, one is completely certain that it is the milkman.

If the British Empire is fated to pass from life into history, we must hope it will not be by the slow process of dispersion and decay, but in some supreme exertion for freedom, for right and for truth.

Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.

Perfect solutions of our difficulties are not to be looked for in an imperfect world.

It may be that ... when the advance of destructive weapons enables everyone to kill everybody else nobody will want to kill anyone at all. [Referring to the hydrogen bomb.]

The man who stands firm in order to protect a sand-castle can never be relied upon; for he has given away his common sense.

Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing had happened.