Quotes

It is not so important that many should be as good as you, as that there be some absolute goodness somewhere; for that will leaven the whole lump.

One man's justice is another's injustice; one man's beauty another's ugliness; one man's wisdom another's folly; as one beholds the same objects from a higher point of view.

You could not make me happy, and I am convinced that I am the last woman in the world who would make you so.

Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow.

You work that you may keep pace with the earth and the soul of the earth.

The world puts off its mask of vastness to its lover. It becomes small as one song, as one kiss of the eternal.

The mind must be strong that resolutely forms its own principles; for a kind of intellectual cowardice prevails which makes many men shrink from the task, or only do it by halves.

To reconstruct a past world, doubtless with a view to the highest purposes of truth—what a work to be in any way present at, to assist in, though only as a lamp-holder!

You have a good many little gifts and virtues, but there is no need of parading them, for conceit spoils the finest genius.

I know there are many things in Shakespeare, and in the world, that I do not understand; and I am glad to see veil after veil lift gradually, revealing new realms of thought and beauty.

The thought of leaving my friends was decidedly the most painful thought with which I had to contend.

I choose my friends for their good looks, my acquaintances for their good characters, and my enemies for their good intellects.

The time of a man's life is as a point; the substance of it ever flowing, the sense obscure; and the whole composition of the body tending to corruption.

Now the things within our power are by nature free, unrestricted, unhindered; but those beyond our power are weak, dependent, restricted, alien.

All in the world know the beauty of the beautiful, and in doing this they have (the idea of) what ugliness is; they all know the skill of the skilful, and in doing this they have (the idea of) what the want of skill is.

The symbol of an ancient man’s thought becomes a modern man’s speech.

We are to dignify to each other the daily needs and offices of man's life, and embellish it by courage, wisdom and unity.

We can all begin freely--a slight preference is natural enough; but there are very few of us who have heart enough to be really in love without encouragement.