It is fortunate that Literature is in no ways injured by the follies of Collectors, since though they preserve the worthless, they necessarily defend the good.

The most noble criticism is that in which the critic is not the antagonist so much as the rival of the author.

A circle may be small, yet it may be as mathematically beautiful and perfect as a large one.

The ancients, who in these matters were not perhaps such blockheads as some may conceive, considered poetical quotation as one of the requisite ornaments of oratory.

One may quote till one compiles.

The delights of reading impart the vivacity of youth even to old age.

There is an art of reading, as well as an art of thinking, and an art of writing.

Fortune has rarely condescended to be the companion of genius.

The delight of opening a new pursuit, or a new course of reading, imparts the vivacity and novelty of youth even to old age.

Those who do not read criticism will rarely merit to be criticised.

Beware of the man of one book. [Lat., Home unius libri, or, cave ab homine unius libri.]

Be ready to defend yourself as I'm coming out of the shelf

Is Russia worried that defeating Daesh will open the door for defeating Bashar Assad? That would be a different story. But I don't think World War III is going to happen in Syria.

I want to be around people that do things. I don't want to be around people anymore that judge or talk about what people do. I want to be around people who dream and support and do things.

We have to reserve the right to bomb the niggers.

I never act my characters - I am them.

It gives me the same pleasure when someone else proves a good theorem as when I do it myself.

My choice early in life was either to be a piano player in a whorehouse or a politician. To tell the truth, there's hardly a difference.

The watchful mother tarries nigh Though sleep have closed her infant's eye, For should he wake, and find her gone.

The spine should be empty so that energy moves up and down. I always felt this way as a child.

Make no cry in failure! Make no noise in success! In failure, silence; in success, silence! Fly with the same attitude both in the high and in the low altitudes!