Among all forms of mistake, prophecy is the most gratuitous.

I should like to know what is the proper function of women, if it is not to make reasons for husbands to stay at home, and still stronger reasons for bachelors to go out.

There is nothing that will kill a man so soon as having nobody to find fault with but himself.

The egoism which enters into our theories does not affect their sincerity; rather, the more our egoism is satisfied, the more robust is our belief.

There is a sort of jealousy which needs very little fire; it is hardly a passion, but a blight bred in the cloudy, damp despondency of uneasy egoism.

Jealousy is never satisfied with anything short of an omniscience that would detect the subtlest fold of the heart.

No evil dooms us hopelessly except the evil we love, and desire to continue in, and make no effort to escape from.

One soweth and another reapeth is a verity that applies to evil as well as good.

Nothing is so good as it seems beforehand.

Any coward can fight a battle when he's sure of winning, but give me the man who has pluck to fight when he's sure of losing. That's my way, sir; and there are many victories worse than a defeat.