Excellence is never granted to man, but as the reward of labour.

There is no expedient to which a man will not resort to avoid the real labor of thinking.

The real character of a man is found out by his amusements.

Few have been taught to any purpose who have not been their own teachers.

A room hung with pictures is a room hung with thoughts.

Our Exhibitions [The Royal Academy] have... a mischievous tendency, by seducing the Painter to an ambition of pleasing indiscriminately the mixed multitude of people who resort to them.

Art in its perfection is not ostentatious; it lies hid and works its effect, itself unseen.

The great end of all arts is to make an impression on the imagination and the feeling. The imitation of nature frequently does this. Sometimes it fails and something else succeeds.

A mere copier of nature can never produce anything great.

Taste depends upon those finer emotions which make the organization of the soul.

Genius is supposed to be a power of producing excellences which are put of the reach of the rules of art: a power which no precepts can teach, and which no industry can acquire.

For this reason I tell you: When you pray and ask for something, believe that you have received it, and you will be given whatever you ask for.

For once, the tears wouldn't come. She saw that Michael might have been right. It really could be too cold to snow.

Chance is life's only certainty.

You weren't picky about who got hurt. Still aren't. So don't preach at us like you're some kind of saint. You're just another sinner.

My friends call me Clark Kent: I'm known to change in phone booths.

Allow nature to teach you stillness.

I always loved the look of musicians. I've always admired them because they have a look - when I was growing up, it seemed that the ones I liked didn't need to have a stylist.

A . . . poet is a discoverer rather than an inventor.

Don't start smoking. It's much harder to stop than it is not to start at all.

What a delightful thing this perspective is!