The supposition that it was possible for any woman to be so mean-spirited as not at least to wish to tear out her rival's eyes was too hard for the digestion of the Cry.

The words of kindness are more healing to a drooping heart than balm or honey.

Tis this desire of bending all things to our own purposes which turns them into confusion and is the chief source of every error in our lives.

[Allegory] is a flight by which the human wit attempts at one and the same time to investigate two objects, and consequently is fitted only to the most exalted geniuses.

Flattery in courtship is the highest insolence, for whilst it pretends to bestow on you more than you deserve, it is watching an opportunity to take from you what you really have.

I fancied I had some constancy of mind because I could bear my own sufferings, but found through the sufferings of others I could be weakened like a child.

If modesty and candor are necessary to an author in his judgment of his own works, no less are they in his reader.

Agreeable then to my present inclination, I formed the object of my own worship, which was no other than my own understanding.

On the wings of fancy, gentle readers, bear yourselves into the mid-air, where by imagination you may form a large stupendous castle.

I am none of those nonsensical fools that can whine and make romantic love--I leave that to younger brothers. Let my estate speakfor me.

But in all things whether we shall make only a due use of the liberties we have asked, is left entirely to the judicious reader to decide.

Is it bad to like the way the scars look on my skin? Oh, the way they feel under my hands. My body’s protecting itself, saying, “No, this barrier of scar tissue is to keep you out.

You can't make up anything anymore. The world itself is a satire. All you're doing is recording it.

We have to live and let live in order to create what we are.

I have found Christian dogma unintelligible.

I recently had the opportunity to vote to give the president limited authority to begin strikes against terrorists in Iraq and Syria.

Show me a gracious loser and I'll show you a failure.

Never reveal all of yourself to other people; hold back something in reserve so that people are never quite sure if they really know you.

What I want to know is this: Are the stars gold paper or is the gold paper stars?

Science ... in other words, knowledge-is not the enemy of religion; for, if so, then religion would mean ignorance. But it is often the antagonist of school-divinity.

To conquer the enemy without resorting to war is the most desirable. The highest form of generalship is to conquer the enemy by strategy.