Buying books would be a good thing if one could also buy the time to read them in: but as a rule the purchase of books is mistaken for the appropriation of their contents.

As the biggest library if it is in disorder is not as useful as a small but well-arranged one, so you may accumulate a vast amount of knowledge but it will be of far less value than a much smaller amount if you have not thought it over for yourself.

Treat a work of art like a prince: let it speak to you first.

Ordinary people merely think how they shall 'spend' their time; a man of talent tries to 'use' it.

Politeness is to human nature what warmth is to wax.