Once when a slight difference was mentioned between us, of which I was reminded by a passage in a letter of his, I made the following reflections: There is a great difference between a poet seeking the particular for the universal, and seeing the universal in the particular. The one gives rise to Allegory, where the particular serves only as

The most insignificant man can be complete if he works within the limits of his capacities, innate or acquired; but even fine talents can be obscured, neutralised, and destroyed by lack of this indispensable requirement of symmetry.

You may recognise the utility of an idea, and yet not quite understand how to make a perfect use of it.

The things that are true, good, excellent, are simple and always alike, whatever their appearance may be.

The most foolish of all errors is for clever young men to believe that they forfeit their originality in recognising a truth which has already been recognised by others.

And in acting thus he remains equally at ease whether the majority agree with him or he finds himself in a minority. For he has done what he could: he has expressed his convictions; and he is not master of the minds or hearts of others.

Opponents fancy they refute us when they repeat their own opinion and pay no attention to ours.

If a man knows where to get good advice, it is as though he could supply it himself.

Nothing is more highly to be prized than the value of each day.