"He (the Professor) was a failure but did his best to hide it. One of his failings was that he could barely write, except in a twelfth century hand, in Latin, with abbreviations."

"When she (Maria) had come abreast of the little island of Mistress Masham's Repose, she began to feel piratical. Swouns and Slids, she said to herself, but you could slap her vitals if she did not careen there, and perhaps dig up some buried treasure while about it."

"She (Maria) lived in an enormous house in the wilds of Northamptonshire, which was about four times longer than Buckingham Palace, but was falling down."

"Perhaps we all give the best of our hearts uncritically -- to those who hardly think about us in return."

"Ther days may come,/Ther days may go,/But still the light of Mem'ry weaves/Those gentle dreams/Of long ago"

"I would recommend a solo flight to all prospective suicides. It tends to make clear the issue of whether one enjoys being alive or not."

"Aviators live by hours, not by days."

"Dogs, like very small children, are quite mad."

"The fisherman fishes as the urchin eats cream buns, from lust."

"The most difficult thing in the world is to know how to do a thing and to watch somebody else doing it wrong, without comment."

"Little child Who was me once, My pity on you— And reverence.If we could meet Where I once strayed, The betrayer And the betrayed.If we could win back In Time's defiance, Would you be afeared of me, Ten-year-old Terence?No, you would not fear. You would love, trust, Cherish, admire This tedious dust.For oh! we were all brimming once With the sun-sparkled dew. One heart could have loved this hulk— The ignorant heart of you."

"Be kind, Helen, I am so tired of thinking; There are so many difficult corridors of thought, With equal iron banisters leading back again: So many stone stairs, Helen, up which I sought To rediscover the windy sky, and stand, blinking, In the lost sunlight: as bright as pain, Helen. I would give almost anything now Even for pain."

"Helen whose face was fatal must have wept Many salt tears to keep her eyes so bright Many long nights alone: and every night Men died, she cried, and happy Paris kept Sweet Helen."

"God is love, the bishops tell. Yes, I know, But love is hell."

"God is love, the parson whined. Yes, and is he also blind?"

"The once and future king."

"The Victorians had not been anxious to go away for the weekend. The Edwardians, on the contrary, were nomadic."

"“Neither force, nor argument, nor opinion," said Merlyn with the deepest sincerity, "are thinking. Argument is only a display of mental force, a sort of fencing with points in order to gain a victory, not for truth. Opinions are the blind alleys of lazy or of stupid men, who are unable to think. If ever a true politician really thinks a subject out dispassionately, even Homo stultus will be compelled to accept his findings in the end. Opinion can never stand beside truth. At present, however, Homo impoliticus is content either to argue with opinions or to fight with his fists, instead of waiting for the truth in his head. It will take a million years, before the mass of men can be called political animals.”"

"How at heaven's gates she claps her wings, The morne not waking til she sings."

"Fish and guests in three days are stale."

"Cupid and my Campaspe play'd At cards for kisses—Cupid paid: He stakes his quiver, bow, and arrows, His mother's doves, and team of sparrows; Loses them too; then down he throws The coral of his lips, the rose Growing one's cheek (but none knows how); With these, the crystal of his brow, And then the dimple of his chin: All these did my Campaspe win. At last he set her both his eyes— She won, and Cupid blind did rise. O Love! has she done this for thee? What shall, alas! become of me?"

"A Rose is sweeter in the budde than full blowne."

"For experience teacheth me that straight trees have crooked roots."

"I am glad that my Adonis hath a sweete tooth in his head."

"Fishe and gesse in three dayes are stale."

"Your eyes are so sharpe that you cannot onely looke through a Milstone, but cleane through the minde."

"Where the streame runneth smoothest, the water is deepest."

"Maydens, be they never so foolyshe, yet beeing fayre they are commonly fortunate."

"A comely olde man as busie as a bee."

"Goe to bed with the Lambe, and rise with the Larke."

"It is a world to see."

"Is it not true which Seneca reporteth, that as too much bending breaketh the bowe, so too much remission spoyleth the minde?"

"Rather fast then surfette, rather starue then striue to exceede."

"I mean not to run with the Hare and holde with the Hounde."

"Lette me stande to the maine chance."

"Did not Jupiter transforme himselfe into the shape of Amphitrio to embrace Alcmæna; into the form of a swan to enjoy Leda; into a Bull to beguile Io; into a showre of gold to win Danae?"

"That honourable estate of Matrimony, which was sanctified in Paradise, allowed of the Patriarches, hallowed of the olde Prophets, and commended of al persons."

"He reckoneth without his Hostesse. Love knoweth no lawes."

"The soft droppes of rain perce the hard marble; many strokes overthrow the tallest oaks."

"It seems to me (said she) that you are in some brown study."

"I cast before the Moone."

"The finest edge is made with the blunt whetstone."

"Though the Camomill, the more it is trodden and pressed downe the more it spreadeth."

"Be valyaunt, but not too venturous. Let thy attyre bee comely, but not costly."

"As lyke as one pease is to another."

"A clere conscience is a sure carde."

"There can no great smoke arise, but there must be some fire."

"It is not the end. There is no end. It is simply the end of the old times, Loki, and the beginning of the new times. Rebirth always follows death. You have failed."