"The history of creation, regarded by some in very early ages as probably "mythical," has, indeed, been proved to be certainly so, but the myth includes teaching of much more significance to us than the supposed history, and everyone should be glad to discover this additional proof that the aim of the writers of Scripture was not to satisfy an idle curiosity about facts which do not concern us. The doctrine of evolution promises to be of very easy assimilation by the Church."

"The difference between a commonly well-behaved woman and a high-bred lady consists in very small things—but what a difference it is!"

"One fool will deny more truth in half an hour than a wise man can prove in seven years."

"Books are influential in proportion to their obscurity, provided that the obscurity be that of inexpressible Realities. The Bible is the most obscure book in the world. He must be a great fool who thinks he understands the plainest chapter of it."

"The ardour chills us which we do not share."

"Pride does much and ill, Love does little and well."

"God is the only reality, and we are real only so far as we are in His order, and He is in us."

"Creation differs from subsistence only as the first leap of a fountain differs from its continuance."

"The modern Agnostic improves upon the ancient by adding "I don't care" to "I don't know"."

"The impurity of ignorance is in none so manifest as in the devout; for they act on their ignorance, and fill themselves and others with miserable scruples and hard thoughts of God, and are as apt to call good evil as other men are to call evil good."

"All reasoning ends in an appeal to self-evidence."

"If you try to simplify or pare off the superfluous from the minds and speech of most men, you will find that nothing is left. There is no simplicity in them, for there is no truth; truth and simplicity being, as Aquinas says, the same thing."

"The midge's wing beats to and fro A thousand times ere one can utter "O!""

"Ther are not two sides to any question that really concerns a man, but only one, and this side only a fool can fail to see if he tries."

"For want of me the world’s course will not fail; When all its work is done the lie shall rot; The truth is great and shall prevail When none cares whether it prevail or not."

"None thrives for long upon the happiest dream."

"The flower of olden sanctities."

"Science is a line, art a superficies, and life, or the knowledge of God, a solid."

"The sunshine dreaming upon Salmon’s height Is not so sweet and white As the most heretofore sin-spotted Soul That darts to its delight Straight from the absolution of a faithful fight."

"Life is not life at all without delight."

"How light the touches are that kiss The music from the chords of life!"

"To have nought Is to have all things without care or thought!"

"Ninety-nine men in a hundred are natural men, that is, beasts of prey; and it is mere insanity, in business matters, to deal with a stranger upon any other assumption than that he is a natural man, though we should veil our knowledge of the actual fact by a courteous recognition in words and manners of his better possibilities."

"It is one thing to be blind, and another to be in darkness."

"Having my law the seventh time disobey'd, I struck him, and dismiss'd With hard words and unkiss'd, —His Mother, who was patient, being dead."

"Why, having won her, do I woo? Because her spirit's vestal grace Provokes me always to pursue, But, spirit-like, eludes embrace.[…] Because though free of the outer court I am, this Temple keeps its shrine Sacred to Heaven; because, in short, She's not and never can be mine."

"Without his knowledge he was won; Against his nature kept devout; She'll never tell him how 'twas done, And he will never find it out. If, sudden, he suspects her wiles, And hears her forging chain and trap, And looks, she sits in simple smiles, Her two hands lying in her lap. Her secret (privilege of the Bard, Whose fancy is of either sex), Is mine; but let the darkness guard Myst'ries that light would more perplex!"

"I saw you take his kiss!" "'Tis true." "O, modesty!" "'Twas strictly kept: He thought me asleep; at least, I knew He thought I thought he thought I slept."

"The beauty in her lover's eyes Was admiration of her own."

"A woman is a foreign land."

"The moods of love are like the wind, And none know whence or why they rise."

"Bright looks reply, approving so Beauty's elixir vitæ, praise."

"The bliss which woman's charms bespeak, "I've sought in many, found in none!" "In many 'tis in vain you seek "What can be found in only one."

"What seems to us for us is true. The planet has no proper light, And yet when Venus is in view, No primal star is half so bright."

"How amiable and innocent Her pleasure in her power to charm!"

"Kind souls, you wonder why, love you, When you, you wonder why, love none. We love, Fool, for the good we do, Not that which unto us is done!"

"Ah, wasteful woman, she who may On her sweet self set her own price, Knowing man cannot choose but pay, How has she cheapen'd paradise; How given for nought her priceless gift, How spoil'd the bread and spill'd the wine, Which, spent with due, respective thrift, Had made brutes men, and men divine."

"Love wakes men, once a lifetime each; They lift their heavy lids, and look; And, lo, what one sweet page can teach, They read with joy, then shut the book."

"Grant me the power of saying things Too simple and too sweet for words!"

"I drew my bride, beneath the moon, Across my threshold; happy hour! But, ah, the walk that afternoon We saw the water-flags in flower!"

"She is both heaven and the way."

"Strong passions mean weak will, and he Who truly knows the strength and bliss Which are in love, will own with me No passion but a virtue 'tis."

"Rejoice, oh! grieving heart, The hours fly past; With each some sorrow dies, With each some shadow flies, Until at last The red dawn in the east Bids weary night depart, And pain is past."

"Kind hearts are here; yet would the tenderest one Have limits to its mercy; God has none."

"The way is long and dreary, The path is bleak and bare; Our feet are worn and weary, But we will not despair; More weary was Thy burden, More desolate Thy ways, O Lamb of God, who takest The sin of the world away, Have mercy upon us."

"Hours are golden links, God's token Reaching heaven; but one by one Take them, lest the chain be broken Ere the pilgrimage be done."

"I do not ask that flowers should always spring Beneath my feet I know too well the poison and the sting Of things too sweet."

"Joy is like restless day; but peace divine Like quiet night; Lead me, O Lord, — till perfect Day shall shine Through Peace to Light."

"I do not ask my cross to understand My way to see: Better in darkness just to feel Thy hand And follow Thee."

"How can a mother's heart feel cold or weary Knowing her dearer self safe, sheltered, warm? How can she feel her road too dark or dreary, Who knows her treasure sheltered from the storm? How can she sin? Our hearts may be unheeding, Our God forgot, our holy saints defied; But can a mother hear her dead child pleading, And thrust those little angel hands aside?"