Genius is rarely able to give any account of its own processes

We must never assume that which is incapable of proof.

The greatest artist is he who is greatest in the highest reaches of his art, even although he may lack the qualities necessary for the adequate execution of some minor details. It is not by his faults, but by his excellences, that we …

Murder, like talent, seems occasionally to run in families.

Many a genius has been slow of growth. Oaks that flourish for a thousand years do not spring up into beauty like a reed.

The moral nature of man is more sacred in my eyes than his intellectual nature.

Shakespeare is a good raft whereon to float securely down the stream of time; fasten yourself to that and your immortality is safe.