Despotism achieves great things illegally; democracy doesn’t even take the trouble to achieve small things legally.
—Honoré de Balzac, 1831
Archive
Quotes
Dreams have always been my friend, full of information, full of warnings.
—Doris Lessing, 1994Disease generally begins that equality which death completes.
—Samuel Johnson, 1750Hatred of domestic work is a natural and admirable result of civilization.
—Rebecca West, 1912Nature has planted in our minds an insatiable desire to seek the truth.
—Marcus Tullius Cicero, 45 BCIn the case of news, we should always wait for the sacrament of confirmation.
—Voltaire, 1764An American will build a house in which to pass his old age and sell it before the roof is on.
—Alexis de Tocqueville, 1840We cannot say what the woman might be physically, if the girl were not allowed all the freedom of the boy in romping, climbing, swimming, playing whoop and ball.
—Elizabeth Cady Stanton, 1848I have loved the stars too truly to be fearful of the night.
—Sarah Williams, 1868Two crimes undid me: a poem and a mistake.
—Ovid, 10From hell’s heart I stab at thee; for hate’s sake I spit my last breath at thee.
—Herman Melville, 1851Water, thou hast no taste, no color, no odor; canst not be defined, art relished while ever mysterious.
—Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, 1939Keep running after a dog, and he will never bite you.
—François Rabelais, 1535