Lapham’s Quarterly

Everything that deceives does so by casting a spell.

Egypt was the mother of magicians.

The Mughal’s nature is such that they demand miracles, but if a miracle were to be performed by some upright follower of our religion, they would say that it had been brought about by magic and sorcery. They would strike him down with spears or would stone him to death.

In the society of men, the truth resides now less in what things are than in what they are not. Our social realities are so ugly if seen in the light of exiled truth, and beauty is almost no longer possible if it is not a lie.

Appearances often are deceiving.

Nothing is so easy as to deceive one’s self; for what we wish, that we readily believe.

On no other stage are the scenes shifted with a swiftness so like magic as on the great stage of history when once the hour strikes.

Any serious attempt to do anything worthwhile is ritualistic.

Have you ever, looking up, seen a cloud like to a centaur, a leopard, a wolf, or a bull?

Men willingly believe what they wish.