"I value not the boisterous applause, the ecstasy, the general acclaim. I love the silence of the thoughtful mind, and the brief, warm praise of a true friend."

"A true man is one who forgets himself in his passion."

"People are so like their first mother Eve: what they are given doesn't take their fancy. The serpent is forever enticing them to come to him, to the tree of mystery. They must have the forbidden fruit…"

"I have no talent for politics, and I despise all politicians."

"My head is full of devils and angels, and I don't know which will win."