George Eliot

Of a truth, Knowledge is power, but it is a power reined by scruple, having a conscience of what must be and what may be; whereas Ignorance is a blind giant who, let him but wax unbound, would make it a sport to seize the pillars that hold up the long-wrought fabric of human good, and turn all the places of joy as dark as a buried Babylon.

Opposition may become sweet to a man when he has christened it persecution.

Sir Joshua would have been glad to take her portrait; and he would have had an easier task than the historian at least in this, that he would not have had to represent the truth of change –only to give stability to one beautiful moment.

Ignorance… is a painless evil; so, I should think, is dirt, considering the merry faces that go along with it.

Those who trust us educate us.

I’m proof against that word failure. I’ve seen behind it. The only failure a man ought to fear is failure of cleaving to the purpose he sees to be best.

Our dead are never dead to us, until we have forgotten them.

Love of beauty is taste. The creation of beauty is art.

I have never made but one prayer to God, a very short one: “O Lord make my enemies ridiculous.” And God granted it.

My way of joking is to tell the truth. It’s the funniest joke in the world.

I hate women because they always know where things are.

I shall not wholly die, and a great part of me will escape the grave.

In the best, the friendliest and simplest relations flattery or praise is necessary, just as grease is necessary to keep wheels turning.

The eye is the jewel of the body.

We are always paid for our suspicion by finding what we suspect.

Eastward I go only by force; but westward I go free.

There are charms made only for distant admiration.

Build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door.

We are eager to tunnel under the Atlantic and bring the Old World some weeks nearer to the New; but perchance the first news that will leak through into the broad, flapping American ear will be that the Princess Adelaide has the whooping cough.

A good End cannot sanctifie evil Means; nor must we ever do Evil, that Good may come of it. Some Folks think they may Scold, Rail, Hate, Rob and Kill too; so it be but for God’s sake. But nothing in us unlike him, can please him.

The Holy Roman Empire is neither Holy, nor Roman, nor an Empire.