Horace

Adversity reveals genius, prosperity conceals it.

One night awaits all, and death’s path must be trodden once and for all.

Nothing is too high for the daring of mortals: we storm heaven itself in our folly.

Anger is short madness

He that has given today may, if he so please, take away tomorrow.

It is when I struggle to be brief that I become obscure.

The opportunity for doing mischief is found a hundred times a day, and of doing good once in a year.

How lovely the little river is, with its dark changing wavelets! It seems to me like a living companion while I wander along the bank, and listen to its low, placid voice…

Sir, a man may be so much of everything, that he is nothing of anything.

Kings in this should imitate God, their mercy should be above their works.

If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end in doubts, but if he will content to begin with doubts, he shall end in certainties.

Men’s actions are too strong for them. Show me a man who has acted, and who has not been the victim and slave of his action.

In your Salvation shelter I saw poverty, misery, cold and hunger. You gave them bread and treacle and dreams of heaven. I give from thirty shillings a week to twelve thousand a year. They find their own dreams; but I look after the drainage.

Everyone has his day and some days last longer than others.

More helpful than all wisdom is one draught of simple human pity that will not forsake us.

I am not an optimist, but a great believer of hope.

Pity is for living, envy is for dead.

Being is the great explainer.

We all really basically have a lot of magic … it’s only those of us that choose to accept it that really understand it.

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

Out of intense complexities intense simplicities emerge.