Greatness is a spiritual condition worthy to excite love, interest, and admiration; and the outward proof of possessing greatness is that we excite love, interest and admiration.

Culture is to know the best that has been said and thought in the world.

One thing only has been lent to youth and age in common – discontent.

Philistinism! – We have not the expression in English. Perhaps we have not the word because we have so much of the thing.

Time may restore us in his course Goethe’s sage mind and Byron’s force: But where will Europe’s latter hour Again find Wordsworth’s healing power?

Ah! two desires toss about The poet’s feverish blood; One drives him to the world without, And one to solitude.

Time, so complain’d of, Who to no one man Shows partiality, Brings round to all men Some undimm’d hours.

The strongest part of a religion today is its unconscious poetry.

And thou, who didst the stars and sunbeams know, Self-school’d, self-scann’d, self-honour’d, self-secure, Didst tread on earth unguess’d at. Better so! All pains the immortal spirit must endure, All weakness which impairs, all griefs which bow, Find their sole speech in that victorious brow.

On Sundays, at the matin-chime, The Alpine peasants, two and three, Climb up here to pray; Burghers and dames, at summer’s prime, Ride out to church from Chamberry, Dight with mantles gay, But else it is a lonely time Round the Church of Brou.