“The hat is the pride of man; for he who cannot keep his hat on before kings and emperors is no free man.”

Revenge is barren of itself: it is the dreadful food it feeds on; its delight is murder, and its end is despair.

Truth lives on in the midst of deception.

Even now, nature is the only flame, on which the poetic spirit feeds; from it alone it draws all its power, to it alone it speaks even in the artificial, in the man engaged in culture.

Time consecrates; and what is gray with age becomes religion.

It hinders the creative work of the mind if the intellect examines too closely the ideas as they pour in.

Gray hairs are death’s blossoms.

Love is only known by him who hopelessly persists in love.

Did you think the lion was sleeping because he didn’t roar?

Even weak men when united are powerful.

The brave person thinks of himself last of all.

Whatever is not forbidden is permitted.

The strong man is strongest when alone.

The painter is, as to the execution of his work, a mechanic; but as to his conception and spirit and design he is hardly below even the poet.

We, we live! ours are the hours, and the living have their claims.

Let no one despair, even though in the darkest night the last star of hope may disappear.

Truth suffers no loss if a vehement youth fails in finding it, in the same way that virtue and religion suffer no detriment if a criminal denies them.

No emperor has the power to dictate to the heart.

I have seen three emperors in their nakedness, and the sight was not inspiring.

I had rather be on my farm than be emperor of the world.

Yesterday we obeyed kings and bent our necks before emperors. But today we kneel only to truth, follow only beauty, and obey only love.