“Circumstances are beyond human control, but our conduct is in our own power.”

When a man fell into his anecdotage it was a sign for him to retire from the world.

No Government can be long secure without a formidable Opposition.

Damn your principles! Stick to your party.

The difference between a misfortune and a calamity is this: If Gladstone fell into the Thames, it would be a misfortune. But if someone dragged him out again, that would be a calamity.

A man may speak very well in the House of Commons, and fail very completely in the House of Lords.

The world is governed by very different personages from what is imagined by those who are not behind the scenes.

Nine-tenths of the existing books are nonsense and the clever books are the refutation of that nonsense.

Frank and explicit – that is the right line to take when you wish to conceal your own mind and confuse the minds of others.

Little things affect little minds.

Without tact you can learn nothing.

Like all great travellers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen.

No man is regular in his attendance at the House of Commons until he is married.

Upon the education of the people of this country the fate of this country depends.

Every production of genius must be the production of enthusiasm.

Plagiarists, at least, have the merit of preservation.

Grief is the agony of an instant; the indulgence of grief the blunder of a life.

It is very difficult to know exactly what good should come out of a particular situation. To attempt to manipulate circumstances so your idea of good can come about, is to let the ego play God-and that, as you know, can and does backfire.

Real religion is about, developing real character; character of compassion, character of humility, the character of determination to grow in all circumstances.

Our circumstances will continually change. It is out of our control. It is more important to change our attitude, which we have control of.

But let no person say what they would or would not do, since we are not judges for ourselves until circumstances call us to act.

It is to me a most affecting thing to hear myself prayed for, in particular as I do every day in the week, and disposes me to bear with more composure

Anyone can live contentedly in circumstances of ease and comfort, health and well-being gratification and felicit

Some disagreeable circumstances that attend my situation.

Who does more earnestly long for a change than he who is uneasy in his present circumstances? And who run to create confusions with so desperate a boldness as those who have nothing to lose, hope to gain by them?