The teacher reminded us that Rome's liberties were not auctioned off in a day, but were bought slowly, gradually, furtively, little by little; first with a little corn and oil for the exceedingly poor and wretched, later with corn and oil for voters who were not quite so poor, later still with corn and oil for pretty much every man that had a vote to sell--exactly our own history over again. Purchasing Civic Virtue

Man and woman and speech and deed and city and object should be honored with praise if praiseworthy and incur blame if unworthy, for it is an equal error and mistake to blame the praisable and to praise the blamable. Gorgias

All charming people, I fancy, are spoiled. It is the secret of their attraction. The Portrait of Mr. W.H.

The true hypocrite is the one who ceases to perceive his deception, the one whi lies with sincerity. Autumn Leaves