The one, the dead authors, are living men, still breathing and moving in their writings; the others, the conquerors of the world, are but the ashes in an urn.

The sympathy [19so to speak] between thought and thought is more intimate and vital than that between thought and action.

Thought is linked to thought as flame kindles into flame; the tribute of admiration to the MANES of departed heroism is like burning incense in a marble monument.

Words, ideas, feelings, with the progress of time harden into substances: things, bodies, actions, moulder away, or melt into a sound--into thin air....

Not only a man's actions are effaced and vanish with him; his virtues and generous qualities die with him also.