No life
Can be pure in its purpose or strong in its strife
And all life not read more

No life
Can be pure in its purpose or strong in its strife
And all life not be purer and stronger thereby.

If it were in my power, I would be wiser; but a newly felt power
carries me off in read more

If it were in my power, I would be wiser; but a newly felt power
carries me off in spite of myself; love leads me one way, my
understanding another.
[Lat., Si possem sanior essem.
Sed trahit invitam nova vis; aliudque Cupido,
Mens aliud.]

There is no such thing as a good influence. Because to influence a person is to give him one's own read more

There is no such thing as a good influence. Because to influence a person is to give him one's own soul. He does not think his natural thoughts, or burn with his natural passions. His virtures are not real to him. His sins, if there are such thing as sins, are borrowed. He becomes an echo of someone else's music, an actor of a part that has not been written for him.

Even here Thy strong magnetic charms I feel,
And pant and tremble like the amorous steel.
To read more

Even here Thy strong magnetic charms I feel,
And pant and tremble like the amorous steel.
To lower good, and beauties less divine,
Sometimes my erroneous needle does incline;
But yet (so strong the sympathy)
It turns, and points again to Thee.

By the golden chain Homer meant nothing else than the sun.

By the golden chain Homer meant nothing else than the sun.

We all take different paths in life, but no matter where we go, we take a little of each other read more

We all take different paths in life, but no matter where we go, we take a little of each other everywhere.

He who influences the thoughts of his times, influences all the times that follow. He has made his impress on read more

He who influences the thoughts of his times, influences all the times that follow. He has made his impress on eternity.

Spontaneously to God should turn the soul,
Like the magnetic needle to the pole;
But what were read more

Spontaneously to God should turn the soul,
Like the magnetic needle to the pole;
But what were that intrinsic virtue worth,
Suppose some fellow, with more zeal than knowledge,
Fresh from St. Andrew's College,
Should nail the conscious needle to the north?

I love you not because of who you are, but because of who I am when I am with you.

I love you not because of who you are, but because of who I am when I am with you.