The aura of the theocratic death penalty for adultery still clings to America, even outside New England, and multiple divorce, read more

The aura of the theocratic death penalty for adultery still clings to America, even outside New England, and multiple divorce, which looks to the European like serial polygamy, is the moral solution to the problem of the itch. Love comes into it too, of course, but in Europe we tend to see marital love as an eternity which encompasses hate and also indifference: when we promise to love we really mean that we promise to honor a contract. Americans, seeming to take marriage with not enough seriousness, are really taking love and sex with too much.

Beauty is desired in order that it may be befouled; not for its own sake, but for the joy brought read more

Beauty is desired in order that it may be befouled; not for its own sake, but for the joy brought by the certainty of profaning it.

The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, while the heart of the fool is in the read more

The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, while the heart of the fool is in the house of entertainment.

A kiss is but a kiss now! and no wave of a great flood that whirls me to the sea. read more

A kiss is but a kiss now! and no wave of a great flood that whirls me to the sea. But, as you will! we'll sit contentedly, and eat our pot of honey on the grave.

How many young hearts have revealed the fact that what they had been trained to imagine the highest earthly felicity read more

How many young hearts have revealed the fact that what they had been trained to imagine the highest earthly felicity was but the beginning of care, disappointment, and sorrow, and often led to the extremity of mental and physical suffering.

You can do what you want, but saving love doesn't bring any interest.

You can do what you want, but saving love doesn't bring any interest.

We always believe our first love is our last, and our last love our first.

We always believe our first love is our last, and our last love our first.

Nothing can occur beyond the strength of faith to sustain, or, transcending the resources of religion, to relieve.

Nothing can occur beyond the strength of faith to sustain, or, transcending the resources of religion, to relieve.

Compassion has no place in the natural order of the world which operates on the basis of necessity. Compassion opposes read more

Compassion has no place in the natural order of the world which operates on the basis of necessity. Compassion opposes this order and is therefore best thought of as being in some way supernatural.