Anthony Trollope

A man who is supposed to have caused a disturbance between two married people, in a certain rank of life, does generally receive a certain meed of admiration.

The secrets of the world are very marvellous, but they are not themselves half so wonderful as the way in which they become known to the world.

The sober devil can hide his cloven hoof; but when the devil drinks he loses his cunning and grows honest.

She’s a screw, of course, but there isn’t anything carries Chiltern so well. There’s nothing like a good screw. A man’ll often go with two hundred and fifty guineas between his legs, supposed to be all there because the animal’s sound, and yet he don’t know his work. If you like schooling a young ’un, that’s all very well. I used to be fond of it myself.

The apostle of Christianity and the infidel can meet without a chance of a quarrel; but it is never safe to bring together two men who differ about a saint or a surplice.

“I know that you have indented to serve your country, and have wished to work for it. But you cannot expect that it should all be roses.”

“Roses! The nosegays which are worn down at Westminister are made of garlick and dandelions!”

Most of the young men rise now by making themselves thoroughly disagreeable. Abuse a Minister every night for half a session, and you may be sure to be in office the other half, — if you care about it.

To get away well is so very much! And to get away well is often so very difficult!

The double pleasure of pulling down an opponent, and of raising oneself, is the charm of a politician’s life.

But mad people never die. That’s a well-known fact. They’ve nothing to trouble them, and they live for ever.

To oblige a friend by inflicting an injury on his enemy is often more easy than to confer a benefit on the friend himself.

The grace and beauty of life will be clean gone when we all become useful men.