It is a mark of insincerity of purpose to spend one’s time in looking for the sacred Emperor in the low-class tea-shops.

There is a time to silence an adversary with the honey of logical persuasion, and there is a time to silence him with the argument of a heavily directed club.

Better a dish of husks to the accompaniment of a muted lute than to be satiated with stewed shark’s fin and rich spiced wine of which the cost is frequently mentioned by the provider.

Even a mole may instruct a philosopher in the art of digging.

One may ride upon a tiger’s back but it is fatal to dismount.

There are few situations in life that cannot be resolved promptly, and to the satisfaction of all concerned, by either suicide, a bag of gold, or thrusting a despised antagonist over a precipice on a dark night

How is it possible to suspend topaz in one cup of the balance and weigh it against amethyst in the other; or who in a single language can compare the tranquillizing grace of a maiden with the invigorating pleasure of witnessing a well-contested rat-fight?

The province of philosophy is not so much to prevent calamities befalling as to demonstrate that they are blessings when they have taken place.

When struck by a thunderbolt it is unnecessary to consult the Book of Dates as to the precise meaning of the omen.

One may ride upon a tiger's back but it is fatal to dismount.