“Comfort me by a solemn Assurance, that when the little Parlour in which I sit at this Instant, shall be reduced to a worse furnished Box, I shall be read, with Honour, by those who never knew nor saw me, and whom I shall neither know nor see.”

“I shall choose friends among men, but neither slaves nor masters. And I shall choose only such as please me, and them I shall love and respect, but neither command nor obey. And we shall join our hands when we wish, or walk alone when we so desire.”

“So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat”

“XXIXYou have set me among those who are defeated.I know it is not for me to win, nor to leave the game.I shall plunge into the pool although but to sink to the bottom.I shall play the game of my undoing.I shall stake all I have and when I lose my last penny I shall stake myself, and then I think I shall have won through my utter defeat.”

“What shall I do with this ageing me? Neither floating nor sinking,I drift, tossed by the waves of years.”

“And now I have finished the work, which neither the wrath of Jove, nor fire, nor the sword, nor devouring age shall be able to destroy.”