“Great ambition is the passion of a great character. Those endowed with it may perform very good or bad acts. All depends on the principles which direct them.”

“The herd seek out the great, not for their sake but for their influence; and the great welcome them out of vanity or need.”

“Great men are meteors designed to burn so that earth may be lighted.”

“A great reserve and severity of manners are necessary for the command of those who are older than ourselves.”

“In war, theory is all right so far as general principles are concerned; but in reducing general principles to practice there will always be danger. Theory and practice are the axis about which the sphere of accomplishment revolves.”

“In our time no one has the conception of what is great. It is up to me to show them.”

“All great events hang by a hair. The man of ability takes advantage of everything and neglects nothing that can give him a chance of success; whilst the less able man sometimes loses everything by neglecting a single one of those chances.”