“America has never quite forgiven Europe for having been discovered somewhat earlier in history than itself.”

“Perhaps, after all, America never has been discovered. I myself would say that it had merely been detected.”

“America had often been discovered before Columbus, but it had always been hushed up.”

“We have quite the same ideas. No; I think our ideas are quite different. But he has been most pleasant.”

“Humanity takes itself too seriously. It is the world's original sin. If the cave-man had known how to laugh, History would have been different.”

“It is a vulgar error to suppose that America was ever discovered. It was merely detected.”

“Yet, as has been said of him before, no theory of life seemed to him to be of any importance compared with life itself. He felt keenly conscious of how barren all intellectual speculation is when separated from action and experiment. He knew that the senses, no less than the soul, have their spiritual mysteries to reveal.”