“The conversation was like the sort one has in dreamsmad but interesting.”

“I am supposed to be an utter fool and the more I read the more of a fool they think me.”

“I have done many impious things--no great ruler can do otherwise. I have put the good of the Empire before all human considerations. To keep the Empire free from factions I have had to commit many ...”

“Some experiences are universal. A girl is a girl whether she lives in West Omaha or Sweet Valley. Books are often far more than books.”

“A half-read book is a half-finished love affair.”

“The love of learning, the sequestered nooks,And all the sweet serenity of books”

“Only he who has no use for the empire is fit to be entrusted with it.”

“A man who does not like power will suffer from its cruelty.”

“Yes, my eyes are closed to your light. I am a beast, a nigger. But I can be saved. You are sham niggers, you, maniacs, fiends, misers. Merchant, you are a nigger; Judge, you are a nigger; General, ...”