Jean Paul Richter

What Cicero said of men-that they are like wines, age souring the bad, and bettering the good-we can say of misfortune, that it has the same effect upon them.

Every man regards his own life as the New Year's Eve of time.

Do not wait for extraordinary circumstances to do good; try to use ordinary situations.

The last, best fruit which comes to late perfection, even in the kindliest soul, is tenderness toward the hard, forbearance toward the unforbearing, warmth of heart toward the cold, philanthropy toward the misanthropic.

It has been jestingly said that the works of John Paul Richter are almost unintelligible to any but the Germans, and even to some of them. A worthy German, just before Richter's death, edited a complete edition of his works, in which one particular passage fairly puzzled him. Determined to have it explained at the source, he went to John Paul himself. The author's reply was very characteristic: "My good friend, when I wrote that passage, God and I knew what it meant; it is possible that God knows it still; but as for me, I have totally forgotten."

A timid person is frightened before a danger, a coward during the time, and a courageous person afterward.

Only actions give life strength; only moderation gives it charm.

A man never shows his own character so plainly as by his manner of portraying another's.