One of the first businesses of a sensible man is to know when he is beaten, and to leave off fighting at once. – Samuel Butler
Books want to be born: I never make them. They come to me and insist on being written, and on being such and such. – Samuel Butler
Conscience is thoroughly well-bred and soon leaves off talking to those who do not wish to hear it. – Samuel Butler
Always eat grapes downward — that is eat the best grapes first; in this way there will be none better left on the bunch, and each grape will seem good down to the last. If you eat the other way, you will not have a good grape in the lot. – Samuel Butler