Edward Gibbon

In the end, they wanted security more than they wanted freedom.

So long as mankind shall continue to lavish more praise upon its destroyers than upon its benefactors war shall remain the chief pursuit of ambitious minds.

Fanaticism obliterates the feelings of humanity.

The style of an author should be the image of his mind, but the choice and command of language is the fruit of exercise.

As long as mankind shall continue to bestow more liberal applause on their destroyers than on their benefactors, the thirst of military glory will ever be the vice of the most exalted characters.

The best and most important part of every man's education is that which he gives himself.

The history of empires is the record of human misery; the history of the sciences is that of the greatness and happiness of mankind.

War, in its fairest form, implies a perpetual violation of humanity and justice.

The most worthless of mankind are not afraid to condemn in others the same disorders which they allow in themselves; and can readily discover some nice difference in age, character, or station, to justify the partial distinction.

To an active mind, indolence is more painful than labor.

I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp of experience. I know no way of judging of the future but by the past.