Theophile Gautier

Art is beauty, the perpetual invention of detail, the choice of words, the exquisite care of execution.

Eyes so transparent that through them the soul is seen.

It is difficult to obtain the friendship of a cat. It is a philosophical animal... one that does not place its affections thoughtlessly.

If I planned everything out in advance, I'd expire of boredom.

The sooner we put Egypt on the right track, the sooner we would be able to have an Egypt that is modern, that is moderate, and that is acting as a beacon for freedom and liberty across the Arab world.

Everything, everything in war is barbaric... But the worst barbarity of war is that it forces men collectively to commit acts against which individually they would revolt with their whole being.