'At this time such a profession, far from being regarded as disgraceful, was considered quite honourable. It is an attitude that can be illustrated even to-day by some of the inhabitants of the mainland among whom successful piracy is regarded as something to be proud of; and in the old poets, too, we find that the regular question always asked of those who arrive by sea is 'Are you pirates?' It is never assumed either that those who were so questioned would shrink from admitting the fact, or that those who were interested in finding out the fact would reproach them with it.'

A plan which comes to nothing may still be satisfying to complete.

Even when speechless, ever avoiding a quiet moment.

'stehn / sprachlos und kalt'

Memories, but only memories, of open-ended hours.

'Continuous eloquence wearies.'

'neutral genres presuppose something like an identity of the addressee and the speaker, a unity of their viewpoints, but this identity and unity are purchased at the price of almost complete forfeiture of expression'

'This whole does indeed present edifices to my eye, but only in ruins.'

'josh sometimes i feel like yr. only interested in *anything* methodologically'