What costs the most is esteemed and should be esteemed, the most. If someone achieves eminence in letters, it costs him time loss of sleep, hunger, nakedness, headaches, indigestion and other things associated with it.

There is nothing on earth, in my opinion, that can equal that of recovering once lost freedom.

I concealed my intentions and sought fresh hope to bolster me, no matter how faint and feeble it might be.

Recovered freedom and the fear of going back and losing it erased from their memory all the obligations in the world.

Don't ask as a favor what you can take by force.