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It requires more than mere genius to be an author

A mediocre mind thinks it writes divinely; a good mind thinks it writes reasonably

There are certain things in which mediocrity is not to be endured, such as poetry, music, painting, public speaking

Making books is a skilled trade, like making clocks

The Opera is obviously the first draft of a fine spectacle; it suggests the idea of one.

One may do whatever one likes in art: the only thing is to make sure that one does not like it