That is the supreme value of history. The study of it is the best guarantee against repeating it. John Buchan More Quotes by John Buchan More Quotes From John Buchan He who would valiant be against all disaster; let him in constancy follow the Master. There's no discouragement shall make him once relent; his first avowed intent to be a pilgrim. John Buchan discouragementdisasterfirsts The Church of Christ is an anvil which has worn out many hammers. Our opponents may boast of their strength, but they do not realize what they have challenged. John Buchan hammerschurchwar You see only the productions of second-rate folk who are in a hurry to get wealth and fame. The true knowledge, the deadly knowledge, is still kept secret. But, believe me, my friend, it is there. John Buchan wealthsecretbelieve I am an ordinary sort of fellow, not braver than other people, but I hate to see a good man downed, and that long knife would not be the end of Scudder if I could play the game in his place. John Buchan kniveshatemen The book trade is a spiritual barometer of a nations well-being. John Buchan barometerspiritualbook The vows we take in the holy place bind us till we are purged of them at Inanda's Kraal. Till then no blood must be shed and no flesh eaten. It was the fashion of our forefathers. John Buchan fashionfleshblood Civilisation is a conspiracy. John Buchan civilisationconspiracy I believe that every man has in his soul a passion for treasure-hunting, which will often drive a coward into prodigies of valour. John Buchan passionmenbelieve I wondered whether the scientific modern brain could not get to the stage of realising that Space is not an empty homogeneous medium, but full of intricate differences, intelligible and real, though not with our common reality. John Buchan differencesspacereal Our sufferings have taught us that no nation is sufficient unto itself, and that our prosperity depends in the long run, not upon the failures of our neighbors but their successes. John Buchan taught-usrunninglong Any large-scale organization must lose some of the merits of its rudimentary beginnings. Quantity will have a coarsening effect on quality. John Buchan meritqualityorganization To live for a time close to great minds is the best kind of education. John Buchan kindmindeducation "What would you call the highest happiness, Lewie?" he asked. "The sense of competence," was the answer, given without hesitation. John Buchan givenanswershappiness Most true points are fine points. There never was a dispute between mortals where both sides hadn't a bit of right. John Buchan finedisputessides But some love not the method of your first; Romance they count it, throw't away as dust; If I should meet with such, what should I say; Must I slight them as they slight me, or nay John Buchan romancedustfirsts You may hear people say that submarines have done away with the battleship, and that aircraft have annulled the mastery of the sea. That is what our pessimists say. But do you imagine that the clumsy submarine or the fragile aeroplane is really the last word of science? John Buchan masteryseapeople Civilisation needs more than the law to hold it together. You see, all mankind are not equally willing to accept as divine justice what is called human law. John Buchan divine-justicelawtogether Civilization is a conspiracy. Modern life is the silent compact of comfortable folk to keep up pretences. John Buchan modern-lifequietcivilization London is like the tropical bush -- if you don't exercise constant care the jungle, in the shape of the slums, will break in. John Buchan careshapesexercise The true definition of a snob is one who craves for what separates men rather than for what unites them. John Buchan snobdefinitionsmen