The labours of men of genius, however erroneously directed, scarcely ever fail in ultimately turning to the solid advantage of mankind. Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley More Quotes by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley More Quotes From Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley Standing armies can never consist of resolute robust men; they may be well-disciplined machines, but they will seldom contain men under the influence of strong passions, or with very vigorous faculties. Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley passion army strong Curiosity, earnest research to learn the hidden laws of nature, gladness akin to rapture, as they unfolded to me, are among the earliest sensations I can remember. Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley curiosity intellectual law Polluted by crimes, and torn by the bitterest remorse, where can I find rest but in death? Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley remorse torn crime So much has been done, exclaimed the soul of Frankenstein - more, far more, will I achieve; treading in the steps already marked, I will pioneer a new way, explore unknown powers, and unfold to the world the deepest mysteries of creation. Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley soul steps way The world was to me a secret which I desired to devine. Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley secret world Supremely frightful would be the effect of any human endeavor to mock the stupendous mechanism of the Creator of the world. Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley endeavor would-be world These wonderful narrations inspired me with strange feelings. Was man, indeed, at once so powerful, so virtuous, and magnificent, yet so vicious and base? He appeared at one time a mere scion of the evil principle and at another as all that can be conceived of noble and godlike. Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley powerful evil men Tranquility, allied to loneliness, possessed no charms. Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley tranquility charm loneliness A lofty sense of independence is, in man, the best privilege of his nature. Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley independence privilege men The careful rearer of the ductile human plant can instil his own religion, and surround the soul by such a moral atmosphere, as shall become to its latest day the air it breathes. Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley atmosphere soul air When falsehood can look so like the truth, who can assure themselves of certain happiness? Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley falsehood certain looks Every where I see bliss, from which I alone am irrevocably excluded. Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley excluded bliss exclusion Poetry, and the principle of Self, of which money is the visible incarnation, are the God and the Mammon of the world. Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley principles self world And the violet lay dead while the odour flew On the wings of the wind o'er the waters blue. Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley blue wings wind All men hate the wretched; how, then, must I be hated, who am miserable beyond all living things! Yet you, my creator, detest and spurn me, thy creature, to whom thou are bound by ties only dissoluble by the annihilation of one of us. Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley hate men science Ah! it is well for the unfortunate to be resigned, but for the guilty there is no peace. Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley wells unfortunate guilt Women are told from their infancy, and taught by the example of their mothers, that a little knowledge of human weakness, justly termed cunning, softness of temper, outward obedience and a scrupulous attention to a puerile kind of propriety, will obtain for them the protection of man. Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley weakness mother men I, a miserable wretch, haunted by a curse that shut up every avenue to enjoyment. Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley curse shut-up miserable The day of my departure at length arrived. Clerval spent the last evening with us. He had endeavoured to persuade his father to permit him to accompany me and to become my fellow student, but in vain. His father was a narrow-minded trader, and saw idleness and ruin in the aspirations and ambition of his son. Henry deeply felt the misfortune of being debarred from a liberal education. He said little, but when he spoke I read in his kindling eye and in his animated glance a restrained but firm resolve not to be chained to the miserable details of commerce. Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley eye ambition father My own mind began to grow, watchful with anxoius thoughts. Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley my-own grows mind
