The mathematician requires tact and good taste at every step of his work, and he has to learn to trust to his own instinct to distinguish between what is really worthy of his efforts and what is not...

Pure mathematics offers no mercenary inducements to its followers, who is attracted to it by the importance and beauty of the truths in contains and the complete absence of any material advantage to be gained by means of it, adds perhaps another charm to its study.

[Lockyer]... sometimes forgets he is only the editor and not the author of Nature. [Lockyer was the first editor of Nature.]