''We are always doing,'' says he, ''something for posterity, but I would see posterity do something for us.''
A blot in thy escutcheon to all futurity.
After being Turned Down by numerous Publishers, he had decided to write for Posterity.
Few can be induced to labor exclusively for posterity; and none will do it enthusiastically. Posterity has done nothing for us; and theorize on it as we may, practically we shall do very little for it, unless we are made to think we are at the same time doing something for ourselves.
History is fond of her grandchildren, for it offers them the marrow of the bones, which the previous generation had hurt its hands in breaking.
Men of genius are not to be analyzed by commonplace rules. The rest of us who have been or are leaders, more commonplace in our quality, will do well to remember two things. One is never to forget posterity when devising a policy. The other is never to think of posterity when making a speech.
Posterity gives every man his true value.
Posterity is as likely to be wrong as anybody else.
The flattery of posterity is not worth much more than contemporary flattery, which is worth nothing.
When we are planning for posterity, we ought to remember that virtue is not hereditary.