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Herman Melville Quotes - Page 19

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Where is there such an one who has not a thousand times been struck with a sort of infidel idea, that whatever other worlds God may be Lord of, he is not the Lord of this; for else this world would seem to give the lie

Where is there such an one who has not a thousand times been struck with a sort of infidel idea, that whatever other worlds God may be Lord of, he is not the Lord of this; for else this world would seem to give the lie to Him; so utterly repugnant seem its ways to the instinctively known ways of Heaven.

Herman Melville
God, Lying, Ideas
Herman Melville (2016). “Pierre; or The Ambiguities”, p.272, Herman Melville

As a man-of-war that sails through the sea, so this earth that sails through the air. We mortals are all on board a fast-sailing,never-sinking world-frigate, of which God was the shipwright; and she is but one craft in a Milky-Way fleet, of which God is the Lord High Admiral.

Herman Melville
War, Men, Air
Herman Melville (1850). “White-jacket; Or, The World in the Man-of-war”, p.463

Some dying men are the most tyrannical; and certainly, since they will shortly trouble us so little for evermore, the poor fellows ought to be indulged.

Herman Melville
Death, Men, Dying
Herman Melville (1892). “Moby Dick”, p.449

But when a man suspects any wrong it sometimes happens that if he be already involved in the matter he insensibly strives to cover up his suspicions even from himself. And much this way it was with me. I said nothing and tried to think nothing.

Herman Melville
Men, Thinking, Cover Ups
Herman Melville (2016). “Moby Dick (World Classics, Unabridged)”, p.68, Vij Books India Pvt Ltd

I baptize you not in the name of the father, but in the name of the devil. (Ego baptizo te in nomine patris, sed in nomine diaboli.)

Herman Melville
Father, Names, Ego
Herman Melville, Peter Fish (1984). “Herman Melville's Moby-Dick”, Barrons Educational Series Incorporated

We incline to think that God cannot explain His own secrets and that He would like a little information upon certain points Himself. We mortals astonish Him as much as He us. But it is this Being of the matter; there lies the knot with which we choke ourselves. As soon as you say Me, a God, a Nature, so soon you jump off from your stool and hang from the beam. Yes, that word is the hangman. Take God out of the dictionary, and you would have Him in the street.

Herman Melville
Lying, Thinking, Secret
Herman Melville (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Herman Melville (Illustrated)”, p.4889, Delphi Classics

But when that smoking chowder came in, the mystery was delightfully explained. Oh! sweet friends, hearken to me. It was made of small juicy clams, scarcely bigger than hazel nuts, mixed with pounded ship biscuits and salted pork cut up into little flakes! the whole enriched with butter, and plentifully seasoned with pepper and salt... we dispatched it with great expedition.

Herman Melville
Sweet, Food, Cutting
Herman Melville (2015). “MOBY-DICK (WITH NOTES)(BIOGRAPHY)(ILLUSTRATED): OR, THE WHALE”, p.100, Rastro Digital

Nearly all literature, in one sense, is made up of guide-books. Old ones tell us the ways our fathers went, through the thoroughfares and courts of old; but how few of those former places can their posterity trace, amid avenues of modern erections; to how few is the old guide-book now a clew! Every age makes its own guide-books, and the old ones are used for waste paper.

Herman Melville
Father, Book, Age
Herman Melville (1963). “Works: Redburn, his first voyage”

For in tremendous extremities human souls are like drowning men; well enough they know they are in peril; well enough they know the causes of that peril;--nevertheless, the sea is the sea, and these drowning men do drown.

Herman Melville
Men, Sea, Soul
Herman Melville (2015). “Pierre or The Ambiguities: Works of Melville”, p.295, 谷月社

There seems no reason why patriotism and narrowness should go together, or why intellectual impartiality should be confounded with political trimming, or why serviceable truth should keep cloistered be a cause not partisan.

Herman Melville
Political, Intellectual, Patriotism
"Battle Pieces: And Aspects of the War". Book by Herman Melville, 1860.

Delight,--top-gallant delight is to him, who acknowledges no law or lord, but the Lord his God, and is only a patriot to heaven.

Herman Melville
God, Law, Joy
'Moby Dick' (1851) ch. 1

The great God absolute! The centre and circumference of all democracy! His omnipresence, our divine equality!

Herman Melville
God, Democracy, Divine
Herman Melville, Harrison Hayford, Walter E. Bezanson (1991). “Clarel: A Poem and Pilgrimage in the Holy Land”, p.606, Northwestern University Press

The grand principles of virtue and honor, however they may be distorted by arbitrary codes, are the same the world over: and wherethese principles are concerned, the right or wrong of any action appears the same to the uncultivated as to the enlightened mind.

Herman Melville
Honor, Mind, Principles
Herman Melville (1968). “Typee: A Peep at Polynesian Life”, p.201, Northwestern University Press

The result of civilization, at the Sandwich Islands and elsewhere, is found productive to the civilizers, destructive to the civilizees. It is said to be compensation--a very philosophical word; but it appears to be very much on the principle of the old game, "You lose, I win": good philosophy for the winner.

Herman Melville
Philosophy, Philosophical, Winning

Let America first praise mediocrity even, in her children, before she praises... the best excellence in the children of any other land.

Herman Melville
Children, Patriotic, Land
Herman Melville, Harrison Hayford, G. Thomas Tanselle (1987). “Piazza Tales and Other Prose Pieces, 1839-1860: Volume Nine, Scholarly Edition”, p.247, Northwestern University Press

Surely no mere mortal who has at all gone down into himself will ever pretend that his slightest thought or act solely originates in his own defined identity.

Herman Melville
Identity, Gone, Free Will
Herman Melville (1852). “Pierre; Or, The Ambiguities”, p.239

If not against us, nature is not for us.

Herman Melville
Nature, Ifs
Herman Melville (1849). “Mardi: And a Voyage Thither”, p.246

The consciousness of being deemed dead, is next to the presumable unpleasantness of being so in reality. One feels like his own ghost unlawfully tenanting a defunct carcass.

Herman Melville
Reality, Survival, Next
Herman Melville (2015). “Mardi: and A Voyage Thither: Works of Melville”, p.28, 谷月社

So, when on one side you hoist in Locke's head, you go over that way; but now, on the other side, hoist in Kant's and you come back again; but in very poor plight. Thus, some minds for ever keep trimming boat. Oh, ye foolish! throw all these thunder-heads overboard, and then you will float light and right.

Herman Melville
Light, Mind, Way
Herman Melville, Harrison Hayford, G. Thomas Tanselle, Hershel Parker (1988). “Moby Dick, Or The Whale: Volume 6, Scholarly Edition”, p.327, Northwestern University Press

See with what entire freedom the whaleman takes his handful of lamps-often but old bottles and vials, though. ... He burns, too, the purest of oil. ... It is sweet as early grass butter in April. He goes and hunts for his oil, so as to be sure of its freshness and genuineness, even as the traveler on the prairie hunts up his own supper of game.

Herman Melville
Sweet, Hunting, Games
Herman Melville (2016). “Moby Dick (World Classics, Unabridged)”, p.294, Vij Books India Pvt Ltd

Prayer draws us near to our own souls.

Herman Melville
Prayer, Soul, Draws
Herman Melville (1855). “Mardi: And a Voyage Thither”, p.34

Why, ever since Adam, who has got to the meaning of this great allegory - the world? Then we pygmies must be content to have out paper allegories but ill comprehended.

Herman Melville
World, Paper, Adam
Herman Melville (2003). “Moby-Dick”, p.604, Bantam Classics

A chaplain is the minister of the Prince of Peace serving the host of the God of War--Mars. As such, he is as incongruous as a musket would be on the altar at Christmas. Why, then, is he there? Because he indirectly subserves the purpose attested by the cannon; because too he lends the sanction of the religion of the meek to that which practically is the abrogation of everything but brute Force.

Herman Melville
War, Would Be, Purpose
Herman Melville (2006). “Billy Budd, Sailor, and Other Stories”, p.75, Bantam Classics

It is often to be observed, that as in digging for precious metals in the mines, much earthly rubbish has first to be troublesomely handled and thrown out ; so, in digging in one s soul for the fine gold of genius, much dulness and common-place is first brought to light. Happy would it be, if the man possessed in himself some receptacle for his own rubbish of this sort: but he is like the occupant of a dwelling, whose refuse cannot be clapped into his own cellar, but must be deposited in the street before his own door, for the public functionaries to take care of.

Herman Melville
Men, Light, Doors
Herman Melville (1852). “Pierre; Or, The Ambiguities”, p.351

Though essaying but a sportive sail, I was driven from my course by a blast re sistless; and ill-provided, young, and bowed by the brunt of things before my prime, still fly before the gale. ... If after all these fearful fainting trances, the verdict be, the golden haven was not gained; yet in bold quest thereof, better to sink in boundless deeps than float on vulgar shoals; and give me, ye gods, an utter wreck, if wreck I do.

Herman Melville
Giving, Quests, Wrecks
Herman Melville (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Herman Melville (Illustrated)”, p.4644, Delphi Classics

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