Are not half our lives spent in reproaches for foregone actions, of the true nature and consequences of which we were wholly ignorant at the time? Herman Melville More Quotes by Herman Melville More Quotes From Herman Melville 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 cuttingfoodsweet Of all nature's animated kingdoms, fish are the most unchristian, inhospitable, heartless, and cold-blooded of creatures. Herman Melville fishingsealakes There's magic in the water that draws all men away form the land, that leads them over hills, down creeks and streams and rivers to the sea. Herman Melville fishingseamen What troops Of generous boys in happiness thus bred Saturnians through life's Tempe led, Went from the North and came from the South, With golden mottoes in the mouth, To lie down midway on a bloody bed. Herman Melville bedboyslying Thrusted light is worse than presented pistols. Herman Melville pistolslight The man's (a heathen south sea islander) a human being, just as I am; he has just as much reason to fear me, as I have to be afraid of him. Better sleep with a sober cannibal than a drunken Christian. Herman Melville christiansleepmen Think of it. To go down to posterity as a 'man who lived among the cannibals.' Herman Melville cannibalmenthinking Youth is the time when hearts are large, And stirring wars Appeal to the spirit which appeals in turn To the blade it draws. Herman Melville spiritheartwar What we take to be our strongest tower of delight, only stands at the caprice of the minutest event the falling of a leaf, the hearing of a voice, or the receipt of one little bit of paper scratched over with a few small characters by a sharpened feather. Herman Melville voicecharacterfall Thou hast evoked in me profounder spells than the evoking one, thou face! For me, thou hast uncovered one infinite, dumb, beseeching countenance of mystery, underlying all the surfaces of visible time and space. Herman Melville spacedumbfaces A good laugh is a mighty good thing, and rather too scarce a good thing; the more's the pity. So, if any one man, in his own proper person, afford stuff for a good joke to anybody, let him not be backward, but let him cheerfully allow himself to spend and be spent in that way. And the man that has anything bountifully laughable about him, be sure there is more in that man than you perhaps think for. Herman Melville laughingmenthinking Are there no Moravians in the Moon, that not a missionary has yet visited this poor pagan planet of ours, to civilise civilisation and christianise Christendom? Herman Melville paganmoonmissionary Indolence is heaven 's ally here, And energy the child of hell : The Good Man pouring from his pitcher clear But brims the poisoned well. Herman Melville menheavenchildren It may seem strange that of all men sailors should be tinkering at their last wills and testaments, but there are no people in the world more fond of that diversion. Herman Melville maymenpeople We may have civilized bodies and yet barbarous souls. Herman Melville bodysoulmay Ignorance is the father of all fear. Herman Melville ignorancefather Let us be Christians toward our fellow-whites, as well as philanthropists toward the blacks our fellow-men. In all things, and toward all, we are enjoined to do as we would be done by. Herman Melville christianwould-bemen I cherish the greatest respect towards everybody's religious obligations, no matter how comical. Herman Melville cherishreligiousmatter From without, no wonderful effect is wrought within ourselves, unless some interior, responding wonder meets it. That the starry vault shall surcharge the heart with all rapturous marvelings, is only because we ourselves are greater miracles, and superber trophies than all the stars in universal space. Herman Melville spacestarsheart And the visible world seems formed in love, the invisible spheres were formed in fright. Herman Melville invisiblespheresworld
