There is no quality in this world that is not what it is merely by contrast. Nothing exists in itself.
More Quotes from Herman Melville:
If some books are deemed most baneful and their sale forbid, how then with deadlier facts, not dreams of doting men Those whom books will hurt will not be proof against events. Events, not books should be forbid.Herman Melville
At last the anchor was up, the sails were set, and off we glided. It was a sharp, cold Christmas and as the short northern day merged into night, we found ourselves almost broad upon the wintry ocean, whose freezing spray cased us in ice, as in polished armor.
Herman Melville
There are some persons in this world, who, unable to give better proof of being wise, take a strange delight in showing what they think they have sagaciously read in mankind by uncharitable suspicions of them.
Herman Melville
There seems no reason why patriotism and narrowness should go together, or why intellectual fairmindedness should be confounded with political trimming, or why serviceable truth should keep cloistered because not partisan
Herman Melville
Look you, Doubloon, your zodiac here is the life of man in one round chapter. To begin there's Aries, or the Ram -- lecherous dog, he begets us then, Taurus, or the Bull -- he bumps us the first thing then Gemini, or the Twins -- that is, Virtue and Vice we try to reach Virtue, when lo comes Cancer the Crab, and drags us back and here, going from Virtue, Leo, a roaring Lion, lies in the path -- he gives a few fierce bites and surly dabs with his paw we escape, and hail Virgo, the virgin that's our first love we marry and think to be happy for aye, when pop comes Libra, or the Scales -- happiness weighed and found wanting and while we are very sad about that, Lord how we suddenly jump, as Scorpio, or the Scorpion, stings us in rear we are curing the wound, when come the arrows all round Sagittarius, or the Archer, is amusing himself. As we pluck out the shafts, stand aside here's the battering-ram, Capricornus, or the Goat full tilt, he comes rushing, and headlong we are tossed when Aquarius, or the Waterbearer, pours out his whole deluge and drowns us and, to wind up, with Pisces, or the Fishes, we sleep.
Herman Melville
Yet habit - strange thing! what cannot habit accomplish?
Herman Melville
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