Herman Melville Quotes on Vice & Virtue (3 Quotes)


    It does seem to me, that herein we see the rare virtue of a strong individual vitality, and the rare virtue of thick walls, and the rare virtue of interior spaciousness. Oh, man! admire and model thyself after the whale! Do thou, too, remain warm among ice. Do thou, too, live in this world without being of it. Be cool at the equator; keep thy blood fluid at the Pole. Like the great dome of St. Peter's, and like the great whale, retain, O man! in all seasons a temperature of thine own.

    In this world, shipmates, sin that pays its way can travel freely, and without passport; whereas Virtue, if a pauper, is stopped at all frontiers.

    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.


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