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To treat of human actions is to deal wholly with second causes.

Herman Melville

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Herman Melville
Age: 72 †
Born: 1819
Born: August 1
Died: 1891
Died: September 28
Art Collector
Essayist
Lecturer
Literary Critic
Novelist
Poet
Sailor
Teacher
Writer
Manhattan borough
New York City
Hermann Melville
Herman Melvill
Human
Treats
Humans
Deeds
Actions
Deal
Second
Deals
Causes
Wholly
Action
Treat

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You cannot hide the soul.
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You must have plenty of sea-room to tell the truth in.
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Immortality is but ubiquity in time.
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To a sensitive being, pity is not seldom pain.
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Prayer draws us near to our own souls.
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Failure is the test of greatness.
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flight from tyranny does not of itself insure a safe asylum, far less a happy home.
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Stripped of the cunning artifices of the tailor, and standing forth in the garb of Eden - what a sorry set of round-shouldered, spindle-shanked, crane-necked varlets would civilized men appear!
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Of all human events, perhaps, the publication of a first volume of verses is the most insignificant but though a matter of no moment to the world, it is still of some concern to the author.
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Zeal is not of necessity religion, neither is it always of the same essence with poetry or patriotism.
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All truth is profound.
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In one word, Queequeg, said I, rather digressively hell is an idea first born on an undigested apple-dumpling and since then perpetuated through the hereditary dyspepsias nurtured by Ramadans.
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Though the ancients were ignorant of the principles of Christianity there were in them the germs of its spirit.
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Is Ahab, Ahab? Is it I, God, or who, that lifts this arm? But if the great sun move not of himself but is an errand-boy in heaven nor one single star can revolve, but by some invisible power how then can this one small heart beat this one small brain think thoughts unless God does that beating, does that thinking, does that living, and not I.
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All things that God would have us do are hard for us to do--remember that--and hence, he oftener commands us than endeavours to persuade.
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Courage is the most common and vulgar of the virtues.
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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.
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contempt is as frequently produced at first sight as love.
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All wars are boyish, and are fought by boys.
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There is a savor of life and immortality in substantial fare. Like balloons, we are nothing till filled.
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