Quote

The only living works are those which have drained much of the author's own life into them.

Samuel Butler

Change background

T
T
T

Change font

TAGS & TOPICS

Samuel Butler
Age: 66 †
Born: 1835
Born: December 4
Died: 1902
Died: June 18
Farmer
Novelist
Painter
Photographer
Poet
Science Fiction Writer
Translator
Writer
Notts
Cellarius
Living
Writing
Much
Life
Drained
Author
Works

More quotes by Samuel Butler

Image
An obstinate man does not hold opinions, but they hold him for when he is once possessed with an error, it is, like a devil, only cast out with great difficulty.
Samuel Butler
Image
A definition is the enclosing a wilderness of idea within a wall of words.
Samuel Butler
Image
Our own death is a premium which we must pay for the far greater benefit we have derived from the fact that so many people have not only lived but also died before us.
Samuel Butler
Image
Whereas, to borrow an illustration from mathematics, life was formerly an equation of, say, 100 unknown quantities, it is now one of 99 only, inasmuch as memory and heredity have been shown to be one and the same thing.
Samuel Butler
Image
Neither have they hearts to stay, nor wit enough to run away.
Samuel Butler
Image
The great pleasure of a dog is that you may make a fool of yourself with him and not only will he not scold you, but he will make a fool of himself too.
Samuel Butler
Image
Christ and The Church: If he were to apply for a divorce on the grounds of cruelty, adultery and desertion, he would probably get one.
Samuel Butler
Image
Inspiration is never genuine if it is known as inspiration at the time. True inspiration always steals on a person its importance not being fully recognized for some time.
Samuel Butler
Image
Words are like money there is nothing so useless, unless when in actual use.
Samuel Butler
Image
Since God himself cannot change the past, He is obliged to tolerate the existence of historians.
Samuel Butler
Image
A lawyer's dream of heaven: every man reclaimed his property at the resurrection, and each tried to recover it from all his forefathers.
Samuel Butler
Image
When you've told someone that you've left them a legacy the only decent thing to do is to die at once.
Samuel Butler
Image
Man is the only animal that laughs and has a state legislature.
Samuel Butler
Image
Most people have never learned that one of the main aims in life is to enjoy it.
Samuel Butler
Image
In practice it is seldom very hard to do one's duty when one knows what it is, but it is sometimes extremely difficult to find this out.
Samuel Butler
Image
Half the vices which the world condemns most loudly have seeds of good in them and require moderate use rather than total abstinence.
Samuel Butler
Image
There is no such source of error as the pursuit of absolute truth.
Samuel Butler
Image
Books want to be born: I never make them. They come to me and insist on being written, and on being such and such.
Samuel Butler
Image
Look before you leap for as you sow, ye are like to reap.
Samuel Butler
Image
Friendship is like money, easier made than kept.
Samuel Butler