By a curious coincidence, as each point was recalled, the black wizards of Ashantee would strike up with their hatchets, as in ominous comment on the white stranger’s thoughts. Pressed by such enigmas and portents, it would have been almost against nature, had not, even into the least distrustful heart, some ugly misgivings obtruded.
Herman Melville
Curious Coincidence, Black Wizards, Ashantee’s Omen, Enigmatic Portents, Distrustful Hearts, Wizards’ Thoughts
Herman Melville’s Quotes On Topics
Religion | Embracing Uncertainty | Constructive Time | Awful Beauty | Chaos | Seamen | Shadow Difference | Hidden Soul | Sperm | Uncomfortable Infliction | Hidden Truths | Global Power | Help | Monastic Obedience | Sea Escape | Madness Of Man | World Balance | World Genius | Indignity Scales | Power Abuse | More
More Herman Melville Quotes
“I know not all that may be coming, but be it what it will, I’ll go to it laughing.” Herman Melville
Embracing Uncertainty, Personal Strength, Life Challenges, Laughter, Fate, Resilience
Herman Melville Embracing Uncertainty, Personal Strength, Life Challenges, Laughter, Fate, Resilience“It is a thing which every sensible American should learn from every sensible Englishman, that glare and glitter, gimcracks and gewgaws, are not indispensable to domestic solacement.” Herman Melville
Cultural Wisdom, Domestic Simplicity, Sensible Living, American, Englishman, Simplicity
Herman Melville Cultural Wisdom, Domestic Simplicity, Sensible Living, American, Englishman, Simplicity“That unblinkingly vivid Japanese sun seems the blazing focus of the glassy ocean’s immeasurable burning-glass.” Herman Melville
Japanese Sun, Blazing Ocean, Burning Focus, Sun, Ocean, Focus
Herman Melville Japanese Sun, Blazing Ocean, Burning Focus, Sun, Ocean, Focus“Pray God, not that; yet I fear something, Captain Ahab. Is not this harpoon for the White Whale?” “For the white fiend! But now for the barbs; thou must make them thyself, man. Here are my razors – the best of steel; here, and make the barbs sharp as the needle-sleet of the Icy Sea.” Herman Melville
White Whale, Harpoon Creation, Icy Sea, Whale, Harpoon, Sea
Herman Melville White Whale, Harpoon Creation, Icy Sea, Whale, Harpoon, Sea“There are two places in the world where men can most effectively disappear – the city of London and the South Seas.” Herman Melville
Disappear Places, London South, Hidden Men, Disappear, London, Hidden
Herman Melville Disappear Places, London South, Hidden Men, Disappear, London, Hidden“Aft here, ye sons of bachelors,” he cried, as the sailors lingered at the main-mast. “Mr. Starbuck, drive aft.” Herman Melville
Sailor’s Call, Commanded Action, Starbuck Orders, Aft, Sailors, Call
Herman Melville Sailor’s Call, Commanded Action, Starbuck Orders, Aft, Sailors, Call“Courage is the most common and vulgar of the virtues.” Herman Melville
Virtue Courage, Common Strength, Courage, Vulgar, Virtue, Strength
Herman Melville Virtue Courage, Common Strength, Courage, Vulgar, Virtue, Strength“Beneath those stars is a universe of gliding monsters.” Herman Melville
Gliding Monsters, Star Universe, Cosmic Mystery, Monsters, Universe, Stars
Herman Melville Gliding Monsters, Star Universe, Cosmic Mystery, Monsters, Universe, Stars“One of the coolest and wisest hours a man has, is just after he awakes in the morning.” Herman Melville
Morning Wisdom, Awake Reflection, Early Hour, Morning, Wisdom, Awake
Herman Melville Morning Wisdom, Awake Reflection, Early Hour, Morning, Wisdom, Awake“I never fancied broiling fowls – though once broiled, judiciously buttered, and judgmatically salted and peppered, there is no one who will speak more respectfully, not to say reverentially, of a broiled fowl than I will.” Herman Melville
Broiled Fowl, Culinary Reverence, Food Respect, Fowl, Broiled, Culinary
Herman Melville Broiled Fowl, Culinary Reverence, Food Respect, Fowl, Broiled, Culinary“Go to the meat-market of a Saturday night and see the crowds of live bipeds staring up at the long rows of dead quadrupeds. Does not that sight take a tooth out of the cannibal’s jaw?” Herman Melville
Meat Market, Saturday Night, Cannibal Tooth, Market, Cannibal, Night
Herman Melville Meat Market, Saturday Night, Cannibal Tooth, Market, Cannibal, Night“It is the image of the ungraspable phantom of life; and this is the key to it all.” Herman Melville
Ungraspable Phantom, Life Key, Elusive Truth, Phantom, Life, Truth
Herman Melville Ungraspable Phantom, Life Key, Elusive Truth, Phantom, Life, Truth“Be sure of this, O young ambition, all mortal greatness is but disease.” Herman Melville
Mortal Greatness, Young Ambition, Disease Of Greatness, Ambition, Greatness, Disease
Herman Melville Mortal Greatness, Young Ambition, Disease Of Greatness, Ambition, Greatness, Disease“Who in the rainbow can draw the line where the violet tint ends and the orange tint begins? Distinctly we see the difference of the colors, but where exactly does the one first blendingly enter into the other? So with sanity and insanity.” Herman Melville
Rainbow Colors, Sanity Insanity, Color Difference, Rainbow, Sanity, Colors
Herman Melville Rainbow Colors, Sanity Insanity, Color Difference, Rainbow, Sanity, Colors“Of all nature’s animated kingdoms, fish are the most unchristian, inhospitable, heartless, and cold-blooded of creatures.” Herman Melville
Fish Nature, Cold-blooded Fish, Inhospitable Creatures, Fish, Nature, Creatures
Herman Melville Fish Nature, Cold-blooded Fish, Inhospitable Creatures, Fish, Nature, Creatures“Fasting makes the body cave in; hence the spirit caves in; and all thoughts born of a fast must necessarily be half-starved. This is the reason why most dyspeptic religionists cherish such melancholy notions about their hereafters. In one word, Queequeg; hell is an idea first born on an undigested apple-dumpling; and since then perpetuated through the hereditary dyspepsias nurtured by Ramadans.” Herman Melville
Fasting And Spirit, Dyspeptic Religion, Starved Thoughts, Hell’s Origin, Malnourished Beliefs, Religious Fasting
Herman Melville Fasting And Spirit, Dyspeptic Religion, Starved Thoughts, Hell’s Origin, Malnourished Beliefs, Religious Fasting“Both the ancestry and posterity of Grief go further than the ancestry and posterity of Joy.” Herman Melville
Grief Ancestry, Joy Posterity, Emotional Lineage, Grief, Joy, Lineage
Herman Melville Grief Ancestry, Joy Posterity, Emotional Lineage, Grief, Joy, Lineage“All truth is profound.” Herman Melville
Profound Truth, Deep Insight, Truth, Profound, Insight, Knowledge
Herman Melville Profound Truth, Deep Insight, Truth, Profound, Insight, Knowledge