The Note-Books of Samuel Butler

tary M

ations of

if you dig too much about them the s

out and find are within us, like the

i

sness about things that have passed into the unconscious stage; it

of Impe

lt, possible or impossible, not only has the thing got to be done, but it is exactly in doing it that the whole duty of man consists. And when the righteous man turneth away from his

oo anything else. The Christian morality is just as immoral as any other. It is at once very moral and very immoral. How often do we not see children ruined through the virtues, real or supposed, of their parents? Truly he visiteth the virtues of the father

uous man, who is fully under grace, will be virtuous unconsciously and will k

very small way. We feel such talk to be blasphemy against good life and, whatever we may say in death's favour, so long as we do not blow our brains out we show that we do not mean to be taken seriously. To know good, other than as a heavy sleeper, we must know vice also. There cannot, as Bac

ci

is this because we instinctively feel that no one can know much ti

cle in

concerning any vice-say drunkenness, but it applies to

knows

re than

who kno

h to be

's

od are the laws of

al Exc

case of those who are not forced to over-work themselves-and there are many who work themselves to death from mere inability to restrain the passion for work, which masters them as the craving for drink masters a drunkard-over-work in these cases is as immoral as over-eating or drinking. This, so far as the individual is concerned. With regard to

ual Self-

nd disgraceful form which excess can take, nor is the

ng Fa

with attention to the formation of each letter. I am of

and V

ined long and largely among civilised people. Such a vice must have some good along with its deformities. The question "How, if every one we

ly virtuous; "Very vicious" is certainly less happy than "Tolerably virtuous," but this is about all. W

out. Virtue knows that it is impossible to get on without compromise, and tunes herself, as it were, a trifle sharp to allow for an inevitable fall in playing. So the Psalmist says, "If thou, Lord, wilt be extreme to mark what is done amiss: O Lord who may abide i

olute virtue is as sure to kill a man as absolute vice is

i

too good. He likes them neither too good nor too bad, but a

the best are not so much better than the worst, nor the worst so much below the best as we suppose; and the bad are just as important an element in the general progress

ufferable as dominant factions generally are. It is the

to be considered virtuous. It is the sub-vicious who best understand virtue.

rtuou

conscious. I regret some things that I have done, but not many. I regret that so many should think I did much which I never did, and should know of what I did in so garbled and distorted a fashio

i

ding to whether it is viewed before or after

ra

l to get drunk because the headache comes after the drinking, but if the heada

and Imm

stoms. Wherefrom it should follow that there is nothing so absolutely moral as stagnation, except for this that, if perfect, it would destroy all mores whatever. So there must always be an immoralit

nib

nd the current feeling of one's peers. Ca

l Devel

ountless ancestors, it is more natural for men to obtain the nearest thing they can to these, even by the most abnormal means if the ordinary channels are closed, than to forego them altogether. The abnormal growth should be regarded as disease but, nevertheless, as showing more h

g Pe

before the young of both sexes as soon as they are old enough to understand such matters at all. There should be no mystery or reserve. None but the corrupt will wish to corrupt facts; honest people will accept them eagerly, whatever they may prove to be, and will convey them to others as accurately as they can. On what pretext therefore can it be well that knowledge should be withheld from the universal gaze upon a matter of such universal interest? It cannot be pretended that there

lf and is most jealous of letting his children into a knowledge of how he manages his money. His children are like monks in a monastery as regards money and he calls this training them up with the stri

Fa

d to make people hang together artificially who would never naturally do so. The mischief among the lower classes is not so great, but am

then just published, and found the following on p. 129 in the essay which is entitled "Man's Place in Nature." After saying

with years, and they part for their posts of duty in the world with the hope of having joyful me

ough, but one with whom nothing ever prospered. I am certain my father, after he was 40, did not wish to see my grandfather any more-indeed, long before reaching that age he had decided that Dr. Butler's life should not be wr

cious

nce that the men who have left home very young have, many long years afterwards, had the tenderest regard

's Od

er considered it quite as dreadful for relations who had long been separated to come to

chi

her, without mother and without descent. He w

for Br

nd the brethren of our Lord regarded it. There were they with three or four elderly unmarried daughters as well as old mamma-how could they afford bacon? And there was I, a selfish bachelor-. The appetising, savoury smell of my rasher seemed to drive them mad. I used to feel very uncomfortable, very small and quite aware h

an

fair balance of cash in hand. "We know that all things work together for good to them that l

ity and the Pa

king god ought to be, but he should also be kind and have a strong sense of humour, together with a contempt for the vices of meanness and for the meannesses of virtue. After saying what I have quoted above the writer in the Pall Mall Gazette goes on, "An impartial

ing the Su

d that we join issue. We say it varies with the varying phases of God as made manifest in his works, but that, so far as we are ourselves concerned, the glory of God is best advanced by advancing that of man. If asked what is the glory of man we answer "Good breeding"-u

to th

They will then quote some drivel from one of the Kingsleys about the deadening effect an income of ￡300 a year will have upon a man. Avoid any one whom you may hear talk in this way. The fault lies not

li

worthy than those of any other? If so, this should be enough. I find the nicest and best peo

n and

Hell is the work of prigs, pedants and professional truth-

gish

outside eating one's dinner or taking a walk without setting up to know more than one's neighbours. It was this that made me say in Life and Habit [close of ch. ii.] that I was among the damned

eng

at her question put him rather up a tree but that, as she wanted to

el

n groaning and travailing together until now. He is an ideal. He shows what may be done in the way of good breeding, health, looks, temper and fortune. He realises men's dreams of

e and

amiable and sensible p

tle

the word itself will guide us to gentleness, to absence of such things as brow-bea

Fine

sh fisherman, is about the best thing nature does in the

a Swell

othing all clamour for attention and, before I have got them well in hand, the new suit has lost its freshness. Still, if ever I do get any money, I will try

o

flesh there is money-or the want of money; but money is always

uriou

things a man can indulge himself in. It costs a lot of mo

alth and

e family if it be taken care of. No man is absolutely safe. It may be said to any man, "Thou fool, this night thy money shall be required of thee." And reputation is like money: it may be required of us without

re, and his health will soon break up; but leave him his money and, even though his health breaks up and he dies, he does not mind it so much as we think. Money losses ar

ici

an get himself a sound constitution by going to his doctor; but a solicitor can do more to keep a tolerably well-meaning fool straight tha

ct

citor. Sometimes you, as it were, strike against them and stop their food, when they go on

ie

moral and spiritual welfare (than which nothing can be more difficult and intricate) what it is so clearly better for hi