413 Quotes by Samuel Butler

The history of art is the history of revivals.

Work with some men is as besetting a sin as idleness.

The thief. Once committed beyond a certain point he should not worry himself too much about not being a thief any more. Thieving is God's message to him. Let him try and be a good thief.

Life is the art of drawing sufficient conclusions from insufficient premises.

A virtue to be serviceable must, like gold, be alloyed with some commoner, but more durable alloy.

Science, after all, is only an expression for our ignorance of our own ignorance.

All animals, except man, know that the principal business of life is to enjoy it - and they do enjoy it as much as man and other circumstances will allow.

God as now generally conceived of is only the last witch.

Quoth Hudibras, I smell a rat; Ralpho, thou dost prevaricate