Samuel Butler Quotes

A lawyer's dream of heaven - every man reclaimed his property at the resurrection and each tried to recover it from all his forefathers.

The greatest 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.

Man is the only animal that laughs and has a state legislature.

I keep my books at the British Museum and at Mudies.

No matter how ill we may be nor how low we may have fallen we should not change identity with any other person.

All progress is based upon the universal innate desire on the part of every organism to live beyond its income.

Loyalty is still the same, whether it win or lose the game; true as a dial to the sun, although it be not shined upon.

All progress is based upon a universal innate desire on the part of every living organism to live beyond its income.

Don't learn to do, but learn in doing.

Prayers are to men as dolls are to children.

To live is like to love - all reason is against it and all healthy instinct for it.

One of the first businesses of a sensible man is to know when he is beaten and to leave off fighting at once.

All animals except man know that the principle business of life is to enjoy it.

People care more about being thought to have good taste than about being thought either good clever or amiable.

The oldest books are still only just out to those who have not read them.

Life is like playing a violin solo in public and learning the instrument as one goes on.

We all love best not those who offend us least, nor those who have done most for us, but those who make it most easy for us to forgive them.

It has been said that though God cannot alter the past historians can - it is perhaps because they can be useful to Him in this respect that He tolerates their existence.

To do great work one must be very idle as well as very industrious.

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.