The history of art is the history of revivals.
Samuel Butler

The history of the world is the record of the weakness, frailty and death of public opinion.
Samuel Butler

The man who lets himself be bored is even more contemptible than the bore.
Samuel Butler

The most important service rendered by the press and the magazines is that of educating people to approach printed matter with distrust.
Samuel Butler

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

The one serious conviction that a man should have is that nothing is to be taken too seriously.
Samuel Butler

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

The seven deadly sins: Want of money, bad health, bad temper, chastity, family ties, knowing that you know things, and believing in the Christian religion.
Samuel Butler

The sinews of art and literature, like those of war, are money.
Samuel Butler

The three most important things a man has are, briefly, his private parts, his money, and his religious opinions.
Samuel Butler

The truest characters of ignorance are vanity and pride and arrogance.
Samuel Butler

The voice of the Lord is the voice of common sense, which is shared by all that is.
Samuel Butler

The want of money is the root of all evil.
Samuel Butler

The worst thing that can happen to a man is to lose his money, the next worst his health, the next worst his reputation.
Samuel Butler

The youth of an art is, like the youth of anything else, its most interesting period. When it has come to the knowledge of good and evil it is stronger, but we care less about it.
Samuel Butler

Theist and atheist: the fight between them is as to whether God shall be called God or shall have some other name.
Samuel Butler

There are more fools than knaves in the world, else the knaves would not have enough to live upon.
Samuel Butler

There is no bore like a clever bore.
Samuel Butler

There is no such source of error as the pursuit of truth.
Samuel Butler

There is no true gracefulness which is not epitomized goodness.
Samuel Butler