Sartor Resartus

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Ginn, 1896 - Bookbinding - 432 pages
Thomas Carlyle's "Sartor Resartus" was an influential novel, and partakes of the 19th century conceit of the "found manuscript" variety, in this case a commentary on the thought and early life of a German philosopher called Diogenes Teufelsdröckh, with editorial asides and interjections. Teufelsdröckh has written an extensive treatise on clothes, which the editorial voice plumbs for a full measure of humor - of the extremely dry British variety. The novel contains much of the philosophy current in the early years of the Victorian Age, and the novel helps shed the light of understanding on that influential period of English history.
 

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Page 321 - And unto this he frames his song: Then will he fit his tongue To dialogues of business, love, or strife; But it will not be long...
Page xx - To conclude from all, what is man himself but a microcoat, or rather a complete suit of clothes with all its trimmings ? As to his body there can be no dispute ; but examine even the acquirements of his mind, you will find them all contribute in their order towards furnishing out an exact dress : to instance no more ; is not religion a cloak, honesty a pair of shoes worn out in the dirt, selflove a surtout, vanity a shirt, and conscience a pair of breeches, which, though a cover for lewdness as well...
Page 331 - Avaunt ! and quit my sight. Let the earth hide thee ! Thy bones are marrowless, thy blood is cold ; Thou hast no speculation in those eyes, Which thou dost glare with.
Page 159 - Fire!" is given: and they blow the souls out of one another: and in place of sixty brisk, useful craftsmen, the world has sixty dead carcasses, which it must bury, and anew shed tears for. Had these men any quarrel? Busy as the Devil is, not the smallest! They lived far enough apart: were the entirest strangers: nay. in so wide a Universe, there was even, unconsciously, by Commerce, some mutual helpfulness between them. How then? Simpleton! Their governors had fallen out: and instead of shooting...
Page 179 - Be no longer a Chaos, but a World, or even Worldkin. Produce! Produce! Were it but the pitifullest infinitesimal fraction of a Product, produce it, in God's name! 'Tis the utmost thou hast in thee: out with it, then. Up, up! Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy whole might. Work while it is called Today; for the Night cometh, wherein no man can work.
Page 199 - In the Symbol proper, what we can call a Symbol, there is ever, more or less distinctly and directly, some embodiment and revelation of the Infinite; the Infinite is made to blend itself with the Finite, to stand visible, and as it were, attainable there.
Page 159 - And now, to that same spot in the south of Spain, are thirty similar French artisans, from a French Dumdrudge, in like manner wending ; till at length, after infinite effort, the two parties come into actual juxtaposition ; and thirty stands fronting thirty, each with a gun in his hand. Straightway the word 'fire!
Page 171 - ... sobbings of a dumb creature, which in the ear of Heaven are prayers. The poor Earth, with her poor joys, was now my needy Mother, not my cruel Stepdame; Man, with his so mad Wants and so mean Endeavours, had become the dearer to me; and even for his sufferings and his sins, I now first named him Brother. Thus was I standing in the porch of that 'Sanctuary of Sorrow' ; by strange, steep ways, had I too been guided thither; and ere long its sacred gates would open, and the 'Divine Depth of Sorrow
Page 174 - Es leuchtet mir ein, I see a glimpse of it!" cries he elsewhere: "there is in man a HIGHER than Love of Happiness: he can do without Happiness, and instead thereof find Blessedness!
Page 380 - But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her, for her hair is given her for a covering.

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