Herman Melville

“ And turned toward Ungar; "be adjured,
And tell us if for earth may be
In ripening arts, no guarantee
Of happy sequel."
"Arts are tools; ⁠15
But tools, they say are to the strong:
Is Satan weak? weak is the Wrong? ”

“ Yours seems a reasonable tone;
But in the New World things make haste: ⁠110
Not only men, the state lives fast--
Fast breeds the pregnant eggs and shells,
The slumberous combustibles
Sure to explode. 'Twill come, 'twill come! ”

“ Is aught betwixt ye and the hells?
For He, nor in irreverent view,
'Tis He distills that savor true
Which keeps good essences from taint;
Where He is not, corruption dwells, ⁠45
And man and chaos are without restraint. ”