The Project Gutenberg eBook of Herman Melville, Mariner and Mystic

This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.

Title: Herman Melville, Mariner and Mystic

Author: Raymond M. Weaver

Release date: November 15, 2015 [eBook #50461]
Most recently updated: October 22, 2024

Language: English

Credits: Produced by Henry Flower and the Online Distributed
Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was
produced from images generously made available by The
Internet Archive/American Libraries.)

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HERMAN MELVILLE, MARINER AND MYSTIC ***
In the html version of this eBook, images with blue borders are linked to larger versions of the illustrations.

HERMAN MELVILLE
Mariner and Mystic

RAYMOND M. WEAVER

Engraved on wood, by L. F. Grant.
From a photograph.

signature

HERMAN MELVILLE
MARINER AND MYSTIC

BY
RAYMOND M. WEAVER

leviathan attacking a ship
New York George H. Doran Company

COPYRIGHT, 1921,
BY GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY

colophon

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

TO
PROFESSOR FRANKLIN T. BAKER
“—il maestro cortese”

To Professor Carl Van Doren, to Miss Cora Paget, and to Mrs. Eleanor Melville Metcalf, I am, in the writing of this book, very especially indebted. By Professor Van Doren’s enthusiasm and scholarship I was instigated to a study of Melville. It has been my privilege to enjoy Miss Paget’s very valuable criticism and assistance throughout the preparation of this volume. Mrs. Metcalf gave me access to all the surviving records of her grandfather: Melville manuscripts, letters, journals, annotated books, photographs, and a variety of other material. But she did far more. My indebtedness to Mrs. Metcalf’s vivid interest, her shrewd insight, her keen sympathy can be stated only in superlatives. To Mrs. and Mr. Metcalf I owe one of the richest and most pleasant associations of my life.

Raymond M. Weaver.

October 1, 1921.

Most of the letters of Melville to Hawthorne included in this volume are quoted from Nathaniel Hawthorne and His Wife, by Julian Hawthorne. These letters, and other citations from Mr. Hawthorne’s memoir, are included through the courtesy of Messrs. Houghton Mifflin Company.