Memories, by Admiral of the Fleet, Lord FisherFisher, John Arbuthnot Fisher, Baron
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Memories, by Admiral of the Fleet, Lord Fisher
Fisher, John Arbuthnot Fisher, Baron
Admirals -- Great Britain -- Biography; Fisher, John Arbuthnot Fisher, Baron, 1841-1920; Great Britain. Royal Navy
All, then, that I have to say in this chapter will be a summing up
of all that is in my opinion worth saying, and you are going to be
responsible for the rest. My judgment is that the British Public will
be sick of it all long before you come to the end of your part. One can
have too much jam. Nor do you seem inclined to put in all the “bites.”
For instance, it was told King Edward, who warned me of what was being
said, that my moral character was shocking. No woman will ever appear
against me at the Day of Judgment. One dear friend of mine attributed
all his life’s disasters to kissing the wrong girl. I never even did
that. However, there is no credit in my morality and early piety. For
I ever had to work from 12 years old for my daily bread, and work
hard, so the Devil never had a “look in.” I love Dr. Watts, he is so
practical.
“And Satan finds some mischief still.
For idle hands to do.”
Bishop Jeremy Taylor, who wrote that Classic, “Holy Living and Dying,”
who had a nagging wife who made him flee from home and youthful lusts,
said “That no idle rich healthy man could possibly go to Heaven.” No
doubt it is difficult for such a one. You will remember the Saviour
told us that the Camel getting through the eye of a needle is more
likely. Usually, earthly judgments on heavenly subjects are wrong.
Observe Mary Magdalene, and the most beautiful Collect for her Saint’s
Day which was in our First Prayer Book of 1540. This was later expunged
by the sacerdotal, pharisaic, self-righteous mandarins of that period.
The judgments of this world are worse than the judgments of God. When
David was offered three forms of punishment--Famine or the Sword or
Pestilence--he chose the pestilence, saying, “Let us now fall into
the hands of the Lord; for his mercies are great; and let me not fall
into the hand of man.” At the moment of making this note of which I am
speaking I am looking at two very beautiful old engravings I rescued
from the room here allotted to the Presbyterian Minister! One of them
is the “Woman Taken in Adultery” and the other is “Potiphar’s Wife”! My
host tells me it was a pure accident that these pictures came to be in
the Minister’s room; but such events happen to Saints. Wasn’t there
“The Scarlet Letter”--that wonderful book by Hawthorne?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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