Israel Potter

His Fifty Years of Exile
Herman Melville was born in New York City on August 1st, 1819, the third of eight children.
At the age of 7 Melville contracted scarlet fever which was to permanently diminish his eyesight.
At this time Melville was described as being "very backwards in speech and somewhat slow in comprehension."
His father died when he was 12 leaving the family in very straitened times. Just 14 Melville took a job in a bank paying $150 a year that he obtained via his uncle, Peter Gansevoort, who was one of the directors of the New York State Bank.
After a failed stint as a surveyor he signed on to go to sea and travelled across the Atlantic to Liverpool and then on further voyages to the Pacific on adventures which would soon become the architecture of his novels. Whilst travelling he joined a mutiny, was jailed, fell in love with a South Pacific beauty and became known as a figure of opposition to the coercion of native Hawaiians to the Christian religion.
He drew from these experiences in his books Typee, Omoo, and White-Jacket. These were published as novels, the first initially in London in 1846.
By 1851 his masterpiece, Moby Dick, was ready to be published. It is perhaps, and certainly at the time, one of the most ambitious novels ever written. However, it never sold out its initial print run of 3,000 and Melville's earnings on this masterpiece were a mere $556.37.
In succeeding years his reputation waned and he found life increasingly difficult. His family was growing, now four children, and a stable income was essential.
With his finances in a disappointing state Melville took the advice of friends that a change in career was called for. For many others public lecturing had proved very rewarding. From late 1857 to 1860, Melville embarked upon three lecture tours, where he spoke mainly on Roman statuary and sightseeing in Rome.
In 1876 he was at last able to publish privately his 16,000 line epic poem Clarel. It was to no avail. The book had an initial printing of 350 copies, but sales failed miserably.
On December 31st, 1885 Melville was at last able to retire. His wife had inherited several small legacies and provide them with a reasonable income.
Herman Melville, novelist, poet, short story writer and essayist, died at his home on September 28rh 1891 from cardiovascular disease.
Index of Contents
Dedication
Chapter I - The Birthplace of Israel
Chapter II - The Youthful Adventures of Israel
Chapter III - Israel Goes to the Wars; and Reaching Bunker Hill in Time to Be of Service There, Soon After is Forced to Extend his Travels Across the Sea Into the Enemy's Land
Chapter IV - Further Wanderings of the Refugee, with Some Account of a Good Knight of Brentford Who Befriended Him
Chapter V - Israel in the Lion's Den
Chapter VI - Israel Makes the Acquaintance of Certain Secret Friends of America, One of Them Being the Famous Author of the "Diversions of Purley." These Despatch Him on a Sly Errand Across the Channel
Chapter VII - After a Curious Adventure Upon the Pont Neuf, Israel Enters the Presence of the Renowned Sage, Dr. Franklin, Whom he Finds Right Learnedly and Multifariously Employed
Chapter VIII - Which Has Something to Say About Dr. Franklin and the Latin Quarter
Chapter IX - Israel is Initiated into the Mysteries of Lodging-Houses in the Latin Quarter
Chapter X - Another Adventurer Appears Upon the Scene
Chapter XI - Paul Jones in a Reverie
Chapter XII - Recrossing the Channel, Israel Returns to the Squire's Abode-His Adventures There
Chapter XIII - His Escape from the House, with Various Adventures Following
Chapter XIV - In which Israel is Sailor Under Two Flags, and in Three Ships, and All in One Night
Chapter XV - They Sail as Far as the Crag of Ailsa
Chapter XVI - They Look in at Carrickfergus, and Descend on Whitehaven
Chapter XVII - They Call at the Earl of Selkirk's, and Afterwards Fight the Ship-of-War Drake
Chapter XVIII - The Expedition That Sailed from Groix
Chapter XIX - They Fight the Serapis.
Chapter XX - The Shuttle
Chapter XXI - Samson Among the Philistines
Chapter XXII - Something Further of Ethan Allen; with Israel's Flight Towards the Wilderness
Chapter XXIII - Israel in Egypt
Chapter XXIV - Continued
Chapter XXV - In the City of Dis
Chapter XXVI - Forty-Five Years
Chapter XXVII - Requiescat in Pace
Herman Melville - A Short Biography
Herman Melville - A Concise Bibliography