latter-day pamphlets-第12章

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bitterness；it　is　they；　those　Solemn　Shams　and　Supreme

Quacks　of　yours；　little　as　they　or　you　imagine　it！　　Them；　with　severe　benevolence；　put　a　stop　to；　them　send　to　their　Father；　far　from　the　sight　of　the　true　and　just；if　you　would　ever　see　a　just　world　here！

What　sort　of　reformers　and　workers　are　you；　that　work　only　on　the　rotten　material？　　That　never　think　of　meddling　with　the　material　while　it　continues　sound；　that　stress　it　and　strain　it　with　new　rates　and　assessments；　till　once　it　has　given　way　and　declared　itself　rotten；　whereupon　you　snatch　greedily　at　it；　and　say；　Now　let　us　try　to　do　some　good　upon　it！　　You　mistake　in　every　way；　my　friends：　　the　fact　is；　you　fancy　yourselves　men　of　virtue；　benevolence；　what　not；　and　you　are　not　even　men　of　sincerity　and　honest　sense。　　I　grieve　to　say　it；　but　it　is　true。　Good　from　you；　and　your　operations；　is　not　to　be　expected。　　You　may　go　down！


Howard　is　a　beautiful　Philanthropist；　eulogized　by　Burke；　and　in　most　men's　minds　a　sort　of　beatified　individual。　　How　glorious；　having　finished　off　one's　affairs　in　Bedfordshire；　or　in　fact　finding　them　very　dull；　inane；　and　worthy　of　being　quitted　and　got　away　from；　to　set　out　on　a　cruise；　over　the　Jails　first　of　Britain；　then；　finding　that　answer；　over　the　Jails　of　the　habitable　Globe！　　〃A　voyage　of　discovery；　a　circum…navigation　of　charity；　to　collate　distresses；　to　gauge　wretchedness；　to　take　the　dimensions　of　human　misery：〃　　really　it　is　very　fine。　　Captain　Cook's　voyage　for　the　Terra　Australis；　Ross's；　Franklin's　for　the　ditto　Borealis：　men　make　various　cruises　and　voyages　in　this　world；for　want　of　money；　want　of　work；　and　one　or　the　other　want；which　are　attended　with　their　difficulties　too；　and　do　not　make　the　cruiser　a　demigod。　　On　the　whole；　I　have　myself　nothing　but　respect；　comparatively　speaking；　for　the　dull　solid　Howard；　and　his　〃benevolence；〃　and　other　impulses　that　set　him　cruising；　Heaven　had　grown　weary　of　Jail…fevers；　and　other　the　like　unjust　penalties　inflicted　upon　scoundrels；for　scoundrels　too；　and　even　the　very　Devil；　should　not　have　_more_　than　their　due；and　Heaven；　in　its　opulence；　created　a　man　to　make　an　end　of　that。　　Created　him；　disgusted　him　with　the　grocer　business；　tried　him　with　Calvinism；　rural　ennui；　and　sore　bereavement　in　his　Bedfordshire　retreat；and；　in　short；　at　last　got　him　set　to　his　work；　and　in　a　condition　to　achieve　it。　　For　which　I　am　thankful　to　Heaven；　and　do　also；with　doffed　hat；　humbly　salute　John　Howard。　　A　practical　solid　man；　if　a　dull　and　even　dreary；　〃carries　his　weighing…scales　in　his　pocket：〃　　when　your　jailer　answers；　〃The　prisoner's　allowance　of　food　is　so　and　so；　and　we　observe　it　sacredly；　here；　for　example；　is　a　ration。〃〃　Hey！　　A　ration　this？〃　and　solid　John　suddenly　produces　his　weighing…scales；　weighs　it；　marks　down　in　his　tablets　what　the　actual　quantity　of　it　is。　　That　is　the　art　and　manner　of　the　man。　　A　man　full　of　English　accuracy；　English　veracity；　solidity；　simplicity；　by　whom　this　universal　Jail…commission；　not　to　be　paid　for　in　money　but　far　otherwise；　is　set　about；　with　all　the　slow　energy；　the　patience；　practicality；　sedulity　and　sagacity　common　to　the　best　English　commissioners　paid　in　money　and　not　expressly　otherwise。

For　it　is　the　glory　of　England　that　she　has　a　turn　for　fidelity　in　practical　work；　that　sham…workers；　though　very　numerous；　are　rarer　than　elsewhere；　that　a　man　who　undertakes　work　for　you　will　still；　in　various　provinces　of　our　affairs；　do　it；　instead　of　merely　seeming　to　do　it。　　John　Howard；　without　pay　in　money；　_did_　this　of　the　Jail…fever；　as　other　Englishmen　do　work；　in　a　truly　workmanlike　manner：　　his　distinction　was　that　he　did　it　without　money。　　He　had　not　500　pounds　or　5；000　pounds　a　year　of　salary　for　it；　but　lived　merely　on　his　Bedfordshire　estates；　and　as　Snigsby　irreverently　expresses　it；　〃by　chewing　his　own　cud。〃　　And；　sure　enough；　if　any　man　might　chew　the　cud　of　placid　reflections；　solid　Howard；　a　mournful　man　otherwise；　might　at　intervals　indulge　a　little　in　that　luxury。No　money…salary　had　he　for　his　work；　he　had　merely　the　income　of　his　properties；　and　what　he　could　derive　from　within。　　Is　this　such　a　sublime　distinction；　then？　　Well；　let　it　pass　at　its　value。　　There　have　been　benefactors　of　mankind　who　had　more　need　of　money　than　he；　and　got　none　too。　　Milton；　it　is　known；　did　his　_Paradise　Lost_　at　the　easy　rate　of　five　pounds。　　Kepler　worked　out　the　secret　of　the　Heavenly　Motions　in　a　dreadfully　painful　manner；　〃going　over　the　calculations　sixty　times；〃　and　having　not　only　no　public　money；　but　no　private　either；　and；　in　fact；　writing　almanacs　for　his　bread…and…water；　while　he　did　this　of　the　Heavenly　Motions；　having　no　Bedfordshire　estates；　nothing　but　a　pension　of　18　pounds　（which　they　would　not　pay　him）；　the　valuable　faculty　of　writing　almanacs；　and　at　length　the　invaluable　one　of　dying；　when　the　Heavenly　bodies　were　vanquished；　and　battle's　conflagration　had　collapsed　into　cold　dark　ashes；　and　the　starvation　reached　too　high　a　pitch　for　the　poor　man。

Howard　is　not　the　only　benefactor　that　has　worked　without　money　for　us；　there　have　been　some　more；and　will　be；　I　hope！　　For　the　Destinies　are　opulent；　and　send　here　and　there　a　man　into　the　world　to　do　work；　for　which　they　do　not　mean　to　pay　him　in　money。　　And　they　smite　him　beneficently　with　sore　afflictions；　and　blight　his　world　all　into　grim　frozen　ruins　round　him；and　can　make　a　wandering　Exile　of　their　Dante；　and　not　a　soft…bedded　Podesta　of　Florence；　if　they　wish　to　get　a　_Divine　Comedy_　out　of　him。　　Nay　that　rather　is　their　way；　when　they　have　worthy　work　for　such　a　man；　they　scourge　him　manifoldly　to　the　due　pitch；　sometimes　nearly　of　despair；　that　he　may　search　desperately　for　his　work；　and　find　it；　they　urge　him　on　still　with　beneficent　stripes　when　needful；　as　is　constantly　the　case　between　whiles；　and；　in　fact；　have　privately　decided　to　reward　him　with　beneficent　death　by　and　by；　and　not　with　money　at　all。　　O　my　benevolent　friend；　I　honor　Howard　very　much；　but　it　is　on　this　side　idolatry　a　long　way；　not　to　an　infinite；　but　to　a　decidedly　finite　extent！　　And　you；put　not　the　modest　noble　Howard；　a　truly　modest　man；　to　the　blush；　by　forcing　these　reflections　on　us！

Cholera　Doctors；　hired　to　dive　into　black　dens　of　infection　and　despair；　they；　rushing　about　all　day　from　lane　to　lane；　with　their　life　in　their　hand；　are　found　to　do　their　function；　which　is　a　much　more　rugged　one　than　Howard's。　　Or　what　say　we；　Cholera　Doctors？　　Ragged　losels　gathered　by　beat　of　drum　from　the　overcrowded　streets　of　cities；　and　drilled　a　little　and　dressed　in　red；　do　not　they　stand　fire　in　an　uncensurable　manner；　and　handsomely　give　their　life；　if　needful；　at　the　rate　of　a　shilling　per　day？　Human　virtue；　if　we　went　down　to　the　roots　of　it；　is　not　so　rare。　　The　materials　of　human　virtue　are　everywhere　abundant　as　the　light　of　the　sun：　raw　materials；O　woe；　and　loss；　and　scandal　thrice　and　threefold；　that　they　so　seldom　are　elaborated；　and　built　into　a　result！　that　they　lie　yet　unelaborated；　and　stagnant　in　the　souls　of　wide…spread　dreary　millions；　fermenting；　festering；　and　issue　at　last　as　energetic　vice　instead　of　strong　practical　virtue！　　A　Mrs。　Manning　〃dying　game；〃alas；　is　not　that　the　foiled　potentiality　of　a　kind　of　heroine　too？　　Not　a　heroic　Judith；　not　a　mother　of　the　Gracchi　now；　but　a　hideous　murderess；　fit　to　be　the　mother　of　hyenas！　　To　such　extent　can　potentialities　be　foiled。　　Education；　kingship；　command；where　is　it；　whither　has　it　fled？　　Woe　a　thousand　times；　that　this；　which　is　the　task　of　all　kings；　captains；　priests；　public　speakers；　land…owners；　book…writers；　mill…owners；　and　persons　possessing　or　pretending　to　possess　authority　among　mankind；is　left　neglected　among　them　all；　and　instead　of　it　so　little　done　but　protocolling；　black…or…white　surplicing；　partridge…shooting；　parliamentary　eloquence　and　popular　twaddle…literature；　with　such　results　as　we　see！


Howard　abated　the　Jail…fever；　but　it　seems　to　me　he　has　been　the　innocent　cause　of　a　far　more　distressing　fever　which　rages　high　just　now；　what　we　may　call　the　Benevolent…Platform　Fever。　　Howard　is　to　be　regarded　as　the　unlucky　fountain　of　that　tumultuous　frothy　ocean…tide　of　benevolent　sentimentality；　〃abolition　of　punishment；〃　all…absorbing　〃prison…discipline；〃　and　general　morbid　sympathy；　instead　of　hearty　hatred；　for　scoundrels；　which　is　threatening　to　drown　human　society　as　in　deluges；　and　leave；　instead　of　an　〃edifice　of　society〃　fit　for　the　habitation　of　men；　a　continent　of　fetid　ooze　inhabitable　only　by　mud…gods　and　creatures　that　walk　upon　their　belly。　　Few　things　more　distress　a　thinking　soul　at　this　time。

Most　sick　am　I；　O　friends；　of　this　sugary　disastrous　jargon　of　philanthropy；　the　reign　of　love；　new　era　of　universal　brotherhood；　and　not　Paradise　to　the　Well…deserving　but　Paradise　to　All…and…sundry；　which　possesses　the　benighted　minds　of　men　and　women　in　our　day。　　My　friends；　I　think　you　are　much　mistaken　about　Paradise！　　〃No　Paradise　for　anybody：　　he　that　cannot　do　without　Paradise；　go　his　ways：〃　　suppose　you　tried　that　for　a　while！　　I　reckon　that　the　safer　version。　　Unhappy　sugary　brethren；　this　is　all　untrue；　this　other；　contrary　to　the　fact；　not　a　tatter　of　it　will　hang　together　in　the　wind　and　weather　of　fact。　　In　brotherhood　with　the　base　and　foolish　I；　for　one；　do　not　mean　to　live。　　Not　in　brotherhood　with　them　was　life　hitherto　worth　much　to　me；　in　pity；　in　hope　not　yet　quite　swallowed　of　disgust；otherwise　in　enmity　that　must　last　through　eternity；　in　unappeasable　aversion　shall　I　have　to　live　with　these！　　Brotherhood？　No；　be　the　thought　far　from　me。　　They　are　Adam's　children；alas　yes；　I　well　remember　that；　and　never　shall　forget　it；　hence　this　rage　and　sorrow。　But　they　have　gone　over　to　the　dragons；　they　have　quitted　the　Father's　house；　and　set　up　with　the　Old　Serpent：　　till　they　return；　how　can　they　be　brothers？　　They　are　enemies；　deadly　to　themselves　and　to　me　and　to　you；　till　then；　till　then；　while　hope　yet　lasts；　I　will　treat　them　as　brothers　fallen　insane；when　hope　has　ended；　with　tears　grown　sacred　and　wrath　grown　sacred；　I　will　cut　them　off　in　the　name　of　God！　　It　is　at　my　peril　if　I　do　not。　　With　the　servant　of　Satan　I　dare　not　continue　in　partnership。　Him　I　must　put　away；　resolutely　and　forever；　〃lest；〃　as　it　is　written；　〃I　become　partaker　of　his　plagues。〃

Beautiful　Black　Peasantry；　who　have　fallen　idle　and　have　got　the　Devil　at　your　elbow；　interesting　White　Felonry；　who　are　not　idle；　but　have　enlisted　into　the　Devil's　regiments　of　the　line；know　that　my　benevolence　for　you　is　comparatively　trifling！　　What　I　have　of　that　divine　feeling　is　due　to　others；　not　to　you。　　A　〃universal　Sluggard…and…Scoundrel　Protection　Society〃　is　not　the　one　I　mean　to　institute　in　these　times；　where　so　much　wants　protection；　and　is　sinking　to　sad　issues　for　want　of　it！　　The　scoundrel　needs　no　protection。　　The　scoundrel　that　will　hasten　to　the　gallows；　why　not　rather　clear　the　way　for　him！　　Better　he　reach　_his_　goal　and　outgate　by　the　natural　proclivity；　than　be　so　expensively　dammed　up　and　detained；　poisoning　everything　as　he　stagnates　and　meanders　along；　to　arrive　at　last　a　hundred　times　fouler；　and　swollen　a　hundred　times　bigger！　Benevolent　men　should　reflect　on　this。And　you　Quashee；　my　pumpkin；（not　a　ba