latter-day pamphlets-第23章

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calculable　sleeping　forces　and　electricities；　and　liable　to　go　off；　at　any　time；　into　the　hugest　developments；　upon　a　scratch　thoughtfully　or　thoughtlessly　given　on　the　right　point：Nay；　for　every　one　of　us；　could　not　the　sputter　of　a　poor　pistol…shot　shrivel　the　Immensities　together　like　a　burnt　scroll；　and　make　the　Heavens　and　the　Earth　pass　away　with　a　great　noise？　　Smallest　wrens；　and　canary…birds　of　some　dexterity；　can　be　trained　to　handle　lucifer…matches；　and　have；　before　now；　fired　off　whole　powder…magazines　and　parks　of　artillery。　　Perhaps　without　much　astonishment　to　the　canary…bird。　The　canary…bird　can　hold　only　its　own　quantity　of　astonishment；　and　may　possibly　enough　retain　its　presence　of　mind；　were　even　Doomsday　to　come。　It　is　on　this　principle　that　I　explain　to　myself　the　equanimity　of　some　men　and　Premiers　whom　we　have　known。

This　and　the　other　Premier　seems　to　take　it　with　perfect　coolness。　　And　yet；　I　say；　what　a　strange　feeling；　to　find　himself　Chief　Governor　of　England；　girding　on；　upon　his　moderately　sized　new　soul；　the　old　battle…harness　of　an　Oliver　Cromwell；　an　Edward　Longshanks；　a　William　Conqueror。　　〃I；　then；　am　the　Ablest　of　English　attainable　Men？　　This　English　People；　which　has　spread　itself　over　all　lands　and　seas；　and　achieved　such　works　in　the　ages；which　has　done　America；　India；　the　Lancashire　Cotton…trade；　Bromwicham　Iron…trade；　Newton's　Principia；　Shakspeare's　Dramas；　and　the　British　Constitution；the　apex　of　all　its　intelligences　and　mighty　instincts　and　dumb　longings：　　it　is　I？　　William　Conqueror's　big　gifts；　and　Edward's　and　Elizabeth's；　Oliver's　lightning　soul；　noble　as　Sinai　and　the　thunders　of　the　Lord：　　these　are　mine；　I　begin　to　perceive；to　a　certain　extent。　　These　heroisms　have　I；though　rather　shy　of　exhibiting　them。　　These；　and　something　withal　of　the　huge　beaver…faculty　of　our　Arkwrights；　Brindleys；　touches　too　of　the　phoenix…melodies　and　_sunny_　heroisms　of　our　Shakspeares；　of　our　Singers；　Sages　and　inspired　Thinkers　all　this　is　in　me；　I　will　hope；though　rather　shy　of　exhibiting　it　on　common　occasions。　　The　Pattern　Englishman；　raised　by　solemn　acclamation　upon　the　bucklers　of　the　English　People；　and　saluted　with　universal　'God　save　THEE！'has　now　the　honor　to　announce　himself。　After　fifteen　hundred　years　of　constitutional　study　as　to　methods　of　raising　on　the　bucklers；　which　is　the　operation　of　operations；　the　English　People；　surely　pretty　well　skilled　in　it　by　this　time；　has　raisedthe　remarkable　individual　now　addressing　you。　　The　best…combined　sample　of　whatsoever　divine　qualities　are　in　this　big　People；　the　consummate　flower　of　all　that　they　have　done　and　been；　the　ultimate　product　of　the　Destinies；　and　English　man　of　men；　arrived　at　last　in　the　fulness　of　time；　iswho　think　you？　　Ye　worlds；　the　Ithuriel　javelin　by　which；　with　all　these　heroisms　and　accumulated　energies　old　and　new；　the　English　People　means　to　smite　and　pierce；　is　this　poor　tailor's…bodkin；　hardly　adequate　to　bore　an　eylet…hole；　who　now　has　the　honor　to〃Good　Heavens；　if　it　were　not　that　men　generally　are　very　much　of　the　canary…bird；　here；　are　reflections　sufficient　to　annihilate　any　man；　almost　before　starting！

But　to　us　also　it　ought　to　be　a　very　strange　reflection！　　This；　then；　is　the　length　we　have　brought　it　to；　with　our　constitutioning；　and　ballot…boxing；　and　incessant　talk　and　effort　in　every　kind　for　so　many　centuries　back；　this？　　The　golden　flower　of　our　grand　alchemical　projection；　which　has　set　the　world　in　astonishment　so　long；　and　been　the　envy　of　surrounding　nations；　iswhat　we　here　see。　　To　be　governed　by　his　Lordship；　and　guided　through　the　undiscovered　paths　of　Time　by　this　respectable　degree　of　human　faculty。　　With　our　utmost　soul's　travail　we　could　discover；　by　the　sublimest　methods　eulogized　by　all　the　world；　no　abler　Englishman　than　this？

Really　it　should　make　us　pause　upon　the　said　sublime　methods；　and　ask　ourselves　very　seriously；　whether；　notwithstanding　the　eulogy　of　all　the　world；　they　can　be　other　than　extremely　astonishing　methods；　that　require　revisal　and　reconsideration　very　much　indeed！　　For　the　kind　of　〃man〃　we　get　to　govern　us；　all　conclusions　whatsoever　centre　there；　and　likewise　all　manner　of　issues　flow　infallibly　therefrom。　　〃Ask　well；　who　is　your　Chief　Governor；〃　says　one：　　〃for　around　him　men　like　to　him　will　infallibly　gather；　and　by　degrees　all　the　world　will　be　made　in　his　image。〃　　〃He　who　is　himself　a　noble　man；　has　a　chance　to　know　the　nobleness　of　men；　he　who　is　not；　has　none。　　And　as　for　the　poor　Public；alas；　is　not　the　kind　of　'man'　you　set　upon　it　the　liveliest　symbol　of　its　and　your　veracity　and　victory　and　blessedness；　or　unveracity　and　misery　and　cursedness；　the　general　summation　and　practical　outcome　of　all　else　whatsoever　in　the　Public　and　in　you？〃

Time　was　when　an　incompetent　Governor　could　not　be　permitted　among　men。　　He　was；　and　had　to　be；　by　one　method　or　the　other；　clutched　up　from　his　place　at　the　helm　of　affairs；　and　hurled　down　into　the　hold；　perhaps　even　overboard；　if　he　could　not　really　steer。　　And　we　call　those　ages　barbarous；　because　they　shuddered　to　see　a　Phantasm　at　the　helm　of　their　affairs；　an　eyeless　Pilot　with　constitutional　spectacles；　steering　by　the　ear　mainly？　And　we　have　changed　all　that；　no…government　is　now　the　best；　and　a　tailor's　foreman；　who　gives　no　trouble；　is　preferable　to　any　other　for　governing？　My　friends；　such　truly　is　the　current　idea；　but　you　dreadfully　mistake　yourselves；　and　the　fact　is　not　such。　　The　fact；　now　beginning　to　disclose　itself　again　in　distressed　Needlewomen；　famishing　Connaughts；　revolting　Colonies；　and　a　general　rapid　advance　towards　Social　Ruin；　remains　really　what　it　always　was；　and　will　so　remain！

Men　have　very　much　forgotten　it　at　present；　and　only　here　a　man　and　there　a　man　begins　again　to　bethink　himself　of　it：　　but　all　men　will　gradually　get　reminded　of　it；　perhaps　terribly　to　their　cost；　and　the　sooner　they　all　lay　it　to　heart　again；　I　think　it　will　be　the　better。　　For　in　spite　of　our　oblivion　of　it；　the　thing　remains　forever　true；　nor　is　there　any　Constitution　or　body　of　Constitutions；　were　they　clothed　with　never　such　venerabilities　and　general　acceptabilities；　that　avails　to　deliver　a　Nation　from　the　consequences　of　forgetting　it。　　Nature；　I　assure　you；　does　forevermore　remember　it；　and　a　hundred　British　Constitutions　are　but　as　a　hundred　cobwebs　between　her　and　the　penalty　she　levies　for　forgetting　it。　Tell　me　what　kind　of　man　governs　a　People；　you　tell　me；　with　much　exactness；　what　the　net　sum…total　of　social　worth　in　that　People　has　for　some　time　been。　　Whether　_they_　have　loved　the　phylacteries　or　the　eternal　noblenesses；　whether　they　have　been　struggling　heavenward　like　eagles；　brothers　of　the　radiances；　or　groping　owl…like　with　horn…eyed　diligence；　catching　mice　and　balances　at　their　banker's；poor　devils；　you　will　see　it　all　in　that　one　fact。　　A　fact　long　prepared　beforehand；　which；　if　it　is　a　peaceably　received　one；　must　have　been　acquiesced　in；　judged　to　be　〃best；〃　by　the　poor　mousing　owls；　intent　only　to　have　a　large　balance　at　their　banker's　and　keep　a　whole　skin。

Such　sordid　populations；　which　were　long　blind　to　Heaven's　light；　are　getting　themselves　burnt　up　rapidly；　in　these　days；　by　street…insurrection　and　Hell…fire；as　is　indeed　inevitable；　my　esteemed　M'Croudy！　　Light；　accept　the　blessed　light；　if　you　will　have　it　when　Heaven　vouchsafes。　　You　refuse？　　You　prefer　Delolme　on　the　British　Constitution；　the　Gospel　according　to　M'Croudy；　and　a　good　balance　at　your　banker's？　　Very　well：　the　〃light〃　is　more　and　more　withdrawn；　and　for　some　time　you　have　a　general　dusk；　very　favorable　for　catching　mice；　and　the　opulent　owlery　is　very　〃happy；〃　and　well…off　at　its　banker's；and　furthermore；　by　due　sequence；　infallible　as　the　foundations　of　the　Universe　and　Nature's　oldest　law；　the　light　_returns_　on　you；　condensed；　this　time；　into　_lightning_；　which　there　is　not　any　skin　whatever　too　thick　for　taking　in！


＇April　15；　1850。＇　No。　IV。　　THE　NEW　DOWNING　STREET。

In　looking　at　this　wreck　of　Governments　in　all　European　countries；　there　is　one　consideration　that　suggests　itself；　sadly　elucidative　of　our　modern　epoch。　　These　Governments；　we　may　be　well　assured；　have　gone　to　anarchy　for　this　one　reason　inclusive　of　every　other　whatsoever；　That　they　were　not　wise　enough；　that　the　spiritual　talent　embarked　in　them；　the　virtue；　heroism；　intellect；　or　by　whatever　other　synonyms　we　designate　it；　was　not　adequate；probably　had　long　been　inadequate；　and　so　in　its　dim　helplessness　had　suffered；　or　perhaps　invited　falsity　to　introduce　itself；　had　suffered　injustices；　and　solecisms；　and　contradictions　of　the　Divine　Fact；　to　accumulate　in　more　than　tolerable　measure；　whereupon　said　Governments　were　overset；　and　declared　before　all　creatures　to　be　too　false。

This　is　a　reflection　sad　but　important　to　the　modern　Governments　now　fallen　anarchic；　That　they　had　not　spiritual　talent　enough。　　And　if　this　is　so；　then　surely　the　question；　How　these　Governments　came　to　sink　for　_want_　of　intellect？　is　a　rather　interesting　one。　　Intellect；　in　some　measure；　is　born　into　every　Century；　and　the　Nineteenth　flatters　itself　that　it　is　rather　distinguished　that　way！　　What　had　become　of　this　celebrated　Nineteenth　Century's　intellect？　　Surely　some　of　it　existed；　and　was　〃developed〃　withal；nay　in　the　〃undeveloped；〃　unconscious；　or　inarticulate　state；　it　is　not　dead；　but　alive　and　at　work；　if　mutely　not　less　beneficently；　some　think　even　more　so！　　And　yet　Governments；　it　would　appear；　could　by　no　means　get　enough　of　it；　almost　none　of　it　came　their　way：　　what　had　become　of　it？　　Truly　there　must　be　something　very　questionable；　either　in　the　intellect　of　this　celebrated　Century；　or　in　the　methods　Governments　now　have　of　supplying　their　wants　from　the　same。　　One　or　other　of　two　grand　fundamental　shortcomings；　in　regard　to　intellect　or　human　enlightenment；　is　very　visible　in　this　enlightened　Century　of　ours；　for　it　has　now　become　the　most　anarchic　of　Centuries；　that　is　to　say；　has　fallen　practically　into　such　Egyptian　darkness　that　it　cannot　grope　its　way　at　all！

Nay　I　rather　think　both　of　these　shortcomings；　fatal　deficits　both；　are　chargeable　upon　us；　and　it　is　the　joint　harvest　of　both　that　we　are　now　reaping　with　such　havoc　to　our　affairs。　　I　rather　guess；　the　intellect　of　the　Nineteenth　Century；　so　full　of　miracle　to　Heavyside　and　others；　is　itself　a　mechanical　or　_beaver_　intellect　rather　than　a　high　or　eminently　human　one。　　A　dim　and　mean　though　authentic　kind　of　intellect；　this；　venerable　only　in　defect　of　better。　　This　kind　will　avail　but　little　in　the　higher　enterprises　of　human　intellect；　especially　in　that　highest　enterprise　of　guiding　men　Heavenward；　which；　after　all；　is　the　one　real　〃governing〃　of　them　on　this　God's…Earth：an　enterprise　not　to　be　achieved　by　beaver　intellect；　but　by　other　higher　and　highest　kinds。　　This　is　deficit　_first_。　　And　then　_secondly_；　Governments　have；　really　to　a　fatal　and　extraordinary　extent；　neglected　in　late　ages　to　supply　themselves　with　what　intellect　was　going；　having；　as　was　too　natural　in　the　dim　time；　taken　up　a　notion　that　human　intellect；　or　even　beaver　intellect；　was　not　necessary　to　them　at　all；　but　that　a　little　of　the　_vulpine_　sort　（if　attainable）；　supported　by　routine；　red…tape