latter-day pamphlets-第3章

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hining　symbols　and　long…sounding　long…admitted　professions；　were　mere　Impostors；　then？　　Not　a　true　thing　they　were　doing；　but　a　false　thing。　　The　story　they　told　men　was　a　cunningly　devised　fable；　the　gospels　they　preached　to　them　were　not　an　account　of　man's　real　position　in　this　world；　but　an　incoherent　fabrication；　of　dead　ghosts　and　unborn　shadows；　of　traditions；　cants；　indolences；　cowardices；a　falsity　of　falsities；　which　at　last　_ceases_　to　stick　together。　　Wilfully　and　against　their　will；　these　high　units　of　mankind　were　cheats；　then；　and　the　low　millions　who　believed　in　them　were　dupes；a　kind　of　_inverse_　cheats；　too；　or　they　would　not　have　believed　in　them　so　long。　　A　universal　_Bankruptcy　of　Imposture_；　that　may　be　the　brief　definition　of　it。　　Imposture　everywhere　declared　once　more　to　be　contrary　to　Nature；　nobody　will　change　its　word　into　an　act　any　farther：fallen　insolvent；　unable　to　keep　its　head　up　by　these　false　pretences；　or　make　its　pot　boil　any　more　for　the　present！　　A　more　scandalous　phenomenon；　wide　as　Europe；　never　afflicted　the　face　of　the　sun。　Bankruptcy　everywhere；　foul　ignominy；　and　the　abomination　of　desolation；　in　all　high　places：　　odious　to　look　upon；　as　the　carnage　of　a　battle…field　on　the　morrow　morning；a　massacre　not　of　the　innocents；　we　cannot　call　it　a　massacre　of　the　innocents；　but　a　universal　tumbling　of　Impostors　and　of　Impostures　into　the　street！

Such　a　spectacle；　can　we　call　it　joyful？　　There　is　a　joy　in　it；　to　the　wise　man　too；　yes；　but　a　joy　full　of　awe；　and　as　it　were　sadder　than　any　sorrow；like　the　vision　of　immortality；　unattainable　except　through　death　and　the　grave！　　And　yet　who　would　not；　in　his　heart　of　hearts；　feel　piously　thankful　that　Imposture　has　fallen　bankrupt？　　By　all　means　let　it　fall　bankrupt；　in　the　name　of　God　let　it　do　so；　with　whatever　misery　to　itself　and　to　all　of　us。　　Imposture；　be　it　known　then；known　it　must　and　shall　be；is　hateful；　unendurable　to　God　and　man。　　Let　it　understand　this　everywhere；　and　swiftly　make　ready　for　departure；　wherever　it　yet　lingers；　and　let　it　learn　never　to　return；　if　possible！　　The　eternal　voices；　very　audibly　again；　are　speaking　to　proclaim　this　message；　from　side　to　side　of　the　world。　　Not　a　very　cheering　message；　but　a　very　indispensable　one。

Alas；　it　is　sad　enough　that　Anarchy　is　here；　that　we　are　not　permitted　to　regret　its　being　here；for　who　that　had；　for　this　divine　Universe；　an　eye　which　was　human　at　all；　could　wish　that　Shams　of　any　kind；　especially　that　Sham…Kings　should　continue？　　No：　　at　all　costs；　it　is　to　be　prayed　by　all　men　that　Shams　may　_cease_。　　Good　Heavens；　to　what　depths　have　we　got；　when　this　to　many　a　man　seems　strange！　　Yet　strange　to　many　a　man　it　does　seem；　and　to　many　a　solid　Englishman；　wholesomely　digesting　his　pudding　among　what　are　called　the　cultivated　classes；　it　seems　strange　exceedingly；　a　mad　ignorant　notion；　quite　heterodox；　and　big　with　mere　ruin。　　He　has　been　used　to　decent　forms　long　since　fallen　empty　of　meaning；　to　plausible　modes；　solemnities　grown　ceremonial；what　you　in　your　iconoclast　humor　call　shams；　all　his　life　long；　never　heard　that　there　was　any　harm　in　them；　that　there　was　any　getting　on　without　them。　　Did　not　cotton　spin　itself；　beef　grow；　and　groceries　and　spiceries　come　in　from　the　East　and　the　West；　quite　comfortably　by　the　side　of　shams？　　Kings　reigned；　what　they　were　pleased　to　call　reigning；　lawyers　pleaded；　bishops　preached；　and　honorable　members　perorated；　and　to　crown　the　whole；　as　if　it　were　all　real　and　no　sham　there；　did　not　scrip　continue　salable；　and　the　banker　pay　in　bullion；　or　paper　with　a　metallic　basis？　　〃The　greatest　sham；　I　have　always　thought；　is　he　that　would　destroy　shams。〃

Even　so。　　To　such　depth　have　_I_；　the　poor　knowing　person　of　this　epoch；　got；almost　below　the　level　of　lowest　humanity；　and　down　towards　the　state　of　apehood　and　oxhood！　　For　never　till　in　quite　recent　generations　was　such　a　scandalous　blasphemy　quietly　set　forth　among　the　sons　of　Adam；　never　before　did　the　creature　called　man　believe　generally　in　his　heart　that　lies　were　the　rule　in　this　Earth；　that　in　deliberate　long…established　lying　could　there　be　help　or　salvation　for　him；　could　there　be　at　length　other　than　hindrance　and　destruction　for　him。　　O　Heavyside；　my　solid　friend；　this　is　the　sorrow　of　sorrows：　　what　on　earth　can　become　of　us　till　this　accursed　enchantment；　the　general　summary　and　consecration　of　delusions；　be　cast　forth　from　the　heart　and　life　of　one　and　all！　　Cast　forth　it　will　be；　it　must；　or　we　are　tending；　at　all　moments；　whitherward　I　do　not　like　to　name。　　Alas；　and　the　casting　of　it　out；　to　what　heights　and　what　depths　will　it　lead　us；　in　the　sad　universe　mostly　of　lies　and　shams　and　hollow　phantasms　（grown　very　ghastly　now）；　in　which；　as　in　a　safe　home；　we　have　lived　this　century　or　two！　　To　heights　and　depths　of　social　and　individual　_divorce_　from　delusions；of　〃reform〃　in　right　sacred　earnest；　of　indispensable　amendment；　and　stern　sorrowful　abrogation　and　order　to　depart；such　as　cannot　well　be　spoken　at　present；　as　dare　scarcely　be　thought　at　present；　which　nevertheless　are　very　inevitable；　and　perhaps　rather　imminent　several　of　them！　　Truly　we　have　a　heavy　task　of　work　before　us；　and　there　is　a　pressing　call　that　we　should　seriously　begin　upon　it；　before　it　tumble　into　an　inextricable　mass；　in　which　there　will　be　no　working；　but　only　suffering　and　hopelessly　perishing！


Or　perhaps　Democracy；　which　we　announce　as　now　come；　will　itself　manage　it？　Democracy；　once　modelled　into　suffrages；　furnished　with　ballot…boxes　and　such　like；　will　itself　accomplish　the　salutary　universal　change　from　Delusive　to　Real；　and　make　a　new　blessed　world　of　us　by　and　by？To　the　great　mass　of　men；　I　am　aware；　the　matter　presents　itself　quite　on　this　hopeful　side。　　Democracy　they　consider　to　_be_　a　kind　of　〃Government。〃　　The　old　model；　formed　long　since；　and　brought　to　perfection　in　England　now　two　hundred　years　ago；　has　proclaimed　itself　to　all　Nations　as　the　new　healing　for　every　woe：　　〃Set　up　a　Parliament；〃　the　Nations　everywhere　say；　when　the　old　King　is　detected　to　be　a　Sham…King；　and　hunted　out　or　not；　〃set　up　a　Parliament；　let　us　have　suffrages；　universal　suffrages；　and　all　either　at　once　or　by　due　degrees　will　be　right；　and　a　real　Millennium　come！〃　Such　is　their　way　of　construing　the　matter。

Such；　alas；　is　by　no　means　my　way　of　construing　the　matter；　if　it　were；　I　should　have　had　the　happiness　of　remaining　silent；　and　been　without　call　to　speak　here。　　It　is　because　the　contrary　of　all　this　is　deeply　manifest　to　me；　and　appears　to　be　forgotten　by　multitudes　of　my　contemporaries；　that　I　have　had　to　undertake　addressing　a　word　to　them。　　The　contrary　of　all　this；and　the　farther　I　look　into　the　roots　of　all　this；　the　more　hateful；　ruinous　and　dismal　does　the　state　of　mind　all　this　could　have　originated　in　appear　to　me。　　To　examine　this　recipe　of　a　Parliament；　how　fit　it　is　for　governing　Nations；　nay　how　fit　it　may　now　be；　in　these　new　times；　for　governing　England　itself　where　we　are　used　to　it　so　long：　　this；　too；　is　an　alarming　inquiry；　to　which　all　thinking　men；　and　good　citizens　of　their　country；　who　have　an　ear　for　the　small　still　voices　and　eternal

intimations；　across　the　temporary　clamors　and　loud　blaring　proclamations；　are　now　solemnly　invited。　　Invited　by　the　rigorous　fact　itself；　which　will　one　day；　and　that　perhaps　soon；　demand　practical　decision　or　redecision　of　it　from　us；with　enormous　penalty　if　we　decide　it　wrong！　　I　think　we　shall　all　have　to　consider　this　question；　one　day；　better　perhaps　now　than　later；　when　the　leisure　may　be　less。　　If　a　Parliament；　with　suffrages　and　universal　or　any　conceivable　kind　of　suffrages；　is　the　method；　then　certainly　let　us　set　about　discovering　the　kind　of　suffrages；　and　rest　no　moment　till　we　have　got　them。　　But　it　is　possible　a　Parliament　may　not　be　the　method！　　Possible　the　inveterate　notions　of　the　English　People　may　have　settled　it　as　the　method；　and　the　Everlasting　Laws　of　Nature　may　have　settled　it　as　not　the　method！　　Not　the　whole　method；　nor　the　method　at　all；　if　taken　as　the　whole？　　If　a　Parliament　with　never　such　suffrages　is　not　the　method　settled　by　this　latter　authority；　then　it　will　urgently　behoove　us　to　become　aware　of　that　fact；　and　to　quit　such　method；we　may　depend　upon　it；　however　unanimous　we　be；　every　step　taken　in　that　direction　will；　by　the　Eternal　Law　of　things；　be　a　step　_from_　improvement；　not　towards　it。

Not　towards　it；　I　say；　if　so！　　Unanimity　of　voting；that　will　do　nothing　for　us　if　so。　　Your　ship　cannot　double　Cape　Horn　by　its　excellent　plans　of　voting。　　The　ship　may　vote　this　and　that；　above　decks　and　below；　in　the　most　harmonious　exquisitely　constitutional　manner：　　the　ship；　to　get　round　Cape　Horn；　will　find　a　set　of　conditions　already　voted　for；　and　fixed　with　adamantine　rigor　by　the　ancient　Elemental　Powers；　who　are　entirely　careless　how　you　vote。　　If　you　can；　by　voting　or　without　voting；　ascertain　these　conditions；　and　valiantly　conform　to　them；　you　will　get　round　the　Cape：　　if　you　cannot；　the　ruffian　Winds　will　blow　you　ever　back　again；　the　inexorable　Icebergs；　dumb　privy…councillors　from　Chaos；　will　nudge　you　with　most　chaotic　〃admonition；〃　you　will　be　flung　half　frozen　on　the　Patagonian　cliffs；　or　admonished　into　shivers　by　your　iceberg　councillors；　and　sent　sheer　down　to　Davy　Jones；　and　will　never　get　round　Cape　Horn　at　all！　Unanimity　on　board　ship；yes　indeed；　the　ship's　crew　may　be　very　unanimous；　which　doubtless；　for　the　time　being；　will　be　very　comfortable　to　the　ship's　crew；　and　to　their　Phantasm　Captain　if　they　have　one：　　but　if　the　tack　they　unanimously　steer　upon　is　guiding　them　into　the　belly　of　the　Abyss；　it　will　not　profit　them　much！Ships　accordingly　do　not　use　the　ballot…box　at　all；　and　they　reject　the　Phantasm　species　of　Captains：　　one　wishes　much　some　other　Entitiessince　all　entities　lie　under　the　same　rigorous　set　of　lawscould　be　brought　to　show　as　much　wisdom；　and　sense　at　least　of　self…preservation；　the　first　command　of　Nature。　　Phantasm　Captains　with　unanimous　votings：　　this　is　considered　to　be　all　the　law　and　all　the　prophets；　at　present。

If　a　man　could　shake　out　of　his　mind　the　universal　noise　of　political　doctors　in　this　generation　and　in　the　last　generation　or　two；　and　consider　the　matter　face　to　face；　with　his　own　sincere　intelligence　looking　at　it；　I　venture　to　say　he　would　find　this　a　very　extraordinary　method　of　navigating；　whether　in　the　Straits　of　Magellan　or　the　undiscovered　Sea　of　Time。　　To　prosper　in　this　world；　to　gain　felicity；　victory　and　improvement；　either　for　a　man　or　a　nation；　there　is　but　one　thing　requisite；　That　the　man　or　nation　can　discern　what　the　true　regulations　of　the　Universe　are　in　regard　to　him　and　his　pursuit；　and　can　faithfully　and　steadfastly　follow　these。　　These　will　lead　him　to　victory；　whoever　it　may　be　that　sets　him　in　the　way　of　these；were　it　Russian　Autocrat；　Chartist　Parliament；　Grand　Lama；　Force　of　Public　Opinion；　Archbishop　of　Canterbury；　M'Croudy　the　Seraphic　Doctor　with　his　Last…evangel　of　Political　Economy；sets　him　in　the　sure　way　to　please　the　Author　of　this　Universe；　and　is　his　friend　of　friends。　　And　again；　whoever　does　the　contrary　is；　for　a　like　reason；　his　enemy　of　enemies。　　This　may　be　taken　as　fixed。

And　now　by　what　method　asc