reformers-第3章

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concerts；　and　fairs；　and　churches；　and　other　public　amusements　go

on。〃　I　am　afraid　the　remark　is　too　honest；　and　comes　from　the　same

origin　as　the　maxim　of　the　tyrant；　〃If　you　would　rule　the　world

quietly；　you　must　keep　it　amused。〃　I　notice　too；　that　the　ground　on

which　eminent　public　servants　urge　the　claims　of　popular　education　is

fear：　‘This　country　is　filling　up　with　thousands　and　millions　of

voters；　and　you　must　educate　them　to　keep　them　from　our　throats。'　We

do　not　believe　that　any　education；　any　system　of　philosophy；　any

influence　of　genius；　will　ever　give　depth　of　insight　to　a　superficial

mind。　　Having　settled　ourselves　into　this　infidelity；　our　skill　is

expended　to　procure　alleviations；　diversion；　opiates。　　We　adorn　the

victim　with　manual　skill；　his　tongue　with　languages；　his　body　with

inoffensive　and　comely　manners。　　So　have　we　cunningly　hid　the　tragedy

of　limitation　and　inner　death　we　cannot　avert。　　Is　it　strange　that

society　should　be　devoured　by　a　secret　melancholy；　which　breaks

through　all　its　smiles；　and　all　its　gayety　and　games？　　But　even　one

step　farther　our　infidelity　has　gone。　　It　appears　that　some　doubt　is

felt　by　good　and　wise　men；　whether　really　the　happiness　and　probity

of　men　is　increased　by　the　culture　of　the　mind　in　those　disciplines

to　which　we　give　the　name　of　education。　　Unhappily；　too；　the　doubt

comes　from　scholars；　from　persons　who　have　tried　these　methods。　　In

their　experience；　the　scholar　was　not　raised　by　the　sacred　thoughts

amongst　which　he　dwelt；　but　used　them　to　selfish　ends。　　He　was　a

profane　person；　and　became　a　showman；　turning　his　gifts　to　a

marketable　use；　and　not　to　his　own　sustenance　and　growth。　　It　was

found　that　the　intellect　could　be　independently　developed；　that　is；

in　separation　from　the　man；　as　any　single　organ　can　be　invigorated；

and　the　result　was　monstrous。　　A　canine　appetite　for　knowledge　was

generated；　which　must　still　be　fed；　but　was　never　satisfied；　and　this

knowledge　not　being　directed　on　action；　never　took　the　character　of

substantial；　humane　truth；　blessing　those　whom　it　entered。　　It　gave

the　scholar　certain　powers　of　expression；　the　power　of　speech；　the

power　of　poetry；　of　literary　art；　but　it　did　not　bring　him　to　peace；

or　to　beneficence。　　When　the　literary　class　betray　a　destitution　of

faith；　it　is　not　strange　that　society　should　be　disheartened　and

sensualized　by　unbelief。　　What　remedy？　　Life　must　be　lived　on　a

higher　plane。　　We　must　go　up　to　a　higher　platform；　to　which　we　are

always　invited　to　ascend；　there；　the　whole　aspect　of　things　changes。

I　resist　the　skepticism　of　our　education；　and　of　our　educated　men。　　I

do　not　believe　that　the　differences　of　opinion　and　character　in　men

are　organic。　　I　do　not　recognize；　beside　the　class　of　the　good　and

the　wise；　a　permanent　class　of　skeptics；　or　a　class　of　conservatives；

or　of　malignants；　or　of　materialists。　　I　do　not　believe　in　two

classes。　　You　remember　the　story　of　the　poor　woman　who　importuned

King　Philip　of　Macedon　to　grant　her　justice；　which　Philip　refused：

the　woman　exclaimed；　〃I　appeal〃：　the　king；　astonished；　asked　to　whom

she　appealed：　the　woman　replied；　〃from　Philip　drunk　to　Philip　sober。〃

The　text　will　suit　me　very　well。　　I　believe　not　in　two　classes　of

men；　but　in　man　in　two　moods；　in　Philip　drunk　and　Philip　sober。　　I

think；　according　to　the　good…hearted　word　of　Plato；　〃Unwillingly　the

soul　is　deprived　of　truth。〃　Iron　conservative；　miser；　or　thief；　no

man　is；　but　by　a　supposed　necessity；　which　he　tolerates　by　shortness

or　torpidity　of　sight。　　The　soul　lets　no　man　go　without　some

visitations　and　holy…days　of　a　diviner　presence。　　It　would　be　easy　to

show；　by　a　narrow　scanning　of　any　man's　biography；　that　we　are　not　so

wedded　to　our　paltry　performances　of　every　kind；　but　that　every　man

has　at　intervals　the　grace　to　scorn　his　performances；　in　comparing

them　with　his　belief　of　what　he　should　do；　that　he　puts　himself　on

the　side　of　his　enemies；　listening　gladly　to　what　they　say　of　him；

and　accusing　himself　of　the　same　things。　　What　is　it　men　love　in

Genius；　but　its　infinite　hope；　which　degrades　all　it　has　done？

Genius　counts　all　its　miracles　poor　and　short。　　Its　own　idea　it　never

executed。　　The　Iliad；　the　Hamlet；　the　Doric　column；　the　Roman　arch；

the　Gothic　minster；　the　German　anthem；　when　they　are　ended；　the

master　casts　behind　him。　　How　sinks　the　song　in　the　waves　of　melody

which　the　universe　pours　over　his　soul！　Before　that　gracious

Infinite；　out　of　which　he　drew　these　few　strokes；　how　mean　they　look；

though　the　praises　of　the　world　attend　them。　　From　the　triumphs　of

his　art；　he　turns　with　desire　to　this　greater　defeat。　　Let　those

admire　who　will。　　With　silent　joy　he　sees　himself　to　be　capable　of　a

beauty　that　eclipses　all　which　his　hands　have　done；　all　which　human

hands　have　ever　done。　　Well；　we　are　all　the　children　of　genius；　the

children　of　virtue；　　and　feel　their　inspirations　in　our　happier

hours。　　Is　not　every　man　sometimes　a　radical　in　politics？　　Men　are

conservatives　when　they　are　least　vigorous；　or　when　they　are　most

luxurious。　　They　are　conservatives　after　dinner；　or　before　taking

their　rest；　when　they　are　sick；　or　aged：　in　the　morning；　or　when

their　intellect　or　their　conscience　have　been　aroused；　when　they　hear

music；　or　when　they　read　poetry；　they　are　radicals。　　In　the　circle　of

the　rankest　tories　that　could　be　collected　in　England；　Old　or　New；

let　a　powerful　and　stimulating　intellect；　a　man　of　great　heart　and

mind；　act　on　them；　and　very　quickly　these　frozen　conservators　will

yield　to　the　friendly　influence；　these　hopeless　will　begin　to　hope；

these　haters　will　begin　to　love；　these　immovable　statues　will　begin

to　spin　and　revolve。　　I　cannot　help　recalling　the　fine　anecdote　which

Warton　relates　of　Bishop　Berkeley；　when　he　was　preparing　to　leave

England；　with　his　plan　of　planting　the　gospel　among　the　American

savages。　　〃Lord　Bathurst　told　me；　that　the　members　of　the　Scriblerus

club；　being　met　at　his　house　at　dinner；　they　agreed　to　rally

Berkeley；　who　was　also　his　guest；　on　his　scheme　at　Bermudas。

Berkeley；　having　listened　to　the　many　lively　things　they　had　to　say；

begged　to　be　heard　in　his　turn；　and　displayed　his　plan　with　such　an

astonishing　and　animating　force　of　eloquence　and　enthusiasm；　that

they　were　struck　dumb；　and；　after　some　pause；　rose　up　all　together

with　earnestness；　exclaiming；　‘Let　us　set　out　with　him　immediately。'〃

Men　in　all　ways　are　better　than　they　seem。　　They　like　flattery　for

the　moment；　but　they　know　the　truth　for　their　own。　　It　is　a　foolish

cowardice　which　keeps　us　from　trusting　them；　and　speaking　to　them

rude　truth。　　They　resent　your　honesty　for　an　instant；　they　will　thank

you　for　it　always。　　What　is　it　we　heartily　wish　of　each　other？　　Is　it

to　be　pleased　and　flattered？　　No；　but　to　be　convicted　and　exposed；　to

be　shamed　out　of　our　nonsense　of　all　kinds；　and　made　men　of；　instead

of　ghosts　and　phantoms。　　We　are　weary　of　gliding　ghostlike　through

the　world；　which　is　itself　so　slight　and　unreal。　　We　crave　a　sense　of

reality；　though　it　come　in　strokes　of　pain。　　I　explain　so；　　by　this

manlike　love　of　truth；　　those　excesses　and　errors　into　which　souls

of　great　vigor；　but　not　equal　insight；　often　fall。　　They　feel　the

poverty　at　the　bottom　of　all　the　seeming　affluence　of　the　world。

They　know　the　speed　with　which　they　come　straight　through　the　thin

masquerade；　and　conceive　a　disgust　at　the　indigence　of　nature：

Rousseau；　Mirabeau；　Charles　Fox；　Napoleon；　Byron；　　and　I　could

easily　add　names　nearer　home；　of　raging　riders；　who　drive　their

steeds　so　hard；　in　the　violence　of　living　to　forget　its　illusion：

they　would　know　the　worst；　and　tread　the　floors　of　hell。　　The　heroes

of　ancient　and　modern　fame；　Cimon；　Themistocles；　Alcibiades；

Alexander；　Caesar；　have　treated　life　and　fortune　as　a　game　to　be　well

and　skillfully　played；　but　the　stake　not　to　be　so　valued；　but　that

any　time；　it　could　be　held　as　a　trifle　light　as　air；　and　thrown　up。

Caesar；　just　before　the　battle　of　Pharsalia；　discourses　with　the

Egyptian　priest；　concerning　the　fountains　of　the　Nile；　and　offers　to

quit　the　army；　the　empire；　and　Cleopatra；　if　he　will　show　him　those

mysterious　sources。　The　same　magnanimity　shows　itself　in　our　social

relations；　in　the　preference；　namely；　which　each　man　gives　to　the

society　of　superiors　over　that　of　his　equals。　　All　that　a　man　has；

will　he　give　for　right　relations　with　his　mates。　　All　that　he　has；

will　he　give　for　an　erect　demeanor　in　every　company　and　on　each

occasion。　　He　aims　at　such　things　as　his　neighbors　prize；　and　gives

his　days　and　nights；　his　talents　and　his　heart；　to　strike　a　good

stroke；　to　acquit　himself　in　all　men's　sight　as　a　man。　　The

consideration　of　an　eminent　citizen；　of　a　noted　merchant；　of　a　man　of

mark　in　his　profession；　naval　and　military　honor；　a　general's

commission；　a　marshal's　baton；　a　ducal　coronet；　the　laurel　of　poets；

and；　anyhow　procured；　the　acknowledgment　of　eminent　merit；　have　this

lustre　for　each　candidate；　that　they　enable　him　to　walk　erect　and

unashamed；　in　the　presence　of　some　persons；　before　whom　he　felt

himself　inferior。　　Having　raised　himself　to　this　rank；　having

established　his　equality　with　class　after　class；　of　those　with　whom

he　would　live　well；　he　still　finds　certain　others；　before　whom　he

cannot　possess　himself；　because　they　have　somewhat　fairer；　somewhat

grander；　somewhat　purer；　which　extorts　homage　of　him。　　Is　his

ambition　pure？　then；　will　his　laurels　and　his　possessions　seem

worthless：　instead　of　avoiding　these　men　who　make　his　fine　gold　dim；

he　will　cast　all　behind　him；　and　seek　their　society　only；　woo　and

embrace　this　his　humiliation　and　mortification；　until　he　shall　know

why　his　eye　sinks；　his　voice　is　husky；　and　his　brilliant　talents　are

paralyzed　in　this　presence。　　He　is　sure　that　the　soul　which　gives　the

lie　to　all　things；　will　tell　none。　　His　constitution　will　not　mislead

him。　　If　it　cannot　carry　itself　as　it　ought；　high　and　unmatchable　in

the　presence　of　any　man；　if　the　secret　oracles　whose　whisper　makes

the　sweetness　and　dignity　of　his　life；　do　here　withdraw　and

accompany；　him　no　longer；　it　is　time　to　undervalue　what　he　has

valued；　to　dispossess　himself　of　what　he　has　acquired；　and　with

Caesar　to　take　in　his　hand　the　army；　the　empire；　and　Cleopatra；　and

say；　‘All　these　will　I　relinquish；　if　you　will　show　me　the　fountains

of　the　Nile。'　Dear　to　us　are　those　who　love　us；　the　swift　moments　we

spend　with　them　are　a　compensation　for　a　great　deal　of　misery　they

enlarge　our　life；　　but　dearer　are　those　who　reject　us　as　unworthy；

for　they　add　another　life：　they　build　a　heaven　before　us；　whereof　we

had　not　dreamed；　and　thereby　supply　to　us　new　powers　out　of　the

recesses　of　the　spirit；　and　urge　us　to　new　and　unattempted

performances。　　As　every　man　at　heart　wishes　the　best　and　not　inferior

society；　wishes　to　be　convicted　of　his　error；　and　to　come　to　himself；

so　he　wishes　that　the　same　healing　sho