walking-第2章

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which　I　had　not　seen　before　is　sometimes　as　good　as　the　dominions

of　the　King　of　Dahomey。　There　is　in　fact　a　sort　of　harmony

discoverable　between　the　capabilities　of　the　landscape　within　a

circle　of　ten　miles'　radius；　or　the　limits　of　an　afternoon　walk；

and　the　threescore　years　and　ten　of　human　life。　It　will　never

become　quite　familiar　to　you。



Nowadays　almost　all　man's　improvements；　so　called；　as　the

building　of　houses　and　the　cutting　down　of　the　forest　and　of　all

large　trees；　simply　deform　the　landscape；　and　make　it　more　and

more　tame　and　cheap。　A　people　who　would　begin　by　burning　the

fences　and　let　the　forest　stand！　I　saw　the　fences　half　consumed；

their　ends　lost　in　the　middle　of　the　prairie；　and　some　worldly

miser　with　a　surveyor　looking　after　his　bounds；　while　heaven　had

taken　place　around　him；　and　he　did　not　see　the　angels　going　to

and　fro；　but　was　looking　for　an　old　post…hole　in　the　midst　of

paradise。　I　looked　again；　and　saw　him　standing　in　the　middle　of　a

boggy　Stygian　fen；　surrounded　by　devils；　and　he　had　found　his

bounds　without　a　doubt；　three　little　stones；　where　a　stake　had

been　driven；　and　looking　nearer；　I　saw　that　the　Prince　of

Darkness　was　his　surveyor。



I　can　easily　walk　ten；　fifteen；　twenty；　any　number　of　miles；

commencing　at　my　own　door；　without　going　by　any　house；　without

crossing　a　road　except　where　the　fox　and　the　mink　do：　first　along

by　the　river；　and　then　the　brook；　and　then　the　meadow　and　the

woodside。　There　are　square　miles　in　my　vicinity　which　have　no

inhabitant。　From　many　a　hill　I　can　see　civilization　and　the

abodes　of　man　afar。　The　farmers　and　their　works　are　scarcely　more

obvious　than　woodchucks　and　their　burrows。　Man　and　his　affairs；

church　and　state　and　school；　trade　and　commerce；　and　manufactures

and　agriculture　even　politics；　the　most　alarming　of　them　allI

am　pleased　to　see　how　little　space　they　occupy　in　the　landscape。

Politics　is　but　a　narrow　field；　and　that　still　narrower　highway

yonder　leads　to　it。　I　sometimes　direct　the　traveler　thither。　If

you　would　go　to　the　political　world；　follow　the　great

roadfollow　that　market…man；　keep　his　dust　in　your　eyes；　and　it

will　lead　you　straight　to　it；　for　it；　too；　has　its　place　merely；

and　does　not　occupy　all　space。　I　pass　from　it　as　from　a　bean

field　into　the　forest；　and　it　is　forgotten。　In　one　half…hour　I

can　walk　off　to　some　portion　of　the　earth's　surface　where　a　man

does　not　stand　from　one　year's　end　to　another；　and　there；

consequently；　politics　are　not；　for　they　are　but　as　the

cigar…smoke　of　a　man。



The　village　is　the　place　to　which　the　roads　tend；　a　sort　of

expansion　of　the　highway；　as　a　lake　of　a　river。　It　is　the　body　of

which　roads　are　the　arms　and　legsa　trivial　or　quadrivial　place；

the　thoroughfare　and　ordinary　of　travelers。　The　word　is　from　the

Latin　villa　which　together　with　via；　a　way；　or　more　anciently　ved

and　vella；　Varro　derives　from　veho；　to　carry；　because　the　villa

is　the　place　to　and　from　which　things　are　carried。　They　who　got

their　living　by　teaming　were　said　vellaturam　facere。　Hence；　too；

the　Latin　word　vilis　and　our　vile；　also　villain。　This　suggests

what　kind　of　degeneracy　villagers　are　liable　to。　They　are　wayworn

by　the　travel　that　goes　by　and　over　them；　without　traveling

themselves。



Some　do　not　walk　at　all；　others　walk　in　the　highways；　a　few　walk

across　lots。　Roads　are　made　for　horses　and　men　of　business。　I　do

not　travel　in　them　much；　comparatively；　because　I　am　not　in　a

hurry　to　get　to　any　tavern　or　grocery　or　livery…stable　or　depot

to　which　they　lead。　I　am　a　good　horse　to　travel；　but　not　from

choice　a　roadster。　The　landscape…painter　uses　the　figures　of　men

to　mark　a　road。　He　would　not　make　that　use　of　my　figure。　I　walk

out　into　a　nature　such　as　the　old　prophets　and　poets；　Menu；

Moses；　Homer；　Chaucer；　walked　in。　You　may　name　it　America；　but　it

is　not　America；　neither　Americus　Vespueius；　nor　Columbus；　nor　the

rest　were　the　discoverers　of　it。　There　is　a　truer　amount　of　it　in

mythology　than　in　any　history　of　America；　so　called；　that　I　have

seen。



However；　there　are　a　few　old　roads　that　may　be　trodden　with

profit；　as　if　they　led　somewhere　now　that　they　are　nearly

discontinued。　There　is　the　Old　Marlborough　Road；　which　does　not

go　to　Marlborough　now；　me…　thinks；　unless　that　is　Marlborough

where　it　carries　me。　I　am　the　bolder　to　speak　of　it　here；　because

I　presume　that　there　are　one　or　two　such　roads　in　every　town。







　　THE　OLD　MARLBOROUGH　ROAD



　　　Where　they　once　dug　for　money；

　　　But　never　found　any；

　　　Where　sometimes　Martial　Miles

　　　Singly　files；

　　　And　Elijah　Wood；

　　　I　fear　for　no　good：

　　　No　other　man；

　　　Save　Elisha　Dugan

　　　O　man　of　wild　habits；

　　　Partridges　and　rabbits

　　　Who　hast　no　cares

　　　Only　to　set　snares；

　　　Who　liv'st　all　alone；

　　　Close　to　the　bone

　　　And　where　life　is　sweetest

　　　Constantly　eatest。

When　the　spring　stirs　my　blood

　With　the　instinct　to　travel；

　I　can　get　enough　gravel

On　the　Old　Marlborough　Road。

　　　Nobody　repairs　it；

　　　For　nobody　wears　it；

　　　It　is　a　living　way；

　　　As　the　Christians　say。

Not　many　there　be

　Who　enter　therein；

Only　the　guests　of　the

　Irishman　Quin。

What　is　it；　what　is　it

　But　a　direction　out　there；

And　the　bare　possibility

　　　Of　going　somewhere？

　　　Great　guide…boards　of　stone；

　　　But　travelers　none；

　　　Cenotaphs　of　the　towns

　　　Named　on　their　crowns。

　　　It　is　worth　going　to　see



　　　Where　you　MIGHT　be。

　　　What　king

　　　Did　the　thing；

　　　I　am　still　wondering；

　　　Set　up　how　or　when；

　　　By　what　selectmen；

　　　Gourgas　or　Lee；

　　　Clark　or　Darby？

　　　They're　a　great　endeavor

　　　To　be　something　forever；

　　　Blank　tablets　of　stone；

　　　Where　a　traveler　might　groan；

　　　And　in　one　sentence

　　　Grave　all　that　is　known

　　　Which　another　might　read；

　　　In　his　extreme　need。

　　　I　know　one　or　two

　　　Lines　that　would　do；

　　　Literature　that　might　stand

　　　All　over　the　land

　　　Which　a　man　could　remember

　　　Till　next　December；

　　　And　read　again　in　the　spring；

　　　After　the　thawing。

If　with　fancy　unfurled

　You　leave　your　abode；

You　may　go　round　the　world

　By　the　Old　Marlborough　Road。



At　present；　in　this　vicinity；　the　best　part　of　the　land　is　not

private　property；　the　landscape　is　not　owned；　and　the　walker

enjoys　comparative　freedom。　But　possibly　the　day　will　come　when

it　will　be　partitioned　off　into　so…called　pleasure…grounds；　in

which　a　few　will　take　a　narrow　and　exclusive　pleasure　onlywhen

fences　shall　be　multiplied；　and　man…traps　and　other　engines

invented　to　confine　men　to　the　PUBLIC　road；　and　walking　over　the

surface　of　God's　earth　shall　be　construed　to　mean　trespassing　on

some　gentleman's　grounds。　To　enjoy　a　thing　exclusively　is

commonly　to　exclude　yourself　from　the　true　enjoyment　of　it。　Let

us　improve　our　opportunities；　then；　before　the　evil　days　come。







What　is　it　that　makes　it　so　hard　sometimes　to　determine　whither

we　will　walk？　I　believe　that　there　is　a　subtle　magnetism　in

Nature；　which；　if　we　unconsciously　yield　to　it；　will　direct　us

aright。　It　is　not　indifferent　to　us　which　way　we　walk。　There　is　a

right　way；　but　we　are　very　liable　from　heedlessness　and　stupidity

to　take　the　wrong　one。　We　would　fain　take　that　walk；　never　yet

taken　by　us　through　this　actual　world；　which　is　perfectly

symbolical　of　the　path　which　we　love　to　travel　in　the　interior

and　ideal　world；　and　sometimes；　no　doubt；　we　find　it　difficult　to

choose　our　direction；　because　it　does　not　yet　exist　distinctly　in

our　idea。



When　I　go　out　of　the　house　for　a　walk；　uncertain　as　yet　whither　I

will　bend　my　steps；　and　submit　myself　to　my　instinct　to　decide

for　me；　I　find；　strange　and　whimsical　as　it　may　seem；　that　I

finally　and　inevitably　settle　southwest；　toward　some　particular

wood　or　meadow　or　deserted　pasture　or　hill　in　that　direction。　My

needle　is　slow　to　settle；varies　a　few　degrees；　and　does　not

always　point　due　southwest；　it　is　true；　and　it　has　good　authority

for　this　variation；　but　it　always　settles　between　west　and

south…southwest。　The　future　lies　that　way　to　me；　and　the　earth

seems　more　unexhausted　and　richer　on　that　side。　The　outline　which

would　bound　my　walks　would　be；　not　a　circle；　but　a　parabola；　or

rather　like　one　of　those　cometary　orbits　which　have　been　thought

to　be　non…returning　curves；　in　this　case　opening　westward；　in

which　my　house　occupies　the　place　of　the　sun。　I　turn　round　and

round　irresolute　sometimes　for　a　quarter　of　an　hour；　until　I

decide；　for　a　thousandth　time；　that　I　will　walk　into　the

southwest　or　west。　Eastward　I　go　only　by　force；　but　westward　I　go

free。　Thither　no　business　leads　me。　It　is　hard　for　me　to　believe

that　I　shall　find　fair　landscapes　or　sufficient　wildness　and

freedom　behind　the　eastern　horizon。　I　am　not　excited　by　the

prospect　of　a　walk　thither；　but　I　believe　that　the　forest　which　I

see　in　the　western　horizon　stretches　uninterruptedly　toward　the

setting　sun；　and　there　are　no　towns　nor　cities　in　it　of　enough

consequence　to　disturb　me。　Let　me　live　where　I　will；　on　this　side

is　the　city；　on　that　the　wilderness；　and　ever　I　am　leaving　the

city　more　and　more；　and　withdrawing　into　the　wilderness。　I　should

not　lay　so　much　stress　on　this　fact；　if　I　did　not　believe　that

something　like　this　is　the　prevailing　tendency　of　my　countrymen。

I　must　walk　toward　Oregon；　and　not　toward　Europe。　And　that　way

the　nation　is　moving；　and　I　may　say　that　mankind　progress　from

east　to　west。　Within　a　few　years　we　have　witnessed　the　phenomenon

of　a　southeastward　migration；　in　the　settlement　of　Australia；　but

this　affects　us　as　a　retrograde　movement；　and；　judging　from　the

moral　and　physical　character　of　the　first　generation　of

Australians；　has　not　yet　proved　a　successful　experiment。　The

eastern　Tartars　think　that　there　is　nothing　west　beyond　Thibet。

〃The　world　ends　there；〃　say　they；　〃beyond　there　is　nothing　but　a

shoreless　sea。〃　It　is　unmitigated　East　where　they　live。



We　go　eastward　to　realize　history　and　study　the　works　of　art　and

literature；　retracing　the　steps　of　the　race；　we　go　westward　as

into　the　future；　with　a　spirit　of　enterprise　and　adventure。　The

Atlantic　is　a　Lethean　stream；　in　our　passage　over　which　we　have

had　an　opportunity　to　forget　the　Old　World　and　its　institutions。

If　we　do　not　succeed　this　time；　there　is　perhaps　one　more　chance

for　the　race　left　before　it　arrives　on　the　banks　of　the　Styx；　and

that　is　in　the　Lethe　of　the　Pacific；　which　is　three　times　as

wide。



I　know　not　how　significant　it　is；　or　how　far　it　is　an　evidence　of

singularity；　that　an　individual　should　thus　consent　in　his

pettiest　walk　with　the　general　movement　of　the　race；　but　I　know

that　something　akin　to　the　migratory　instinct　in　birds　and

quadrupedswhich；　in　some　instances；　is　known　to　have　affected

the　squirrel　tribe；　impelling　them　to　a　general　and　mysterious

movement；　in　which　they　were