walking-第5章

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this　yearning　for　the　Wild。　Approached　from　this　side；　the　best

poetry　is　tame。　I　do　not　know　where　to　find　in　any　literature；

ancient　or　modern；　any　account　which　contents　me　of　that　Nature

with　which　even　I　am　acquainted。　You　will　perceive　that　I　demand

something　which　no　Augustan　nor　Elizabethan　age；　which　no

culture；　in　short；　can　give。　Mythology　comes　nearer　to　it　than

anything。　How　much　more　fertile　a　Nature；　at　least；　has　Grecian

mythology　its　root　in　than　English　literature！　Mythology　is　the

crop　which　the　Old　World　bore　before　its　soil　was　exhausted；

before　the　fancy　and　imagination　were　affected　with　blight；　and

which　it　still　bears；　wherever　its　pristine　vigor　is　unabated。

All　other　literatures　endure　only　as　the　elms　which　overshadow

our　houses；　but　this　is　like　the　great　dragon…tree　of　the　Western

Isles；　as　old　as　mankind；　and；　whether　that　does　or　not；　will

endure　as　long；　for　the　decay　of　other　literatures　makes　the　soil

in　which　it　thrives。



The　West　is　preparing　to　add　its　fables　to　those　of　the　East。　The

valleys　of　the　Ganges；　the　Nile；　and　the　Shine　having　yielded

their　crop；　it　remains　to　be　seen　what　the　valleys　of　the　Amazon；

the　Plate；　the　Orinoco；　the　St。　Lawrence；　and　the　Mississippi

will　produce。　Perchance；　when；　in　the　course　of　ages；　American

liberty　has　become　a　fiction　of　the　pastas　it　is　to　some　extent

a　fiction　of　the　presentthe　poets　of　the　world　will　be　inspired

by　American　mythology。



The　wildest　dreams　of　wild　men；　even；　are　not　the　less　true；

though　they　may　not　recommend　themselves　to　the　sense　which　is

most　common　among　Englishmen　and　Americans　today。　It　is　not　every

truth　that　recommends　itself　to　the　common　sense。　Nature　has　a

place　for　the　wild　Clematis　as　well　as　for　the　cabbage。　Some

expressions　of　truth　are　reminiscentothers　merely　SENSIBLE；　as

the　phrase　is；others　prophetic。　Some　forms　of　disease；　even；

may　prophesy　forms　of　health。　The　geologist　has　discovered　that

the　figures　of　serpents；　griffins；　flying　dragons；　and　other

fanciful　embellishments　of　heraldry；　have　their　prototypes　in　the

forms　of　fossil　species　which　were　extinct　before　man　was

created；　and　hence　〃indicate　a　faint　and　shadowy　knowledge　of　a

previous　state　of　organic　existence。〃　The　Hindus　dreamed　that　the

earth　rested　on　an　elephant；　and　the　elephant　on　a　tortoise；　and

the　tortoise　on　a　serpent；　and　though　it　may　be　an　unimportant

coincidence；　it　will　not　be　out　of　place　here　to　state；　that　a

fossil　tortoise　has　lately　been　discovered　in　Asia　large　enough

to　support　an　elephant。　I　confess　that　I　am　partial　to　these　wild

fancies；　which　transcend　the　order　of　time　and　development。　They

are　the　sublimest　recreation　of　the　intellect。　The　partridge

loves　peas；　but　not　those　that　go　with　her　into　the　pot。



In　short；　all　good　things　are　wild　and　free。　There　is　something

in　a　strain　of　music；　whether　produced　by　an　instrument　or　by　the

human　voicetake　the　sound　of　a　bugle　in　a　summer　night；　for

instancewhich　by　its　wildness；　to　speak　without　satire；　reminds

me　of　the　cries　emitted　by　wild　beasts　in　their　native　forests。

It　is　so　much　of　their　wildness　as　I　can　understand。　Give　me　for

my　friends　and　neighbors　wild　men；　not　tame　ones。　The　wildness　of

the　savage　is　but　a　faint　symbol　of　the　awful　ferity　with　which

good　men　and　lovers　meet。



I　love　even　to　see　the　domestic　animals　reassert　their　native

rightsany　evidence　that　they　have　not　wholly　lost　their

original　wild　habits　and　vigor；　as　when　my　neighbor's　cow　breaks

out　of　her　pasture　early　in　the　spring　and　boldly　swims　the

river；　a　cold；　gray　tide；　twenty…five　or　thirty　rods　wide；

swollen　by　the　melted　snow。　It　is　the　buffalo　crossing　the

Mississippi。　This　exploit　confers　some　dignity　on　the　herd　in　my

eyesalready　dignified。　The　seeds　of　instinct　are　preserved

under　the　thick　hides　of　cattle　and　horses；　like　seeds　in　the

bowels　of　the　earth；　an　indefinite　period。



Any　sportiveness　in　cattle　is　unexpected。　I　saw　one　day　a　herd　of

a　dozen　bullocks　and　cows　running　about　and　frisking　in　unwieldy

sport；　like　huge　rats；　even　like　kittens。　They　shook　their　heads；

raised　their　tails；　and　rushed　up　and　down　a　hill；　and　I

perceived　by　their　horns；　as　well　as　by　their　activity；　their

relation　to　the　deer　tribe。　But；　alas！　a　sudden　loud　WHOA！　would

have　damped　their　ardor　at　once；　reduced　them　from　venison　to

beef；　and　stiffened　their　sides　and　sinews　like　the　locomotive。

Who　but　the　Evil　One　has　cried　〃Whoa！〃　to　mankind？　Indeed；　the

life　of　cattle；　like　that　of　many　men；　is　but　a　sort　of

locomotiveness；　they　move　a　side　at　a　time；　and　man；　by　his

machinery；　is　meeting　the　horse　and　the　ox　halfway。　Whatever　part

the　whip　has　touched　is　thenceforth　palsied。　Who　would　ever　think

of　a　SIDE　of　any　of　the　supple　cat　tribe；　as　we　speak　of　a　SIDE

of　beef？



I　rejoice　that　horses　and　steers　have　to　be　broken　before　they

can　be　made　the　slaves　of　men；　and　that　men　themselves　have　some

wild　oats　still　left　to　sow　before　they　become　submissive　members

of　society。　Undoubtedly；　all　men　are　not　equally　fit　subjects　for

civilization；　and　because　the　majority；　like　dogs　and　sheep；　are

tame　by　inherited　disposition；　this　is　no　reason　why　the　others

should　have　their　natures　broken　that　they　may　be　reduced　to　the

same　level。　Men　are　in　the　main　alike；　but　they　were　made　several

in　order　that　they　might　be　various。　If　a　low　use　is　to　be

served；　one　man　will　do　nearly　or　quite　as　well　as　another；　if　a

high　one；　individual　excellence　is　to　be　regarded。　Any　man　can

stop　a　hole　to　keep　the　wind　away；　but　no　other　man　could　serve

so　rare　a　use　as　the　author　of　this　illustration　did。　Confucius

says；〃The　skins　of　the　tiger　and　the　leopard；　when　they　are

tanned；　are　as　the　skins　of　the　dog　and　the　sheep　tanned。〃　But　it

is　not　the　part　of　a　true　culture　to　tame　tigers；　any　more　than

it　is　to　make　sheep　ferocious；　and　tanning　their　skins　for　shoes

is　not　the　best　use　to　which　they　can　be　put。







When　looking　over　a　list　of　men's　names　in　a　foreign　language；　as

of　military　officers；　or　of　authors　who　have　written　on　a

particular　subject；　I　am　reminded　once　more　that　there　is　nothing

in　a　name。　The　name　Menschikoff；　for　instance；　has　nothing　in　it

to　my　ears　more　human　than　a　whisker；　and　it　may　belong　to　a　rat。

As　the　names　of　the　Poles　and　Russians　are　to　us；　so　are　ours　to

them。　It　is　as　if　they　had　been　named　by　the　child's

rigmarole；IERY　FIERY　ICHERY　VAN；　TITTLE…TOL…TAN。　I　see　in　my

mind　a　herd　of　wild　creatures　swarming　over　the　earth；　and　to

each　the　herdsman　has　affixed　some　barbarous　sound　in　his　own

dialect。　The　names　of　men　are；　of　course；　as　cheap　and

meaningless　as　BOSE　and　TRAY；　the　names　of　dogs。



Methinks　it　would　be　some　advantage　to　philosophy　if　men　were

named　merely　in　the　gross；　as　they　are　known。　It　would　be

necessary　only　to　know　the　genus　and　perhaps　the　race　or　variety；

to　know　the　individual。　We　are　not　prepared　to　believe　that　every

private　soldier　in　a　Roman　army　had　a　name　of　his　ownbecause　we

have　not　supposed　that　he　had　a　character　of　his　own。



At　present　our　only　true　names　are　nicknames。　I　knew　a　boy　who；

from　his　peculiar　energy；　was　called　〃Buster〃　by　his　playmates；

and　this　rightly　supplanted　his　Christian　name。　Some　travelers

tell　us　that　an　Indian　had　no　name　given　him　at　first；　but　earned

it；　and　his　name　was　his　fame；　and　among　some　tribes　he　acquired

a　new　name　with　every　new　exploit。　It　is　pitiful　when　a　man　bears

a　name　for　convenience　merely；　who　has　earned　neither　name　nor

fame。



I　will　not　allow　mere　names　to　make　distinctions　for　me；　but

still　see　men　in　herds　for　all　them。　A　familiar　name　cannot　make

a　man　less　strange　to　me。　It　may　be　given　to　a　savage　who　retains

in　secret　his　own　wild　title　earned　in　the　woods。　We　have　a　wild

savage　in　us；　and　a　savage　name　is　perchance　somewhere　recorded

as　ours。　I　see　that　my　neighbor；　who　bears　the　familiar　epithet

William　or　Edwin；　takes　it　off　with　his　jacket。　It　does　not

adhere　to　him　when　asleep　or　in　anger；　or　aroused　by　any　passion

or　inspiration。　I　seem　to　hear　pronounced　by　some　of　his　kin　at

such　a　time　his　original　wild　name　in　some　jaw…breaking　or　else

melodious　tongue。







Here　is　this　vast；　savage；　hovering　mother　of　ours；　Nature；　lying

all　around；　with　such　beauty；　and　such　affection　for　her

children；　as　the　leopard；　and　yet　we　are　so　early　weaned　from　her

breast　to　society；　to　that　culture　which　is　exclusively　an

interaction　of　man　on　mana　sort　of　breeding　in　and　in；　which

produces　at　most　a　merely　English　nobility；　a　civilization

destined　to　have　a　speedy　limit。



In　society；　in　the　best　institutions　of　men；　it　is　easy　to　detect

a　certain　precocity。　When　we　should　still　be　growing　children；　we

are　already　little　men。　Give　me　a　culture　which　imports　much　muck

from　the　meadows；　and　deepens　the　soilnot　that　which　trusts　to

heating　manures；　and　improved　implements　and　modes　of　culture

only！



Many　a　poor　sore…eyed　student　that　I　have　heard　of　would　grow

faster；　both　intellectually　and　physically；　if；　instead　of

sitting　up　so　very　late；　he　honestly　slumbered　a　fool's

allowance。



There　may　be　an　excess　even　of　informing　light。　Niepce；　a

Frenchman；　discovered　〃actinism；〃　that　power　in　the　sun's　rays

which　produces　a　chemical　effect；　that　granite　rocks；　and　stone

structures；　and　statues　of　metal　〃are　all　alike　destructively

acted　upon　during　the　hours　of　sunshine；　and；　but　for　provisions

of　Nature　no　less　wonderful；　would　soon　perish　under　the　delicate

touch　of　the　most　subtle　of　the　agencies　of　the　universe。〃　But　he

observed　that　〃those　bodies　which　underwent　this　change　during

the　daylight　possessed　the　power　of　restoring　themselves　to　their

original　conditions　during　the　hours　of　night；　when　this

excitement　was　no　longer　influencing　them。〃　Hence　it　has　been

inferred　that　〃the　hours　of　darkness　are　as　necessary　to　the

inorganic　creation　as　we　know　night　and　sleep　are　to　the　organic

kingdom。〃　Not　even　does　the　moon　shine　every　night；　but　gives

place　to　darkness。



I　would　not　have　every　man　nor　every　part　of　a　man　cultivated；

any　more　than　I　would　have　every　acre　of　earth　cultivated：　part

will　be　tillage；　but　the　greater　part　will　be　meadow　and　forest；

not　only　serving　an　immediate　use；　but　preparing　a　mould　against

a　distant　future；　by　the　annual　decay　of　the　vegetation　which　it

supports。



There　are　other　letters　for　the　child　to　learn　than　those　which

Cadmus　invented。　The　Spaniards　have　a　good　term　to　express　this

wild　and　dusky　knowledgeGramatica　pardatawny　grammar；　a　kind

of　mother…wit　derived　from　that　same　leopard　to　which　I　have

referred。



We　have　heard　of　a　Society　for　the　Diffusion　of　Useful　Knowledge。

It　is　said　that　knowledge　is　power；　and　the　like。　Methinks　there

is　equal　need　of　a　Society　for　the　Diffusion　of　Useful　Ignorance；

wha