sartor resartus-第2章

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；　and　all　the　Journals　of　the　Nation　could　have　been　jumbled　into　one　Journal；　and　the　Philosophy　of　Clothes　poured　forth　in　incessant　torrents　therefrom；　the　attempt　had　seemed　possible。　　But；　alas；　what　vehicle　of　that　sort　have　we；　except　_Fraser's　Magazine_？　　A　vehicle　all　strewed　（figuratively　speaking）　with　the　maddest　Waterloo…Crackers；　exploding　distractively　and　destructively；　wheresoever　the　mystified　passenger　stands　or　sits；　nay；　in　any　case；　understood　to　be；　of　late　years；　a　vehicle　full　to　overflowing；　and　inexorably　shut！　Besides；　to　state　the　Philosophy　of　Clothes　without　the　Philosopher；　the　ideas　of　Teufelsdrockh　without　something　of　his　personality；　was　it　not　to　insure　both　of　entire　misapprehension？　　Now　for　Biography；　had　it　been　otherwise　admissible；　there　were　no　adequate　documents；　no　hope　of　obtaining　such；　but　rather；　owing　to　circumstances；　a　special　despair。　Thus　did　the　Editor　see　himself；　for　the　while；　shut　out　from　all　public　utterance　of　these　extraordinary　Doctrines；　and　constrained　to　revolve　them；　not　without　disquietude；　in　the　dark　depths　of　his　own　mind。

So　had　it　lasted　for　some　months；　and　now　the　Volume　on　Clothes；　read　and　again　read；　was　in　several　points　becoming　lucid　and　lucent；　the　personality　of　its　Author　more　and　more　surprising；　but；　in　spite　of　all　that　memory　and　conjecture　could　do；　more　and　more　enigmatic；　whereby　the　old　disquietude　seemed　fast　settling　into　fixed　discontent；when　altogether　unexpectedly　arrives　a　Letter　from　Herr　Hofrath　Heuschrecke；　our　Professor's　chief　friend　and　associate　in　Weissnichtwo；　with　whom　we　had　not　previously　corresponded。　　The　Hofrath；　after　much　quite　extraneous　matter；　began　dilating　largely　on　the　〃agitation　and　attention〃　which　the　Philosophy　of　Clothes　was　exciting　in　its　own　German　Republic　of　Letters；　on　the　deep　significance　and　tendency　of　his　Friend's　Volume；　and　then；　at　length；　with　great　circumlocution；　hinted　at　the　practicability　of　conveying　〃some　knowledge　of　it；　and　of　him；　to　England；　and　through　England　to　the　distant　West：〃　　a　work　on　Professor　Teufelsdrockh　〃were　undoubtedly　welcome　to　the　_Family_；　the　_National_；　or　any　other　of　those　patriotic　_Libraries_；　at　present　the　glory　of　British　Literature；〃　might　work　revolutions　in　Thought；　and　so　forth；in　conclusion；　intimating　not　obscurely；　that　should　the　present　Editor　feel　disposed　to　undertake　a　Biography　of　Teufelsdrockh；　he；　Hofrath　Heuschrecke；　had　it　in　his　power　to　furnish　the　requisite　Documents。

As　in　some　chemical　mixture；　that　has　stood　long　evaporating；　but　would　not　crystallize；　instantly　when　the　wire　or　other　fixed　substance　is　introduced；　crystallization　commences；　and　rapidly　proceeds　till　the　whole　is　finished；　so　was　it　with　the　Editor's　mind　and　this　offer　of　Heuschrecke's。　　Form　rose　out　of　void　solution　and　discontinuity；　like　united　itself　with　like　in　definite　arrangement：　　and　soon　either　in　actual　vision　and　possession；　or　in　fixed　reasonable　hope；　the　image　of　the　whole　Enterprise　had　shaped　itself；　so　to　speak；　into　a　solid　mass。　　Cautiously　yet　courageously；　through　the　twopenny　post；　application　to　the　famed　redoubtable　OLIVER　YORKE　was　now　made：　　an　interview；　interviews　with　that　singular　man　have　taken　place；　with　more　of　assurance　on　our　side；　with　less　of　satire　（at　least　of　open　satire）　on　his；　than　we　anticipated；　for　the　rest；　with　such　issue　as　is　now　visible。　　As　to　those　same　〃patriotic　_Libraries_；〃　the　Hofrath's　counsel　could　only　be　viewed　with　silent　amazement；　but　with　his　offer　of　Documents　we　joyfully　and　almost　instantaneously　closed。　　Thus；　too；　in　the　sure　expectation　of　these；　we　already　see　our　task　begun；　and　this　our　_Sartor　Resartus_；　which　is　properly　a　〃Life　and　Opinions　of　Herr　Teufelsdrockh；〃　hourly　advancing。


Of　our　fitness　for　the　Enterprise；　to　which　we　have　such　title　and　vocation；　it　were　perhaps　uninteresting　to　say　more。　　Let　the　British　reader　study　and　enjoy；　in　simplicity　of　heart；　what　is　here　presented　him；　and　with　whatever　metaphysical　acumen　and　talent　for　meditation　he　is　possessed　of。　　Let　him　strive　to　keep　a　free；　open　sense；　cleared　from　the　mists　of　prejudice；　above　all　from　the　paralysis　of　cant；　and　directed　rather　to　the　Book　itself　than　to　the　Editor　of　the　Book。　　Who　or　what　such　Editor　may　be；　must　remain　conjectural；　and　even　insignificant：*　it　is　a　voice　publishing　tidings　of　the　Philosophy　of　Clothes；　undoubtedly　a　Spirit　addressing　Spirits：　　whoso　hath　ears；　let　him　hear。

*With　us　even　he　still　communicates　in　some　sort　of　mask；　or　muffler；　and；　we　have　reason　to　think；　under　a　feigned　name！O。　Y。

On　one　other　point　the　Editor　thinks　it　needful　to　give　warning：　　namely；　that　he　is　animated　with　a　true　though　perhaps　a　feeble　attachment　to　the　Institutions　of　our　Ancestors；　and　minded　to　defend　these；　according　to　ability；　at　all　hazards；　nay；　it　was　partly　with　a　view　to　such　defence　that　he　engaged　in　this　undertaking。　　To　stem；　or　if　that　be　impossible；　profitably　to　divert　the　current　of　Innovation；　such　a　Volume　as　Teufelsdrockh's；　if　cunningly　planted　down；　were　no　despicable　pile；　or　floodgate；　in　the　logical　wear。

For　the　rest；　be　it　nowise　apprehended；　that　any　personal　connection　of　ours　with　Teufelsdrockh；　Heuschrecke　or　this　Philosophy　of　Clothes；　can　pervert　our　judgment；　or　sway　us　to　extenuate　or　exaggerate。　　Powerless；　we　venture　to　promise；　are　those　private　Compliments　themselves。　　Grateful　they　may　well　be；　as　generous　illusions　of　friendship；　as　fair　mementos　of　bygone　unions；　of　those　nights　and　suppers　of　the　gods；　when；　lapped　in　the　symphonies　and　harmonies　of　Philosophic　Eloquence；　though　with　baser　accompaniments；　the　present　Editor　revelled　in　that　feast　of　reason；　never　since　vouchsafed　him　in　so　full　measure！　　But　what　then？　　_Amicus　Plato；　magis　amica　veritas_；　Teufelsdrockh　is　our　friend；　Truth　is　our　divinity。　In　our　historical　and　critical　capacity；　we　hope　we　are　strangers　to　all　the　world；　have　feud　or　favor　with　no　one；save　indeed　the　Devil；　with　whom；　as　with　the　Prince　of　Lies　and　Darkness；　we　do　at　all　times　wage　internecine　war。　　This　assurance；　at　an　epoch　when　puffery　and　quackery　have　reached　a　height　unexampled　in　the　annals　of　mankind；　and　even　English　Editors；　like　Chinese　Shopkeepers；　must　write　on　their　door…lintels　_No　cheating　here_；we　thought　it　good　to　premise。


CHAPTER　III。　REMINISCENCES。

To　the　Author's　private　circle　the　appearance　of　this　singular　Work　on　Clothes　must　have　occasioned　little　less　surprise　than　it　has　to　the　rest　of　the　world。　　For　ourselves；　at　least；　few　things　have　been　more　unexpected。　　Professor　Teufelsdrockh；　at　the　period　of　our　acquaintance　with　him；　seemed　to　lead　a　quite　still　and　self…contained　life：　　a　man　devoted　to　the　higher　Philosophies；　indeed；　yet　more　likely；　if　he　published　at　all；　to　publish　a　refutation　of　Hegel　and　Bardili；　both　of　whom；　strangely　enough；　he　included　under　a　common　ban；　than　to　descend；　as　he　has　here　done；　into　the　angry　noisy　Forum；　with　an　Argument　that　cannot　but　exasperate　and　divide。　　Not；　that　we　can　remember；　was　the　Philosophy　of　Clothes　once　touched　upon　between　us。　　If　through　the　high；　silent；　meditative　Transcendentalism　of　our　Friend　we　detected　any　practical　tendency　whatever；　it　was　at　most　Political；　and　towards　a　certain　prospective；　and　for　the　present　quite　speculative；　Radicalism；　as　indeed　some　correspondence；　on　his　part；　with　Herr　Oken　of　Jena　was　now　and　then　suspected；　though　his　special　contributions　to　the　_Isis_　could　never　be　more　than　surmised　at。　　But；　at　all　events；　nothing　Moral；　still　less　anything　Didactico…Religious；　was　looked　for　from　him。

Well　do　we　recollect　the　last　words　he　spoke　in　our　hearing；　which　indeed；　with　the　Night　they　were　uttered　in；　are　to　be　forever　remembered。　　Lifting　his　huge　tumbler　of　_Gukguk_；*　and　for　a　moment　lowering　his　tobacco…pipe；　he　stood　up　in　full　Coffee…house　（it　was　_Zur　Grunen　Gans_；　the　largest　in　Weissnichtwo；　where　all　the　Virtuosity；　and　nearly　all　the　Intellect　of　the　place　assembled　of　an　evening）；　and　there；　with　low；　soul…stirring　tone；　and　the　look　truly　of　an　angel；　though　whether　of　a　white　or　of　a　black　one　might　be　dubious；　proposed　this　toast：　　_Die　Sache　der　Armen　in　Gottes　und　Teufels　Namen_　（The　Cause　of　the　Poor；　in　Heaven's　name　and　's）！　　One　full　shout；　breaking　the　leaden　silence；　then　a　gurgle　of　innumerable　emptying　bumpers；　again　followed　by　universal　cheering；　returned　him　loud　acclaim。　　It　was　the　finale　of　the　night：　　resuming　their　pipes；　in　the　highest　enthusiasm；　amid　volumes　of　tobacco…smoke；　triumphant；　cloud…capt　without　and　within；　the　assembly　broke　up；　each　to　his　thoughtful　pillow。　_Bleibt　doch　ein　echter　Spass_…　_und　Galgen…vogel_；　said　several；　meaning　thereby　that；　one　day；　he　would　probably　be　hanged　for　his　democratic　sentiments。　　_Wo　steckt　doch　der　Schalk_？　added　they；　looking　round：　　but　Teufelsdrockh　had　retired　by　private　alleys；　and　the　Compiler　of　these　pages　beheld　him　no　more。

*Gukguk　is　unhappily　only　an　academical…beer。

In　such　scenes　has　it　been　our　lot　to　live　with　this　Philosopher；　such　estimate　to　form　of　his　purposes　and　powers。　　And　yet；　thou　brave　Teufelsdrockh；　who　could　tell　what　lurked　in　thee？　　Under　those　thick　locks　of　thine；　so　long　and　lank；　overlapping　roof…wise　the　gravest　face　we　ever　in　this　world　saw；　there　dwelt　a　most　busy　brain。　　In　thy　eyes　too；　deep　under　their　shaggy　brows；　and　looking　out　so　still　and　dreamy；　have　we　not　noticed　gleams　of　an　ethereal　or　else　a　diabolic　fire；　and　half　fancied　that　their　stillness　was　but　the　rest　of　infinite　motion；　the　_sleep_　of　a　spinning…top？　　Thy　little　figure；　there　as；　in　loose　ill…brushed　threadbare　habiliments；　thou　sattest；　amid　litter　and　lumber；　whole　days；　to　〃think　and　smoke　tobacco；〃　held　in　it　a　mighty　heart。　　The　secrets　of　man's　Life　were　laid　open　to　thee；　thou　sawest　into　the　mystery　of　the　Universe；　farther　than　another；　thou　hadst　_in　petto_　thy　remarkable　Volume　on　Clothes。　　Nay；　was　there　not　in　that　clear　logically　founded　Transcendentalism　of　thine；　still　more；　in　thy　meek；　silent；　deep…seated　Sansculottism；　combined　with　a　true　princely　Courtesy　of　inward　nature；　the　visible　rudiments　of　such　speculation？　　But　great　men　are　too　often　unknown；　or　what　is　worse；　misknown。　　Already；　when　we　dreamed　not　of　it；　the　warp　of　thy　remarkable　Volume　lay　on　the　loom；　and　silently；　mysterious　shuttles　were　putting　in　the　woof。


How　the　Hofrath　Heuschrecke　is　to　furnish　biographical　data；　in　this　case；　may　be　a　curious　question；　the　answer　of　which；　however；　is　happily　not　our　concern；　but　his。　　To　us　it　appeared；　after　repeated　trial；　that　in　Weissnichtwo；　from　the　archives　or　memories　of　the　best…informed　classes；　no　Biography　of　Teufelsdrockh　was　to　be　gathered；　not　so　much　as　a　false　one。　　He　was　a　stranger　there；　wafted　thither　by　what　is　called　the　course　of　circumstances；　concerning　whose　parentage；　birthplace；　prospects；　or　pursuits；　curiosity　had　indeed　made　inquiries；　but　satisfied　herself　with　the　most　indistinct　replies。　　For　himself；　he　was　a　man　so　still　and　altogether　unparticipating；　that　to　question　him　even　afar　off　on　such　particulars　was　a　thing　of　more　than　usual　delicacy：　　besides；　in　his　sly　way；　he　had　ever　some　quaint　turn；