the ancien regime-第21章

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important；　what　Mr。　Carlyle　has　written　on　him；　as　on　one　of　the

most　significant　personages　of　the　age？　　Remember；　then；　that

Cagliostro　was　no　isolated　phenomenon；　that　his　successnay；　his

having　even　conceived　the　possibility　of　success　in　the　brain　that

lay　within　that　〃brass…faced；　bull…necked；　thick…lipped〃　headwas

made　possible　by　public　opinion。　　Had　Cagliostro　lived　in　our　time；

public　opinion　would　have　pointed　out　to　him　other　roads　to　honour

on　which　he　would　doubtless　have　fared　as　well。　　For　when　the　silly

dace　try　to　be　caught　and　hope　to　be　caught；　he　is　a　foolish　pike

who　cannot　gorge　them。　　But　the　method　most　easy　for　a　pike…nature

like　Cagliostro's；　was　in　the　eighteenth　century；　as　it　may　be　in

the　latter　half　of　the　nineteenth；　to　trade；　in　a　materialist　age；

on　the　unsatisfied　spiritual　cravings　of　mankind。　　For　what　do　all

these　phantasms　betoken；　but　a　generation　ashamed　of　its　own

materialism；　sensuality；　insincerity；　ignorance；　and　striving　to

escape　therefrom　by　any　and　every　mad　superstition　which　seemed

likely　to　give　an　answer　to　the　awful　questionsWhat　are　we；　and

where？　and　to　lay　to　rest　those　instincts　of　the　unseen　and　infinite

around　it；　which　tormented　it　like　ghosts　by　day　and　night：　　a　sight

ludicrous　or　pathetic；　according　as　it　is　looked　on　by　a　cynical　or

a　human　spirit。



It　is　easy　to　call　such　a　phenomenon　absurd；　improbable。　　It　is

rather　rational；　probable；　say　certain　to　happen。　　Rational；　I　say；

for　the　reason　of　man　tells　him；　and　has　always　told　him；　that　he　is

a　supernatural　being；　if　by　nature　is　meant　that　which　is　cognisable

by　his　five　senses：　　that　his　coming　into　this　world；　his　relation

to　it；　his　exit　from　itwhich　are　the　three　most　important　facts

about　himare　supernatural；　not　to　be　explained　by　any　deductions

from　the　impressions　of　his　senses。　　And　I　make　bold　to　say；　that

the　recent　discoveries　of　physical　sciencenotably　those　of

embryologygo　only　to　justify　that　old　and　general　belief　of　man。

If　man　be　told　that　the　microscope　and　scalpel　show　no　difference；

in　the　first　stage　of　visible　existence；　between　him　and　the　lower

mammals；　then　he　has　a　right　to　answeras　he　will　answerSo　much

the　worse　for　the　microscope　and　scalpel：　　so　much　the　better　for　my

old　belief；　that　there　is　beneath　my　birth；　life；　death；　a

substratum　of　supernatural　causes；　imponderable；　invisible；

unknowable　by　any　physical　science　whatsoever。　　If　you　cannot　render

me　a　reason　how　I　came　hither；　and　what　I　am；　I　must　go　to　those　who

will　render　me　one。　　And　if　that　craving　be　not　satisfied　by　a

rational　theory　of　life；　it　will　demand　satisfaction　from　some

magical　theory；　as　did　the　mind　of　the　eighteenth　century　when；

revolting　from　materialism；　it　fled　to　magic；　to　explain　the　ever…

astounding　miracle　of　life。



The　old　Regime。　　Will　our　age；　in　its　turn；　ever　be　spoken　of　as　an

old　Regime？　　Will　it　ever　be　spoken　of　as　a　Regime　at　all；　as　an

organised；　orderly　system　of　society　and　polity；　and　not　merely　as　a

chaos；　an　anarchy；　a　transitory　struggle；　of　which　the　money…lender

has　been　the　real　guide　and　lord？



But　at　least　it　will　be　spoken　of　as　an　age　of　progress；　of　rapid

developments；　of　astonishing　discoveries。



Are　you　so　sure　of　that？　　There　was　an　age　of　progress　once。　　But

what　is　our　agewhat　is　all　which　has　befallen　since　1815save

after…swells　of　that　great　storm；　which　are　weakening　and　lulling

into　heavy　calm？　　Are　we　on　the　eve　of　stagnation？　　Of　a　long　check

to　the　human　intellect？　　Of　a　new　Byzantine　era；　in　which　little　men

will　discuss；　and　ape；　the　deeds　which　great　men　did　in　their

forefathers'　days？



What　progressit　is　a　question　which　some　will　receive　with　almost

angry　surprisewhat　progress　has　the　human　mind　made　since　1815？



If　the　thought　be　startling；　do　me　the　great　honour　of　taking　it

home；　and　verifying　for　yourselves　its　truth　or　its　falsehood。　　I　do

not　say　that　it　is　altogether　true。　　No　proposition　concerning　human

things；　stated　so　broadly；　can　be。　　But　see　for　yourselves；　whether

it　is　not　at　least　more　true　than　false；　whether　the　ideas；　the

discoveries；　of　which　we　boast　most　in　the　nineteenth　century；　are

not　really　due　to　the　end　of　the　eighteenth。　　Whether　other　men　did

not　labour；　and　we　have　only　entered　into　their　labours。　　Whether

our　positivist　spirit；　our　content　with　the　collecting　of　facts；　our

dread　of　vast　theories；　is　not　a　symptomwholesome；　prudent；

modest；　but　still　a　symptomof　our　consciousness　that　we　are　not　as

our　grandfathers　were；　that　we　can　no　longer　conceive　great　ideas；

which　illumine；　for　good　or　evil；　the　whole　mind　and　heart　of　man；

and　drive　him　on　to　dare　and　suffer　desperately。



Railroads？　　Electric　telegraphs？　　All　honour　to　them　in　their　place：

but　they　are　not　progress；　they　are　only　the　fruits　of　past

progress。　　No　outward　and　material　thing　is　progress；　no　machinery

causes　progress；　it　merely　spreads　and　makes　popular　the　results　of

progress。　　Progress　is　inward；　of　the　soul。　　And；　therefore；

improved　constitutions；　and　improved　book　instructionnow　miscalled

educationare　not　progress：　　they　are　at　best　only　fruits　and　signs

thereof。　　For　they　are　outward；　material；　and　progress；　I　say；　is

inward。　　The　self…help　and　self…determination　of　the　independent

soulthat　is　the　root　of　progress；　and　the　more　human　beings　who

have　that；　the　more　progress　there　is　in　the　world。　　Give　me　a　man

who；　though　he　can　neither　read　nor　write；　yet　dares　think　for

himself；　and　do　the　thing　he　believes：　　that　man　will　help　forward

the　human　race　more　than　any　thousand　men　who　have　read；　or　written

either；　a　thousand　books　apiece；　but　have　not　dared　to　think　for

themselves。　　And　better　for　his　race；　and　better；　I　believe；　in　the

sight　of　God；　the　confusions　and　mistakes　of　that　one　sincere　brave

man；　than　the　second…hand　and　cowardly　correctness　of　all　the

thousand。



As　for　the　〃triumphs　of　science；〃　let　us　honour；　with　astonishment

and　awe；　the　genius　of　those　who　invented　them；　but　let　us　remember

that　the　things　themselves　are　as　a　gun　or　a　sword；　with　which　we

can　kill　our　enemy；　but　with　which　also　our　enemy　can　kill　us。　　Like

all　outward　and　material　things；　they　are　equally　fit　for　good　and

for　evil。　　In　England　herethey　have　been　as　yet；　as　far　as　I　can

see；　nothing　but　blessings：　　but　I　have　my　very　serious　doubts

whether　they　are　likely　to　be　blessings　to　the　whole　human　race；　for

many　an　age　to　come。　　I　can　conceive　themmay　God　avert　the　omen！

the　instruments　of　a　more　crushing　executive　centralisation；　of　a

more　utter　oppression　of　the　bodies　and　souls　of　men；　than　the　world

has　yet　seen。　　I　can　conceivemay　God　avert　the　omen！centuries

hence；　some　future　world…ruler　sitting　at　the　junction　of　all

railroads；　at　the　centre　of　all　telegraph…wiresa　world…spider　in

the　omphalos　of　his　world…wide　web；　and　smiting　from　thence

everything　that　dared　to　lift　its　head；　or　utter　a　cry　of　pain；　with

a　swiftness　and　surety　to　which　the　craft　of　a　Justinian　or　a　Philip

II。　were　but　clumsy　and　impotent。



All；　all　outward　things；　be　sure　of　it；　are　good　or　evil；　exactly　as

far　as　they　are　in　the　hands　of　good　men　or　of　bad。



Moreover；　paradoxical　as　it　may　seem；　railroads　and　telegraphs；

instead　of　inaugurating　an　era　of　progress；　may　possibly　only　retard

it。　　〃Rester　sur　un　grand　succes；〃　which　was　Rossini's　advice　to　a

young　singer　who　had　achieved　a　triumph；　is　a　maxim　which　the　world

often　follows；　not　only　from　prudence；　but　from　necessity。　　They

have　done　so　much　that　it　seems　neither　prudent　nor　possible　to　do

more。　　They　will　rest　and　be　thankful。



Thus；　gunpowder　and　printing　made　rapid　changes　enough；　but　those

changes　had　no　farther　development。　　The　new　art　of　war；　the　new　art

of　literature；　remained　stationary；　or　rather　receded　and

degenerated；　till　the　end　of　the　eighteenth　century。



And　so　it　may　be　with　our　means　of　locomotion　and