the poet at the breakfast table-第39章

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do　now　in　the　days　of　the　first　boarder　at　this　table；I　mean　the
one　who　introduced　it　to　the　public；it　would　have　sounded　a　good
deal　more　aggressively　than　it　does　now。　The　old　Master　got　rather
warm　in　talking；　perhaps　the　consciousness　of　having　a　number　of
listeners　had　something　to　do　with　it。

This　whole　business　is　an　open　question；he　said；and　there　is　no
use　in　saying；　〃Hush！　　don't　talk　about　such　things！　　〃People　do　talk
about　'em　everywhere；　and　if　they　don't　talk　about　'em　they　think
about　'em；　and　that　is　worse；if　there　is　anything　bad　about　such
questions；　that　is。　　If　for　the　Fall　of　man；　science　comes　to
substitute　the　RISE　of　man；　sir；　it　means　the　utter　disintegration　of
all　the　spiritual　pessimisms　which　have　been　like　a　spasm　in　the
heart　and　a　cramp　in　the　intellect　of　men　for　so　many　centuries。　　And
yet　who　dares　to　say　that　it　is　not　a　perfectly　legitimate　and　proper
question　to　be　discussed；　without　the　slightest　regard　to　the　fears
or　the　threats　of　Pope　or　prelate？

Sir；　I　believe；the　Master　rose　from　his　chair　as　he　spoke；　and　said
in　a　deep　and　solemn　tone；　but　without　any　declamatory　vehemence；
sir；　I　believe　that　we　are　at　this　moment　in　what　will　be　recognized
not　many　centuries　hence　as　one　of　the　late　watches　in　the　night　of
the　dark　ages。　　There　is　a　twilight　ray；　beyond　question。　　We　know
something　of　the　universe；　a　very　little；　and；　strangely　enough；　we
know　most　of　what　is　farthest　from　us。　　We　have　weighed　the　planets
and　analyzed　the　flames　of　thesun　and　stars。　　We　predict　their
movements　as　if　they　were　machines　we　ourselves　had　made　and
regulated。　　We　know　a　good　deal　about　the　earth　on　which　we　live。
But　the　study　of　man　has　been　so　completely　subjected　to　our
preconceived　opinions；　that　we　have　got　to　begin　all　over　again。　　We
have　studied　anthropology　through　theology；　we　have　now　to　begin　the
study　of　theology　through　anthropology。　　Until　we　have　exhausted　the
human　element　in　every　form　of　belief；　and　that　can　only　be　done　by
what　we　may　call　comparative　spiritual　anatomy；　we　cannot　begin　to
deal　with　the　alleged　extra…human　elements　without　blundering　into
all　imaginable　puerilities。　　If　you　think　for　one　moment　that　there
is　not　a　single　religion　in　the　world　which　does　not　come　to　us
through　the　medium　of　a　preexisting　language；　and　if　you　remember
that　this　language　embodies　absolutely　nothing　but　human　conceptions
and　human　passions；　you　will　see　at　once　that　every　religion
presupposes　its　own　elements　as　already　existing　in　those　to　whom　it
is　addressed。　　I　once　went　to　a　church　in　London　and　heard　the　famous
Edward　Irving　preach；　and　heard　some　of　his　congregation　speak　in　the
strange　words　characteristic　of　their　miraculous　gift　of　tongues。　　I
had　a　respect　for　the　logical　basis　of　this　singular　phenomenon。　　I
have　always　thought　it　was　natural　that　any　celestial　message　should
demand　a　language　of　its　own；　only　to　be　understood　by　divine
illumination。　　All　human　words　tend；　of　course；　to　stop　short　in
human　meaning。　　And　the　more　I　hear　the　most　sacred　terms　employed；
the　more　I　am　satisfied　that　they　have　entirely　and　radically
different　meanings　in　the　minds　of　those　who　use　them。　　Yet　they　deal
with　them　as　if　they　were　as　definite　as　mathematical　quantities　or
geometrical　figures。　　What　would　become　of　arithmetic　if　the　figure　2
meant　three　for　one　man　and　five　for　another　and　twenty　for　a　third；
and　all　the　other　numerals　were　in　the　same　way　variable　quantities？
Mighty　intelligent　correspondence　business　men　would　have　with　each
other！　　But　how　is　this　any　worse　than　the　difference　of　opinion
which　led　a　famous　clergyman　to　say　to　a　brother　theologian；　〃Oh；　I
see；　my　dear　sir；　your　God　is　my　Devil。〃

Man　has　been　studied　proudly；　contemptuously；　rather；　from　the　point
of　view　supposed　to　be　authoritatively　settled。　　The　self…sufficiency
of　egotistic　natures　was　never　more　fully　shown　than　in　the
expositions　of　the　worthlessness　and　wretchedness　of　their　fellow…
creatures　given　by　the　dogmatists　who　have　〃gone　back；〃　as　the　vulgar
phrase　is；　on　their　race；　their　own　flesh　and　blood。　　Did　you　ever
read　what　Mr。　Bancroft　says　about　Calvin　in　his　article　on　Jonathan
Edwards？　and　mighty　well　said　it　is　too；　in　my　judgment。　　Let　me
remind　you　of　it；　whether　you　have　read　it　or　not。　　〃Setting　himself
up　over　against　the　privileged　classes；　he；　with　a　loftier　pride　than
theirs；　revealed　the　power　of　a　yet　higher　order　of　nobility；　not　of
a　registered　ancestry　of　fifteen　generations；　but　one　absolutely
spotless　in　its　escutcheon；　preordained　in　the　council　chamber　of
eternity。〃　　I　think　you'll　find　I　have　got　that　sentence　right；　word
for　word；　and　there　's　a　great　deal　more　in　it　than　many　good　folks
who　call　themselves　after　the　reformer　seem　to　be　aware　of。　　The　Pope
put　his　foot　on　the　neck　of　kings；　but　Calvin　and　his　cohort　crushed
the　whole　human　race　under　their　heels　in　the　name　of　the　Lord　of
Hosts。　　Now；　you　see；　the　point　that　people　don't　understand　is　the
absolute　and　utter　humility　of　science；　in　opposition　to　this
doctrinal　self…sufficiency。　　I　don't　doubt　this　may　sound　a　little
paradoxical　at　first；　but　I　think　you　will　find　it　is　all　right。　　You
remember　the　courtier　and　the　monarch；Louis　the　Fourteenth；　wasn't
it？　never　mind；　give　the　poor　fellows　that　live　by　setting　you
right　a　chance。　　〃What　o'clock　is　it？〃　says　the　king。　　〃Just　whatever
o'clock　your　Majesty　pleases；〃　says　the　courtier。　　I　venture　to　say
the　monarch　was　a　great　deal　more　humble　than　the　follower；　who
pretended　that　his　master　was　superior　to　such　trifling　facts　as　the
revolution　of　the　planet。　　It　was　the　same　thing；　you　remember；　with
King　Canute　and　the　tide　on　the　sea…shore。　　The　king　accepted　the
scientific　fact　of　the　tide's　rising。　　The　loyal　hangers…on；　who
believed　in　divine　right；　were　too　proud　of　the　company　they　found
themselves　in　to　make　any　such　humiliating　admission。　　But　there　are
people；　and　plenty　of　them；　to…day；　who　will　dispute　facts　just　as
clear　to　those　who　have　taken　the　pains　to　learn　what　is　known　about
them；　as　that　of　the　tide's　rising。　　They　don't　like　to　admit　these
facts；　because　they　throw　doubt　upon　some　of　their　cherished
opinions。　　We　are　getting　on　towards　the　last　part　of　this　nineteenth
century。　　What　we　have　gained　is　not　so　much　in　positive　knowledge；
though　that　is　a　good　deal；　as　it　is　in　the　freedom　of　discussion　of
every　subject　that　comes　within　the　range　of　observation　and
inference。　　How　long　is　it　since　Mrs。　Piozzi　wrote；〃Let　me　hope
that　you　will　not　pursue　geology　till　it　leads　you　into　doubts
destructive　of　all　comfort　in　this　world　and　all　happiness　in　the
next〃？

The　Master　paused　and　I　remained　silent；　for　I　was　thinking　things　I
could　not　say。


It　is　well　always　to　have　a　woman　near　by　when　one　is　talking　on
this　class　of　subjects。　　Whether　there　will　be　three　or　four　women　to
one　man　in　heaven　is　a　question　which　I　must　leave　to　those　who　talk
as　if　they　knew　all　about　the　future　condition　of　the　race　to　answer。
But　very　certainly　there　is　much　more　of　hearty　faith；　much　more　of
spiritual　life；　among　women　than　among　men；　in　this　world。　　They　need
faith　to　support　them　more　than　men　do；　for　they　have　a　great　deal
less　to　call　them　out　of　themselves；　and　it　comes　easier　to　them；　for
their　habitual　state　of　dependence　teaches　them　to　trust　in　others。
When　they　become　voters；　if　they　ever　do；　it　may　be　feared　that　the
pews　will　lose　what　the　ward…rooms　gain。　　Relax　a　woman's　hold　on
man；　and　her　knee…joints　will　soon　begin　to　stiffen。　　Self…assertion
brings　out　many　fine　qualities；　but　it　does　not　promote　devotional
habits。

I　remember　some　such　thoughts　as　this　were　passing　through　my　mind
while　the　Master　was　talking。　　I　noticed　that　the　Lady　was　listening
to　the　conversation　with　a　look　of　more　than　usual　interest。　　We　men
have　the　talk　mostly　to　ourselves　at　this　table；　the　Master；　as　you
have　found　out；　is　fond　of　monologues；　and　I　myselfwell；　I　suppose
I　must　own　to　a　certain　love　for　the　reverberated　music　of　my　own
accents；　at　any　rate；　the　Master　and　I　do　most　of　the　talking。　　But
others　help　us　do