the poet at the breakfast table-第56章

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number　of　experts　in　science；　literature；　and　art；　who　cover　a　pretty
wide　range；　taking　them　all　together；　of　human　knowledge。　　I　have　not
the　least　doubt　that　if　the　great　Dr。　Samuel　Johnson　should　come　in
and　sit　with　this　company　at　one　of　their　Saturday　dinners；　he　would
be　listened　to；　as　he　always　was；　with　respect　and　attention。　　But
there　are　subjects　upon　which　the　great　talker　could　speak
magisterially　in　his　time　and　at　his　club；　upon　which　so　wise　a　man
would　express　himself　guardedly　at　the　meeting　where　I　have　supposed
him　a　guest。　　We　have　a　scientific　man　or　two　among　us；　for　instance；
who　would　be　entitled　to　smile　at　the　good　Doctor's　estimate　of　their
labors；　as　I　give　it　here：

〃Of　those　that　spin　out　life　in　trifles　and　die　without　a　memorial；
many　flatter　themselves　with　high　opinion　of　their　own　importance　and
imagine　that　they　are　every　day　adding　some　improvement　to　human
life。〃〃Some　turn　the　wheel　of　electricity；　some　suspend　rings　to　a
loadstone；　and　find　that　what　they　did　yesterday　they　can　do　again
to…day。　　Some　register　the　changes　of　the　wind；　and　die　fully
convinced　that　the　wind　is　changeable。

〃There　are　men　yet　more　profound；　who　have　heard　that　two　colorless
liquors　may　produce　a　color　by　union；　and　that　two　cold　bodies　will
grow　hot　if　they　are　mingled；　they　mingle　them；　and　produce　the
effect　expected；　say　it　is　strange；　and　mingle　them　again。〃

I　cannot　transcribe　this　extract　without　an　intense　inward　delight　in
its　wit　and　a　full　recognition　of　its　thorough　half…truthfulness。
Yet　if　while　the　great　moralist　is　indulging　in　these　vivacities；　he
can　be　imagined　as　receiving　a　message　from　Mr。　Boswell　or　Mrs。
Thrale　flashed　through　the　depths　of　the　ocean；　we　can　suppose　he
might　be　tempted　to　indulge　in　another　oracular　utterance；　something
like　this：
A　wise　man　recognizes　the　convenience　of　a　general　statement；　but
he　bows　to　the　authority　of　a　particular　fact。　　He　who　would　bound
the　possibilities　of　human　knowledge　by　the　limitations　of　present
acquirements　would　take　the　dimensions　of　the　infant　in　ordering　the
habiliments　of　the　adult。　　It　is　the　province　of　knowledge　to　speak
and　it　is　the　privilege　of　wisdom　to　listen。　　Will　the　Professor　have
the　kindness　to　inform　me　by　what　steps　of　gradual　development　the
ring　and　the　loadstone；　which　were　but　yesterday　the　toys　of　children
and　idlers；　have　become　the　means　of　approximating　the　intelligences
of　remote　continents；　and　wafting　emotions　unchilled　through　the
abysses　of　the　no　longer　unfathomable　deep？

This；　you　understand；　Beloved；　is　only　a　conventional　imitation　of
the　Doctor's　style　of　talking。　　He　wrote　in　grand　balanced　phrases；
but　his　conversation　was　good；　lusty；　off…hand　familiar　talk。　　He
used　very　often　to　have　it　all　his　own　way。　　If　he　came　back　to　us　we
must　remember　that　to　treat　him　fairly　we　must　suppose　him　on　a　level
with　the　knowledge　of　our　own　time。　　But　that　knowledge　is　more
specialized；　a　great　deal；　than　knowledge　was　in　his　day。　　Men　cannot
talk　about　things　they　have　seen　from　the　outside　with　the　same
magisterial　authority　the　talking　dynasty　pretended　to。　　The　sturdy
old　moralist　felt　grand　enough；　no　doubt；　when　he　said；　〃He　that　is
growing　great　and　happy　by　electrifying　a　bottle　wonders　how　the
world　can　be　engaged　by　trifling　prattle　about　war　or　peace。〃
Benjamin　Franklin　was　one　of　these　idlers　who　were　electrifying
bottles；　but　he　also　found　time　to　engage　in　the　trifling　prattle
about　war　and　peace　going　on　in　those　times。　　The　talking　Doctor　hits
him　very　hard　in　〃Taxation　no　Tyranny〃：　　〃Those　who　wrote　the　Address
（of　the　American　Congress　in　1775）；　though　they　have　shown　no　great
extent　or　profundity　of　mind；　are　yet　probably　wiser　than　to　believe
it：　but　they　have　been　taught　by　some　master　of　mischief　how　to　put
in　motion　the　engine　of　political　electricity；　to　attract　by　the
sounds　of　Liberty　and　Property；　to　repel　by　those　of　Popery　and
Slavery；　and　to　give　the　great　stroke　by　the　name　of　Boston。〃
The　talking　dynasty　has　always　been　hard　upon　us　Americans。　　King
Samuel　II。　says：　〃It　is；　I　believe；　a　fact　verified　beyond　doubt；
that　some　years　ago　it　was　impossible　to　obtain　a　copy　of　the　Newgate
Calendar；　as　they　had　all　been　bought　up　by　the　Americans；　whether　to
suppress　the　blazon　of　their　forefathers　or　to　assist　in　their
genealogical　researches　I　could　never　learn　satisfactorily。〃
As　for　King　Thomas；　the　last　of　the　monological　succession；　he　made
such　a　piece　of　work　with　his　prophecies　and　his　sarcasms　about　our
little　trouble　with　some　of　the　Southern　States；　that　we　came　rather
to　pity　him　for　his　whims　and　crotchets　than　to　get　angry　with　him
for　calling　us　bores　and　other　unamiable　names。

I　do　not　think　we　believe　things　because　considerable　people　say
them；　on　personal　authority；　that　is；　as　intelligent　listeners　very
commonly　did　a　century　ago。　　The　newspapers　have　lied　that　belief　out
of　us。　　Any　man　who　has　a　pretty　gift　of　talk　may　hold　his　company　a
little　while　when　there　is　nothing　better　stirring。　　Every　now　and
then　a　man　who　may　be　dull　enough　prevailingly　has　a　passion　of　talk
come　over　him　which　makes　him　eloquent　and　silences　the　rest。　　I　have
a　great　respect　for　these　divine　paroxysms；　these　half…inspired
moments　of　influx　when　they　seize　one　whom　we　had　not　counted　among
the　luminaries　of　the　social　sphere。　　But　the　man　who　cangive　us　a
fresh　experience　on　anything　that　interests　us　overrides　everybody
else。　　A　great　peril　escaped　makes　a　great　story…teller　of　a　common
person　enough。　　I　remember　when　a　certain　vessel　was　wrecked　long
ago；　that　one　of　the　survivors　told　the　story　as　well　as　Defoe　could
have　told　it。　　Never　a　word　from　him　before；　never　a　word　from　him
since。　　But　when　it　comes　to　talking　one's　common　thoughts；those
that　come　and　go　as　the　breath　does；　those　that　tread　the　mental
areas　and　corridors　with　steady；　even　foot…fall；　an　interminable
procession　of　every　hue　and　garb；there　are　few；　indeed；　that　can
dare　to　lift　the　curtain　which　hangs　before　the　window　in　the　breast
and　throw　open　the　window；　and　let　us　look　and　listen。　　We　are　all
loyal　enough　to　our　sovereign　when　he　shows　himself；　but　sovereigns
are　scarce。　　I　never　saw　the　absolute　homage　of　listeners　but　once；
that　I　remember；　to　a　man's　common　talk；　and　that　was　to　the
conversation　of　an　old　man；　illustrious　by　his　lineage　and　the
exalted　honors　he　had　won；　whose　experience　had　lessons　for　the
wisest；　and　whose　eloquence　had　made　the　boldest　tremble。


All　this　because　I　told　you　to　look　out　for　yourselves　and　not　take
for　absolute　truth　everything　the　old　Master　of　our　table；　or　anybody
else　at　it　sees　fit　to　utter。　　At　the　same　time　I　do　not　think　that
he；　or　any　of　us　whose　conversation　I　think　worth　reporting；　says
anything　for　the　mere　sake　of　saying　it　and　without　thinking　that　it
holds　some　truth；　even　if　it　is　not　unqualifiedly　true。

I　suppose　a　certain　number　of　my　readers　wish　very　heartily　that　the
Young　Astronomer　whose　poetical　speculations　I　am　recording　would
stop　trying　by　searching　to　find　out　the　Almighty；　and　sign　the
thirty…nine　articles；　or　the　Westminster　Confession　of　Faith；　at　any
rate　slip　his　neck　into　some　collar　or　other；　and　pull　quietly　in　the
harness；　whether　it　galled　him　or　not。　　I　say；　rather；　let　him　have
his　talk　out；　if　nobody　else　asks　the　questions　he　asks；　some　will　be
glad　to　hear　them；　but　if　you；　the　reader；　find　the　same　questions　in
your　own　mind；　you　need　not　be　afraid　to　see　how　they　shape
themselves　in　another's　intelligence。　　Do　you　recognize　the　fact　that
we　are　living　in　a　new　time？　　Knowledgeit　excites　prejudices　to
call　it　scienceis　advancing　as　irresistibly；　as　majestically；　as
remorselessly　as　the　ocean　moves　in　upon　the　shore。　　The　courtiers　of
King　Canute　（I　am　not　afraid　of　the　old　comparison）；　represented　by
the　adherents　of　the　traditional　beliefs　of　the　period；　move　his
chair　back　an　inch　at　a　time；　but　not　until　his　feet　are　pretty　damp；
not　to　say　wet。　　The　rock　on　which　he　sat　securely　awhile　ago　is
completely　under　water。　　And　now　people　are　walking　up　and　down　the
beach　and　judging　for　them