the poet at the breakfast table-第57章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


completely　under　water。　　And　now　people　are　walking　up　and　down　the
beach　and　judging　for　themselves　how　far　inland　the　chair　of　King
Canute　is　like　to　be　moved　while　they　and　their　children　are　looking
on；　at　the　rate　in　which　it　is　edging　backward。　　And　it　is　quite　too
late　to　go　into　hysterics　about　it。

The　shore；　solid；　substantial；　a　great　deal　more　than　eighteen
hundred　years　old；　is　natural　humanity。　　The　beach　which　the　ocean　of
knowledgeyou　may　call　it　science　if　you　likeis　flowing　over；　is
theological　humanity。　　Somewhere　between　the　Sermon　on　the　Mount　and
the　teachings　of　Saint　Augustine　sin　was　made　a　transferable　chattel。
（I　leave　the　interval　wide　for　others　to　make　narrow。）

The　doctrine　of　heritable　guilt；　with　its　mechanical　consequences；
has　done　for　our　moral　nature　what　the　doctrine　of　demoniac
possession　has　done　in　barbarous　times　and　still　does　among　barbarous
tribes　for　disease。　　Out　of　that　black　cloud　came　the　lightning　which
struck　the　compass　of　humanity。　　Conscience；　which　from　the　dawn　of
moral　being　had　pointed　to　the　poles　of　right　and　wrong　only　as　the
great　current　of　will　flowed　through　the　soul；　was　demagnetized；
paralyzed；　and　knew　henceforth　no　fixed　meridian；　but　stayed　where
the　priest　or　the　council　placed　it。　　There　is　nothing　to　be　done　but
to　polarize　the　needle　over　again。　　And　for　this　purpose　we　must
study　the　lines　of　direction　of　all　the　forces　which　traverse　our
human　nature。

We　must　study　man　as　we　have　studied　stars　and　rocks。　　We　need　not
go；　we　are　told；　to　our　sacred　books　for　astronomy　or　geology　or
other　scientific　knowledge。　　Do　not　stop　there！　　Pull　Canute's　chair
back　fifty　rods　at　once；　and　do　not　wait　until　he　is　wet　to　the
knees！　　Say　now；　bravely；　as　you　will　sooner　or　later　have　to　say；
that　we　need　not　go　to　any　ancient　records　for　our　anthropology。　　Do
we　not　all　hold；　at　least；　that　the　doctrine　of　man's　being　a
blighted　abortion；　a　miserable　disappointment　to　his　Creator；　and
hostile　and　hateful　to　him　from　his　birth；　may　give　way　to　the　belief
that　he　is　the　latest　terrestrial　manifestation　of　an　ever　upward…
striving　movement　of　divine　power？　　If　there　lives　a　man　who　does　not
want　to　disbelieve　the　popular　notions　about　the　condition　and
destiny　of　the　bulk　of　his　race；　I　should　like　to　have　him　look　me　in
the　face　and　tell　me　so。

I　am　not　writing　for　the　basement　story　or　the　nursery；　and　I　do　not
pretend　to　be；　but　I　say　nothing　in　these　pages　which　would　not　be
said　without　fear　of　offence　in　any　intelligent　circle；　such　as
clergymen　of　the　higher　castes　are　in　the　habit　of　frequenting。
There　are　teachers　in　type　for　our　grandmothers　and　our　grandchildren
who　vaccinate　the　two　childhoods　with　wholesome　doctrine；　transmitted
harmlessly　from　one　infant　to　another。　　But　we　three　men　at　our　table
have　taken　the　disease　of　thinking　in　the　natural　way。　　It　is　an
epidemic　in　these　times；　and　those　who　are　afraid　of　it　must　shut
themselves　up　close　or　they　will　catch　it。

I　hope　none　of　us　are　wanting　in　reverence。　　One　at　least　of　us　is　a
regular　church…goer；　and　believes　a　man　may　be　devout　and　yet　very
free　in　the　expression　of　his　opinions　on　the　gravest　subjects。
There　may　be　some　good　people　who　think　that　our　young　friend　who
puts　his　thoughts　in　verse　is　going　sounding　over　perilous　depths；
and　are　frightened　every　time　he　throws　the　lead。　　There　is　nothing
to　be　frightened　at。　　This　is　a　manly　world　we　live　in。　　Our
reverence　is　good　for　nothing　if　it　does　not　begin　with　self…respect。
Occidental　manhood　springs　from　that　as　its　basis；　Oriental　manhood
finds　the　greatest　satisfaction　in　self…abasement。　　There　is　no　use
in　trying　to　graft　the　tropical　palm　upon　the　Northern　pine。　　The
same　divine　forces　underlie　the　growth　of　both；　but　leaf　and　flower
and　fruit　must　follow　the　law　of　race；　of　soil；　of　climate。　　Whether
the　questions　which　assail　my　young　friend　have　risen　in　my　reader's
mind　or　not；　he　knows　perfectly　well　that　nobody　can　keep　such
questions　from　springing　up　in　every　young　mind　of　any　force　or
honesty。　　As　for　the　excellent　little　wretches　who　grow　up　in　what
they　are　taught；　with　never　a　scruple　or　a　query；　Protestant　or
Catholic；　Jew　or　Mormon；　Mahometan　or　Buddhist；　they　signify　nothing
in　the　intellectual　life　of　the　race。　　If　the　world　had　been　wholly
peopled　with　such　half…vitalized　mental　negatives；　there　never　would
have　been　a　creed　like　that　of　Christendom。

I　entirely　agree　with　the　spirit　of　the　verses　I　have　looked　over；　in
this　point　at　least；　that　a　true　man's　allegiance　is　given　to　that
which　is　highest　in　his　own　nature。　　He　reverences　truth；　he　loves
kindness；　he　respects　justice。　　The　two　first　qualities　he
understands　well　enough。　　But　the　last；　justice；　at　least　as　between
the　Infinite　and　the　finite；　has　been　so　utterly　dehumanized；
disintegrated；　decomposed；　and　diabolized　in　passing　through　the
minds　of　the　half…civilized　banditti　who　have　peopled　and　unpeopled
the　world　for　some　scores　of　generations；　that　it　has　become　a　mere
algebraic　x；　and　has　no　fixed　value　whatever　as　a　human　conception。

As　for　power；　we　are　outgrowing　all　superstition　about　that。　　We　have
not　the　slightest　respect　for　it　as　such；　and　it　is　just　as　well　to
remember　this　in　all　our　spiritual　adjustments。　　We　fear　power　when
we　cannot　master　it；　but　just　as　far　as　we　can　master　it；　we　make　a
slave　and　a　beast　of　burden　of　it　without　hesitation。　　We　cannot
change　the　ebb　and　flow　of　the　tides；　or　the　course　of　the　seasons；
but　we　come　as　near　it　as　we　can。　　We　dam　out　the　ocean；　we　make
roses　bloom　in　winter　and　water　freeze　in　summer。　　We　have　no　more
reverence　for　the　sun　than　we　have　for　a　fish…tail　gas…burner；　we
stare　into　his　face　with　telescopes　as　at　a　ballet…dancer　with　opera…
glasses；　we　pick　his　rays　to　pieces　with　prisms　as　if　they　were　so
many　skeins　of　colored　yarn；　we　tell　him　we　do　not　want　his　company
and　shut　him　out　like　a　troublesome　vagrant。　　The　gods　of　the　old
heathen　are　the　servants　of　to…day。　　Neptune；　Vulcan；　Aolus；　and　the
bearer　of　the　thunderbolt　himself　have　stepped　down　from　their
pedestals　and　put　on　our　livery。　　We　cannot　always　master　them；
neither　can　we　always　master　our　servant；　the　horse；　but　we　have　put
a　bridle　on　the　wildest　natural　agencies。　　The　mob　of　elemental
forces　is　as　noisy　and　turbulent　as　ever；　but　the　standing　army　of
civilization　keeps　it　well　under；　except　for　an　occasional　outbreak。

When　I　read　the　Lady's　letter　printed　some　time　since；　I　could　not
help　honoring　the　feeling　which　prompted　her　in　writing　it。　　But
while　I　respect　the　innocent　incapacity　of　tender　age　and　the
limitations　of　the　comparatively　uninstructed　classes；　it　is　quite
out　of　the　question　to　act　as　if　matters　of　common　intelligence　and
universal　interest　were　the　private　property　of　a　secret　society；
only　to　be　meddled　with　by　those　who　know　the　grip　and　the　password。

We　must　get　over　the　habit　of　transferring　the　limitations　of　the
nervous　temperament　and　of　hectic　constitutions　to　the　great　Source
of　all　the　mighty　forces　of　nature；　animate　and　inanimate。　　We　may
confidently　trust　that　we　have　over　us　a　Being　thoroughly　robust　and
grandly　magnanimous；　in　distinction　from　the　Infinite　Invalid　bred　in
the　studies　of　sickly　monomaniacs；　who　corresponds　to　a　very　common
human　type；　but　makes　us　blush　for　him　when　we　contrast　him　with　a
truly　noble　man；　such　as　most　of　us　have　had　the　privilege　of　knowing
both　in　public　and　in　private　life。

I　was　not　a　little　pleased　to　find　that　the　Lady；　in　spite　of　her
letter；　sat　through　the　young　man's　reading　of　portions　of　his　poem
with　a　good　deal　of　complacency。　　I　think　I　can　guess　what　is　in　her
mind。　　She　believes；　as　so　many　women　do；　in　that　great　remedy　for
discontent；　and　doubts　about　humanity；　and　questionings　of
Providence；　and　all　sorts　of　youthful　vagaries；I　mean　the　love…
cure。　　And　she　thinks；　not　without　some　reason；　that　these
astronomical　lessons；　and　these　readings　of　poetry　and　daily
proximity　at　the　table；　and　the　need　of　two　young　hearts　that　have
been　long　feeling　lonely；　and　youth　and　nature　and　〃all　impulses　of
soul　and　se