the professor at the breakfast table-第24章

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daylight　which　they　see　in　mystic　shadow。　　How　grateful　would　it　be

to　make　perpetual　peace　with　these　pleading　saints　and　their

confessors；　by　the　simple　act　that　silences　all　complainings！　　Sleep；

sleep；　sleep！　　says　the　Arch…Enchantress　of　them　all；and　pours　her

dark　and　potent　anodyne；　distilled　over　the　fires　that　consumed　her

foes；its　large；　round　drops　changing；　as　we　look；　into　the　beads　of

her　convert's　rosary！　　Silence！　the　pride　of　reason！　cries　another；

whose　whole　life　is　spent　in　reasoning　down　reason。



I　hope　I　love　good　people；　not　for　their　sake；　but　for　my　own。　　And

most　assuredly；　if　any　deed　of　wrong　or　word　of　bitterness　led　me

into　an　act　of　disrespect　towards　that　enlightened　and　excellent

class　of　men　who　make　it　their　calling　to　teach　goodness　and　their

duty　to　practise　it；　I　should　feel　that　I　had　done　myself　an　injury

rather　than　them。　　Go　and　talk　with　any　professional　man　holding　any

of　the　medieval　creeds；　choosing　one　who　wears　upon　his　features　the

mark　of　inward　and　outward　health；　who　looks　cheerful；　intelligent；

and　kindly；　and　see　how　all　your　prejudices　melt　away　in　his

presence！　　It　is　impossible　to　come　into　intimate　relations　with　a

large；　sweet　nature；　such　as　you　may　often　find　in　this　class；

without　longing　to　be　at　one　with　it　in　all　its　modes　of　being　and

believing。　　But　does　it　not　occur　to　you　that　one　may　love　truth　as

he　sees　it；　and　his　race　as　he　views　it；　better　than　even　the

sympathy　and　approbation　of　many　good　men　whom　he　honors；better

than　sleeping　to　the　sound　of　the　Miserere　or　listening　to　the

repetition　of　an　effete　Confession　of　Faith？



The　three　learned　professions　have　but　recently　emerged　from　a　state

of　quasi…barbarism。　　None　of　them　like　too　well　to　be　told　of　it；　but

it　must　be　sounded　in　their　ears　whenever　they　put　on　airs。　　When　a

man　has　taken　an　overdose　of　laudanum；　the　doctors　tell　us　to　place

him　between　two　persons　who　shall　make　him　walk　up　and　down

incessantly；　and　if　he　still　cannot　be　kept　from　going　to　sleep；　they

say　that　a　lash　or　two　over　his　back　is　of　great　assistance。



So　we　must　keep　the　doctors　awake　by　telling　them　that　they　have　not

yet　shaken　off　astrology　and　the　doctrine　of　signatures；　as　is　shown

by　the　form　of　their　prescriptions；　and　their　use　of　nitrate　of

silver；　which　turns　epileptics　into　Ethiopians。　　If　that　is　not

enough；　they　must　be　given　over　to　the　scourgers；　who　like　their　task

and　get　good　fees　for　it。　　A　few　score　years　ago；　sick　people　were

made　to　swallow　burnt　toads　and　powdered　earthworms　and　the　expressed

juice　of　wood…lice。　　The　physician　of　Charles　I。　and　II。　prescribed

abominations　not　to　be　named。　　Barbarism；　as　bad　as　that　of　Congo　or

Ashantee。　　Traces　of　this　barbarism　linger　even　in　the　greatly

improved　medical　science　of　our　century。　　So　while　the　solemn　farce

of　over…drugging　is　going　on；　the　world　over；　the　harlequin　pseudo…

science　jumps　on　to　the　stage；　whip　in　hand；　with　half…a…dozen

somersets；　and　begins　laying　about　him。



In　1817；　perhaps　you　remember；　the　law　of　wager　by　battle　was

unrepealed；　and　the　rascally　murderous；　and　worse　than　murderous；

clown；　Abraham　Thornton；　put　on　his　gauntlet　in　open　court　and　defied

the　appellant　to　lift　the　other　which　he　threw　down。　　It　was　not

until　the　reign　of　George　II。　that　the　statutes　against　witchcraft

were　repealed。　　As　for　the　English　Court　of　Chancery；　we　know　that

its　antiquated　abuses　form　one　of　the　staples　of　common　proverbs　and

popular　literature。　　So　the　laws　and　the　lawyers　have　to　be　watched

perpetually　by　public　opinion　as　much　as　the　doctors　do。



I　don't　think　the　other　profession　is　an　exception。　　When　the

Reverend　Mr。　Cauvin　and　his　associates　burned　my　distinguished

scientific　brother；he　was　burned　with　green　fagots；　which　made　it

rather　slow　and　painful；it　appears　to　me　they　were　in　a　state　of

religious　barbarism。　　The　dogmas　of　such　people　about　the　Father　of

Mankind　and　his　creatures　are　of　no　more　account　in　my　opinion　than

those　of　a　council　of　Aztecs。　　If　a　man　picks　your　pocket；　do　you　not

consider　him　thereby　disqualified　to　pronounce　any　authoritative

opinion　on　matters　of　ethics？　　If　a　man　hangs　my　ancient　female

relatives　for　sorcery；　as　they　did　in　this　neighborhood　a　little

while　ago；　or　burns　my　instructor　for　not　believing　as　he　does；　I

care　no　more　for　his　religious　edicts　than　I　should　for　those　of　any

other　barbarian。



Of　course；　a　barbarian　may　hold　many　true　opinions；　but　when　the

ideas　of　the　healing　art；　of　the　administration　of　justice；　of

Christian　love；　could　not　exclude　systematic　poisoning；　judicial

duelling；　and　murder　for　opinion's　sake；　I　do　not　see　how　we　can

trust　the　verdict　of　that　time　relating　to　any　subject　which　involves

the　primal　instincts　violated　in　these　abominations　and　absurdities。

What　if　we　are　even　now　in　a　state　of　semi…barbarism？





＇This　physician　believes　we　〃are　even　now　in　a　state　of　semi…

barbarism〃：　invasive　procedures　for　the　prolongation　of　death　rather

than　prolongation　of　life；　〃faith〃；as　slimly　based　as　medieval　faith

in　minute　differences　between　control　and　treated　groups；　statistical

manipulation　to　prove　a　prejudice。　　Medicine　has　a　good　deal　to

answer　for！　　D。W。＇





Perhaps　some　think　we　ought　not　to　talk　at　table　about　such　things。

I　am　not　so　sure　of　that。　　Religion　and　government　appear　to　me　the

two　subjects　which　of　all　others　should　belong　to　the　common　talk　of

people　who　enjoy　the　blessings　of　freedom。　　Think；　one　moment。　　The

earth　is　a　great　factory…wheel；　which；　at　every　revolution　on　its

axis；　receives　fifty　thousand　raw　souls　and　turns　off　nearly　the　same

number　worked　up　more　or　less　completely。　　There　must　be　somewhere　a

population　of　two　hundred　thousand　million；　perhaps　ten　or　a　hundred

times　as　many；　earth…born　intelligences。　　Life；　as　we　call　it；　is

nothing　but　the　edge　of　the　boundless　ocean　of　existence　where　it

comes　on　soundings。　　In　this　view；　I　do　not　see　anything　so　fit　to

talk　about；　or　half　so　interesting；　as　that　which　relates　to　the

innumerable　majority　of　our　fellow…creatures；　the　dead…living；　who

are　hundreds　of　thousands　to　one　of　the　live…living；　and　with　whom　we

all　potentially　belong；　though　we　have　got　tangled　for　the　present　in

some　parcels　of　fibrine；　albumen；　and　phosphates；　that　keep　us　on　the

minority　side　of　the　house。　　In　point　of　fact；　it　is　one　of　the　many

results　of　Spiritualism　to　make　the　permanent　destiny　of　the　race　a

matter　of　common　reflection　and　discourse；　and　a　vehicle　for　the

prevailing　disbelief　of　the　Middle…Age　doctrines　on　the　subject。　　I

cannot　help　thinking；　when　I　remember　how　many　conversations　my

friend　and　myself　have　sported；　that　it　would　be　very　extraordinary；

if　there　were　no　mention　of　that　class　of　subjects　which　involves　all

that　we　have　and　all　that　we　hope；　not　merely　for　ourselves；　but　for

the　dear　people　whom　we　love　best；noble　men；　pure　and　lovely　women；

ingenuous　children；　about　the　destiny　of　nine　tenths　of　whom　you　know

the　opinions　that　would　have　been　taught　by　those　old　man…roasting；

woman…strangling　dogmatists。　However；　I　fought　this　matter　with　one

of　our　boarders　the　other　day；　and　I　am　going　to　report　the

conversation。



The　divinity…student　came　down；　one　morning；　looking　rather　more

serious　than　usual。　　He　said　little　at　breakfast…time；　but　lingered

after　the　others；　so　that　I；　who　am　apt　to　be　long　at　the　table；

found　myself　alone　with　him。



When　the　rest　were　all　gone；　he　turned　his　chair　round　towards　mine；

and　began。



I　am　afraid；he　said；you　express　yourself　a　little　too　freely　on　a

most　important　class　of　subjects。　　Is　there　not　danger　in　introducing

discussions　or　allusions　relating　to　matters　of　religion　into　common

discourse？



Danger　to　what？I　asked。



Danger　to　truth；he　replied；　after　a　slight　pause。



I　didn't　know　Truth　was　such　an　invalid；'　I　said。　How　long　is　it

since　she　c