latter-day pamphlets-第42部分

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reasures　up　the　same　in　regard　to　every　creature；this　I　do　not　so　well　perceive　that　he　believes。　　Poor　blockhead；　no：　　he　reckons　that　all　payment　is　in　money；　or　approximately　representable　by　money；　finds　money　go　a　strange　course；　disbelieves　the　parson　and　his　Day　of　Judgment；　discerns　not　that　there　is　any　judgment　except　in　the　small　or　big　debt　court；　and　lives　（for　the　present）　on　that　strange　footing　in　this　Universe。　　The　unhappy　mortal；　what　is　the　use　of　his　〃civilizations〃　and　his　〃useful　knowledges；〃　if　he　have　forgotten　that　beginning　of　human　knowledge；　the　earliest　perception　of　the　awakened　human　soul　in　this　world；　the　first　dictate　of　Heaven's　inspiration　to　all　men？　　I　cannot　account　him　a　man　any　more；　but　only　a　kind　of　human　beaver；　who　has　acquired　the　art　of　ciphering。　　He　lives　without　rushing　hourly　towards　suicide；　because　his　soul；　with　all　its　noble　aspirations　and　imaginations；　is　sunk　at　the　bottom　of　his　stomach；　and　lies　torpid　there；　unaspiring；　unimagining；　unconsidering；　as　if　it　were　the　vital　principle　of　a　mere　_four_…footed　beaver。　　A　soul　of　a　man；　appointed　for　spinning　cotton　and　making　money；　or；　alas；　for　merely　shooting　grouse　and　gathering　rent；　to　whom　Eternity　and　Immortality；　and　all　human　Noblenesses　and　divine　Facts　that　did　not　tell　upon　the　stock…exchange；　were　meaningless　fables；　empty　as　the　inarticulate　wind。　He　will　recover　out　of　that　persuasion　one　day；　or　be　ground　to　powder；　I　believe！

To　such　a　pass；　by　our　beaverisms　and　our　mammonisms；　by　canting　of　〃prevenient　grace〃　everywhere；　and　so　boarding　and　lodging　our　poor　souls　upon　supervenient　moonshine　everywhere；　for　centuries　long；　by　our　sordid　stupidities　and　our　idle　babblings；　through　faith　in　the　divine　Stump…orator；　and　Constitutional　Palaver；　or　august　Sanhedrim　of　Orators；　have　men　and　Nations　been　reduced；　in　this　sad　epoch！　　I　cannot　call　them　happy　Nations；　I　must　call　them　Nations　like　to　perish；　Nations　that　will　either　begin　to　recover；　or　else　soon　die。　　Recovery　is　to　be　hoped；yes；　since　there　is　in　Nature　an　Almighty　Beneficence；　and　His　voice；　divinely　terrible；　can　be　heard　in　the　world…whirlwind　now；　even　as　from　of　old　and　forevermore。　　Recovery；　or　else　destruction　and　annihilation；　is　very　certain；　and　the　crisis；　too；　comes　rapidly　on：　　but　by　Stump…Orator　and　Constitutional　Palaver；　however　perfected；　my　hopes　of　_recovery_　have　long　vanished。　　Not　by　them；　I　should　imagine；　but　by　something　far　the　reverse　of　them；　shall　we　return　to　truth　and　God！

I　tell　you；　the　ignoble　intellect　cannot　think　the　_truth_；　even　within　its　own　limits；　and　when　it　seriously　tries！　　And　of　the　ignoble　intellect　that　does　not　seriously　try；　and　has　even　reached　the　〃ignobleness〃　of　seriously　trying　the　reverse；　and　of　lying　with　its　very　tongue；　what　are　we　to　expect？　　It　is　frightful　to　consider。　　Sincere　wise　speech　is　but　an　imperfect　corollary；　and　insignificant　outer　manifestation；　of　sincere　wise　thought。　　He　whose　very　tongue　utters　falsities；　what　has　his　heart　long　been　doing？　　The　thought　of　his　heart　is　not　its　wisest；　not　even　_its_　wisest；　it　is　its　foolishest；and　even　of　that　we　have　a　false　and　foolish　copy。　　And　it　is　Nature's　Fact；　or　the　Thought　of　the　Eternal；　which　we　want　to　arrive　at　in　regard　to　the　matter；which　if　we　do　_not_　arrive　at；　we　shall　not　save　the　matter；　we　shall　drive　the　matter　into　shipwreck！

The　practice　of　modern　Parliaments；　with　reporters　sitting　among　them；　and　twenty…seven　millions　mostly　fools　listening　to　them；　fills　me　with　amazement。　　In　regard　to　no　_thing_；　or　fact　as　God　and　Nature　have　made　it；　can　you　get　so　much　as　the　real　thought　of　any　honorable　head；even　so　far　as　_it_；　the　said　honorable　head；　still　has　capacity　of　thought。　　What　the　honorable　gentleman's　wisest　thought　is　or　would　have　been；　had　he　led　from　birth　a　life　of　piety　and　earnest　veracity　and　heroic　virtue；　you；　and　he　himself　poor　deep…sunk　creature；　vainly　conjecture　as　from　immense　dim　distances　far　in　the　rear　of　what　he　is　led　to　_say_。　　And　again；　far　in　the　rear　of　what　his　thought　is；surely　long　infinitudes　beyond　all　_he_　could　ever　think；lies　the　Thought　of　God　Almighty；　the　Image　itself　of　the　Fact；　the　thing　you　are　in　quest　of；　and　must　find　or　do　worse！　　Even　his；　the　honorable　gentleman's；　actual　bewildered；　falsified；　vague　surmise　or　quasi…thought；　even　this　is　not　given　you；　but　only　some　falsified　copy　of　this；　such　as　he　fancies　may　suit　the　reporters　and　twenty…seven　millions　mostly　fools。　　And　upon　that　latter　you　are　to　act；with　what　success；　do　you　expect？　　That　is　the　thought　you　are　to　take　for　the　Thought　of　the　Eternal　Mind；that　double…distilled　falsity　of　a　blockheadism　from　one　who　is　false　even　as　a　blockhead！

Do　I　make　myself　plain　to　Mr。　Peter's　understanding？　　Perhaps　it　will　surprise　him　less　that　parliamentary　eloquence　excites　more　wonder　than　admiration　in　me；　that　the　fate　of　countries　governed　by　that　sublime　alchemy　does　not　appear　the　hopefulest　just　now。　　Not　by　that　method；　I　should　apprehend；　will　the　Heavens　be　scaled　and　the　Earth　vanquished；　not　by　that；　but　by　another。


A　benevolent　man　once　proposed　to　me；　but　without　pointing　out　the　methods　how；　this　plan　of　reform　for　our　benighted　world：　　To　cut　from　one　generation；　whether　the　current　one　or　the　next；　all　the　tongues　away；　prohibiting　Literature　too；　and　appoint　at　least　one　generation　to　pass　its　life　in　silence。　　〃There；　thou　one　blessed　generation；　from　the　vain　jargon　of　babble　thou　art　beneficently　freed。　　Whatsoever　of　truth；　traditionary　or　original；　thy　own　god…given　intellect　shall　point　out　to　thee　as　true；　that　thou　wilt　go　and　do。　　In　doing　of　it　there　will　be　a　verdict　for　thee；　if　a　verdict　of　True；　thou　wilt　hold　by　it；　and　ever　again　do　it；　if　of　Untrue；　thou　wilt　never　try　it　more；　but　be　eternally　delivered　from　it。　To　do　aught　because　the　vain　hearsays　order　thee；　and　the　big　clamors　of　the　sanhedrim　of　fools；　is　not　thy　lot；what　worlds　of　misery　are　spared　thee！　　Nature's　voice　heard　in　thy　own　inner　being；　and　the　sacred　Commandment　of　thy　Maker：　　these　shall　be　thy　guidances；　thou　happy　tongueless　generation。　　What　is　good　and　beautiful　thou　shalt　know；　not　merely　what　is　said　to　be　so。　　Not　to　talk　of　thy　doings；　and　become　the　envy　of　surrounding　flunkies；　but　to　taste　of　the　fruit　of　thy　doings　themselves；　is　thine。　　What　the　Eternal　Laws　will　sanction　for　thee；　do；　what　the　Froth　Gospels　and　multitudinous　long…eared　Hearsays　never　so　loudly　bid；　all　this　is　already　chaff　for　thee；drifting　rapidly　along；　thou　knowest　whitherward；　on　the　eternal　winds。〃

Good　Heavens；　if　such　a　plan　were　practicable；　how　the　chaff　might　be　winnowed　out　of　every　man；　and　out　of　all　human　things；　and　ninety…nine　hundredths　of　our　whole　big　Universe；　spiritual　and　practical；　might　blow　itself　away；　as　mere　torrents　of　chaff　whole　trade…winds　of　chaff；　many　miles　deep；　rushing　continually　with　the　voice　of　whirlwinds　towards　a　certain　FIRE；　which　knows　how　to　deal　with　it！　　Ninety…nine　hundredths　blown　away；　all　the　lies　blown　away；　and　some　skeleton　of　a　spiritual　and　practical　Universe　left　standing　for　us　which　were　true：　　O　Heavens；　is　it　forever　impossible；　then？　　By　a　generation　that　had　no　tongue　it　really　might　be　done；　but　not　so　easily　by　one　that　had。　　Tongues；　platforms；　parliaments；　and　fourth…estates；　unfettered　presses；　periodical　and　stationary　literatures：　　we　are　nearly　all　gone　to　tongue；　I　think；　and　our　fate　is　very　questionable。


Truly；　it　is　little　known　at　present；　and　ought　forthwith　to　become　better　known；　what　ruin　to　all　nobleness　and　fruitfulness　and　blessedness　in　the　genius　of　a　poor　mortal　you　generally　bring　about；　by　ordering　him　to　speak；　to　do　all　things　with　a　view　to　their　being　seen！　　Few　good　and　fruitful　things　ever　were　done；　or　could　be　done；　on　those　terms。　　Silence；　silence；　and　be　distant　ye　profane；　with　your　jargonings　and　superficial　babblements；　when　a　man　has　anything　to　do！　　Eye…service；dost　thou　know　what　that　is；　poor　England？eye…service　is　all　the　man　can　do　in　these　sad　circumstances；　grows　to　be　all　he　has　the　idea　of　doing；　of　his　or　any　other　man's　ever　doing；　or　ever　having　done；　in　any　circumstances。　　Sad；　enough。　　Alas；　it　is　our　saddest　woe　of　all；too　sad　for　being　spoken　of　at　present；　while　all　or　nearly　all　men　consider　it　an　imaginary　sorrow　on　my　part！

Let　the　young　English　soul；　in　whatever　logic…shop　and　nonsense…verse　establishment　of　an　Eton；　Oxford；　Edinburgh；　Halle；　Salamanca；　or　other　High　Finishing…School；　he　may　be　getting　his　young　idea　taught　how　to　speak　and　spout；　and　print　sermons　and　review…articles；　and　thereby　show　himself　and　fond　patrons　that　it　_is_　an　idea；lay　this　solemnly　to　heart；　this　is　my　deepest　counsel　to　him！　　The　idea　you　have　once　spoken；　if　it　even　were　an　idea；　is　no　longer　yours；　it　is　gone　from　you；　so　much　life　and　virtue　is　gone；　and　the　vital　circulations　of　your　self　and　your　destiny　and　activity　are　henceforth　deprived　of　it。　　If　you　could　not　get　it　spoken；　if　you　could　still　constrain　it　into　silence；　so　much　the　richer　are　you。　Better　keep　your　idea　while　you　can：　　let　it　still　circulate　in　your　blood；　and　there　fructify；　inarticulately　inciting　you　to　good　activities；　giving　to　your　whole　spiritual　life　a　ruddier　health。　　When　the　time　does　come　for　speaking　it；　you　will　speak　it　all　the　more　concisely；　the　more　expressively；　appropriately；　and　if　such　a　time　should　never　come；　have　you　not　already　acted　it；　and　uttered　it　as　no　words　can？　　Think　of　this；　my　young　friend；　for　there　is　nothing　truer；　nothing　more　forgotten　in　these　shabby　gold…laced　days。　　Incontinence　is　half　of　all　the　sins　of　man。　　And　among　the　many　kinds　of　that　base　vice；　I　know　none　baser；　or　at　present　half　so　fell　and　fatal；　as　that　same　Incontinence　of　Tongue。　　〃Public　speaking；〃　〃parliamentary　eloquence：〃　　it　is　a　Moloch；　before　whom　young　souls　are　made　to　pass　through　the　fire。　　They　enter；　weeping　or　rejoicing；　fond　parents　consecrating　them　to　the　red…hot　Idol；　as　to　the　Highest　God：　and　they　come　out　spiritually　_dead_。　　Dead　enough；　to　live　thenceforth　a　galvanic　life　of　mere　Stump…Oratory；　screeching　and　gibbering；　words　without　wisdom；　without　veracity；　without　conviction　m