essays on life, art and science-第3部分

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have　the　most　profound　veneration；　but　with　which　I　have　not　had　the
honour　to　be　connected　for　some　quarter　of　a　century。　　At　last　they
said　they　would　change　this　description　if　I　would　only　tell　them
what　I　was；　for；　though　they　had　done　their　best　to　find　out；　they
had　themselves　failed。　　I　replied　with　modest　pride　that　I　was　a
Bachelor　of　Arts。　　I　keep　all　my　other　letters　inside　my　name；　not
outside。　　They　mused　and　said　it　was　unfortunate　that　I　was　not　a
Master　of　Arts。　　Could　I　not　get　myself　made　a　Master？　　I　said　I
understood　that　a　Mastership　was　an　article　the　University　could　not
do　under　about　five　pounds；　and　that　I　was　not　disposed　to　go
sixpence　higher　than　three　ten。　　They　again　said　it　was　a　pity；　for
it　would　be　very　inconvenient　to　them　if　I　did　not　keep　to　something
between　a　bishop　and　a　poet。　　I　might　be　anything　I　liked　in　reason；
provided　I　showed　proper　respect　for　the　alphabet；　but　they　had　got
me　between　〃Samuel　Butler；　bishop；〃　and　〃Samuel　Butler；　poet。〃　　It
would　be　very　troublesome　to　shift　me；　and　bachelor　came　before
bishop。　　This　was　reasonable；　so　I　replied　that；　under　those
circumstances；　if　they　pleased；　I　thought　I　would　like　to　be　a
philosophical　writer。　　They　embraced　the　solution；　and；　no　matter
what　I　write　now；　I　must　remain　a　philosophical　writer　as　long　as　I
live；　for　the　alphabet　will　hardly　be　altered　in　my　time；　and　I　must
be　something　between　〃Bis〃　and　〃Poe。〃　　If　I　could　get　a　volume　of　my
excellent　namesake's　〃Hudibras〃　out　of　the　list　of　my　works；　I
should　be　robbed　of　my　last　shred　of　literary　grievance；　so　I　say
nothing　about　this；　but　keep　it　secret；　lest　some　worse　thing　should
happen　to　me。　　Besides；　I　have　a　great　respect　for　my　namesake；　and
always　say　that　if　〃Erewhon〃　had　been　a　racehorse　it　would　have　been
got　by　〃Hudibras〃　out　of　〃Analogy。〃　　Some　one　said　this　to　me　many
years　ago；　and　I　felt　so　much　flattered　that　I　have　been　repeating
the　remark　as　my　own　ever　since。

But　how　small　are　these　grievances　as　compared　with　those　endured
without　a　murmur　by　hundreds　of　writers　far　more　deserving　than
myself。　　When　I　see　the　scores　and　hundreds　of　workers　in　the
reading…room　who　have　done　so　much　more　than　I　have；　but　whose　work
is　absolutely　fruitless　to　themselves；　and　when　I　think　of　the
prompt　recognition　obtained　by　my　own　work；　I　ask　myself　what　I　have
done　to　be　thus　rewarded。　　On　the　other　hand；　the　feeling　that　I
have　succeeded　far　beyond　my　deserts　hitherto；　makes　it　all　the
harder　for　me　to　acquiesce　without　complaint　in　the　extinction　of　a
career　which　I　honestly　believe　to　be　a　promising　one；　and　once　more
I　repeat　that；　unless　the　Museum　authorities　give　me　back　my　Frost；
or　put　a　locked　clasp　on　Arvine；　my　career　must　be　extinguished。
Give　me　back　Frost；　and；　if　life　and　health　are　spared；　I　will　write
another　dozen　of　volumes　yet　before　I　hang　up　my　fiddleif　so
serious　a　confusion　of　metaphors　may　be　pardoned。　　I　know　from　long
experience　how　kind　and　considerate　both　the　late　and　present
superintendents　of　the　reading…room　were　and　are；　but　I　doubt　how
far　either　of　them　would　be　disposed　to　help　me　on　this　occasion；
continue；　however；　to　rob　me　of　my　Frost；　and；　whatever　else　I　may
do；　I　will　write　no　more　books。

Note　by　Dr。　Garnett；　British　Museum。The　frost　has　broken　up。　　Mr。
Butler　is　restored　to　literature。　　Mr。　Mudie　may　make　himself　easy。
England　will　still　boast　a　humourist；　and　the　late　Mr。　Darwin　（to
whose　posthumous　machinations　the　removal　of　the　book　was　owing）
will　continue　to　be　confounded。R。　GANNETT。



RAMBLINGS　IN　CHEAPSIDE　｛2｝



Walking　the　other　day　in　Cheapside　I　saw　some　turtles　in　Mr。
Sweeting's　window；　and　was　tempted　to　stay　and　look　at　them。　　As　I
did　so　I　was　struck　not　more　by　the　defences　with　which　they　were
hedged　about；　than　by　the　fatuousness　of　trying　to　hedge　that　in　at
all　which；　if　hedged　thoroughly；　must　die　of　its　own　defencefulness。
The　holes　for　the　head　and　feet　through　which　the　turtle　leaks　out；
as　it　were；　on　to　the　exterior　world；　and　through　which　it　again
absorbs　the　exterior　world　into　itself〃catching　on〃　through　them
to　things　that　are　thus　both　turtle　and　not　turtle　at　one　and　the
same　timethese　holes　stultify　the　armour；　and　show　it　to　have　been
designed　by　a　creature　with　more　of　faithfulness　to　a　fixed　idea；
and　hence　one…sidedness；　than　of　that　quick　sense　of　relative
importances　and　their　changes；　which　is　the　main　factor　of　good
living。

The　turtle　obviously　had　no　sense　of　proportion；　it　differed　so
widely　from　myself　that　I　could　not　comprehend　it；　and　as　this　word
occurred　to　me；　it　occurred　also　that　until　my　body　comprehended　its
body　in　a　physical　material　sense；　neither　would　my　mind　be　able　to
comprehend　its　mind　with　any　thoroughness。　　For　unity　of　mind　can
only　be　consummated　by　unity　of　body；　everything；　therefore；　must　be
in　some　respects　both　knave　and　fool　to　all　that　which　has　not　eaten
it；　or　by　which　it　has　not　been　eaten。　　As　long　as　the　turtle　was　in
the　window　and　I　in　the　street　outside；　there　was　no　chance　of　our
comprehending　one　another。

Nevertheless　I　knew　that　I　could　get　it　to　agree　with　me　if　I　could
so　effectually　button…hole　and　fasten　on　to　it　as　to　eat　it。　　Most
men　have　an　easy　method　with　turtle　soup；　and　I　had　no　misgiving　but
that　if　I　could　bring　my　first　premise　to　bear　I　should　prove　the
better　reasoner。　　My　difficulty　lay　in　this　initial　process；　for　I
had　not　with　me　the　argument　that　would　alone　compel　Mr。　Sweeting
think　that　I　ought　to　be　allowed　to　convert　the　turtlesI　mean　I
had　no　money　in　my　pocket。　　No　missionary　enterprise　can　be　carried
on　without　any　money　at　all；　but　even　so　small　a　sum　as　half…a…crown
would；　I　suppose；　have　enabled　me　to　bring　the　turtle　partly　round；
and　with　many　half…crowns　I　could　in　time　no　doubt　convert　the　lot；
for　the　turtle　needs　must　go　where　the　money　drives。　　If；　as　is
alleged；　the　world　stands　on　a　turtle；　the　turtle　stands　on　money。
No　money　no　turtle。　　As　for　money；　that　stands　on　opinion；　credit；
trust；　faiththings　that；　though　highly　material　in　connection　with
money；　are　still　of　immaterial　essence。

The　steps　are　perfectly　plain。　　The　men　who　caught　the　turtles
brought　a　fairly　strong　and　definite　opinion　to　bear　upon　them；　that
passed　into　action；　and　later　on　into　money。　　They　thought　the
turtles　would　come　that　way；　and　verified　their　opinion；　on　this；
will　and　action　were　generated；　with　the　result　that　the　men　turned
the　turtles　on　their　backs　and　carried　them　off。　　Mr。　Sweeting
touched　these　men　with　money；　which　is　the　outward　and　visible　sign
of　verified　opinion。　　The　customer　touches　Mr。　Sweeting　with　money；
Mr。　Sweeting　touches　the　waiter　and　the　cook　with　money。　　They　touch
the　turtle　with　skill　and　verified　opinion。　　Finally；　the　customer
applies　the　clinching　argument　that　brushes　all　sophisms　aside；　and
bids　the　turtle　stand　protoplasm　to　protoplasm　with　himself；　to　know
even　as　it　is　known。

But　it　must　be　all　touch；　touch；　touch；　skill；　opinion；　power；　and
money；　passing　in　and　out　with　one　another　in　any　order　we　like；　but
still　link　to　link　and　touch　to　touch。　　If　there　is　failure　anywhere
in　respect　of　opinion；　skill；　power；　or　money；　either　as　regards
quantity　or　quality；　the　chain　can　be　no　stronger　than　its　weakest
link；　and　the　turtle　and　the　clinching　argument　will　fly　asunder。
Of　course；　if　there　is　an　initial　failure　in　connection；　through
defect　in　any　member　of　the　chain；　or　of　connection　between　the
links；　it　will　no　more　be　attempted　to　bring　the　turtle　and　the
clinching　argument　together；　than　it　will　to　chain　up　a　dog　with　two
pieces　of　broken　chain　that　are　disconnected。　　The　contact
throughout　must　be　conceived　as　absolute；　and　yet　perfect　contact　is
inconceivable　by　us；　for　on　becoming　perfect　it　ceases　to　be
contact；　and　becomes　essential；　once　for　all　inseverable；　identity。
The　most　absolute　contact　short　of　this　is　still　contact　by　courtesy
only。　　So　here；　as　everywhere　else；　Eurydice　glides　off　as　we　are
about　to　grasp　her。　　We　can　see　nothing　face　to　face；　our　utmost
seeing　is　but　a　fumbling　of　blind　finger…ends　in　an　overcrowded
pocket。

Presently　my　own　blind　finger…ends　fished　up　the　conclusion；　that　as
I　had　neither　time　nor　money　to　spend　on　perfecting　the　chain　that
would　put　me　in　full　spiritual　contact　with　Mr。　Sweeting's　turtles；
I　had　better　leave　them　to　complete　their　education　at　some　one
else's　expense　rather　than　mine；　so　I　walked　on　towards　the　Bank。
As　I　did　so　it　struck　me　how　continually　we　are　met　by　this　melting
of　one　existence　into　another。　　The　limits　of　the　body　seem　well
defined　enough　as　definitions　go；　but　definitions　seldom　go　far。
What；　for　example；　can　seem　more　distinct　from　a　man　than　his　banker
or　his　solicitor？　　Yet　these　are　commonly　so　much　parts　of　him　that
he　can　no　more　cut　them　off　and　grow　new　ones；　than　he　can　grow　new
legs　or　arms；　neither　must　he　wound　his　solicitor；　a　wound　in　the
solicitor　is　a　very　serious　thing。　　As　for　his　bankfailure　of　his
bank's　action　may　be　as　fatal　to　a　man　as　failure　of　his　heart。　　I
have　said　nothing　about　the　medical　or　spiritual　adviser；　but　most
men　grow　into　the　society　that　surrounds　them　by　the　help　of　these
four　main　tap…roots；　and　not　only　into　the　world　of　humanity；　but
into　the　universe　at　large。　　We　can；　indeed；　grow　butchers；　bakers；
and　greengrocers；　almost　ad　libitum；　but　these　are　low　developments；
and　correspond　to　skin；　hair；　or　finger…nails。　　Those　of　us　again
who　are　not　highly　enough　organised　to　have　grown　a　solicitor　or
banker　can　generally　repair　the　loss　of　whatever　social　organisation
they　may　possess　as　freely　as　lizards　are　said　to　grow　new　tails；
but　this　with　the　higher　social；　as　well　as　organic；　developments　is
only　possible　to　a　very　limited　extent。

The　doctrine　of　metempsychosis；　or　transmigration　of　soulsa
doctrine　to　which　the　foregoing　considerations　are　for　the　most　part
easy　corollariescrops　up　no　matter　in　what　direction　we　allow　our
thoughts　to　wander。　　And　we　meet　instances　of　transmigration　of　body
as　well　as　of　soul。　　I　do　not　mean　that　both　body　and　soul　have
transmigrated　together；　far　from　it