essays on life, art and science-第6部分

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devour　it。

Nor　is　there　any　statement　or　proposition　more　invulnerable　than
living　forms　are。　　Propositions　prey　upon　and　are　grounded　upon　one
another　just　like　living　forms。　　They　support　one　another　as　plants
and　animals　do；　they　are　based　ultimately　on　credit；　or　faith；
rather　than　the　cash　of　irrefragable　conviction。　　The　whole　universe
is　carried　on　on　the　credit　system；　and　if　the　mutual　confidence　on
which　it　is　based　were　to　collapse；　it　must　itself　collapse
immediately。　　Just　or　unjust；　it　lives　by　faith；　it　is　based　on
vague　and　impalpable　opinion　that　by　some　inscrutable　process　passes
into　will　and　action；　and　is　made　manifest　in　matter　and　in　flesh：
it　is　meteoricsuspended　in　midair；　it　is　the　baseless　fabric　of　a
vision　so　vast；　so　vivid；　and　so　gorgeous　that　no　base　can　seem　more
broad　than　such　stupendous　baselessness；　and　yet　any　man　can　bring
it　about　his　ears　by　being　over…curious；　when　faith　fails　a　system
based　on　faith　fails　also。

Whether　the　universe　is　really　a　paying　concern；　or　whether　it　is　an
inflated　bubble　that　must　burst　sooner　or　later；　this　is　another
matter。　　If　people　were　to　demand　cash　payment　in　irrefragable
certainty　for　everything　that　they　have　taken　hitherto　as　paper
money　on　the　credit　of　the　bank　of　public　opinion；　is　there　money
enough　behind　it　all　to　stand　so　great　a　drain　even　on　so　great　a
reserve？　　Probably　there　is　not；　but　happily　there　can　be　no　such
panic；　for　even　though　the　cultured　classes　may　do　so；　the
uncultured　are　too　dull　to　have　brains　enough　to　commit　such
stupendous　folly。　　It　takes　a　long　course　of　academic　training　to
educate　a　man　up　to　the　standard　which　he　must　reach　before　he　can
entertain　such　questions　seriously；　and　by　a　merciful　dispensation
of　Providence；　university　training　is　almost　as　costly　as　it　is
unprofitable。　　The　majority　will　thus　be　always　unable　to　afford　it；
and　will　base　their　opinions　on　mother　wit　and　current　opinion
rather　than　on　demonstration。

So　I　turned　my　steps　homewards；　I　saw　a　good　many　more　things　on　my
way　home；　but　I　was　told　that　I　was　not　to　see　more　this　time　than　I
could　get　into　twelve　pages　of　the　Universal　Review；　I　must
therefore　reserve　any　remark　which　I　think　might　perhaps　entertain
the　reader　for　another　occasion。



THE　AUNT；　THE　NIECES；　AND　THE　DOG　｛3｝



When　a　thing　is　old；　broken；　and　useless　we　throw　it　on　the　dust…
heap；　but　when　it　is　sufficiently　old；　sufficiently　broken；　and
sufficiently　useless　we　give　money　for　it；　put　it　into　a　museum；　and
read　papers　over　it　which　people　come　long　distances　to　hear。　　By…
and…by；　when　the　whirligig　of　time　has　brought　on　another　revenge；
the　museum　itself　becomes　a　dust…heap；　and　remains　so　till　after
long　ages　it　is　re…discovered；　and　valued　as　belonging　to　a　neo…
rubbish　agecontaining；　perhaps；　traces　of　a　still　older　paleo…
rubbish　civilisation。　　So　when　people　are　old；　indigent；　and　in　all
respects　incapable；　we　hold　them　in　greater　and　greater　contempt　as
their　poverty　and　impotence　increase；　till　they　reach　the　pitch　when
they　are　actually　at　the　point　to　die；　whereon　they　become　sublime。
Then　we　place　every　resource　our　hospitals　can　command　at　their
disposal；　and　show　no　stint　in　our　consideration　for　them。

It　is　the　same　with　all　our　interests。　　We　care　most　about　extremes
of　importance　and　of　unimportance；　but　extremes　of　importance　are
tainted　with　fear；　and　a　very　imperfect　fear　casteth　out　love。
Extremes　of　unimportance　cannot　hurt　us；　therefore　we　are　well
disposed　towards　them；　the　means　may　come　to　do　so；　therefore　we　do
not　love　them。　　Hence　we　pick　a　fly　out　of　a　milk…jug　and　watch　with
pleasure　over　its　recovery；　for　we　are　confident　that　under　no
conceivable　circumstances　will　it　want　to　borrow　money　from　us；　but
we　feel　less　sure　about　a　mouse；　so　we　show　it　no　quarter。　　The
compilers　of　our　almanacs　well　know　this　tendency　of　our　natures；　so
they　tell　us；　not　when　Noah　went　into　the　ark；　nor　when　the　temple
of　Jerusalem　was　dedicated；　but　that　Lindley　Murray；　grammarian；
died　January　16；　1826。　　This　is　not　because　they　could　not　find　so
many　as　three　hundred　and　sixty…five　events　of　considerable　interest
since　the　creation　of　the　world；　but　because　they　well　know　we　would
rather　hear　of　something　less　interesting。　　We　care　most　about　what
concerns　us　either　very　closely；　or　so　little　that　practically　we
have　nothing　whatever　to　do　with　it。

I　once　asked　a　young　Italian；　who　professed　to　have　a　considerable
knowledge　of　English　literature；　which　of　all　our　poems　pleased　him
best。　　He　replied　without　a　moment's　hesitation：…


〃Hey　diddle　diddle；　the　cat　and　the　fiddle；
　　　The　cow　jumped　over　the　moon；
The　little　dog　laughed　to　see　such　sport；
　　　And　the　dish　ran　away　with　the　spoon。〃


He　said　this　was　better　than　anything　in　Italian。　　They　had　Dante
and　Tasso；　and　ever　so　many　more　great　poets；　but　they　had　nothing
comparable　to　〃Hey　diddle　diddle；〃　nor　had　he　been　able　to　conceive
how　any　one　could　have　written　it。　　Did　I　know　the　author's　name；
and　had　we　given　him　a　statue？　　On　this　I　told　him　of　the　young　lady
of　Harrow　who　would　go　to　church　in　a　barrow；　and　plied　him　with
whatever　rhyming　nonsense　I　could　call　to　mind；　but　it　was　no　use；
all　of　these　things　had　an　element　of　reality　that　robbed　them　of
half　their　charm；　whereas　〃Hey　diddle　diddle〃　had　nothing　in　it　that
could　conceivably　concern　him。

So　again　it　is　with　the　things　that　gall　us　most。　　What　is　it　that
rises　up　against　us　at　odd　times　and　smites　us　in　the　face　again　and
again　for　years　after　it　has　happened？　　That　we　spent　all　the　best
years　of　our　life　in　learning　what　we　have　found　to　be　a　swindle；
and　to　have　been　known　to　be　a　swindle　by　those　who　took　money　for
misleading　us？　　That　those　on　whom　we　most　leaned　most　betrayed　us？
That　we　have　only　come　to　feel　our　strength　when　there　is　little
strength　left　of　any　kind　to　feel？　　These　things　will　hardly　much
disturb　a　man　of　ordinary　good　temper。　　But　that　he　should　have　said
this　or　that　little　unkind　and　wanton　saying；　that　he　should　have
gone　away　from　this　or　that　hotel　and　given　a　shilling　too　little　to
the　waiter；　that　his　clothes　were　shabby　at　such　or　such　a　garden…
partythese　things　gall　us　as　a　corn　will　sometimes　do；　though　the
loss　of　a　limb　way　not　be　seriously　felt。

I　have　been　reminded　lately　of　these　considerations　with　more　than
common　force　by　reading　the　very　voluminous　correspondence　left　by
my　grandfather；　Dr。　Butler；　of　Shrewsbury；　whose　memoirs　I　am
engaged　in　writing。　　I　have　found　a　large　number　of　interesting
letters　on　subjects　of　serious　import；　but　must　confess　that　it　is
to　the　hardly　less　numerous　lighter　letters　that　I　have　been　most
attracted；　nor　do　I　feel　sure　that　my　eminent　namesake　did　not　share
my　predilection。　　Among　other　letters　in　my　possession　I　have　one
bundle　that　has　been　kept　apart；　and　has　evidently　no　connection
with　Dr。　Butler's　own　life。　　I　cannot　use　these　letters；　therefore；
for　my　book；　but　over　and　above　the　charm　of　their　inspired
spelling；　I　find　them　of　such　an　extremely　trivial　nature　that　I
incline　to　hope　the　reader　may　derive　as　much　amusement　from　them　as
I　have　done　myself；　and　venture　to　give　them　the　publicity　here
which　I　must　refuse　them　in　my　book。　　The　dates　and　signatures　have；
with　the　exception　of　Mrs。　Newton's；　been　carefully　erased；　but　I
have　collected　that　they　were　written　by　the　two　servants　of　a
single　lady　who　resided　at　no　great　distance　from　London；　to　two
nieces　of　the　said　lady　who　lived　in　London　itself。　　The　aunt　never
writes；　but　always　gets　one　of　the　servants　to　do　so　for　her。　　She
appears　either　as　〃your　aunt〃　or　as　〃She〃；　her　name　is　not　given；
but　she　is　evidently　looked　upon　with　a　good　deal　of　awe　by　all　who
had　to　do　with　her。

The　letters　almost　all　of　them　relate　to　visits　either　of　the　aunt
to　London；　or　of　the　nieces　to　the　aunt's　home；　which；　from
occasional　allusions　to　hopping；　I　gather　to　have　been　in　Kent；
Sussex；　or　Surrey。　　I　have　arranged　them　to　the　best　of　my　power；
and　take　the　following　to　be　the　earliest。　　It　has　no　signature；　but
is　not　in　the　handwriting　of　the　servant　who　styles　herself
Elizabeth；　or　Mrs。　Newton。　　It　runs：…


〃MADAM；Your　Aunt　Wishes　me　to　inform　you　she　will　be　glad　if　you
will　let　hir　know　if　you　think　of　coming　To　hir　House　thiss　month　or
Next　as　she　cannot　have　you　in　September　on　a　kount　of　the　Hoping　If
you　ar　coming　she　thinkes　she　had　batter　Go　to　London　on　the　Day　you
com　to　hir　House　the　says　you　shall　have　everry　Thing　raddy　for　you
at　hir　House　and　Mrs。　Newton　to　meet　you　and　stay　with　you　till　She
returnes　a　gann。

〃if　you　arnot　Coming　thiss　Summer　She　will　be　in　London　before　thiss
Month　is　out　and　will　Sleep　on　the　Sofy　As　She　willnot　be　in　London
more　thann　two　nits。　and　She　Says　she　willnot　truble　you　on　anny　a
kount　as　She　Will　returne　the　Same　Day　before　She　will　plage　you
anny　more。　but　She　thanks　you　for　asking　hir　to　London。　but　She　says
She　cannot　leve　the　house　at　prassant　She　sayhir　Survants　ar　to　do
for　you　as　she　cannot　lodge　yours　nor　she　willnot　have　thim　in　at
the　house　anny　more　to　brake　and　destroy　hir　thinks　and　beslive　hir
and　make　up　Lies　by　hir　and　Skandel　as　your　too　did　She　says　she
mens　to　pay　fore　2　Nits　and　one　day；　She　says　the　Pepelwill　let　hir
have　it　if　you　ask　thim　to　let　hir：　　you　Will　be　so　good　as　to　let
hir　know　sun：　　wish　She　is　to　do；　as　She　says　She　dos　not　care　anny
thing　a　bout　it。　which　way　tiss　she　is　batter　than　She　was　and
desirs　hir　Love　to　bouth　bouth。

〃Your　aunt　wises　to　know　how　the　silk　Clocks　ar　madup　＇how　the　silk
cloaks　are　made　up＇　with　a　Cape　or　a　wood　as　she　is　a　goin　to　have
one　madeup　to　rideout　in　in　hir　littel　shas　＇chaise＇。

〃Charles　is　a　butty　and　so　good。

〃Mr　&　Mrs　Newton　ar　quite　wall　&　desires　to　be　remembered　to　you。〃


I　can　throw　no　light　on　the　meaning　of　the　verb　to　〃beslive。〃　　Each
letter　in　the　MS。　is　so　admirably　formed　that　there　can　be　no
question　about　the　word　being　as　I　have　given　it。　　Nor　have　I　been
able　to　discover　what　is　referred　to　by　the　words　〃Charles　is　a
butty　and　so　good。〃　　We　shall　presently　meet　with　a　Charles　wh