glaucus-or the wonders of the shore(格劳高斯)-第5部分
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round which all the others group themselves； are the first wolf…track by
the road…side in the Kyllwald； the first sight of the blue and green Roller…
birds； walking behind the plough like rooks in the tobacco…fields of
Wittlich； the first ball of Olivine scraped out of the volcanic slag…heaps
of the Dreisser… Weiher； the first pair of the Lesser Bustard flushed upon
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the downs of the Mosel…kopf； the first sight of the cloud of white
Ephemerae； fluttering in the dusk like a summer snowstorm between us
and the black cliffs of the Rheinstein； while the broad Rhine beneath
flashed blood…red in the blaze of the lightning and the fires of the
Mausenthurm … a lurid Acheron above which seemed to hover ten
thousand unburied ghosts； and last； but not least； on the lip of the vast
Mosel…kopf crater … just above the point where the weight of the fiery
lake has burst the side of the great slag…cup； and rushed forth between
two cliffs of clink…stone across the downs； in a clanging stream of fire；
damming up rivulets； and blasting its path through forests； far away
toward the valley of the Moselle … the sight of an object for which was
forgotten for the moment that battle…field of the Titans at our feet； and
the glorious panorama； Hundsruck and Taunus； Siebengebirge and
Ardennes； and all the crater peaks around； and which was … smile not；
reader … our first yellow foxglove。
But what is even this to the delight of finding a new species？ … of
rescuing （as it seems to you） one more thought of the Divine mind from
Hela； and the realms of the unknown； unclassified； uncomprehended？
As it seems to you： though in reality it only seems so； in a world
wherein not a sparrow falls to the ground unnoticed by our Father who is
in heaven。
The truth is； the pleasure of finding new species is too great； it is
morally dangerous； for it brings with it the temptation to look on the
thing found as your own possession； all but your own creation； to pride
yourself on it； as if God had not known it for ages since； even to
squabble jealously for the right of having it named after you； and of
being recorded in the Transactions of I… know…not…what Society as its first
discoverer：… as if all the angels in heaven had not been admiring it； long
before you were born or thought of。
But to be forewarned is to be forearmed； and I seriously counsel you
to try if you cannot find something new this summer along the coast to
which you are going。 There is no reason why you should not be so
successful as a friend of mine who； with a very slight smattering of
science； and very desultory research； obtained in one winter from the
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Torbay shores three entirely new species； beside several rare animals
which had escaped all naturalists since the lynx…eye of Colonel Montagu
discerned them forty years ago。
And do not despise the creatures because they are minute。 No doubt
we should most of us prefer discovering monstrous apes in the tropical
forests of Borneo； or stumbling upon herds of gigantic Ammon sheep
amid the rhododendron thickets of the Himalaya： but it cannot be； and
〃he is a fool；〃 says old Hesiod； 〃who knows not how much better half is
than the whole。〃 Let us be content with what is within our reach。
And doubt not that in these tiny creatures are mysteries more than we
shall ever fathom。
The zoophytes and microscopic animalcules which people every shore
and every drop of water； have been now raised to a rank in the human
mind more important； perhaps； than even those gigantic monsters whose
models fill the lake at the Crystal Palace。 The research which has been
bestowed； for the last century； upon these once unnoticed atomies has
well repaid itself； for from no branch of physical science has more been
learnt of the SCIENTIA SCIENTIARUM； the priceless art of learning；
no branch of science has more utterly confounded a wisdom of the wise；
shattered to pieces systems and theories； and the idolatry of arbitrary
names； and taught man to be silent while his Maker speaks； than this
apparent pedantry of zoophytology； in which our old distinctions of
〃animal；〃 〃vegetable；〃 and 〃mineral〃 are trembling in the balance；
seemingly ready to vanish like their fellows … 〃the four elements〃 of fire；
earth； air； and water。 No branch of science has helped so much to
sweep away that sensuous idolatry of mere size； which tempts man to
admire and respect objects in proportion to the number of feet or inches
which they occupy in space。 No branch of science； moreover； has been
more humbling to the boasted rapidity and omnipotence of the human
reason； or has more taught those who have eyes to see； and hearts to
understand； how weak and wayward； staggering and slow； are the steps
of our fallen race （rapid and triumphant enough in that broad road of
theories which leads to intellectual destruction） whensoever they tread
the narrow path of true science； which leads （if I may be allowed to
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transfer our Lord's great parable from moral to intellectual matters） to
Life； to the living and permanent knowledge of living things and of the
laws of their existence。 Humbling； truly； to one who looks back to the
summer of 1754； when good Mr。 Ellis； the wise and benevolent West
Indian merchant； read before the Royal Society his paper proving the
animal nature of corals； and followed it up the year after by that 〃Essay
toward a Natural History of the Corallines； and other like Marine
Productions of the British Coasts；〃 which forms the groundwork of all
our knowledge on the subject to this day。 The chapter in Dr。 G。
Johnston's 〃British Zoophytes；〃 p。 407； or the excellent little RESUME
thereof in Dr。 Landsborough's book on the same subject； is really a
saddening one； as one sees how loth were； not merely dreamers like；
Marsigli or Bonnet； but sound… headed men like Pallas and Linne； to give
up the old sense…bound fancy； that these corals were vegetables； and
their polypes some sort of living flowers。 Yet； after all； there are
excuses for them。 Without our improved microscopes； and while the
sciences of comparative anatomy and chemistry were yet infantile； it
was difficult to believe what was the truth； and for this simple reason：
that； as usual； the truth； when discovered； turned out far more startling
and prodigious than the dreams which men had hastily substituted for it；
more strange than Ovid's old story that the coral was soft under the sea；
and hardened by exposure to air； than Marsigli's notion； that the coral…
polypes were its flowers； than Dr。 Parsons' contemptuous denial； that
these complicated forms could be 〃the operations of little； poor； helpless；
jelly…like animals； and not the work of more sure vegetation；〃 than Baker
the microscopist's detailed theory of their being produced by the
crystallization of the mineral salts in the sea…water； just as he had seen
〃the particles of mercury and copper in aquafortis assume tree…like forms；
or curious delineations of mosses and minute shrubs on slates and stones；
owing to the shooting of salts intermixed with mineral particles：〃 … one
smiles at it now： yet these men were no less sensible than we； and if
we know better； it is only because other men； and those few and far
between； have laboured amid disbelief； ridicule； and error； needing again
and again to retrace their steps； and to unlearn more than they learnt；
