sartor resartus-第47部分
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at the closing Chapter of the Clothes…Volume was to blame。 In this appalling crisis; the serenity of our Philosopher was indescribable: nay; perhaps through one humble individual; something thereof might pass into the _Rath_ (Council) itself; and so contribute to the country's deliverance。 The Tailors are now entirely pacificated。
〃To neither of these two incidents can I attribute our loss: yet still comes there the shadow of a suspicion out of Paris and its Politics。 For example; when the _Saint…Simonian Society_ transmitted its Propositions hither; and the whole _Gans_ was one vast cackle of laughter; lamentation and astonishment; our Sage sat mute; and at the end of the third evening said merely: 'Here also are men who have discovered; not without amazement; that Man is still Man; of which high; long…forgotten Truth you already see them make a false application。' Since then; as has been ascertained by examination of the Post…Director; there passed at least one Letter with its Answer between the Messieurs Bazard…Enfantin and our Professor himself; of what tenor can now only be conjectured。 On the fifth night following; he was seen for the last time!
〃Has this invaluable man; so obnoxious to most of the hostile Sects that convulse our Era; been spirited away by certain of their emissaries; or did he go forth voluntarily to their head…quarters to confer with them; and confront them? Reason we have; at least of a negative sort; to believe the Lost still living; our widowed heart also whispers that ere long he will himself give a sign。 Otherwise; indeed; his archives must; one day; be opened by Authority; where much; perhaps the _Palingenesie_ itself; is thought to be reposited。〃
Thus far the Hofrath; who vanishes; as is his wont; too like an Ignis Fatuus; leaving the dark still darker。
So that Teufelsdrockh's public History were not done; then; or reduced to an even; unromantic tenor; nay; perhaps the better part thereof were only beginning? We stand in a region of conjectures; where substance has melted into shadow; and one cannot be distinguished from the other。 May Time; which solves or suppresses all problems; throw glad light on this also! Our own private conjecture; now amounting almost to certainty; is that; safe…moored in some stillest obscurity; not to lie always still; Teufelsdrockh; is actually in London!
Here; however; can the present Editor; with an ambrosial joy as of over…weariness falling into sleep; lay down his pen。 Well does he know; if human testimony be worth aught; that to innumerable British readers likewise; this is a satisfying consummation; that innumerable British readers consider him; during these current months; but as an uneasy interruption to their ways of thought and digestion; and indicate so much; not without a certain irritancy and even spoken invective。 For which; as for other mercies; ought not he to thank the Upper Powers? To one and all of you; O irritated readers; he; with outstretched arms and open heart; will wave a kind farewell。 Thou too; miraculous Entity; who namest thyself YORKE and OLIVER; and with thy vivacities and genialities; with thy all too Irish mirth and madness; and odor of palled punch; makest such strange work; farewell; long as thou canst; _fare…well_! Have we not; in the course of Eternity; travelled some months of our Life…journey in partial sight of one another; have we not existed together; though in a state of quarrel?
APPENDIX。
This questionable little Book was undoubtedly written among the mountain solitudes; in 1831; but; owing to impediments natural and accidental; could not; for seven years more; appear as a Volume in England;and had at last to clip itself in pieces; and be content to struggle out; bit by bit; in some courageous _Magazine_ that offered。 Whereby now; to certain idly curious readers; and even to myself till I make study; the insignificant but at last irritating question; What its real history and chronology are; is; if not insoluble; considerably involved in haze。
To the first English Edition; 1838; which an American; or two American had now opened the way for; there was slightingly prefixed; under the title; 〃_Testimonies of Authors_;〃 some straggle of real documents; which; now that I find it again; sets the matter into clear light and sequence:and shall here; for removal of idle stumbling…blocks and nugatory guessings from the path of every reader; be reprinted as it stood。 (_Author's Note; of_ 1868。)
TESTIMONIES OF AUTHORS。
I。 HIGHEST CLASS; BOOKSELLER'S TASTER。
_Taster to Bookseller_。〃 The Author of _Teufelsdrockh_ is a person of talent; his work displays here and there some felicity of thought and expression; considerable fancy and knowledge: but whether or not it would take with the public seems doubtful。 For a _jeu d'esprit_ of that kind it is too long; it would have suited better as an essay or article than as a volume。 The Author has no great tact; his wit is frequently heavy; and reminds one of the German Baron who took to leaping on tables and answered that he was learning to be lively。 _Is_ the work a translation?〃
_Bookseller to Editor_。〃Allow me to say that such a writer requires only a little more tact to produce a popular as well as an able work。 Directly on receiving your permission; I sent your MS。 to a gentleman in the highest class of men of letters; and an accomplished German scholar: I now enclose you his opinion; which; you may rely upon it; is a just one; and I have too high an opinion of your good sense to〃 &c。 &c。_Ms。 (penes nos); London; 17th September_; 1831。
II。 CRITIC OF THE SUN。
〃_Fraser's Magazine_ exhibits the usual brilliancy; and also the〃 &c。
〃_Sartor Resartus_ is what old Dennis used to call 'a heap of clotted nonsense;' mixed however; here and there; with passages marked by thought and striking poetic vigor。 But what does the writer mean by 'Baphometic fire…baptism'? Why cannot he lay aside his pedantry; and write so as to make himself generally intelligible? We quote by way of curiosity a sentence from the _Sartor Resartus_; which may be read either backwards or forwards; for it is equally intelligible either way: indeed; by beginning at the tail; and so working up to the head; we think the reader will stand the fairest chance of getting at its meaning: 'The fire…baptized soul; long so scathed and thunder…riven; here feels its own freedom; which feeling is its Baphometic baptism: the citadel of its whole kingdom it has thus gained by assault; and will keep inexpugnable; outwards from which the remaining dominions; not indeed without hard battering; will doubtless by degrees be conquered and pacificated。' Here is a〃。。。_Sun Newspaper; 1st April_; 1834。
III。 NORTHAMERICAN REVIEWER。
。。。 〃After a careful survey of the whole ground; our belief is that no such persons as Professors Teufelsdrockh or Counsellor Heuschrecke ever existed; that the six Paper…bags; with their China…ink inscriptions and multifarious contents; are a mere figment of the brain; that the 'present Editor' is the only person who has ever written upon the Philosophy of Clothes; and that the _Sartor Resartus_ is the only treatise that has yet appeared upon that subject;in short; that the whole account of the origin of the work before us; which the supposed Editor relates with so much gravity; and of which we have given a brief abstract; is; in plain English; a _hum_。
〃Without troubling our readers at any great length with our reasons for entertaining these suspicions; we may remark; that the absence of all other information on the subject; except what is contained in the work; is itself a fact of a most significant character。 The whole German press; as well as the particular one where the work purports to have been printed; seems to be under the control of _Stillschweigen and Co。 _Silence and Company。 If the Clothes…Philosophy and its author are making so great a sensation throughout Germany as is pretended; how happens it that the only notice we have of the fact is contained in a few numbers of a monthly Magazine published at London! How happens it that no intelligence about the matter has come out directly to this country? We pique ourselves here in New England upon knowing at least as much of what is going on in the literary way in the old Dutch Mother…land as our brethren of the fast…anchored Isle; but thus far we have no tidings whatever of the 'extensive close…printed; close…meditated volume;' which forms the subject of this pretended commentary。 Again; we would respectfully inquire of the 'present Editor' upon what part of the map of Germany we are to look for the city of _Weissnichtwo_'Know…not…where'at which place the work is supposed to have been printed; and the Author to have resided。 It has been our fortune to visit several portions of the German territory; and to examine pretty carefully; at different times and for various purposes; maps of the whole; but we have no recollection of any such place。 We suspect that the city of _Know…not…where_ might be called; with at least as much propriety; _Nobody…knows…where_; and is to be found in the kingdom of _Nowhere_。 Again; the village of _Entepfuhl_'Duck…pond'where the supposed Author of the work is said to have passed his youth; and that of _Hinterschlag_; where he had his education; are equally foreign to our geography。 Duck…ponds enough there undoubtedly are in almost every village in Germany; as the traveller in that country knows too well to his cost; but any particular village denominated Duck…pond is to us altogether _terra incognita_。 The names of the personages are not less singular than those of the places。 Who can refrain from a smile at the yoking together of such a pair of appellatives as Diogenes Teufelsdrockh? The supposed bearer of this strange title is represented as admitting; in his pretended autobiography; that 'he had searched to no purpose through all the Heralds' books in and without the German empire; and through all manner of Subscribers'…lists; Militia…rolls; and other Name…catalogues;' but had nowhere been able to find 'the name Teufelsdrockh; except as appended to his own person。' We can readily believe this; and we doubt very much whether any Christian parent would