over the teacups-第39部分

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The　string　you　see　to　her　leg　is　tied。

She　will　do　a　mischief　if　she　can；

But　the　string　is　held　by　a　careful　man；

And　whenever　the　evil…minded　witch

Would　cut　come　caper；　he　gives　a　twitch。

As　for　the　hag；　you　can't　see　her；

But　hark！　you　can　hear　her　black　cat's　purr；

And　now　and　then；　as　a　car　goes　by；

You　may　catch　a　gleam　from　her　wicked　eye。



Often　you've　looked　on　a　rushing　train；

But　just　what　moved　it　was　not　so　plain。

It　couldn't　be　those　wires　above；

For　they　could　neither　pull　nor　shove；

Where　was　the　motor　that　made　it　go

You　couldn't　guess；　but　now　you　know。



Remember　my　rhymes　when　you　ride　again

On　the　rattling　rail　by　the　broomstick　train！









X



In　my　last　report　of　our　talks　over　the　teacups　I　had　something　to

say　of　the　fondness　of　our　people　for　titles。　　Where　did　the　anti…

republican；　anti…democratic　passion　for　swelling　names　come　from；　and

how　long　has　it　been　naturalized　among　us？



A　striking　instance　of　it　occurred　at　about　the　end　of　the　last

century。　　It　was　at　that　time　there　appeared　among　us　one　of　the　most

original　and　singular　personages　to　whom　America　has　given　birth。

Many　of　our　company；many　of　my　readers；all　well　acquainted　with

his　name；　and　not　wholly　ignorant　of　his　history。　　They　will　not

object　to　my　giving　some　particulars　relating　to　him；　which；　if　not

new　to　them；　will　be　new　to　others　into　whose　hands　these　pages　may

fall。



Timothy　Dexter；　the　first　claimant　of　a　title　of　nobility　among　the

people　of　the　United　States　of　America；　was　born　in　the　town　of

Malden；　near　Boston。　　He　served　an　apprenticeship　as　a　leather…

dresser；　saved　some　money；　got　some　more　with　his　wife；　began　trading

and　speculating；　and　became　at　last　rich；　for　those　days。　　His　most

famous　business　enterprise　was　that　of　sending　an　invoice　of　warming…

pans　to　the　West　Indies。　　A　few　tons　of　ice　would　have　seemed　to

promise　a　better　return；　but　in　point　of　fact；　he　tells　us；　the

warming…pans　were　found　useful　in　the　manufacture　of　sugar；　and

brought　him　in　a　handsome　profit。　　His　ambition　rose　with　his

fortune。　　He　purchased　a　large　and　stately　house　in　Newburyport；　and

proceeded　to　embellish　and　furnish　it　according　to　the　dictates　of

his　taste　and　fancy。　　In　the　grounds　about　his　house；　he　caused　to　be

erected　between　forty　and　fifty　wooden　statues　of　great　men　and

allegorical　figures；　together　with　four　lions　and　one　lamb。　　Among

these　images　were　two　statues　of　Dexter　himself；　one　of　which　held　a

label　with　a　characteristic　inscription。　　His　house　was　ornamented

with　minarets；　adorned　with　golden　balls；　and　surmounted　by　a　large

gilt　eagle。　　He　equipped　it　with　costly　furniture；　with　paintings；

and　a　library。　　He　went　so　far　as　to　procure　the　services　of　a　poet

laureate；　whose　business　it　seems　to　have　been　to　sing　his　praises。

Surrounded　with　splendors　like　these；　the　plain　title　of　〃Mr。〃　Dexter

would　have　been　infinitely　too　mean　and　common。　　He　therefore　boldly

took　the　step　of　self…ennobling；　and　gave　himself　forthas　he　said；

obeying　〃the　voice　of　the　people　at　large〃as　〃Lord　Timothy　Dexter；〃

by　which　appellation　he　has　ever　since　been　known　to　the　American

public。



If　to　be　the　pioneer　in　the　introduction　of　Old　World　titles　into

republican　America　can　confer　a　claim　to　be　remembered　by　posterity；

Lord　Timothy　Dexter　has　a　right　to　historic　immortality。　　If　the　true

American　spirit　shows　itself　most　clearly　in　boundless　self　…

assertion；　Timothy　Dexter　is　the　great　original　American　egotist。　　If

to　throw　off　the　shackles　of　Old　World　pedantry；　and　defy　the　paltry

rules　and　examples　of　grammarians　and　rhetoricians；　is　the　special

province　and　the　chartered　privilege　of　the　American　writer；　Timothy

Dexter　is　the　founder　of　a　new　school；　which　tramples　under　foot　the

conventionalities　that　hampered　and　subjugated　the　faculties　of　the

poets；　the　dramatists；　the　historians；　essayists；　story…tellers；

orators；　of　the　worn…out　races　which　have　preceded　the　great　American

people。



The　material　traces　of　the　first　American　nobleman's　existence　have

nearly　disappeared。　　The　house　is　still　standing；　but　the　statues；

the　minarets；　the　arches；　and　the　memory　of　the　great　Lord　Timothy

Dexter　live　chiefly　in　tradition；　and　in　the　work　which　be　bequeathed

to　posterity；　and　of　which　I　shall　say　a　few　words。　　It　is

unquestionably　a　thoroughly　original　production；　and　I　fear　that　some

readers　may　think　I　am　trifling　with　them　when　I　am　quoting　it

literally。　　I　am　going　to　make　a　strong　claim　for　Lord　Timothy　as

against　other　candidates　for　a　certain　elevated　position。



Thomas　Jefferson　is　commonly　recognized　as　the　first　to　proclaim

before　the　world　the　political　independence　of　America。　　It　is　not　so

generally　agreed　upon　as　to　who　was　the　first　to　announce　the

literary　emancipation　of　our　country。



One　of　Mr。　Emerson's　biographers　has　claimed　that　his　Phi　Beta　Kappa

Oration　was　our　Declaration　of　Literary　Independence。　　But　Mr。

Emerson　did　not　cut　himself　loose　from　all　the　traditions　of　Old

World　scholarship。　　He　spelled　his　words　correctly；　he　constructed

his　sentences　grammatically。　　He　adhered　to　the　slavish　rules　of

propriety；　and　observed　the　reticences　which　a　traditional　delicacy

has　considered　inviolable　in　decent　society；　European　and　Oriental

alike。　　When　he　wrote　poetry；　he　commonly　selected　subjects　which

seemed　adapted　to　poetical　treatment；apparently　thinking　that　all

things　were　not　equally　calculated　to　inspire　the　true　poet's　genius。

Once；　indeed；　he　ventured　to　refer　to　〃the　meal　in　the　firkin；　the

milk　in　the　pan；〃　but　he　chiefly　restricted　himself　to　subjects　such

as　a　fastidious　conventionalism　would　approve　as　having　a　certain

fitness　for　poetical　treatment。　　He　was　not　always　so　careful　as　he

might　have　been　in　the　rhythm　and　rhyme　of　his　verse；　but　in　the　main

he　recognized　the　old　established　laws　which　have　been　accepted　as

regulating　both。　　In　short；　with　all　his　originality；　he　worked　in

Old　World　harness；　and　cannot　be　considered　as　the　creator　of　a　truly

American；　self…governed；　self…centred；　absolutely　independent　style

of　thinking　and　writing；　knowing　no　law　but　its　own　sovereign　will

and　pleasure。



A　stronger　claim　might　be　urged　for　Mr。　Whitman。　　He　takes　into　his

hospitable　vocabulary　words　which　no　English　dictionary　recognizes　as

belonging　to　the　language；words　which　will　be　looked　for　in　vain

outside　of　his　own　pages。　　He　accepts　as　poetical　subjects　all　things

alike；　common　and　unclean；　without　discrimination；　miscellaneous　as

the　contents　of　the　great　sheet　which　Peter　saw　let　down　from　heaven。

He　carries　the　principle　of　republicanism　through　the　whole　world　of

created　objects。　　He　will　〃thread　a　thread　through　＇his＇　poems；〃　he

tells　us；　〃that　no　one　thing　in　the　universe　is　inferior　to　another

thing。〃　　No　man　has　ever　asserted　the　surpassing　dignity　and

importance　of　the　American　citizen　so　boldly　and　freely　as　Mr。

Whitman。　　He　calls　himself　〃teacher　of　the　unquenchable　creed；

namely；　egotism。〃　　He　begins　one　of　his　chants；　〃I　celebrate　myself；〃

but　he　takes　us　all　in　as　partners　in　his　self…glorification。　　He

believes　in　America　as　the　new　Eden。



〃A　world　primal　again；vistas　of　glory　incessant　and　branching；

A　new　race　dominating　previous　ones　and　grander　far；

New　politicsnew　literature　and　religionsnew　inventions　and　arts。〃



Of　the　new　literature　be　himself　has　furnished　specimens　which

certainly　have　all　the　originality　he　can　claim　for　them。　　So　far　as

egotism　is　concerned；　he　was　clearly　anticipated　by　the　titled

personage　to　whom　I　have　referred；　who　says　of　himself；　〃I　am　the

first　in　the　East；　the　first　in　the　West；　and　the　greatest

philosopher　in　the　Western　world。〃　But　while　Mr。　Whitman　divests

himself　of　a　part　of　his　baptismal　name；　the　distinguished　New

Englander　thus　announces　his　proud　position：　〃Ime　the　first　Lord　in

the　younited　States　of　A　mercary　Now　of　Newburyport。　　it　is　the　voice

of　the　peopel　and　I　cant　Help　it。〃　　This　extract　is　from　his　famous

little　book　called　〃A　Pickle　for　the　Knowing　Ones。〃　　As　an　inventor

of　a　new　American　style　he　goes　far　beyond　Mr。　Whitman；　who；　to　be

sure；　cares　little　for　the　dictionary；　and　makes　his　own　rules　of

rhythm；　so　far　as　there　is　any　rhythm　in　his　sentences。　　But　Lord

Timothy　spells　to　suit　himself；　and　in　place　of　employing　punctuation

as　it　is　commonly　used；　prints　a　separate　page　of　periods；　colons；

semicolons；　commas；　notes　of　interrogation　and　of　admiration；　with

which　the　reader　is　requested　to　〃peper　and　soolt〃　the　book　as　he

pleases。



I　am　afraid　that　Mr。　Emerson　and　Mr。　Whitman　must　yield　the　claim　of

declaring　American　literary　independence　to　Lord　Timothy　Dexter；　who

not　only　taught　his　countrymen　that　they　need　not　go　to　the　Heralds'

College　to　authenticate　their　titles　of　nobility；　but　also　that　they

were　at　perfect　liberty　to　spell　just　as　they　liked；　and　to　write

without　troubling　themselves　about　stops　of　any　kind。　　In　writing

what　I　suppose　he　intended　for　poetry；　he　did　not　even　take　the　pains

to　break　up　his　lines　into　lengths　to　make　them　look　like　verse；　as

may　be　seen　by　the　following　specimen：



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　WONDER　OF　WONDERS！



How　great　the　soul　is！　　Do　not　you　all　wonder　and　admire　to　see　and

behold　and　hear？　　Can　you　all　believe　half　the　truth；　and　admire　to

hear　the　wonders　how　great　the　soul　isonly　beholdpast　finding

out！　Only　see　how　large　the　soul　is！　　that　if　a　man　is　drowned　in　the

sea　what　a　great　bubble　comes　up　out　of　the　top　of　the　water。。。　　The

bubble　is　the　soul。



I　confess　that　I　am　not　in　sympathy　with　some　of　the　movements　that

accompany　the　manifestations　of　American　social　and　literary

independence。　　I　do　not　like　the　assumption　of　titles　of　Lords　and

Knights　by　plain　citizens　of　a　country　which　prides　itself　on

recognizing　simple　manhood　and　womanhood　as　s