latter-day pamphlets-第1章

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Latter…Day　Pamphlets

by　Thomas　Carlyle





But　as　yet　struggles　the　twelfth　hour　of　the　Night。　　Birds　of　darkness　are　on　the　wing；　spectres　uproar；　the　dead　walk；　the　living　dream。　　Thou；　Eternal　Providence；　wilt　make　the　Day　dawn！JEAN　PAUL。


Then　said　his　Lordship；　〃Well。　　God　mend　all！〃〃Nay；　by　God；　Donald；　we　must　help　him　to　mend　it！〃　said　the　other。RUSHWORTH　（_Sir　David　Ramsay　and　Lord　Rea；　in　1630_）。


CONTENTS。

I。　　　THE　PRESENT　TIME　II。　　MODEL　PRISONS　III。　DOWNING　STREET　IV。　　THE　NEW　DOWNING　STREET　V。　　　STUMP…ORATOR


＇February　1；　1850。＇　NO。　I。　　THE　PRESENT　TIME。

The　Present　Time；　youngest…born　of　Eternity；　child　and　heir　of　all　the　Past　Times　with　their　good　and　evil；　and　parent　of　all　the　Future；　is　ever　a　〃New　Era〃　to　the　thinking　man；　and　comes　with　new　questions　and　significance；　however　commonplace　it　look：　　to　know　_it_；　and　what　it　bids　us　do；　is　ever　the　sum　of　knowledge　for　all　of　us。　　This　new　Day；　sent　us　out　of　Heaven；　this　also　has　its　heavenly　omens；amid　the　bustling　trivialities　and　loud　empty　noises；　its　silent　monitions；　which　if　we　cannot　read　and　obey；　it　will　not　be　well　with　us！　　No；nor　is　there　any　sin　more　fearfully　avenged　on　men　and　Nations　than　that　same；　which　indeed　includes　and　presupposes　all　manner　of　sins：　　the　sin　which　our　old　pious　fathers　called　〃judicial　blindness；〃which　we；　with　our　light　habits；　may　still　call　misinterpretation　of　the　Time　that　now　is；　disloyalty　to　its　real　meanings　and　monitions；　stupid　disregard　of　these；　stupid　adherence　active　or　passive　to　the　counterfeits　and　mere　current　semblances　of　these。　This　is　true　of　all　times　and　days。

But　in　the　days　that　are　now　passing　over　us；　even　fools　are　arrested　to　ask　the　meaning　of　them；　few　of　the　generations　of　men　have　seen　more　impressive　days。　　Days　of　endless　calamity；　disruption；　dislocation；　confusion　worse　confounded：　　if　they　are　not　days　of　endless　hope　too；　then　they　are　days　of　utter　despair。　　For　it　is　not　a　small　hope　that　will　suffice；　the　ruin　being　clearly；　either　in　action　or　in　prospect；　universal。　　There　must　be　a　new　world；　if　there　is　to　be　any　world　at　all！　That　human　things　in　our　Europe　can　ever　return　to　the　old　sorry　routine；　and　proceed　with　any　steadiness　or　continuance　there；　this　small　hope　is　not　now　a　tenable　one。　　These　days　of　universal　death　must　be　days　of　universal　new…birth；　if　the　ruin　is　not　to　be　total　and　final！　　It　is　a　Time　to　make　the　dullest　man　consider；　and　ask　himself；　Whence　_he_　came？　Whither　he　is　bound？A　veritable　〃New　Era；〃　to　the　foolish　as　well　as　to　the　wise。


Not　long　ago；　the　world　saw；　with　thoughtless　joy　which　might　have　been　very　thoughtful　joy；　a　real　miracle　not　heretofore　considered　possible　or　conceivable　in　the　world；a　Reforming　Pope。　　A　simple　pious　creature；　a　good　country…priest；　invested　unexpectedly　with　the　tiara；　takes　up　the　New　Testament；　declares　that　this　henceforth　shall　be　his　rule　of　governing。　No　more　finesse；　chicanery；　hypocrisy；　or　false　or　foul　dealing　of　any　kind：　　God's　truth　shall　be　spoken；　God's　justice　shall　be　done；　on　the　throne　called　of　St。　Peter：　　an　honest　Pope；　Papa；　or　Father　of　Christendom；　shall　preside　there。　　And　such　a　throne　of　St。　Peter；　and　such　a　Christendom；　for　an　honest　Papa　to　preside　in！　　The　European　populations　everywhere　hailed　the　omen；　with　shouting　and　rejoicing　leading　articles　and　tar…barrels；　thinking　people　listened　with　astonishment；not　with　sorrow　if　they　were　faithful　or　wise；　with　awe　rather　as　at　the　heralding　of　death；　and　with　a　joy　as　of　victory　beyond　death！　　Something　pious；　grand　and　as　if　awful　in　that　joy；　revealing　once　more　the　Presence　of　a　Divine　Justice　in　this　world。　　For；　to　such　men　it　was　very　clear　how　this　poor　devoted　Pope　would　prosper；　with　his　New　Testament　in　his　band。　　An　alarming　business；　that　of　governing　in　the　throne　of　St。　Peter　by　the　rule　of　veracity！　　By　the　rule　of　veracity；　the　so…called　throne　of　St。　Peter　was　openly　declared；　above　three　hundred　years；　ago；　to　be　a　falsity；　a　huge　mistake；　a　pestilent　dead　carcass；　which　this　Sun　was　weary　of。　　More　than　three　hundred　years　ago；　the　throne　of　St。　Peter　received　peremptory　judicial　notice　to　quit；　authentic　order；　registered　in　Heaven's　chancery　and　since　legible　in　the　hearts　of　all　brave　men；　to　take　itself　away；to　begone；　and　let　us　have　no　more　to　do　with　_it_　and　its　delusions　and　impious　deliriums；and　it　has　been　sitting　every　day　since；　it　may　depend　upon　it；　at　its　own　peril　withal；　and　will　have　to　pay　exact　damages　yet　for　every　day　it　has　so　sat。　　Law　of　veracity？　　What　this　Popedom　had　to　do　by　the　law　of　veracity；　was　to　give　up　its　own　foul　galvanic　life；　an　offence　to　gods　and　men；　honestly　to　die；　and　get　itself　buried。

Far　from　this　was　the　thing　the　poor　Pope　undertook　in　regard　to　it；and　yet；　on　the　whole；　it　was　essentially　this　too。　　〃Reforming　Pope？〃　said　one　of　our　acquaintance；　often　in　those　weeks；　〃Was　there　ever　such　a　miracle？　About　to　break　up　that　huge　imposthume　too；　by　'curing'　it？　　Turgot　and　Necker　were　nothing　to　this。　　God　is　great；　and　when　a　scandal　is　to　end；　brings　some　devoted　man　to　take　charge　of　it　in　hope；　not　in　despair！〃But　cannot　he　reform？　asked　many　simple　persons；to　whom　our　friend　in　grim　banter　would　reply：　　〃Reform　a　Popedom；hardly。　　A　wretched　old　kettle；　ruined　from　top　to　bottom；　and　consisting　mainly　now　of　foul　_grime_　and　_rust_：　　stop　the　holes　of　it；　as　your　antecessors　have　been　doing；　with　temporary　putty；　it　may　hang　together　yet　a　while；　begin　to　hammer　at　it；　solder　at　it；　to　what　you　call　mend　and　rectify　it；it　will　fall　to　sherds；　as　sure　as　rust　is　rust；　go　all　into　nameless　dissolution；and　the　fat　in　the　fire　will　be　a　thing　worth　looking　at；　poor　Pope！〃So　accordingly　it　has　proved。　　The　poor　Pope；　amid　felicitations　and　tar…barrels　of　various　kinds；　went　on　joyfully　for　a　season：　　but　he　had　awakened；　he　as　no　other　man　could　do；　the　sleeping　elements；　mothers　of　the　whirlwinds；　conflagrations；　earthquakes。　　Questions　not　very　soluble　at　present；　were　even　sages　and　heroes　set　to　solve　them；　began　everywhere　with　new　emphasis　to　be　asked。　　Questions　which　all　official　men　wished；　and　almost　hoped；　to　postpone　till　Doomsday。　　Doomsday　itself　_had_　come；　that　was　the　terrible　truth！

For；　sure　enough；　if　once　the　law　of　veracity　be　acknowledged　as　the　rule　for　human　things；　there　will　not　anywhere　be　want　of　work　for　the　reformer；　in　very　few　places　do　human　things　adhere　quite　closely　to　that　law！　　Here　was　the　Papa　of　Christendom　proclaiming　that　such　was　actually　the　case；whereupon　all　over　Christendom　such　results　as　we　have　seen。　　The　Sicilians；　I　think；　were　the　first　notable　body　that　set　about　applying　this　new　strange　rule　sanctioned　by　the　general　Father；　they　said　to　themselves；　We　do　not　by　the　law　of　veracity　belong　to　Naples　and　these　Neapolitan　Officials；　we　will；　by　favor　of　Heaven　and　the　Pope；　be　free　of　these。　　Fighting　ensued；　insurrection；　fiercely　maintained　in　the　Sicilian　Cities；　with　much　bloodshed；　much　tumult　and　loud　noise；　vociferation　extending　through　all　newspapers　and　countries。　　The　effect　of　this；　carried　abroad　by　newspapers　and　rumor；　was　great　in　all　places；　greatest　perhaps　in　Paris；　which　for　sixty　years　past　has　been　the　City　of　Insurrections。　　The　French　People　had　plumed　themselves　on　being；　whatever　else　they　were　not；　at　least　the　chosen　〃soldiers　of　liberty；〃　who　took　the　lead　of　all　creatures　in　that　pursuit；　at　least；　and　had　become；　as　their　orators；　editors　and　litterateurs　diligently　taught　them；　a　People　whose　bayonets　were　sacred；　a　kind　of　Messiah　People；　saving　a　blind　world　in　its　own　despite；　and　earning　for　themselves　a　terrestrial　and　even　celestial　glory　very　considerable　indeed。　　And　here　were　the　wretched　down…trodden　populations　of　Sicily　risen　to　rival　them；　and　threatening　to　take　the　trade　out　of　their　hand。

No　doubt　of　it；　this　hearing　continually　of　the　very　Pope's　glory　as　a　Reformer；　of　the　very　Sicilians　fighting　divinely　for　liberty　behind　barricades；must　have　bitterly　aggravated　the　feeling　of　every　Frenchman；　as　he　looked　around　him；　at　home；　on　a　Louis…Philippism　which　had　become　the　scorn　of　all　the　world。　　〃_Ichabod_；　is　the　glory　departing　from　us？　Under　the　sun　is　nothing　baser；　by　all　accounts　and　evidences；　than　the　system　of　repression　and　corruption；　of　shameless　dishonesty　and　unbelief　in　anything　but　human　baseness；　that　we　now　live　under。　　The　Italians；　the　very　Pope；　have　become　apostles　of　liberty；　and　France　iswhat　is　France！〃We　know　what　France　suddenly　became　in　the　end　of　February　next；　and　by　a　clear　enough　genealogy；　we　can　trace　a　considerable　share　in　that　event　to　the　good　simple　Pope　with　the　New　Testament　in　his　hand。　　An　outbreak；　or　at　least　a　radical　change　and　even　inversion　of　affairs　hardly　to　be　achieved　without　an　outbreak；　everybody　felt　was　inevitable　in　France：　　but　it　had　been　universally　expected　that　France　would　as　usual　take　the　initiative　in　that　matter；　and　had　there　been　no　reforming　Pope；　no　insurrectionary　Sicily；　France　had　certainly　not　broken　out　then　and　so；　but　only　afterwards　and　otherwise。　　The　French　explosion；　not　anticipated　by　the　cunningest　men　there　on　the　spot　scrutinizing　it；　burst　up　unlimited；　complete；　defying　computation　or　control。

Close　following　which；　as　if　by　sympathetic　subterranean　electricities；　all　Europe　exploded；　boundless；　uncontrollable；　and　we　had　the　year　1848；　one　of　the　most　singular；　disastrous；　amazing；　and；　on　the　whole；　humiliating　years　the　European　world　ever　saw。　　Not　since　the　irruption　of　the　Northern　Barbarians　has　there　been　the　like。　　Everywhere　immeasurable　Democracy　rose　monstrous；　loud；　blatant；　inarticulate　as　the　voice　of　Chaos。　　Everywhere　the　Official　holy…of…holies　was　scandalously　laid　bare　to　dogs　and　the　profane：Enter；　all　the　world；　see　what　kind　of　Official　holy　it　is。　Kings　everywhere；　and　reigning　persons；　stared　in　sudden　horror；　the　voice　of　the　whole　world　bellowing　in　their　ear；　〃Begone；　ye　imbecile　hypocrites；　histrios　not　heroes！　　Off　with　you；　off！〃　and；　what　was　peculiar　and　notable　in　this　year　for　the　first　time；　the　Kings　all　made　haste　to　go；　as　if　exclaiming；　〃We　_are_　poor　histrios；　we　sure　enough；did　you　want　heroes？　　Don't　kill　us；　we　couldn't　help　it！〃　　Not　one　of　them　turned　round；　and　stood　upon　his　Kingship；　as　upon　a　right　he　could　afford　to　die　for；　or　to　risk　his　skin　upon；　by　no　manner　of　means。　　That；　I　say；　is　the　alarming　peculiarity　at　present。　　Democracy；　on　this　new　occasion；　finds　all　Kings　conscious　that　they　are　but　Play…actors。　　The　miserable　mortals；　enacting　their　High　Life　Below　Stairs；　with　faith　only　that　this　Universe　may　perhaps　be　all　a　phantasm　and　hypocrisis；the　truculent　Constable　of　the　Destinies　suddenly　enters：　　〃Scandalous　Phantasms；　what　do　_you_　here？　Are　'solemnly　constituted　Impostors'　the　proper　Kings　of　men？　　Did　you　think　the　Life　of　Man　was　a　grimacing　dance　of　apes？　　To　be　led　always　by　the　squeak　of　your　paltry　fiddle？　　Ye　miserable；　this　Universe　is　not　an　upholstery　Puppet…play；　but　a　terrible　God's　Fact；　and　you；　I　think；had　not　you　better　begone！〃　　They　fled　precipitately；　some　of　them　with　what　we　may　call　an　exquisite　ignominy；in　terror　of　the　treadmill　or　worse。