latter-day pamphlets-第24章

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hem　at　all；　but　that　a　little　of　the　_vulpine_　sort　（if　attainable）；　supported　by　routine；　red…tape　traditions；　and　tolerable　parliamentary　eloquence　on　occasion；　would　very　well　suffice。　　A　most　false　and　impious　notion；　leading　to　fatal　lethargy　on　the　part　of　Governments；　while　Nature　and　Fact　were　preparing　strange　phenomena　in　contradiction　to　it。

These　are　two　very　fatal　deficits；the　remedy　of　either　of　which　would　be　the　remedy　of　both；　could　we　but　find　it！　　For　indeed　they　are　vitally　connected：　　one　of　them　is　sure　to　produce　the　other；　and　both　once　in　action　together；　the　advent　of　darkness；　certain　enough　to　issue　in　anarchy　by　and　by；　goes　on　with　frightful　acceleration。　　If　Governments　neglect　to　invite　what　noble　intellect　there　is；　then　too　surely　all　intellect；　not　omnipotent　to　resist　bad　influences；　will　tend　to　become　beaverish　ignoble　intellect；　and　quitting　high　aims；　which　seem　shut　up　from　it；　will　help　itself　forward　in　the　way　of　making　money　and　such　like；　or　will　even　sink　to　be　sham　intellect；　helping　itself　by　methods　which　are　not　only　beaverish　but　vulpine；　and　so　〃ignoble〃　as　not　to　have　common　honesty。　　The　Government；　taking　no　thought　to　choose　intellect　for　itself；　will　gradually　find　that　there　is　less　and　less　of　a　good　quality　to　choose　from：　　thus；　as　in　all　impieties　it　does；　bad　grows　worse　at　a　frightful　_double_　rate　of　progression；　and　your　impiety　is　twice　cursed。　　If　you　are　impious　enough　to　tolerate　darkness；　you　will　get　ever　more　darkness　to　tolerate；　and　at　that　inevitable　stage　of　the　account　（inevitable　in　all　such　accounts）　when　actual　light　or　else　destruction　is　the　alternative；　you　will　call　to　the　Heavens　and　the　Earth　for　light；　and　none　will　come！

Certainly　this　evil；　for　one；　has　_not_　〃wrought　its　own　cure；〃　but　has　wrought　precisely　the　reverse；　and　has　been　hourly　eating　away　what　possibilities　of　cure　there　were。　　And　so；　I　fear；　in　spite　of　rumors　to　the　contrary；　it　always　is　with　evils；　with　solecisms　against　Nature；　and　contradictions　to　the　divine　fact　of　things：　　not　an　evil　of　them　has　ever　wrought　its　own　cure　in　my　experience；but　has　continually　grown　worse　and　wider　and　uglier；　till　some　_good_　（generally　a　good　_man_）　not　able　to　endure　the　abomination　longer；　rose　upon　it　and　cured　or　else　extinguished　it。　　Evil　Governments；　divested　of　God's　light　because　they　have　loved　darkness　rather；　are　not　likelier　than　other　evils　to　work　their　own　cure　out　of　that　bad　plight。

It　is　urgent　upon　all　Governments　to　pause　in　this　fatal　course；　persisted　in；　the　goal　is　fearfully　evident；　every　hour's　persistence　in　it　is　making　return　more　difficult。　　Intellect　exists　in　all　countries；　and　the　function　appointed　it　by　Heaven；Governments　had　better　not　attempt　to　contradict　that；　for　they　cannot！　　Intellect　_has_　to　govern　in　this　world　and　will　do　it；　if　not　in　alliance　with　so…called　〃Governments〃　of　red…tape　and　routine；　then　in　divine　hostility　to　such；　and　sometimes　alas　in　diabolic　hostility　to　such；　and　in　the　end；　as　sure　as　Heaven　is　higher　than　Downing　Street；　and　the　Laws　of　Nature　are　tougher　than　red…tape；　with　entire　victory　over　them　and　entire　ruin　to　them。　　If　there　is　one　thinking　man　among　the　Politicians　of　England；　I　consider　these　things　extremely　well　worth　his　attention　just　now。


Who　are　available　to　your　Offices　in　Downing　Street？　　All　the　gifted　souls；　of　every　rank；　who　are　born　to　you　in　this　generation。　　These　are　appointed；　by　the　true　eternal　〃divine　right〃　which　will　never　become　obsolete；　to　be　your　governors　and　administrators；　and　precisely　as　you　employ　them；　or　neglect　to　employ　them；　will　your　State　be　favored　of　Heaven　or　disfavored。　　This　noble　young　soul；　you　can　have　him　on　either　of　two　conditions；　and　on　one　of　them；　since　he　is　here　in　the　world；　you　must　have　him。　　As　your　ally　and　coadjutor；　or　failing　that；　as　your　natural　enemy：　　which　shall　it　be？　　I　consider　that　every　Government　convicts　itself　of　infatuation　and　futility；　or　absolves　and　justifies　itself　before　God　and　man；　according　as　it　answers　this　question。　　With　all　sublunary　entities；　this　is　the　question　of　questions。　　What　talent　is　born　to　you？　How　do　you　employ　that？　　The　crop　of　spiritual　talent　that　is　born　to　you；　of　human　nobleness　and　intellect　and　heroic　faculty；　this　is　infinitely　more　important　than　your　crops　of　cotton　or　corn；　or　wine　or　herrings　or　whale…oil；　which　the　Newspapers　record　with　such　anxiety　every　season。　This　is　not　quite　counted　by　seasons；　therefore　the　Newspapers　are　silent：　but　by　generations　and　centuries；　I　assure　you　it　becomes　amazingly　sensible；　and　surpasses；　as　Heaven　does　Earth；　all　the　corn　and　wine；　and　whale…oil　and　California　bullion；　or　any　other　crop　you　grow。　　If　that　crop　cease；　the　other　cropsplease　to　take　them　also；　if　you　are　anxious　about　them。　　That　once　ceasing；　we　may　shut　shop；　for　no　other　crop　whatever　will　stay　with　us；　nor　is　worth　having　if　it　would。

To　promote　men　of　talent；　to　search　and　sift　the　whole　society　in　every　class　for　men　of　talent；　and　joyfully　promote　them；　has　not　always　been　found　impossible。　　In　many　forms　of　polity　they　have　done　it；　and　still　do　it；　to　a　certain　degree。　　The　degree　to　which　they　succeed　in　doing　it　marks；　as　I　have　said；　with　very　great　accuracy　the　degree　of　divine　and　human　worth　that　is　in　them；　the　degree　of　success　or　real　ultimate　victory　they　can　expect　to　have　in　this　world。Think；　for　example；　of　the　old　Catholic　Church；　in　its　merely　terrestrial　relations　to　the　State；　and　see　if　your　reflections；　and　contrasts　with　what　now　is；　are　of　an　exulting　character。　　Progress　of　the　species　has　gone　on　as　with　seven…league　boots；　and　in　various　directions　has　shot　ahead　amazingly；　with　three　cheers　from　all　the　world；　but　in　this　direction；　the　most　vital　and　indispensable；　it　has　lagged　terribly；　and　has　even　moved　backward；　till　now　it　is　quite　gone　out　of　sight　in　clouds　of　cotton…fuzz　and　railway…scrip；　and　has　fallen　fairly　over　the　horizon　to　rearward！

In　those　most　benighted　Feudal　societies；　full　of　mere　tyrannous　steel　Barons；　and　totally　destitute　of　Tenpound　Franchises　and　Ballot…boxes；　there　did　nevertheless　authentically　preach　itself　everywhere　this　grandest　of　gospels；　without　which　no　other　gospel　can　avail　us　much；　to　all　souls　of　men；　〃Awake　ye　noble　souls；　here　is　a　noble　career　for　you！〃　　I　say；　everywhere　a　road　towards　promotion；　for　human　nobleness；　lay　wide　open　to　all　men。　　The　pious　soul；which；　if　you　reflect；　will　mean　the　ingenuous　and　ingenious；　the　gifted；　intelligent　and　nobly…aspiring　soul；such　a　soul；　in　whatever　rank　of　life　it　were　born；　had　one　path　inviting　it；　a　generous　career；　whereon；　by　human　worth　and　valor；　all　earthly　heights　and　Heaven　itself　were　attainable。　　In　the　lowest　stratum　of　social　thraldom；　nowhere　was　the　noble　soul　doomed　quite　to　choke；　and　die　ignobly。　　The　Church；　poor　old　benighted　creature；　had　at　least　taken　care　of　that：　　the　noble　aspiring　soul；　not　doomed　to　choke　ignobly　in　its　penuries；　could　at　least　run　into　the　neighboring　Convent；　and　there　take　refuge。　　Education　awaited　it　there；　strict　training　not　only　to　whatever　useful　knowledge　could　be　had　from　writing　and　reading；　but　to　obedience；　to　pious　reverence；　self…restraint；　annihilation　of　self；really　to　human　nobleness　in　many　most　essential　respects。　　No　questions　asked　about　your　birth；　genealogy；　quantity　of　money…capital　or　the　like；　the　one　question　was；　〃Is　there　some　human　nobleness　in　you；　or　is　there　not？〃　　The　poor　neat…herd's　son；　if　he　were　a　Noble　of　Nature；　might　rise　to　Priesthood；　to　High…priesthood；　to　the　top　of　this　world；and　best　of　all；　he　had　still　high　Heaven　lying　high　enough　above　him；　to　keep　his　head　steady；　on　whatever　height　or　in　whatever　depth　his　way　might　lie！

A　thrice…glorious　arrangement；　when　I　reflect　on　it；　most　salutary　to　all　high　and　low　interests；　a　truly　human　arrangement。　　You　made　the　born　noble　yours；　welcoming　him　as　what　he　was；　the　Sent　of　Heaven：　　you　did　not　force　him　either　to　die　or　become　your　enemy；　idly　neglecting　or　suppressing　him　as　what　he　was　not；　a　thing　of　no　worth。　　You　accepted　the　blessed　_light_；　and　in　the　shape　of　infernal　_lightning_　it　needed　not　to　visit　you。　　How；　like　an　immense　mine…shaft　through　the　dim　oppressed　strata　of　society；　this　Institution　of　the　Priesthood　ran；　opening；　from　the　lowest　depths　towards　all　heights　and　towards　Heaven　itself；　a　free　road　of　egress　and　emergence　towards　virtuous　nobleness；　heroism　and　well…doing；　for　every　born　man。　　This　we　may　call　the　living　lungs　and　blood…circulation　of　those　old　Feudalisms。　　When　I　think　of　that　immeasurable　all…pervading　lungs；　present　in　every　corner　of　human　society；　every　meanest　hut　a　_cell_　of　said　lungs；　inviting　whatsoever　noble　pious　soul　was　born　there　to　the　path　that　was　noble　for　him；　and　leading　thereby　sometimes；　if　he　were　worthy；　to　be　the　Papa　of　Christendom；　and　Commander　of　all　Kings；I　perceive　how　the　old　Christian　society　continued　healthy；　vital；　and　was　strong　and　heroic。　　When　I　contrast　this　with　the　noble　aims　now　held　out　to　noble　souls　born　in　remote　huts；　or　beyond　the　verge　of　Palace…Yard；　and　think　of　what　your　Lordship　has　done　in　the　way　of　making　priests　and　papas；I　see　a　society　without　lungs；　fast　wheezing　itself　to　death；　in　horrid　convulsions；　and　deserving　to　die。

Over　Europe　generally　in　these　years；　I　consider　that　the　State　has　died；　has　fairly　coughed　its　last　in　street　musketry；　and　fallen　down　dead；　incapable　of　any　but　_galvanic_　life　henceforth；owing　to　this　same　fatal　want　of　_lungs_；　which　includes　all　other　wants　for　a　State。　　And　furthermore　that　it　will　never　come　alive　again；　till　it　contrive　to　get　such　indispensable　vital　apparatus；　the　outlook　toward　which　consummation　is　very　distant　in　most　communities　of　Europe。　　If　you　let　it　come　to　death　or　suspended　animation　in　States；　the　case　is　very　bad！　　Vain　to　call　in　universal…suffrage　parliaments　at　that　stage：　　the　universal…suffrage　parliaments　cannot　give　you　any　breath　of　life；　cannot　find　any　_wisdom_　for　you；　by　long　impiety；　you　have　let　the　supply　of　noble　human　wisdom　die　out；　and　the　wisdom　that　now　courts　your　universal　suffrages　is　beggarly　human　_attorneyism_　or　sham…wisdom；　which　is　_not_　an　insight　into　the　Laws　of　God's　Universe；　but　into　the　laws　of　hungry　Egoism　and　the　Devil's　Chicane；　and　can　in　the　end　profit　no　community　or　man。

No；　the　kind　of　heroes　that　come　mounted　on　the　shoulders　of　the　universal　suffrage；　and　install　themselves　as　Prime　Ministers　and　healing　Statesmen　by　force　of　able　editorship；　do　not　bid　very　fair　to　bring　Nations　back　to　the　ways　of　God。　　Eloquent　high…lacquered　_pinchbeck_　specimens　these；　expert　in　the　arts　of　Belial　mainly；fitter　to　be　markers　at　some　exceedingly　expensive　billiard…table　than　sacred　chief…priests　of　men！　〃Greeks　of　the　Lower　Empire；〃　with　a　varnish　of　parliamentary　rhetoric；　and；　I　suppose；　this　other　great　gift；　toughness　of　character；proof　that　they　have　_persevered_　in　their　Master's　service。　　Poor　wretches；　their　industry　is　mob…worship；　place…worship；　parliamentary　intrigue；　and　the　multiplex　art　of　tongue…fence：　　flung　into　that　bad　element；　there　they　swim　for　decades　long；　throttling　and　wrestling　one