latter-day pamphlets-第32章

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t　it　get　into　the　tongue；　and　make　melody　with　that　organ。　The　talent　that　can　say　nothing　for　itself；　what　is　it？　　Nothing；　or　a　thing　that　can　do　mere　drudgeries；　and　at　best　make　money　by　railways。

All　this　is　deep…rooted　in　our　habits；　in　our　social；　educational　and　other　arrangements；　and　all　this；　when　we　look　at　it　impartially；　is　astonishing。　Directly　in　the　teeth　of　all　this　it　may　be　asserted　that　speaking　is　by　no　means　the　chief　faculty　a　human　being　can　attain　to；　that　his　excellence　therein　is　by　no　means　the　best　test　of　his　general　human　excellence；　or　availability　in　this　world；　nay　that；　unless　we　look　well；　it　is　liable　to　become　the　very　worst　test　ever　devised　for　said　availability。　　The　matter　extends　very　far；　down　to　the　very　roots　of　the　world；　whither　the　British　reader　cannot　conveniently　follow　me　just　now；　but　I　will　venture　to　assert　the　three　following　things；　and　invite　him　to　consider　well　what　truth　he　can　gradually　find　in　them：

First；　that　excellent　speech；　even　speech　_really_　excellent；　is　not；　and　never　was；　the　chief　test　of　human　faculty；　or　the　measure　of　a　man's　ability；　for　any　true　function　whatsoever；　on　the　contrary；　that　excellent　_silence_　needed　always　to　accompany　excellent　speech；　and　was　and　is　a　much　rarer　and　more　difficult　gift。

_Secondly_；　that　really　excellent　speechwhich　I；　being　possessed　of　the　Hebrew　Bible　or　Book；　as　well　as　of　other　books　in　my　own　and　foreign　languages；　and　having　occasionally　heard　a　wise　man's　word　among　the　crowd　of　unwise；　do　almost　unspeakably　esteem；　as　a　human　giftis　terribly　apt　to　get　confounded　with　its　counterfeit；　sham…excellent　speech！　　And　furthermore；　that　if　really　excellent　human　speech　is　among　the　best　of　human　things；　then　sham…excellent　ditto　deserves　to　be　ranked　with　the　very　worst。　　False　speech；capable　of　becoming；　as　some　one　has　said；　the　falsest　and　basest　of　all　human　things：put　the　case；　one　were　listening　to　_that_　as　to　the　truest　and　noblest！　　Which；　little　as　we　are　conscious　of　it；　I　take　to　be　the　sad　lot　of　many　excellent　souls　among　us　just　now。　So　many　as　admire　parliamentary　eloquence；　divine　popular　literature；　and　such　like；　are　dreadfully　liable　to　it　just　now：　　and　whole　nations　and　generations　seem　as　if　getting　themselves　_asphyxiaed_；　constitutionally　into　their　last　sleep；　by　means　of　it　just　now！

For　alas；　much　as　we　worship　speech　on　all　hands；　here　is　a　_third_　assertion　which　a　man　may　venture　to　make；　and　invite　considerate　men　to　reflect　upon：　　That　in　these　times；　and　for　several　generations　back；　there　has　been；　strictly　considered；　no　really　excellent　speech　at　all；　but　sham…excellent　merely；　that　is　to　say；　false　or　quasi…false　speech　getting　itself　admired　and　worshipped；　instead　of　detested　and　suppressed。　　A　truly　alarming　predicament；　and　not　the　less　so　if　we　find　it　a　quite　pleasant　one　for　the　time　being；　and　welcome　the　advent　of　asphyxia；　as　we　would　that　of　comfortable　natural　sleep；as；　in　so　many　senses；　we　are　doing！　Surly　judges　there　have　been　who　did　not　much　admire　the　〃Bible　of　Modern　Literature；〃　or　anything　you　could　distil　from　it；　in　contrast　with　the　ancient　Bibles；　and　found　that　in　the　matter　of　speaking；　our　far　best　excellence；　where　that　could　be　obtained；　was　excellent　silence；　which　means　endurance　and　exertion；　and　good　work　with　lips　closed；　and　that　our　tolerablest　speech　was　of　the　nature　of　honest　commonplace　introduced　where　indispensable；　which　only　set　up　for　being　brief　and　true；　and　could　not　be　mistaken　for　excellent。

These　are　hard　sayings　for　many　a　British　reader；　unconscious　of　any　damage；　nay　joyfully　conscious　to　himself　of　much　profit；　from　that　side　of　his　possessions。　　Surely　on　this　side；　if　on　no　other；　matters　stood　not　ill　with　him？　　The　ingenuous　arts　had　softened　his　manners；　the　parliamentary　eloquences　supplied　him　with　a　succedaneum　for　government；　the　popular　literatures　with　the　finer　sensibilities　of　the　heart：　　surely　on　this　_wind_ward　side　of　things　the　British　reader　was　not　ill　off？Unhappy　British　reader！

In　fact；　the　spiritual　detriment　we　unconsciously　suffer；　in　every　province　of　our　affairs；　from　this　our　prostrate　respect　to　power　of　speech　is　incalculable。　　For　indeed　it　is　the　natural　consummation　of　an　epoch　such　as　ours。　　Given　a　general　insincerity　of　mind　for　several　generations；　you　will　certainly　find　the　Talker　established　in　the　place　of　honor；　and　the　Doer；　hidden　in　the　obscure　crowd；　with　activity　lamed；　or　working　sorrowfully　forward　on　paths　unworthy　of　him。　　All　men　are　devoutly　prostrate；　worshipping　the　eloquent　talker；　and　no　man　knows　what　a　scandalous　idol　he　is。　　Out　of　whom　in　the　mildest　manner；　like　comfortable　natural　rest；　comes　mere　asphyxia　and　death　everlasting！　　Probably　there　is　not　in　Nature　a　more　distracted　phantasm　than　your　commonplace　eloquent　speaker；　as　he　is　found　on　platforms；　in　parliaments；　on　Kentucky　stumps；　at　tavern…dinners；　in　windy；　empty；　insincere　times　like　ours。　　The　〃excellent　Stump…orator；〃　as　our　admiring　Yankee　friends　define　him；　he　who　in　any　occurrent　set　of　circumstances　can　start　forth；　mount　upon　his　〃stump；〃　his　rostrum；　tribune；　place　in　parliament；　or　other　ready　elevation；　and　pour　forth　from　him　his　appropriate　〃excellent　speech；〃　his　interpretation　of　the　said　circumstances；　in　such　manner　as　poor　windy　mortals　round　him　shall　cry　bravo　to；he　is　not　an　artist　I　can　much　admire；　as　matters　go！　　Alas；　he　is　in　general　merely　the　windiest　mortal　of　them　all；　and　is　admired　for　being　so；　into　the　bargain。　　Not　a　windy　blockhead　there　who　kept　silent　but　is　better　off　than　this　excellent　stump…orator。　　Better　off；　for　a　great　many　reasons；　for　this　reason；　were　there　no　other：　　the　silent　one　is　not　admired；　the　silent　suspects；　perhaps　partly　admits；　that　he　is　a　kind　of　blockhead；　from　which　salutary　self…knowledge　the　excellent　stump…orator　is　debarred。　　A　mouthpiece　of　Chaos　to　poor　benighted　mortals　that　lend　ear　to　him　as　to　a　voice　from　Cosmos；　this　excellent　stump…orator　fills　me　with　amazement。　　Not　empty　these　musical　wind…utterances　of　his；　they　are　big　with　prophecy；　they　announce；　too　audibly　to　me；　that　the　end　of　many　things　is　drawing　nigh！

Let　the　British　reader　consider　it　a　little；　he　too　is　not　a　little　interested　in　it。　　Nay　he；　and　the　European　reader　in　general；　but　he　chiefly　in　these　days；　will　require　to　consider　it　a　great　deal；and　to　take　important　steps　in　consequence　by　and　by；　if　I　mistake　not。　　And　in　the　mean　while；　sunk　as　he　himself　is　in　that　bad　element；　and　like　a　jaundiced　man　struggling　to　discriminate　yellow　colors；he　will　have　to　meditate　long　before　he　in　any　measure　get　the　immense　meanings　of　the　thing　brought　home　to　him；　and　discern；　with　astonishment；　alarm；　and　almost　terror　and　despair；　towards　what　fatal　issues；　in　our　Collective　Wisdom　and　elsewhere；　this　notion　of　talent　meaning　eloquent　speech；　so　obstinately　entertained　this　long　while；　has　been　leading　us！　　Whosoever　shall　look　well　into　origins　and　issues；　will　find　this　of　eloquence　and　the　part　it　now　plays　in　our　affairs；　to　be　one　of　the　gravest　phenomena；　and　the　excellent　stump…orator　of　these　days　to　be　not　only　a　ridiculous　but　still　more　a　highly　tragical　personage。　　While　the　many　listen　to　him；　the　few　are　used　to　pass　rapidly；　with　some　gust　of　scornful　laughter；　some　growl　of　impatient　malediction；　but　he　deserves　from　this　latter　class　a　much　more　serious　attention。


In　the　old　Ages；　when　Universities　and　Schools　were　first　instituted；　this　function　of　the　schoolmaster；　to　teach　mere　speaking；　was　the　natural　one。　In　those　healthy　times；　guided　by　silent　instincts　and　the　monition　of　Nature；　men　had　from　of　old　been　used　to　teach　themselves　what　it　was　essential　to　learn；　by　the　one　sure　method　of　learning　anything；　practical　apprenticeship　to　it。　　This　was　the　rule　for　all　classes；　as　it　now　is　the　rule；　unluckily；　for　only　one　class。　　The　Working　Man　as　yet　sought　only　to　know　his　craft；　and　educated　himself　sufficiently　by　ploughing　and　hammering；　under　the　conditions　given；　and　in　fit　relation　to　the　persons　given：　　a　course　of　education；　then　as　now　and　ever；　really　opulent　in　manful　culture　and　instruction　to　him；　teaching　him　many　solid　virtues；　and　most　indubitably　useful　knowledges；　developing　in　him　valuable　faculties　not　a　few　both　to　do　and　to　endure；among　which　the　faculty　of　elaborate　grammatical　utterance；　seeing　he　had　so　little　of　extraordinary　to　utter；　or　to　learn　from　spoken　or　written　utterances；　was　not　bargained　for；　the　grammar　of　Nature；　which　he　learned　from　his　mother；　being　still　amply　sufficient　for　him。　　This　was；　as　it　still　is；　the　grand　education　of　the　Working　Man。

As　for　the　Priest；　though　his　trade　was　clearly　of　a　reading　and　speaking　nature；　he　knew　also　in　those　veracious　times　that　grammar；　if　needful；　was　by　no　means　the　one　thing　needful；　or　the　chief　thing。　　By　far　the　chief　thing　needful；　and　indeed　the　one　thing　then　as　now；　was；　That　there　should　be　in　him　the　feeling　and　the　practice　of　reverence　to　God　and　to　men；　that　in　his　life's　core　there　should　dwell；　spoken　or　silent；　a　ray　of　pious　wisdom　fit　for　illuminating　dark　human　destinies；not　so　much　that　he　should　possess　the　art　of　speech；　as　that　he　should　have　something　to　speak！　　And　for　that　latter　requisite　the　Priest　also　trained　himself　by　apprenticeship；　by　actual　attempt　to　practise；　by　manifold　long…continued　trial；　of　a　devout　and　painful　nature；　such　as　his　superiors　prescribed　to　him。　　This；　when　once　judged　satisfactory；　procured　him　ordination；　and　his　grammar…learning；　in　the　good　times　of　priesthood；　was　very　much　of　a　parergon　with　him；　as　indeed　in　all　times　it　is　intrinsically　quite　insignificant　in　comparison。

The　young　Noble　again；　for　whom　grammar　schoolmasters　were　first　hired　and　high　seminaries　founded；　he　too　without　these；　or　above　and　over　these；　had　from　immemorial　time　been　used　to　learn　his　business　by　apprenticeship。　The　young　Noble；　before　the　schoolmaster　as　after　him；　went　apprentice　to　some　elder　noble；　entered　himself　as　page　with　some　distinguished　earl　or　duke；　and　here；　serving　upwards　from　step　to　step；　under　wise　monition；　learned　his　chivalries；　his　practice　of　arms　and　of　courtesies；　his　baronial　duties　and　manners；　and　what　it　would　beseem　him　to　do　and　to　be　in　the　world；by　practical　attempt　of　his　own；　and　example　of　one　whose　life　was　a　daily　concrete　pattern　for　him。　　To　such　a　one；　already　filled　with　intellectual　substance；　and　possessing　what　we　may　call　the　practical　gold…bullion　of　human　culture；　it　was　an　obvious　improvement　that　he　should　be　taught　to　speak　it　out　of　him　on　occasion；　that　he　should　carry　a　spiritual　banknote　producible　on　demand　for　what　of　〃gold…bullion〃　he　had；　not　so　negotiable　otherwise；　stored　in　the　cellars　of　his　mind。　　A　man；　with　wisdom；　insight　and　heroic　worth　already　acquired　for　him；　naturally　demanded　of　the　schoolmaster　this　one　new　faculty；　the　faculty　of　uttering　in　fit　words　what　he　had。　　A　valuable　superaddition　of　faculty：and　yet　we　are　to　remember　it　was　scarcely　a　new　faculty；　it　was　but　the　tangible　sign　of　what　other　faculties　the　man　had　in　the　silent　state：　　and　many　a　rugged　inarticulate　chief　of　men；　I　can　believe；　was　most　env