latter-day pamphlets-第33章

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n　had　in　the　silent　state：　　and　many　a　rugged　inarticulate　chief　of　men；　I　can　believe；　was　most　enviably　〃educated；〃　who　had　not　a　Book　on　his　premises；　whose　signature；　a　true　sign…_manual_；　was　the　stamp　of　his　iron　hand　duly　inked　and　clapt　upon　the　parchment；　and　whose　speech　in　Parliament；　like　the　growl　of　lions；　did　indeed　convey　his　meaning；　but　would　have　torn　Lindley　Murray's　nerves　to　pieces！　　To　such　a　one　the　schoolmaster　adjusted　himself　very　naturally　in　that　manner；　as　a　man　wanted　for　teaching　grammatical　utterance；　the　thing　to　utter　being　already　there。　　The　thing　to　utter；　here　was　the　grand　point！　　And　perhaps　this　is　the　reason　why　among　earnest　nations；　as　among　the　Romans　for　example；　the　craft　of　the　schoolmaster　was　held　in　little　regard；　for　indeed　as　mere　teacher　of　grammar；　of　ciphering　on　the　abacus　and　such　like；　how　did　he　differ　much　from　the　dancing…master　or　fencing…master；　or　deserve　much　regard？Such　was　the　rule　in　the　ancient　healthy　times。


Can　it　be　doubtful　that　this　is　still　the　rule　of　human　education；　that　the　human　creature　needs　first　of　all　to　be　educated　not　that　he　may　speak；　but　that　he　may　have　something　weighty　and　valuable　to　say！　　If　speech　is　the　bank…note　of　an　inward　capital　of　culture；　of　insight　and　noble　human　worth；　then　speech　is　precious；　and　the　art　of　speech　shall　be　honored。　But　if　there　is　no　inward　capital；　if　speech　represent　no　real　culture　of　the　mind；　but　an　imaginary　culture；　no　bullion；　but　the　fatal　and　now　almost　hopeless　deficit　of　such？　　Alas；　alas；　said　bank…note　is　then　a　_forged_　one；　passing　freely　current　in　the　market；　but　bringing　damages　to　the　receiver；　to　the　payer；　and　to　all　the　world；　which　are　in　sad　truth　infallible；　and　of　amount　incalculable。　　Few　think　of　it　at　present；　but　the　truth　remains　forever　so。　　In　parliaments　and　other　loud　assemblages；　your　eloquent　talk；　disunited　from　Nature　and　her　facts；　is　taken　as　wisdom　and　the　correct　image　of　said　facts：　　but　Nature　well　knows　what　it　is；　Nature　will　not　have　it　as　such；　and　will　reject　your　forged　note　one　day；　with　huge　costs。　　The　foolish　traders　in　the　market　pass　freely；　nothing　doubting；　and　rejoice　in　the　dexterous　execution　of　the　piece：　　and　so　it　circulates　from　hand　to　hand；　and　from　class　to　class；　gravitating　ever　downwards　towards　the　practical　class；　till　at　last　it　reaches　some　poor　_working_　hand；　who　can　pass　it　no　farther；　but　must　take　it　to　the　bank　to　get　bread　with　it；　and　there　the　answer　is；　〃Unhappy　caitiff；　this　note　is　forged。　　It　does　not　mean　performance　and　reality；　in　parliaments　and　elsewhere；　for　thy　behoof；　it　means　fallacious　semblance　of　performance；　and　thou；　poor　dupe；　art　thrown　into　the　stocks　on　offering　it　here！〃

Alas；　alas；　looking　abroad　over　Irish　difficulties；　Mosaic　sweating…establishments；　French　barricades；　and　an　anarchic　Europe；　is　it　not　as　if　all　the　populations　of　the　world　were　rising　or　had　risen　into　incendiary　madness；unable　longer　to　endure　such　an　avalanche　of　forgeries；　and　of　penalties　in　consequence；　as　had　accumulated　upon　them？　The　speaker　is　〃excellent；〃　the　notes　he　does　are　beautiful？　　Beautifully　fit　for　the　market；　yes；　_he_　is　an　excellent　artist　in　his　business；and　the　more　excellent　he　is；　the　more　is　my　desire　to　lay　him　by　the　heels；　and　fling　_him_　into　the　treadmill；　that　I　might　save　the　poor　sweating　tailors；　French　Sansculottes；　and　Irish　Sanspotatoes　from　bearing　the　smart！

For　the　smart　must　be　borne；　some　one　must　bear　it；　as　sure　as　God　lives。　Every　word　of　man　is　either　a　note　or　a　forged　note：have　these　eternal　skies　forgotten　to　be　in　earnest；　think　you；　because　men　go　grinning　like　enchanted　apes？　　Foolish　souls；　this　now　as　of　old　is　the　unalterable　law　of　your　existence。　　If　you　know　the　truth　and　do　it；　the　Universe　itself　seconds　you；　bears　you　on　to　sure　victory　everywhere：and；　observe；　to　sure　defeat　everywhere　if　you　do　not　do　the　truth。　　And　alas；　if　you　_know_　only　the　eloquent　fallacious　semblance　of　the　truth；　what　chance　is　there　of　your　ever　doing　it？　　You　will　do　something　very　different　from　it；　I　think！He　who　well　considers；　will　find　this　same　〃art　of　speech；〃　as　we　moderns　have　it；　to　be　a　truly　astonishing　product　of　the　Ages；　and　the　longer　he　considers　it；　the　more　astonishing　and　alarming。　　I　reckon　it　the　saddest　of　all　the　curses　that　now　lie　heavy　on　us。　　With　horror　and　amazement；　one　perceives　that　this　much…celebrated　〃art；〃　so　diligently　practised　in　all　corners　of　the　world　just　now；　is　the　chief　destroyer　of　whatever　good　is　born　to　us　（softly；　swiftly　shutting　up　all　nascent　good；　as　if　under　exhausted　glass　receivers；　there　to　choke　and　die）；　and　the　grand　parent　manufactory　of　evil　to　us；as　it　were；　the　last　finishing　and　varnishing　workshop　of　all　the　Devil's　ware　that　circulates　under　the　sun。　No　Devil's　sham　is　fit　for　the　market　till　it　have　been　polished　and　enamelled　here；　this　is　the　general　assaying…house　for　such；　where　the　artists　examine　and　answer；　〃Fit　for　the　market；　not　fit！〃　　Words　will　not　express　what　mischiefs　the　misuse　of　words　has　done；　and　is　doing；　in　these　heavy…laden　generations。

Do　you　want　a　man　_not_　to　practise　what　he　believes；　then　encourage　him　to　keep　often　speaking　it　in　words。　　Every　time　he　speaks　it；　the　tendency　to　do　it　will　grow　less。　　His　empty　speech　of　what　he　believes；　will　be　a　weariness　and　an　affliction　to　the　wise　man。　　But　do　you　wish　his　empty　speech　of　what　he　believes；　to　become　farther　an　insincere　speech　of　what　he　does　not　believe？　　Celebrate　to　him　his　gift　of　speech；　assure　him　that　he　shall　rise　in　Parliament　by　means　of　it；　and　achieve　great　things　without　any　performance；　that　eloquent　speech；　whether　performed　or　not；　is　admirable。　　My　friends；　eloquent　unperformed　speech；　in　Parliament　or　elsewhere；　is　horrible！　　The　eloquent　man　that　delivers；　in　Parliament　or　elsewhere；　a　beautiful　speech；　and　will　perform　nothing　of　it；　but　leaves　it　as　if　already　performed；what　can　you　make　of　that　man？　　He　has　enrolled　himself　among　the　_Ignes　Fatui_　and　Children　of　the　Wind；　means　to　serve；　as　beautifully　illuminated　Chinese　Lantern；　in　that　corps　henceforth。　　I　think；　the　serviceable　thing　you　could　do　to　that　man；　if　permissible；　would　be　a　severe　one：　　To　clip　off　a　bit　of　his　eloquent　tongue　by　way　of　penance　and　warning；　another　bit；　if　he　again　spoke　without　performing；　and　so　again；　till　you　had　clipt　the　whole　tongue　away　from　him；and　were　delivered；　you　and　he；　from　at　least　one　miserable　mockery：　　〃There；　eloquent　friend；　see　now　in　silence　if　there　be　any　redeeming　deed　in　thee；　of　blasphemous　wind…eloquence；　at　least；　we　shall　have　no　more！〃　　How　many　pretty　men　have　gone　this　road；　escorted　by　the　beautifulest　marching　music　from　all　the　〃public　organs；〃　and　have　found　at　last　that　it　endedwhere？　　It　is　the　_broad_　road；　that　leads　direct　to　Limbo　and　the　Kingdom　of　the　Inane。　　Gifted　men；　and　once　valiant　nations；　and　as　it　were　the　whole　world　with　one　accord；　are　marching　thither；　in　melodious　triumph；　all　the　drums　and　hautboys　giving　out　their　cheerfulest　_Ca…ira_。　　It　is　the　universal　humor　of　the　world　just　now。　　My　friends；　I　am　very　sure　you　will　_arrive_；　unless　you　halt！


Considered　as　the　last　finish　of　education；　or　of　human　culture；　worth　and　acquirement；　the　art　of　speech　is　noble；　and　even　divine；　it　is　like　the　kindling　of　a　Heaven's　light　to　show　us　what　a　glorious　world　exists；　and　has　perfected　itself；　in　a　man。　　But　if　no　world　exist　in　the　man；　if　nothing　but　continents　of　empty　vapor；　of　greedy　self…conceits；　common…place　hearsays；　and　indistinct　loomings　of　a　sordid　_chaos_　exist　in　him；　what　will　be　the　use　of　〃light〃　to　show　us　that？　　Better　a　thousand　times　that　such　a　man　do　not　speak；　but　keep　his　empty　vapor　and　his　sordid　chaos　to　himself；　hidden　to　the　utmost　from　all　beholders。　　To　look　on　that；　can　be　good　for　no　human　beholder；　to　look　away　from　that；　must　be　good。　　And　if；　by　delusive　semblances　of　rhetoric；　logic；　first…class　degrees；　and　the　aid　of　elocution…masters　and　parliamentary　reporters；　the　poor　proprietor　of　said　chaos　should　be　led　to　persuade　himself；　and　get　others　persuaded；which　it　is　the　nature　of　his　sad　task　to　do；　and　which；　in　certain　eras　of　the　world；　it　is　fatally　possible　to　do；that　this　is　a　cosmos　which　he　owns；　that　_he_；　being　so　perfect　in　tongue…exercise　and　full　of　college…honors；　is　an　〃educated〃　man；　and　pearl　of　great　price　in　his　generation；　that　round　him；　and　his　parliament　emulously　listening　to　him；　as　round　some　divine　apple　of　gold　set　in　a　picture　of　silver；　all　the　world　should　gather　to　adore：　　what　is　likely　to　become　of　him　and　the　gathering　world？　　An　apple　of　Sodom　set　in　the　clusters　of　Gomorrah：　　that；　little　as　he　suspects　it；　is　the　definition　of　the　poor　chaotically　eloquent　man；　with　his　emulous　parliament　and　miserable　adoring　world！Considered　as　the　whole　of　education；　or　human　culture；　which　it　now　is　in　our　modern　manners；　all　apprenticeship　except　to　mere　handicraft　having　fallen　obsolete；　and　the　〃educated　man〃　being　with　us　emphatically　and　exclusively　the　man　that　can　speak　well　with　tongue　or　pen；　and　astonish　men　by　the　quantities　of　speech　he　has　_heard_　（〃tremendous　_reader_；〃　〃walking　encyclopaedia；〃　and　such　like）；the　Art　of　Speech　is　probably　definable　in　that　case　as　the　short　summary　of　all　the　Black　Arts　put　together。


But　the　Schoolmaster　is　secondary；　an　effect　rather　than　a　cause　in　this　matter：　　what　the　Schoolmaster　with　his　universities　shall　manage　or　attempt　to　teach　will　be　ruled　by　what　the　Society　with　its　practical　industries　is　continually　demanding　that　men　should　learn。　　We　spoke　once　of　vital　lungs　for　Society：　　and　in　fact　this　question　always　rises　as　the　alpha　and　omega　of　social　questions；　What　methods　the　Society　has　of　summoning　aloft　into　the　high　places；　for　its　help　and　governance；　the　wisdom　that　is　born　to　it　in　all　places；　and　of　course　is　born　chiefly　in　the　more　populous　or　lower　places？　　For　this；　if　you　will　consider　it；　expresses　the　ultimate　available　result；　and　net　sum…total；　of　all　the　efforts；　struggles　and　confused　activities　that　go　on　in　the　Society；　and　determines　whether　they　are　true　and　wise　efforts；　certain　to　be　victorious；　or　false　and　foolish；　certain　to　be　futile；　and　to　fall　captive　and　caitiff。　　How　do　men　rise　in　your　Society？　　In　all　Societies；　Turkey　included；　and　I　suppose　Dahomey　included；　men　do　rise；　but　the　question　of　questions　always　is；　What　kind　of　men？　　Men　of　noble　gifts；　or　men　of　ignoble？　　It　is　the　one　or　the　other；　and　a　life…and…death　inquiry　which！　For　in　all　places　and　all　times；　little　as　you　may　heed　it；　Nature　most　silently　but　most　inexorably　demands　that　it　be　the　one　and　not　the　other。　And　you　need　not　try　to　palm　an　ignoble　sham　upon　her；　and　call　it　noble；　for　she　is　a　judge。　　And　her　penalties；　as　quiet　as　she　looks；　are　terrible：　　amounting　to　world…earthquakes；　to　anarchy　and　death　everlasting；　and　admit　of　no　appeal！

Surely　England　still　flatters　herself　that　she　has　lungs；　that　she　can　still　breathe　a　little？　　Or　is　it　that　the　poor　creature；　driven　into　mere　blind　industrialisms；　and　as　it　were；　gone　pearl…diving　this　long　while　many　fathoms　deep；　and　tearing　up　the　oyster…beds　so　as　never　creature