latter-day pamphlets-第34章

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　pearl…diving　this　long　while　many　fathoms　deep；　and　tearing　up　the　oyster…beds　so　as　never　creature　did　before；　hardly　knows；so　busy　in　the　belly　of　the　oyster　chaos；　where　is　no　thought　of　〃breathing；〃whether　she　has　lungs　or　not？　　Nations　of　a　robust　habit；　and　fine　deep　chest；　can　sometimes　take　in　a　deal　of　breath　_before_　diving；　and　live　long；　in　the　muddy　deeps；　without　new　breath：　but　they　too　come　to　need　it　at　last；　and　will　die　if　they　cannot　get　it！

To　the　gifted　soul　that　is　born　in　England；　what　is　the　career；　then；　that　will　carry　him；　amid　noble　Olympic　dust；　up　to　the　immortal　gods？　　For　his　country's　sake；　that　it　may　not　lose　the　service　he　was　born　capable　of　doing　it；　for　his　own　sake；　that　his　life　be　not　choked　and　perverted；　and　his　light　from　Heaven　be　not　changed　into　lightning　from　the　Other　Place；it　is　essential　that　there　be　such　a　career。　　The　country　that　can　offer　no　career　in　that　case；　is　a　doomed　country；　nay　it　is　already　a　dead　country：　　it　has　secured　the　ban　of　Heaven　upon　it；　will　not　have　Heaven's　light；　will　have　the　Other　Place's　lightning；　and　may　consider　itself　as　appointed　to　expire；　in　frightful　coughings　of　street　musketry　or　otherwise；　on　a　set　day；　and　to　be　in　the　eye　of　law　dead。　　In　no　country　is　there　not　some　career；　inviting　to　it　either　the　noble　Hero；　or　the　tough　Greek　of　the　Lower　Empire：　　which　of　the　two　do　your　careers　invite？　There　is　no　question　more　important。　　The　kind　of　careers　you　offer　in　countries　still　living；　determines　with　perfect　exactness　the　kind　of　the　life　that　is　in　them；whether　it　is　natural　blessed　life；　or　galvanic　accursed　ditto；　and　likewise　what　degree　of　strength　is　in　the　same。

Our　English　careers　to　born　genius　are　twofold。　　There　is　the　silent　or　unlearned　career　of　the　Industrialisms；　which　are　very　many　among　us；　and　there　is　the　articulate　or　learned　career　of　the　three　professions；　Medicine；　Law　（under　which　we　may　include　Politics）；　and　the　Church。　　Your　born　genius；　therefore；　will　first　have　to　ask　himself；　Whether　he　can　hold　his　tongue　or　cannot？　　True；　all　human　talent；　especially　all　deep　talent；　is　a　talent　to　_do_；　and　is　intrinsically　of　silent　nature；　inaudible；　like　the　Sphere　Harmonies　and　Eternal　Melodies；　of　which　it　is　an　incarnated　fraction。　　All　real　talent；　I　fancy；　would　much　rather；　if　it　listened　only　to　Nature's　monitions；　express　itself　in　rhythmic　facts　than　in　melodious　words；　which　latter　at　best；　where　they　are　good　for　anything；　are　only　a　feeble　echo　and　shadow　or　foreshadow　of　the　former。　　But　talents　differ　much　in　this　of　power　to　be　silent；　and　circumstances；　of　position；　opportunity　and　such　like；　modify　them　still　more；and　Nature's　monitions；　oftenest　quite　drowned　in　foreign　hearsays；　are　by　no　means　the　only　ones　listened　to　in　deciding！The　Industrialisms　are　all　of　silent　nature；　and　some　of　them　are　heroic　and　eminently　human；　others；　again；　we　may　call　unheroic；　not　eminently　human：　　_beaverish_　rather；　but　still　honest；　some　are　even　_vulpine_；　altogether　inhuman　and　dishonest。　　Your　born　genius　must　make　his　choice。

If　a　soul　is　born　with　divine　intelligence；　and　has　its　lips　touched　with　hallowed　fire；　in　consecration　for　high　enterprises　under　the　sun；　this　young　soul　will　find　the　question　asked　of　him　by　England　every　hour　and　moment：　　〃Canst　thou　turn　thy　human　intelligence　into　the　beaver　sort；　and　make　honest　contrivance；　and　accumulation　of　capital　by　it？　　If　so；　do　it；　and　avoid　the　vulpine　kind；　which　I　don't　recommend。　　Honest　triumphs　in　engineering　and　machinery　await　thee；　scrip　awaits　thee；　commercial　successes；　kingship　in　the　counting…room；　on　the　stock…exchange；thou　shalt　be　the　envy　of　surrounding　flunkies；　and　collect　into　a　heap　more　gold　than　a　dray…horse　can　draw。〃〃Gold；　so　much　gold？〃　answers　the　ingenuous　soul；　with　visions　of　the　envy　of　surrounding　flunkies　dawning　on　him；　and　in　very　many　cases　decides　that　he　will　contract　himself　into　beaverism；　and　with　such　a　horse…draught　of　gold；　emblem　of　a　never…imagined　success　in　beaver　heroism；　strike　the　surrounding　flunkies　yellow。

This　is　our　common　course；　this　is　in　some　sort　open　to　every　creature；　what　we　call　the　beaver　career；　perhaps　more　open　in　England；　taking　in　America　too；　than　it　ever　was　in　any　country　before。　　And；　truly；　good　consequences　follow　out　of　it：　　who　can　be　blind　to　them？　　Half　of　a　most　excellent　and　opulent　result　is　realized　to　us　in　this　way；　baleful　only　when　it　sets　up　（as　too　often　now）　for　being　the　whole　result。　　A　half…result　which　will　be　blessed　and　heavenly　so　soon　as　the　other　half　is　had；namely　wisdom　to　guide　the　first　half。　　Let　us　honor　all　honest　human　power　of　contrivance　in　its　degree。　　The　beaver　intellect；　so　long　as　it　steadfastly　refuses　to　be　vulpine；　and　answers　the　tempter　pointing　out　short　routes　to　it　with　an　honest　〃No；　no；〃　is　truly　respectable　to　me；　and　many　a　highflying　speaker　and　singer　whom　I　have　known；　has　appeared　to　me　much　less　of　a　developed　man　than　certain　of　my　mill…owning；　agricultural；　commercial；　mechanical；　or　otherwise　industrial　friends；　who　have　held　their　peace　all　their　days　and　gone　on　in　the　silent　state。　　If　a　man　can　keep　his　intellect　silent；　and　make　it　even　into　honest　beaverism；　several　very　manful　moralities；　in　danger　of　wreck　on　other　courses；　may　comport　well　with　that；　and　give　it　a　genuine　and　partly　human　character；　and　I　will　tell　him；　in　these　days　he　may　do　far　worse　with　himself　and　his　intellect　than　change　it　into　beaverism；　and　make　honest　money　with　it。　　If　indeed　he　could　become　a　_heroic_　industrial；　and　have　a　life　〃eminently　human〃！　　But　that　is　not　easy　at　present。　　Probably　some　ninety…nine　out　of　every　hundred　of　our　gifted　souls；　who　have　to　seek　a　career　for　themselves；　go　this　beaver　road。　　Whereby　the　first　half…result；　national　wealth　namely；　is　plentifully　realized；　and　only　the　second　half；　or　wisdom　to　guide　it；　is　dreadfully　behindhand。

But　now　if　the　gifted　soul　be　not　of　taciturn　nature；　be　of　vivid；　impatient；　rapidly　productive　nature；　and　aspire　much　to　give　itself　sensible　utterance；I　find　that；　in　this　case；　the　field　it　has　in　England　is　narrow　to　an　extreme；　is　perhaps　narrower　than　ever　offered　itself；　for　the　like　object；　in　this　world　before。　　Parliament；　Church；　Law：　　let　the　young　vivid　soul　turn　whither　he　will　for　a　career；　he　finds　among　variable　conditions　one　condition　invariable；　and　extremely　surprising；　That　the　proof　of　excellence　is　to　be　done　by　the　tongue。　　For　heroism　that　will　not　speak；　but　only　act；　there　is　no　account　kept：The　English　Nation　does　not　need　that　silent　kind；　then；　but　only　the　talking　kind？　　Most　astonishing。　Of　all　the　organs　a　man　has；　there　is　none　held　in　account；　it　would　appear；　but　the　tongue　he　uses　for　talking。　　Premiership；　woolsack；　mitre；　and　quasi…crown：　　all　is　attainable　if　you　can　talk　with　due　ability。　Everywhere　your　proof…shot　is　to　be　a　well…fired　volley　of　talk。　　Contrive　to　talk　well；　you　will　get　to　Heaven；　the　modern　Heaven　of　the　English。　　Do　not　talk　well；　only　work　well；　and　heroically　hold　your　peace；　you　have　no　chance　whatever　to　get　thither；　with　your　utmost　industry　you　may　get　to　Threadneedle　Street；　and　accumulate　more　gold　than　a　dray…horse　can　draw。　Is　not　this　a　very　wonderful　arrangement？

I　have　heard　of　races　done　by　mortals　tied　in　sacks；　of　human　competitors；　high　aspirants；　climbing　heavenward　on　the　soaped　pole；　seizing　the　soaped　pig；　and　clutching　with　cleft　fist；　at　full　gallop；　the　fated　goose　tied　aloft　by　its　foot；which　feats　do　prove　agility；　toughness　and　other　useful　faculties　in　man：　　but　this　of　dexterous　talk　is　probably　as　strange　a　competition　as　any。　　And　the　question　rises；　Whether　certain　of　these　other　feats；　or　perhaps　an　alternation　of　all　of　them；　relieved　now　and　then　by　a　bout　of　grinning　through　the　collar；　might　not　be　profitably　substituted　for　the　solitary　proof…feat　of　talk；　now　getting　rather　monotonous　by　its　long　continuance？　　Alas；　Mr。　Bull；　I　do　find　it　is　all　little　other　than　a　proof　of　toughness；　which　is　a　quality　I　respect；　with　more　or　less　expenditure　of　falsity　and　astucity　superadded；　which　I　entirely　condemn。　　Toughness　_plus_　astucity：perhaps　a　simple　wooden　mast　set　up　in　Palace…Yard；　well　soaped　and　duly　presided　over；　might　be　the　honester　method？　　Such　a　method　as　this　by　trial　of　talk；　for　filling　your　chief　offices　in　Church　and　State；　was　perhaps　never　heard　of　in　the　solar　system　before。　　You　are　quite　used　to　it；　my　poor　friend；　and　nearly　dead　by　the　consequences　of　it：　　but　in　the　other　Planets；　as　in　other　epochs　of　your　own　Planet　it　would　have　done　had　you　proposed　it；　the　thing　awakens　incredulous　amazement；　world…wide　Olympic　laughter；　which　ends　in　tempestuous　hootings；　in　tears　and　horror！　　My　friend；　if　you　can；　as　heretofore　this　good　while；　find　nobody　to　take　care　of　your　affairs　but　the　expertest　talker；　it　is　all　over　with　your　affairs　and　you。　　Talk　never　yet　could　guide　any　man's　or　nation's　affairs；　nor　will　it　yours；　except　towards　the　_Limbus　Patrum_；　where　all　talk；　except　a　very　select　kind　of　it；　lodges　at　last。


Medicine；　guarded　too　by　preliminary　impediments；　and　frightful　medusa…heads　of　quackery；　which　deter　many　generous　souls　from　entering；　is　of　the　_half_…articulate　professions；　and　does　not　much　invite　the　ardent　kinds　of　ambition。　　The　intellect　required　for　medicine　might　be　wholly　human；　and　indeed　should　by　all　rules　be；the　profession　of　the　Human　Healer　being　radically　a　sacred　one　and　connected　with　the　highest　priesthoods；　or　rather　being　itself　the　outcome　and　acme　of　all　priesthoods；　and　divinest　conquests　of　intellect　here　below。　　As　will　appear　one　day；　when　men　take　off　their　old　monastic　and　ecclesiastic　spectacles；　and　look　with　eyes　again！　　In　essence　the　Physician's　task　is　always　heroic；　eminently　human：　　but　in　practice　most　unluckily　at　present　we　find　it　too　become　in　good　part　_beaverish_；　yielding　a　money…result　alone。　　And　what　of　it　is　not　beaverish；does　not　that　too　go　mainly　to　ingenious　talking；　publishing　of　yourself；　ingratiating　of　yourself；　a　partly　human　exercise　or　waste　of　intellect；　and　alas　a　partly　vulpine　ditto；making　the　once　sacred　＇Gr。＇　_'Iatros_；　or　Human　Healer；　more　impossible　for　us　than　ever！

Angry　basilisks　watch　at　the　gates　of　Law　and　Church　just　now；　and　strike　a　sad　damp　into　the　nobler　of　the　young　aspirants。　　Hard　bonds　are　offered　you　to　sign；　as　it　were；　a　solemn　engagement　to　constitute　yourself　an　impostor；　before　ever　entering；　to　declare　your　belief　in　incredibilities；your　determination；　in　short；　to　take　Chaos　for　Cosmos；　and　Satan　for　the　Lord　of　things；　if　he　come　with　money　in　his　pockets；　and　horsehair　and　bombazine　decently　wrapt　about　him。　　Fatal　preliminaries；　which　deter　many　an　ingenuous　young　soul；　and　send　him　back　from　the　threshold；　and　I　hope　will　deter　ever　more。　　But　if　you　do　enter；　the　condition　is　well　known：　　〃Talk；　who　can　talk　best　here？　　His　shall　be　the　mouth　of　gold；　and　the　purse　of　gold；　and　with　my　＇Gr。＇　_mitra_　（once　the　head…dress　of　unfortunate　females；　I　am　told）　shall　his　sacred　temples　be　begirt。〃


Ingenuous　souls；　unless　forced　to　it；　do　now　much　shudder　at　the　threshold　of　both　these　careers；　and　not　a　few　desperately