latter-day pamphlets-第35章

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Ingenuous　souls；　unless　forced　to　it；　do　now　much　shudder　at　the　threshold　of　both　these　careers；　and　not　a　few　desperately　turn　back　into　the　wilderness　rather；　to　front　a　very　rude　fortune；　and　be　devoured　by　wild　beasts　as　is　likeliest。　　But　as　to　Parliament；　again；　and　its　eligibility　if　attainable；　there　is　yet　no　question　anywhere；　the　ingenuous　soul；　if　possessed　of　money…capital　enough；　is　predestined　by　the　parental　and　all　manner　of　monitors　to　that　career　of　talk；　and　accepts　it　with　alacrity　and　clearness　of　heart；　doubtful　only　whether　he　shall　be　_able_　to　make　a　speech。　　Courage；　my　brave　young　fellow。　　If　you　can　climb　a　soaped　pole　of　any　kind；　you　will　certainly　be　able　to　make　a　speech。　　All　mortals　have　a　tongue；　and　carry　on　some　jumble；　if　not　of　thought；　yet　of　stuff　which　they　could　talk。　　The　weakest　of　animals　has　got　a　cry　in　it；　and　can　give　voice　before　dying。　　If　you　are　tough　enough；　bent　upon　it　desperately　enough；　I　engage　you　shall　make　a　speech；but　whether　that　will　be　the　way　to　Heaven　for　you；　I　do　not　engage。

These；　then；　are　our　two　careers　for　genius：　　mute　Industrialism；　which　can　seldom　become　very　human；　but　remains　beaverish　mainly：　　and　the　three　Professions　named　learned；that　is　to　say；　able　to　talk。　　For　the　heroic　or　higher　kinds　of　human　intellect；　in　the　silent　state；　there　is　not　the　smallest　inquiry　anywhere；　apparently　a　thing　not　wanted　in　this　country　at　present。　　What　the　supply　may　be；　I　cannot　inform　M'Croudy；　but　the　market…demand；　he　may　himself　see；　is　_nil_。　　These　are　our　three　professions　that　require　human　intellect　in　part　or　whole；　not　able　to　do　with　mere　beaverish；　and　such　a　part　does　the　gift　of　talk　play　in　one　and　all　of　them。　　Whatsoever　is　not　beaverish　seems　to　go　forth　in　the　shape　of　talk。　　To　such　length　is　human　intellect　wasted　or　suppressed　in　this　world！

If　the　young　aspirant　is　not　rich　enough　for　Parliament；　and　is　deterred　by　the　basilisks　or　otherwise　from　entering　on　Law　or　Church；　and　cannot　altogether　reduce　his　human　intellect　to　the　beaverish　condition；　or　satisfy　himself　with　the　prospect　of　making　money；what　becomes　of　him　in　such　case；　which　is　naturally　the　case　of　very　many；　and　ever　of　more？　　In　such　case　there　remains　but　one　outlet　for　him；　and　notably　enough　that　too　is　a　talking　one：　　the　outlet　of　Literature；　of　trying　to　write　Books。　Since；　owing　to　preliminary　basilisks；　want　of　cash；　or　superiority　to　cash；　he　cannot　mount　aloft　by　eloquent　talking；　let　him　try　it　by　dexterous　eloquent　writing。　　Here　happily；　having　three　fingers；　and　capital　to　buy　a　quire　of　paper；　he　can　try　it　to　all　lengths　and　in　spite　of　all　mortals：　　in　this　career　there　is　happily　no　public　impediment　that　can　turn　him　back；　nothing　but　private　starvationwhich　is　itself　a　_finis_　or　kind　of　goalcan　pretend　to　hinder　a　British　man　from　prosecuting　Literature　to　the　very　utmost；　and　wringing　the　final　secret　from　her：　　〃A　talent　is　in　thee；　No　talent　is　in　thee。〃　　To　the　British　subject　who　fancies　genius　may　be　lodged　in　him；　this　liberty　remains；　and　truly　it　is；　if　well　computed；　almost　the　only　one　he　has。

A　crowded　portal　this　of　Literature；　accordingly！　　The　haven　of　expatriated　spiritualisms；　and　alas　also　of　expatriated　vanities　and　prurient　imbecilities：　　here　do　the　windy　aspirations；　foiled　activities；　foolish　ambitions；　and　frustrate　human　energies　reduced　to　the　vocable　condition；　fly　as　to　the　one　refuge　left；　and　the　Republic　of　Letters　increases　in　population　at　a　faster　rate　than　even　the　Republic　of　America。　　The　strangest　regiment　in　her　Majesty's　service；　this　of　the　Soldiers　of　Literature：would　your　Lordship　much　like　to　march　through　Coventry　with　them？　　The　immortal　gods　are　there　（quite　irrecognizable　under　these　disguises）；　and　also　the　lowest　broken　valets；an　extremely　miscellaneous　regiment。　　In　fact　the　regiment；　superficially　viewed；　looks　like　an　immeasurable　motley　flood　of　discharged　play…actors；　funambulists；　false　prophets；　drunken　ballad…singers；　and　marches　not　as　a　regiment；　but　as　a　boundless　canaille；without　drill；　uniform；　captaincy　or　billet；　with　huge　over…proportion　of　drummers；　you　would　say；　a　regiment　gone　wholly　to　the　drum；　with　hardly　a　good　musket　to　be　seen　in　it；more　a　canaille　than　a　regiment。　　Canaille　of　all　the　loud…sounding　levities；　and　general　winnowings　of　Chaos；　marching　through　the　world　in　a　most　ominous　manner；　proclaiming；　audibly　if　you　have　ears：　　〃Twelfth　hour　of　the　Night；　ancient　graves　yawning；　pale　clammy　Puseyisms　screeching　in　their　winding…sheets；　owls　busy　in　the　City　regions；　many　goblins　abroad！　　Awake　ye　living；　dream　no　more；　arise　to　judgment！　　Chaos　and　Gehenna　are　broken　loose；　the　Devil　with　his　Bedlams　must　be　flung　in　chains　again；　and　the　Last　of　the　Days　is　about　to　dawn！〃　　Such　is　Literature　to　the　reflective　soul　at　this　moment。

But　what　now　concerns　us　most　is　the　circumstance　that　here　too　the　demand　is；　Vocables；　still　vocables。　　In　all　appointed　courses　of　activity　and　paved　careers　for　human　genius；　and　in　this　unpaved；　unappointed；　broadest　career　of　Literature；　broad　way　that　leadeth　to　destruction　for　so　many；　the　one　duty　laid　upon　you　is　still；　Talk；　talk。　　Talk　well　with　pen　or　tongue；　and　it　shall　be　well　with　you；　do　not　talk　well；　it　shall　be　ill　with　you。　　To　wag　the　tongue　with　dexterous　acceptability；　there　is　for　human　worth　and　faculty；　in　our　England　of　the　Nineteenth　Century；　that　one　method　of　emergence　and　no　other。　　Silence；　you　would　say；　means　annihilation　for　the　Englishman　of　the　Nineteenth　Century。　　The　worth　that　has　not　spoken　itself；　is　not；　or　is　potentially　only；　and　as　if　it　were　not。　　Vox　is　the　God　of　this　Universe。　　If　you　have　human　intellect；　it　avails　nothing　unless　you　either　make　it　into　beaverism；　or　talk　with　it。　Make　it　into　beaverism；　and　gather　money；　or　else　make　talk　with　it；　and　gather　what　you　can。　　Such　is　everywhere　the　demand　for　talk　among　us：　　to　which；　of　course；　the　supply　is　proportionate。

From　dinners　up　to　woolsacks　and　divine　mitres；　here　in　England；　much　may　be　gathered　by　talk；　without　talk；　of　the　human　sort　nothing。　　Is　Society　become　wholly　a　bag　of　wind；　then；　ballasted　by　guineas？　　Are　our　interests　in　it　as　a　sounding　brass　and　a　tinkling　cymbal？In　Army　or　Navy；　when　unhappily　we　have　war　on　hand；　there　is；　almost　against　our　will；　some　kind　of　demand　for　certain　of　the　silent　talents。　　But　in　peace；　that　too　passes　into　mere　demand　of　the　ostentations；　of　the　pipeclays　and　the　blank　cartridges；　and；except　that　Naval　men　are　occasionally；　on　long　voyages；　forced　to　hold　their　tongue；　and　converse　with　the　dumb　elements；　and　illimitable　oceans；　that　moan　and　rave　there　without　you　and　within　you；　which　is　a　great　advantage　to　the　Naval　man；our　poor　United　Services　have　to　make　conversational　windbags　and　ostentational　paper…lanterns　of　themselves；　or　do　worse；　even　as　the　others。


My　friends；　must　I　assert；　then；　what　surely　all　men　know；　though　all　men　seem　to　have　forgotten　it；　That　in　the　learned　professions　as　in　the　unlearned；　and　in　human　things　throughout；　in　every　place　and　in　every　time；　the　true　function　of　intellect　is　not　that　of　talking；　but　of　understanding　and　discerning　with　a　view　to　performing！　　An　intellect　may　easily　talk　too　much；　and　perform　too　little。　　Gradually；　if　it　get　into　the　noxious　habit　of　talk；　there　will　less　and　less　performance　come　of　it；　talk　being　so　delightfully　handy　in　comparison　with　work；　and　at　last　there　will　no　work；　or　thought　of　work；　be　got　from　it　at　all。　　Talk；　except　as　the　preparation　for　work；　is　worth　almost　nothing；sometimes　it　is　worth　infinitely　less　than　nothing；　and　becomes；　little　conscious　of　playing　such　a　fatal　part；　the　general　summary　of　pretentious　nothingnesses；　and　the　chief　of　all　the　curses　the　Posterity　of　Adam　are　liable　to　in　this　sublunary　world！　　Would　you　discover　the　Atropos　of　Human　Virtue；　the　sure　Destroyer；　〃by　painless　extinction；〃　of　Human　Veracities；　Performances；　and　Capabilities　to　perform　or　to　be　veracious；it　is　this；　you　have　it　here。

Unwise　talk　is　matchless　in　unwisdom。　　Unwise　work；　if　it　but　persist；　is　everywhere　struggling　towards　correction；　and　restoration　to　health；　for　it　is　still　in　contact　with　Nature；　and　all　Nature　incessantly　contradicts　it；　and　will　heal　it　or　annihilate　it：　　not　so　with　unwise　talk；　which　addresses　itself；　regardless　of　veridical　Nature；　to　the　universal　suffrages；　and　can　if　it　be　dexterous；　find　harbor　there　till　all　the　suffrages　are　bankrupt　and　gone　to　Houndsditch；　Nature　not　interfering　with　her　protest　till　then。　　False　speech；　definable　as　the　acme　of　unwise　speech；　is　capable；　as　we　already　said；　of　becoming　the　falsest　of　all　things。　　Falsest　of　all　things：and　whither　will　the　general　deluge　of　that；　in　Parliament　and　Synagogue；　in　Book　and　Broadside；　carry　you　and　your　affairs；　my　friend；　when　once　they　are　embarked　on　it　as　now？


Parliament；　_Parliamentum_；　is　by　express　appointment　the　Talking　Apparatus；　yet　not　in　Parliament　either　is　the　essential　function；　by　any　means；　talk。　　Not　to　speak　your　opinion　well；　but　to　have　a　good　and　just　opinion　worth　speaking；for　every　Parliament；　as　for　every　man；　this　latter　is　the　point。　　Contrive　to　have　a　true　opinion；　you　will　get　it　told　in　some　way；　better　or　worse；　and　it　will　be　a　blessing　to　all　creatures。　Have　a　false　opinion；　and　tell　it　with　the　tongue　of　Angels；　what　can　that　profit？　　The　better　you　tell　it；　the　worse　it　will　be！

In　Parliament　and　out　of　Parliament；　and　everywhere　in　this　Universe；　your　one　salvation　is；　That　you　can　discern　with　just　insight；　and　follow　with　noble　valor；　what　the　law　of　the　case　before　you　is；　what　the　appointment　of　the　Maker　in　regard　to　it　has　been。　　Get　this　out　of　one　man；　you　are　saved；　fail　to　get　this　out　of　the　most　August　Parliament　wrapt　in　the　sheepskins　of　a　thousand　years；　you　are　lost；your　Parliament；　and　you；　and　all　your　sheepskins　are　lost。　　Beautiful　talk　is　by　no　means　the　most　pressing　want　in　Parliament！　　We　have　had　some　reasonable　modicum　of　talk　in　Parliament！　　What　talk　has　done　for　us　in　Parliament；　and　is　now　doing；　the　dullest　of　us　at　length　begins　to　see！

Much　has　been　said　of　Parliament's　breeding　men　to　business；　of

the　training　an　Official　Man　gets　in　this　school　of　argument　and　talk。　　He　is　here　inured　to　patience；　tolerance；　sees　what　is　what　in　the　Nation　and　in　the　Nation's　Government　attains　official　knowledge；　official　courtesy　and　mannersin　short；　is　polished　at　all　points　into　official　articulation；　and　here　better　than　elsewhere　qualifies　himself　to　be　a　Governor　of　men。　So　it　is　said。Doubtless；　I　think；　he　will　see　and　suffer　much　in　Parliament；　and　inure　himself　to　several　things；he　will；　with　what　eyes　he　has；　gradually　_see_　Parliament　itself；　for　one　thing；　what　a　high…soaring；　helplessly　floundering；　ever…babbling　yet　inarticulate　dark　dumb　Entity　it　is　（certainly　one　of　the　strangest　under　the　sun　just　now）：　which　doubtless；　if　he　have　in　view　to　get　measures　voted　there　one　day；　will　be　an　important　acquisition　for　him。　　But　as　to　breeding　himself　for　a　Doer　of　Work；　much　more　for　a　King；　or　Chief　of　Doers；　here　in　this　element　of　talk；　as　to　that　I　confess　the　fatalest　doubts；　or　rather；　alas；　I　have　n