latter-day pamphlets-第36章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


alk；　as　to　that　I　confess　the　fatalest　doubts；　or　rather；　alas；　I　have　no　doubt！　　Alas；　it　is　our　fatalest　misery　just　now；　not　easily　alterable；　and　yet　urgently　requiring　to　be　altered；　That　no　British　man　can　attain　to　be　a　Statesman；　or　Chief　of　_Workers_；　till　he　has　first　proved　himself　a　Chief　of　_Talkers_：　　which　mode　of　trial　for　a　Worker；　is　it　not　precisely；　of　all　the　trials　you　could　set　him　upon；　the　falsest　and　unfairest？

Nay；　I　doubt　much　you　are　not　likely　ever　to　meet　the　fittest　material　for　a　Statesman；　or　Chief　of　Workers；　in　such　an　element　as　that。　　Your　Potential　Chief　of　Workers；　will　he　come　there　at　all；　to　try　whether　he　can　talk？　　Your　poor　tenpound　franchisers　and　electoral　world　generally；　in　love　with　eloquent　talk；　are　they　the　likeliest　to　discern　what　man　it　is　that　has　worlds　of　silent　work　in　him？　　No。　　Or　is　such　a　man；　even　if　born　in　the　due　rank　for　it；　the　likeliest　to　present　himself；　and　court　their　most　sweet　voices？　　Again；　no。

The　Age　that　admires　talk　so　much　can　have　little　discernment　for　inarticulate　work；　or　for　anything　that　is　deep　and　genuine。　　Nobody；　or　hardly　anybody；　having　in　himself　an　earnest　sense　for　truth；　how　can　anybody　recognize　an　inarticulate　Veracity；　or　Nature…fact　of　any　kind；　a　Human　_Doer_　especially；　who　is　the　most　complex；　profound；　and　inarticulate　of　all　Nature's　Facts？　　Nobody　can　recognize　him：　　till　once　he　is　patented；　get　some　public　stamp　of　authenticity；　and　has　been　articulately　proclaimed；　and　asserted　to　be　a　Doer。　　To　the　worshipper　of　talk；　such　a　one　is　a　sealed　book。　　An　excellent　human　soul；　direct　from　Heaven；how　shall　any　excellence　of　man　become　recognizable　to　this　unfortunate？　　Not　except　by　announcing　and　placarding　itself　as　excellent；which；　I　reckon；　it　above　other　things　will　probably　be　in　no　great　haste　to　do。

Wisdom；　the　divine　message　which　every　soul　of　man　brings　into　this　world；　the　divine　prophecy　of　what　the　new　man　has　got　the　new　and　peculiar　capability　to　do；　is　intrinsically　of　silent　nature。　　It　cannot　at　once；　or　completely　at　all；　be　read　off　in　words；　for　it　is　written　in　abstruse　facts；　of　endowment；　position；　desire；　opportunity；　granted　to　the　man；interprets　itself　in　presentiments；　vague　struggles；　passionate　endeavors　and　is　only　legible　in　whole　when　his　work　is　_done_。　　Not　by　the　noble　monitions　of　Nature；　but　by　the　ignoble；　is　a　man　much　tempted　to　publish　the　secret　of　his　soul　in　words。　　Words；　if　he　have　a　secret；　will　be　forever　inadequate　to　it。　　Words　do　but　disturb　the　real　answer　of　fact　which　could　be　given　to　it；　disturb；　obstruct；　and　will　in　the　end　abolish；　and　render　impossible；　said　answer。　　No　grand　Doer　in　this　world　can　be　a　copious　speaker　about　his　doings。　　William　the　Silent　spoke　himself　best　in　a　country　liberated；　Oliver　Cromwell　did　not　shine　in　rhetoric；　Goethe；　when　he　had　but　a　book　in　view；　found　that　he　must　say　nothing　even　of　that；　if　it　was　to　succeed　with　him。

Then　as　to　politeness；　and　breeding　to　business。　　An　official　man　must　be　bred　to　business；　of　course　he　must：　　and　not　for　essence　only；　but　even　for　the　manners　of　office　he　requires　breeding。　　Besides　his　intrinsic　faculty；　whatever　that　may　be；　he　must　be　cautious；　vigilant；　discreet；above　all　things；　he　must　be　reticent；　patient；　polite。　　Certain　of　these　qualities　are　by　nature　imposed　upon　men　of　station；　and　they　are　trained　from　birth　to　some　exercise　of　them：　　this　constitutes　their　one　intrinsic　qualification　for　office；this　is　their　one　advantage　in　the　New　Downing　Street　projected　for　this　New　Era；　and　it　will　not　go　for　much　in　that　Institution。　　One　advantage；　or　temporary　advantage；　against　which　there　are　so　many　counterbalances。　　It　is　the　indispensable　preliminary　for　office；　but　by　no　means　the　complete　outfit；a　miserable　outfit　where　there　is　nothing　farther。

Will　your　Lordship　give　me　leave　to　say　that；　practically；　the　intrinsic　qualities　will　presuppose　these　preliminaries　too；　but　by　no　means　_vice　versa_。　　That；　on　the　whole；　if　you　have　got　the　intrinsic　qualities；　you　have　got　everything；　and　the　preliminaries　will　prove　attainable；　but　that　if　you　have　got　only　the　preliminaries；　you　have　yet　got　nothing。　　A　man　of　real　dignity　will　not　find　it　impossible　to　bear　himself　in　a　dignified　manner；　a　man　of　real　understanding　and　insight　will　get　to　know；　as　the　fruit　of　his　very　first　study；　what　the　laws　of　his　situation　are；　and　will　conform　to　these。　　Rough　old　Samuel　Johnson；　blustering　Boreas　and　rugged　Arctic　Bear　as　he　often　was；　defined　himself；　justly　withal；　as　a　polite　man：　　a　noble　manful　attitude　of　soul　is　his；　a　clear；　true　and　loyal　sense　of　what　others　are；　and　what　he　himself　is；　shines　through　the　rugged　coating　of　him；　comes　out　as　grave　deep　rhythmus　when　his　King　honors　him；　and　he　will　not　〃bandy　compliments　with　his　King；〃is　traceable　too　in　his　indignant　trampling　down　of　the　Chesterfield　patronages；　tailor…made　insolences；　and　contradictions　of　sinners；　which　may　be　called　his　_revolutionary_　movements；　hard　and　peremptory　by　the　law　of　them；　these　could　not　be　soft　like　his　_constitutional_　ones；　when　men　and　kings　took　him　for　somewhat　like　the　thing　he　was。　　Given　a　noble　man；　I　think　your　Lordship　may　expect　by　and　by　a　polite　man。　　No　〃politer〃　man　was　to　be　found　in　Britain　than　the　rustic　Robert　Burns：　　high　duchesses　were　captivated　with　the　chivalrous　ways　of　the　man；　recognized　that　here　was　the　true　chivalry；　and　divine　nobleness　of　bearing；as　indeed　they　well　might；　now　when　the　Peasant　God　and　Norse　Thor　had　come　down　among　them　again！　　Chivalry　this；　if　not　as　they　do　chivalry　in　Drury　Lane　or　West…End　drawing…rooms；　yet　as　they　do　it　in　Valhalla　and　the　General　Assembly　of　the　Gods。

For　indeed；　who　_invented_　chivalry；　politeness；　or　anything　that　is　noble　and　melodious　and　beautiful　among　us；　except　precisely　the　like　of　Johnson　and　of　Burns？　　The　select　few　who　in　the　generations　of　this　world　were　wise　and　valiant；　they；　in　spite　of　all　the　tremendous　majority　of　blockheads　and　slothful　belly…worshippers；　and　noisy　ugly　persons；　have　devised　whatsoever　is　noble　in　the　manners　of　man　to　man。　　I　expect　they　will　learn　to　be　polite；　your　Lordship；　when　you　give　them　a　chance！Nor　is　it　as　a　school　of　human　culture；　for　this　or　for　any　other　grace　or　gift；　that　Parliament　will　be　found　first…rate　or　indispensable。　　As　experience　in　the　river　is　indispensable　to　the　ferryman；　so　is　knowledge　of　his　Parliament　to　the　British　Peel　or　Chatham；so　was　knowledge　of　the　OEil…de…Boeuf　to　the　French　Choiseul。　　Where　and　how　said　river；　whether　Parliament　with　Wilkeses；　or　OEil…de…Boeuf　with　Pompadours；　can　be　waded；　boated；　swum；　how　the　miscellaneous　cargoes；　〃measures〃　so　called；　can　be　got　across　it；　according　to　their　kinds；　and　landed　alive　on　the　hither　side　as　facts：we　have　all　of　us　our　_ferries_　in　this　world；　and　must　know　the　river　and　its　ways；　or　get　drowned　some　day！　　In　that　sense；　practice　in　Parliament　is　indispensable　to　the　British　Statesman；　but　not　in　any　other　sense。

A　school；　too；　of　manners　and　of　several　other　things；　the　Parliament　will　doubtless　be　to　the　aspirant　Statesman；　a　school　better　or　worse；as　the　OEil…de…Boeuf　likewise　was；　and　as　all　scenes　where　men　work　or　live　are　sure　to　be。　　Especially　where　many　men　work　together；　the　very　rubbing　against　one　another　will　grind　and　polish　off　their　angularities　into　roundness；　into　〃politeness〃　after　a　sort；　and　the　official　man；　place　him　how　you　may；　will　never　want　for　schooling；　of　extremely　various　kinds。　　A　first…rate　school　one　cannot　call　this　Parliament　for　him；I　fear　to　say　what　rate　at　present！　　In　so　far　as　it　teaches　him　vigilance；　patience；　courage；　toughness　of　lungs　or　of　soul；　and　skill　in　any　kind　of　swimming；　it　is　a　good　school。　　In　so　far　as　it　forces　him　to　speak　where　Nature　orders　silence；　and　even；　lest　all　the　world　should　learn　his　secret　（which　often　enough　would　kill　his　secret；　and　little　profit　the　world）；　forces　him　to　speak　falsities；　vague　ambiguities；　and　the　froth…dialect　usual　in　Parliaments　in　these　times；　it　may　be　considered　one　of　the　worst　schools　ever　devised　by　man；　and；　I　think；　may　almost　challenge　the　OEil…de…Boeuf　to　match　it　in　badness。

Parliament　will　train　your　men　to　the　manners　required　of　a　statesman；　but　in　a　much　less　degree　to　the　intrinsic　functions　of　one。　　To　these　latter；　it　is　capable　of　mistraining　as　nothing　else　can。　　Parliament　will　train　you　to　talk；　and　above　all　things　to　hear；　with　patience；　unlimited　quantities　of　foolish　talk。　　To　tell　a　good　story　for　yourself；　and　to　make　it　_appear_　that　you　have　done　your　work：　　this；　especially　in　constitutional　countries；　is　something；and　yet　in　all　countries；　constitutional　ones　too；　it　is　intrinsically　nothing；　probably　even　less。　For　it　is　not　the　function　of　any　mortal；　in　Downing　Street　or　elsewhere　here　below；　to　wag　the　tongue　of　him；　and　make　it　appear　that　he　has　done　work；　but　to　wag　some　quite　other　organs　of　him；　and　to　do　work；　there　is　no　danger　of　his　work's　appearing　by　and　by。　　Such　an　accomplishment；　even　in　constitutional　countries；　I　grieve　to　say；　may　become　much　less　than　nothing。　　Have　you　at　all　computed　how　much　less？　　The　human　creature　who　has　once　given　way　to　satisfying　himself　with　〃appearances；〃　to　seeking　his　salvation　in　〃appearances；〃　the　moral　life　of　such　human　creature　is　rapidly　bleeding　out　of　him。　　Depend　upon　it；　Beelzebub；　Satan；　or　however　you　may　name　the　too　authentic　Genius　of　Eternal　Death；　has　got　that　human　creature　in　his　claws。　　By　and　by　you　will　have　a　dead　parliamentary　bagpipe；　and　your　living　man　fled　away　without　return！

Such　parliamentary　bagpipes　I　myself　have　heard　play　tunes；　much　to　the　satisfaction　of　the　people。　　Every　tune　lies　within　their　compass；　and　their　mind　（for　they　still　call　it　_mind_）　is　ready　as　a　hurdy…gurdy　on　turning　of　the　handle：　　〃My　Lords；　this　question　now　before　the　House〃Ye　Heavens；　O　ye　divine　Silences；　was　there　in　the　womb　of　Chaos；　then；　such　a　product；　liable　to　be　evoked　by　human　art；　as　that　same？　　While　the　galleries　were　all　applausive　of　heart；　and　the　Fourth　Estate　looked　with　eyes　enlightened；　as　if　you　had　touched　its　lips　with　a　staff　dipped　in　honey；I　have　sat　with　reflections　too　ghastly　to　be　uttered。　　A　poor　human　creature　and　learned　friend；　once　possessed　of　many　fine　gifts；　possessed　of　intellect；　veracity；　and　manful　conviction　on　a　variety　of　objects；　has　he　now　lost　all　that；converted　all　that　into　a　glistering　phosphorescence　which　can　show　itself　on　the　outside；　while　within；　all　is　dead；　chaotic；　dark；　a　painted　sepulchre　full　of　dead…men's　bones！　Discernment；　knowledge；　intellect；　in　the　human　sense　of　the　words；　this　man　has　now　none。　　His　opinion　you　do　not　ask　on　any　matter：　　on　the　_matter_　he　has　no　opinion；　judgment；　or　insight；　only　on　what　may　be　said　about　the　matter；　how　it　may　be　argued　of；　what　tune　may　be　played　upon　it　to　enlighten　the　eyes　of　the　Fourth　Estate。

Such　a　soul；　though　to　the　eye　he　still　keeps　tumbling　about　in　the　Parliamentary　element；　and　makes　〃motions；〃　and　passes　bills；　for　aught　I　know；are　we　to　define　him　as　a　_living_　one；　or　as　a　dead？　　Partridge　the　Almanac…Maker；　whose　〃Publications〃　still　regularly　appear；