louis lambert-第8章

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the　Will/；　his　subsequent　reflections　led　to　many　changes　in　its　plan
and　method；　but　the　incident　of　that　day　was　certainly　the　germ　of　the
work；　just　as　the　electric　shock　always　felt　by　Mesmer　at　the　approach
of　a　particular　manservant　was　the　starting…point　of　his　discoveries
in　magnetism；　a　science　till　then　interred　under　the　mysteries　of
Isis；　of　Delphi；　of　the　cave　of　Trophonius；　and　rediscovered　by　that
prodigious　genius；　close　on　Lavater；　and　the　precursor　of　Gall。

Lambert's　ideas；　suddenly　illuminated　by　this　flash　of　light；　assumed
vaster　proportions；　he　disentangled　certain　truths　from　his　many
acquisitions　and　brought　them　into　order；　then；　like　a　founder；　he
cast　the　model　of　his　work。　At　the　end　of　six　months'　indefatigable
labor；　Lambert's　writings　excited　the　curiosity　of　our　companions；　and
became　the　object　of　cruel　practical　jokes　which　led　to　a　fatal　issue。

One　day　one　of　the　masters；　who　was　bent　on　seeing　the　manuscripts；
enlisted　the　aid　of　our　tyrants；　and　came　to　seize；　by　force；　a　box
that　contained　the　precious　papers。　Lambert　and　I　defended　it　with
incredible　courage。　The　trunk　was　locked；　our　aggressors　could　not
open　it；　but　they　tried　to　smash　it　in　the　struggle；　a　stroke　of
malignity　at　which　we　shrieked　with　rage。　Some　of　the　boys；　with　a
sense　of　justice；　or　struck　perhaps　by　our　heroic　defence；　advised　the
attacking　party　to　leave　us　in　peace；　crushing　us　with　insulting
contempt。　But　suddenly；　brought　to　the　spot　by　the　noise　of　a　battle；
Father　Haugoult　roughly　intervened；　inquiring　as　to　the　cause　of　the
fight。　Our　enemies　had　interrupted　us　in　writing　our　impositions；　and
the　class…master　came　to　protect　his　slaves。　The　foe；　in　self…defence；
betrayed　the　existence　of　the　manuscript。　The　dreadful　Haugoult
insisted　on　our　giving　up　the　box；　if　we　should　resist；　he　would　have
it　broken　open。　Lambert　gave　him　the　key；　the　master　took　out　the
papers；　glanced　through　them；　and　said；　as　he　confiscated　them：

〃And　it　is　for　such　rubbish　as　this　that　you　neglect　your　lessons！〃

Large　tears　fell　from　Lambert's　eyes；　wrung　from　him　as　much　by　a
sense　of　his　offended　moral　superiority　as　by　the　gratuitous　insult
and　betrayal　that　he　had　suffered。　We　gave　the　accusers　a　glance　of
stern　reproach：　had　they　not　delivered　us　over　to　the　common　enemy？　If
the　common　law　of　school　entitled　them　to　thrash　us；　did　it　not
require　them　to　keep　silence　as　to　our　misdeeds？

In　a　moment　they　were　no　doubt　ashamed　of　their　baseness。

Father　Haugoult　probably　sold　the　/Treatise　on　the　Will/　to　a　local
grocer；　unconscious　of　the　scientific　treasure；　of　which　the　germs
thus　fell　into　unworthy　hands。



Six　months　later　I　left　the　school；　and　I　do　not　know　whether　Lambert
ever　recommenced　his　labors。　Our　parting　threw　him　into　a　mood　of　the
darkest　melancholy。

It　was　in　memory　of　the　disaster　that　befell　Louis'　book　that；　in　the
tale　which　comes　first　in　these　/Etudes/；　I　adopted　the　title　invented
by　Lambert　for　a　work　of　fiction；　and　gave　the　name　of　a　woman　who　was
dear　to　him　to　a　girl　characterized　by　her　self…devotion；　but　this　is
not　all　I　have　borrowed　from　him：　his　character　and　occupations　were
of　great　value　to　me　in　writing　that　book；　and　the　subject　arose　from
some　reminiscences　of　our　youthful　meditations。　This　present　volume　is
intended　as　a　modest　monument；　a　broken　column；　to　commemorate　the
life　of　the　man　who　bequeathed　to　me　all　he　had　to　leavehis
thoughts。

In　that　boyish　effort　Lambert　had　enshrined　the　ideas　of　a　man。　Ten
years　later；　when　I　met　some　learned　men　who　were　devoting　serious
attention　to　the　phenomena　that　had　struck　us　and　that　Lambert　had　so
marvelously　analyzed；　I　understood　the　value　of　his　work；　then　already
forgotten　as　childish。　I　at　once　spent　several　months　in　recalling　the
principal　theories　discovered　by　my　poor　schoolmate。　Having　collected
my　reminiscences；　I　can　boldly　state　that；　by　1812；　he　had　proved；
divined；　and　set　forth　in　his　Treatise　several　important　facts　of
which；　as　he　had　declared；　evidence　was　certain　to　come　sooner　or
later。　His　philosophical　speculations　ought　undoubtedly　to　gain　him
recognition　as　one　of　the　great　thinkers　who　have　appeared　at　wide
intervals　among　men；　to　reveal　to　them　the　bare　skeleton　of　some
science　to　come；　of　which　the　roots　spread　slowly；　but　which；　in　due
time；　bring　forth　fair　fruit　in　the　intellectual　sphere。　Thus　a　humble
artisan；　Bernard　Palissy；　searching　the　soil　to　find　minerals　for
glazing　pottery；　proclaimed；　in　the　sixteenth　century；　with　the
infallible　intuition　of　genius；　geological　facts　which　it　is　now　the
glory　of　Cuvier　and　Buffon　to　have　demonstrated。

I　can；　I　believe；　give　some　idea　of　Lambert's　Treatise　by　stating　the
chief　propositions　on　which　it　was　based；　but；　in　spite　of　myself；　I
shall　strip　them　of　the　ideas　in　which　they　were　clothed；　and　which
were　indeed　their　indispensable　accompaniment。　I　started　on　a
different　path；　and　only　made　use　of　those　of　his　researches　which
answered　the　purpose　of　my　scheme。　I　know　not；　therefore；　whether　as
his　disciple　I　can　faithfully　expound　his　views；　having　assimilated
them　in　the　first　instance　so　as　to　color　them　with　my　own。

New　ideas　require　new　words；　or　a　new　and　expanded　use　of　old　words；
extended　and　defined　in　their　meaning。　Thus　Lambert；　to　set　forth　the
basis　of　his　system；　had　adopted　certain　common　words　that　answered　to
his　notions。　The　word　Will　he　used　to　connote　the　medium　in　which　the
mind　moves；　or　to　use　a　less　abstract　expression；　the　mass　of　power　by
which　man　can　reproduce；　outside　himself；　the　actions　constituting　his
external　life。　Volitiona　word　due　to　Lockeexpressed　the　act　by
which　a　man　exerts　his　will。　The　word　Mind；　or　Thought；　which　he
regarded　as　the　quintessential　product　of　the　Will；　also　represented
the　medium　in　which　the　ideas　originate　to　which　thought　gives
substance。　The　Idea；　a　name　common　to　every　creation　of　the　brain；
constituted　the　act　by　which　man　uses　his　mind。　Thus　the　Will　and　the
Mind　were　the　two　generating　forces；　the　Volition　and　the　Idea　were
the　two　products。　Volition；　he　thought；　was　the　Idea　evolved　from　the
abstract　state　to　a　concrete　state；　from　its　generative　fluid　to　a
solid　expression；　so　to　speak；　if　such　words　may　be　taken　to　formulate
notions　so　difficult　of　definition。　According　to　him；　the　Mind　and
Ideas　are　the　motion　and　the　outcome　of　our　inner　organization；　just
as　the　Will　and　Volition　are　of　our　external　activity。

He　gave　the　Will　precedence　over　the　Mind。

〃You　must　will　before　you　can　think；〃　he　said。　〃Many　beings　live　in　a
condition　of　Willing　without　ever　attaining　to　the　condition　of
Thinking。　In　the　North；　life　is　long；　in　the　South；　it　is　shorter；　but
in　the　North　we　see　torpor；　in　the　South　a　constant　excitability　of
the　Will；　up　to　the　point　where　from　an　excess　of　cold　or　of　heat　the
organs　are　almost　nullified。〃

The　use　of　the　word　〃medium〃　was　suggested　to　him　by　an　observation　he
had　made　in　his　childhood；　though；　to　be　sure；　he　had　no　suspicion
then　of　its　importance；　but　its　singularity　naturally　struck　his
delicately　alert　imagination。　His　mother；　a　fragile；　nervous　woman；
all　sensitiveness　and　affection；　was　one　of　those　beings　created　to
represent　womanhood　in　all　the　perfection　of　her　attributes；　but
relegated　by　a　mistaken　fate　to　too　low　a　place　in　the　social　scale。
Wholly　loving；　and　consequently　wholly　suffering；　she　died　young；
having　thrown　all　her　energies　into　her　motherly　love。　Lambert；　a
child　of　six；　lying；　but　not　always　sleeping；　in　a　cot　by　his　mother's
bed；　saw　the　electric　sparks　from　her　hair　when　she　combed　it。　The　man
of　fifteen　made　scientific　application　of　this　fact　which　had　amused
the　child；　a　fact　beyond　dispute；　of　which　there　is　ample　evidence　in
many　instances；　especially　of　women　who　by　a　sad　fatality　are　doomed
to　let　unappreciated　feelings　evaporate　in　the　air；　or　some
superabundant　power　run　to　waste。

In　support　of　his　definitions；　Lambert　propounded　a　variety　of
problems　to　be　solved；　challenges　flung　out　to　science；　though　he
proposed　to　seek　the　solution　for　himself。　He　inquired；　for　instance；
whether　the　element　that　constitutes　electricity　does　not　enter　as　a
base　into　the　specific　fluid　whence　our　Ideas　and　Volitions　proceed？
Whether　the　hair；　which　loses　its　color；　turns　white；　falls　out；　or
disappears；　in　proportion　to　the　decay　or　crystallization　of　our
thoughts；　may　not　be　in　fact　a　capillary　system；　either　absorbent　or
diffusive；　and　wholly　electrical？　Whether　the　fluid　phenomena　of　the
Will；　a　matter　generated　within　us；　and　spontaneously　reacting　under
the　impress　of　conditions　as　yet　unobserved；　were　at　all　more
extraordinary　than　those　of　the　invisible　and　intangible　fluid
produced　by　a　voltaic　pile；　and　applied　to　the　nervous　system　of　a
dead　man？　Whether　the　formation　of　Ideas　and　their　constant　diffusion
was　less　incomprehensible　than　evaporation　of　the　atoms；　imperceptible
indeed；　but　so　violent　in　their　effects；　that　are　given　off　from　a
grain　of　musk　without　any　loss　of　weight。　Whether；　granting　that　the
function　of　the　skin　is　purely　protective；　absorbent；　excretive；　and
tactile；　the　circulation　of　the　blood　and　all　its　mechanism　would　not
correspond　with　the　transsubstantiation　of　our　Will；　as　the
circulation　of　the　nerve　fluid　corresponds　to　that　of　the　Mind？
Finally；　whether　the　more　or　less　rapid　affluence　of　these　two　real
substances　may　not　be　the　result　of　a　certain　perfection　or
imperfection　of　organs　whose　conditions　require　investigation　in　every
manifestation？

Having　set　forth　these　principles；　he　proposed　to　class　the　phenomena
of　human　life　in　two　series　of　distinct　results；　demanding；　with　the
ardent　insistency　of　conviction；　a　special　analysis　for　each。　In　fact；
having　observed　in　almost　every　type　of　created　thing　two　separate
motions；　he　assumed；　nay；　he　asserted；　their　existence　in　our　human
nature；　and　designated　this　vital　antithesis　Action　and　Reaction。

〃A　desire；〃　he　said；　〃is　a　fact　completely　accomplished　in　our　will
before　it　is　accomplished　externally。〃

Hence　the　sum…total　of　our　Volitions　and　our　Ideas　constitutes　Action；
and　the　sum…total　of　our　external　acts　he　called　Reaction。

When　I　subsequently　read　the　observations　made　by　Bichat　on　the
duality　of　our　external　senses；　I　was　really　bewildered　by　my
recollections；　recognizing　the　startling　coincidences　between　the
views　of　that　celebrated　physiologist　and　those　of　Louis　Lambert。　They
both　died　young；　and　they　had　with　equal　steps　arrived　at　the　same
strange　truths。　Nature　has　in　every　case　been　pleased　to　give　a
twofold　purpose　to　the　various　apparatus　that　constitute　her
creatures；　and　the　twofold　action　of　the　human　organism；　which　is　now
ascertained　beyond　dispute；　proves　by　a　mass　of　evidence　in　daily　life
how　true　were　Lambert's　deductions　as　to　Action　and　Reaction。

The　inner　Being；　the　Being　of　Actionthe　word　he　used　to　designate　an
unknown　specializationthe　mysterious　nexus　of　fibrils　to　which　we
owe　the　inadequately　investigated　powers　of　thought　and　willin
short；　the　nameless　entity　which　sees；　acts；　foresees　the　end；　and
accomplishes　everything　bef