Therelationsofthesoultothedivinespiritaresopure,thatitisprofanetoseektointerposehelps。ItmustbethatwhenGodspeakethheshouldcommunicate,notonething,butallthings;
shouldfilltheworldwithhisvoice;shouldscatterforthlight,nature,time,souls,fromthecentreofthepresentthought;andnewdateandnewcreatethewhole。Wheneveramindissimple,andreceivesadivinewisdom,oldthingspassaway,——means,teachers,texts,templesfall;itlivesnow,andabsorbspastandfutureintothepresenthour。Allthingsaremadesacredbyrelationtoit,——
oneasmuchasanother。Allthingsaredissolvedtotheircentrebytheircause,and,intheuniversalmiracle,pettyandparticularmiraclesdisappear。If,therefore,amanclaimstoknowandspeakofGod,andcarriesyoubackwardtothephraseologyofsomeoldmoulderednationinanothercountry,inanotherworld,believehimnot。Istheacornbetterthantheoakwhichisitsfulnessandcompletion?Istheparentbetterthanthechildintowhomhehascasthisripenedbeing?Whence,then,thisworshipofthepast?Thecenturiesareconspiratorsagainstthesanityandauthorityofthesoul。Timeandspacearebutphysiologicalcolorswhichtheeyemakes,butthesoulislight;whereitis,isday;whereitwas,isnight;andhistoryisanimpertinenceandaninjury,ifitbeanythingmorethanacheerfulapologueorparableofmybeingandbecoming。
Manistimidandapologetic;heisnolongerupright;hedaresnotsay`Ithink,\'`Iam,\'butquotessomesaintorsage。Heisashamedbeforethebladeofgrassortheblowingrose。Theserosesundermywindowmakenoreferencetoformerrosesortobetterones;
theyareforwhattheyare;theyexistwithGodto-day。Thereisnotimetothem。Thereissimplytherose;itisperfectineverymomentofitsexistence。Beforealeaf-budhasburst,itswholelifeacts;inthefull-blownflowerthereisnomore;intheleaflessrootthereisnoless。Itsnatureissatisfied,anditsatisfiesnature,inallmomentsalike。Butmanpostponesorremembers;hedoesnotliveinthepresent,butwithrevertedeyelamentsthepast,or,heedlessoftherichesthatsurroundhim,standsontiptoetoforeseethefuture。Hecannotbehappyandstronguntilhetooliveswithnatureinthepresent,abovetime。
Thisshouldbeplainenough。YetseewhatstrongintellectsdarenotyethearGodhimself,unlesshespeakthephraseologyofI
knownotwhatDavid,orJeremiah,orPaul。Weshallnotalwayssetsogreatapriceonafewtexts,onafewlives。Wearelikechildrenwhorepeatbyrotethesentencesofgrandamesandtutors,and,astheygrowolder,ofthemenoftalentsandcharactertheychancetosee,——painfullyrecollectingtheexactwordstheyspoke;
afterwards,whentheycomeintothepointofviewwhichthosehadwhoutteredthesesayings,theyunderstandthem,andarewillingtoletthewordsgo;for,atanytime,theycanusewordsasgoodwhenoccasioncomes。Ifwelivetruly,weshallseetruly。Itisaseasyforthestrongmantobestrong,asitisfortheweaktobeweak。
Whenwehavenewperception,weshallgladlydisburdenthememoryofitshoardedtreasuresasoldrubbish。WhenamanliveswithGod,hisvoiceshallbeassweetasthemurmurofthebrookandtherustleofthecorn。
Andnowatlastthehighesttruthonthissubjectremainsunsaid;probablycannotbesaid;forallthatwesayisthefar-offrememberingoftheintuition。Thatthought,bywhatIcannownearestapproachtosayit,isthis。Whengoodisnearyou,whenyouhavelifeinyourself,itisnotbyanyknownoraccustomedway;youshallnotdiscernthefoot-printsofanyother;youshallnotseethefaceofman;youshallnothearanyname;——theway,thethought,thegood,shallbewhollystrangeandnew。Itshallexcludeexampleandexperience。Youtakethewayfromman,nottoman。Allpersonsthateverexistedareitsforgottenministers。Fearandhopearealikebeneathit。Thereissomewhatloweveninhope。Inthehourofvision,thereisnothingthatcanbecalledgratitude,norproperlyjoy。Thesoulraisedoverpassionbeholdsidentityandeternalcausation,perceivestheself-existenceofTruthandRight,andcalmsitselfwithknowingthatallthingsgowell。Vastspacesofnature,theAtlanticOcean,theSouthSea,——longintervalsoftime,years,centuries,——areofnoaccount。ThiswhichIthinkandfeelunderlayeveryformerstateoflifeandcircumstances,asitdoesunderliemypresent,andwhatiscalledlife,andwhatiscalleddeath。
Lifeonlyavails,notthehavinglived。Powerceasesintheinstantofrepose;itresidesinthemomentoftransitionfromapasttoanewstate,intheshootingofthegulf,inthedartingtoanaim。Thisonefacttheworldhates,thatthesoul_becomes_;forthatforeverdegradesthepast,turnsallrichestopoverty,allreputationtoashame,confoundsthesaintwiththerogue,shovesJesusandJudasequallyaside。Why,then,doweprateofself-reliance?Inasmuchasthesoulispresent,therewillbepowernotconfidentbutagent。Totalkofrelianceisapoorexternalwayofspeaking。Speakratherofthatwhichrelies,becauseitworksandis。WhohasmoreobediencethanImastersme,thoughheshouldnotraisehisfinger。RoundhimImustrevolvebythegravitationofspirits。Wefancyitrhetoric,whenwespeakofeminentvirtue。WedonotyetseethatvirtueisHeight,andthatamanoracompanyofmen,plasticandpermeabletoprinciples,bythelawofnaturemustoverpowerandrideallcities,nations,kings,richmen,poets,whoarenot。
Thisistheultimatefactwhichwesoquicklyreachonthis,asoneverytopic,theresolutionofallintotheever-blessedONE。
Self-existenceistheattributeoftheSupremeCause,anditconstitutesthemeasureofgoodbythedegreeinwhichitentersintoalllowerforms。Allthingsrealaresobysomuchvirtueastheycontain。Commerce,husbandry,hunting,whaling,war,eloquence,personalweight,aresomewhat,andengagemyrespectasexamplesofitspresenceandimpureaction。Iseethesamelawworkinginnatureforconservationandgrowth。Powerisinnaturetheessentialmeasureofright。Naturesuffersnothingtoremaininherkingdomswhichcannothelpitself。Thegenesisandmaturationofaplanet,itspoiseandorbit,thebendedtreerecoveringitselffromthestrongwind,thevitalresourcesofeveryanimalandvegetable,aredemonstrationsoftheself-sufficing,andthereforeself-relyingsoul。
Thusallconcentrates:letusnotrove;letussitathomewiththecause。Letusstunandastonishtheintrudingrabbleofmenandbooksandinstitutions,byasimpledeclarationofthedivinefact。
Bidtheinvaderstaketheshoesfromofftheirfeet,forGodisherewithin。Letoursimplicityjudgethem,andourdocilitytoourownlawdemonstratethepovertyofnatureandfortunebesideournativeriches。
Butnowweareamob。Mandoesnotstandinaweofman,norishisgeniusadmonishedtostayathome,toputitselfincommunicationwiththeinternalocean,butitgoesabroadtobegacupofwateroftheurnsofothermen。Wemustgoalone。Ilikethesilentchurchbeforetheservicebegins,betterthananypreaching。Howfaroff,howcool,howchastethepersonslook,begirteachonewithaprecinctorsanctuary!Soletusalwayssit。Whyshouldweassumethefaultsofourfriend,orwife,orfather,orchild,becausetheysitaroundourhearth,oraresaidtohavethesameblood?Allmenhavemyblood,andIhaveallmen\'s。NotforthatwillIadopttheirpetulanceorfolly,eventotheextentofbeingashamedofit。Butyourisolationmustnotbemechanical,butspiritual,thatis,mustbeelevation。Attimesthewholeworldseemstobeinconspiracytoimportuneyouwithemphatictrifles。Friend,client,child,sickness,fear,want,charity,allknockatonceatthyclosetdoor,andsay,——`Comeoutuntous。\'Butkeepthystate;comenotintotheirconfusion。Thepowermenpossesstoannoyme,Igivethembyaweakcuriosity。Nomancancomenearmebutthroughmyact。“Whatwelovethatwehave,butbydesirewebereaveourselvesofthelove。“
Ifwecannotatoncerisetothesanctitiesofobedienceandfaith,letusatleastresistourtemptations;letusenterintothestateofwar,andwakeThorandWoden,courageandconstancy,inourSaxonbreasts。Thisistobedoneinoursmoothtimesbyspeakingthetruth。Checkthislyinghospitalityandlyingaffection。Livenolongertotheexpectationofthesedeceivedanddeceivingpeoplewithwhomweconverse。Saytothem,Ofather,Omother,Owife,O
brother,Ofriend,Ihavelivedwithyouafterappearanceshitherto。
HenceforwardIamthetruth\'s。BeitknownuntoyouthathenceforwardIobeynolawlessthantheeternallaw。Iwillhavenocovenantsbutproximities。Ishallendeavourtonourishmyparents,tosupportmyfamily,tobethechastehusbandofonewife,——buttheserelationsImustfillafteranewandunprecedentedway。I
appealfromyourcustoms。Imustbemyself。Icannotbreakmyselfanylongerforyou,oryou。IfyoucanlovemeforwhatIam,weshallbethehappier。Ifyoucannot,Iwillstillseektodeservethatyoushould。Iwillnothidemytastesoraversions。Iwillsotrustthatwhatisdeepisholy,thatIwilldostronglybeforethesunandmoonwhateverinlyrejoicesme,andtheheartappoints。Ifyouarenoble,Iwillloveyou;ifyouarenot,Iwillnothurtyouandmyselfbyhypocriticalattentions。Ifyouaretrue,butnotinthesametruthwithme,cleavetoyourcompanions;Iwillseekmyown。Idothisnotselfishly,buthumblyandtruly。Itisalikeyourinterest,andmine,andallmen\'s,howeverlongwehavedweltinlies,toliveintruth。Doesthissoundharshto-day?Youwillsoonlovewhatisdictatedbyyournatureaswellasmine,and,ifwefollowthetruth,itwillbringusoutsafeatlast——Butsoyoumaygivethesefriendspain。Yes,butIcannotsellmylibertyandmypower,tosavetheirsensibility。Besides,allpersonshavetheirmomentsofreason,whentheylookoutintotheregionofabsolutetruth;thenwilltheyjustifyme,anddothesamething。
Thepopulacethinkthatyourrejectionofpopularstandardsisarejectionofallstandard,andmereantinomianism;andtheboldsensualistwillusethenameofphilosophytogildhiscrimes。Butthelawofconsciousnessabides。Therearetwoconfessionals,inoneortheotherofwhichwemustbeshriven。Youmayfulfilyourroundofdutiesbyclearingyourselfinthe_direct_,orinthe_reflex_
way。Considerwhetheryouhavesatisfiedyourrelationstofather,mother,cousin,neighbour,town,cat,anddog;whetheranyofthesecanupbraidyou。ButImayalsoneglectthisreflexstandard,andabsolvemetomyself。Ihavemyownsternclaimsandperfectcircle。
Itdeniesthenameofdutytomanyofficesthatarecalledduties。
ButifIcandischargeitsdebts,itenablesmetodispensewiththepopularcode。Ifanyoneimaginesthatthislawislax,lethimkeepitscommandmentoneday。
Andtrulyitdemandssomethinggodlikeinhimwhohascastoffthecommonmotivesofhumanity,andhasventuredtotrusthimselfforataskmaster。Highbehisheart,faithfulhiswill,clearhissight,thathemayingoodearnestbedoctrine,society,law,tohimself,thatasimplepurposemaybetohimasstrongasironnecessityistoothers!
Ifanymanconsiderthepresentaspectsofwhatiscalledbydistinction_society_,hewillseetheneedoftheseethics。Thesinewandheartofmanseemtobedrawnout,andwearebecometimorous,despondingwhimperers。Weareafraidoftruth,afraidoffortune,afraidofdeath,andafraidofeachother。Ourageyieldsnogreatandperfectpersons。Wewantmenandwomenwhoshallrenovatelifeandoursocialstate,butweseethatmostnaturesareinsolvent,cannotsatisfytheirownwants,haveanambitionoutofallproportiontotheirpracticalforce,anddoleanandbegdayandnightcontinually。Ourhousekeepingismendicant,ourarts,ouroccupations,ourmarriages,ourreligion,wehavenotchosen,butsocietyhaschosenforus。Weareparloursoldiers。Weshuntheruggedbattleoffate,wherestrengthisborn。
Ifouryoungmenmiscarryintheirfirstenterprises,theyloseallheart。Iftheyoungmerchantfails,mensayheis_ruined_。Ifthefinestgeniusstudiesatoneofourcolleges,andisnotinstalledinanofficewithinoneyearafterwardsinthecitiesorsuburbsofBostonorNewYork,itseemstohisfriendsandtohimselfthatheisrightinbeingdisheartened,andincomplainingtherestofhislife。AsturdyladfromNewHampshireorVermont,whointurntriesalltheprofessions,who_teamsit_,_farmsit_,_peddles_,keepsaschool,preaches,editsanewspaper,goestoCongress,buysatownship,andsoforth,insuccessiveyears,andalways,likeacat,fallsonhisfeet,isworthahundredofthesecitydolls。Hewalksabreastwithhisdays,andfeelsnoshameinnot`studyingaprofession,\'forhedoesnotpostponehislife,butlivesalready。
Hehasnotonechance,butahundredchances。LetaStoicopentheresourcesofman,andtellmentheyarenotleaningwillows,butcanandmustdetachthemselves;thatwiththeexerciseofself-trust,newpowersshallappear;thatamanisthewordmadeflesh,borntoshedhealingtothenations,thatheshouldbeashamedofourcompassion,andthatthemomentheactsfromhimself,tossingthelaws,thebooks,idolatries,andcustomsoutofthewindow,wepityhimnomore,butthankandreverehim,——andthatteachershallrestorethelifeofmantosplendor,andmakehisnamedeartoallhistory。
Itiseasytoseethatagreaterself-reliancemustworkarevolutioninalltheofficesandrelationsofmen;intheirreligion;intheireducation;intheirpursuits;theirmodesofliving;theirassociation;intheirproperty;intheirspeculativeviews。
1。Inwhatprayersdomenallowthemselves!Thatwhichtheycallaholyofficeisnotsomuchasbraveandmanly。Prayerlooksabroadandasksforsomeforeignadditiontocomethroughsomeforeignvirtue,andlosesitselfinendlessmazesofnaturalandsupernatural,andmediatorialandmiraculous。Prayerthatcravesaparticularcommodity,——anythinglessthanallgood,——isvicious。
Prayeristhecontemplationofthefactsoflifefromthehighestpointofview。Itisthesoliloquyofabeholdingandjubilantsoul。
ItisthespiritofGodpronouncinghisworksgood。Butprayerasameanstoeffectaprivateendismeannessandtheft。Itsupposesdualismandnotunityinnatureandconsciousness。AssoonasthemanisatonewithGod,hewillnotbeg。Hewillthenseeprayerinallaction。Theprayerofthefarmerkneelinginhisfieldtoweedit,theprayeroftherowerkneelingwiththestrokeofhisoar,aretrueprayersheardthroughoutnature,thoughforcheapends。
Caratach,inFletcher\'sBonduca,whenadmonishedtoinquirethemindofthegodAudate,replies,——
“Hishiddenmeaningliesinourendeavours;
Ourvalorsareourbestgods。“
Anothersortoffalseprayersareourregrets。Discontentisthewantofself-reliance:itisinfirmityofwill。Regretcalamities,ifyoucantherebyhelpthesufferer;ifnot,attendyourownwork,andalreadytheevilbeginstoberepaired。Oursympathyisjustasbase。Wecometothemwhoweepfoolishly,andsitdownandcryforcompany,insteadofimpartingtothemtruthandhealthinroughelectricshocks,puttingthemoncemoreincommunicationwiththeirownreason。Thesecretoffortuneisjoyinourhands。
Welcomeevermoretogodsandmenistheself-helpingman。Forhimalldoorsareflungwide:himalltonguesgreet,allhonorscrown,alleyesfollowwithdesire。Ourlovegoesouttohimandembraceshim,becausehedidnotneedit。Wesolicitouslyandapologeticallycaressandcelebratehim,becauseheheldonhiswayandscornedourdisapprobation。Thegodslovehimbecausemenhatedhim。“Totheperseveringmortal,“saidZoroaster,“theblessedImmortalsareswift。“
Asmen\'sprayersareadiseaseofthewill,soaretheircreedsadiseaseoftheintellect。TheysaywiththosefoolishIsraelites,`LetnotGodspeaktous,lestwedie。Speakthou,speakanymanwithus,andwewillobey。\'EverywhereIamhinderedofmeetingGodinmybrother,becausehehasshuthisowntempledoors,andrecitesfablesmerelyofhisbrother\'s,orhisbrother\'sbrother\'sGod。
Everynewmindisanewclassification。Ifitproveamindofuncommonactivityandpower,aLocke,aLavoisier,aHutton,aBentham,aFourier,itimposesitsclassificationonothermen,andlo!anewsystem。Inproportiontothedepthofthethought,andsotothenumberoftheobjectsittouchesandbringswithinreachofthepupil,ishiscomplacency。Butchieflyisthisapparentincreedsandchurches,whicharealsoclassificationsofsomepowerfulmindactingontheelementalthoughtofduty,andman\'srelationtotheHighest。SuchisCalvinism,Quakerism,Swedenborgism。Thepupiltakesthesamedelightinsubordinatingeverythingtothenewterminology,asagirlwhohasjustlearnedbotanyinseeinganewearthandnewseasonsthereby。Itwillhappenforatime,thatthepupilwillfindhisintellectualpowerhasgrownbythestudyofhismaster\'smind。Butinallunbalancedminds,theclassificationisidolized,passesfortheend,andnotforaspeedilyexhaustiblemeans,sothatthewallsofthesystemblendtotheireyeintheremotehorizonwiththewallsoftheuniverse;theluminariesofheavenseemtothemhungonthearchtheirmasterbuilt。Theycannotimaginehowyoualienshaveanyrighttosee,——howyoucansee;`Itmustbesomehowthatyoustolethelightfromus。\'Theydonotyetperceive,thatlight,unsystematic,indomitable,willbreakintoanycabin,evenintotheirs。Letthemchirpawhileandcallittheirown。Iftheyarehonestanddowell,presentlytheirneatnewpinfoldwillbetoostraitandlow,willcrack,willlean,willrotandvanish,andtheimmortallight,allyoungandjoyful,million-orbed,million-colored,willbeamovertheuniverseasonthefirstmorning。
2。Itisforwantofself-culturethatthesuperstitionofTravelling,whoseidolsareItaly,England,Egypt,retainsitsfascinationforalleducatedAmericans。TheywhomadeEngland,Italy,orGreecevenerableintheimaginationdidsobystickingfastwheretheywere,likeanaxisoftheearth。Inmanlyhours,wefeelthatdutyisourplace。Thesoulisnotraveller;thewisemanstaysathome,andwhenhisnecessities,hisduties,onanyoccasioncallhimfromhishouse,orintoforeignlands,heisathomestill,andshallmakemensensiblebytheexpressionofhiscountenance,thathegoesthemissionaryofwisdomandvirtue,andvisitscitiesandmenlikeasovereign,andnotlikeaninterloperoravalet。
Ihavenochurlishobjectiontothecircumnavigationoftheglobe,forthepurposesofart,ofstudy,andbenevolence,sothatthemanisfirstdomesticated,ordoesnotgoabroadwiththehopeoffindingsomewhatgreaterthanheknows。Hewhotravelstobeamused,ortogetsomewhatwhichhedoesnotcarry,travelsawayfromhimself,andgrowsoldeveninyouthamongoldthings。InThebes,inPalmyra,hiswillandmindhavebecomeoldanddilapidatedasthey。
Hecarriesruinstoruins。
Travellingisafool\'sparadise。Ourfirstjourneysdiscovertoustheindifferenceofplaces。AthomeIdreamthatatNaples,atRome,Icanbeintoxicatedwithbeauty,andlosemysadness。Ipackmytrunk,embracemyfriends,embarkonthesea,andatlastwakeupinNaples,andtherebesidemeisthesternfact,thesadself,unrelenting,identical,thatIfledfrom。IseektheVatican,andthepalaces。Iaffecttobeintoxicatedwithsightsandsuggestions,butIamnotintoxicated。MygiantgoeswithmewhereverIgo。
3。Buttherageoftravellingisasymptomofadeeperunsoundnessaffectingthewholeintellectualaction。Theintellectisvagabond,andoursystemofeducationfostersrestlessness。Ourmindstravelwhenourbodiesareforcedtostayathome。Weimitate;
andwhatisimitationbutthetravellingofthemind?Ourhousesarebuiltwithforeigntaste;ourshelvesaregarnishedwithforeignornaments;ouropinions,ourtastes,ourfaculties,lean,andfollowthePastandtheDistant。Thesoulcreatedtheartswherevertheyhaveflourished。Itwasinhisownmindthattheartistsoughthismodel。Itwasanapplicationofhisownthoughttothethingtobedoneandtheconditionstobeobserved。AndwhyneedwecopytheDoricortheGothicmodel?Beauty,convenience,grandeurofthought,andquaintexpressionareasneartousastoany,andiftheAmericanartistwillstudywithhopeandlovetheprecisethingtobedonebyhim,consideringtheclimate,thesoil,thelengthoftheday,thewantsofthepeople,thehabitandformofthegovernment,hewillcreateahouseinwhichallthesewillfindthemselvesfitted,andtasteandsentimentwillbesatisfiedalso。
Insistonyourself;neverimitate。Yourowngiftyoucanpresenteverymomentwiththecumulativeforceofawholelife\'scultivation;butoftheadoptedtalentofanother,youhaveonlyanextemporaneous,halfpossession。Thatwhicheachcandobest,nonebuthisMakercanteachhim。Nomanyetknowswhatitis,norcan,tillthatpersonhasexhibitedit。WhereisthemasterwhocouldhavetaughtShakspeare?WhereisthemasterwhocouldhaveinstructedFranklin,orWashington,orBacon,orNewton?Everygreatmanisaunique。TheScipionismofScipioispreciselythatparthecouldnotborrow。ShakspearewillneverbemadebythestudyofShakspeare。Dothatwhichisassignedyou,andyoucannothopetoomuchordaretoomuch。ThereisatthismomentforyouanutterancebraveandgrandasthatofthecolossalchiselofPhidias,ortroweloftheEgyptians,orthepenofMoses,orDante,butdifferentfromallthese。Notpossiblywillthesoulallrich,alleloquent,withthousand-cloventongue,deigntorepeatitself;butifyoucanhearwhatthesepatriarchssay,surelyyoucanreplytotheminthesamepitchofvoice;fortheearandthetonguearetwoorgansofonenature。Abideinthesimpleandnobleregionsofthylife,obeythyheart,andthoushaltreproducetheForeworldagain。
4。AsourReligion,ourEducation,ourArtlookabroad,sodoesourspiritofsociety。Allmenplumethemselvesontheimprovementofsociety,andnomanimproves。
Societyneveradvances。Itrecedesasfastononesideasitgainsontheother。Itundergoescontinualchanges;itisbarbarous,itiscivilized,itischristianized,itisrich,itisscientific;
butthischangeisnotamelioration。Foreverythingthatisgiven,somethingistaken。Societyacquiresnewarts,andlosesoldinstincts。Whatacontrastbetweenthewell-clad,reading,writing,thinkingAmerican,withawatch,apencil,andabillofexchangeinhispocket,andthenakedNewZealander,whosepropertyisaclub,aspear,amat,andanundividedtwentiethofashedtosleepunder!
Butcomparethehealthofthetwomen,andyoushallseethatthewhitemanhaslosthisaboriginalstrength。Ifthetravellertellustruly,strikethesavagewithabroadaxe,andinadayortwothefleshshalluniteandhealasifyoustrucktheblowintosoftpitch,andthesameblowshallsendthewhitetohisgrave。
Thecivilizedmanhasbuiltacoach,buthaslosttheuseofhisfeet。Heissupportedoncrutches,butlackssomuchsupportofmuscle。HehasafineGenevawatch,buthefailsoftheskilltotellthehourbythesun。AGreenwichnauticalalmanachehas,andsobeingsureoftheinformationwhenhewantsit,themaninthestreetdoesnotknowastarinthesky。Thesolsticehedoesnotobserve;theequinoxheknowsaslittle;andthewholebrightcalendaroftheyeariswithoutadialinhismind。Hisnote-booksimpairhismemory;hislibrariesoverloadhiswit;theinsurance-officeincreasesthenumberofaccidents;anditmaybeaquestionwhethermachinerydoesnotencumber;whetherwehavenotlostbyrefinementsomeenergy,byaChristianityentrenchedinestablishmentsandforms,somevigorofwildvirtue。ForeveryStoicwasaStoic;butinChristendomwhereistheChristian?
Thereisnomoredeviationinthemoralstandardthaninthestandardofheightorbulk。Nogreatermenarenowthaneverwere。
Asingularequalitymaybeobservedbetweenthegreatmenofthefirstandofthelastages;norcanallthescience,art,religion,andphilosophyofthenineteenthcenturyavailtoeducategreatermenthanPlutarch\'sheroes,threeorfourandtwentycenturiesago。Notintimeistheraceprogressive。Phocion,Socrates,Anaxagoras,Diogenes,aregreatmen,buttheyleavenoclass。Hewhoisreallyoftheirclasswillnotbecalledbytheirname,butwillbehisownman,and,inhisturn,thefounderofasect。Theartsandinventionsofeachperiodareonlyitscostume,anddonotinvigoratemen。Theharmoftheimprovedmachinerymaycompensateitsgood。
HudsonandBehringaccomplishedsomuchintheirfishing-boats,astoastonishParryandFranklin,whoseequipmentexhaustedtheresourcesofscienceandart。Galileo,withanopera-glass,discoveredamoresplendidseriesofcelestialphenomenathananyonesince。ColumbusfoundtheNewWorldinanundeckedboat。Itiscurioustoseetheperiodicaldisuseandperishingofmeansandmachinery,whichwereintroducedwithloudlaudationafewyearsorcenturiesbefore。Thegreatgeniusreturnstoessentialman。Wereckonedtheimprovementsoftheartofwaramongthetriumphsofscience,andyetNapoleonconqueredEuropebythebivouac,whichconsistedoffallingbackonnakedvalor,anddisencumberingitofallaids。TheEmperorhelditimpossibletomakeaperfectarmy,saysLasCasas,“withoutabolishingourarms,magazines,commissaries,andcarriages,until,inimitationoftheRomancustom,thesoldiershouldreceivehissupplyofcorn,grinditinhishand-mill,andbakehisbreadhimself。“
Societyisawave。Thewavemovesonward,butthewaterofwhichitiscomposeddoesnot。Thesameparticledoesnotrisefromthevalleytotheridge。Itsunityisonlyphenomenal。Thepersonswhomakeupanationto-day,nextyeardie,andtheirexperiencewiththem。
AndsotherelianceonProperty,includingtherelianceongovernmentswhichprotectit,isthewantofself-reliance。Menhavelookedawayfromthemselvesandatthingssolong,thattheyhavecometoesteemthereligious,learned,andcivilinstitutionsasguardsofproperty,andtheydeprecateassaultsonthese,becausetheyfeelthemtobeassaultsonproperty。Theymeasuretheiresteemofeachotherbywhateachhas,andnotbywhateachis。Butacultivatedmanbecomesashamedofhisproperty,outofnewrespectforhisnature。Especiallyhehateswhathehas,ifheseethatitisaccidental,——cametohimbyinheritance,orgift,orcrime;thenhefeelsthatitisnothaving;itdoesnotbelongtohim,hasnorootinhim,andmerelyliesthere,becausenorevolutionornorobbertakesitaway。Butthatwhichamanisdoesalwaysbynecessityacquire,andwhatthemanacquiresislivingproperty,whichdoesnotwaitthebeckofrulers,ormobs,orrevolutions,orfire,orstorm,orbankruptcies,butperpetuallyrenewsitselfwhereverthemanbreathes。“Thylotorportionoflife,“saidtheCaliphAli,“isseekingafterthee;thereforebeatrestfromseekingafterit。“Ourdependenceontheseforeigngoodsleadsustoourslavishrespectfornumbers。Thepoliticalpartiesmeetinnumerousconventions;thegreatertheconcourse,andwitheachnewuproarofannouncement,ThedelegationfromEssex!TheDemocratsfromNewHampshire!TheWhigsofMaine!theyoungpatriotfeelshimselfstrongerthanbeforebyanewthousandofeyesandarms。Inlikemannerthereformerssummonconventions,andvoteandresolveinmultitude。Notso,Ofriends!willtheGoddeigntoenterandinhabityou,butbyamethodpreciselythereverse。Itisonlyasamanputsoffallforeignsupport,andstandsalone,thatIseehimtobestrongandtoprevail。Heisweakerbyeveryrecruittohisbanner。Isnotamanbetterthanatown?Asknothingofmen,andintheendlessmutation,thouonlyfirmcolumnmustpresentlyappeartheupholderofallthatsurroundsthee。Hewhoknowsthatpowerisinborn,thatheisweakbecausehehaslookedforgoodoutofhimandelsewhere,andsoperceiving,throwshimselfunhesitatinglyonhisthought,instantlyrightshimself,standsintheerectposition,commandshislimbs,worksmiracles;justasamanwhostandsonhisfeetisstrongerthanamanwhostandsonhishead。
SouseallthatiscalledFortune。Mostmengamblewithher,andgainall,andloseall,asherwheelrolls。Butdothouleaveasunlawfulthesewinnings,anddealwithCauseandEffect,thechancellorsofGod。IntheWillworkandacquire,andthouhastchainedthewheelofChance,andshaltsithereafteroutoffearfromherrotations。Apoliticalvictory,ariseofrents,therecoveryofyoursick,orthereturnofyourabsentfriend,orsomeotherfavorableevent,raisesyourspirits,andyouthinkgooddaysarepreparingforyou。Donotbelieveit。Nothingcanbringyoupeacebutyourself。Nothingcanbringyoupeacebutthetriumphofprinciples。
COMPENSATION
ThewingsofTimeareblackandwhite,Piedwithmorningandwithnight。
MountaintallandoceandeepTremblingbalancedulykeep。
Inchangingmoon,intidalwave,GlowsthefeudofWantandHave。
GaugeofmoreandlessthroughspaceElectricstarandpencilplays。
ThelonelyEarthamidtheballsThathurrythroughtheeternalhalls,Amakeweightflyingtothevoid,Supplementalasteroid,Orcompensatoryspark,ShootsacrosstheneutralDark。
Man\'stheelm,andWealththevine;
Stanchandstrongthetendrilstwine:
Thoughthefrailringletstheedeceive,Nonefromitsstockthatvinecanreave。
Fearnot,then,thouchildinfirm,There\'snogoddarewrongaworm。
Laurelcrownscleavetodeserts,Andpowertohimwhopowerexerts;
Hastnotthyshare?Onwingedfeet,Lo!itrushestheetomeet;
AndallthatNaturemadethyown,Floatinginairorpentinstone,Willrivethehillsandswimthesea,And,likethyshadow,followthee。
ESSAYIII_Compensation_
EversinceIwasaboy,IhavewishedtowriteadiscourseonCompensation:foritseemedtomewhenveryyoung,thatonthissubjectlifewasaheadoftheology,andthepeopleknewmorethanthepreacherstaught。Thedocuments,too,fromwhichthedoctrineistobedrawn,charmedmyfancybytheirendlessvariety,andlayalwaysbeforeme,eveninsleep;fortheyarethetoolsinourhands,thebreadinourbasket,thetransactionsofthestreet,thefarm,andthedwelling-house,greetings,relations,debtsandcredits,theinfluenceofcharacter,thenatureandendowmentofallmen。Itseemedtome,also,thatinitmightbeshownmenarayofdivinity,thepresentactionofthesoulofthisworld,cleanfromallvestigeoftradition,andsotheheartofmanmightbebathedbyaninundationofeternallove,conversingwiththatwhichheknowswasalwaysandalwaysmustbe,becauseitreallyisnow。Itappeared,moreover,thatifthisdoctrinecouldbestatedintermswithanyresemblancetothosebrightintuitionsinwhichthistruthissometimesrevealedtous,itwouldbeastarinmanydarkhoursandcrookedpassagesinourjourneythatwouldnotsufferustoloseourway。
Iwaslatelyconfirmedinthesedesiresbyhearingasermonatchurch。Thepreacher,amanesteemedforhisorthodoxy,unfoldedintheordinarymannerthedoctrineoftheLastJudgment。Heassumed,thatjudgmentisnotexecutedinthisworld;thatthewickedaresuccessful;thatthegoodaremiserable;andthenurgedfromreasonandfromScriptureacompensationtobemadetobothpartiesinthenextlife。Nooffenceappearedtobetakenbythecongregationatthisdoctrine。AsfarasIcouldobserve,whenthemeetingbrokeup,theyseparatedwithoutremarkonthesermon。
Yetwhatwastheimportofthisteaching?Whatdidthepreachermeanbysayingthatthegoodaremiserableinthepresentlife?Wasitthathousesandlands,offices,wine,horses,dress,luxury,arehadbyunprincipledmen,whilstthesaintsarepooranddespised;andthatacompensationistobemadetotheselasthereafter,bygivingthemthelikegratificationsanotherday,——
bank-stockanddoubloons,venisonandchampagne?Thismustbethecompensationintended;forwhatelse?Isitthattheyaretohaveleavetoprayandpraise?toloveandservemen?Why,thattheycandonow。Thelegitimateinferencethedisciplewoulddrawwas,——`Wearetohave_such_agoodtimeasthesinnershavenow\';——or,topushittoitsextremeimport,——`Yousinnow;weshallsinbyandby;wewouldsinnow,ifwecould;notbeingsuccessful,weexpectourrevengeto-morrow。\'
Thefallacylayintheimmenseconcession,thatthebadaresuccessful;thatjusticeisnotdonenow。Theblindnessofthepreacherconsistedindeferringtothebaseestimateofthemarketofwhatconstitutesamanlysuccess,insteadofconfrontingandconvictingtheworldfromthetruth;announcingthepresenceofthesoul;theomnipotenceofthewill:andsoestablishingthestandardofgoodandill,ofsuccessandfalsehood。
Ifindasimilarbasetoneinthepopularreligiousworksoftheday,andthesamedoctrinesassumedbytheliterarymenwhenoccasionallytheytreattherelatedtopics。Ithinkthatourpopulartheologyhasgainedindecorum,andnotinprinciple,overthesuperstitionsithasdisplaced。Butmenarebetterthanthistheology。Theirdailylifegivesitthelie。Everyingenuousandaspiringsoulleavesthedoctrinebehindhiminhisownexperience;
andallmenfeelsometimesthefalsehoodwhichtheycannotdemonstrate。Formenarewiserthantheyknow。Thatwhichtheyhearinschoolsandpulpitswithoutafter-thought,ifsaidinconversation,wouldprobablybequestionedinsilence。IfamandogmatizeinamixedcompanyonProvidenceandthedivinelaws,heisansweredbyasilencewhichconveyswellenoughtoanobserverthedissatisfactionofthehearer,buthisincapacitytomakehisownstatement。
IshallattemptinthisandthefollowingchaptertorecordsomefactsthatindicatethepathofthelawofCompensation;happybeyondmyexpectation,ifIshalltrulydrawthesmallestarcofthiscircle。
POLARITY,oractionandreaction,wemeetineverypartofnature;indarknessandlight;inheatandcold;intheebbandflowofwaters;inmaleandfemale;intheinspirationandexpirationofplantsandanimals;intheequationofquantityandqualityinthefluidsoftheanimalbody;inthesystoleanddiastoleoftheheart;
intheundulationsoffluids,andofsound;inthecentrifugalandcentripetalgravity;inelectricity,galvanism,andchemicalaffinity。Superinducemagnetismatoneendofaneedle;theoppositemagnetismtakesplaceattheotherend。Ifthesouthattracts,thenorthrepels。Toemptyhere,youmustcondensethere。Aninevitabledualismbisectsnature,sothateachthingisahalf,andsuggestsanotherthingtomakeitwhole;as,spirit,matter;man,woman;odd,even;subjective,objective;in,out;upper,under;motion,rest;
yea,nay。
Whilsttheworldisthusdual,soiseveryoneofitsparts。
Theentiresystemofthingsgetsrepresentedineveryparticle。
Thereissomewhatthatresemblestheebbandflowofthesea,dayandnight,manandwoman,inasingleneedleofthepine,inakernelofcorn,ineachindividualofeveryanimaltribe。Thereaction,sograndintheelements,isrepeatedwithinthesesmallboundaries。
Forexample,intheanimalkingdomthephysiologisthasobservedthatnocreaturesarefavorites,butacertaincompensationbalanceseverygiftandeverydefect。Asurplusagegiventoonepartispaidoutofareductionfromanotherpartofthesamecreature。Iftheheadandneckareenlarged,thetrunkandextremitiesarecutshort。
Thetheoryofthemechanicforcesisanotherexample。Whatwegaininpowerislostintime;andtheconverse。Theperiodicorcompensatingerrorsoftheplanetsisanotherinstance。Theinfluencesofclimateandsoilinpoliticalhistoryareanother。Thecoldclimateinvigorates。Thebarrensoildoesnotbreedfevers,crocodiles,tigers,orscorpions。
Thesamedualismunderliesthenatureandconditionofman。
Everyexcesscausesadefect;everydefectanexcess。Everysweethathitssour;everyevilitsgood。Everyfacultywhichisareceiverofpleasurehasanequalpenaltyputonitsabuse。Itistoanswerforitsmoderationwithitslife。Foreverygrainofwitthereisagrainoffolly。Foreverythingyouhavemissed,youhavegainedsomethingelse;andforeverythingyougain,youlosesomething。Ifrichesincrease,theyareincreasedthatusethem。Ifthegatherergatherstoomuch,naturetakesoutofthemanwhatsheputsintohischest;swellstheestate,butkillstheowner。Naturehatesmonopoliesandexceptions。Thewavesoftheseadonotmorespeedilyseekalevelfromtheirloftiesttossing,thanthevarietiesofconditiontendtoequalizethemselves。Thereisalwayssomelevellingcircumstancethatputsdowntheoverbearing,thestrong,therich,thefortunate,substantiallyonthesamegroundwithallothers。Isamantoostrongandfierceforsociety,andbytemperandpositionabadcitizen,——amoroseruffian,withadashofthepirateinhim;——naturesendshimatroopofprettysonsanddaughters,whoaregettingalonginthedame\'sclassesatthevillageschool,andloveandfearforthemsmoothshisgrimscowltocourtesy。Thusshecontrivestointeneratethegraniteandfelspar,takestheboaroutandputsthelambin,andkeepsherbalancetrue。
Thefarmerimaginespowerandplacearefinethings。ButthePresidenthaspaiddearforhisWhiteHouse。Ithascommonlycosthimallhispeace,andthebestofhismanlyattributes。Topreserveforashorttimesoconspicuousanappearancebeforetheworld,heiscontenttoeatdustbeforetherealmasterswhostanderectbehindthethrone。Or,domendesirethemoresubstantialandpermanentgrandeurofgenius?Neitherhasthisanimmunity。Hewhobyforceofwillorofthoughtisgreat,andoverlooksthousands,hasthechargesofthateminence。Witheveryinfluxoflightcomesnewdanger。Hashelight?hemustbearwitnesstothelight,andalwaysoutrunthatsympathywhichgiveshimsuchkeensatisfaction,byhisfidelitytonewrevelationsoftheincessantsoul。Hemusthatefatherandmother,wifeandchild。Hasheallthattheworldlovesandadmiresandcovets?——hemustcastbehindhimtheiradmiration,andafflictthembyfaithfulnesstohistruth,andbecomeabywordandahissing。
Thislawwritesthelawsofcitiesandnations。Itisinvaintobuildorplotorcombineagainstit。Thingsrefusetobemismanagedlong。_Resnoluntdiumaleadministrari_。Thoughnocheckstoanewevilappear,thechecksexist,andwillappear。Ifthegovernmentiscruel,thegovernor\'slifeisnotsafe。Ifyoutaxtoohigh,therevenuewillyieldnothing。Ifyoumakethecriminalcodesanguinary,jurieswillnotconvict。Ifthelawistoomild,privatevengeancecomesin。Ifthegovernmentisaterrificdemocracy,thepressureisresistedbyanoverchargeofenergyinthecitizen,andlifeglowswithafiercerflame。Thetruelifeandsatisfactionsofmanseemtoeludetheutmostrigorsorfelicitiesofcondition,andtoestablishthemselveswithgreatindifferencyunderallvarietiesofcircumstances。Underallgovernmentstheinfluenceofcharacterremainsthesame,——inTurkeyandinNewEnglandaboutalike。UndertheprimevaldespotsofEgypt,historyhonestlyconfessesthatmanmusthavebeenasfreeasculturecouldmakehim。
Theseappearancesindicatethefactthattheuniverseisrepresentedineveryoneofitsparticles。Everythinginnaturecontainsallthepowersofnature。Everythingismadeofonehiddenstuff;asthenaturalistseesonetypeundereverymetamorphosis,andregardsahorseasarunningman,afishasaswimmingman,abirdasaflyingman,atreeasarootedman。Eachnewformrepeatsnotonlythemaincharacterofthetype,butpartforpartallthedetails,alltheaims,furtherances,hindrances,energies,andwholesystemofeveryother。Everyoccupation,trade,art,transaction,isacompendoftheworld,andacorrelativeofeveryother。Eachoneisanentireemblemofhumanlife;ofitsgoodandill,itstrials,itsenemies,itscourseanditsend。Andeachonemustsomehowaccommodatethewholeman,andreciteallhisdestiny。
Theworldglobesitselfinadropofdew。Themicroscopecannotfindtheanimalculewhichislessperfectforbeinglittle。
Eyes,ears,taste,smell,motion,resistance,appetite,andorgansofreproductionthattakeholdoneternity,——allfindroomtoconsistinthesmallcreature。Sodoweputourlifeintoeveryact。Thetruedoctrineofomnipresenceis,thatGodreappearswithallhispartsineverymossandcobweb。Thevalueoftheuniversecontrivestothrowitselfintoeverypoint。Ifthegoodisthere,soistheevil;iftheaffinity,sotherepulsion;iftheforce,sothelimitation。
Thusistheuniversealive。Allthingsaremoral。Thatsoul,whichwithinusisasentiment,outsideofusisalaw。Wefeelitsinspiration;outthereinhistorywecanseeitsfatalstrength。“Itisintheworld,andtheworldwasmadebyit。“Justiceisnotpostponed。Aperfectequityadjustsitsbalanceinallpartsoflife。{OichusoiDiosaeienpiptousi},——ThediceofGodarealwaysloaded。Theworldlookslikeamultiplication-table,oramathematicalequation,which,turnithowyouwill,balancesitself。
Takewhatfigureyouwill,itsexactvalue,normorenorless,stillreturnstoyou。Everysecretistold,everycrimeispunished,everyvirtuerewarded,everywrongredressed,insilenceandcertainty。
Whatwecallretributionistheuniversalnecessitybywhichthewholeappearswhereverapartappears。Ifyouseesmoke,theremustbefire。Ifyouseeahandoralimb,youknowthatthetrunktowhichitbelongsistherebehind。
Everyactrewardsitself,or,inotherwords,integratesitself,inatwofoldmanner;first,inthething,orinrealnature;
andsecondly,inthecircumstance,orinapparentnature。Mencallthecircumstancetheretribution。Thecausalretributionisinthething,andisseenbythesoul。Theretributioninthecircumstanceisseenbytheunderstanding;itisinseparablefromthething,butisoftenspreadoveralongtime,andsodoesnotbecomedistinctuntilaftermanyyears。Thespecificstripesmayfollowlateaftertheoffence,buttheyfollowbecausetheyaccompanyit。Crimeandpunishmentgrowoutofonestem。Punishmentisafruitthatunsuspectedripenswithintheflowerofthepleasurewhichconcealedit。Causeandeffect,meansandends,seedandfruit,cannotbesevered;fortheeffectalreadybloomsinthecause,theendpreexistsinthemeans,thefruitintheseed。
Whilstthustheworldwillbewhole,andrefusestobedisparted,weseektoactpartially,tosunder,toappropriate;forexample,——togratifythesenses,weseverthepleasureofthesensesfromtheneedsofthecharacter。Theingenuityofmanhasalwaysbeendedicatedtothesolutionofoneproblem,——howtodetachthesensualsweet,thesensualstrong,thesensualbright,&c。,fromthemoralsweet,themoraldeep,themoralfair;thatis,again,tocontrivetocutcleanoffthisuppersurfacesothinastoleaveitbottomless;togeta_oneend_,withoutan_otherend_。Thesoulsays,Eat;thebodywouldfeast。Thesoulsays,Themanandwomanshallbeonefleshandonesoul;thebodywouldjointhefleshonly。Thesoulsays,Havedominionoverallthingstotheendsofvirtue;thebodywouldhavethepoweroverthingstoitsownends。
Thesoulstrivesamaintoliveandworkthroughallthings。Itwouldbetheonlyfact。Allthingsshallbeaddeduntoitpower,pleasure,knowledge,beauty。Theparticularmanaimstobesomebody;
tosetupforhimself;totruckandhiggleforaprivategood;and,inparticulars,toride,thathemayride;todress,thathemaybedressed;toeat,thathemayeat;andtogovern,thathemaybeseen。
Menseektobegreat;theywouldhaveoffices,wealth,power,andfame。Theythinkthattobegreatistopossessonesideofnature,——thesweet,withouttheotherside,——thebitter。
Thisdividinganddetachingissteadilycounteracted。Uptothisday,itmustbeowned,noprojectorhashadthesmallestsuccess。Thepartedwaterreunitesbehindourhand。Pleasureistakenoutofpleasantthings,profitoutofprofitablethings,poweroutofstrongthings,assoonasweseektoseparatethemfromthewhole。Wecannomorehalvethingsandgetthesensualgood,byitself,thanwecangetaninsidethatshallhavenooutside,oralightwithoutashadow。“Driveoutnaturewithafork,shecomesrunningback。“
Lifeinvestsitselfwithinevitableconditions,whichtheunwiseseektododge,whichoneandanotherbragsthathedoesnotknow;thattheydonottouchhim;——butthebragisonhislips,theconditionsareinhissoul。Ifheescapestheminonepart,theyattackhiminanothermorevitalpart。Ifhehasescapedtheminform,andintheappearance,itisbecausehehasresistedhislife,andfledfromhimself,andtheretributionissomuchdeath。Sosignalisthefailureofallattemptstomakethisseparationofthegoodfromthetax,thattheexperimentwouldnotbetried,——sincetotryitistobemad,——butforthecircumstance,thatwhenthediseasebeganinthewill,ofrebellionandseparation,theintellectisatonceinfected,sothatthemanceasestoseeGodwholeineachobject,butisabletoseethesensualallurementofanobject,andnotseethesensualhurt;heseesthemermaid\'shead,butnotthedragon\'stail;andthinkshecancutoffthatwhichhewouldhave,fromthatwhichhewouldnothave。“Howsecretartthouwhodwellestinthehighestheavensinsilence,OthouonlygreatGod,sprinklingwithanunweariedProvidencecertainpenalblindnessesuponsuchashaveunbridleddesires!”
Thehumansoulistruetothesefactsinthepaintingoffable,ofhistory,oflaw,ofproverbs,ofconversation。Itfindsatongueinliteratureunawares。ThustheGreekscalledJupiter,SupremeMind;buthavingtraditionallyascribedtohimmanybaseactions,theyinvoluntarilymadeamendstoreason,bytyingupthehandsofsobadagod。HeismadeashelplessasakingofEngland。PrometheusknowsonesecretwhichJovemustbargainfor;Minerva,another。Hecannotgethisownthunders;Minervakeepsthekeyofthem。
“Ofallthegods,IonlyknowthekeysThatopethesoliddoorswithinwhosevaultsHisthunderssleep。“
Aplainconfessionofthein-workingoftheAll,andofitsmoralaim。TheIndianmythologyendsinthesameethics;anditwouldseemimpossibleforanyfabletobeinventedandgetanycurrencywhichwasnotmoral。Auroraforgottoaskyouthforherlover,andthoughTithonusisimmortal,heisold。Achillesisnotquiteinvulnerable;thesacredwatersdidnotwashtheheelbywhichThetisheldhim。Siegfried,intheNibelungen,isnotquiteimmortal,foraleaffellonhisbackwhilsthewasbathinginthedragon\'sblood,andthatspotwhichitcoveredismortal。Andsoitmustbe。ThereisacrackineverythingGodhasmade。Itwouldseem,thereisalwaysthisvindictivecircumstancestealinginatunawares,evenintothewildpoesyinwhichthehumanfancyattemptedtomakeboldholiday,andtoshakeitselffreeoftheoldlaws,——
thisback-stroke,thiskickofthegun,certifyingthatthelawisfatal;thatinnaturenothingcanbegiven,allthingsaresold。
ThisisthatancientdoctrineofNemesis,whokeepswatchintheuniverse,andletsnooffencegounchastised。TheFuries,theysaid,areattendantsonjustice,andifthesuninheavenshouldtransgresshispath,theywouldpunishhim。Thepoetsrelatedthatstonewalls,andironswords,andleathernthongshadanoccultsympathywiththewrongsoftheirowners;thatthebeltwhichAjaxgaveHectordraggedtheTrojanherooverthefieldatthewheelsofthecarofAchilles,andtheswordwhichHectorgaveAjaxwasthatonwhosepointAjaxfell。Theyrecorded,thatwhentheThasianserectedastatuetoTheagenes,avictorinthegames,oneofhisrivalswenttoitbynight,andendeavouredtothrowitdownbyrepeatedblows,untilatlasthemoveditfromitspedestal,andwascrushedtodeathbeneathitsfall。
Thisvoiceoffablehasinitsomewhatdivine。Itcamefromthoughtabovethewillofthewriter。Thatisthebestpartofeachwriter,whichhasnothingprivateinit;thatwhichhedoesnotknow;
thatwhichflowedoutofhisconstitution,andnotfromhistooactiveinvention;thatwhichinthestudyofasingleartistyoumightnoteasilyfind,butinthestudyofmany,youwouldabstractasthespiritofthemall。Phidiasitisnot,buttheworkofmaninthatearlyHellenicworld,thatIwouldknow。ThenameandcircumstanceofPhidias,howeverconvenientforhistory,embarrasswhenwecometothehighestcriticism。Wearetoseethatwhichmanwastendingtodoinagivenperiod,andwashindered,or,ifyouwill,modifiedindoing,bytheinterferingvolitionsofPhidias,ofDante,ofShakspeare,theorganwherebymanatthemomentwrought。
Stillmorestrikingistheexpressionofthisfactintheproverbsofallnations,whicharealwaystheliteratureofreason,orthestatementsofanabsolutetruth,withoutqualification。
Proverbs,likethesacredbooksofeachnation,arethesanctuaryoftheintuitions。Thatwhichthedroningworld,chainedtoappearances,willnotallowtherealisttosayinhisownwords,itwillsufferhimtosayinproverbswithoutcontradiction。Andthislawoflawswhichthepulpit,thesenate,andthecollegedeny,ishourlypreachedinallmarketsandworkshopsbyflightsofproverbs,whoseteachingisastrueandasomnipresentasthatofbirdsandflies。
Allthingsaredouble,oneagainstanother——Titfortat;aneyeforaneye;atoothforatooth;bloodforblood;measureformeasure;loveforlove——Giveanditshallbegivenyou——Hethatwaterethshallbewateredhimself——Whatwillyouhave?quothGod;payforitandtakeit——Nothingventure,nothinghave——
Thoushaltbepaidexactlyforwhatthouhastdone,nomore,noless——
Whodothnotworkshallnoteat——Harmwatch,harmcatch——
Cursesalwaysrecoilontheheadofhimwhoimprecatesthem——Ifyouputachainaroundtheneckofaslave,theotherendfastensitselfaroundyourown——Badcounselconfoundstheadviser——
TheDevilisanass。
Itisthuswritten,becauseitisthusinlife。Ouractionisovermasteredandcharacterizedaboveourwillbythelawofnature。
Weaimatapettyendquiteasidefromthepublicgood,butouractarrangesitselfbyirresistiblemagnetisminalinewiththepolesoftheworld。
Amancannotspeakbuthejudgeshimself。Withhiswill,oragainsthiswill,hedrawshisportraittotheeyeofhiscompanionsbyeveryword。Everyopinionreactsonhimwhouttersit。Itisathread-ballthrownatamark,buttheotherendremainsinthethrower\'sbag。Or,rather,itisaharpoonhurledatthewhale,unwinding,asitflies,acoilofcordintheboat,andiftheharpoonisnotgood,ornotwellthrown,itwillgonightocutthesteersmanintwain,ortosinktheboat。
Youcannotdowrongwithoutsufferingwrong。“Nomanhadeverapointofpridethatwasnotinjurioustohim,“saidBurke。Theexclusiveinfashionablelifedoesnotseethatheexcludeshimselffromenjoyment,intheattempttoappropriateit。Theexclusionistinreligiondoesnotseethatheshutsthedoorofheavenonhimself,instrivingtoshutoutothers。Treatmenaspawnsandninepins,andyoushallsufferaswellasthey。Ifyouleaveouttheirheart,youshallloseyourown。Thesenseswouldmakethingsofallpersons;ofwomen,ofchildren,ofthepoor。Thevulgarproverb,“Iwillgetitfromhispurseorgetitfromhisskin,“issoundphilosophy。
Allinfractionsofloveandequityinoursocialrelationsarespeedilypunished。Theyarepunishedbyfear。WhilstIstandinsimplerelationstomyfellow-man,Ihavenodispleasureinmeetinghim。Wemeetaswatermeetswater,orastwocurrentsofairmix,withperfectdiffusionandinterpenetrationofnature。Butassoonasthereisanydeparturefromsimplicity,andattemptathalfness,orgoodformethatisnotgoodforhim,myneighbourfeelsthewrong;heshrinksfrommeasfarasIhaveshrunkfromhim;hiseyesnolongerseekmine;thereiswarbetweenus;thereishateinhimandfearinme。
Alltheoldabusesinsociety,universalandparticular,allunjustaccumulationsofpropertyandpower,areavengedinthesamemanner。Fearisaninstructerofgreatsagacity,andtheheraldofallrevolutions。Onethingheteaches,thatthereisrottennesswhereheappears。Heisacarrioncrow,andthoughyouseenotwellwhathehoversfor,thereisdeathsomewhere。Ourpropertyistimid,ourlawsaretimid,ourcultivatedclassesaretimid。Fearforageshasbodedandmowedandgibberedovergovernmentandproperty。Thatobscenebirdisnottherefornothing。Heindicatesgreatwrongswhichmustberevised。
Ofthelikenatureisthatexpectationofchangewhichinstantlyfollowsthesuspensionofourvoluntaryactivity。Theterrorofcloudlessnoon,theemeraldofPolycrates,theaweofprosperity,theinstinctwhichleadseverygeneroussoultoimposeonitselftasksofanobleasceticismandvicariousvirtue,arethetremblingsofthebalanceofjusticethroughtheheartandmindofman。
Experiencedmenoftheworldknowverywellthatitisbesttopayscotandlotastheygoalong,andthatamanoftenpaysdearforasmallfrugality。Theborrowerrunsinhisowndebt。Hasamangainedanythingwhohasreceivedahundredfavorsandrenderednone?
Hashegainedbyborrowing,throughindolenceorcunning,hisneighbour\'swares,orhorses,ormoney?Therearisesonthedeedtheinstantacknowledgmentofbenefitontheonepart,andofdebtontheother;thatis,ofsuperiorityandinferiority。Thetransactionremainsinthememoryofhimselfandhisneighbour;andeverynewtransactionalters,accordingtoitsnature,theirrelationtoeachother。Hemaysooncometoseethathehadbetterhavebrokenhisownbonesthantohaveriddeninhisneighbour\'scoach,andthat“thehighestpricehecanpayforathingistoaskforit。“
Awisemanwillextendthislessontoallpartsoflife,andknowthatitisthepartofprudencetofaceeveryclaimant,andpayeveryjustdemandonyourtime,yourtalents,oryourheart。Alwayspay;for,firstorlast,youmustpayyourentiredebt。Personsandeventsmaystandforatimebetweenyouandjustice,butitisonlyapostponement。Youmustpayatlastyourowndebt。Ifyouarewise,youwilldreadaprosperitywhichonlyloadsyouwithmore。Benefitistheendofnature。Butforeverybenefitwhichyoureceive,ataxislevied。Heisgreatwhoconfersthemostbenefits。Heisbase——
andthatistheonebasethingintheuniverse——toreceivefavorsandrendernone。Intheorderofnaturewecannotrenderbenefitstothosefromwhomwereceivethem,oronlyseldom。Butthebenefitwereceivemustberenderedagain,lineforline,deedfordeed,centforcent,tosomebody。Bewareoftoomuchgoodstayinginyourhand。
Itwillfastcorruptandwormworms。Payitawayquicklyinsomesort。
Laboriswatchedoverbythesamepitilesslaws。Cheapest,saytheprudent,isthedearestlabor。Whatwebuyinabroom,amat,awagon,aknife,issomeapplicationofgoodsensetoacommonwant。
Itisbesttopayinyourlandaskilfulgardener,ortobuygoodsenseappliedtogardening;inyoursailor,goodsenseappliedtonavigation;inthehouse,goodsenseappliedtocooking,sewing,serving;inyouragent,goodsenseappliedtoaccountsandaffairs。
Sodoyoumultiplyyourpresence,orspreadyourselfthroughoutyourestate。Butbecauseofthedualconstitutionofthings,inlaborasinlifetherecanbenocheating。Thethiefstealsfromhimself。
Theswindlerswindleshimself。Fortherealpriceoflaborisknowledgeandvirtue,whereofwealthandcreditaresigns。Thesesigns,likepapermoney,maybecounterfeitedorstolen,butthatwhichtheyrepresent,namely,knowledgeandvirtue,cannotbecounterfeitedorstolen。Theseendsoflaborcannotbeansweredbutbyrealexertionsofthemind,andinobediencetopuremotives。Thecheat,thedefaulter,thegambler,cannotextorttheknowledgeofmaterialandmoralnaturewhichhishonestcareandpainsyieldtotheoperative。Thelawofnatureis,Dothething,andyoushallhavethepower:buttheywhodonotthethinghavenotthepower。
Humanlabor,throughallitsforms,fromthesharpeningofastaketotheconstructionofacityoranepic,isoneimmenseillustrationoftheperfectcompensationoftheuniverse。TheabsolutebalanceofGiveandTake,thedoctrinethateverythinghasitsprice,——andifthatpriceisnotpaid,notthatthingbutsomethingelseisobtained,andthatitisimpossibletogetanythingwithoutitsprice,——isnotlesssublimeinthecolumnsofalegerthaninthebudgetsofstates,inthelawsoflightanddarkness,inalltheactionandreactionofnature。Icannotdoubtthatthehighlawswhicheachmanseesimplicatedinthoseprocesseswithwhichheisconversant,thesternethicswhichsparkleonhischisel-edge,whicharemeasuredoutbyhisplumbandfoot-rule,whichstandasmanifestinthefootingoftheshop-billasinthehistoryofastate,——dorecommendtohimhistrade,andthoughseldomnamed,exalthisbusinesstohisimagination。
Theleaguebetweenvirtueandnatureengagesallthingstoassumeahostilefronttovice。Thebeautifullawsandsubstancesoftheworldpersecuteandwhipthetraitor。Hefindsthatthingsarearrangedfortruthandbenefit,butthereisnodeninthewideworldtohidearogue。Commitacrime,andtheearthismadeofglass。
Commitacrime,anditseemsasifacoatofsnowfellontheground,suchasrevealsinthewoodsthetrackofeverypartridgeandfoxandsquirrelandmole。Youcannotrecallthespokenword,youcannotwipeoutthefoot-track,youcannotdrawuptheladder,soastoleavenoinletorclew。Somedamningcircumstancealwaystranspires。
Thelawsandsubstancesofnature——water,snow,wind,gravitation——becomepenaltiestothethief。
Ontheotherhand,thelawholdswithequalsurenessforallrightaction。Love,andyoushallbeloved。Allloveismathematicallyjust,asmuchasthetwosidesofanalgebraicequation。Thegoodmanhasabsolutegood,whichlikefireturnseverythingtoitsownnature,sothatyoucannotdohimanyharm;
butastheroyalarmiessentagainstNapoleon,whenheapproached,castdowntheircolorsandfromenemiesbecamefriends,sodisastersofallkinds,assickness,offence,poverty,provebenefactors:——
“WindsblowandwatersrollStrengthtothebrave,andpoweranddeity,Yetinthemselvesarenothing。“
Thegoodarebefriendedevenbyweaknessanddefect。Asnomanhadeverapointofpridethatwasnotinjurioustohim,sonomanhadeveradefectthatwasnotsomewheremadeusefultohim。Thestaginthefableadmiredhishornsandblamedhisfeet,butwhenthehuntercame,hisfeetsavedhim,andafterwards,caughtinthethicket,hishornsdestroyedhim。Everymaninhislifetimeneedstothankhisfaults。Asnomanthoroughlyunderstandsatruthuntilhehascontendedagainstit,sonomanhasathoroughacquaintancewiththehindrancesortalentsofmen,untilhehassufferedfromtheone,andseenthetriumphoftheotheroverhisownwantofthesame。Hasheadefectoftemperthatunfitshimtoliveinsociety?Therebyheisdriventoentertainhimselfalone,andacquirehabitsofself-help;andthus,likethewoundedoyster,hemendshisshellwithpearl。
Ourstrengthgrowsoutofourweakness。Theindignationwhicharmsitselfwithsecretforcesdoesnotawakenuntilweareprickedandstungandsorelyassailed。Agreatmanisalwayswillingtobelittle。Whilsthesitsonthecushionofadvantages,hegoestosleep。Whenheispushed,tormented,defeated,hehasachancetolearnsomething;hehasbeenputonhiswits,onhismanhood;hehasgainedfacts;learnshisignorance;iscuredoftheinsanityofconceit;hasgotmoderationandrealskill。Thewisemanthrowshimselfonthesideofhisassailants。Itismorehisinterestthanitistheirstofindhisweakpoint。Thewoundcicatrizesandfallsofffromhimlikeadeadskin,andwhentheywouldtriumph,lo!hehaspassedoninvulnerable。Blameissaferthanpraise。Ihatetobedefendedinanewspaper。Aslongasallthatissaidissaidagainstme,Ifeelacertainassuranceofsuccess。Butassoonashoneyedwordsofpraisearespokenforme,Ifeelasonethatliesunprotectedbeforehisenemies。Ingeneral,everyeviltowhichwedonotsuccumbisabenefactor。AstheSandwichIslanderbelievesthatthestrengthandvaloroftheenemyhekillspassesintohimself,sowegainthestrengthofthetemptationweresist。
Thesameguardswhichprotectusfromdisaster,defect,andenmity,defendus,ifwewill,fromselfishnessandfraud。Boltsandbarsarenotthebestofourinstitutions,norisshrewdnessintradeamarkofwisdom。Mensufferalltheirlifelong,underthefoolishsuperstitionthattheycanbecheated。Butitisasimpossibleforamantobecheatedbyanyonebuthimself,asforathingtobeandnottobeatthesametime。Thereisathirdsilentpartytoallourbargains。Thenatureandsoulofthingstakesonitselftheguarantyofthefulfilmentofeverycontract,sothathonestservicecannotcometoloss。Ifyouserveanungratefulmaster,servehimthemore。
PutGodinyourdebt。Everystrokeshallberepaid。Thelongerthepaymentiswithholden,thebetterforyou;forcompoundinterestoncompoundinterestistherateandusageofthisexchequer。
Thehistoryofpersecutionisahistoryofendeavourstocheatnature,tomakewaterrunuphill,totwistaropeofsand。Itmakesnodifferencewhethertheactorsbemanyorone,atyrantoramob。
Amobisasocietyofbodiesvoluntarilybereavingthemselvesofreason,andtraversingitswork。Themobismanvoluntarilydescendingtothenatureofthebeast。Itsfithourofactivityisnight。Itsactionsareinsanelikeitswholeconstitution。Itpersecutesaprinciple;itwouldwhiparight;itwouldtarandfeatherjustice,byinflictingfireandoutrageuponthehousesandpersonsofthosewhohavethese。Itresemblestheprankofboys,whorunwithfire-enginestoputouttheruddyaurorastreamingtothestars。Theinviolatespiritturnstheirspiteagainstthewrongdoers。Themartyrcannotbedishonored。Everylashinflictedisatongueoffame;everyprison,amoreillustriousabode;everyburnedbookorhouseenlightenstheworld;everysuppressedorexpungedwordreverberatesthroughtheearthfromsidetoside。
Hoursofsanityandconsiderationarealwaysarrivingtocommunities,astoindividuals,whenthetruthisseen,andthemartyrsarejustified。
Thusdoallthingspreachtheindifferencyofcircumstances。
Themanisall。Everythinghastwosides,agoodandanevil。
Everyadvantagehasitstax。Ilearntobecontent。Butthedoctrineofcompensationisnotthedoctrineofindifferency。Thethoughtlesssay,onhearingtheserepresentations,——Whatbootsittodowell?thereisoneeventtogoodandevil;ifIgainanygood,Imustpayforit;ifIloseanygood,Igainsomeother;allactionsareindifferent。
Thereisadeeperfactinthesoulthancompensation,towit,itsownnature。Thesoulisnotacompensation,butalife。Thesoul_is_。Underallthisrunningseaofcircumstance,whosewatersebbandflowwithperfectbalance,liestheaboriginalabyssofrealBeing。Essence,orGod,isnotarelation,orapart,butthewhole。
Beingisthevastaffirmative,excludingnegation,self-balanced,andswallowingupallrelations,parts,andtimeswithinitself。Nature,truth,virtue,aretheinfluxfromthence。Viceistheabsenceordepartureofthesame。Nothing,Falsehood,mayindeedstandasthegreatNightorshade,onwhich,asabackground,thelivinguniversepaintsitselfforth;butnofactisbegottenbyit;itcannotwork;
foritisnot。Itcannotworkanygood;itcannotworkanyharm。Itisharminasmuchasitisworsenottobethantobe。
Wefeeldefraudedoftheretributionduetoevilacts,becausethecriminaladherestohisviceandcontumacy,anddoesnotcometoacrisisorjudgmentanywhereinvisiblenature。Thereisnostunningconfutationofhisnonsensebeforemenandangels。Hashethereforeoutwittedthelaw?Inasmuchashecarriesthemalignityandtheliewithhim,hesofardeceasesfromnature。Insomemannertherewillbeademonstrationofthewrongtotheunderstandingalso;
butshouldwenotseeit,thisdeadlydeductionmakessquaretheeternalaccount。
Neithercanitbesaid,ontheotherhand,thatthegainofrectitudemustbeboughtbyanyloss。Thereisnopenaltytovirtue;
nopenaltytowisdom;theyareproperadditionsofbeing。Inavirtuousaction,Iproperly_am_;inavirtuousact,Iaddtotheworld;IplantintodesertsconqueredfromChaosandNothing,andseethedarknessrecedingonthelimitsofthehorizon。Therecanbenoexcesstolove;nonetoknowledge;nonetobeauty,whentheseattributesareconsideredinthepurestsense。Thesoulrefuseslimits,andalwaysaffirmsanOptimism,neveraPessimism。
Hislifeisaprogress,andnotastation。Hisinstinctistrust。Ourinstinctuses“more“and“less“inapplicationtoman,ofthe_presenceofthesoul_,andnotofitsabsence;thebravemanisgreaterthanthecoward;thetrue,thebenevolent,thewise,ismoreaman,andnotless,thanthefoolandknave。Thereisnotaxonthegoodofvirtue;forthatistheincomingofGodhimself,orabsoluteexistence,withoutanycomparative。Materialgoodhasitstax,andifitcamewithoutdesertorsweat,hasnorootinme,andthenextwindwillblowitaway。Butallthegoodofnatureisthesoul\'s,andmaybehad,ifpaidforinnature\'slawfulcoin,thatis,bylaborwhichtheheartandtheheadallow。InolongerwishtomeetagoodIdonotearn,forexample,tofindapotofburiedgold,knowingthatitbringswithitnewburdens。Idonotwishmoreexternalgoods,——neitherpossessions,norhonors,norpowers,norpersons。Thegainisapparent;thetaxiscertain。Butthereisnotaxontheknowledgethatthecompensationexists,andthatitisnotdesirabletodiguptreasure。HereinIrejoicewithasereneeternalpeace。Icontracttheboundariesofpossiblemischief。IlearnthewisdomofSt。Bernard,——“Nothingcanworkmedamageexceptmyself;
theharmthatIsustainIcarryaboutwithme,andneveramarealsuffererbutbymyownfault。“
Inthenatureofthesoulisthecompensationfortheinequalitiesofcondition。TheradicaltragedyofnatureseemstobethedistinctionofMoreandLess。HowcanLessnotfeelthepain;
hownotfeelindignationormalevolencetowardsMore?Lookatthosewhohavelessfaculty,andonefeelssad,andknowsnotwellwhattomakeofit。Healmostshunstheireye;hefearstheywillupbraidGod。Whatshouldtheydo?Itseemsagreatinjustice。Butseethefactsnearly,andthesemountainousinequalitiesvanish。Lovereducesthem,asthesunmeltstheiceberginthesea。Theheartandsoulofallmenbeingone,thisbitternessof_His_and_Mine_
ceases。Hisismine。Iammybrother,andmybrotherisme。IfI
feelovershadowedandoutdonebygreatneighbours,Icanyetlove;I
canstillreceive;andhethatlovethmakethhisownthegrandeurheloves。TherebyImakethediscoverythatmybrotherismyguardian,actingformewiththefriendliestdesigns,andtheestateIsoadmiredandenviedismyown。Itisthenatureofthesoultoappropriateallthings。JesusandShakspearearefragmentsofthesoul,andbyloveIconquerandincorporatetheminmyownconsciousdomain。Hisvirtue,——isnotthatmine?Hiswit,——ifitcannotbemademine,itisnotwit。
Such,also,isthenaturalhistoryofcalamity。Thechangeswhichbreakupatshortintervalstheprosperityofmenareadvertisementsofanaturewhoselawisgrowth。Everysoulisbythisintrinsicnecessityquittingitswholesystemofthings,itsfriends,andhome,andlaws,andfaith,astheshell-fishcrawlsoutofitsbeautifulbutstonycase,becauseitnolongeradmitsofitsgrowth,andslowlyformsanewhouse。Inproportiontothevigoroftheindividual,theserevolutionsarefrequent,untilinsomehappiermindtheyareincessant,andallworldlyrelationshangverylooselyabouthim,becoming,asitwere,atransparentfluidmembranethroughwhichthelivingformisseen,andnot,asinmostmen,aninduratedheterogeneousfabricofmanydates,andofnosettledcharacterinwhichthemanisimprisoned。Thentherecanbeenlargement,andthemanofto-dayscarcelyrecognizesthemanofyesterday。Andsuchshouldbetheoutwardbiographyofmanintime,aputtingoffofdeadcircumstancesdaybyday,asherenewshisraimentdaybyday。Buttous,inourlapsedestate,resting,notadvancing,resisting,notcooperatingwiththedivineexpansion,thisgrowthcomesbyshocks。
Wecannotpartwithourfriends。Wecannotletourangelsgo。
Wedonotseethattheyonlygoout,thatarchangelsmaycomein。Weareidolatersoftheold。Wedonotbelieveintherichesofthesoul,initspropereternityandomnipresence。Wedonotbelievethereisanyforceinto-daytorivalorrecreatethatbeautifulyesterday。Welingerintheruinsoftheoldtent,whereoncewehadbreadandshelterandorgans,norbelievethatthespiritcanfeed,cover,andnerveusagain。Wecannotagainfindaughtsodear,sosweet,sograceful。Butwesitandweepinvain。ThevoiceoftheAlmightysaith,`Upandonwardforevermore!\'Wecannotstayamidtheruins。Neitherwillwerelyonthenew;andsowewalkeverwithrevertedeyes,likethosemonsterswholookbackwards。