Andyetthecompensationsofcalamityaremadeapparenttotheunderstandingalso,afterlongintervalsoftime。Afever,amutilation,acrueldisappointment,alossofwealth,alossoffriends,seemsatthemomentunpaidloss,andunpayable。Butthesureyearsrevealthedeepremedialforcethatunderliesallfacts。
Thedeathofadearfriend,wife,brother,lover,whichseemednothingbutprivation,somewhatlaterassumestheaspectofaguideorgenius;foritcommonlyoperatesrevolutionsinourwayoflife,terminatesanepochofinfancyorofyouthwhichwaswaitingtobeclosed,breaksupawontedoccupation,orahousehold,orstyleofliving,andallowstheformationofnewonesmorefriendlytothegrowthofcharacter。Itpermitsorconstrainstheformationofnewacquaintances,andthereceptionofnewinfluencesthatproveofthefirstimportancetothenextyears;andthemanorwomanwhowouldhaveremainedasunnygarden-flower,withnoroomforitsrootsandtoomuchsunshineforitshead,bythefallingofthewallsandtheneglectofthegardener,ismadethebanianoftheforest,yieldingshadeandfruittowideneighbourhoodsofmen。
SPIRITUALLAWS
ThelivingHeaventhyprayersrespect,Houseatonceandarchitect,Quarryingman\'srejectedhours,Buildstherewitheternaltowers;
Soleandself-commandedworks,Fearsnotunderminingdays,Growsbydecays,And,bythefamousmightthatlurksInreactionandrecoil,Makesflametofreeze,andicetoboil;
Forging,throughswartarmsofOffence,ThesilverseatofInnocence。
ESSAYIV_SpiritualLaws_
Whentheactofreflectiontakesplaceinthemind,whenwelookatourselvesinthelightofthought,wediscoverthatourlifeisembosomedinbeauty。Behindus,aswego,allthingsassumepleasingforms,ascloudsdofaroff。Notonlythingsfamiliarandstale,buteventhetragicandterrible,arecomely,astheytaketheirplaceinthepicturesofmemory。Theriver-bank,theweedatthewater-side,theoldhouse,thefoolishperson,——howeverneglectedinthepassing,——haveagraceinthepast。Eventhecorpsethathaslaininthechambershasaddedasolemnornamenttothehouse。Thesoulwillnotknoweitherdeformityorpain。If,inthehoursofclearreason,weshouldspeaktheseveresttruth,weshouldsay,thatwehadnevermadeasacrifice。Inthesehoursthemindseemssogreat,thatnothingcanbetakenfromusthatseemsmuch。Allloss,allpain,isparticular;theuniverseremainstotheheartunhurt。Neithervexationsnorcalamitiesabateourtrust。Nomaneverstatedhisgriefsaslightlyashemight。Allowforexaggerationinthemostpatientandsorelyriddenhackthateverwasdriven。Foritisonlythefinitethathaswroughtandsuffered;theinfiniteliesstretchedinsmilingrepose。
Theintellectuallifemaybekeptcleanandhealthful,ifmanwilllivethelifeofnature,andnotimportintohisminddifficultieswhicharenoneofhis。Nomanneedbeperplexedinhisspeculations。Lethimdoandsaywhatstrictlybelongstohim,and,thoughveryignorantofbooks,hisnatureshallnotyieldhimanyintellectualobstructionsanddoubts。Ouryoungpeoplearediseasedwiththetheologicalproblemsoforiginalsin,originofevil,predestination,andthelike。Theseneverpresentedapracticaldifficultytoanyman,——neverdarkenedacrossanyman\'sroad,whodidnotgooutofhiswaytoseekthem。Thesearethesoul\'smumps,andmeasles,andwhooping-coughs,andthosewhohavenotcaughtthemcannotdescribetheirhealthorprescribethecure。Asimplemindwillnotknowtheseenemies。Itisquiteanotherthingthatheshouldbeabletogiveaccountofhisfaith,andexpoundtoanotherthetheoryofhisself-unionandfreedom。Thisrequiresraregifts。
Yet,withoutthisself-knowledge,theremaybeasylvanstrengthandintegrityinthatwhichheis。“Afewstronginstinctsandafewplainrules“sufficeus。
Mywillnevergavetheimagesinmymindtheranktheynowtake。Theregularcourseofstudies,theyearsofacademicalandprofessionaleducation,havenotyieldedmebetterfactsthansomeidlebooksunderthebenchattheLatinSchool。Whatwedonotcalleducationismorepreciousthanthatwhichwecallso。Weformnoguess,atthetimeofreceivingathought,ofitscomparativevalue。
Andeducationoftenwastesitseffortinattemptstothwartandbalkthisnaturalmagnetism,whichissuretoselectwhatbelongstoit。
Inlikemanner,ourmoralnatureisvitiatedbyanyinterferenceofourwill。Peoplerepresentvirtueasastruggle,andtaketothemselvesgreatairsupontheirattainments,andthequestioniseverywherevexed,whenanoblenatureiscommended,whetherthemanisnotbetterwhostriveswithtemptation。Butthereisnomeritinthematter。EitherGodisthere,orheisnotthere。
Welovecharactersinproportionastheyareimpulsiveandspontaneous。Thelessamanthinksorknowsabouthisvirtues,thebetterwelikehim。Timoleon\'svictoriesarethebestvictories;
whichranandflowedlikeHomer\'sverses,Plutarchsaid。Whenweseeasoulwhoseactsareallregal,graceful,andpleasantasroses,wemustthankGodthatsuchthingscanbeandare,andnotturnsourlyontheangel,andsay,`Crumpisabettermanwithhisgruntingresistancetoallhisnativedevils。\'
Notlessconspicuousisthepreponderanceofnatureoverwillinallpracticallife。Thereislessintentioninhistorythanweascribetoit。Weimputedeep-laid,far-sightedplanstoCaesarandNapoleon;butthebestoftheirpowerwasinnature,notinthem。
Menofanextraordinarysuccess,intheirhonestmoments,havealwayssung,`Notuntous,notuntous。\'Accordingtothefaithoftheirtimes,theyhavebuiltaltarstoFortune,ortoDestiny,ortoSt。
Julian。Theirsuccesslayintheirparallelismtothecourseofthought,whichfoundinthemanunobstructedchannel;andthewondersofwhichtheywerethevisibleconductorsseemedtotheeyetheirdeed。Didthewiresgeneratethegalvanism?Itiseventruethattherewaslessinthemonwhichtheycouldreflect,thaninanother;
asthevirtueofapipeistobesmoothandhollow。Thatwhichexternallyseemedwillandimmovablenesswaswillingnessandself-annihilation。CouldShakspearegiveatheoryofShakspeare?
Couldeveramanofprodigiousmathematicalgeniusconveytoothersanyinsightintohismethods?Ifhecouldcommunicatethatsecret,itwouldinstantlyloseitsexaggeratedvalue,blendingwiththedaylightandthevitalenergythepowertostandandtogo。
Thelessonisforciblytaughtbytheseobservations,thatourlifemightbemucheasierandsimplerthanwemakeit;thattheworldmightbeahappierplacethanitis;thatthereisnoneedofstruggles,convulsions,anddespairs,ofthewringingofthehandsandthegnashingoftheteeth;thatwemiscreateourownevils。Weinterferewiththeoptimismofnature;for,wheneverwegetthisvantage-groundofthepast,orofawisermindinthepresent,weareabletodiscernthatwearebegirtwithlawswhichexecutethemselves。
Thefaceofexternalnatureteachesthesamelesson。Naturewillnothaveusfretandfume。Shedoesnotlikeourbenevolenceorourlearningmuchbetterthanshelikesourfraudsandwars。Whenwecomeoutofthecaucus,orthebank,ortheAbolition-convention,ortheTemperance-meeting,ortheTranscendentalclub,intothefieldsandwoods,shesaystous,`Sohot?mylittleSir。\'
Wearefullofmechanicalactions。Wemustneedsintermeddle,andhavethingsinourownway,untilthesacrificesandvirtuesofsocietyareodious。Loveshouldmakejoy;butourbenevolenceisunhappy。OurSunday-schools,andchurches,andpauper-societiesareyokestotheneck。Wepainourselvestopleasenobody。Therearenaturalwaysofarrivingatthesameendsatwhichtheseaim,butdonotarrive。Whyshouldallvirtueworkinoneandthesameway?Whyshouldallgivedollars?Itisveryinconvenienttouscountryfolk,andwedonotthinkanygoodwillcomeofit。Wehavenotdollars;
merchantshave;letthemgivethem。Farmerswillgivecorn;poetswillsing;womenwillsew;laborerswilllendahand;thechildrenwillbringflowers。AndwhydragthisdeadweightofaSunday-schooloverthewholeChristendom?Itisnaturalandbeautifulthatchildhoodshouldinquire,andmaturityshouldteach;butitistimeenoughtoanswerquestionswhentheyareasked。Donotshutuptheyoungpeopleagainsttheirwillinapew,andforcethechildrentoaskthemquestionsforanhouragainsttheirwill。
Ifwelookwider,thingsareallalike;laws,andletters,andcreeds,andmodesofliving,seematravestieoftruth。Oursocietyisencumberedbyponderousmachinery,whichresemblestheendlessaqueductswhichtheRomansbuiltoverhillanddale,andwhicharesupersededbythediscoveryofthelawthatwaterrisestothelevelofitssource。ItisaChinesewallwhichanynimbleTartarcanleapover。Itisastandingarmy,notsogoodasapeace。Itisagraduated,titled,richlyappointedempire,quitesuperfluouswhentown-meetingsarefoundtoanswerjustaswell。
Letusdrawalessonfromnature,whichalwaysworksbyshortways。Whenthefruitisripe,itfalls。Whenthefruitisdespatched,theleaffalls。Thecircuitofthewatersismerefalling。Thewalkingofmanandallanimalsisafallingforward。
Allourmanuallaborandworksofstrength,asprying,splitting,digging,rowing,andsoforth,aredonebydintofcontinualfalling,andtheglobe,earth,moon,comet,sun,star,fallforeverandever。
Thesimplicityoftheuniverseisverydifferentfromthesimplicityofamachine。Hewhoseesmoralnatureoutandout,andthoroughlyknowshowknowledgeisacquiredandcharacterformed,isapedant。Thesimplicityofnatureisnotthatwhichmayeasilyberead,butisinexhaustible。Thelastanalysiscannowisebemade。
Wejudgeofaman\'swisdombyhishope,knowingthattheperceptionoftheinexhaustiblenessofnatureisanimmortalyouth。Thewildfertilityofnatureisfeltincomparingourrigidnamesandreputationswithourfluidconsciousness。Wepassintheworldforsectsandschools,foreruditionandpiety,andweareallthetimejejunebabes。OneseesverywellhowPyrrhonismgrewup。Everymanseesthatheisthatmiddlepoint,whereofeverythingmaybeaffirmedanddeniedwithequalreason。Heisold,heisyoung,heisverywise,heisaltogetherignorant。Hehearsandfeelswhatyousayoftheseraphim,andofthetin-pedler。Thereisnopermanentwiseman,exceptinthefigmentoftheStoics。Wesidewiththehero,aswereadorpaint,againstthecowardandtherobber;butwehavebeenourselvesthatcowardandrobber,andshallbeagain,notinthelowcircumstance,butincomparisonwiththegrandeurspossibletothesoul。
Alittleconsiderationofwhattakesplacearounduseverydaywouldshowus,thatahigherlawthanthatofourwillregulatesevents;thatourpainfullaborsareunnecessary,andfruitless;thatonlyinoureasy,simple,spontaneousactionarewestrong,andbycontentingourselveswithobediencewebecomedivine。Beliefandlove,——abelievinglovewillrelieveusofavastloadofcare。O
mybrothers,Godexists。Thereisasoulatthecentreofnature,andoverthewillofeveryman,sothatnoneofuscanwrongtheuniverse。Ithassoinfuseditsstrongenchantmentintonature,thatweprosperwhenweacceptitsadvice,andwhenwestruggletowounditscreatures,ourhandsaregluedtooursides,ortheybeatourownbreasts。Thewholecourseofthingsgoestoteachusfaith。Weneedonlyobey。Thereisguidanceforeachofus,andbylowlylisteningweshallheartherightword。Whyneedyouchoosesopainfullyyourplace,andoccupation,andassociates,andmodesofaction,andofentertainment?Certainlythereisapossiblerightforyouthatprecludestheneedofbalanceandwilfulelection。Foryouthereisareality,afitplaceandcongenialduties。Placeyourselfinthemiddleofthestreamofpowerandwisdomwhichanimatesallwhomitfloats,andyouarewithouteffortimpelledtotruth,toright,andaperfectcontentment。Thenyouputallgainsayersinthewrong。Thenyouaretheworld,themeasureofright,oftruth,ofbeauty。Ifwewillnotbemar-plotswithourmiserableinterferences,thework,thesociety,letters,arts,science,religionofmenwouldgoonfarbetterthannow,andtheheavenpredictedfromthebeginningoftheworld,andstillpredictedfromthebottomoftheheart,wouldorganizeitself,asdonowtherose,andtheair,andthesun。
Isay,_donotchoose_;butthatisafigureofspeechbywhichIwoulddistinguishwhatiscommonlycalled_choice_amongmen,andwhichisapartialact,thechoiceofthehands,oftheeyes,oftheappetites,andnotawholeactoftheman。ButthatwhichIcallrightorgoodnessisthechoiceofmyconstitution;andthatwhichI
callheaven,andinwardlyaspireafter,isthestateorcircumstancedesirabletomyconstitution;andtheactionwhichIinallmyyearstendtodo,istheworkformyfaculties。Wemustholdamanamenabletoreasonforthechoiceofhisdailycraftorprofession。
Itisnotanexcuseanylongerforhisdeeds,thattheyarethecustomofhistrade。Whatbusinesshashewithaneviltrade?Hashenota_calling_inhischaracter。
Eachmanhashisownvocation。Thetalentisthecall。Thereisonedirectioninwhichallspaceisopentohim。Hehasfacultiessilentlyinvitinghimthithertoendlessexertion。Heislikeashipinariver;herunsagainstobstructionsoneverysidebutone;onthatsideallobstructionistakenaway,andhesweepsserenelyoveradeepeningchannelintoaninfinitesea。Thistalentandthiscalldependonhisorganization,orthemodeinwhichthegeneralsoulincarnatesitselfinhim。Heinclinestodosomethingwhichiseasytohim,andgoodwhenitisdone,butwhichnoothermancando。Hehasnorival。Forthemoretrulyheconsultshisownpowers,themoredifferencewillhisworkexhibitfromtheworkofanyother。
Hisambitionisexactlyproportionedtohispowers。Theheightofthepinnacleisdeterminedbythebreadthofthebase。Everymanhasthiscallofthepowertodosomewhatunique,andnomanhasanyothercall。Thepretencethathehasanothercall,asummonsbynameandpersonalelectionandoutward“signsthatmarkhimextraordinary,andnotintherollofcommonmen,“isfanaticism,andbetraysobtusenesstoperceivethatthereisonemindinalltheindividuals,andnorespectofpersonstherein。
Bydoinghiswork,hemakestheneedfeltwhichhecansupply,andcreatesthetastebywhichheisenjoyed。Bydoinghisownwork,heunfoldshimself。Itistheviceofourpublicspeakingthatithasnotabandonment。Somewhere,notonlyeveryoratorbuteverymanshouldletoutallthelengthofallthereins;shouldfindormakeafrankandheartyexpressionofwhatforceandmeaningisinhim。Thecommonexperienceis,thatthemanfitshimselfaswellashecantothecustomarydetailsofthatworkortradehefallsinto,andtendsitasadogturnsaspit。Thenisheapartofthemachinehemoves;
themanislost。Untilhecanmanagetocommunicatehimselftoothersinhisfullstatureandproportion,hedoesnotyetfindhisvocation。Hemustfindinthatanoutletforhischaracter,sothathemayjustifyhisworktotheireyes。Ifthelaborismean,lethimbyhisthinkingandcharactermakeitliberal。Whateverheknowsandthinks,whateverinhisapprehensionisworthdoing,thatlethimcommunicate,ormenwillneverknowandhonorhimaright。Foolish,wheneveryoutakethemeannessandformalityofthatthingyoudo,insteadofconvertingitintotheobedientspiracleofyourcharacterandaims。
Welikeonlysuchactionsashavealreadylonghadthepraiseofmen,anddonotperceivethatanythingmancandomaybedivinelydone。Wethinkgreatnessentailedororganizedinsomeplacesorduties,incertainofficesoroccasions,anddonotseethatPaganinicanextractrapturefromacatgut,andEulensteinfromajews-harp,andanimble-fingeredladoutofshredsofpaperwithhisscissors,andLandseeroutofswine,andtheherooutofthepitifulhabitationandcompanyinwhichhewashidden。Whatwecallobscureconditionorvulgarsocietyisthatconditionandsocietywhosepoetryisnotyetwritten,butwhichyoushallpresentlymakeasenviableandrenownedasany。Inourestimates,letustakealessonfromkings。
Thepartsofhospitality,theconnectionoffamilies,theimpressivenessofdeath,andathousandotherthings,royaltymakesitsownestimateof,andaroyalmindwill。Tomakehabituallyanewestimate,——thatiselevation。
Whatamandoes,thathehas。Whathashetodowithhopeorfear?Inhimselfishismight。Lethimregardnogoodassolid,butthatwhichisinhisnature,andwhichmustgrowoutofhimaslongasheexists。Thegoodsoffortunemaycomeandgolikesummerleaves;lethimscatterthemoneverywindasthemomentarysignsofhisinfiniteproductiveness。
Hemayhavehisown。Aman\'sgenius,thequalitythatdifferenceshimfromeveryother,thesusceptibilitytooneclassofinfluences,theselectionofwhatisfitforhim,therejectionofwhatisunfit,determinesforhimthecharacteroftheuniverse。A
manisamethod,aprogressivearrangement;aselectingprinciple,gatheringhisliketohim,whereverhegoes。Hetakesonlyhisownoutofthemultiplicitythatsweepsandcirclesroundhim。Heislikeoneofthoseboomswhicharesetoutfromtheshoreonriverstocatchdrift-wood,orliketheloadstoneamongstsplintersofsteel。
Thosefacts,words,persons,whichdwellinhismemorywithouthisbeingabletosaywhy,remain,becausetheyhavearelationtohimnotlessrealforbeingasyetunapprehended。Theyaresymbolsofvaluetohim,astheycaninterpretpartsofhisconsciousnesswhichhewouldvainlyseekwordsforintheconventionalimagesofbooksandotherminds。Whatattractsmyattentionshallhaveit,asIwillgotothemanwhoknocksatmydoor,whilstathousandpersons,asworthy,gobyit,towhomIgivenoregard。Itisenoughthattheseparticularsspeaktome。Afewanecdotes,afewtraitsofcharacter,manners,face,afewincidents,haveanemphasisinyourmemoryoutofallproportiontotheirapparentsignificance,ifyoumeasurethembytheordinarystandards。Theyrelatetoyourgift。Letthemhavetheirweight,anddonotrejectthem,andcastaboutforillustrationandfactsmoreusualinliterature。Whatyourheartthinksgreatisgreat。Thesoul\'semphasisisalwaysright。
Overallthingsthatareagreeabletohisnatureandgenius,themanhasthehighestright。Everywherehemaytakewhatbelongstohisspiritualestate,norcanhetakeanythingelse,thoughalldoorswereopen,norcanalltheforceofmenhinderhimfromtakingsomuch。Itisvaintoattempttokeepasecretfromonewhohasarighttoknowit。Itwilltellitself。Thatmoodintowhichafriendcanbringusishisdominionoverus。Tothethoughtsofthatstateofmindhehasaright。Allthesecretsofthatstateofmindhecancompel。Thisisalawwhichstatesmenuseinpractice。AlltheterrorsoftheFrenchRepublic,whichheldAustriainawe,wereunabletocommandherdiplomacy。ButNapoleonsenttoViennaM。deNarbonne,oneoftheoldnoblesse,withthemorals,manners,andnameofthatinterest,saying,thatitwasindispensabletosendtotheoldaristocracyofEuropemenofthesameconnection,which,infact,constitutesasortoffree-masonry。M。deNarbonne,inlessthanafortnight,penetratedallthesecretsoftheimperialcabinet。
Nothingseemssoeasyastospeakandtobeunderstood。Yetamanmaycometofind_that_thestrongestofdefencesandofties,——
thathehasbeenunderstood;andhewhohasreceivedanopinionmaycometofinditthemostinconvenientofbonds。
Ifateacherhaveanyopinionwhichhewishestoconceal,hispupilswillbecomeasfullyindoctrinatedintothatasintoanywhichhepublishes。Ifyoupourwaterintoavesseltwistedintocoilsandangles,itisvaintosay,Iwillpouritonlyintothisorthat;——
itwillfinditslevelinall。Menfeelandacttheconsequencesofyourdoctrine,withoutbeingabletoshowhowtheyfollow。Showusanarcofthecurve,andagoodmathematicianwillfindoutthewholefigure。Wearealwaysreasoningfromtheseentotheunseen。Hencetheperfectintelligencethatsubsistsbetweenwisemenofremoteages。Amancannotburyhismeaningssodeepinhisbook,buttimeandlike-mindedmenwillfindthem。Platohadasecretdoctrine,hadhe?WhatsecretcanheconcealfromtheeyesofBacon?ofMontaigne?
ofKant?Therefore,Aristotlesaidofhisworks,“Theyarepublishedandnotpublished。“
Nomancanlearnwhathehasnotpreparationforlearning,howeverneartohiseyesistheobject。Achemistmaytellhismostprecioussecretstoacarpenter,andheshallbeneverthewiser,——
thesecretshewouldnotuttertoachemistforanestate。Godscreensusevermorefromprematureideas。Oureyesareholdenthatwecannotseethingsthatstareusintheface,untilthehourarriveswhenthemindisripened;thenwebeholdthem,andthetimewhenwesawthemnotislikeadream。
Notinnaturebutinmanisallthebeautyandworthhesees。
Theworldisveryempty,andisindebtedtothisgilding,exaltingsoulforallitspride。“Earthfillsherlapwithsplendors“_notherown_。ThevaleofTempe,Tivoli,andRomeareearthandwater,rocksandsky。Thereareasgoodearthandwaterinathousandplaces,yethowunaffecting!
Peoplearenotthebetterforthesunandmoon,thehorizonandthetrees;asitisnotobservedthatthekeepersofRomangalleries,orthevaletsofpainters,haveanyelevationofthought,orthatlibrariansarewisermenthanothers。Therearegracesinthedemeanourofapolishedandnobleperson,whicharelostupontheeyeofachurl。Thesearelikethestarswhoselighthasnotyetreachedus。
Hemayseewhathemaketh。Ourdreamsarethesequelofourwakingknowledge。Thevisionsofthenightbearsomeproportiontothevisionsoftheday。Hideousdreamsareexaggerationsofthesinsoftheday。Weseeourevilaffectionsembodiedinbadphysiognomies。OntheAlps,thetravellersometimesbeholdshisownshadowmagnifiedtoagiant,sothateverygestureofhishandisterrific。“Mychildren,“saidanoldmantohisboysscaredbyafigureinthedarkentry,“mychildren,youwillneverseeanythingworsethanyourselves。“Asindreams,sointhescarcelylessfluideventsoftheworld,everymanseeshimselfincolossal,withoutknowingthatitishimself。Thegood,comparedtotheevilwhichhesees,isashisowngoodtohisownevil。Everyqualityofhismindismagnifiedinsomeoneacquaintance,andeveryemotionofhisheartinsomeone。Heislikeaquincunxoftrees,whichcountsfive,east,west,north,orsouth;or,aninitial,medial,andterminalacrostic。Andwhynot?Hecleavestooneperson,andavoidsanother,accordingtotheirlikenessorunlikenesstohimself,trulyseekinghimselfinhisassociates,andmoreoverinhistrade,andhabits,andgestures,andmeats,anddrinks;andcomesatlasttobefaithfullyrepresentedbyeveryviewyoutakeofhiscircumstances。
Hemayreadwhathewrites。Whatcanweseeoracquire,butwhatweare?YouhaveobservedaskilfulmanreadingVirgil。Well,thatauthorisathousandbookstoathousandpersons。Takethebookintoyourtwohands,andreadyoureyesout;youwillneverfindwhatIfind。Ifanyingeniousreaderwouldhaveamonopolyofthewisdomordelighthegets,heisassecurenowthebookisEnglished,asifitwereimprisonedinthePelews\'tongue。Itiswithagoodbookasitiswithgoodcompany。Introduceabasepersonamonggentlemen;itisalltonopurpose;heisnottheirfellow。Everysocietyprotectsitself。Thecompanyisperfectlysafe,andheisnotoneofthem,thoughhisbodyisintheroom。
Whatavailsittofightwiththeeternallawsofmind,whichadjusttherelationofallpersonstoeachother,bythemathematicalmeasureoftheirhavingsandbeings?GertrudeisenamouredofGuy;
howhigh,howaristocratic,howRomanhismienandmanners!tolivewithhimwerelifeindeed,andnopurchaseistoogreat;andheavenandeartharemovedtothatend。Well,GertrudehasGuy;butwhatnowavailshowhigh,howaristocratic,howRomanhismienandmanners,ifhisheartandaimsareinthesenate,inthetheatre,andinthebilliard-room,andshehasnoaims,noconversation,thatcanenchanthergracefullord?
Heshallhavehisownsociety。Wecanlovenothingbutnature。
Themostwonderfultalents,themostmeritoriousexertions,reallyavailverylittlewithus;butnearnessorlikenessofnature,——howbeautifulistheeaseofitsvictory!Personsapproachusfamousfortheirbeauty,fortheiraccomplishments,worthyofallwonderfortheircharmsandgifts;theydedicatetheirwholeskilltothehourandthecompany,withveryimperfectresult。Tobesure,itwouldbeungratefulinusnottopraisethemloudly。Then,whenallisdone,apersonofrelatedmind,abrotherorsisterbynature,comestoussosoftlyandeasily,sonearlyandintimately,asifitwerethebloodinourproperveins,thatwefeelasifsomeonewasgone,insteadofanotherhavingcome;weareutterlyrelievedandrefreshed;itisasortofjoyfulsolitude。Wefoolishlythinkinourdaysofsin,thatwemustcourtfriendsbycompliancetothecustomsofsociety,toitsdress,itsbreeding,anditsestimates。
ButonlythatsoulcanbemyfriendwhichIencounteronthelineofmyownmarch,thatsoultowhichIdonotdecline,andwhichdoesnotdeclinetome,but,nativeofthesamecelestiallatitude,repeatsinitsownallmyexperience。Thescholarforgetshimself,andapesthecustomsandcostumesofthemanoftheworld,todeservethesmileofbeauty,andfollowssomegiddygirl,notyettaughtbyreligiouspassiontoknowthenoblewomanwithallthatisserene,oracular,andbeautifulinhersoul。Lethimbegreat,andloveshallfollowhim。Nothingismoredeeplypunishedthantheneglectoftheaffinitiesbywhichalonesocietyshouldbeformed,andtheinsanelevityofchoosingassociatesbyothers\'eyes。
Hemaysethisownrate。Itisamaximworthyofallacceptation,thatamanmayhavethatallowancehetakes。Taketheplaceandattitudewhichbelongtoyou,andallmenacquiesce。Theworldmustbejust。Itleaveseveryman,withprofoundunconcern,tosethisownrate。Heroordriveller,itmeddlesnotinthematter。
Itwillcertainlyacceptyourownmeasureofyourdoingandbeing,whetheryousneakaboutanddenyyourownname,orwhetheryouseeyourworkproducedtotheconcavesphereoftheheavens,onewiththerevolutionofthestars。
Thesamerealitypervadesallteaching。Themanmayteachbydoing,andnototherwise。Ifhecancommunicatehimself,hecanteach,butnotbywords。Heteacheswhogives,andhelearnswhoreceives。Thereisnoteachinguntilthepupilisbroughtintothesamestateorprincipleinwhichyouare;atransfusiontakesplace;
heisyou,andyouarehe;thenisateaching;andbynounfriendlychanceorbadcompanycanheeverquitelosethebenefit。Butyourpropositionsrunoutofoneearastheyraninattheother。WeseeitadvertisedthatMr。GrandwilldeliveranorationontheFourthofJuly,andMr。HandbeforetheMechanics\'Association,andwedonotgothither,becauseweknowthatthesegentlemenwillnotcommunicatetheirowncharacterandexperiencetothecompany。Ifwehadreasontoexpectsuchaconfidence,weshouldgothroughallinconvenienceandopposition。Thesickwouldbecarriedinlitters。Butapublicorationisanescapade,anon-committal,anapology,agag,andnotacommunication,notaspeech,notaman。
AlikeNemesispresidesoverallintellectualworks。Wehaveyettolearn,thatthethingutteredinwordsisnotthereforeaffirmed。Itmustaffirmitself,ornoformsoflogicorofoathcangiveitevidence。Thesentencemustalsocontainitsownapologyforbeingspoken。
Theeffectofanywritingonthepublicmindismathematicallymeasurablebyitsdepthofthought。Howmuchwaterdoesitdraw?Ifitawakenyoutothink,ifitliftyoufromyourfeetwiththegreatvoiceofeloquence,thentheeffectistobewide,slow,permanent,overthemindsofmen;ifthepagesinstructyounot,theywilldielikefliesinthehour。Thewaytospeakandwritewhatshallnotgooutoffashionis,tospeakandwritesincerely。Theargumentwhichhasnotpowertoreachmyownpractice,Imaywelldoubt,willfailtoreachyours。ButtakeSidney\'smaxim:——“Lookinthyheart,andwrite。“Hethatwritestohimselfwritestoaneternalpublic。Thatstatementonlyisfittobemadepublic,whichyouhavecomeatinattemptingtosatisfyyourowncuriosity。Thewriterwhotakeshissubjectfromhisear,andnotfromhisheart,shouldknowthathehaslostasmuchasheseemstohavegained,andwhentheemptybookhasgatheredallitspraise,andhalfthepeoplesay,`Whatpoetry!whatgenius!\'itstillneedsfueltomakefire。Thatonlyprofitswhichisprofitable。Lifealonecanimpartlife;andthoughweshouldburst,wecanonlybevaluedaswemakeourselvesvaluable。Thereisnoluckinliteraryreputation。Theywhomakeupthefinalverdictuponeverybookarenotthepartialandnoisyreadersofthehourwhenitappears;butacourtasofangels,apublicnottobebribed,nottobeentreated,andnottobeoverawed,decidesuponeveryman\'stitletofame。Onlythosebookscomedownwhichdeservetolast。
Giltedges,vellum,andmorocco,andpresentation-copiestoallthelibraries,willnotpreserveabookincirculationbeyonditsintrinsicdate。ItmustgowithallWalpole\'sNobleandRoyalAuthorstoitsfate。Blackmore,Kotzebue,orPollokmayendureforanight,butMosesandHomerstandforever。TherearenotintheworldatanyonetimemorethanadozenpersonswhoreadandunderstandPlato:——neverenoughtopayforaneditionofhisworks;
yettoeverygenerationthesecomedulydown,forthesakeofthosefewpersons,asifGodbroughttheminhishand。“Nobook,“saidBentley,“waseverwrittendownbyanybutitself。“Thepermanenceofallbooksisfixedbynoeffortfriendlyorhostile,butbytheirownspecificgravity,ortheintrinsicimportanceoftheircontentstotheconstantmindofman。“Donottroubleyourselftoomuchaboutthelightonyourstatue,“saidMichelAngelototheyoungsculptor;
“thelightofthepublicsquarewilltestitsvalue。“
Inlikemannertheeffectofeveryactionismeasuredbythedepthofthesentimentfromwhichitproceeds。Thegreatmanknewnotthathewasgreat。Ittookacenturyortwoforthatfacttoappear。Whathedid,hedidbecausehemust;itwasthemostnaturalthingintheworld,andgrewoutofthecircumstancesofthemoment。
Butnow,everythinghedid,eventotheliftingofhisfingerortheeatingofbread,lookslarge,all-related,andiscalledaninstitution。
Thesearethedemonstrationsinafewparticularsofthegeniusofnature;theyshowthedirectionofthestream。Butthestreamisblood;everydropisalive。Truthhasnotsinglevictories;allthingsareitsorgans,——notonlydustandstones,buterrorsandlies。Thelawsofdisease,physicianssay,areasbeautifulasthelawsofhealth。Ourphilosophyisaffirmative,andreadilyacceptsthetestimonyofnegativefacts,aseveryshadowpointstothesun。
Byadivinenecessity,everyfactinnatureisconstrainedtoofferitstestimony。
Humancharacterevermorepublishesitself。Themostfugitivedeedandword,themereairofdoingathing,theintimatedpurpose,expressescharacter。Ifyouact,youshowcharacter;ifyousitstill,ifyousleep,youshowit。Youthink,becauseyouhavespokennothingwhenothersspoke,andhavegivennoopiniononthetimes,onthechurch,onslavery,onmarriage,onsocialism,onsecretsocieties,onthecollege,onpartiesandpersons,thatyourverdictisstillexpectedwithcuriosityasareservedwisdom。Farotherwise;yoursilenceanswersveryloud。Youhavenooracletoutter,andyourfellow-menhavelearnedthatyoucannothelpthem;
for,oraclesspeak。Dothnotwisdomcry,andunderstandingputforthhervoice?
Dreadfullimitsaresetinnaturetothepowersofdissimulation。Truthtyrannizesovertheunwillingmembersofthebody。Facesneverlie,itissaid。Nomanneedbedeceived,whowillstudythechangesofexpression。Whenamanspeaksthetruthinthespiritoftruth,hiseyeisasclearastheheavens。Whenhehasbaseends,andspeaksfalsely,theeyeismuddyandsometimesasquint。
Ihaveheardanexperiencedcounsellorsay,thatheneverfearedtheeffectuponajuryofalawyerwhodoesnotbelieveinhisheartthathisclientoughttohaveaverdict。Ifhedoesnotbelieveit,hisunbeliefwillappeartothejury,despiteallhisprotestations,andwillbecometheirunbelief。Thisisthatlawwherebyaworkofart,ofwhateverkind,setsusinthesamestateofmindwhereintheartistwaswhenhemadeit。Thatwhichwedonotbelieve,wecannotadequatelysay,thoughwemayrepeatthewordsneversooften。ItwasthisconvictionwhichSwedenborgexpressed,whenhedescribedagroupofpersonsinthespiritualworldendeavouringinvaintoarticulateapropositionwhichtheydidnotbelieve;buttheycouldnot,thoughtheytwistedandfoldedtheirlipseventoindignation。
Amanpassesforthatheisworth。Veryidleisallcuriosityconcerningotherpeople\'sestimateofus,andallfearofremainingunknownisnotlessso。Ifamanknowthathecandoanything,——
thathecandoitbetterthananyoneelse,——hehasapledgeoftheacknowledgmentofthatfactbyallpersons。Theworldisfullofjudgment-days,andintoeveryassemblythatamanenters,ineveryactionheattempts,heisgaugedandstamped。Ineverytroopofboysthatwhoopandrunineachyardandsquare,anew-comerisaswellandaccuratelyweighedinthecourseofafewdays,andstampedwithhisrightnumber,asifhehadundergoneaformaltrialofhisstrength,speed,andtemper。Astrangercomesfromadistantschool,withbetterdress,withtrinketsinhispockets,withairsandpretensions:anolderboysaystohimself,`It\'sofnouse;weshallfindhimoutto-morrow。\'`Whathashedone?\'isthedivinequestionwhichsearchesmen,andtranspierceseveryfalsereputation。Afopmaysitinanychairoftheworld,norbedistinguishedforhishourfromHomerandWashington;butthereneedneverbeanydoubtconcerningtherespectiveabilityofhumanbeings。Pretensionmaysitstill,butcannotact。Pretensionneverfeignedanactofrealgreatness。PretensionneverwroteanIliad,nordrovebackXerxes,norchristianizedtheworld,norabolishedslavery。
Asmuchvirtueasthereis,somuchappears;asmuchgoodnessasthereis,somuchreverenceitcommands。Allthedevilsrespectvirtue。Thehigh,thegenerous,theself-devotedsectwillalwaysinstructandcommandmankind。Neverwasasincerewordutterlylost。
Neveramagnanimityfelltotheground,butthereissomehearttogreetandacceptitunexpectedly。Amanpassesforthatheisworth。
Whatheisengravesitselfonhisface,onhisform,onhisfortunes,inlettersoflight。Concealmentavailshimnothing;boastingnothing。Thereisconfessionintheglancesofoureyes;inoursmiles;insalutations;andthegraspofhands。Hissinbedaubshim,marsallhisgoodimpression。Menknownotwhytheydonottrusthim;buttheydonottrusthim。Hisviceglasseshiseye,cutslinesofmeanexpressioninhischeek,pinchesthenose,setsthemarkofthebeastonthebackofthehead,andwritesOfool!fool!ontheforeheadofaking。
Ifyouwouldnotbeknowntodoanything,neverdoit。Amanmayplaythefoolinthedriftsofadesert,buteverygrainofsandshallseemtosee。Hemaybeasolitaryeater,buthecannotkeephisfoolishcounsel。Abrokencomplexion,aswinishlook,ungenerousacts,andthewantofdueknowledge,——allblab。Canacook,aChiffinch,anIachimobemistakenforZenoorPaul?Confuciusexclaimed,——“Howcanamanbeconcealed!Howcanamanbeconcealed!”
Ontheotherhand,theherofearsnot,that,ifhewithholdtheavowalofajustandbraveact,itwillgounwitnessedandunloved。
Oneknowsit,——himself,——andispledgedbyittosweetnessofpeace,andtonoblenessofaim,whichwillproveintheendabetterproclamationofitthantherelatingoftheincident。Virtueistheadherenceinactiontothenatureofthings,andthenatureofthingsmakesitprevalent。Itconsistsinaperpetualsubstitutionofbeingforseeming,andwithsublimeproprietyGodisdescribedassaying,I
AM。
Thelessonwhichtheseobservationsconveyis,Be,andnotseem。Letusacquiesce。Letustakeourbloatednothingnessoutofthepathofthedivinecircuits。Letusunlearnourwisdomoftheworld。LetuslielowintheLord\'spower,andlearnthattruthalonemakesrichandgreat。
Ifyouvisityourfriend,whyneedyouapologizefornothavingvisitedhim,andwastehistimeanddefaceyourownact?Visithimnow。Lethimfeelthatthehighestlovehascometoseehim,inthee,itslowestorgan。Orwhyneedyoutormentyourselfandfriendbysecretself-reproachesthatyouhavenotassistedhimorcomplimentedhimwithgiftsandsalutationsheretofore?Beagiftandabenediction。Shinewithreallight,andnotwiththeborrowedreflectionofgifts。Commonmenareapologiesformen;theybowthehead,excusethemselveswithprolixreasons,andaccumulateappearances,becausethesubstanceisnot。
Wearefullofthesesuperstitionsofsense,theworshipofmagnitude。Wecallthepoetinactive,becauseheisnotapresident,amerchant,oraporter。Weadoreaninstitution,anddonotseethatitisfoundedonathoughtwhichwehave。Butrealactionisinsilentmoments。Theepochsofourlifearenotinthevisiblefactsofourchoiceofacalling,ourmarriage,ouracquisitionofanoffice,andthelike,butinasilentthoughtbytheway-sideaswewalk;inathoughtwhichrevisesourentiremanneroflife,andsays,——`Thushastthoudone,butitwerebetterthus。\'Andallourafteryears,likemenials,serveandwaitonthis,and,accordingtotheirability,executeitswill。Thisrevisalorcorrectionisaconstantforce,which,asatendency,reachesthroughourlifetime。Theobjectoftheman,theaimofthesemoments,istomakedaylightshinethroughhim,tosufferthelawtotraversehiswholebeingwithoutobstruction,sothat,onwhatpointsoeverofhisdoingyoureyefalls,itshallreporttrulyofhischaracter,whetheritbehisdiet,hishouse,hisreligiousforms,hissociety,hismirth,hisvote,hisopposition。Nowheisnothomogeneous,butheterogeneous,andtheraydoesnottraverse;therearenothoroughlights:buttheeyeofthebeholderispuzzled,detectingmanyunliketendencies,andalifenotyetatone。
Whyshouldwemakeitapointwithourfalsemodestytodisparagethatmanweare,andthatformofbeingassignedtous?A
goodmaniscontented。IloveandhonorEpaminondas,butIdonotwishtobeEpaminondas。Iholditmorejusttolovetheworldofthishour,thantheworldofhishour。Norcanyou,ifIamtrue,excitemetotheleastuneasinessbysaying,`Heacted,andthousitteststill。\'Iseeactiontobegood,whentheneedis,andsittingstilltobealsogood。Epaminondas,ifhewasthemanItakehimfor,wouldhavesatstillwithjoyandpeace,ifhislothadbeenmine。Heavenislarge,andaffordsspaceforallmodesofloveandfortitude。Whyshouldwebebusybodiesandsuperserviceable?Actionandinactionarealiketothetrue。Onepieceofthetreeiscutforaweathercock,andoneforthesleeperofabridge;thevirtueofthewoodisapparentinboth。
Idesirenottodisgracethesoul。ThefactthatIamherecertainlyshowsmethatthesoulhadneedofanorganhere。ShallI
notassumethepost?ShallIskulkanddodgeandduckwithmyunseasonableapologiesandvainmodesty,andimaginemybeinghereimpertinent?lesspertinentthanEpaminondasorHomerbeingthere?
andthatthesouldidnotknowitsownneeds?Besides,withoutanyreasoningonthematter,Ihavenodiscontent。Thegoodsoulnourishesme,andunlocksnewmagazinesofpowerandenjoymenttomeeveryday。Iwillnotmeanlydeclinetheimmensityofgood,becauseIhaveheardthatithascometoothersinanothershape。
Besides,whyshouldwebecowedbythenameofAction?\'Tisatrickofthesenses,——nomore。Weknowthattheancestorofeveryactionisathought。Thepoorminddoesnotseemtoitselftobeanything,unlessithaveanoutsidebadge,——someGentoodiet,orQuakercoat,orCalvinisticprayer-meeting,orphilanthropicsociety,oragreatdonation,orahighoffice,or,anyhow,somewildcontrastingactiontotestifythatitissomewhat。Therichmindliesinthesunandsleeps,andisNature。Tothinkistoact。
Letus,ifwemusthavegreatactions,makeourownso。Allactionisofaninfiniteelasticity,andtheleastadmitsofbeinginflatedwiththecelestialairuntiliteclipsesthesunandmoon。
Letusseek_one_peacebyfidelity。Letmeheedmyduties。WhyneedIgogaddingintothescenesandphilosophyofGreekandItalianhistory,beforeIhavejustifiedmyselftomybenefactors?HowdareIreadWashington\'scampaigns,whenIhavenotansweredthelettersofmyowncorrespondents?Isnotthatajustobjectiontomuchofourreading?Itisapusillanimousdesertionofourworktogazeafterourneighbours。Itispeeping。ByronsaysofJackBunting,——
“Heknewnotwhattosay,andsoheswore。“
Imaysayitofourpreposteroususeofbooks,——Heknewnotwhattodo,andso_heread_。Icanthinkofnothingtofillmytimewith,andIfindtheLifeofBrant。ItisaveryextravagantcomplimenttopaytoBrant,ortoGeneralSchuyler,ortoGeneralWashington。Mytimeshouldbeasgoodastheirtime,——myfacts,mynetofrelations,asgoodastheirs,oreitheroftheirs。Ratherletmedomyworksowellthatotheridlers,iftheychoose,maycomparemytexturewiththetextureoftheseandfinditidenticalwiththebest。
Thisover-estimateofthepossibilitiesofPaulandPericles,thisunder-estimateofourown,comesfromaneglectofthefactofanidenticalnature。Bonaparteknewbutonemerit,andrewardedinoneandthesamewaythegoodsoldier,thegoodastronomer,thegoodpoet,thegoodplayer。ThepoetusesthenamesofCaesar,ofTamerlane,ofBonduca,ofBelisarius;thepainterusestheconventionalstoryoftheVirginMary,ofPaul,ofPeter。Hedoesnot,therefore,defertothenatureoftheseaccidentalmen,ofthesestockheroes。Ifthepoetwriteatruedrama,thenheisCaesar,andnottheplayerofCaesar;thentheselfsamestrainofthought,emotionaspure,witassubtle,motionsasswift,mounting,extravagant,andaheartasgreat,self-sufficing,dauntless,whichonthewavesofitsloveandhopecanupliftallthatisreckonedsolidandpreciousintheworld,——palaces,gardens,money,navies,kingdoms,——markingitsownincomparableworthbytheslightitcastsonthesegaudsofmen,——theseallarehis,andbythepoweroftheseherousesthenations。LetamanbelieveinGod,andnotinnamesandplacesandpersons。Letthegreatsoulincarnatedinsomewoman\'sform,poorandsadandsingle,insomeDollyorJoan,goouttoservice,andsweepchambersandscourfloors,anditseffulgentdaybeamscannotbemuffledorhid,buttosweepandscourwillinstantlyappearsupremeandbeautifulactions,thetopandradianceofhumanlife,andallpeoplewillgetmopsandbrooms;until,lo!
suddenlythegreatsoulhasenshrineditselfinsomeotherform,anddonesomeotherdeed,andthatisnowtheflowerandheadofalllivingnature。
Wearethephotometers,wetheirritablegoldleafandtinfoilthatmeasuretheaccumulationsofthesubtleelement。Weknowtheauthenticeffectsofthetruefirethrougheveryoneofitsmilliondisguises。
LOVE
“Iwasasagemconcealed;
Memyburningrayrevealed。“
_Koran_
ESSAYV_Love_
Everypromiseofthesoulhasinnumerablefulfilments;eachofnt。Nature,uncontainable,flowing,forelooking,inthefirstsentimentofkindnessanticipatesalreadyabenevolencewhichshallloseallparticularregardsinitsgenerallight。Theintroductiontothisfelicityisinaprivateandtenderrelationofonetoone,whichistheenchantmentofhumanlife;which,likeacertaindivinerageandenthusiasm,seizesonmanatoneperiod,andworksarevolutioninhismindandbody;uniteshimtohisrace,pledgeshimtothedomesticandcivicrelations,carrieshimwithnewsympathyintonature,enhancesthepowerofthesenses,openstheimagination,addstohischaracterheroicandsacredattributes,establishesmarriage,andgivespermanencetohumansociety。
Thenaturalassociationofthesentimentoflovewiththeheydayofthebloodseemstorequire,thatinordertoportrayitinvividtints,whicheveryyouthandmaidshouldconfesstobetruetotheirthrobbingexperience,onemustnotbetooold。Thedeliciousfanciesofyouthrejecttheleastsavourofamaturephilosophy,aschillingwithageandpedantrytheirpurplebloom。And,therefore,I
knowIincurtheimputationofunnecessaryhardnessandstoicismfromthosewhocomposetheCourtandParliamentofLove。ButfromtheseformidablecensorsIshallappealtomyseniors。Foritistobeconsideredthatthispassionofwhichwespeak,thoughitbeginwiththeyoung,yetforsakesnottheold,orrathersuffersnoonewhoistrulyitsservanttogrowold,butmakestheagedparticipatorsofit,notlessthanthetendermaiden,thoughinadifferentandnoblersort。Foritisafirethat,kindlingitsfirstembersinthenarrownookofaprivatebosom,caughtfromawanderingsparkoutofanotherprivateheart,glowsandenlargesuntilitwarmsandbeamsuponmultitudesofmenandwomen,upontheuniversalheartofall,andsolightsupthewholeworldandallnaturewithitsgenerousflames。
Itmattersnot,therefore,whetherweattempttodescribethepassionattwenty,atthirty,orateightyyears。Hewhopaintsitatthefirstperiodwilllosesomeofitslater,hewhopaintsitatthelast,someofitsearliertraits。Onlyitistobehopedthat,bypatienceandtheMuses\'aid,wemayattaintothatinwardviewofthelaw,whichshalldescribeatrutheveryoungandbeautiful,socentralthatitshallcommenditselftotheeye,atwhateveranglebeholden。
Andthefirstconditionis,thatwemustleaveatoocloseandlingeringadherencetofacts,andstudythesentimentasitappearedinhopeandnotinhistory。Foreachmanseeshisownlifedefacedanddisfigured,asthelifeofmanisnot,tohisimagination。Eachmanseesoverhisownexperienceacertainstainoferror,whilstthatofothermenlooksfairandideal。Letanymangobacktothosedeliciousrelationswhichmakethebeautyofhislife,whichhavegivenhimsincerestinstructionandnourishment,hewillshrinkandmoan。Alas!Iknownotwhy,butinfinitecompunctionsembitterinmaturelifetheremembrancesofbuddingjoy,andcovereverybelovedname。Everythingisbeautifulseenfromthepointoftheintellect,orastruth。Butallissour,ifseenasexperience。Detailsaremelancholy;theplanisseemlyandnoble。Intheactualworld——thepainfulkingdomoftimeandplace——dwellcare,andcanker,andfear。Withthought,withtheideal,isimmortalhilarity,theroseofjoy。RounditalltheMusessing。Butgriefcleavestonames,andpersons,andthepartialinterestsofto-dayandyesterday。
Thestrongbentofnatureisseenintheproportionwhichthistopicofpersonalrelationsusurpsintheconversationofsociety。
Whatdowewishtoknowofanyworthypersonsomuch,ashowhehasspedinthehistoryofthissentiment?Whatbooksinthecirculatinglibrariescirculate?Howweglowoverthesenovelsofpassion,whenthestoryistoldwithanysparkoftruthandnature!Andwhatfastensattention,intheintercourseoflife,likeanypassagebetrayingaffectionbetweentwoparties?Perhapsweneversawthembefore,andnevershallmeetthemagain。Butweseethemexchangeaglance,orbetrayadeepemotion,andwearenolongerstrangers。Weunderstandthem,andtakethewarmestinterestinthedevelopmentoftheromance。Allmankindlovealover。Theearliestdemonstrationsofcomplacencyandkindnessarenature\'smostwinningpictures。Itisthedawnofcivilityandgraceinthecoarseandrustic。Therudevillageboyteasesthegirlsabouttheschool-housedoor;——butto-dayhecomesrunningintotheentry,andmeetsonefairchilddisposinghersatchel;heholdsherbookstohelpher,andinstantlyitseemstohimasifsheremovedherselffromhiminfinitely,andwasasacredprecinct。Amongthethrongofgirlsherunsrudelyenough,butonealonedistanceshim;andthesetwolittleneighbours,thatweresoclosejustnow,havelearnedtorespecteachother\'spersonality。Orwhocanaverthiseyesfromtheengaging,half-artful,half-artlesswaysofschool-girlswhogointothecountryshopstobuyaskeinofsilkorasheetofpaper,andtalkhalfanhouraboutnothingwiththebroad-faced,good-naturedshop-boy。Inthevillagetheyareonaperfectequality,whichlovedelightsin,andwithoutanycoquetrythehappy,affectionatenatureofwomanflowsoutinthisprettygossip。Thegirlsmayhavelittlebeauty,yetplainlydotheyestablishbetweenthemandthegoodboythemostagreeable,confidingrelations,whatwiththeirfunandtheirearnest,aboutEdgar,andJonas,andAlmira,andwhowasinvitedtotheparty,andwhodancedatthedancing-school,andwhenthesinging-schoolwouldbegin,andothernothingsconcerningwhichthepartiescooed。Byandbythatboywantsawife,andverytrulyandheartilywillheknowwheretofindasincereandsweetmate,withoutanyrisksuchasMiltondeploresasincidenttoscholarsandgreatmen。
Ihavebeentold,thatinsomepublicdiscoursesofminemyreverencefortheintellecthasmademeunjustlycoldtothepersonalrelations。ButnowIalmostshrinkattheremembranceofsuchdisparagingwords。Forpersonsarelove\'sworld,andthecoldestphilosophercannotrecountthedebtoftheyoungsoulwanderinghereinnaturetothepoweroflove,withoutbeingtemptedtounsay,astreasonabletonature,aughtderogatorytothesocialinstincts。
For,thoughthecelestialrapturefallingoutofheavenseizesonlyuponthoseoftenderage,andalthoughabeautyoverpoweringallanalysisorcomparison,andputtingusquitebesideourselves,wecanseldomseeafterthirtyyears,yettheremembranceofthesevisionsoutlastsallotherremembrances,andisawreathofflowersontheoldestbrows。Buthereisastrangefact;itmayseemtomanymen,inrevisingtheirexperience,thattheyhavenofairerpageintheirlife\'sbookthanthedeliciousmemoryofsomepassageswhereinaffectioncontrivedtogiveawitchcraftsurpassingthedeepattractionofitsowntruthtoaparcelofaccidentalandtrivialcircumstances。Inlookingbackward,theymayfindthatseveralthingswhichwerenotthecharmhavemorerealitytothisgropingmemorythanthecharmitselfwhichembalmedthem。Butbeourexperienceinparticularswhatitmay,nomaneverforgotthevisitationsofthatpowertohisheartandbrain,whichcreatedallthingsnew;whichwasthedawninhimofmusic,poetry,andart;
whichmadethefaceofnatureradiantwithpurplelight,themorningandthenightvariedenchantments;whenasingletoneofonevoicecouldmaketheheartbound,andthemosttrivialcircumstanceassociatedwithoneformisputintheamberofmemory;whenhebecamealleyewhenonewaspresent,andallmemorywhenonewasgone;whentheyouthbecomesawatcherofwindows,andstudiousofaglove,aveil,aribbon,orthewheelsofacarriage;whennoplaceistoosolitary,andnonetoosilent,forhimwhohasrichercompanyandsweeterconversationinhisnewthoughts,thananyoldfriends,thoughbestandpurest,cangivehim;forthefigures,themotions,thewordsofthebelovedobjectarenotlikeotherimageswritteninwater,but,asPlutarchsaid,“enamelledinfire,“andmakethestudyofmidnight。
“Thouartnotgonebeinggone,where\'erthouart,Thouleav\'stinhimthywatchfuleyes,inhimthylovingheart。“
Inthenoonandtheafternoonoflifewestillthrobattherecollectionofdayswhenhappinesswasnothappyenough,butmustbedruggedwiththerelishofpainandfear;forhetouchedthesecretofthematter,whosaidoflove,——
“Allotherpleasuresarenotworthitspains“;
andwhenthedaywasnotlongenough,butthenight,too,mustbeconsumedinkeenrecollections;whentheheadboiledallnightonthepillowwiththegenerousdeeditresolvedon;whenthemoonlightwasapleasingfever,andthestarswereletters,andtheflowersciphers,andtheairwascoinedintosong;whenallbusinessseemedanimpertinence,andallthemenandwomenrunningtoandfrointhestreets,merepictures。
Thepassionrebuildstheworldfortheyouth。Itmakesallthingsaliveandsignificant。Naturegrowsconscious。Everybirdontheboughsofthetreesingsnowtohisheartandsoul。Thenotesarealmostarticulate。Thecloudshavefacesashelooksonthem。
Thetreesoftheforest,thewavinggrass,andthepeepingflowershavegrownintelligent;andhealmostfearstotrustthemwiththesecretwhichtheyseemtoinvite。Yetnaturesoothesandsympathizes。Inthegreensolitudehefindsadearerhomethanwithmen。
“Fountain-headsandpathlessgroves,Placeswhichpalepassionloves,Moonlightwalks,whenallthefowlsAresafelyhoused,savebatsandowls,Amidnightbell,apassinggroan,——
Thesearethesoundswefeedupon。“
Beholdthereinthewoodthefinemadman!Heisapalaceofsweetsoundsandsights;hedilates;heistwiceaman;hewalkswitharmsakimbo;hesoliloquizes;heaccoststhegrassandthetrees;hefeelsthebloodoftheviolet,theclover,andthelilyinhisveins;
andhetalkswiththebrookthatwetshisfoot。
Theheatsthathaveopenedhisperceptionsofnaturalbeautyhavemadehimlovemusicandverse。Itisafactoftenobserved,thatmenhavewrittengoodversesundertheinspirationofpassion,whocannotwritewellunderanyothercircumstances。
Thelikeforcehasthepassionoverallhisnature。Itexpandsthesentiment;itmakestheclowngentle,andgivesthecowardheart。
Intothemostpitifulandabjectitwillinfuseaheartandcouragetodefytheworld,soonlyithavethecountenanceofthebelovedobject。Ingivinghimtoanother,itstillmoregiveshimtohimself。Heisanewman,withnewperceptions,newandkeenerpurposes,andareligioussolemnityofcharacterandaims。Hedoesnotlongerappertaintohisfamilyandsociety;_he_issomewhat;
_he_isaperson;_he_isasoul。
Andhereletusexaminealittlenearerthenatureofthatinfluencewhichisthuspotentoverthehumanyouth。Beauty,whoserevelationtomanwenowcelebrate,welcomeasthesunwhereveritpleasestoshine,whichpleaseseverybodywithitandwiththemselves,seemssufficienttoitself。Thelovercannotpainthismaidentohisfancypoorandsolitary。Likeatreeinflower,somuchsoft,budding,informinglove-linessissocietyforitself,andsheteacheshiseyewhyBeautywaspicturedwithLovesandGracesattendinghersteps。Herexistencemakestheworldrich。Thoughsheextrudesallotherpersonsfromhisattentionascheapandunworthy,sheindemnifieshimbycarryingoutherownbeingintosomewhatimpersonal,large,mundane,sothatthemaidenstandstohimforarepresentativeofallselectthingsandvirtues。Forthatreason,theloverneverseespersonalresemblancesinhismistresstoherkindredortoothers。Hisfriendsfindinheralikenesstohermother,orhersisters,ortopersonsnotofherblood。Theloverseesnoresemblanceexcepttosummereveningsanddiamondmornings,torainbowsandthesongofbirds。
Theancientscalledbeautythefloweringofvirtue。Whocananalyzethenamelesscharmwhichglancesfromoneandanotherfaceandform?Wearetouchedwithemotionsoftendernessandcomplacency,butwecannotfindwhereatthisdaintyemotion,thiswanderinggleam,points。Itisdestroyedfortheimaginationbyanyattempttoreferittoorganization。Nordoesitpointtoanyrelationsoffriendshiporloveknownanddescribedinsociety,but,asitseemstome,toaquiteotherandunattainablesphere,torelationsoftranscendentdelicacyandsweetness,towhatrosesandvioletshintandfore-show。Wecannotapproachbeauty。Itsnatureislikeopalinedoves\'-necklustres,hoveringandevanescent。Hereinitresemblesthemostexcellentthings,whichallhavethisrainbowcharacter,defyingallattemptsatappropriationanduse。WhatelsedidJeanPaulRichtersignify,whenhesaidtomusic,“Away!away!
thouspeakesttomeofthingswhichinallmyendlesslifeIhavenotfound,andshallnotfind。“Thesamefluencymaybeobservedineveryworkoftheplasticarts。Thestatueisthenbeautifulwhenitbeginstobeincomprehensible,whenitispassingoutofcriticism,andcannolongerbedefinedbycompassandmeasuring-wand,butdemandsanactiveimaginationtogowithit,andtosaywhatitisintheactofdoing。Thegodorheroofthesculptorisalwaysrepresentedinatransition_from_thatwhichisrepresentabletothesenses,_to_thatwhichisnot。Thenfirstitceasestobeastone。
Thesameremarkholdsofpainting。Andofpoetry,thesuccessisnotattainedwhenitlullsandsatisfies,butwhenitastonishesandfiresuswithnewendeavoursaftertheunattainable。Concerningit,Landorinquires“whetheritisnottobereferredtosomepurerstateofsensationandexistence。“
Inlikemanner,personalbeautyisthenfirstcharminganditself,whenitdissatisfiesuswithanyend;whenitbecomesastorywithoutanend;whenitsuggestsgleamsandvisions,andnotearthlysatisfactions;whenitmakesthebeholderfeelhisunworthiness;whenhecannotfeelhisrighttoit,thoughhewereCaesar;hecannotfeelmorerighttoitthantothefirmamentandthesplendorsofasunset。
Hencearosethesaying,“IfIloveyou,whatisthattoyou?”
Wesayso,becausewefeelthatwhatweloveisnotinyourwill,butaboveit。Itisnotyou,butyourradiance。Itisthatwhichyouknownotinyourself,andcanneverknow。
ThisagreeswellwiththathighphilosophyofBeautywhichtheancientwritersdelightedin;fortheysaidthatthesoulofman,embodiedhereonearth,wentroamingupanddowninquestofthatotherworldofitsown,outofwhichitcameintothis,butwassoonstupefiedbythelightofthenaturalsun,andunabletoseeanyotherobjectsthanthoseofthisworld,whicharebutshadowsofrealthings。Therefore,theDeitysendsthegloryofyouthbeforethesoul,thatitmayavailitselfofbeautifulbodiesasaidstoitsrecollectionofthecelestialgoodandfair;andthemanbeholdingsuchapersoninthefemalesexrunstoher,andfindsthehighestjoyincontemplatingtheform,movement,andintelligenceofthisperson,becauseitsuggeststohimthepresenceofthatwhichindeediswithinthebeauty,andthecauseofthebeauty。
If,however,fromtoomuchconversingwithmaterialobjects,thesoulwasgross,andmisplaceditssatisfactioninthebody,itreapednothingbutsorrow;bodybeingunabletofulfilthepromisewhichbeautyholdsout;butif,acceptingthehintofthesevisionsandsuggestionswhichbeautymakestohismind,thesoulpassesthroughthebody,andfallstoadmirestrokesofcharacter,andtheloverscontemplateoneanotherintheirdiscoursesandtheiractions,thentheypasstothetruepalaceofbeauty,moreandmoreinflametheirloveofit,andbythisloveextinguishingthebaseaffection,asthesunputsoutthefirebyshiningonthehearth,theybecomepureandhallowed。Byconversationwiththatwhichisinitselfexcellent,magnanimous,lowly,andjust,thelovercomestoawarmerloveofthesenobilities,andaquickerapprehensionofthem。Thenhepassesfromlovingtheminonetolovingtheminall,andsoistheonebeautifulsoulonlythedoorthroughwhichheenterstothesocietyofalltrueandpuresouls。Intheparticularsocietyofhismate,heattainsaclearersightofanyspot,anytaint,whichherbeautyhascontractedfromthisworld,andisabletopointitout,andthiswithmutualjoythattheyarenowable,withoutoffence,toindicateblemishesandhindrancesineachother,andgivetoeachallhelpandcomfortincuringthesame。And,beholdinginmanysoulsthetraitsofthedivinebeauty,andseparatingineachsoulthatwhichisdivinefromthetaintwhichithascontractedintheworld,theloverascendstothehighestbeauty,totheloveandknowledgeoftheDivinity,bystepsonthisladderofcreatedsouls。
Somewhatlikethishavethetrulywisetoldusofloveinallages。Thedoctrineisnotold,norisitnew。IfPlato,Plutarch,andApuleiustaughtit,sohavePetrarch,Angelo,andMilton。Itawaitsatruerunfoldinginoppositionandrebuketothatsubterraneanprudencewhichpresidesatmarriageswithwordsthattakeholdoftheupperworld,whilstoneeyeisprowlinginthecellar,sothatitsgravestdiscoursehasasavorofhamsandpowdering-tubs。Worst,whenthissensualismintrudesintotheeducationofyoungwomen,andwithersthehopeandaffectionofhumannature,byteachingthatmarriagesignifiesnothingbutahousewife\'sthrift,andthatwoman\'slifehasnootheraim。
Butthisdreamoflove,thoughbeautiful,isonlyonesceneinourplay。Intheprocessionofthesoulfromwithinoutward,itenlargesitscirclesever,likethepebblethrownintothepond,orthelightproceedingfromanorb。Theraysofthesoulalightfirstonthingsnearest,oneveryutensilandtoy,onnursesanddomestics,onthehouse,andyard,andpassengers,onthecircleofhouseholdacquaintance,onpolitics,andgeography,andhistory。Butthingsareevergroupingthemselvesaccordingtohigherormoreinteriorlaws。Neighbourhood,size,numbers,habits,persons,losebydegreestheirpoweroverus。Causeandeffect,realaffinities,thelongingforharmonybetweenthesoulandthecircumstance,theprogressive,idealizinginstinct,predominatelater,andthestepbackwardfromthehighertothelowerrelationsisimpossible。Thusevenlove,whichisthedeificationofpersons,mustbecomemoreimpersonaleveryday。Ofthisatfirstitgivesnohint。Littlethinktheyouthandmaidenwhoareglancingateachotheracrosscrowdedrooms,witheyessofullofmutualintelligence,ofthepreciousfruitlonghereaftertoproceedfromthisnew,quiteexternalstimulus。Theworkofvegetationbeginsfirstintheirritabilityofthebarkandleaf-buds。Fromexchangingglances,theyadvancetoactsofcourtesy,ofgallantry,thentofierypassion,toplightingtroth,andmarriage。Passionbeholdsitsobjectasaperfectunit。Thesouliswhollyembodied,andthebodyiswhollyensouled。
“HerpureandeloquentbloodSpokeinhercheeks,andsodistinctlywrought,Thatonemightalmostsayherbodythought。“
Romeo,ifdead,shouldbecutupintolittlestarstomaketheheavensfine。Life,withthispair,hasnootheraim,asksnomore,thanJuliet,——thanRomeo。Night,day,studies,talents,kingdoms,religion,areallcontainedinthisformfullofsoul,inthissoulwhichisallform。Theloversdelightinendearments,inavowalsoflove,incomparisonsoftheirregards。Whenalone,theysolacethemselveswiththerememberedimageoftheother。Doesthatotherseethesamestar,thesamemeltingcloud,readthesamebook,feelthesameemotion,thatnowdelightme?Theytryandweightheiraffection,and,addingupcostlyadvantages,friends,opportunities,properties,exultindiscoveringthatwillingly,joyfully,theywouldgiveallasaransomforthebeautiful,thebelovedhead,notonehairofwhichshallbeharmed。Butthelotofhumanityisonthesechildren。Danger,sorrow,andpainarrivetothem,astoall。Loveprays。ItmakescovenantswithEternalPowerinbehalfofthisdearmate。Theunionwhichisthuseffected,andwhichaddsanewvaluetoeveryatominnature,forittransmuteseverythreadthroughoutthewholewebofrelationintoagoldenray,andbathesthesoulinanewandsweeterelement,isyetatemporarystate。Notalwayscanflowers,pearls,poetry,protestations,norevenhomeinanotherheart,contenttheawfulsoulthatdwellsinclay。Itarousesitselfatlastfromtheseendearments,astoys,andputsontheharness,andaspirestovastanduniversalaims。Thesoulwhichisinthesoulofeach,cravingaperfectbeatitude,detectsincongruities,defects,anddisproportioninthebehaviouroftheother。Hencearisesurprise,expostulation,andpain。Yetthatwhichdrewthemtoeachotherwassignsofloveliness,signsofvirtue;andthesevirtuesarethere,howevereclipsed。Theyappearandreappear,andcontinuetoattract;buttheregardchanges,quitsthesign,andattachestothesubstance。Thisrepairsthewoundedaffection。Meantime,aslifewearson,itprovesagameofpermutationandcombinationofallpossiblepositionsoftheparties,toemployalltheresourcesofeach,andacquainteachwiththestrengthandweaknessoftheother。
Foritisthenatureandendofthisrelation,thattheyshouldrepresentthehumanracetoeachother。Allthatisintheworld,whichisoroughttobeknown,iscunninglywroughtintothetextureofman,ofwoman。
“Thepersonlovedoestousfit,Likemanna,hasthetasteofallinit。“
Theworldrolls;thecircumstancesvaryeveryhour。Theangelsthatinhabitthistempleofthebodyappearatthewindows,andthegnomesandvicesalso。Byallthevirtuestheyareunited。Iftherebevirtue,allthevicesareknownassuch;theyconfessandflee。
Theironceflamingregardissoberedbytimeineitherbreast,and,losinginviolencewhatitgainsinextent,itbecomesathoroughgoodunderstanding。Theyresigneachother,withoutcomplaint,tothegoodofficeswhichmanandwomanareseverallyappointedtodischargeintime,andexchangethepassionwhichoncecouldnotlosesightofitsobject,foracheerful,disengagedfurtherance,whetherpresentorabsent,ofeachother\'sdesigns。Atlasttheydiscoverthatallwhichatfirstdrewthemtogether,——thoseoncesacredfeatures,thatmagicalplayofcharms,——wasdeciduous,hadaprospectiveend,likethescaffoldingbywhichthehousewasbuilt;
andthepurificationoftheintellectandtheheart,fromyeartoyear,istherealmarriage,foreseenandpreparedfromthefirst,andwhollyabovetheirconsciousness。Lookingattheseaimswithwhichtwopersons,amanandawoman,sovariouslyandcorrelativelygifted,areshutupinonehousetospendinthenuptialsocietyfortyorfiftyyears,Idonotwonderattheemphasiswithwhichtheheartprophesiesthiscrisisfromearlyinfancy,attheprofusebeautywithwhichtheinstinctsdeckthenuptialbower,andnature,andintellect,andartemulateeachotherinthegiftsandthemelodytheybringtotheepithalamium。
Thusareweputintrainingforalovewhichknowsnotsex,norperson,norpartiality,butwhichseeksvirtueandwisdomeverywhere,totheendofincreasingvirtueandwisdom。Wearebynatureobservers,andtherebylearners。Thatisourpermanentstate。Butweareoftenmadetofeelthatouraffectionsarebuttentsofanight。Thoughslowlyandwithpain,theobjectsoftheaffectionschange,astheobjectsofthoughtdo。Therearemomentswhentheaffectionsruleandabsorbtheman,andmakehishappinessdependentonapersonorpersons。Butinhealththemindispresentlyseenagain,——itsoverarchingvault,brightwithgalaxiesofimmutablelights,andthewarmlovesandfearsthatsweptoverusasclouds,mustlosetheirfinitecharacterandblendwithGod,toattaintheirownperfection。Butweneednotfearthatwecanloseanythingbytheprogressofthesoul。Thesoulmaybetrustedtotheend。Thatwhichissobeautifulandattractiveastheserelationsmustbesucceededandsupplantedonlybywhatismorebeautiful,andsoonforever。