FRIENDSHIP
AruddydropofmanlybloodThesurgingseaoutweighs,Theworlduncertaincomesandgoes,Theloverrootedstays。
Ifanciedhewasfled,And,aftermanyayear,GlowedunexhaustedkindlinessLikedailysunrisethere。
Mycarefulheartwasfreeagain,——
Ofriend,mybosomsaid,Throughtheealonetheskyisarched,Throughtheetheroseisred,Allthingsthroughtheetakenoblerform,Andlookbeyondtheearth,Andisthemill-roundofourfateAsun-pathinthyworth。
MetoothynoblenesshastaughtTomastermydespair;
ThefountainsofmyhiddenlifeArethroughthyfriendshipfair。
ESSAYVI_Friendship_
Wehaveagreatselfishnessthatchillslikeeastwindstheworld,thewholehumanfamilyisbathedwithanelementoflovelikeafineether。Howmanypersonswemeetinhouses,whomwescarcelyspeakto,whomyetwehonor,andwhohonorus!Howmanyweseeinthestreet,orsitwithinchurch,whom,thoughsilently,wewarmlyrejoicetobewith!Readthelanguageofthesewanderingeye-beams。
Theheartknoweth。
Theeffectoftheindulgenceofthishumanaffectionisacertaincordialexhilaration。Inpoetry,andincommonspeech,theemotionsofbenevolenceandcomplacencywhicharefelttowardsothersarelikenedtothematerialeffectsoffire;soswift,ormuchmoreswift,moreactive,morecheering,arethesefineinwardirradiations。Fromthehighestdegreeofpassionatelove,tothelowestdegreeofgood-will,theymakethesweetnessoflife。
Ourintellectualandactivepowersincreasewithouraffection。
Thescholarsitsdowntowrite,andallhisyearsofmeditationdonotfurnishhimwithonegoodthoughtorhappyexpression;butitisnecessarytowritealettertoafriend,——and,forthwith,troopsofgentlethoughtsinvestthemselves,oneveryhand,withchosenwords。
See,inanyhousewherevirtueandself-respectabide,thepalpitationwhichtheapproachofastrangercauses。Acommendedstrangerisexpectedandannounced,andanuneasinessbetwixtpleasureandpaininvadesalltheheartsofahousehold。Hisarrivalalmostbringsfeartothegoodheartsthatwouldwelcomehim。Thehouseisdusted,allthingsflyintotheirplaces,theoldcoatisexchangedforthenew,andtheymustgetupadinneriftheycan。Ofacommendedstranger,onlythegoodreportistoldbyothers,onlythegoodandnewisheardbyus。Hestandstousforhumanity。Heiswhatwewish。Havingimaginedandinvestedhim,weaskhowweshouldstandrelatedinconversationandactionwithsuchaman,andareuneasywithfear。Thesameideaexaltsconversationwithhim。
Wetalkbetterthanwearewont。Wehavethenimblestfancy,arichermemory,andourdumbdevilhastakenleaveforthetime。Forlonghourswecancontinueaseriesofsincere,graceful,richcommunications,drawnfromtheoldest,secretestexperience,sothattheywhositby,ofourownkinsfolkandacquaintance,shallfeelalivelysurpriseatourunusualpowers。Butassoonasthestrangerbeginstointrudehispartialities,hisdefinitions,hisdefects,intotheconversation,itisallover。Hehasheardthefirst,thelastandbesthewilleverhearfromus。Heisnostrangernow。
Vulgarity,ignorance,misapprehensionareoldacquaintances。Now,whenhecomes,hemaygettheorder,thedress,andthedinner,——
butthethrobbingoftheheart,andthecommunicationsofthesoul,nomore。
Whatissopleasantasthesejetsofaffectionwhichmakeayoungworldformeagain?Whatsodeliciousasajustandfirmencounteroftwo,inathought,inafeeling?Howbeautiful,ontheirapproachtothisbeatingheart,thestepsandformsofthegiftedandthetrue!Themomentweindulgeouraffections,theearthismetamorphosed;thereisnowinter,andnonight;alltragedies,allennuis,vanish,——alldutieseven;nothingfillstheproceedingeternitybuttheformsallradiantofbelovedpersons。Letthesoulbeassuredthatsomewhereintheuniverseitshouldrejoinitsfriend,anditwouldbecontentandcheerfulaloneforathousandyears。
Iawokethismorningwithdevoutthanksgivingformyfriends,theoldandthenew。ShallInotcallGodtheBeautiful,whodailyshowethhimselfsotomeinhisgifts?Ichidesociety,Iembracesolitude,andyetIamnotsoungratefulasnottoseethewise,thelovely,andthenoble-minded,asfromtimetotimetheypassmygate。
Whohearsme,whounderstandsme,becomesmine,——apossessionforalltime。Norisnaturesopoorbutshegivesmethisjoyseveraltimes,andthusweweavesocialthreadsofourown,anewwebofrelations;and,asmanythoughtsinsuccessionsubstantiatethemselves,weshallbyandbystandinanewworldofourowncreation,andnolongerstrangersandpilgrimsinatraditionaryglobe。Myfriendshavecometomeunsought。ThegreatGodgavethemtome。Byoldestright,bythedivineaffinityofvirtuewithitself,Ifindthem,orrathernotI,buttheDeityinmeandinthemderidesandcancelsthethickwallsofindividualcharacter,relation,age,sex,circumstance,atwhichheusuallyconnives,andnowmakesmanyone。HighthanksIoweyou,excellentlovers,whocarryouttheworldformetonewandnobledepths,andenlargethemeaningofallmythoughts。ThesearenewpoetryofthefirstBard,——poetrywithoutstop,——hymn,ode,andepic,poetrystillflowing,ApolloandtheMuseschantingstill。Willthese,too,separatethemselvesfrommeagain,orsomeofthem?Iknownot,butIfearitnot;formyrelationtothemissopure,thatweholdbysimpleaffinity,andtheGeniusofmylifebeingthussocial,thesameaffinitywillexertitsenergyonwhomsoeverisasnobleasthesemenandwomen,whereverImaybe。
Iconfesstoanextremetendernessofnatureonthispoint。Itisalmostdangeroustometo“crushthesweetpoisonofmisusedwine“
oftheaffections。Anewpersonistomeagreatevent,andhindersmefromsleep。Ihaveoftenhadfinefanciesaboutpersonswhichhavegivenmedelicioushours;butthejoyendsintheday;ityieldsnofruit。Thoughtisnotbornofit;myactionisverylittlemodified。Imustfeelprideinmyfriend\'saccomplishmentsasiftheyweremine,——andapropertyinhisvirtues。Ifeelaswarmlywhenheispraised,astheloverwhenhehearsapplauseofhisengagedmaiden。Weover-estimatetheconscienceofourfriend。Hisgoodnessseemsbetterthanourgoodness,hisnaturefiner,histemptationsless。Everythingthatishis,——hisname,hisform,hisdress,books,andinstruments,——fancyenhances。Ourownthoughtsoundsnewandlargerfromhismouth。
Yetthesystoleanddiastoleoftheheartarenotwithouttheiranalogyintheebbandflowoflove。Friendship,liketheimmortalityofthesoul,istoogoodtobebelieved。Thelover,beholdinghismaiden,halfknowsthatsheisnotverilythatwhichheworships;andinthegoldenhouroffriendship,wearesurprisedwithshadesofsuspicionandunbelief。Wedoubtthatwebestowonourherothevirtuesinwhichheshines,andafterwardsworshiptheformtowhichwehaveascribedthisdivineinhabitation。Instrictness,thesouldoesnotrespectmenasitrespectsitself。Instrictscienceallpersonsunderliethesameconditionofaninfiniteremoteness。ShallwefeartocoolourlovebyminingforthemetaphysicalfoundationofthisElysiantemple?ShallInotbeasrealasthethingsIsee?IfIam,Ishallnotfeartoknowthemforwhattheyare。Theiressenceisnotlessbeautifulthantheirappearance,thoughitneedsfinerorgansforitsapprehension。Therootoftheplantisnotunsightlytoscience,thoughforchapletsandfestoonswecutthestemshort。AndImusthazardtheproductionofthebaldfactamidstthesepleasingreveries,thoughitshouldproveanEgyptianskullatourbanquet。Amanwhostandsunitedwithhisthoughtconceivesmagnificentlyofhimself。Heisconsciousofauniversalsuccess,eventhoughboughtbyuniformparticularfailures。
Noadvantages,nopowers,nogoldorforce,canbeanymatchforhim。
Icannotchoosebutrelyonmyownpovertymorethanonyourwealth。
Icannotmakeyourconsciousnesstantamounttomine。Onlythestardazzles;theplanethasafaint,moon-likeray。Ihearwhatyousayoftheadmirablepartsandtriedtemperofthepartyyoupraise,butIseewellthatforallhispurplecloaksIshallnotlikehim,unlessheisatlastapoorGreeklikeme。Icannotdenyit,O
friend,thatthevastshadowofthePhenomenalincludestheealsoinitspiedandpaintedimmensity,——thee,also,comparedwithwhomallelseisshadow。ThouartnotBeing,asTruthis,asJusticeis,——
thouartnotmysoul,butapictureandeffigyofthat。Thouhastcometomelately,andalreadythouartseizingthyhatandcloak。
Isitnotthatthesoulputsforthfriendsasthetreeputsforthleaves,andpresently,bythegerminationofnewbuds,extrudestheoldleaf?Thelawofnatureisalternationforevermore。Eachelectricalstatesuperinducestheopposite。Thesoulenvironsitselfwithfriends,thatitmayenterintoagranderself-acquaintanceorsolitude;anditgoesaloneforaseason,thatitmayexaltitsconversationorsociety。Thismethodbetraysitselfalongthewholehistoryofourpersonalrelations。Theinstinctofaffectionrevivesthehopeofunionwithourmates,andthereturningsenseofinsulationrecallsusfromthechase。Thuseverymanpasseshislifeinthesearchafterfriendship,andifheshouldrecordhistruesentiment,hemightwritealetterlikethistoeachnewcandidateforhislove。
DEARFRIEND:——
IfIwassureofthee,sureofthycapacity,suretomatchmymoodwiththine,Ishouldneverthinkagainoftriflesinrelationtothycomingsandgoings。Iamnotverywise;mymoodsarequiteattainable;andIrespectthygenius;itistomeasyetunfathomed;
yetdareInotpresumeintheeaperfectintelligenceofme,andsothouarttomeadelicioustorment。Thineever,ornever。
Yettheseuneasypleasuresandfinepainsareforcuriosity,andnotforlife。Theyarenottobeindulged。Thisistoweavecobweb,andnotcloth。Ourfriendshipshurrytoshortandpoorconclusions,becausewehavemadethematextureofwineanddreams,insteadofthetoughfibreofthehumanheart。Thelawsoffriendshipareaustereandeternal,ofonewebwiththelawsofnatureandofmorals。Butwehaveaimedataswiftandpettybenefit,tosuckasuddensweetness。WesnatchattheslowestfruitinthewholegardenofGod,whichmanysummersandmanywintersmustripen。Weseekourfriendnotsacredly,butwithanadulteratepassionwhichwouldappropriatehimtoourselves。Invain。Wearearmedalloverwithsubtleantagonisms,which,assoonaswemeet,begintoplay,andtranslateallpoetryintostaleprose。Almostallpeopledescendtomeet。Allassociationmustbeacompromise,and,whatisworst,theveryflowerandaromaoftheflowerofeachofthebeautifulnaturesdisappearsastheyapproacheachother。Whataperpetualdisappointmentisactualsociety,evenofthevirtuousandgifted!Afterinterviewshavebeencompassedwithlongforesight,wemustbetormentedpresentlybybaffledblows,bysudden,unseasonableapathies,byepilepsiesofwitandofanimalspirits,intheheydayoffriendshipandthought。Ourfacultiesdonotplayustrue,andbothpartiesarerelievedbysolitude。
Ioughttobeequaltoeveryrelation。ItmakesnodifferencehowmanyfriendsIhave,andwhatcontentIcanfindinconversingwitheach,iftherebeonetowhomIamnotequal。IfIhaveshrunkunequalfromonecontest,thejoyIfindinalltherestbecomesmeanandcowardly。Ishouldhatemyself,ifthenImademyotherfriendsmyasylum。
“Thevaliantwarriorfamousedforfight,Afterahundredvictories,oncefoiled,Isfromthebookofhonorrazedquite,Andalltherestforgotforwhichhetoiled。“
Ourimpatienceisthussharplyrebuked。Bashfulnessandapathyareatoughhusk,inwhichadelicateorganizationisprotectedfromprematureripening。Itwouldbelostifitknewitselfbeforeanyofthebestsoulswereyetripeenoughtoknowandownit。Respectthe_naturlangsamkeit_whichhardenstherubyinamillionyears,andworksinduration,inwhichAlpsandAndescomeandgoasrainbows。
Thegoodspiritofourlifehasnoheavenwhichisthepriceofrashness。Love,whichistheessenceofGod,isnotforlevity,butforthetotalworthofman。Letusnothavethischildishluxuryinourregards,buttheausterestworth;letusapproachourfriendwithanaudacioustrustinthetruthofhisheart,inthebreadth,impossibletobeoverturned,ofhisfoundations。
Theattractionsofthissubjectarenottoberesisted,andI
leave,forthetime,allaccountofsubordinatesocialbenefit,tospeakofthatselectandsacredrelationwhichisakindofabsolute,andwhichevenleavesthelanguageoflovesuspiciousandcommon,somuchisthispurer,andnothingissomuchdivine。
Idonotwishtotreatfriendshipsdaintily,butwithroughestcourage。Whentheyarereal,theyarenotglassthreadsorfrostwork,butthesolidestthingweknow。Fornow,aftersomanyagesofexperience,whatdoweknowofnature,orofourselves?Notonestephasmantakentowardthesolutionoftheproblemofhisdestiny。Inonecondemnationoffollystandthewholeuniverseofmen。Butthesweetsincerityofjoyandpeace,whichIdrawfromthisalliancewithmybrother\'ssoul,isthenutitself,whereofallnatureandallthoughtisbutthehuskandshell。Happyisthehousethatsheltersafriend!Itmightwellbebuilt,likeafestalbowerorarch,toentertainhimasingleday。Happier,ifheknowthesolemnityofthatrelation,andhonoritslaw!Hewhooffershimselfacandidateforthatcovenantcomesup,likeanOlympian,tothegreatgames,wherethefirst-bornoftheworldarethecompetitors。
HeproposeshimselfforcontestswhereTime,Want,Danger,areinthelists,andhealoneisvictorwhohastruthenoughinhisconstitutiontopreservethedelicacyofhisbeautyfromthewearandtearofallthese。Thegiftsoffortunemaybepresentorabsent,butallthespeedinthatcontestdependsonintrinsicnobleness,andthecontemptoftrifles。Therearetwoelementsthatgotothecompositionoffriendship,eachsosovereignthatIcandetectnosuperiorityineither,noreasonwhyeithershouldbefirstnamed。
OneisTruth。AfriendisapersonwithwhomImaybesincere。
BeforehimImaythinkaloud。Iamarrivedatlastinthepresenceofamansorealandequal,thatImaydropeventhoseundermostgarmentsofdissimulation,courtesy,andsecondthought,whichmenneverputoff,andmaydealwithhimwiththesimplicityandwholenesswithwhichonechemicalatommeetsanother。Sincerityistheluxuryallowed,likediademsandauthority,onlytothehighestrank,_that_beingpermittedtospeaktruth,ashavingnoneaboveittocourtorconformunto。Everymanaloneissincere。Attheentranceofasecondperson,hypocrisybegins。Weparryandfendtheapproachofourfellow-manbycompliments,bygossip,byamusements,byaffairs。Wecoverupourthoughtfromhimunderahundredfolds。
Iknewaman,who,underacertainreligiousfrenzy,castoffthisdrapery,and,omittingallcomplimentandcommonplace,spoketotheconscienceofeverypersonheencountered,andthatwithgreatinsightandbeauty。Atfirsthewasresisted,andallmenagreedhewasmad。Butpersisting,asindeedhecouldnothelpdoing,forsometimeinthiscourse,heattainedtotheadvantageofbringingeverymanofhisacquaintanceintotruerelationswithhim。Nomanwouldthinkofspeakingfalselywithhim,orofputtinghimoffwithanychatofmarketsorreading-rooms。Buteverymanwasconstrainedbysomuchsinceritytothelikeplaindealing,andwhatloveofnature,whatpoetry,whatsymboloftruthhehad,hedidcertainlyshowhim。
Buttomostofussocietyshowsnotitsfaceandeye,butitssideanditsback。Tostandintruerelationswithmeninafalseageisworthafitofinsanity,isitnot?Wecanseldomgoerect。Almosteverymanwemeetrequiressomecivility,——requirestobehumored;
hehassomefame,sometalent,somewhimofreligionorphilanthropyinhisheadthatisnottobequestioned,andwhichspoilsallconversationwithhim。Butafriendisasanemanwhoexercisesnotmyingenuity,butme。Myfriendgivesmeentertainmentwithoutrequiringanystipulationonmypart。Afriend,therefore,isasortofparadoxinnature。Iwhoaloneam,IwhoseenothinginnaturewhoseexistenceIcanaffirmwithequalevidencetomyown,beholdnowthesemblanceofmybeing,inallitsheight,variety,andcuriosity,reiteratedinaforeignform;sothatafriendmaywellbereckonedthemasterpieceofnature。
Theotherelementoffriendshipistenderness。Weareholdentomenbyeverysortoftie,byblood,bypride,byfear,byhope,bylucre,bylust,byhate,byadmiration,byeverycircumstanceandbadgeandtrifle,butwecanscarcebelievethatsomuchcharactercansubsistinanotherastodrawusbylove。Cananotherbesoblessed,andwesopure,thatwecanofferhimtenderness?Whenamanbecomesdeartome,Ihavetouchedthegoaloffortune。Ifindverylittlewrittendirectlytotheheartofthismatterinbooks。
AndyetIhaveonetextwhichIcannotchoosebutremember。Myauthorsays,——“IoffermyselffaintlyandbluntlytothosewhoseI
effectuallyam,andtendermyselfleasttohimtowhomIamthemostdevoted。“Iwishthatfriendshipshouldhavefeet,aswellaseyesandeloquence。Itmustplantitselfontheground,beforeitvaultsoverthemoon。Iwishittobealittleofacitizen,beforeitisquiteacherub。Wechidethecitizenbecausehemakesloveacommodity。Itisanexchangeofgifts,ofusefulloans;itisgoodneighbourhood;itwatcheswiththesick;itholdsthepallatthefuneral;andquitelosessightofthedelicaciesandnobilityoftherelation。Butthoughwecannotfindthegodunderthisdisguiseofasutler,yet,ontheotherhand,wecannotforgivethepoetifhespinshisthreadtoofine,anddoesnotsubstantiatehisromancebythemunicipalvirtuesofjustice,punctuality,fidelity,andpity。I
hatetheprostitutionofthenameoffriendshiptosignifymodishandworldlyalliances。Imuchpreferthecompanyofploughboysandtin-peddlers,tothesilkenandperfumedamitywhichcelebratesitsdaysofencounterbyafrivolousdisplay,byridesinacurricle,anddinnersatthebesttaverns。Theendoffriendshipisacommercethemoststrictandhomelythatcanbejoined;morestrictthananyofwhichwehaveexperience。Itisforaidandcomfortthroughalltherelationsandpassagesoflifeanddeath。Itisfitforserenedays,andgracefulgifts,andcountryrambles,butalsoforroughroadsandhardfare,shipwreck,poverty,andpersecution。Itkeepscompanywiththesalliesofthewitandthetrancesofreligion。Wearetodignifytoeachotherthedailyneedsandofficesofman\'slife,andembellishitbycourage,wisdom,andunity。Itshouldneverfallintosomethingusualandsettled,butshouldbealertandinventive,andaddrhymeandreasontowhatwasdrudgery。
Friendshipmaybesaidtorequirenaturessorareandcostly,eachsowelltemperedandsohappilyadapted,andwithalsocircumstanced,foreveninthatparticular,apoetsays,lovedemandsthatthepartiesbealtogetherpaired,thatitssatisfactioncanveryseldombeassured。Itcannotsubsistinitsperfection,saysomeofthosewhoarelearnedinthiswarmloreoftheheart,betwixtmorethantwo。Iamnotquitesostrictinmyterms,perhapsbecauseIhaveneverknownsohighafellowshipasothers。Ipleasemyimaginationmorewithacircleofgodlikemenandwomenvariouslyrelatedtoeachother,andbetweenwhomsubsistsaloftyintelligence。ButIfindthislawof_onetoone_peremptoryforconversation,whichisthepracticeandconsummationoffriendship。
Donotmixwaterstoomuch。Thebestmixasillasgoodandbad。
Youshallhaveveryusefulandcheeringdiscourseatseveraltimeswithtwoseveralmen,butletallthreeofyoucometogether,andyoushallnothaveonenewandheartyword。Twomaytalkandonemayhear,butthreecannottakepartinaconversationofthemostsincereandsearchingsort。Ingoodcompanythereisneversuchdiscoursebetweentwo,acrossthetable,astakesplacewhenyouleavethemalone。Ingoodcompany,theindividualsmergetheiregotismintoasocialsoulexactlyco-extensivewiththeseveralconsciousnessestherepresent。Nopartialitiesoffriendtofriend,nofondnessesofbrothertosister,ofwifetohusband,aretherepertinent,butquiteotherwise。Onlyhemaythenspeakwhocansailonthecommonthoughtoftheparty,andnotpoorlylimitedtohisown。Nowthisconvention,whichgoodsensedemands,destroysthehighfreedomofgreatconversation,whichrequiresanabsoluterunningoftwosoulsintoone。
Notwomenbut,beingleftalonewitheachother,enterintosimplerrelations。Yetitisaffinitythatdetermines_which_twoshallconverse。Unrelatedmengivelittlejoytoeachother;willneversuspectthelatentpowersofeach。Wetalksometimesofagreattalentforconversation,asifitwereapermanentpropertyinsomeindividuals。Conversationisanevanescentrelation,——nomore。Amanisreputedtohavethoughtandeloquence;hecannot,forallthat,sayawordtohiscousinorhisuncle。Theyaccusehissilencewithasmuchreasonastheywouldblametheinsignificanceofadialintheshade。Inthesunitwillmarkthehour。Amongthosewhoenjoyhisthought,hewillregainhistongue。
Friendshiprequiresthatraremeanbetwixtlikenessandunlikeness,thatpiqueseachwiththepresenceofpowerandofconsentintheotherparty。Letmebealonetotheendoftheworld,ratherthanthatmyfriendshouldoverstep,byawordoralook,hisrealsympathy。Iamequallybalkedbyantagonismandbycompliance。
Lethimnotceaseaninstanttobehimself。TheonlyjoyIhaveinhisbeingmine,isthatthe_notmine_is_mine_。Ihate,whereI
lookedforamanlyfurtherance,oratleastamanlyresistance,tofindamushofconcession。Betterbeanettleinthesideofyourfriendthanhisecho。Theconditionwhichhighfriendshipdemandsisabilitytodowithoutit。Thathighofficerequiresgreatandsublimeparts。Theremustbeverytwo,beforetherecanbeveryone。
Letitbeanallianceoftwolarge,formidablenatures,mutuallybeheld,mutuallyfeared,beforeyettheyrecognizethedeepidentitywhichbeneaththesedisparitiesunitesthem。
Heonlyisfitforthissocietywhoismagnanimous;whoissurethatgreatnessandgoodnessarealwayseconomy;whoisnotswifttointermeddlewithhisfortunes。Lethimnotintermeddlewiththis。
Leavetothediamonditsagestogrow,norexpecttoacceleratethebirthsoftheeternal。Friendshipdemandsareligioustreatment。Wetalkofchoosingourfriends,butfriendsareself-elected。
Reverenceisagreatpartofit。Treatyourfriendasaspectacle。
Ofcoursehehasmeritsthatarenotyours,andthatyoucannothonor,ifyoumustneedsholdhimclosetoyourperson。Standaside;
givethosemeritsroom;letthemmountandexpand。Areyouthefriendofyourfriend\'sbuttons,orofhisthought?Toagreathearthewillstillbeastrangerinathousandparticulars,thathemaycomenearintheholiestground。Leaveittogirlsandboystoregardafriendasproperty,andtosuckashortandall-confoundingpleasure,insteadofthenoblestbenefit。
Letusbuyourentrancetothisguildbyalongprobation。Whyshouldwedesecratenobleandbeautifulsoulsbyintrudingonthem?
Whyinsistonrashpersonalrelationswithyourfriend?Whygotohishouse,orknowhismotherandbrotherandsisters?Whybevisitedbyhimatyourown?Arethesethingsmaterialtoourcovenant?Leavethistouchingandclawing。Lethimbetomeaspirit。Amessage,athought,asincerity,aglancefromhim,I
want,butnotnews,norpottage。Icangetpolitics,andchat,andneighbourlyconveniencesfromcheapercompanions。Shouldnotthesocietyofmyfriendbetomepoetic,pure,universal,andgreatasnatureitself?OughtItofeelthatourtieisprofaneincomparisonwithyonderbarofcloudthatsleepsonthehorizon,orthatclumpofwavinggrassthatdividesthebrook?Letusnotvilify,butraiseittothatstandard。Thatgreat,defyingeye,thatscornfulbeautyofhismienandaction,donotpiqueyourselfonreducing,butratherfortifyandenhance。Worshiphissuperiorities;wishhimnotlessbyathought,buthoardandtellthemall。Guardhimasthycounterpart。Lethimbetotheeforeverasortofbeautifulenemy,untamable,devoutlyrevered,andnotatrivialconveniencytobesoonoutgrownandcastaside。Thehuesoftheopal,thelightofthediamond,arenottobeseen,iftheeyeistoonear。TomyfriendI
writealetter,andfromhimIreceivealetter。Thatseemstoyoualittle。Itsufficesme。Itisaspiritualgiftworthyofhimtogive,andofmetoreceive。Itprofanesnobody。Inthesewarmlinestheheartwilltrustitself,asitwillnottothetongue,andpourouttheprophecyofagodlierexistencethanalltheannalsofheroismhaveyetmadegood。
Respectsofartheholylawsofthisfellowshipasnottoprejudiceitsperfectflowerbyyourimpatienceforitsopening。Wemustbeourownbeforewecanbeanother\'s。Thereisatleastthissatisfactionincrime,accordingtotheLatinproverb;——youcanspeaktoyouraccompliceoneventerms。_Crimenquosinquinat,aequat_。Tothosewhomweadmireandlove,atfirstwecannot。Yettheleastdefectofself-possessionvitiates,inmyjudgment,theentirerelation。Therecanneverbedeeppeacebetweentwospirits,nevermutualrespect,until,intheirdialogue,eachstandsforthewholeworld。
Whatissogreatasfriendship,letuscarrywithwhatgrandeurofspiritwecan。Letusbesilent,——sowemayhearthewhisperofthegods。Letusnotinterfere。Whosetyoutocastaboutwhatyoushouldsaytotheselectsouls,orhowtosayanythingtosuch?Nomatterhowingenious,nomatterhowgracefulandbland。Thereareinnumerabledegreesoffollyandwisdom,andforyoutosayaughtistobefrivolous。Wait,andthyheartshallspeak。Waituntilthenecessaryandeverlastingoverpowersyou,untildayandnightavailthemselvesofyourlips。Theonlyrewardofvirtueisvirtue;theonlywaytohaveafriendistobeone。Youshallnotcomeneareramanbygettingintohishouse。Ifunlike,hissoulonlyfleesthefasterfromyou,andyoushallnevercatchatrueglanceofhiseye。
Weseethenobleafaroff,andtheyrepelus;whyshouldweintrude?
Late,——verylate,——weperceivethatnoarrangements,nointroductions,noconsuetudesorhabitsofsociety,wouldbeofanyavailtoestablishusinsuchrelationswiththemaswedesire,——
butsolelytheupriseofnatureinustothesamedegreeitisinthem;thenshallwemeetaswaterwithwater;andifweshouldnotmeetthemthen,weshallnotwantthem,forwearealreadythey。Inthelastanalysis,loveisonlythereflectionofaman\'sownworthinessfromothermen。Menhavesometimesexchangednameswiththeirfriends,asiftheywouldsignifythatintheirfriendeachlovedhisownsoul。
Thehigherthestylewedemandoffriendship,ofcoursethelesseasytoestablishitwithfleshandblood。Wewalkaloneintheworld。Friends,suchaswedesire,aredreamsandfables。Butasublimehopecheerseverthefaithfulheart,thatelsewhere,inotherregionsoftheuniversalpower,soulsarenowacting,enduring,anddaring,whichcanloveus,andwhichwecanlove。Wemaycongratulateourselvesthattheperiodofnonage,offollies,ofblunders,andofshame,ispassedinsolitude,andwhenwearefinishedmen,weshallgraspheroichandsinheroichands。Onlybeadmonishedbywhatyoualreadysee,nottostrikeleaguesoffriendshipwithcheappersons,wherenofriendshipcanbe。OurimpatiencebetraysusintorashandfoolishallianceswhichnoGodattends。Bypersistinginyourpath,thoughyouforfeitthelittleyougainthegreat。Youdemonstrateyourself,soastoputyourselfoutofthereachoffalserelations,andyoudrawtoyouthefirst-bornoftheworld,——thoserarepilgrimswhereofonlyoneortwowanderinnatureatonce,andbeforewhomthevulgargreatshowasspectresandshadowsmerely。
Itisfoolishtobeafraidofmakingourtiestoospiritual,asifsowecouldloseanygenuinelove。Whatevercorrectionofourpopularviewswemakefrominsight,naturewillbesuretobearusoutin,andthoughitseemtorobusofsomejoy,willrepayuswithagreater。Letusfeel,ifwewill,theabsoluteinsulationofman。
Wearesurethatwehaveallinus。WegotoEurope,orwepursuepersons,orwereadbooks,intheinstinctivefaiththatthesewillcallitoutandrevealustoourselves。Beggarsall。Thepersonsaresuchaswe;theEuropeanoldfadedgarmentofdeadpersons;thebookstheirghosts。Letusdropthisidolatry。Letusgiveoverthismendicancy。Letusevenbidourdearestfriendsfarewell,anddefythem,saying,`Whoareyou?Unhandme:Iwillbedependentnomore。\'Ah!seestthounot,Obrother,thatthuswepartonlytomeetagainonahigherplatform,andonlybemoreeachother\'s,becausewearemoreourown?AfriendisJanus-faced:helookstothepastandthefuture。Heisthechildofallmyforegoinghours,theprophetofthosetocome,andtheharbingerofagreaterfriend。
IdothenwithmyfriendsasIdowithmybooks。IwouldhavethemwhereIcanfindthem,butIseldomusethem。Wemusthavesocietyonourownterms,andadmitorexcludeitontheslightestcause。Icannotaffordtospeakmuchwithmyfriend。Ifheisgreat,hemakesmesogreatthatIcannotdescendtoconverse。Inthegreatdays,presentimentshoverbeforemeinthefirmament。I
oughtthentodedicatemyselftothem。IgointhatImayseizethem,IgooutthatImayseizethem。IfearonlythatImaylosethemrecedingintotheskyinwhichnowtheyareonlyapatchofbrighterlight。Then,thoughIprizemyfriends,Icannotaffordtotalkwiththemandstudytheirvisions,lestIlosemyown。Itwouldindeedgivemeacertainhouseholdjoytoquitthisloftyseeking,thisspiritualastronomy,orsearchofstars,andcomedowntowarmsympathieswithyou;butthenIknowwellIshallmournalwaysthevanishingofmymightygods。Itistrue,nextweekIshallhavelanguidmoods,whenIcanwellaffordtooccupymyselfwithforeignobjects;thenIshallregretthelostliteratureofyourmind,andwishyouwerebymysideagain。Butifyoucome,perhapsyouwillfillmymindonlywithnewvisions,notwithyourselfbutwithyourlustres,andIshallnotbeableanymorethannowtoconversewithyou。SoIwillowetomyfriendsthisevanescentintercourse。I
willreceivefromthem,notwhattheyhave,butwhattheyare。Theyshallgivemethatwhichproperlytheycannotgive,butwhichemanatesfromthem。Buttheyshallnotholdmebyanyrelationslesssubtileandpure。Wewillmeetasthoughwemetnot,andpartasthoughwepartednot。
IthasseemedtomelatelymorepossiblethanIknew,tocarryafriendshipgreatly,ononeside,withoutduecorrespondenceontheother。WhyshouldIcumbermyselfwithregretsthatthereceiverisnotcapacious?Itnevertroublesthesunthatsomeofhisraysfallwideandvainintoungratefulspace,andonlyasmallpartonthereflectingplanet。Letyourgreatnesseducatethecrudeandcoldcompanion。Ifheisunequal,hewillpresentlypassaway;butthouartenlargedbythyownshining,and,nolongeramateforfrogsandworms,dostsoarandburnwiththegodsoftheempyrean。Itisthoughtadisgracetoloveunrequited。Butthegreatwillseethattruelovecannotbeunrequited。Truelovetranscendstheunworthyobject,anddwellsandbroodsontheeternal,andwhenthepoorinterposedmaskcrumbles,itisnotsad,butfeelsridofsomuchearth,andfeelsitsindependencythesurer。Yetthesethingsmayhardlybesaidwithoutasortoftreacherytotherelation。Theessenceoffriendshipisentireness,atotalmagnanimityandtrust。
Itmustnotsurmiseorprovideforinfirmity。Ittreatsitsobjectasagod,thatitmaydeifyboth。
PRUDENCE
Themenopoetgladlysung,Fairtooldandfoultoyoung,Scornnotthoutheloveofparts,Andthearticlesofarts。
GrandeuroftheperfectsphereThankstheatomsthatcohere。
ESSAYVII_Prudence_
WhatrighthaveItowriteontofthenegativesort?Myprudenceconsistsinavoidingandgoingwithout,notintheinventingofmeansandmethods,notinadroitsteering,notingentlerepairing。Ihavenoskilltomakemoneyspendwell,nogeniusinmyeconomy,andwhoeverseesmygardendiscoversthatImusthavesomeothergarden。YetIlovefacts,andhatelubricity,andpeoplewithoutperception。ThenIhavethesametitletowriteonprudence,thatIhavetowriteonpoetryorholiness。Wewritefromaspirationandantagonism,aswellasfromexperience。Wepaintthosequalitieswhichwedonotpossess。Thepoetadmiresthemanofenergyandtactics;themerchantbreedshissonforthechurchorthebar:andwhereamanisnotvainandegotistic,youshallfindwhathehasnotbyhispraise。Moreover,itwouldbehardlyhonestinmenottobalancethesefinelyricwordsofLoveandFriendshipwithwordsofcoarsersound,and,whilstmydebttomysensesisrealandconstant,nottoownitinpassing。
Prudenceisthevirtueofthesenses。Itisthescienceofappearances。Itistheoutmostactionoftheinwardlife。ItisGodtakingthoughtforoxen。Itmovesmatterafterthelawsofmatter。
Itiscontenttoseekhealthofbodybycomplyingwithphysicalconditions,andhealthofmindbythelawsoftheintellect。
Theworldofthesensesisaworldofshows;itdoesnotexistforitself,buthasasymboliccharacter;andatrueprudenceorlawofshowsrecognizesthecopresenceofotherlaws,andknowsthatitsownofficeissubaltern;knowsthatitissurfaceandnotcentrewhereitworks。Prudenceisfalsewhendetached。ItislegitimatewhenitistheNaturalHistoryofthesoulincarnate;whenitunfoldsthebeautyoflawswithinthenarrowscopeofthesenses。
Therearealldegreesofproficiencyinknowledgeoftheworld。
Itissufficient,toourpresentpurpose,toindicatethree。Oneclasslivetotheutilityofthesymbol;esteeminghealthandwealthafinalgood。Anotherclassliveabovethismarktothebeautyofthesymbol;asthepoet,andartist,andthenaturalist,andmanofscience。Athirdclassliveabovethebeautyofthesymboltothebeautyofthethingsignified;thesearewisemen。Thefirstclasshavecommonsense;thesecond,taste;andthethird,spiritualperception。Onceinalongtime,amantraversesthewholescale,andseesandenjoysthesymbolsolidly;thenalsohasacleareyeforitsbeauty,and,lastly,whilsthepitcheshistentonthissacredvolcanicisleofnature,doesnotoffertobuildhousesandbarnsthereon,reverencingthesplendoroftheGodwhichheseesburstingthrougheachchinkandcranny。
Theworldisfilledwiththeproverbsandactsandwinkingsofabaseprudence,whichisadevotiontomatter,asifwepossessednootherfacultiesthanthepalate,thenose,thetouch,theeyeandear;aprudencewhichadorestheRuleofThree,whichneversubscribes,whichnevergives,whichseldomlends,andasksbutonequestionofanyproject,——Willitbakebread?Thisisadiseaselikeathickeningoftheskinuntilthevitalorgansaredestroyed。
Butculture,revealingthehighoriginoftheapparentworld,andaimingattheperfectionofthemanastheend,degradeseverythingelse,ashealthandbodilylife,intomeans。Itseesprudencenottobeaseveralfaculty,butanameforwisdomandvirtueconversingwiththebodyanditswants。Cultivatedmenalwaysfeelandspeakso,asifagreatfortune,theachievementofacivilorsocialmeasure,greatpersonalinfluence,agracefulandcommandingaddress,hadtheirvalueasproofsoftheenergyofthespirit。Ifamanlosehisbalance,andimmersehimselfinanytradesorpleasuresfortheirownsake,hemaybeagoodwheelorpin,butheisnotacultivatedman。
Thespuriousprudence,makingthesensesfinal,isthegodofsotsandcowards,andisthesubjectofallcomedy。Itisnature\'sjoke,andthereforeliterature\'s。Thetrueprudencelimitsthissensualismbyadmittingtheknowledgeofaninternalandrealworld。
Thisrecognitiononcemade,——theorderoftheworldandthedistributionofaffairsandtimesbeingstudiedwiththeco-perceptionoftheirsubordinateplace,willrewardanydegreeofattention。Forourexistence,thusapparentlyattachedinnaturetothesunandthereturningmoonandtheperiodswhichtheymark,——sosusceptibletoclimateandtocountry,soalivetosocialgoodandevil,sofondofsplendor,andsotendertohungerandcoldanddebt,——readsallitsprimarylessonsoutofthesebooks。
Prudencedoesnotgobehindnature,andaskwhenceitis。Ittakesthelawsoftheworld,wherebyman\'sbeingisconditioned,astheyare,andkeepstheselaws,thatitmayenjoytheirpropergood。
Itrespectsspaceandtime,climate,want,sleep,thelawofpolarity,growth,anddeath。Thererevolvetogiveboundandperiodtohisbeing,onallsides,thesunandmoon,thegreatformalistsinthesky:hereliesstubbornmatter,andwillnotswervefromitschemicalroutine。Hereisaplantedglobe,piercedandbeltedwithnaturallaws,andfencedanddistributedexternallywithcivilpartitionsandpropertieswhichimposenewrestraintsontheyounginhabitant。
Weeatofthebreadwhichgrowsinthefield。Welivebytheairwhichblowsaroundus,andwearepoisonedbytheairthatistoocoldortoohot,toodryortoowet。Time,whichshowssovacant,indivisible,anddivineinitscoming,isslitandpeddledintotriflesandtatters。Adooristobepainted,alocktoberepaired。
Iwantwood,oroil,ormeal,orsalt;thehousesmokes,orIhaveaheadache;thenthetax;andanaffairtobetransactedwithamanwithoutheartorbrains;andthestingingrecollectionofaninjuriousorveryawkwardword,——theseeatupthehours。Dowhatwecan,summerwillhaveitsflies:ifwewalkinthewoods,wemustfeedmosquitos:ifwegoa-fishing,wemustexpectawetcoat。Thenclimateisagreatimpedimenttoidlepersons:weoftenresolvetogiveupthecareoftheweather,butstillweregardthecloudsandtherain。
Weareinstructedbythesepettyexperienceswhichusurpthehoursandyears。Thehardsoilandfourmonthsofsnowmaketheinhabitantofthenortherntemperatezonewiserandablerthanhisfellowwhoenjoysthefixedsmileofthetropics。Theislandermayramblealldayatwill。Atnight,hemaysleeponamatunderthemoon,andwhereverawilddate-treegrows,naturehas,withoutaprayereven,spreadatableforhismorningmeal。Thenorthernerisperforceahouseholder。Hemustbrew,bake,salt,andpreservehisfood,andpilewoodandcoal。Butasithappensthatnotonestrokecanlaborlayto,withoutsomenewacquaintancewithnature;andasnatureisinexhaustiblysignificant,theinhabitantsoftheseclimateshavealwaysexcelledthesouthernerinforce。Suchisthevalueofthesematters,thatamanwhoknowsotherthingscanneverknowtoomuchofthese。Lethimhaveaccurateperceptions。Lethim,ifhehavehands,handle;ifeyes,measureanddiscriminate;lethimacceptandhiveeveryfactofchemistry,naturalhistory,andeconomics;themorehehas,thelessishewillingtospareanyone。
Timeisalwaysbringingtheoccasionsthatdisclosetheirvalue。
Somewisdomcomesoutofeverynaturalandinnocentaction。Thedomesticman,wholovesnomusicsowellashiskitchenclock,andtheairswhichthelogssingtohimastheyburnonthehearth,hassolaceswhichothersneverdreamof。Theapplicationofmeanstoendsinsuresvictoryandthesongsofvictory,notlessinafarmorashopthaninthetacticsofpartyorofwar。Thegoodhusbandfindsmethodasefficientinthepackingoffire-woodinashed,orintheharvestingoffruitsinthecellar,asinPeninsularcampaignsorthefilesoftheDepartmentofState。Intherainyday,hebuildsawork-bench,orgetshistool-boxsetinthecornerofthebarn-chamber,andstoredwithnails,gimlet,pincers,screwdriver,andchisel。Hereinhetastesanoldjoyofyouthandchildhood,thecat-likeloveofgarrets,presses,andcorn-chambers,andoftheconveniencesoflonghousekeeping。Hisgardenorhispoultry-yardtellshimmanypleasantanecdotes。Onemightfindargumentforoptimismintheabundantflowofthissaccharineelementofpleasureineverysuburbandextremityofthegoodworld。Letamankeepthelaw,——anylaw,——andhiswaywillbestrownwithsatisfactions。
Thereismoredifferenceinthequalityofourpleasuresthanintheamount。
Ontheotherhand,naturepunishesanyneglectofprudence。Ifyouthinkthesensesfinal,obeytheirlaw。Ifyoubelieveinthesoul,donotclutchatsensualsweetnessbeforeitisripeontheslowtreeofcauseandeffect。Itisvinegartotheeyes,todealwithmenoflooseandimperfectperception。Dr。Johnsonisreportedtohavesaid,——“Ifthechildsayshelookedoutofthiswindow,whenhelookedoutofthat,——whiphim。“OurAmericancharacterismarkedbyamorethanaveragedelightinaccurateperception,whichisshownbythecurrencyofthebyword,“Nomistake。“Butthediscomfortofunpunctuality,ofconfusionofthoughtaboutfacts,ofinattentiontothewantsofto-morrow,isofnonation。Thebeautifullawsoftimeandspace,oncedislocatedbyourinaptitude,areholesanddens。Ifthehivebedisturbedbyrashandstupidhands,insteadofhoney,itwillyieldusbees。Ourwordsandactionstobefairmustbetimely。AgayandpleasantsoundisthewhettingofthescytheinthemorningsofJune;yetwhatismorelonesomeandsadthanthesoundofawhetstoneormower\'srifle,whenitistoolateintheseasontomakehay?Scatter-brainedand“afternoonmen“spoilmuchmorethantheirownaffair,inspoilingthetemperofthosewhodealwiththem。Ihaveseenacriticismonsomepaintings,ofwhichIamremindedwhenIseetheshiftlessandunhappymenwhoarenottruetotheirsenses。ThelastGrandDukeofWeimar,amanofsuperiorunderstanding,said:——“Ihavesometimesremarkedinthepresenceofgreatworksofart,andjustnowespecially,inDresden,howmuchacertainpropertycontributestotheeffectwhichgiveslifetothefigures,andtothelifeanirresistibletruth。Thispropertyisthehitting,inallthefigureswedraw,therightcentreofgravity。Imean,theplacingthefiguresfirmupontheirfeet,makingthehandsgrasp,andfasteningtheeyesonthespotwheretheyshouldlook。Evenlifelessfigures,asvesselsandstools,——letthembedrawneversocorrectly,——
losealleffectsosoonastheylacktherestingupontheircentreofgravity,andhaveacertainswimmingandoscillatingappearance。TheRaphael,intheDresdengallery,theonlygreatlyaffectingpicturewhichIhaveseen,isthequietestandmostpassionlesspieceyoucanimagine;acoupleofsaintswhoworshiptheVirginandChild。
Nevertheless,itawakensadeeperimpressionthanthecontortionsoftencrucifiedmartyrs。For,besidealltheresistlessbeautyofform,itpossessesinthehighestdegreethepropertyoftheperpendicularityofallthefigures。“Thisperpendicularitywedemandofallthefiguresinthispictureoflife。Letthemstandontheirfeet,andnotfloatandswing。Letusknowwheretofindthem。Letthemdiscriminatebetweenwhattheyrememberandwhattheydreamed,callaspadeaspade,giveusfacts,andhonortheirownsenseswithtrust。
Butwhatmanshalldaretaxanotherwithimprudence?Whoisprudent?Themenwecallgreatestareleastinthiskingdom。Thereisacertainfataldislocationinourrelationtonature,distortingourmodesofliving,andmakingeverylawourenemy,whichseemsatlasttohavearousedallthewitandvirtueintheworldtoponderthequestionofReform。Wemustcallthehighestprudencetocounsel,andaskwhyhealthandbeautyandgeniusshouldnowbetheexception,ratherthantherule,ofhumannature?Wedonotknowthepropertiesofplantsandanimalsandthelawsofnaturethroughoursympathywiththesame;butthisremainsthedreamofpoets。Poetryandprudenceshouldbecoincident。Poetsshouldbelawgivers;thatis,theboldestlyricinspirationshouldnotchideandinsult,butshouldannounceandlead,thecivilcode,andtheday\'swork。Butnowthetwothingsseemirreconcilablyparted。Wehaveviolatedlawuponlaw,untilwestandamidstruins,andwhenbychanceweespyacoincidencebetweenreasonandthephenomena,wearesurprised。
Beautyshouldbethedowryofeverymanandwoman,asinvariablyassensation;butitisrare。Healthorsoundorganizationshouldbeuniversal。Geniusshouldbethechildofgenius,andeverychildshouldbeinspired;butnowitisnottobepredictedofanychild,andnowhereisitpure。Wecallpartialhalf-lights,bycourtesy,genius;talentwhichconvertsitselftomoney;talentwhichglittersto-day,thatitmaydineandsleepwellto-morrow;andsocietyisofficeredby_menofparts_,astheyareproperlycalled,andnotbydivinemen。Theseusetheirgiftstorefineluxury,nottoabolishit。Geniusisalwaysascetic;andpietyandlove。Appetiteshowstothefinersoulsasadisease,andtheyfindbeautyinritesandboundsthatresistit。
Wehavefoundoutfinenamestocoveroursensualitywithal,butnogiftscanraiseintemperance。Themanoftalentaffectstocallhistransgressionsofthelawsofthesensestrivial,andtocountthemnothingconsideredwithhisdevotiontohisart。Hisartnevertaughthimlewdness,northeloveofwine,northewishtoreapwherehehadnotsowed。Hisartislessforeverydeductionfromhisholiness,andlessforeverydefectofcommonsense。Onhimwhoscornedtheworld,ashesaid,thescornedworldwreaksitsrevenge。
Hethatdespisethsmallthingswillperishbylittleandlittle。
Goethe\'sTassoisverylikelytobeaprettyfairhistoricalportrait,andthatistruetragedy。ItdoesnotseemtomesogenuinegriefwhensometyrannousRichardtheThirdoppressesandslaysascoreofinnocentpersons,aswhenAntonioandTasso,bothapparentlyright,wrongeachother。Onelivingafterthemaximsofthisworld,andconsistentandtruetothem,theotherfiredwithalldivinesentiments,yetgraspingalsoatthepleasuresofsense,withoutsubmittingtotheirlaw。Thatisagriefweallfeel,aknotwecannotuntie。Tasso\'sisnoinfrequentcaseinmodernbiography。
Amanofgenius,ofanardenttemperament,recklessofphysicallaws,self-indulgent,becomespresentlyunfortunate,querulous,a“discomfortablecousin,“athorntohimselfandtoothers。
Thescholarshamesusbyhisbifoldlife。Whilstsomethinghigherthanprudenceisactive,heisadmirable;whencommonsenseiswanted,heisanencumbrance。Yesterday,Caesarwasnotsogreat;
to-day,thefelonatthegallows\'footisnotmoremiserable。
Yesterday,radiantwiththelightofanidealworld,inwhichhelives,thefirstofmen;andnowoppressedbywantsandbysickness,forwhichhemustthankhimself。Heresemblesthepitifuldrivellers,whomtravellersdescribeasfrequentingthebazaarsofConstantinople,whoskulkaboutallday,yellow,emaciated,ragged,sneaking;andatevening,whenthebazaarsareopen,slinktotheopium-shop,swallowtheirmorsel,andbecometranquilandglorifiedseers。Andwhohasnotseenthetragedyofimprudentgenius,strugglingforyearswithpaltrypecuniarydifficulties,atlastsinking,chilled,exhausted,andfruitless,likeagiantslaughteredbypins?
Isitnotbetterthatamanshouldacceptthefirstpainsandmortificationsofthissort,whichnatureisnotslackinsendinghim,ashintsthathemustexpectnoothergoodthanthejustfruitofhisownlaborandself-denial?Health,bread,climate,socialposition,havetheirimportance,andhewillgivethemtheirdue。
LethimesteemNatureaperpetualcounsellor,andherperfectionstheexactmeasureofourdeviations。Lethimmakethenightnight,andthedayday。Lethimcontrolthehabitofexpense。Lethimseethatasmuchwisdommaybeexpendedonaprivateeconomyasonanempire,andasmuchwisdommaybedrawnfromit。Thelawsoftheworldarewrittenoutforhimoneverypieceofmoneyinhishand。Thereisnothinghewillnotbethebetterforknowing,wereitonlythewisdomofPoorRichard;ortheState-Streetprudenceofbuyingbytheacretosellbythefoot;orthethriftoftheagriculturist,tostickatreebetweenwhiles,becauseitwillgrowwhilsthesleeps;
ortheprudencewhichconsistsinhusbandinglittlestrokesofthetool,littleportionsoftime,particlesofstock,andsmallgains。
Theeyeofprudencemaynevershut。Iron,ifkeptattheironmonger\'s,willrust;beer,ifnotbrewedintherightstateoftheatmosphere,willsour;timberofshipswillrotatsea,or,iflaiduphighanddry,willstrain,warp,anddry-rot;money,ifkeptbyus,yieldsnorent,andisliabletoloss;ifinvested,isliabletodepreciationoftheparticularkindofstock。Strike,saysthesmith,theironiswhite;keeptherake,saysthehaymaker,asnighthescytheasyoucan,andthecartasnightherake。OurYankeetradeisreputedtobeverymuchontheextremeofthisprudence。Ittakesbank-notes,——good,bad,clean,ragged,——andsavesitselfbythespeedwithwhichitpassesthemoff。Ironcannotrust,norbeersour,nortimberrot,norcalicoesgooutoffashion,normoneystocksdepreciate,inthefewswiftmomentsinwhichtheYankeesuffersanyoneofthemtoremaininhispossession。Inskatingoverthinice,oursafetyisinourspeed。
Lethimlearnaprudenceofahigherstrain。Lethimlearnthateverythinginnature,evenmotesandfeathers,gobylawandnotbyluck,andthatwhathesowshereaps。Bydiligenceandself-command,lethimputthebreadheeatsathisowndisposal,thathemaynotstandinbitterandfalserelationstoothermen;forthebestgoodofwealthisfreedom。Lethimpractisetheminorvirtues。
Howmuchofhumanlifeislostinwaiting!lethimnotmakehisfellow-creatureswait。Howmanywordsandpromisesarepromisesofconversation!lethisbewordsoffate。Whenheseesafoldedandsealedscrapofpaperfloatroundtheglobeinapineship,andcomesafetotheeyeforwhichitwaswritten,amidstaswarmingpopulation,lethimlikewisefeeltheadmonitiontointegratehisbeingacrossallthesedistractingforces,andkeepaslenderhumanwordamongthestorms,distances,andaccidentsthatdriveushitherandthither,and,bypersistency,makethepaltryforceofonemanreappeartoredeemitspledge,aftermonthsandyears,inthemostdistantclimates。
Wemustnottrytowritethelawsofanyonevirtue,lookingatthatonly。Humannaturelovesnocontradictions,butissymmetrical。
Theprudencewhichsecuresanoutwardwell-beingisnottobestudiedbyonesetofmen,whilstheroismandholinessarestudiedbyanother,buttheyarereconcilable。Prudenceconcernsthepresenttime,persons,property,andexistingforms。Butaseveryfacthathitsrootsinthesoul,and,ifthesoulwerechanged,wouldceasetobe,orwouldbecomesomeotherthing,theproperadministrationofoutwardthingswillalwaysrestonajustapprehensionoftheircauseandorigin,thatis,thegoodmanwillbethewiseman,andthesingle-hearted,thepoliticman。Everyviolationoftruthisnotonlyasortofsuicideintheliar,butisastabatthehealthofhumansociety。Onthemostprofitablelie,thecourseofeventspresentlylaysadestructivetax;whilstfranknessinvitesfrankness,putsthepartiesonaconvenientfooting,andmakestheirbusinessafriendship。Trustmen,andtheywillbetruetoyou;treatthemgreatly,andtheywillshowthemselvesgreat,thoughtheymakeanexceptioninyourfavortoalltheirrulesoftrade。
So,inregardtodisagreeableandformidablethings,prudencedoesnotconsistinevasion,orinflight,butincourage。Hewhowishestowalkinthemostpeacefulpartsoflifewithanyserenitymustscrewhimselfuptoresolution。Lethimfronttheobjectofhisworstapprehension,andhisstoutnesswillcommonlymakehisfeargroundless。TheLatinproverbsays,that“inbattlestheeyeisfirstovercome。“Entireself-possessionmaymakeabattleverylittlemoredangeroustolifethanamatchatfoilsoratfootball。
Examplesarecitedbysoldiers,ofmenwhohaveseenthecannonpointed,andthefiregiventoit,andwhohavesteppedasidefromthepathoftheball。Theterrorsofthestormarechieflyconfinedtotheparlourandthecabin。Thedrover,thesailor,buffetsitallday,andhishealthrenewsitselfatasvigorousapulseunderthesleet,asunderthesunofJune。
Intheoccurrenceofunpleasantthingsamongneighbours,fearcomesreadilytoheart,andmagnifiestheconsequenceoftheotherparty;butitisabadcounsellor。Everymanisactuallyweak,andapparentlystrong。Tohimself,heseemsweak;toothers,formidable。
YouareafraidofGrim;butGrimalsoisafraidofyou。Youaresolicitousofthegood-willofthemeanestperson,uneasyathisill-will。Butthesturdiestoffenderofyourpeaceandoftheneighbourhood,ifyouripup_his_claims,isasthinandtimidasany;andthepeaceofsocietyisoftenkept,because,aschildrensay,oneisafraid,andtheotherdaresnot。Faroff,menswell,bully,andthreaten;bringthemhandtohand,andtheyareafeeblefolk。
Itisaproverb,that`courtesycostsnothing\';butcalculationmightcometovalueloveforitsprofit。Loveisfabledtobeblind;
butkindnessisnecessarytoperception;loveisnotahood,butaneye-water。Ifyoumeetasectary,orahostilepartisan,neverrecognizethedividinglines;butmeetonwhatcommongroundremains,——ifonlythatthesunshines,andtherainrainsforboth;theareawillwidenveryfast,andereyouknowittheboundarymountains,onwhichtheeyehadfastened,havemeltedintoair。Iftheysetouttocontend,SaintPaulwilllie,andSaintJohnwillhate。Whatlow,poor,paltry,hypocriticalpeopleanargumentonreligionwillmakeofthepureandchosensouls!Theywillshuffle,andcrow,crook,andhide,feigntoconfesshere,onlythattheymaybragandconquerthere,andnotathoughthasenrichedeitherparty,andnotanemotionofbravery,modesty,orhope。Soneithershouldyouputyourselfinafalsepositionwithyourcontemporaries,byindulgingaveinofhostilityandbitterness。Thoughyourviewsareinstraightantagonismtotheirs,assumeanidentityofsentiment,assumethatyouaresayingpreciselythatwhichallthink,andintheflowofwitandloverolloutyourparadoxesinsolidcolumn,withnottheinfirmityofadoubt。Soatleastshallyougetanadequatedeliverance。Thenaturalmotionsofthesoularesomuchbetterthanthevoluntaryones,thatyouwillneverdoyourselfjusticeindispute。Thethoughtisnotthentakenholdofbytherighthandle,doesnotshowitselfproportioned,andinitstruebearings,butbearsextorted,hoarse,andhalfwitness。Butassumeaconsent,anditshallpresentlybegranted,since,really,andunderneaththeirexternaldiversities,allmenareofoneheartandmind。
Wisdomwillneverletusstandwithanymanormenonanunfriendlyfooting。Werefusesympathyandintimacywithpeople,asifwewaitedforsomebettersympathyandintimacytocome。Butwhenceandwhen?To-morrowwillbeliketo-day。Lifewastesitselfwhilstwearepreparingtolive。Ourfriendsandfellow-workersdieofffromus。Scarcelycanwesay,weseenewmen,newwomen,approachingus。Wearetoooldtoregardfashion,toooldtoexpectpatronageofanygreaterormorepowerful。Letussuckthesweetnessofthoseaffectionsandconsuetudesthatgrownearus。Theseoldshoesareeasytothefeet。Undoubtedly,wecaneasilypickfaultsinourcompany,caneasilywhispernamesprouder,andthatticklethefancymore。Everyman\'simaginationhathitsfriends;andlifewouldbedearerwithsuchcompanions。But,ifyoucannothavethemongoodmutualterms,youcannothavethem。IfnottheDeity,butourambition,hewsandshapesthenewrelations,theirvirtueescapes,asstrawberrieslosetheirflavoringarden-beds。
Thustruth,frankness,courage,love,humility,andallthevirtues,rangethemselvesonthesideofprudence,ortheartofsecuringapresentwell-being。Idonotknowifallmatterwillbefoundtobemadeofoneelement,asoxygenorhydrogen,atlast,buttheworldofmannersandactionsiswroughtofonestuff,and,beginwherewewill,weareprettysureinashortspacetobemumblingourtencommandments。
HEROISM
“Paradiseisundertheshadowofswords。“
_Mahomet_
Rubywineisdrunkbyknaves,Sugarspendstofattenslaves,Roseandvine-leafdeckbuffoons;
ThundercloudsareJove\'sfestoons,DroopingoftinwreathsofdreadLightning-knottedroundhishead;
Theheroisnotfedonsweets,Dailyhisownheartheeats;
Chambersofthegreatarejails,Andhead-windsrightforroyalsails。
ESSAYVIII_Heroism_
IntheelderEnglishdramaetcher,thereisaconstantrecognitionofgentility,asifanoblebehaviourwereaseasilymarkedinthesocietyoftheirage,ascolorisinourAmericanpopulation。WhenanyRodrigo,Pedro,orValerioenters,thoughhebeastranger,thedukeorgovernorexclaims,Thisisagentleman,——
andprofferscivilitieswithoutend;butalltherestareslagandrefuse。Inharmonywiththisdelightinpersonaladvantages,thereisintheirplaysacertainheroiccastofcharacteranddialogue,——
asinBonduca,Sophocles,theMadLover,theDoubleMarriage,——
whereinthespeakerissoearnestandcordial,andonsuchdeepgroundsofcharacter,thatthedialogue,ontheslightestadditionalincidentintheplot,risesnaturallyintopoetry。Amongmanytexts,takethefollowing。TheRomanMartiushasconqueredAthens,——allbuttheinvinciblespiritsofSophocles,thedukeofAthens,andDorigen,hiswife。ThebeautyofthelatterinflamesMartius,andheseekstosaveherhusband;butSophocleswillnotaskhislife,althoughassuredthatawordwillsavehim,andtheexecutionofbothproceeds。
“_Valerius_。Bidthywifefarewell。
_Soph_。No,Iwilltakenoleave。MyDorigen,Yonder,above,\'boutAriadne\'scrown,Myspiritshallhoverforthee。Prithee,haste。
_Dor_。Stay,Sophocles,——withthistieupmysight;
Letnotsoftnaturesotransformedbe,Andlosehergentlersexedhumanity,Tomakemeseemylordbleed。So,\'tiswell;
NeveroneobjectunderneaththesunWillIbeholdbeforemySophocles:
Farewell;nowteachtheRomanshowtodie。
_Mar_。Dostknowwhat\'tistodie?
_Soph_。Thoudostnot,Martius,And,therefore,notwhat\'tistolive;todieIstobegintolive。ItistoendP372p1
Anold,stale,wearywork,andtocommenceAnewerandabetter。\'TistoleaveDeceitfulknavesforthesocietyOfgodsandgoodness。ThouthyselfmustpartAtlastfromallthygarlands,pleasures,triumphs,Andprovethyfortitudewhatthen\'twilldo。
_Val_。Butartnotgrievednorvexedtoleavethylifethus?
_Soph_。WhyshouldIgrieveorvexforbeingsentTothemIeverlovedbest?NowI\'llkneel,Butwithmybacktowardthee;\'tisthelastdutyThistrunkcandothegods。
_Mar_。Strike,strike,Valerius,OrMartius\'heartwillleapoutathismouth:
Thisisaman,awoman!Kissthylord,Andlivewithallthefreedomyouwerewont。
Olove!thoudoublyhastafflictedmeWithvirtueandwithbeauty。Treacherousheart,Myhandshallcasttheequickintomyurn,Erethoutransgressthisknotofpiety。
_Val_。Whatailsmybrother?
_Soph_。Martius,OMartius,Thounowhastfoundawaytoconquerme。
_Dor_。OstarofRome!whatgratitudecanspeakFitwordstofollowsuchadeedasthis?
_Mar_。Thisadmirableduke,Valerius,Withhisdisdainoffortuneandofdeath,Captivedhimself,hascaptivatedme,Andthoughmyarmhathta\'enhisbodyhere,HissoulhathsubjugatedMartius\'soul。
ByRomulus,heisallsoul,Ithink;
Hehathnoflesh,andspiritcannotbegyved;
Thenwehavevanquishednothing;heisfree,AndMartiuswalksnowincaptivity。“
Idonotreadilyrememberanypoem,play,sermon,novel,ororation,thatourpressventsinthelastfewyears,whichgoestothesametune。Wehaveagreatmanyflutesandflageolets,butnotoftenthesoundofanyfife。Yet,Wordsworth\'sLaodamia,andtheodeof“Dion,“andsomesonnets,haveacertainnoblemusic;andScottwillsometimesdrawastrokeliketheprotraitofLordEvandale,givenbyBalfourofBurley。ThomasCarlyle,withhisnaturaltasteforwhatismanlyanddaringincharacter,hassufferednoheroictraitinhisfavoritestodropfromhisbiographicalandhistoricalpictures。Earlier,RobertBurnshasgivenusasongortwo。IntheHarleianMiscellanies,thereisanaccountofthebattleofLutzen,whichdeservestoberead。AndSimonOckley\'sHistoryoftheSaracensrecountstheprodigiesofindividualvalorwithadmiration,allthemoreevidentonthepartofthenarrator,thatheseemstothinkthathisplaceinChristianOxfordrequiresofhimsomeproperprotestationsofabhorrence。But,ifweexploretheliteratureofHeroism,weshallquicklycometoPlutarch,whoisitsDoctorandhistorian。TohimweowetheBrasidas,theDion,theEpaminondas,theScipioofold,andImustthinkwearemoredeeplyindebtedtohimthantoalltheancientwriters。Eachofhis“Lives“isarefutationtothedespondencyandcowardiceofourreligiousandpoliticaltheorists。Awildcourage,aStoicismnotoftheschools,butoftheblood,shinesineveryanecdote,andhasgiventhatbookitsimmensefame。
Weneedbooksofthistartcatharticvirtue,morethanbooksofpoliticalscience,orofprivateeconomy。Lifeisafestivalonlytothewise。Seenfromthenookandchimney-sideofprudence,itwearsaraggedanddangerousfront。Theviolationsofthelawsofnaturebyourpredecessorsandourcontemporariesarepunishedinusalso。
Thediseaseanddeformityarounduscertifytheinfractionofnatural,intellectual,andmorallaws,andoftenviolationonviolationtobreedsuchcompoundmisery。Alock-jawthatbendsaman\'sheadbacktohisheels,hydrophobia,thatmakeshimbarkathiswifeandbabes,insanity,thatmakeshimeatgrass;war,plague,cholera,famine,indicateacertainferocityinnature,which,asithaditsinletbyhumancrime,musthaveitsoutletbyhumansuffering。Unhappily,nomanexistswhohasnotinhisownpersonbecome,tosomeamount,astockholderinthesin,andsomadehimselfliabletoashareintheexpiation。
Ourculture,therefore,mustnotomitthearmingoftheman。
Lethimhearinseason,thatheisbornintothestateofwar,andthatthecommonwealthandhisownwell-beingrequirethatheshouldnotgodancingintheweedsofpeace,butwarned,self-collected,andneitherdefyingnordreadingthethunder,lethimtakebothreputationandlifeinhishand,and,withperfecturbanity,darethegibbetandthemobbytheabsolutetruthofhisspeech,andtherectitudeofhisbehaviour。
Towardsallthisexternalevil,themanwithinthebreastassumesawarlikeattitude,andaffirmshisabilitytocopesingle-handedwiththeinfinitearmyofenemies。TothismilitaryattitudeofthesoulwegivethenameofHeroism。Itsrudestformisthecontemptforsafetyandease,whichmakestheattractivenessofwar。Itisaself-trustwhichslightstherestraintsofprudence,intheplenitudeofitsenergyandpowertorepairtheharmsitmaysuffer。Theheroisamindofsuchbalancethatnodisturbancescanshakehiswill,butpleasantly,and,asitwere,merrily,headvancestohisownmusic,alikeinfrightfulalarmsandinthetipsymirthofuniversaldissoluteness。Thereissomewhatnotphilosophicalinheroism;thereissomewhatnotholyinit;itseemsnottoknowthatothersoulsareofonetexturewithit;ithaspride;itistheextremeofindividualnature。Nevertheless,wemustprofoundlyrevereit。Thereissomewhatingreatactions,whichdoesnotallowustogobehindthem。Heroismfeelsandneverreasons,andthereforeisalwaysright;andalthoughadifferentbreeding,differentreligion,andgreaterintellectualactivitywouldhavemodifiedorevenreversedtheparticularaction,yetfortheherothatthinghedoesisthehighestdeed,andisnotopentothecensureofphilosophersordivines。Itistheavowaloftheunschooledman,thathefindsaqualityinhimthatisnegligentofexpense,ofhealth,oflife,ofdanger,ofhatred,ofreproach,andknowsthathiswillishigherandmoreexcellentthanallactualandallpossibleantagonists。
Heroismworksincontradictiontothevoiceofmankind,andincontradiction,foratime,tothevoiceofthegreatandgood。
Heroismisanobediencetoasecretimpulseofanindividual\'scharacter。Nowtonoothermancanitswisdomappearasitdoestohim,foreverymanmustbesupposedtoseealittlefartheronhisownproperpaththananyoneelse。Therefore,justandwisementakeumbrageathisact,untilaftersomelittletimebepast:thentheyseeittobeinunisonwiththeiracts。Allprudentmenseethattheactioniscleancontrarytoasensualprosperity;foreveryheroicactmeasuresitselfbyitscontemptofsomeexternalgood。Butitfindsitsownsuccessatlast,andthentheprudentalsoextol。
Self-trustistheessenceofheroism。Itisthestateofthesoulatwar,anditsultimateobjectsarethelastdefianceoffalsehoodandwrong,andthepowertobearallthatcanbeinflictedbyevilagents。Itspeaksthetruth,anditisjust,generous,hospitable,temperate,scornfulofpettycalculations,andscornfulofbeingscorned。Itpersists;itisofanundauntedboldness,andofafortitudenottobeweariedout。Itsjestisthelittlenessofcommonlife。Thatfalseprudencewhichdotesonhealthandwealthisthebuttandmerrimentofheroism。Heroism,likePlotinus,isalmostashamedofitsbody。Whatshallitsay,then,tothesugar-plumsandcats\'-cradles,tothetoilet,compliments,quarrels,cards,andcustard,whichrackthewitofallsociety。Whatjoyshaskindnatureprovidedforusdearcreatures!Thereseemstobenointervalbetweengreatnessandmeanness。Whenthespiritisnotmasteroftheworld,thenitisitsdupe。Yetthelittlemantakesthegreathoaxsoinnocently,worksinitsoheadlongandbelieving,isbornred,anddiesgray,arranginghistoilet,attendingonhisownhealth,layingtrapsforsweetfoodandstrongwine,settinghisheartonahorseorarifle,madehappywithalittlegossiporalittlepraise,thatthegreatsoulcannotchoosebutlaughatsuchearnestnonsense。
“Indeed,thesehumbleconsiderationsmakemeoutoflovewithgreatness。Whatadisgraceisittometotakenotehowmanypairsofsilkstockingsthouhast,namely,theseandthosethatwerethepeach-coloredones;ortobeartheinventoryofthyshirts,asoneforsuperfluity,andoneotherforuse!”
Citizens,thinkingafterthelawsofarithmetic,considertheinconvenienceofreceivingstrangersattheirfireside,reckonnarrowlythelossoftimeandtheunusualdisplay:thesoulofabetterqualitythrustsbacktheunseasonableeconomyintothevaultsoflife,andsays,IwillobeytheGod,andthesacrificeandthefirehewillprovide。IbnHaukal,theArabiangeographer,describesaheroicextremeinthehospitalityofSogd,inBukharia。“WhenI
wasinSogd,Isawagreatbuilding,likeapalace,thegatesofwhichwereopenandfixedbacktothewallwithlargenails。Iaskedthereason,andwastoldthatthehousehadnotbeenshut,nightorday,forahundredyears。Strangersmaypresentthemselvesatanyhour,andinwhatevernumber;themasterhasamplyprovidedforthereceptionofthemenandtheiranimals,andisneverhappierthanwhentheytarryforsometime。NothingofthekindhaveIseeninanyothercountry。“Themagnanimousknowverywellthattheywhogivetime,ormoney,orshelter,tothestranger——soitbedoneforlove,andnotforostentation——do,asitwere,putGodunderobligationtothem,soperfectarethecompensationsoftheuniverse。
Insomewaythetimetheyseemtoloseisredeemed,andthepainstheyseemtotakeremuneratethemselves。Thesemenfantheflameofhumanlove,andraisethestandardofcivilvirtueamongmankind。