heroes and hero worship-第41节

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ircumstances；　Johnson's　life　could　have　been　other　than　a　painful　one。　　The　world　might　have　had　more　of　profitable　_work_　out　of　him；　or　less；　but　his　_effort_　against　the　world's　work　could　never　have　been　a　light　one。　　Nature；　in　return　for　his　nobleness；　had　said　to　him；　Live　in　an　element　of　diseased　sorrow。　　Nay；　perhaps　the　sorrow　and　the　nobleness　were　intimately　and　even　inseparably　connected　with　each　other。　　At　all　events；　poor　Johnson　had　to　go　about　girt　with　continual　hypochondria；　physical　and　spiritual　pain。　　Like　a　Hercules　with　the　burning　Nessus'…shirt　on　him；　which　shoots　in　on　him　dull　incurable　misery：　　the　Nessus'…shirt　not　to　be　stript　off；　which　is　his　own　natural　skin！　　In　this　manner　_he_　had　to　live。　　Figure　him　there；　with　his　scrofulous　diseases；　with　his　great　greedy　heart；　and　unspeakable　chaos　of　thoughts；　stalking　mournful　as　a　stranger　in　this　Earth；　eagerly　devouring　what　spiritual　thing　he　could　come　at：　　　school…languages　and　other　merely　grammatical　stuff；　if　there　were　nothing　better！　　The　largest　soul　that　was　in　all　England；　and　provision　made　for　it　of　〃fourpence…halfpenny　a　day。〃　Yet　a　giant　invincible　soul；　a　true　man's。　　One　remembers　always　that　story　of　the　shoes　at　Oxford：　　the　rough；　seamy…faced；　rawboned　College　Servitor　stalking　about；　in　winter…season；　with　his　shoes　worn　out；　how　the　charitable　Gentleman　Commoner　secretly　places　a　new　pair　at　his　door；　and　the　rawboned　Servitor；　lifting　them；　looking　at　them　near；　with　his　dim　eyes；　with　what　thoughts；pitches　them　out　of　window！　　Wet　feet；　mud；　frost；　hunger　or　what　you　will；　but　not　beggary：　　we　cannot　stand　beggary！　Rude　stubborn　self…help　here；　a　whole　world　of　squalor；　rudeness；　confused　misery　and　want；　yet　of　nobleness　and　manfulness　withal。　　It　is　a　type　of　the　man's　life；　this　pitching　away　of　the　shoes。　　An　original　man；not　a　second…hand；　borrowing　or　begging　man。　　Let　us　stand　on　our　own　basis；　at　any　rate！　　On　such　shoes　as　we　ourselves　can　get。　　On　frost　and　mud；　if　you　will；　but　honestly　on　that；on　the　reality　and　substance　which　Nature　gives　_us_；　not　on　the　semblance；　on　the　thing　she　has　given　another　than　us！

And　yet　with　all　this　rugged　pride　of　manhood　and　self…help；　was　there　ever　soul　more　tenderly　affectionate；　loyally　submissive　to　what　was　really　higher　than　he？　　Great　souls　are　always　loyally　submissive；　reverent　to　what　is　over　them；　only　small　mean　souls　are　otherwise。　　I　could　not　find　a　better　proof　of　what　I　said　the　other　day；　That　the　sincere　man　was　by　nature　the　obedient　man；　that　only　in　a　World　of　Heroes　was　there　loyal　Obedience　to　the　Heroic。　　The　essence　of　_originality_　is　not　that　it　be　_new_：　　Johnson　believed　altogether　in　the　old；　he　found　the　old　opinions　credible　for　him；　fit　for　him；　and　in　a　right　heroic　manner　lived　under　them。　　He　is　well　worth　study　in　regard　to　that。　　For　we　are　to　say　that　Johnson　was　far　other　than　a　mere　man　of　words　and　formulas；　he　was　a　man　of　truths　and　facts。　　He　stood　by　the　old　formulas；　the　happier　was　it　for　him　that　he　could　so　stand：　　but　in　all　formulas　that　_he_　could　stand　by；　there　needed　to　be　a　most　genuine　substance。　　Very　curious　how；　in　that　poor　Paper…age；　so　barren；　artificial；　thick…quilted　with　Pedantries；　Hearsays；　the　great　Fact　of　this　Universe　glared　in；　forever　wonderful；　indubitable；　unspeakable；　divine…infernal；　upon　this　man　too！　　How　he　harmonized　his　Formulas　with　it；　how　he　managed　at　all　under　such　circumstances：　　that　is　a　thing　worth　seeing。　　A　thing　〃to　be　looked　at　with　reverence；　with　pity；　with　awe。〃　　That　Church　of　St。　Clement　Danes；　where　Johnson　still　_worshipped_　in　the　era　of　Voltaire；　is　to　me　a　venerable　place。

It　was　in　virtue　of　his　_sincerity_；　of　his　speaking　still　in　some　sort　from　the　heart　of　Nature；　though　in　the　current　artificial　dialect；　that　Johnson　was　a　Prophet。　　Are　not　all　dialects　〃artificial〃？　　Artificial　things　are　not　all　false；nay　every　true　Product　of　Nature　will　infallibly　_shape_　itself；　we　may　say　all　artificial　things　are；　at　the　starting　of　them；　_true_。　　What　we　call　〃Formulas〃　are　not　in　their　origin　bad；　they　are　indispensably　good。　　Formula　is　_method_；　habitude；　found　wherever　man　is　found。　　Formulas　fashion　themselves　as　Paths　do；　as　beaten　Highways；　leading　toward　some　sacred　or　high　object；　whither　many　men　are　bent。　Consider　it。　　One　man；　full　of　heartfelt　earnest　impulse；　finds　out　a　way　of　doing　somewhat；were　it　of　uttering　his　soul's　reverence　for　the　Highest；　were　it　but　of　fitly　saluting　his　fellow…man。　　An　inventor　was　needed　to　do　that；　a　_poet_；　he　has　articulated　the　dim…struggling　thought　that　dwelt　in　his　own　and　many　hearts。　　This　is　his　way　of　doing　that；　these　are　his　footsteps；　the　beginning　of　a　〃Path。〃　　And　now　see：　　the　second　men　travels　naturally　in　the　footsteps　of　his　foregoer；　it　is　the　_easiest_　method。　　In　the　footsteps　of　his　foregoer；　yet　with　improvements；　with　changes　where　such　seem　good；　at　all　events　with　enlargements；　the　Path　ever　_widening_　itself　as　more　travel　it；till　at　last　there　is　a　broad　Highway　whereon　the　whole　world　may　travel　and　drive。　　While　there　remains　a　City　or　Shrine；　or　any　Reality　to　drive　to；　at　the　farther　end；　the　Highway　shall　be　right　welcome！　　When　the　City　is　gone；　we　will　forsake　the　Highway。　　In　this　manner　all　Institutions；　Practices；　Regulated　Things　in　the　world　have　come　into　existence；　and　gone　out　of　existence。　　Formulas　all　begin　by　being　_full_　of　substance；　you　may　call　them　the　_skin_；　the　articulation　into　shape；　into　limbs　and　skin；　of　a　substance　that　is　already　there：　　_they_　had　not　been　there　otherwise。　　Idols；　as　we　said；　are　not　idolatrous　till　they　become　doubtful；　empty　for　the　worshipper's　heart。　　Much　as　we　talk　against　Formulas；　I　hope　no　one　of　us　is　ignorant　withal　of　the　high　significance　of　_true_　Formulas；　that　they　were；　and　will　ever　be；　the　indispensablest　furniture　of　our　habitation　in　this　world。

Mark；　too；　how　little　Johnson　boasts　of　his　〃sincerity。〃　　He　has　no　suspicion　of　his　being　particularly　sincere；of　his　being　particularly　anything！　　A　hard…struggling；　weary…hearted　man；　or　〃scholar〃　as　he　calls　himself；　trying　hard　to　get　some　honest　livelihood　in　the　world；　not　to　starve；　but　to　livewithout　stealing！　　A　noble　unconsciousness　is　in　him。　He　does　not　〃engrave　_Truth_　on　his　watch…seal；〃　no；　but　he　stands　by　truth；　speaks　by　it；　works　and　lives　by　it。　　Thus　it　ever　is。　　Think　of　it　once　more。　　The　man　whom　Nature　has　appointed　to　do　great　things　is；　first　of　all；　furnished　with　that　openness　to　Nature　which　renders　him　incapable　of　being　_in_sincere！　　To　his　large；　open；　deep…feeling　heart　Nature　is　a　Fact：　　all　hearsay　is　hearsay；　the　unspeakable　greatness　of　this　Mystery　of　Life；　let　him　acknowledge　it　or　not；　nay　even　though　he　seem　to　forget　it　or　deny　it；　is　ever　present　to　_him_；fearful　and　wonderful；　on　this　hand　and　on　that。　　He　has　a　basis　of　sincerity；　unrecognized；　because　never　questioned　or　capable　of　question。　　Mirabeau；　Mahomet；　Cromwell；　Napoleon：　all　the　Great　Men　I　ever　heard　of　have　this　as　the　primary　material　of　them。　　Innumerable　commonplace　men　are　debating；　are　talking　everywhere　their　commonplace　doctrines；　which　they　have　learned　by　logic；　by　rote；　at　second…hand：　　to　that　kind　of　man　all　this　is　still　nothing。　　He　must　have　truth；　truth　which　_he_　feels　to　be　true。　　How　shall　he　stand　otherwise？　His　whole　soul；　at　all　moments；　in　all　ways；　tells　him　that　there　is　no　standing。　　He　is　under　the　noble　necessity　of　being　true。　　Johnson's　way　of　thinking　about　this　world　is　not　mine；　any　more　than　Mahomet's　was：　　but　I　recognize　the　everlasting　element　of　_heart…sincerity_　in　both；　and　see　with　pleasure　how　neither　of　them　remains　ineffectual。　　Neither　of　them　is　as　_chaff_　sown；　in　both　of　them　is　something　which　the　seedfield　will　_grow_。

Johnson　was　a　Prophet　to　his　people；　preached　a　Gospel　to　them；as　all　like　him　always　do。　　The　highest　Gospel　he　preached　we　may　describe　as　a　kind　of　Moral　Prudence：　　〃in　a　world　where　much　is　to　be　done；　and　little　is　to　be　known；〃　see　how　you　will　_do_　it！　　A　thing　well　worth　preaching。　〃A　world　where　much　is　to　be　done；　and　little　is　to　be　known：〃　　do　not　sink　yourselves　in　boundless　bottomless　abysses　of　Doubt；　of　wretched　god…forgetting　Unbelief；you　were　miserable　then；　powerless；　mad：　　how　could　you　_do_　or　work　at　all？　　Such　Gospel　Johnson　preached　and　taught；coupled；　theoretically　and　practically；　with　this　other　great　Gospel；　〃Clear　your　mind　of　Cant！〃　　Have　no　trade　with　Cant：　　stand　on　the　cold　mud　in　the　frosty　weather；　but　let　it　be　in　your　own　_real_　torn　shoes：　　〃that　will　be　better　for　you；〃　as　Mahomet　says！　　I　call　this；　I　call　these　two　things　_joined　together_；　a　great　Gospel；　the　greatest　perhaps　that　was　possible　at　that　time。

Johnson's　Writings；　which　once　had　such　currency　and　celebrity；　are　now　as　it　were　disowned　by　the　young　generation。　　It　is　not　wonderful；　Johnson's　opinions　are　fast　becoming　obsolete：　　but　his　style　of　thinking　and　of　living；　we　may　hope；　will　never　become　obsolete。　　I　find　in　Johnson's　Books　the　indisputablest　traces　of　a　great　intellect　and　great　heart；ever　welcome；　under　what　obstructions　and　perversions　soever。　　They　are　_sincere_　words；　those　of　his；　he　me