the ancien regime-第19节

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embryologygo　only　to　justify　that　old　and　general　belief　of　man。

If　man　be　told　that　the　microscope　and　scalpel　show　no　difference；

in　the　first　stage　of　visible　existence；　between　him　and　the　lower

mammals；　then　he　has　a　right　to　answeras　he　will　answerSo　much

the　worse　for　the　microscope　and　scalpel：　　so　much　the　better　for　my

old　belief；　that　there　is　beneath　my　birth；　life；　death；　a

substratum　of　supernatural　causes；　imponderable；　invisible；

unknowable　by　any　physical　science　whatsoever。　　If　you　cannot　render

me　a　reason　how　I　came　hither；　and　what　I　am；　I　must　go　to　those　who

will　render　me　one。　　And　if　that　craving　be　not　satisfied　by　a

rational　theory　of　life；　it　will　demand　satisfaction　from　some

magical　theory；　as　did　the　mind　of　the　eighteenth　century　when；

revolting　from　materialism；　it　fled　to　magic；　to　explain　the　ever…

astounding　miracle　of　life。



The　old　Regime。　　Will　our　age；　in　its　turn；　ever　be　spoken　of　as　an

old　Regime？　　Will　it　ever　be　spoken　of　as　a　Regime　at　all；　as　an

organised；　orderly　system　of　society　and　polity；　and　not　merely　as　a

chaos；　an　anarchy；　a　transitory　struggle；　of　which　the　money…lender

has　been　the　real　guide　and　lord？



But　at　least　it　will　be　spoken　of　as　an　age　of　progress；　of　rapid

developments；　of　astonishing　discoveries。



Are　you　so　sure　of　that？　　There　was　an　age　of　progress　once。　　But

what　is　our　agewhat　is　all　which　has　befallen　since　1815save

after…swells　of　that　great　storm；　which　are　weakening　and　lulling

into　heavy　calm？　　Are　we　on　the　eve　of　stagnation？　　Of　a　long　check

to　the　human　intellect？　　Of　a　new　Byzantine　era；　in　which　little　men

will　discuss；　and　ape；　the　deeds　which　great　men　did　in　their

forefathers'　days？



What　progressit　is　a　question　which　some　will　receive　with　almost

angry　surprisewhat　progress　has　the　human　mind　made　since　1815？



If　the　thought　be　startling；　do　me　the　great　honour　of　taking　it

home；　and　verifying　for　yourselves　its　truth　or　its　falsehood。　　I　do

not　say　that　it　is　altogether　true。　　No　proposition　concerning　human

things；　stated　so　broadly；　can　be。　　But　see　for　yourselves；　whether

it　is　not　at　least　more　true　than　false；　whether　the　ideas；　the

discoveries；　of　which　we　boast　most　in　the　nineteenth　century；　are

not　really　due　to　the　end　of　the　eighteenth。　　Whether　other　men　did

not　labour；　and　we　have　only　entered　into　their　labours。　　Whether

our　positivist　spirit；　our　content　with　the　collecting　of　facts；　our

dread　of　vast　theories；　is　not　a　symptomwholesome；　prudent；

modest；　but　still　a　symptomof　our　consciousness　that　we　are　not　as

our　grandfathers　were；　that　we　can　no　longer　conceive　great　ideas；

which　illumine；　for　good　or　evil；　the　whole　mind　and　heart　of　man；

and　drive　him　on　to　dare　and　suffer　desperately。



Railroads？　　Electric　telegraphs？　　All　honour　to　them　in　their　place：

but　they　are　not　progress；　they　are　only　the　fruits　of　past

progress。　　No　outward　and　material　thing　is　progress；　no　machinery

causes　progress；　it　merely　spreads　and　makes　popular　the　results　of

progress。　　Progress　is　inward；　of　the　soul。　　And；　therefore；

improved　constitutions；　and　improved　book　instructionnow　miscalled

educationare　not　progress：　　they　are　at　best　only　fruits　and　signs

thereof。　　For　they　are　outward；　material；　and　progress；　I　say；　is

inward。　　The　self…help　and　self…determination　of　the　independent

soulthat　is　the　root　of　progress；　and　the　more　human　beings　who

have　that；　the　more　progress　there　is　in　the　world。　　Give　me　a　man

who；　though　he　can　neither　read　nor　write；　yet　dares　think　for

himself；　and　do　the　thing　he　believes：　　that　man　will　help　forward

the　human　race　more　than　any　thousand　men　who　have　read；　or　written

either；　a　thousand　books　apiece；　but　have　not　dared　to　think　for

themselves。　　And　better　for　his　race；　and　better；　I　believe；　in　the

sight　of　God；　the　confusions　and　mistakes　of　that　one　sincere　brave

man；　than　the　second…hand　and　cowardly　correctness　of　all　the

thousand。



As　for　the　〃triumphs　of　science；〃　let　us　honour；　with　astonishment

and　awe；　the　genius　of　those　who　invented　them；　but　let　us　remember

that　the　things　themselves　are　as　a　gun　or　a　sword；　with　which　we

can　kill　our　enemy；　but　with　which　also　our　enemy　can　kill　us。　　Like

all　outward　and　material　things；　they　are　equally　fit　for　good　and

for　evil。　　In　England　herethey　have　been　as　yet；　as　far　as　I　can

see；　nothing　but　blessings：　　but　I　have　my　very　serious　doubts

whether　they　are　likely　to　be　blessings　to　the　whole　human　race；　for

many　an　age　to　come。　　I　can　conceive　themmay　God　avert　the　omen！

the　instruments　of　a　more　crushing　executive　centralisation；　of　a

more　utter　oppression　of　the　bodies　and　souls　of　men；　than　the　world

has　yet　seen。　　I　can　conceivemay　God　avert　the　omen！centuries

hence；　some　future　world…ruler　sitting　at　the　junction　of　all

railroads；　at　the　centre　of　all　telegraph…wiresa　world…spider　in

the　omphalos　of　his　world…wide　web；　and　smiting　from　thence

everything　that　dared　to　lift　its　head；　or　utter　a　cry　of　pain；　with

a　swiftness　and　surety　to　which　the　craft　of　a　Justinian　or　a　Philip

II。　were　but　clumsy　and　impotent。



All；　all　outward　things；　be　sure　of　it；　are　good　or　evil；　exactly　as

far　as　they　are　in　the　hands　of　good　men　or　of　bad。



Moreover；　paradoxical　as　it　may　seem；　railroads　and　telegraphs；

instead　of　inaugurating　an　era　of　progress；　may　possibly　only　retard

it。　　〃Rester　sur　un　grand　succes；〃　which　was　Rossini's　advice　to　a

young　singer　who　had　achieved　a　triumph；　is　a　maxim　which　the　world

often　follows；　not　only　from　prudence；　but　from　necessity。　　They

have　done　so　much　that　it　seems　neither　prudent　nor　possible　to　do

more。　　They　will　rest　and　be　thankful。



Thus；　gunpowder　and　printing　made　rapid　changes　enough；　but　those

changes　had　no　farther　development。　　The　new　art　of　war；　the　new　art

of　literature；　remained　stationary；　or　rather　receded　and

degenerated；　till　the　end　of　the　eighteenth　century。



And　so　it　may　be　with　our　means　of　locomotion　and　intercommunion；

and　what　depends　on　them。　　The　vast　and　unprecedented　amount　of

capital；　of　social　interest；　of　actual　human　intellect　investedI

may　say　locked　upin　these　railroads；　and　telegraphs；　and　other

triumphs　of　industry　and　science；　will　not　enter　into　competition

against　themselves。　　They　will　not　set　themselves　free　to　seek　new

discoveries　in　directions　which　are　often　actually　opposed　to　their

own；　always　foreign　to　it。　　If　the　money　of　thousands　are　locked　up

in　these　great　works；　the　brains　of　hundreds　of　thousands；　and　of

the　very　shrewdest　too；　are　equally　locked　up　therein　likewise；　and

are　to　be　subtracted　from　the　gross　material　of　social　development；

and　added　（without　personal　fault　of　their　owners；　who　may　be　very

good　men）　to　the　dead　weight　of　vested　selfishness；　ignorance；　and

dislike　of　change。



Yes。　　A　Byzantine　and　stationary　age　is　possible　yet。　　Perhaps　we

are　now　entering　upon　it；　an　age　in　which　mankind　shall　be　satisfied

with　the　〃triumphs　of　science；〃　and　shall　look　merely　to　the

greatest　comfort　（call　it　not　happiness）　of　the　greatest　number；　and

like　the　debased　Jews　of　old；　〃having　found　the　life　of　their　hand；

be　therewith　content；〃　no　matter　in　what　mud…hole　of　slavery　and

superstition。



But　one　hope　there　is；　and　more　than　a　hopeone　certainty；　that

however　satisfied　enlightened　public　opinion　may　become　with　the

results　of　science；　and　the　progress　of　the　human　race；　there　will

be　always　a　more　enlightened　private　opinion　or　opinions；　which　will

not　be　satisfied　therewith　at　all；　a　few　men　of　genius；　a　few

children　of　light；　it　may　be　a　few　persecuted；　and　a　few　martyrs　for

new　truths；　who　will　wish　the　world　not　to　rest　and　be　thankful；　but

to　be　discontented　with　itself；　ashamed　of　itself；　striving　and

toiling　upward；　without　present　hope　of　gain；　till　it　has　reached

that　unknown　goal　which　Bacon　saw　afar　off；　and　like　all　other

heroes；　died　in　faith；　not　having　received　the　promises；　but　seeking

still　a　polity　which　has　foundations；　whose　builder　and　maker　is

God。



These　will　be　the　men　of　science；　whether　physical　or　spiritual。

Not　merely　the　men　who　utilise　and　apply　that　which　is　known　（useful

as　they　plainly　are）；　but　the　men　who　themselves　discover　that　which

was　unknown；　and　are　generally　deemed　useless；　if　not　hurtful；　to

their　race。　　They　will　keep　the　sacred　lamp　burning　unobserved　in

quiet　studies；　while　all　the　world　is　gazing　only　at　the　gaslights

flaring　in　the　street。　　They　will　pass　that　lamp　on　from　hand　to

hand；　modestly；　almost　stealthily；　till　the　day　comes　round　again；

when　the　obscure　student　shall　be　discovered　once　more　to　be；　as　he

has　always　been；　the　strongest　man　on　earth。　　For　they　follow　a

mistress　whose　footsteps　may　often　slip；　yet　never　fall；　for　she

walks　forward　on　the　eternal　facts　of　Nature；　which　are　the　acted

will　of　God。　　A　giantess　she　is；　young　indeed；　but　humble