latter-day pamphlets-第24节

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　if　you　bid　it　sail　to　the　end　of　the　world；　it　will　lift　anchor；　go；　and　arrive。　　The　raging　oceans　do　not　beat　it　back；　it　too；　as　well　as　the　raging　oceans；　has　a　relationship　to　Nature；　and　it　does　not　sink；　but　under　the　due　conditions　is　borne　along。　　If　it　meet　with　hurricanes；　it　rides　them　out；　if　it　meet　an　Enemy's　ship；　it　shivers　it　to　powder；　and　in　short；　it　holds　on　its　way；　and　to　a　wonderful　extent　_does_　what　it　means　and　pretends　to　do。　　Assure　yourself；　my　friend；　there　is　an　immense　fund　of　truth　somewhere　or　other　stowed　in　that　Seventy…four。〃


More　important　than　the　past　history　of　these　Offices　in　Downing　Street；　is　the　question　of　their　future　history；　the　question；　How　they　are　to　be　got　mended！　　Truly　an　immense　problem；　inclusive　of　all　others　whatsoever；　which　demands　to　be　attacked；　and　incessantly　persisted　in；　by　all　good　citizens；　as　the　grand　problem　of　Society；　and　the　one　thing　needful　for　the　Commonwealth！　　A　problem　in　which　all　men；　with　all　their　wisdoms　and　all　their　virtues；　faithfully　and　continually　co…operating　at　it；　will　never　have　done　_enough_；　and　will　still　only　be　struggling　_towards_　perfection　in　it。　　In　which　some　men　can　do　much；in　which　every　man　can　do　something。　　Every　man；　and　thou　my　present　Reader　canst　do　this：　　_Be_　thyself　a　man　abler　to　be　governed；　more　reverencing　the　divine　faculty　of　governing；　more　sacredly　detesting　the　diabolical　semblance　of　said　faculty　in　self　and　others；　so　shalt　thou；　if　not　govern；　yet　actually　according　to　thy　strength　assist　in　real　governing。　　And　know　always；　and　even　lay　to　heart　with　a　quite　unusual　solemnity；　with　a　seriousness　altogether　of　a　religious　nature；　that　as　〃Human　Stupidity〃　is　verily　the　accursed　parent　of　all　this　mischief；　so　Human　Intelligence　alone；　to　which　and　to　which　only　is　victory　and　blessedness　appointed　here　below；　will　or　can　cure　it。　If　we　knew　this　as　devoutly　as　we　ought　to　do；　the　evil；　and　all　other　evils　were　curable；alas；　if　we　had　from　of　old　known　this；　as　all　men　made　in　God's　image　ought　to　do；　the　evil　never　would　have　been！　　Perhaps　few　Nations　have　ever　known　it　less　than　we；　for　a　good　while　back；　have　done。　　Hence　these　sorrows。

What　a　People　are　the　poor　Thibet　idolaters；　compared　with　us　and　our　〃religions；〃　which　issue　in　the　worship　of　King　Hudson　as　our　Dalai…Lama！　They；　across　such　hulls　of　abject　ignorance；　have　seen　into　the　heart　of　the　matter；　we；　with　our　torches　of　knowledge　everywhere　brandishing　themselves；　and　such　a　human　enlightenment　as　never　was　before；　have　quite　missed　it。　　Reverence　for　Human　Worth；　earnest　devout　search　for　it　and　encouragement　of　it；　loyal　furtherance　and　obedience　to　it：　　this；　I　say；　is　the　outcome　and　essence　of　all　true　〃religions；〃　and　was　and　ever　will　be。　　We　have　not　known　this。　　No；　loud　as　our　tongues　sometimes　go　in　that　direction；　we　have　no　true　reverence　for　Human　Intelligence；　for　Human　Worth　and　Wisdom：　　none；　or　too　little；and　I　pray　for　a　restoration　of　such　reverence；　as　for　the　change　from　Stygian　darkness　to　Heavenly　light；　as　for　the　return　of　life　to　poor　sick　moribund　Society　and　all　its　interests。　　Human　Intelligence　means　little　for　most　of　us　but　Beaver　Contrivance；　which　produces　spinning…mules；　cheap　cotton；　and　large　fortunes。　　Wisdom；　unless　it　give　us　railway　scrip；　is　not　wise。

True　nevertheless　it　forever　remains　that　Intellect　is　the　real　object　of　reverence；　and　of　devout　prayer；　and　zealous　wish　and　pursuit；　among　the　sons　of　men；　and　even；　well　understood；　the　one　object。　　It　is　the　Inspiration　of　the　Almighty　that　giveth　men　understanding。　　For　it　must　be　repeated；　and　ever　again　repeated　till　poor　mortals　get　to　discern　it；　and　awake　from　their　baleful　paralysis；　and　degradation　under　foul　enchantments；　That　a　man　of　Intellect；　of　real　and　not　sham　Intellect；　is　by　the　nature　of　him　likewise　inevitably　a　man　of　nobleness；　a　man　of　courage；　rectitude；　pious　strength；　who；　even　_because_　he　is　and　has　been　loyal　to　the　Laws　of　this　Universe；　is　initiated　into　_discernment_　of　the　same；　to　this　hour　a　Missioned　of　Heaven；　whom　if　men　follow；　it　will　be　well　with　them；　whom　if　men　do　not　follow；　it　will　not　be　well。　　Human　Intellect；　if　you　consider　it　well；　is　the　exact　summary　of　Human　_Worth_；　and　the　essence　of　all　worth…ships　and　worships　is　reverence　for　that　same。　This　much　surprises　you；　friend　Peter；　but　I　assure　you　it　is　the　fact；and　I　would　advise　you　to　consider　it；　and　to　try　if　you　too　do　not　gradually　find　it　so。　　With　me　it　has　long　been　an　article；　not　of　〃faith〃　only；　but　of　settled　insight；　of　conviction　as　to　what　the　ordainments　of　the　Maker　in　this　Universe　are。　　Ah；　could　you　and　the　rest　of　us　but　get　to　know　it；　and　everywhere　religiously　act　upon　it；as　our　_Fortieth_　Article；　which　includes　all　the　other　Thirty…nine；　and　without　which　the　Thirty…nine　are　good　for　almost　nothing；there　might　then　be　some　hope　for　us！　　In　this　world　there　is　but　one　appalling　creature：　　the　Stupid　man　_considered_　to　be　the　Missioned　of　Heaven；　and　followed　by　men。　　He　is　our　King；　men　say；　he；and　they　follow　him；　through　straight　or　winding　courses；　I　for　one　know　well　whitherward。

Abler　men　in　Downing　Street；　abler　men　to　govern　us：　　yes；　that；　sure　enough；　would　gradually　remove　the　dung…mountains；　however　high　they　are；　that　would　be　the　way；　nor　is　there　any　other　way；　to　remedy　whatsoever　has　gone　wrong　in　Downing　Street　and　in　the　wide　regions；　spiritual　and　temporal；　which　Downing　Street　presides　over！　　For　the　Able　Man；　meet　him　where　you　may；　is　definable　as　the　born　enemy　of　Falsity　and　Anarchy；　and　the　born　soldier　of　Truth　and　Order：　　into　what　absurdest　element　soever　you　put　him；　he　is　there　to　make　it　a　little　less　absurd；　to　fight　continually　with　it　till　it　become　a　little　sane　and　human　again。　　Peace　on　other　terms　he；　for　his　part；　cannot　make　with　it；　not　he；　while　he　continues　_able_；　or　possessed　of　real　intellect　and　not　imaginary。　　There　is　but　one　man　fraught　with　blessings　for　this　world；　fated　to　diminish　and　successively　abolish　the　curses　of　the　world；　and　it　is　he。　　For　him　make　search；　him　reverence　and　follow；　know　that　to　find　him　or　miss　him；　means　victory　or　defeat　for　you；　in　all　Downing　Streets；　and　establishments　and　enterprises　here　below。I　leave　your　Lordship　to　judge　whether　this　has　been　our　practice　hitherto；　and　would　humbly　inquire　what　your　Lordship　thinks　is　likely　to　be　the　consequence　of　continuing　to　neglect　this。　　It　ought　to　have　been　our　practice；　ought；　in　all　places　and　all　times；　to　be　the　practice　in　this　world；　so　says　the　fixed　law　of　things　forevermore：and　it　must　cease　to　be　_not_　the　practice；　your　Lordship；　and　cannot　too　speedily　do　so　I　think！

Much　has　been　done　in　the　way　of　reforming　Parliament　in　late　years；　but　that　of　itself　seems　to　avail　nothing；　or　almost　less。　　The　men　that　sit　in　Downing　Street；　governing　us；　are　not　abler　men　since　the　Reform　Bill　than　were　those　before　it。　　Precisely　the　same　kind　of　men；　obedient　formerly　to　Tory　traditions；　obedient　now　to　Whig　ditto　and　popular　clamors。　Respectable　men　of　office：　　respectably　commonplace　in　facility；while　the　situation　is　becoming　terribly　original！　　Rendering　their　outlooks；　and　ours；　more　ominous　every　day。

Indisputably　enough　the　meaning　of　all　reform…movement；　electing　and　electioneering；　of　popular　agitation；　parliamentary　eloquence；　and　all　political　effort　whatsoever；　is　that　you　may　get　the　ten　Ablest　Men　in　England　put　to　preside　over　your　ten　principal　departments　of　affairs。　　To　sift　and　riddle　the　Nation；　so　that　you　might　extricate　and　sift　out　the　true　ten　gold　grains；　or　ablest　men；　and　of　these　make　your　Governors　or　Public　Officers；　leaving　the　dross　and　common　sandy　or　silty　material　safely　aside；　as　the　thing　to　be　governed；　not　to　govern；　certainly　all　ballot…boxes；　caucuses；　Kennington…Common　meetings；　Parliamentary　debatings；　Red　Republics；　Russian　Despotisms；　and　constitutional　or　unconstitutional　methods　of　society　among　mankind；　are　intended　to　achieve　this　one　end；　and　some　of　them；　it　will　be　owned；　achieve　it　very　ill！If　you　have　got　your　gold　grains；　if　the　men　you　have　got　are　actually　the　ablest；　then　rejoice；　with　whatever　astonishment；　accept　your　Ten；　and　thank　the　gods；　under　this　Ten　your　destruction　will　at　least　be　milder　than　under　another。　　But　if　you　have　_not_　got　them；　if　you　are　very　far　from　having　got　them；　then　do　not　rejoice　at　all；　then　_lament_　very　much；　then　admit　that　your　sublime　political　constitutions　and　contrivances　do　not　prove　themselves　sublime；　but　ridiculous　and　contemptible；　that　your　world's　wonder　of　a　political　mill；　the　envy　of　surrounding　nations；　does　not　yield　you　real　meal；　yields　you　only　powder　of　millstones　（called　Hansard　Debatings）；　and　a　detestable　brown　substance　not　unlike　the　grindings　of　dried　horse…dung　or　prepared　street…mud；　which　though　sold　under　royal　patent；　and　much　recommended　by　the　trade；　is　quite　unfit　for　culinary　purposes！


But　the　disease　at　least　is　not　mysterious；　whatever　the　remedy　be。　　Our　disease；alas；　is　it　not　clear　as　the　sun；　that　we　suffer　under　what　is　the　disease　of　all　the　miserable　in　this　world；　_want　of　wisdom_；　that　in　the　Head　there　is　no　vision；