01-fate-第6节

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fins　in　water；　wings　in　air；　and；　each　creature　where　it　was　meant　to

be；　with　a　mutual　fitness。　　Every　zone　has　its　own　_Fauna_。　　There　is

adjustment　between　the　animal　and　its　food；　its　parasite；　its　enemy。

Balances　are　kept。　　It　is　not　allowed　to　diminish　in　numbers；　nor　to

exceed。　　The　like　adjustments　exist　for　man。　　His　food　is　cooked；

when　he　arrives；　his　coal　in　the　pit；　the　house　ventilated；　the　mud

of　the　deluge　dried；　his　companions　arrived　at　the　same　hour；　and

awaiting　him　with　love；　concert；　laughter；　and　tears。　　These　are

coarse　adjustments；　but　the　invisible　are　not　less。　　There　are　more

belongings　to　every　creature　than　his　air　and　his　food。　　His

instincts　must　be　met；　and　he　has　predisposing　power　that　bends　and

fits　what　is　near　him　to　his　use。　　He　is　not　possible　until　the

invisible　things　are　right　for　him；　as　well　as　the　visible。　　Of　what

changes；　then；　in　sky　and　earth；　and　in　finer　skies　and　earths；　does

the　appearance　of　some　Dante　or　Columbus　apprise　us！



　　　　　　　　How　is　this　effected？　　Nature　is　no　spendthrift；　but　takes　the

shortest　way　to　her　ends。　　As　the　general　says　to　his　soldiers；　〃if

you　want　a　fort；　build　a　fort；〃　so　nature　makes　every　creature　do　its

own　work　and　get　its　living；　　is　it　planet；　animal；　or　tree。　　The

planet　makes　itself。　　The　animal　cell　makes　itself；　　then；　what　it

wants。　　Every　creature；　　wren　or　dragon；　　shall　make　its　own

lair。　　As　soon　as　there　is　life；　there　is　self…direction；　and

absorbing　and　using　of　material。　　Life　is　freedom；　　life　in　the

direct　ratio　of　its　amount。　　You　may　be　sure；　the　new…born　man　is　not

inert。　　Life　works　both　voluntarily　and　supernaturally　in　its

neighborhood。　　Do　you　suppose；　he　can　be　estimated　by　his　weight　in

pounds；　or；　that　he　is　contained　in　his　skin；　　this　reaching；

radiating；　jaculating　fellow？　　The　smallest　candle　fills　a　mile　with

its　rays；　and　the　papillae　of　a　man　run　out　to　every　star。



　　　　　　　　When　there　is　something　to　be　done；　the　world　knows　how　to　get

it　done。　　The　vegetable　eye　makes　leaf；　pericarp；　root；　bark；　or

thorn；　as　the　need　is；　the　first　cell　converts　itself　into　stomach；

mouth；　nose；　or　nail；　according　to　the　want：　the　world　throws　its

life　into　a　hero　or　a　shepherd；　and　puts　him　where　he　is　wanted。

Dante　and　Columbus　were　Italians；　in　their　time：　they　would　be

Russians　or　Americans　to…day。　　Things　ripen；　new　men　come。　　The

adaptation　is　not　capricious。　　The　ulterior　aim；　the　purpose　beyond

itself；　the　correlation　by　which　planets　subside　and　crystallize；

then　animate　beasts　and　men；　will　not　stop；　but　will　work　into　finer

particulars；　and　from　finer　to　finest。



　　　　　　　　The　secret　of　the　world　is；　the　tie　between　person　and　event。

Person　makes　event；　and　event　person。　　The　〃times；〃　〃the　age；〃　what

is　that；　but　a　few　profound　persons　and　a　few　active　persons　who

epitomize　the　times？　　　Goethe；　Hegel；　Metternich；　Adams；　Calhoun；

Guizot；　Peel；　Cobden；　Kossuth；　Rothschild；　Astor；　Brunel；　and　the

rest。　　The　same　fitness　must　be　presumed　between　a　man　and　the　time

and　event；　as　between　the　sexes；　or　between　a　race　of　animals　and　the

food　it　eats；　or　the　inferior　races　it　uses。　　He　thinks　his　fate

alien；　because　the　copula　is　hidden。　　But　the　soul　contains　the　event

that　shall　befall　it；　for　the　event　is　only　the　actualization　of　its

thoughts；　and　what　we　pray　to　ourselves　for　is　always　granted。　　The

event　is　the　print　of　your　form。　　It　fits　you　like　your　skin。　　What

each　does　is　proper　to　him。　　Events　are　the　children　of　his　body　and

mind。　　We　learn　that　the　soul　of　Fate　is　the　soul　of　us；　as　Hafiz

sings；



　　　　　　　　Alas！　till　now　I　had　not　known；

　　　　　　　　My　guide　and　fortune's　guide　are　one。

　

　　　　　　　　All　the　toys　that　infatuate　men；　and　which　they　play　for；　

houses；　land；　money；　luxury；　power；　fame；　are　the　selfsame　thing；

with　a　new　gauze　or　two　of　illusion　overlaid。　　And　of　all　the　drums

and　rattles　by　which　men　are　made　willing　to　have　their　heads　broke；

and　are　led　out　solemnly　every　morning　to　parade；　　the　most

admirable　is　this　by　which　we　are　brought　to　believe　that　events　are

arbitrary；　and　independent　of　actions。　　At　the　conjuror's；　we　detect

the　hair　by　which　he　moves　his　puppet；　but　we　have　not　eyes　sharp

enough　to　descry　the　thread　that　ties　cause　and　effect。



　　　　　　　　Nature　magically　suits　the　man　to　his　fortunes；　by　making　these

the　fruit　of　his　character。　　Ducks　take　to　the　water；　eagles　to　the

sky；　waders　to　the　sea　margin；　hunters　to　the　forest；　clerks　to

counting…rooms；　soldiers　to　the　frontier。　　Thus　events　grow　on　the

same　stem　with　persons；　are　sub…persons。　　The　pleasure　of　life　is

according　to　the　man　that　lives　it；　and　not　according　to　the　work　or

the　place。　　Life　is　an　ecstasy。　　We　know　what　madness　belongs　to

love；　　what　power　to　paint　a　vile　object　in　hues　of　heaven。　　As

insane　persons　are　indifferent　to　their　dress；　diet；　and　other

accommodations；　and；　as　we　do　in　dreams；　with　equanimity；　the　most

absurd　acts；　so；　a　drop　more　of　wine　in　our　cup　of　life　will

reconcile　us　to　strange　company　and　work。　　Each　creature　puts　forth

from　itself　its　own　condition　and　sphere；　as　the　slug　sweats　out　its

slimy　house　on　the　pear…leaf；　and　the　woolly　aphides　on　the　apple

perspire　their　own　bed；　and　the　fish　its　shell。　　In　youth；　we　clothe

ourselves　with　rainbows；　and　go　as　brave　as　the　zodiac。　　In　age；　we

put　out　another　sort　of　perspiration；　　gout；　fever；　rheumatism；

caprice；　doubt；　fretting；　and　avarice。



　　　　　　　　A　man's　fortunes　are　the　fruit　of　his　character。　　A　man's

friends　are　his　magnetisms。　　We　go　to　Herodotus　and　Plutarch　for

examples　of　Fate；　but　we　are　examples。　　_〃Quisque　suos　patimur

manes。〃_　The　tendency　of　every　man　to　enact　all　that　is　in　his

constitution　is　expressed　in　the　old　belief；　that　the　efforts　which

we　make　to　escape　from　our　destiny　only　serve　to　lead　us　into　it：　and

I　have　noticed；　a　man　likes　better　to　be　complimented　on　his

position；　as　the　proof　of　the　last　or　total　excellence；　than　on　his

merits。



　　　　　　　　A　man　will　see　his　character　emitted　in　the　events　that　seem　to

meet；　but　which　exude　from　and　accompany　him。　　Events　expand　with　the

character。　　As　once　he　found　himself　among　toys；　so　now　he　plays　a

part　in　colossal　systems；　and　his　growth　is　declared　in　his　ambition；

his　companions；　and　his　performance。　　He　looks　like　a　piece　of　luck；

but　is　a　piece　of　causation；　　the　mosaic；　angulated　and　ground　to

fit　into　the　gap　he　fills。　　Hence　in　each　town　there　is　some　man　who

is；　in　his　brain　and　performance；　an　explanation　of　the　tillage；

production；　factories；　banks；　churches；　ways　of　living；　and　society；

of　that　town。　　If　you　do　not　chance　to　meet　him；　all　that　you　see

will　leave　you　a　little　puzzled：　if　you　see　him；　it　will　become

plain。　　We　know　in　Massachusetts　who　built　New　Bedford；　who　built

Lynn；　Lowell；　Lawrence；　Clinton；　Fitchburg；　Holyoke；　Portland；　and

many　another　noisy　mart。　　Each　of　these　men；　if　they　were

transparent；　would　seem　to　you　not　so　much　men；　as　walking　cities；

and；　wherever　you　put　them；　they　would　build　one。



　　　　　　　　History　is　the　action　and　reaction　of　these　two；　　Nature　and

Thought；　　two　boys　pushing　each　other　on　the　curb…stone　of　the

pavement。　　Everything　is　pusher　or　pushed：　and　matter　and　mind　are　in

perpetual　tilt　and　balance；　so。　　Whilst　the　man　is　weak；　the　earth

takes　up　him。　　He　plants　his　brain　and　affections。　　By　and　by　he　will

take　up　the　earth；　and　have　his　gardens　and　vineyards　in　the

beautiful　order　and　productiveness　of　his　thought。　　Every　solid　in

the　universe　is　ready　to　become　fluid　on　the　approach　of　the　mind；

and　the　power　to　flux　it　is　the　measure　of　the　mind。　　If　the　wall

remain　adamant；　it　accuses　the　want　of　thought。　　To　a　subtler　force；

it　will　stream　into　new　forms；　expressive　of　the　character　of　the

mind。　　What　is　the　city　in　which　we　sit　here；　but　an　aggregate　of

incongruous　materials；　which　have　obeyed　the　will　of　some　man？　　The

granite　was　reluctant；　but　his　hands　were　stronger；　and　it　came。

Iron　was　deep　in　the　ground；　and　well　combined　with　stone；　but　could

not　hide　from　his　fires。　　Wood；　lime；　stuffs；　fruits；　gums；　were

dispersed　over　the　earth　and　sea；　in　vain。　　Here　they　are；　within

reach　of　every　man's　day…labor；　　what　he　wants　of　them。　　The　whole

world　is　the　flux　of　matter　over　the　wires　of　thought　to　the　poles　or

points　where　it　would　build。　　The　races　of　men　rise　out　of　the　ground

preoccupied　with　a　thought　which　rules　them；　and　divided　into　parties

ready　armed　and　angry　to　fight　for　this　metaphysical　abstraction。

The　quality　of　the　thought　differences　the　Egyptian　and　the　Roman；

the　Austrian　and　the　American。　　The　men　who　come　on　the　stage　at　one

period　are　all　found　to　be　related　to　each　other。　　Certain　ideas　are

in　the　air。　　We　are　all　impressionable；　for　we　are　made　of　them；　all

impressionable；　but　some　more　than　others；　and　these　first　express

them。　　This　explains　the　curious　contemporaneo