the poet at the breakfast table-第1节

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The　Poet　at　the　Breakfast　Table

by　Oliver　Wendell　Holmes








PREFACE。

In　this；　the　third　series　of　Breakfast…Table　conversations；　a　slight
dramatic　background　shows　off　a　few　talkers　and　writers；　aided　by
certain　silent　supernumeraries。　　The　machinery　is　much　like　that　of
the　two　preceding　series。　　Some　of　the　characters　must　seem　like　old
acquaintances　to　those　who　have　read　the　former　papers。　　As　I　read
these　over　for　the　first　time　for　a　number　of　years；　I　notice　one
character；　presenting　a　class　of　beings　who　have　greatly　multiplied
during　the　interval　which　separates　the　earlier　and　later
Breakfast…Table　papers；I　mean　the　scientific　specialists。　　The
entomologist；　who　confines　himself　rigidly　to　the　study　of　the
coleoptera；　is　intended　to　typify　this　class。　　The　subdivision　of
labor；　which；　as　we　used　to　be　told；　required　fourteen　different
workmen　to　make　a　single　pin；　has　reached　all　branches　of　knowledge。
We　find　new　terms　in　all　the　Professions；　implying　that　special
provinces　have　been　marked　off；　each　having　its　own　school　of
students。　　In　theology　we　have　many　curious　subdivisions；　among　the
rest　eschatology；　that　is　to　say；　the　geography；　geology；　etc。；　of
the　〃undiscovered　country；〃　in　medicine；　if　the　surgeon　who　deals
with　dislocations　of　the　right　shoulder　declines　to　meddle　with　a
displacement　on　the　other　side；　we　are　not　surprised；　but　ring　the
bell　of　the　practitioner　who　devotes　himself　to　injuries　of　the　left
shoulder。

On　the　other　hand；　we　have　had　or　have　the　encyclopaedic
intelligences　like　Cuvier；　Buckle；　and　more　emphatically　Herbert
Spencer；　who　take　all　knowledge；　or　large　fields　of　it；　to　be　their
province。　　The　author　of　〃Thoughts　on　the　Universe〃　has　something　in
common　with　these；　but　he　appears　also　to　have　a　good　deal　about　him
of　what　we　call　the　humorist；　that　is；　an　individual　with　a　somewhat
heterogeneous　personality；　in　which　various　distinctly　human　elements
are　mixed　together；　so　as　to　form　a　kind　of　coherent　and　sometimes
pleasing　whole；　which　is　to　a　symmetrical　character　as　a　breccia　is
to　a　mosaic。

As　for　the　Young　Astronomer；　his　rhythmical　discourse　may　be　taken　as
expressing　the　reaction　of　what　some　would　call　〃the　natural　man〃
against　the　unnatural　beliefs　which　he　found　in　that　lower　world　to
which　be　descended　by　day　from　his　midnight　home　in　the　firmament。

I　have　endeavored　to　give　fair　play　to　the　protest　of　gentle　and
reverential　conservatism　in　the　letter　of　the　Lady；　which　was　not
copied　from；　but　suggested　by；　one　which　I　received　long　ago　from　a
lady　bearing　an　honored　name；　and　which　I　read　thoughtfully　and　with
profound　respect。

December；　1882。







PREFACE　TO　THE　NEW　EDITION。

It　is　now　nearly　twenty　years　since　this　book　was　published。　　Being
the　third　of　the　Breakfast…Table　series；　it　could　hardly　be　expected
to　attract　so　much　attention　as　the　earlier　volumes。　　Still；　I　had　no
reason　to　be　disappointed　with　its　reception。　　It　took　its　place　with
the　others；　and　was　in　some　points　a　clearer　exposition　of　my　views
and　feelings　than　either　of　the　other　books；　its　predecessors。　　The
poems　〃Homesick　in　Heaven　〃　and　the　longer　group　of　passages　coming
from　the　midnight　reveries　of　the　Young　Astronomer　have　thoughts　in
them　not　so　fully　expressed　elsewhere　in　my　writings。

The　first　of　these　two　poems　is　at　war　with　our　common　modes　of
thought。　　In　looking　forward　to　rejoining　in　a　future　state　those
whom　we　have　loved　on　earth；as　most　of　us　hope　and　many　of　us
believe　we　shall；we　are　apt　to　forget　that　the　same　individuality
is　remembered　by　one　relative　as　a　babe；　by　another　as　an　adult　in
the　strength　of　maturity；　and　by　a　third　as　a　wreck　with　little　left
except　its　infirmities　and　its　affections。　　The　main　thought　of　this
poem　is　a　painful　one　to　some　persons。　　They　have　so　closely
associated　life　with　its　accidents　that　they　expect　to　see　their
departed　friends　in　the　costume　of　the　time　in　which　they　best
remember　them；　and　feel　as　if　they　should　meet　the　spirit　of　their
grandfather　with　his　wig　and　cane；　as　they　habitually　recall　him　to
memory。

The　process　of　scientific　specialization　referred　to　and　illustrated
in　this　record　has　been　going　on　more　actively　than　ever　during　these
last　twenty　years。　　We　have　only　to　look　over　the　lists　of　the
Faculties　and　teachers　of　our　Universities　to　see　the　subdivision　of
labor　carried　out　as　never　before。　　The　movement　is　irresistible；　it
brings　with　it　exactness；　exhaustive　knowledge；　a　narrow　but　complete
self…satisfaction；　with　such　accompanying　faults　as　pedantry；
triviality；　and　the　kind　of　partial　blindness　which　belong　to
intellectual　myopia。　　The　specialist　is　idealized　almost　into
sublimity　in　Browning's　〃Burial　of　the　Grammarian。〃　　We　never　need
fear　that　he　will　undervalue　himself。　　To　be　the　supreme　authority　on
anything　is　a　satisfaction　to　self…love　next　door　to　the　precious
delusions　of　dementia。　　I　have　never　pictured　a　character　more
contented　with　himself　than　the　〃Scarabee　〃　of　this　story。

BEVERLY　FARMS；　MASS。；　August　1；　1891。

O。　W。　H。







　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　POET

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　AT　THE

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　BREAKFAST…TABLE。


I

The　idea　of　a　man's　〃interviewing〃　himself　is　rather　odd；　to　be　sure。
But　then　that　is　what　we　are　all　of　us　doing　every　day。　　I　talk　half
the　time　to　find　out　my　own　thoughts；　as　a　school…boy　turns　his
pockets　inside　out　to　see　what　is　in　them。　　One　brings　to　light　all
sorts　of　personal　property　he　had　forgotten　in　his　inventory。

You　don't　know　what　your　thoughts　are　going　to　be　beforehand？　said
the　〃Member　of　the　Haouse；〃　as　he　calls　himself。

Why；　of　course　I　don't。　　Bless　your　honest　legislative　soul；　I
suppose　I　have　as　many　bound　volumes　of　notions　of　one　kind　and
another　in　my　head　as　you　have　in　your　Representatives'　library　up
there　at　the　State　House。　　I　have　to　tumble　them　over　and　over；　and
open　them　in　a　hundred　places；　and　sometimes　cut　the　leaves　here　and
there；　to　find　what　I　think　about　this　and　that。　　And　a　good　many
people　who　flatter　themselves　they　are　talking　wisdom　to　me；　are　only
helping　me　to　get　at　the　shelf　and　the　book　and　the　page　where　I
shall　find　my　own　opinion　about　the　matter　in　question。

The　Member's　eyes　began　to　look　heavy。

It　's　a　very　queer　place；　that　receptacle　a　man　fetches　his　talk
out　of。　　The　library　comparison　does　n't　exactly　hit　it。　　You　stow
away　some　idea　and　don't　want　it；　say　for　ten　years。　　When　it　turns
up　at　last　it　has　got　so　jammed　and　crushed　out　of　shape　by　the　other
ideas　packed　with　it；　that　it　is　no　more　like　what　it　was　than　a
raisin　is　like　a　grape　on　the　vine；　or　a　fig　from　a　drum　like　one
hanging　on　the　tree。　　Then；　again；　some　kinds　of　thoughts　breed　in
the　dark　of　one's　mind　like　the　blind　fishes　in　the　Mammoth　Cave。　　We
can't　see　them　and　they　can't　see　us；　but　sooner　or　later　the
daylight　gets　in　and　we　find　that　some　cold；　fishy　little　negative
has　been　spawning　all　over　our　beliefs；　and　the　brood　of　blind
questions　it　has　given　birth　to　are　burrowing　round　and　under　and
butting　their　blunt　noses　against　the　pillars　of　faith　we　thought　the
whole　world　might　lean　on。　　And　then；　again；　some　of　our　old　beliefs
are　dying　out　every　year；　and　others　feed　on　them　and　grow　fat；　or
get　poisoned　as　the　case　may　be。　　And　so；　you　see；　you　can't　tell
what　the　thoughts　are　that　you　have　got　salted　down；　as　one　may　say；
till　you　run　a　streak　of　talk　through　them；　as　the　market　people　run
a　butterscoop　through　a　firkin。

Don't　talk；　thinking　you　are　going　to　find　out　your　neighbor；　for　you
won't　do　it；　but　talk　to　find　out　yourself。　　There　is　more　of　you
and　less　of　you；　in　spots；　very　likelythan　you　know。

The　Member　gave　a　slight　but　unequivocal　start　just　here。　　It　does
seem　as　if　perpetual　somnolence　was　the　price　of　listening　to　other
people's　wisdom。　　This　was　one　of　those　transient　nightmares　that　one
may　have　in　a　doze　of　twenty　seconds。　　He　thought　a　certain　imaginary
Committee　of　Safety　of　a　certain　imaginary　Legislature　was　proceeding
to　burn　down　his　haystack；　in　accordance　with　an　Act；　entitled　an　Act
to　make　the　Poor　Richer　by　making　the　Rich　Poorer。　　And　the　chairman
of　the　committee　was　instituting　a　forcible　exchange　of　hats　with
him；　to　his　manifest　disadvantage；　for　he　had　just　bought　him　a　new
beaver。　　He　told　this　dream　afterwards　to　one　of　the　boarders。

There　was　nothing　very　surprising；　therefore；　in　his　asking　a
question　not　very　closely　related　to　what　had　gone　before。

Do　you　think　they　mean　business？

I　beg　your　pardon；　but　it　would　be　of　material　assistance　to　me　in
answering　your　question　if　I　knew　who　〃they〃　might　happen　to　be。

Why；　those　chaps　that　are　setting　folks　on　to　burn　us　all　up　in　our
beds。　　Political　firebugs　we　call　'em　up　our　way。　　Want　to　substitoot
the　match…box　for　the　ballot…box。　　Scare　all　our　old　women　half　to
death。

Ohahyesto　be　sure。　　I　don't　believe　they　say　what　the　papers
put　in　their　mouths　any　more　than　that　a　friend　of　mine　wrote　the
letter　about　Worcester's　and　Webster's　Dictionaries；　that　he　had
to　disown　the　other　day。　　These　newspa