the poet at the breakfast table-第35节

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what　we　may　call　comparative　spiritual　anatomy；　we　cannot　begin　to
deal　with　the　alleged　extra…human　elements　without　blundering　into
all　imaginable　puerilities。　　If　you　think　for　one　moment　that　there
is　not　a　single　religion　in　the　world　which　does　not　come　to　us
through　the　medium　of　a　preexisting　language；　and　if　you　remember
that　this　language　embodies　absolutely　nothing　but　human　conceptions
and　human　passions；　you　will　see　at　once　that　every　religion
presupposes　its　own　elements　as　already　existing　in　those　to　whom　it
is　addressed。　　I　once　went　to　a　church　in　London　and　heard　the　famous
Edward　Irving　preach；　and　heard　some　of　his　congregation　speak　in　the
strange　words　characteristic　of　their　miraculous　gift　of　tongues。　　I
had　a　respect　for　the　logical　basis　of　this　singular　phenomenon。　　I
have　always　thought　it　was　natural　that　any　celestial　message　should
demand　a　language　of　its　own；　only　to　be　understood　by　divine
illumination。　　All　human　words　tend；　of　course；　to　stop　short　in
human　meaning。　　And　the　more　I　hear　the　most　sacred　terms　employed；
the　more　I　am　satisfied　that　they　have　entirely　and　radically
different　meanings　in　the　minds　of　those　who　use　them。　　Yet　they　deal
with　them　as　if　they　were　as　definite　as　mathematical　quantities　or
geometrical　figures。　　What　would　become　of　arithmetic　if　the　figure　2
meant　three　for　one　man　and　five　for　another　and　twenty　for　a　third；
and　all　the　other　numerals　were　in　the　same　way　variable　quantities？
Mighty　intelligent　correspondence　business　men　would　have　with　each
other！　　But　how　is　this　any　worse　than　the　difference　of　opinion
which　led　a　famous　clergyman　to　say　to　a　brother　theologian；　〃Oh；　I
see；　my　dear　sir；　your　God　is　my　Devil。〃

Man　has　been　studied　proudly；　contemptuously；　rather；　from　the　point
of　view　supposed　to　be　authoritatively　settled。　　The　self…sufficiency
of　egotistic　natures　was　never　more　fully　shown　than　in　the
expositions　of　the　worthlessness　and　wretchedness　of　their　fellow…
creatures　given　by　the　dogmatists　who　have　〃gone　back；〃　as　the　vulgar
phrase　is；　on　their　race；　their　own　flesh　and　blood。　　Did　you　ever
read　what　Mr。　Bancroft　says　about　Calvin　in　his　article　on　Jonathan
Edwards？　and　mighty　well　said　it　is　too；　in　my　judgment。　　Let　me
remind　you　of　it；　whether　you　have　read　it　or　not。　　〃Setting　himself
up　over　against　the　privileged　classes；　he；　with　a　loftier　pride　than
theirs；　revealed　the　power　of　a　yet　higher　order　of　nobility；　not　of
a　registered　ancestry　of　fifteen　generations；　but　one　absolutely
spotless　in　its　escutcheon；　preordained　in　the　council　chamber　of
eternity。〃　　I　think　you'll　find　I　have　got　that　sentence　right；　word
for　word；　and　there　's　a　great　deal　more　in　it　than　many　good　folks
who　call　themselves　after　the　reformer　seem　to　be　aware　of。　　The　Pope
put　his　foot　on　the　neck　of　kings；　but　Calvin　and　his　cohort　crushed
the　whole　human　race　under　their　heels　in　the　name　of　the　Lord　of
Hosts。　　Now；　you　see；　the　point　that　people　don't　understand　is　the
absolute　and　utter　humility　of　science；　in　opposition　to　this
doctrinal　self…sufficiency。　　I　don't　doubt　this　may　sound　a　little
paradoxical　at　first；　but　I　think　you　will　find　it　is　all　right。　　You
remember　the　courtier　and　the　monarch；Louis　the　Fourteenth；　wasn't
it？　never　mind；　give　the　poor　fellows　that　live　by　setting　you
right　a　chance。　　〃What　o'clock　is　it？〃　says　the　king。　　〃Just　whatever
o'clock　your　Majesty　pleases；〃　says　the　courtier。　　I　venture　to　say
the　monarch　was　a　great　deal　more　humble　than　the　follower；　who
pretended　that　his　master　was　superior　to　such　trifling　facts　as　the
revolution　of　the　planet。　　It　was　the　same　thing；　you　remember；　with
King　Canute　and　the　tide　on　the　sea…shore。　　The　king　accepted　the
scientific　fact　of　the　tide's　rising。　　The　loyal　hangers…on；　who
believed　in　divine　right；　were　too　proud　of　the　company　they　found
themselves　in　to　make　any　such　humiliating　admission。　　But　there　are
people；　and　plenty　of　them；　to…day；　who　will　dispute　facts　just　as
clear　to　those　who　have　taken　the　pains　to　learn　what　is　known　about
them；　as　that　of　the　tide's　rising。　　They　don't　like　to　admit　these
facts；　because　they　throw　doubt　upon　some　of　their　cherished
opinions。　　We　are　getting　on　towards　the　last　part　of　this　nineteenth
century。　　What　we　have　gained　is　not　so　much　in　positive　knowledge；
though　that　is　a　good　deal；　as　it　is　in　the　freedom　of　discussion　of
every　subject　that　comes　within　the　range　of　observation　and
inference。　　How　long　is　it　since　Mrs。　Piozzi　wrote；〃Let　me　hope
that　you　will　not　pursue　geology　till　it　leads　you　into　doubts
destructive　of　all　comfort　in　this　world　and　all　happiness　in　the
next〃？

The　Master　paused　and　I　remained　silent；　for　I　was　thinking　things　I
could　not　say。


It　is　well　always　to　have　a　woman　near　by　when　one　is　talking　on
this　class　of　subjects。　　Whether　there　will　be　three　or　four　women　to
one　man　in　heaven　is　a　question　which　I　must　leave　to　those　who　talk
as　if　they　knew　all　about　the　future　condition　of　the　race　to　answer。
But　very　certainly　there　is　much　more　of　hearty　faith；　much　more　of
spiritual　life；　among　women　than　among　men；　in　this　world。　　They　need
faith　to　support　them　more　than　men　do；　for　they　have　a　great　deal
less　to　call　them　out　of　themselves；　and　it　comes　easier　to　them；　for
their　habitual　state　of　dependence　teaches　them　to　trust　in　others。
When　they　become　voters；　if　they　ever　do；　it　may　be　feared　that　the
pews　will　lose　what　the　ward…rooms　gain。　　Relax　a　woman's　hold　on
man；　and　her　knee…joints　will　soon　begin　to　stiffen。　　Self…assertion
brings　out　many　fine　qualities；　but　it　does　not　promote　devotional
habits。

I　remember　some　such　thoughts　as　this　were　passing　through　my　mind
while　the　Master　was　talking。　　I　noticed　that　the　Lady　was　listening
to　the　conversation　with　a　look　of　more　than　usual　interest。　　We　men
have　the　talk　mostly　to　ourselves　at　this　table；　the　Master；　as　you
have　found　out；　is　fond　of　monologues；　and　I　myselfwell；　I　suppose
I　must　own　to　a　certain　love　for　the　reverberated　music　of　my　own
accents；　at　any　rate；　the　Master　and　I　do　most　of　the　talking。　　But
others　help　us　do　the　listening。　　I　think　I　can　show　that　they　listen
to　some　purpose。　　I　am　going　to　surprise　my　reader　with　a　letter
which　I　received　very　shortly　after　the　conversation　took　place　which
I　have　just　reported。　　It　is　of　course　by　a　special　license；　such　as
belongs　to　the　supreme　prerogative　of　an　author；　that　I　am　enabled　to
present　it　to　him。　　He　need　ask　no　questions：　it　is　not　his　affair
how　I　obtained　the　right　to　give　publicity　to　a　private
communication。　　I　have　become　somewhat　more　intimately　acquainted
with　the　writer　of　it　than　in　the　earlier　period　of　my　connection
with　this　establishment；　and　I　think　I　may　say　have　gained　her
confidence　to　a　very　considerable　degree。


MY　DEAR　SIR：　　The　conversations　I　have　had　with　you；　limited　as　they
have　been；　have　convinced　me　that　I　am　quite　safe　in　addressing　you
with　freedom　on　a　subject　which　interests　me；　and　others　more　than
myself。　　We　at　our　end　of　the　table　have　been　listening；　more　or　less
intelligently；　to　the　discussions　going　on　between　two　or　three　of
you　gentlemen　on　matters　of　solemn　import　to　us　all。　　This　is　nothing
very　new　to　me。　　I　have　been　used；　from　an　early　period　of　my　life；
to　hear　the　discussion　of　grave　questions；　both　in　politics　and
religion。　　I　have　seen　gentlemen　at　my　father's　table　get　as　warm
over　a　theological　point　of　dispute　as　in　talking　over　their
political　differences。　　I　rather　think　it　has　always　been　very　much
so；　in　bad　as　well　as　in　good　company；　for　you　remember　how　Milton's
fallen　angels　amused　themselves　with　disputing　on　〃providence；
foreknowledge；　will；　and　fate；〃　and　it　was　the　same　thing　in　that
club　Goldsmith　writes　so　pleasantly　about。　　Indeed；　why　should　not
people　very　often　come；　in　the　course　of　conversation；　to　the　one
subject　which　lies　beneath　all　else　about　which　our　thoughts　are
occupied？　　And　what　more　natural　than　that　one　should　be　inquiring
about　what　another　has　accepted　and　ceased　to　have　any　doubts
concerning？　　It　seems　to　me　all　right　that　at　the　proper　time；　in　the
proper　place；　those　who　are　less　easily　convinced　than　their
neighbors　should　have　the　fullest　liberty　of　calling　to　account　all
the　opinions　which　others　receive　without　question。　　Somebody　must
stand　sentry　at　the　outposts　of　belief；　and　it　is　a　sentry's
business；　I　believe；　to　challenge　every　one　who　comes　near　him；
friend　or　foe。

I　want　you　to　understand　fully　that　I　am　not　one　of　those　poor
nervous　creatures　who　are　frightened　out　of　their　wits　when　any
question　is　started　that　implies　the　disturbance　of　their　old
beliefs。　　I　manage　to　see　some　of　the　periodicals；　and　now　and　then
dip　a　little　way　into　a　new　book　which　deals　with　these　curious
questions　you　were　talking　about；　and　others　like　them。　　You　know
they　find　their　way　almost　everywhere。　　They　do　not　worry　me　in　the
least。　　When　I　was　a　little　girl；　they　used　to　say　that　if　you　put　a
horsehair　into　a　tub　of　water　it　would　turn　into　a　snake　in　the
course　of　a　few　days。　　That　did　not　seem　to　me　so　very　much　stranger