the poet at the breakfast table-第57节

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learned　that　the　best　way　of　getting　at　what　was　worth　having　from
him　was　to　wind　him　up　with　a　question　and　let　him　run　down　all　of
himself。　　It　is　easy　to　turn　a　good　talker　into　an　insufferable　bore
by　contradicting　him；　and　putting　questions　for　him　to　stumble　over；
that　is；　if　he　is　not　a　bore　already；　as　〃good　talkers　〃　are　apt　to
be；　except　now　and　then。

We　had　been　discussing　some　knotty　points　one　morning　when　he　said
all　at　once：

Come　into　my　library　with　me。　　I　want　to　read　you　some　new　passages
from　an　interleaved　copy　of　my　book。　　You　haven't　read　the　printed
part　yet。　　I　gave　you　a　copy　of　it；　but　nobody　reads　a　book　that　is
given　to　him。　　Of　course　not。　　Nobody　but　a　fool　expects　him　to。　　He
reads　a　little　in　it　here　and　there；　perhaps；　and　he　cuts　all　the
leaves　if　he　cares　enough　about　the　writer；　who　will　be　sure　to　call
on　him　some　day；　and　if　he　is　left　alone　in　his　library　for　five
minutes　will　have　hunted　every　corner　of　it　until　he　has　found　the
book　he　sent；if　it　is　to　be　found　at　all；　which　does　n't　always
happen；　if　there's　a　penal　colony　anywhere　in　a　garret　or　closet　for
typographical　offenders　and　vagrants。

What　do　you　do　when　you　receive　a　book　you　don't　want；　from　the
author？said　I。

Give　him　a　good…natured　adjective　or　two　if　I　can；　and　thank　him；
and　tell　him　I　am　lying　under　a　sense　of　obligation　to　him。

That　is　as　good　an　excuse　for　lying　as　almost　any；I　said。

Yes；　but　look　out　for　the　fellows　that　send　you　a　copy　of　their
book　to　trap　you　into　writing　a　bookseller's　advertisement　for　it。　　I
got　caught　so　once；　and　never　heard　the　end　of　it　and　never　shall
hear　it。…He　took　down　an　elegantly　bound　volume；　on　opening　which
appeared　a　flourishing　and　eminently　flattering　dedication　to
himself。…There；said　he；　what　could　I　do　less　than　acknowledge
such　a　compliment　in　polite　terms；　and　hope　and　expect　the　book　would
prove　successful；　and　so　forth　and　so　forth？　　Well；　I　get　a　letter
every　few　months　from　some　new　locality　where　the　man　that　made　that
book　is　covering　the　fences　with　his　placards；　asking　me　whether　I
wrote　that　letter　which　he　keeps　in　stereotype　and　has　kept　so　any
time　these　dozen　or　fifteen　years。　　Animus　tuus　oculus；　as　the
freshmen　used　to　say。　　If　her　Majesty；　the　Queen　of　England；　sends
you　a　copy　of　her　〃Leaves　from　the　Journal　of　Our　Life　in　the
Highlands；〃　be　sure　you　mark　your　letter　of　thanks　for　it　Private！

We　had　got　comfortably　seated　in　his　library　in　the　mean　time；　and
the　Master　had　taken　up　his　book。　　I　noticed　that　every　other　page
was　left　blank；　and　that　he　had　written　in　a　good　deal　of　new　matter。

I　tell　you　what；he　said；there　's　so　much　intelligence　about
nowadays　in　books　and　newspapers　and　talk　that　it's　mighty　hard　to
write　without　getting　something　or　other　worth　listening　to　into　your
essay　or　your　volume。　　The　foolishest　book　is　a　kind　of　leaky　boat　on
a　sea　of　wisdom；　some　of　the　wisdom　will　get　in　anyhow。　　Every　now
and　then　I　find　something　in　my　book　that　seems　so　good　to　me；　I
can't　help　thinking　it　must　have　leaked　in。　　I　suppose　other　people
discover　that　it　came　through　a　leak；　full　as　soon　as　I　do。　　You　must
write　a　book　or　two　to　find　out　how　much　and　how　little　you　know　and
have　to　say。　　Then　you　must　read　some　notices　of　it　by　somebody　that
loves　you　and　one　or　two　by　somebody　that　hates　you。　　You　'll　find
yourself　a　very　odd　piece　of　property　after　you　've　been　through
these　experiences。　　They　're　trying　to　the　constitution；　I'm　always
glad　to　hear　that　a　friend　is　as　well　as　can　be　expected　after　he　's
had　a　book。

You　must　n't　think　there　are　no　better　things　in　these　pages　of　mine
than　the　ones　I'm　going　to　read　you；　but　you　may　come　across
something　here　that　I　forgot　to　say　when　we　were　talking　over　these
matters。

He　began；　reading　from　the　manuscript　portion　of　his　book：

We　find　it　hard　to　get　and　to　keep　any　private　property　in　thought。
Other　people　are　all　the　time　saying　the　same　things　we　are　hoarding
to　say　when　we　get　ready。　　＇He　looked　up　from　his　book　just　here　and
said；　〃Don't　be　afraid；　I　am　not　going　to　quote　Pereant。〃＇　One　of　our
old　boardersthe　one　that　called　himself　〃The　Professor〃　I　think　it
wassaid　some　pretty　audacious　things　about　what　he　called
〃pathological　piety；〃　as　I　remember；　in　one　of　his　papers。　　And　here
comes　along　Mr。　Galton；　and　shows　in　detail　from　religious
biographies　that　〃there　is　a　frequent　correlation　between　an
unusually　devout　disposition　and　a　weak　constitution。〃　　Neither　of
them　appeared　to　know　that　John　Bunyan　had　got　at　the　same　fact　long
before　them。　　He　tells　us；　〃The　more　healthy　the　lusty　man　is；　the
more　prone　he　is　unto　evil。〃　　If　the　converse　is　true；　no　wonder　that
good　people；　according　to　Bunyan；　are　always　in　trouble　and　terror；
for　he　says；

　　　　〃A　Christian　man　is　never　long　at　ease；
　　　　　When　one　fright　is　gone；　another　doth　him　seize。〃

If　invalidism　and　the　nervous　timidity　which　is　apt　to　go　with　it　are
elements　of　spiritual　superiority；　it　follows　that　pathology　and
toxicology　should　form　a　most　important　part　of　a　theological
education；　so　that　a　divine　might　know　how　to　keep　a　parish　in　a
state　of　chronic　bad　health　in　order　that　it　might　be　virtuous。

It　is　a　great　mistake　to　think　that　a　man's　religion　is　going　to　rid
him　of　his　natural　qualities。　　〃Bishop　Hall〃　（as　you　may　remember　to
have　seen　quoted　elsewhere）　〃prefers　Nature　before　Grace　in　the
Election　of　a　wife；　because；　saith　he；　it　will　be　a　hard　Task；　where
the　Nature　is　peevish　and　froward；　for　Grace　to　make　an　entire
conquest　while　Life　lasteth。〃

〃Nature〃　and　〃Grace〃　have　been　contrasted　with　each　other　in　a　way
not　very　respectful　to　the　Divine　omnipotence。　　Kings　and　queens
reign　〃by　the　Grace　of　God；〃　but　a　sweet；　docile；　pious　disposition；
such　as　is　born　in　some　children　and　grows　up　with　them；that
congenital　gift　which　good　Bishop　Hall　would　look　for　in　a　wife；is
attributed　to　〃Nature。〃　　In　fact　〃Nature〃　and　〃Grace；〃　as　handled　by
the　scholastics；　are　nothing　more　nor　less　than　two　hostile
Divinities　in　the　Pantheon　of　post…classical　polytheism。

What　is　the　secret　of　the　profound　interest　which　〃Darwinism　〃　has
excited　in　the　minds　and　hearts　of　more　persons　than　dare　to　confess
their　doubts　and　hopes？　　It　is　because　it　restores　〃Nature〃　to　its
place　as　a　true　divine　manifestation。　　It　is　that　it　removes　the
traditional　curse　from　that　helpless　infant　lying　in　its　mother's
arms。　　It　is　that　it　lifts　from　the　shoulders　of　man　the
responsibility　for　the　fact　of　death。　　It　is　that；　if　it　is　true；
woman　can　no　longer　be　taunted　with　having　brought　down　on　herself
the　pangs　which　make　her　sex　a　martyrdom。　　If　development　upward　is
the　general　law　of　the　race；　if　we　have　grown　by　natural　evolution
out　of　the　cave…man；　and　even　less　human　forms　of　life；　we　have
everything　to　hope　from　the　future。　　That　the　question　can　be
discussed　without　offence　shows　that　we　are　entering　on　a　new　era；　a
Revival　greater　than　that　of　Letters；　the　Revival　of　Humanity。

The　prevalent　view　of　〃Nature〃　has　been　akin　to　that　which　long
reigned　with　reference　to　disease。　　This　used　to　be　considered　as　a
distinct　entity　apart　from　the　processes　of　life；　of　which　it　is　one
of　the　manifestations。　　It　was　a　kind　of　demon　to　be　attacked　with
things　of　odious　taste　and　smell；　to　be　fumigated　out　of　the　system
as　the　evil　spirit　was　driven　from　the　bridal…chamber　in　the　story　of
Tobit。　　The　Doctor　of　earlier　days；　even　as　I　can　remember　him；　used
to　exorcise　the　demon　of　disease　with　recipes　of　odor　as　potent　as
that　of　the　angel's　diabolifuge；the　smoke　from　a　fish's　heart　and
liver；　duly　burned；〃the　which　smell　when　the　evil　spirit　had
smelled　he　fled　into　the　uttermost　parts　of　Egypt。〃　　The　very　moment
that　disease　passes　into　the　category　of　vital　processes；　and　is
recognized　as　an　occurrence　absolutely　necessary；　inevitable；　and　as
one　may　say；　normal　under　certain　given　conditions　of　constitution
and　circumstance；　the　medicine…man　loses　his　half…miraculous
endowments。　　The　mythical　serpent　is　untwined　from　the　staff　of
Esculapius；　which　thenceforth　becomes　a　useful　walking…stick；　and
does　not　pretend　to　be　anything　more。

Sin；　like　disease；　is　a　vital　process。　　It　is　a　function；　and　not　an
entity。　　It　must　be　studied　as　a　section　of　anthropology。　　No
preconceived　idea　must　be　allowed　to　interfere　with　our　investigation
of　the　deranged　spiritual　function；　any　more　than　the　old　ideas　of
demoniacal　possession　must　be　allowed　to　interfere　with　our　study　of
epilepsy。　　Spiritual　pathology　is　a　proper　subject　for　direct
observation　and　analysis；　like　any　other　subject　involving　a　series
of　living　actions。

In　these　living　actions　everything　is　progressive。　　There　are　sudden
changes　of　character　in　what　is　called　〃conversion〃　which；　at　first；
hardly　seem　to　come　into　line　with　the　common　laws　of　evolution。　　But
these　changes　have　been　long　preparing；　and　it　is　just　as　much　in　the
order　of　nature　that　certain　characters　should　burst　all　at　once　from
the　rule　of　evil　propensities；　as　it　is　that　the　evening　primrose
should　explode；　as　it　were；　into　bloom　with　audible　sound；　as　you　ma