the poet at the breakfast table-第61节

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kinds　of　hinges　are　to　be　met　with　in　our　own　frames。　　The　valvular
arrangements　of　the　blood…vessels　are　unapproached　by　any　artificial
apparatus；　and　the　arrangements　for　preventing　friction　are　so
perfect　that　two　surfaces　will　play　on　each　other　for　fourscore　years
or　more　and　never　once　trouble　their　owner　by　catching　or　rubbing　so
as　to　be　felt　or　heard。

But　stranger　than　these　repetitions　are　the　coincidences　one　finds　in
the　manners　and　speech　of　antiquity　and　our　own　time。　　In　the　days
when　Flood　Ireson　was　drawn　in　the　cart　by　the　Maenads　of　Marblehead；
that　fishing　town　had　the　name　of　nurturing　a　young　population　not
over　fond　of　strangers。　　It　used　to　be　said　that　if　an　unknown
landsman　showed　himself　in　the　streets；　the　boys　would　follow　after
him；　crying；　〃Rock　him！　　Rock　him！　　He's　got　a　long…tailed　coat　on！〃

Now　if　one　opens　the　Odyssey；　he　will　find　that　the　Phaeacians；　three
thousand　years　ago；　were　wonderfully　like　these　youthful
Marbleheaders。　　The　blue…eyed　Goddess　who　convoys　Ulysses；　under　the
disguise　of　a　young　maiden　of　the　place；　gives　him　some　excellent
advice。　　〃Hold　your　tongue；〃　she　says；　〃and　don't　look　at　anybody　or
ask　any　questions；　for　these　are　seafaring　people；　and　don't　like　to
have　strangers　round　or　anybody　that　does　not　belong　here。〃

Who　would　have　thought　that　the　saucy　question；　〃Does　your　mother
know　you're　out？〃　was　the　very　same　that　Horace　addressed　to　the　bore
who　attacked　him　in　the　Via　Sacra？

　　　　　Interpellandi　locus　hic　erat；　Est　tibi　mater？
　　　　　Cognati；　queis　te　salvo　est　opus？

And　think　of　the　London　cockney's　prefix　of　the　letter　h　to　innocent
words　beginning　with　a　vowel　having　its　prototype　in　the　speech　of
the　vulgar　Roman；　as　may　be　seen　in　the　verses　of　Catullus：

　　　　　Chommoda　dicebat；　siquando　commoda　vellet
　　　　　Dicere；　et　hinsidias　Arrius　insidias。
　　　　　Et　tum　mirifice　sperabat　se　esse　locutum；
　　　　　Cum　quantum　poterat；　dixerat　hinsidias。。。

　　　　　Hoc　misso　in　Syriam；　requierant　omnibus　aures。。。
　　　　　Cum　subito　affertur　nuncius　horribilis；
　　　　　Ionios　fluctus；　postquam　illue　Arrius　isset；
　　　　　Jam　non　Ionios　esse；　sed　Hionios。

Our　neighbors　of　Manhattan　have　an　excellent　jest　about　our　crooked
streets　which；　if　they　were　a　little　more　familiar　with　a　native
author　of　unquestionable　veracity；　they　would　strike　out　from　the
letter　of　〃Our　Boston　Correspondent；〃　where　it　is　a　source　of
perennial　hilarity。　　It　is　worth　while　to　reprint；　for　the　benefit　of
whom　it　may　concern；　a　paragraph　from　the　authentic　history　of　the
venerable　Diedrich　Knickerbocker：

〃The　sage　council；　as　has　been　mentioned　in　a　preceding　chapter；　not
being　able　to　determine　upon　any　plan　for　the　building　of　their
city；the　cows；　in　a　laudable　fit　of　patriotism；　took　it　under　their
peculiar　charge；　and　as　they　went　to　and　from　pasture；　established
paths　through　the　bushes；　on　each　side　of　which　the　good　folks　built
their　houses；　which　is　one　cause　of　the　rambling　and　picturesque
turns　and　labyrinths；　which　distinguish　certain　streets　of　New　York
at　this　very　day。〃

When　I　was　a　little　boy　there　came　to　stay　with　us　for　a　while　a
young　lady　with　a　singularly　white　complexion。　　Now　I　had　often　seen
the　masons　slacking　lime；　and　I　thought　it　was　the　whitest　thing　I
had　ever　looked　upon。　　So　I　always　called　this　fair　visitor　of　ours
Slacked　Lime。　　I　think　she　is　still　living　in　a　neighboring　State；
and　I　am　sure　she　has　never　forgotten　the　fanciful　name　I　gave　her。
But　within　ten　or　a　dozen　years　I　have　seen　this　very　same　comparison
going　the　round　of　the　papers；　and　credited　to　a　Welsh　poet；　David　Ap
Gwyllym；　or　something　like　that；　by　name。

I　turned　a　pretty　sentence　enough　in　one　of　my　lectures　about
finding　poppies　springing　up　amidst　the　corn；　as　if　it　had　been
foreseen　by　nature　that　wherever　there　should　be　hunger　that　asked
for　food；　there　would　be　pain　that　needed　relief；and　many　years
afterwards。　　I　had　the　pleasure　of　finding　that　Mistress　Piozzi　had
been　beforehand　with　me　in　suggesting　the　same　moral　reflection。

I　should　like　to　carry　some　of　my　friends　to　see　a　giant　bee…hive　I
have　discovered。　　Its　hum　can　be　heard　half　a　mile；　and　the　great
white　swarm　counts　its　tens　of　thousands。　　They　pretend　to　call　it　a
planing…mill；　but　if　it　is　not　a　bee…hive　it　is　so　like　one　that　if　a
hundred　people　have　not　said　so　before　me；　it　is　very　singular　that
they　have　not。　　If　I　wrote　verses　I　would　try　to　bring　it　in；　and　I
suppose　people　would　start　up　in　a　dozen　places；　and　say；　〃Oh；　that
bee…hive　simile　is　mine；and　besides；　did　not　Mr。　Bayard　Taylor　call
the　snowflakes　'white　bees'？〃

I　think　the　old　Master　had　chosen　these　trivialities　on　purpose　to
amuse　the　Young　Astronomer　and　myself；　if　possible；　and　so　make　sure
of　our　keeping　awake　while　he　went　on　reading；　as　follows：

How　the　sweet　souls　of　all　time　strike　the　same　note；　the　same
because　it　is　in　unison　with　the　divine　voice　that　sings　to　them！　　I
read　in　the　Zend　Avesta；　〃No　earthly　man　with　a　hundred…fold　strength
speaks　so　much　evil　as　Mithra　with　heavenly　strength　speaks　good。　　No
earthly　man　with　a　hundred…fold　strength　does　so　much　evil　as　Mithra
with　heavenly　strength　does　good。〃

And　now　leave　Persia　and　Zoroaster；　and　come　down　with　me　to　our　own
New　England　and　one　of　our　old　Puritan　preachers。　　It　was　in　the
dreadful　days　of　the　Salem　Witchcraft　delusion　that　one　Jonathan
Singletary；　being　then　in　the　prison　at　Ipswich；　gave　his　testimony
as　to　certain　fearful　occurrences；a　great　noise；　as　of　many　cats
climbing；　skipping；　and　jumping；　of　throwing　about　of　furniture；　and
of　men　walking　in　the　chambers；　with　crackling　and　shaking　as　if　the
house　would　fall　upon　him。

〃I　was　at　present；〃　he　says；　〃something　affrighted；　yet　considering
what　I　had　lately　heard　made　out　by　Mr。　Mitchel　at　Cambridge；　that
there　is　more　good　in　God　than　there　is　evil　in　sin；　and　that
although　God　is　the　greatest　good　and　sin　the　greatest　evil；　yet　the
first　Being　of　evil　cannot　weave　the　scales　or　overpower　the　first
Being　of　good：　so　considering　that　the　authour　of　good　was　of　greater
power　than　the　authour　of　evil；　God　was　pleased　of　his　goodness　to
keep　me　from　being　out　of　measure　frighted。〃

I　shall　always　bless　the　memory　of　this　poor；　timid　creature　for
saving　that　dear　remembrance　of　〃Matchless　Mitchel。〃　　How　many；　like
him；　have　thought　they　were　preaching　a　new　gospel；　when　they　were
only　reaffirming　the　principles　which　underlie　the　Magna　Charta　of
humanity；　and　are　common　to　the　noblest　utterances　of　all　the　nobler
creeds！　　But　spoken　by　those　solemn　lips　to　those　stern；　simpleminded
hearers；　the　words　I　have　cited　seem　to　me　to　have　a　fragrance　like
the　precious　ointment　of　spikenard　with　which　Mary　anointed　her
Master's　feet。　　I　can　see　the　little　bare　meeting…house；　with　the
godly　deacons；　and　the　grave　matrons；　and　the　comely　maidens；　and　the
sober　manhood　of　the　village；　with　the　small　group　of　college
students　sitting　by　themselves　under　the　shadow　of　the　awful
Presidential　Presence；　all　listening　to　that　preaching；　which　was；　as
Cotton　Mather　says；　〃as　a　very　lovely　song　of　one　that　hath　a
pleasant　voice〃；　and　as　the　holy　pastor　utters　those　blessed　words；
which　are　not　of　any　one　church　or　age；　but　of　all　time；　the　humble
place　of　worship　is　filled　with　their　perfume；　as　the　house　where
Mary　knelt　was　filled　with　the　odor　of　the　precious　ointment。

The　Master　rose；　as　he　finished　reading　this　sentence；　and；　walking
to　the　window；　adjusted　a　curtain　which　he　seemed　to　find　a　good　deal
of　trouble　in　getting　to　hang　just　as　he　wanted　it。

He　came　back　to　his　arm…chair；　and　began　reading　again

If　men　would　only　open　their　eyes　to　the　fact　which　stares　them　in
the　face　from　history；　and　is　made　clear　enough　by　the　slightest
glance　at　the　condition　of　mankind；　that　humanity　is　of　immeasurably
greater　importance　than　their　own　or　any　other　particular　belief；
they　would　no　more　attempt　to　make　private　property　of　the　grace　of
God　than　to　fence　in　the　sunshine　for　their　own　special　use　and
enjoyment。

We　are　all　tattoed　in　our　cradles　with　the　beliefs　of　our　tribe；　the
record　may　seem　superficial；　but　it　is　indelible。　　You　cannot　educate
a　man　wholly　out　of　the　superstitious　fears　which　were　early
implanted　in　his　imagination；　no　matter　how　utterly　his　reason　may
reject　them；　he　will　still　feel　as　the　famous　woman　did　about　ghosts；
Je　n'y　crois　pas；　mais　je　les　crains；〃I　don't　believe　in　them；　but
I　am　afraid　of　them；　nevertheless。〃

As　people　grow　older　they　come　at　length　to　live　so　much　in　memory
that　they　often　think　with　a　kind　of　pleasure　of　losing　their　dearest
blessings。　　Nothing　can　be　so　perfect　while　we　possess　it　as　it　will
seem　when　remembered。　　The　friend　we　love　best　may　sometimes　weary　us
by　his　presence　or　vex　us　by　his　infirmities。　　How　sweet　to　think　of
him　as　he　will　be　to　us　after　we　have　outlived　him　ten　or　a　dozen
years！　　Then　we　can　recall　him　in　his　best　moments；　bid　him　stay　with
us　as　long　as　we　want　his　company；　and　send　him　away　when　we　wish　to
be　alone　again。　　One　might　alter　Shenstone's　well…known　epitaph　to
suit　such　a　case：

　　　　　Hen！　　quanto　m