reformers-第4节

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hours。　　Is　not　every　man　sometimes　a　radical　in　politics？　　Men　are

conservatives　when　they　are　least　vigorous；　or　when　they　are　most

luxurious。　　They　are　conservatives　after　dinner；　or　before　taking

their　rest；　when　they　are　sick；　or　aged：　in　the　morning；　or　when

their　intellect　or　their　conscience　have　been　aroused；　when　they　hear

music；　or　when　they　read　poetry；　they　are　radicals。　　In　the　circle　of

the　rankest　tories　that　could　be　collected　in　England；　Old　or　New；

let　a　powerful　and　stimulating　intellect；　a　man　of　great　heart　and

mind；　act　on　them；　and　very　quickly　these　frozen　conservators　will

yield　to　the　friendly　influence；　these　hopeless　will　begin　to　hope；

these　haters　will　begin　to　love；　these　immovable　statues　will　begin

to　spin　and　revolve。　　I　cannot　help　recalling　the　fine　anecdote　which

Warton　relates　of　Bishop　Berkeley；　when　he　was　preparing　to　leave

England；　with　his　plan　of　planting　the　gospel　among　the　American

savages。　　〃Lord　Bathurst　told　me；　that　the　members　of　the　Scriblerus

club；　being　met　at　his　house　at　dinner；　they　agreed　to　rally

Berkeley；　who　was　also　his　guest；　on　his　scheme　at　Bermudas。

Berkeley；　having　listened　to　the　many　lively　things　they　had　to　say；

begged　to　be　heard　in　his　turn；　and　displayed　his　plan　with　such　an

astonishing　and　animating　force　of　eloquence　and　enthusiasm；　that

they　were　struck　dumb；　and；　after　some　pause；　rose　up　all　together

with　earnestness；　exclaiming；　‘Let　us　set　out　with　him　immediately。'〃

Men　in　all　ways　are　better　than　they　seem。　　They　like　flattery　for

the　moment；　but　they　know　the　truth　for　their　own。　　It　is　a　foolish

cowardice　which　keeps　us　from　trusting　them；　and　speaking　to　them

rude　truth。　　They　resent　your　honesty　for　an　instant；　they　will　thank

you　for　it　always。　　What　is　it　we　heartily　wish　of　each　other？　　Is　it

to　be　pleased　and　flattered？　　No；　but　to　be　convicted　and　exposed；　to

be　shamed　out　of　our　nonsense　of　all　kinds；　and　made　men　of；　instead

of　ghosts　and　phantoms。　　We　are　weary　of　gliding　ghostlike　through

the　world；　which　is　itself　so　slight　and　unreal。　　We　crave　a　sense　of

reality；　though　it　come　in　strokes　of　pain。　　I　explain　so；　　by　this

manlike　love　of　truth；　　those　excesses　and　errors　into　which　souls

of　great　vigor；　but　not　equal　insight；　often　fall。　　They　feel　the

poverty　at　the　bottom　of　all　the　seeming　affluence　of　the　world。

They　know　the　speed　with　which　they　come　straight　through　the　thin

masquerade；　and　conceive　a　disgust　at　the　indigence　of　nature：

Rousseau；　Mirabeau；　Charles　Fox；　Napoleon；　Byron；　　and　I　could

easily　add　names　nearer　home；　of　raging　riders；　who　drive　their

steeds　so　hard；　in　the　violence　of　living　to　forget　its　illusion：

they　would　know　the　worst；　and　tread　the　floors　of　hell。　　The　heroes

of　ancient　and　modern　fame；　Cimon；　Themistocles；　Alcibiades；

Alexander；　Caesar；　have　treated　life　and　fortune　as　a　game　to　be　well

and　skillfully　played；　but　the　stake　not　to　be　so　valued；　but　that

any　time；　it　could　be　held　as　a　trifle　light　as　air；　and　thrown　up。

Caesar；　just　before　the　battle　of　Pharsalia；　discourses　with　the

Egyptian　priest；　concerning　the　fountains　of　the　Nile；　and　offers　to

quit　the　army；　the　empire；　and　Cleopatra；　if　he　will　show　him　those

mysterious　sources。　The　same　magnanimity　shows　itself　in　our　social

relations；　in　the　preference；　namely；　which　each　man　gives　to　the

society　of　superiors　over　that　of　his　equals。　　All　that　a　man　has；

will　he　give　for　right　relations　with　his　mates。　　All　that　he　has；

will　he　give　for　an　erect　demeanor　in　every　company　and　on　each

occasion。　　He　aims　at　such　things　as　his　neighbors　prize；　and　gives

his　days　and　nights；　his　talents　and　his　heart；　to　strike　a　good

stroke；　to　acquit　himself　in　all　men's　sight　as　a　man。　　The

consideration　of　an　eminent　citizen；　of　a　noted　merchant；　of　a　man　of

mark　in　his　profession；　naval　and　military　honor；　a　general's

commission；　a　marshal's　baton；　a　ducal　coronet；　the　laurel　of　poets；

and；　anyhow　procured；　the　acknowledgment　of　eminent　merit；　have　this

lustre　for　each　candidate；　that　they　enable　him　to　walk　erect　and

unashamed；　in　the　presence　of　some　persons；　before　whom　he　felt

himself　inferior。　　Having　raised　himself　to　this　rank；　having

established　his　equality　with　class　after　class；　of　those　with　whom

he　would　live　well；　he　still　finds　certain　others；　before　whom　he

cannot　possess　himself；　because　they　have　somewhat　fairer；　somewhat

grander；　somewhat　purer；　which　extorts　homage　of　him。　　Is　his

ambition　pure？　then；　will　his　laurels　and　his　possessions　seem

worthless：　instead　of　avoiding　these　men　who　make　his　fine　gold　dim；

he　will　cast　all　behind　him；　and　seek　their　society　only；　woo　and

embrace　this　his　humiliation　and　mortification；　until　he　shall　know

why　his　eye　sinks；　his　voice　is　husky；　and　his　brilliant　talents　are

paralyzed　in　this　presence。　　He　is　sure　that　the　soul　which　gives　the

lie　to　all　things；　will　tell　none。　　His　constitution　will　not　mislead

him。　　If　it　cannot　carry　itself　as　it　ought；　high　and　unmatchable　in

the　presence　of　any　man；　if　the　secret　oracles　whose　whisper　makes

the　sweetness　and　dignity　of　his　life；　do　here　withdraw　and

accompany；　him　no　longer；　it　is　time　to　undervalue　what　he　has

valued；　to　dispossess　himself　of　what　he　has　acquired；　and　with

Caesar　to　take　in　his　hand　the　army；　the　empire；　and　Cleopatra；　and

say；　‘All　these　will　I　relinquish；　if　you　will　show　me　the　fountains

of　the　Nile。'　Dear　to　us　are　those　who　love　us；　the　swift　moments　we

spend　with　them　are　a　compensation　for　a　great　deal　of　misery　they

enlarge　our　life；　　but　dearer　are　those　who　reject　us　as　unworthy；

for　they　add　another　life：　they　build　a　heaven　before　us；　whereof　we

had　not　dreamed；　and　thereby　supply　to　us　new　powers　out　of　the

recesses　of　the　spirit；　and　urge　us　to　new　and　unattempted

performances。　　As　every　man　at　heart　wishes　the　best　and　not　inferior

society；　wishes　to　be　convicted　of　his　error；　and　to　come　to　himself；

so　he　wishes　that　the　same　healing　should　not　stop　in　his　thought；

but　should　penetrate　his　will　or　active　power。　　The　selfish　man

suffers　more　from　his　selfishness；　than　he　from　whom　that　selfishness

withholds　some　important　benefit。　　What　he　most　wishes　is　to　be

lifted　to　some　higher　platform；　that　he　may　see　beyond　his　present

fear　the　transalpine　good；　so　that　his　fear；　his　coldness；　his　custom

may　be　broken　up　like　fragments　of　ice；　melted　and　carried　away　in

the　great　stream　of　good　will。　　Do　you　ask　my　aid？　　I　also　wish　to　be

a　benefactor。　　I　wish　more　to　be　a　benefactor　and　servant；　than　you

wish　to　be　served　by　me；　and　surely　the　greatest　good　fortune　that

could　befall　me；　is　precisely　to　be　so　moved　by　you　that　I　should

say；　‘Take　me　and　all　nine；　and　use　me　and　mine　freely　to　your　ends'！

for；　I　could　not　say　it；　otherwise　than　because　a　great　enlargement

had　come　to　my　heart　and　mind；　which　made　me　superior　to　my　fortunes。

Here　we　are　paralyzed　with　fear；　we　hold　on　to　our　little　properties；

house　and　land；　office　and　money；　for　the　bread　which　they　have　in

our　experience　yielded　us；　although　we　confess；　that　our　being　does

not　flow　through　them。　　We　desire　to　be　made　great；　we　desire　to　be

touched　with　that　fire　which　shall　command　this　ice　to　stream；　and

make　our　existence　a　benefit。　　If　therefore　we　start　objections　to

your　project；　O　friend　of　the　slave；　or　friend　of　the　poor；　or　of　the

race；　understand　well；　that　it　is　because　we　wish　to　drive　you　to

drive　us　into　your　measures。　　We　wish　to　hear　ourselves　confuted。　　We

are　haunted　with　a　belief　that　you　have　a　secret；　which　it　would

highliest　advantage　us　to　learn；　and　we　would　force　you　to　impart　it

to　us；　though　it　should　bring　us　to　prison；　or　to　worse　extremity。

Nothing　shall　warp　me　from　the　belief；　that　every　man　is　a　lover　of

truth。　　There　is　no　pure　lie；　no　pure　malignity　in　nature。　　The

entertainment　of　the　proposition　of　depravity　is　the　last　profligacy

and　profanation。　　There　is　no　skepticism；　no　atheism　but　that。　　Could

it　be　received　into　common　belief；　suicide　would　unpeople　the　planet。

It　has　had　a　name　to　live　in　some　dogmatic　theology；　but　each　man's

innocence　and　his　real　liking　of　his　neighbor；　have　kept　it　a　dead

letter。　　I　remember　standing　at　the　polls　one　day；　when　the　anger　of

the　political　contest　gave　a　certain　grimness　to　the　faces　of　the

independent　electors；　and　a　good　man　at　my　side　looking　on　the

people；　remarked；　〃I　am　satisfied　that　the　largest　part　of　these　men；

on　either　side；　mean　to　vote　right。〃　I　suppose；　considerate　observers

looking　at　the　masses　of　men；　in　their　blameless；　and　in　their

equivocal　actions；　will　assent；　that　in　spite　of　selfishness　and

frivolity；　the　general　purpose　in　the　great　number　of　persons　is

fidelity。　　The　reason　why　any　one　refuses　his　assent　to　your　opinion；

or　his　aid　to　your　benevolent　design；　is　in　you：　he　refuses　to　accept

you　as　a　bringer　of　truth；　because；　though　you　think　you　have　it；　he