louis lambert-第11节

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Sometimes　they　found　it　reconstructing　the　past；　either　by　the　power
of　retrospective　vision；　or　by　the　mystery　of　a　palingenesis　not
unlike　the　power　a　man　might　have　of　detecting　in　the　form；
integument；　and　embryo　in　a　seed；　the　flowers　of　the　past；　and　the
numberless　variations　of　their　color；　scent；　and　shape；　and　sometimes；
again；　it　could　be　seen　vaguely　foreseeing　the　future；　either　by　its
apprehension　of　final　causes；　or　by　some　phenomenon　of　physical
presentiment。

Other　men；　less　poetically　religious；　cold；　and　argumentativequacks
perhaps；　but　enthusiasts　in　brain　at　least；　if　not　in　heart
recognizing　some　isolated　examples　of　such　phenomena；　admitted　their
truth　while　refusing　to　consider　them　as　radiating　from　a　common
centre。　Each　of　these　was；　then；　bent　on　constructing　a　science　out　of
a　simple　fact。　Hence　arose　demonology；　judicial　astrology；　the　black
arts；　in　short；　every　form　of　divination　founded　on　circumstances　that
were　essentially　transient；　because　they　varied　according　to　men's
temperament；　and　to　conditions　that　are　still　completely　unknown。

But　from　these　errors　of　the　learned；　and　from　the　ecclesiastical
trials　under　which　fell　so　many　martyrs　to　their　own　powers；　startling
evidence　was　derived　of　the　prodigious　faculties　at　the　command　of　the
Being　of　Action；　which；　according　to　Lambert；　can　abstract　itself
completely　from　the　Being　of　Reaction；　bursting　its　envelope；　and
piercing　walls　by　its　potent　vision；　a　phenomenon　known　to　the
Hindoos；　as　missionaries　tell　us；　by　the　name　of　/Tokeiad/；　or　again；
by　another　faculty；　can　grasp　in　the　brain；　in　spite　of　its　closest
convolutions；　the　ideas　which　are　formed　or　forming　there；　and　the
whole　of　past　consciousness。

〃If　apparitions　are　not　impossible；〃　said　Lambert；　〃they　must　be　due
to　a　faculty　of　discerning　the　ideas　which　represent　man　in　his　purest
essence；　whose　life；　imperishable　perhaps；　escapes　our　grosser　senses；
though　they　may　become　perceptible　to　the　inner　being　when　it　has
reached　a　high　degree　of　ecstasy；　or　a　great　perfection　of　vision。〃

I　knowthough　my　remembrance　is　now　vaguethat　Lambert；　by　following
the　results　of　Mind　and　Will　step　by　step；　after　he　had　established
their　laws；　accounted　for　a　multitude　of　phenomena　which；　till　then；
had　been　regarded　with　reason　as　incomprehensible。　Thus　wizards；　men
possessed　with　second　sight；　and　demoniacs　of　every　degreethe
victims　of　the　Middle　Agesbecame　the　subject　of　explanations　so
natural；　that　their　very　simplicity　often　seemed　to　me　the　seal　of
their　truth。　The　marvelous　gifts　which　the　Church　of　Rome；　jealous　of
all　mysteries；　punished　with　the　stake；　were；　in　Louis'　opinion；　the
result　of　certain　affinities　between　the　constituent　elements　of
matter　and　those　of　mind；　which　proceed　from　the　same　source。　The　man
holding　a　hazel　rod　when　he　found　a　spring　of　water　was　guided　by　some
antipathy　or　sympathy　of　which　he　was　unconscious；　nothing　but　the
eccentricity　of　these　phenomena　could　have　availed　to　give　some　of
them　historic　certainty。

Sympathies　have　rarely　been　proved；　they　afford　a　kind　of　pleasure
which　those　who　are　so　happy　as　to　possess　them　rarely　speak　of　unless
they　are　abnormally　singular；　and　even　then　only　in　the　privacy　of
intimate　intercourse；　where　everything　is　buried。　But　the　antipathies
that　arise　from　the　inversion　of　affinities　have；　very　happily；　been
recorded　when　developed　by　famous　men。　Thus；　Bayle　had　hysterics　when
he　heard　water　splashing；　Scaliger　turned　pale　at　the　sight　of　water…
cress；　Erasmus　was　thrown　into　a　fever　by　the　smell　of　fish。　These
three　antipathies　were　connected　with　water。　The　Duc　d'Epernon　fainted
at　the　sight　of　a　hare；　Tycho…Brahe　at　that　of　a　fox；　Henri　III。　at
the　presence　of　a　cat；　the　Marechal　d'Albret　at　the　sight　of　a　wild
hog；　these　antipathies　were　produced　by　animal　emanations；　and　often
took　effect　at　a　great　distance。　The　Chevalier　de　Guise；　Marie　de
Medici；　and　many　other　persons　have　felt　faint　at　seeing　a　rose　even
in　a　painting。　Lord　Bacon；　whether　he　were　forewarned　or　no　of　an
eclipse　of　the　moon；　always　fell　into　a　syncope　while　it　lasted；　and
his　vitality；　suspended　while　the　phenomenon　lasted　was　restored　as
soon　as　it　was　over　without　his　feeling　any　further　inconvenience。
These　effects　of　antipathy；　all　well　authenticated；　and　chosen　from
among　many　which　history　has　happened　to　preserve；　are　enough　to　give
a　clue　to　the　sympathies　which　remain　unknown。

This　fragment　of　Lambert's　investigations；　which　I　remember　from　among
his　essays；　will　throw　a　light　on　the　method　on　which　he　worked。　I
need　not　emphasize　the　obvious　connection　between　this　theory　and　the
collateral　sciences　projected　by　Gall　and　Lavater；　they　were　its
natural　corollary；　and　every　more　or　less　scientific　brain　will
discern　the　ramifications　by　which　it　is　inevitably　connected　with　the
phrenological　observations　of　one　and　the　speculations　on　physiognomy
of　the　other。

Mesmer's　discovery；　so　important；　though　as　yet　so　little　appreciated；
was　also　embodied　in　a　single　section　of　this　treatise；　though　Louis
did　not　know　the　Swiss　doctor's　writingswhich　are　few　and　brief。

A　simple　and　logical　inference　from　these　principles　led　him　to
perceive　that　the　will　might　be　accumulated　by　a　contractile　effort　of
the　inner　man；　and　then；　by　another　effort；　projected；　or　even
imparted；　to　material　objects。　Thus　the　whole　force　of　a　man　must　have
the　property　of　reacting　on　other　men；　and　of　infusing　into　them　an
essence　foreign　to　their　own；　if　they　could　not　protect　themselves
against　such　an　aggression。　The　evidence　of　this　theorem　of　the
science　of　humanity　is；　of　course；　very　multifarious；　but　there　is
nothing　to　establish　it　beyond　question。　We　have　only　the　notorious
disaster　of　Marius　and　his　harangue　to　the　Cimbrian　commanded　to　kill
him；　or　the　august　injunction　of　a　mother　to　the　Lion　of　Florence；　in
historic　proof　of　instances　of　such　lightning　flashes　of　mind。　To
Lambert；　then；　Will　and　Thought　were　/living　forces/；　and　he　spoke　of
them　in　such　a　way　as　to　impress　his　belief　on　the　hearer。　To　him
these　two　forces　were；　in　a　way；　visible；　tangible。　Thought　was　slow
or　alert；　heavy　or　nimble；　light　or　dark；　he　ascribed　to　it　all　the
attributes　of　an　active　agent；　and　thought　of　it　as　rising；　resting；
waking；　expanding；　growing　old；　shrinking；　becoming　atrophied；　or
resuscitating；　he　described　its　life；　and　specified　all　its　actions　by
the　strangest　words　in　our　language；　speaking　of　its　spontaneity；　its
strength；　and　all　its　qualities　with　a　kind　of　intuition　which　enabled
him　to　recognize　all　the　manifestations　of　its　substantial　existence。

〃Often；〃　said　he；　〃in　the　midst　of　quiet　and　silence；　when　our　inner
faculties　are　dormant；　when　a　sort　of　darkness　reigns　within　us；　and
we　are　lost　in　the　contemplation　of　things　outside　us；　an　idea
suddenly　flies　forth；　and　rushes　with　the　swiftness　of　lightning
across　the　infinite　space　which　our　inner　vision　allows　us　to
perceive。　This　radiant　idea；　springing　into　existence　like　a　will…o'…
the…wisp；　dies　out　never　to　return；　an　ephemeral　life；　like　that　of
babes　who　give　their　parents　such　infinite　joy　and　sorrow；　a　sort　of
still…born　blossom　in　the　fields　of　the　mind。　Sometimes　an　idea；
instead　of　springing　forcibly　into　life　and　dying　unembodied；　dawns
gradually；　hovers　in　the　unknown　limbo　of　the　organs　where　it　has　its
birth；　exhausts　us　by　long　gestation；　develops；　is　itself　fruitful；
grows　outwardly　in　all　the　grace　of　youth　and　the　promising　attributes
of　a　long　life；　it　can　endure　the　closest　inspection；　invites　it；　and
never　tires　the　sight；　the　investigation　it　undergoes　commands　the
admiration　we　give　to　works　slowly　elaborated。　Sometimes　ideas　are
evolved　in　a　swarm；　one　brings　another；　they　come　linked　together；
they　vie　with　each　other；　they　fly　in　clouds；　wild　and　headlong。
Again；　they　rise　up　pallid　and　misty；　and　perish　for　want　of　strength
or　of　nutrition；　the　vital　force　is　lacking。　Or　again；　on　certain
days；　they　rush　down　into　the　depths　to　light　up　that　immense
obscurity；　they　terrify　us　and　leave　the　soul　dejected。

〃Ideas　are　a　complete　system　within　us；　resembling　a　natural　kingdom；
a　sort　of　flora；　of　which　the　iconography　will　one　day　be　outlined　by
some　man　who　will　perhaps　be　accounted　a　madman。

〃Yes；　within　us　and　without；　everything　testifies　to　the　livingness　of
those　exquisite　creations；　which　I　compare　with　flowers　in　obedience
to　some　unutterable　revelation　of　their　true　nature！

〃Their　being　produced　as　the　final　cause　of　man　is；　after　all；　not
more　amazing　than　the　production　of　perfume　and　color　in　a　plant。
Perfumes　/are/　ideas；　perhaps！

〃When　we　consider　the　line　where　flesh　ends　and　the　nail　begins
contains　the　invisible　and　inexplicable　mystery　of　the　constant
transformation　of　a　fluid　into　horn；　we　must　confess　that　nothing　is
impossible　in　the　marvelous　modifications　of　human　tissue。

〃And　are　there　not　in　our　inner　nature　phenomena　of　weight　and　motion
comparable　to　those　of　physical　nature？　Suspense；　to　choose　an　example
vividly　familiar　to　everybody；　is　painful　only　as　a　result　of　the　law
in　virtue　of　which