louis lambert-第13节

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conjecture　that　the　bent　of　his　work　must　have　been　from　that　of　his
first　efforts　of　thought。

It　is　easy　to　see　where　his　/Treatise　on　the　Will/　was　faulty。　Though
gifted　already　with　the　powers　which　characterize　superior　men；　he　was
but　a　boy。　His　brain；　though　endowed　with　a　great　faculty　for
abstractions；　was　still　full　of　the　delightful　beliefs　that　hover
around　youth。　Thus　his　conception；　while　at　some　points　it　touched　the
ripest　fruits　of　his　genius；　still；　by　many　more；　clung　to　the　smaller
elements　of　its　germs。　To　certain　readers；　lovers　of　poetry；　what　he
chiefly　lacked　must　have　been　a　certain　vein　of　interest。

But　his　work　bore　the　stamp　of　the　struggle　that　was　going　on　in　that
noble　Spirit　between　the　two　great　principles　of　Spiritualism　and
Materialism；　round　which　so　many　a　fine　genius　has　beaten　its　way
without　ever　daring　to　amalgamate　them。　Louis；　at　first　purely
Spiritualist；　had　been　irresistibly　led　to　recognize　the　Material
conditions　of　Mind。　Confounded　by　the　facts　of　analysis　at　the　moment
when　his　heart　still　gazed　with　yearning　at　the　clouds　which　floated
in　Swedenborg's　heaven；　he　had　not　yet　acquired　the　necessary　powers
to　produce　a　coherent　system；　compactly　cast　in　a　piece；　as　it　were。
Hence　certain　inconsistencies　that　have　left　their　stamp　even　on　the
sketch　here　given　of　his　first　attempts。　Still；　incomplete　as　his　work
may　have　been；　was　it　not　the　rough　copy　of　a　science　of　which　he
would　have　investigated　the　secrets　at　a　later　time；　have　secured　the
foundations；　have　examined；　deduced；　and　connected　the　logical
sequence？



Six　months　after　the　confiscation　of　the　/Treatise　on　the　Will/　I　left
school。　Our　parting　was　unexpected。　My　mother；　alarmed　by　a　feverish
attack　which　for　some　months　I　had　been　unable　to　shake　off；　while　my
inactive　life　induced　symptoms　of　/coma/；　carried　me　off　at　four　or
five　hours'　notice。　The　announcement　of　my　departure　reduced　Lambert
to　dreadful　dejection。

〃Shall　I　ever　seen　you　again？〃　said　he　in　his　gentle　voice；　as　he
clasped　me　in　his　arms。　〃You　will　live；〃　he　went　on；　〃but　I　shall　die。
If　I　can；　I　will　come　back　to　you。〃

Only　the　young　can　utter　such　words　with　the　accent　of　conviction　that
gives　them　the　impressiveness　of　prophecy；　of　a　pledge；　leaving　a
terror　of　its　fulfilment。　For　a　long　time　indeed　I　vaguely　looked　for
the　promised　apparition。　Even　now　there　are　days　of　depression；　of
doubt；　alarm；　and　loneliness；　when　I　am　forced　to　repel　the　intrusion
of　that　sad　parting；　though　it　was　not　fated　to　be　the　last。

When　I　crossed　the　yard　by　which　we　left；　Lambert　was　at　one　of　the
refectory　windows　to　see　me　pass。　By　my　request　my　mother　obtained
leave　for　him　to　dine　with　us　at　the　inn；　and　in　the　evening　I
escorted　him　back　to　the　fatal　gate　of　the　college。　No　lover　and　his
mistress　ever　shed　more　tears　at　parting。

〃Well；　good…bye；　I　shall　be　left　alone　in　this　desert！〃　said　he；
pointing　to　the　playground　where　two　hundred　boys　were　disporting
themselves　and　shouting。　〃When　I　come　back　half　dead　with　fatigue　from
my　long　excursions　through　the　fields　of　thought；　on　whose　heart　can　I
rest？　I　could　tell　you　everything　in　a　look。　Who　will　understand　me
now？Good…bye！　I　could　wish　I　had　never　met　you；　I　should　not　know
all　I　am　losing。〃

〃And　what　is　to　become　of　me？〃　said　I。　〃Is　not　my　position　a　dreadful
one？　/I/　have　nothing　here　to　uphold　me！〃　and　I　slapped　my　forehead。

He　shook　his　head　with　a　gentle　gesture；　gracious　and　sad；　and　we
parted。

At　that　time　Louis　Lambert　was　about　five　feet　five　inches　in　height；
he　grew　no　more。　His　countenance；　which　was　full　of　expression；
revealed　his　sweet　nature。　Divine　patience；　developed　by　harsh　usage；
and　the　constant　concentration　needed　for　his　meditative　life；　had
bereft　his　eyes　of　the　audacious　pride　which　is　so　attractive　in　some
faces；　and　which　had　so　shocked　our　masters。　Peaceful　mildness　gave
charm　to　his　face；　an　exquisite　serenity　that　was　never　marred　by　a
tinge　of　irony　or　satire；　for　his　natural　kindliness　tempered　his
conscious　strength　and　superiority。　He　had　pretty　hands；　very　slender；
and　almost　always　moist。　His　frame　was　a　marvel；　a　model　for　a
sculptor；　but　our　iron…gray　uniform；　with　gilt　buttons　and　knee…
breeches；　gave　us　such　an　ungainly　appearance　that　Lambert's　fine
proportions　and　firm　muscles　could　only　be　appreciated　in　the　bath。
When　we　swam　in　our　pool　in　the　Loire；　Louis　was　conspicuous　by　the
whiteness　of　his　skin；　which　was　unlike　the　different　shades　of　our
schoolfellows'　bodies　mottled　by　the　cold；　or　blue　from　the　water。
Gracefully　formed；　elegant　in　his　attitudes；　delicate　in　hue；　never
shivering　after　his　bath；　perhaps　because　he　avoided　the　shade　and
always　ran　into　the　sunshine；　Louis　was　like　one　of　those　cautious
blossoms　that　close　their　petals　to　the　blast　and　refuse　to　open
unless　to　a　clear　sky。　He　ate　little；　and　drank　water　only；　either　by
instinct　or　by　choice　he　was　averse　to　any　exertion　that　made　a　demand
on　his　strength；　his　movements　were　few　and　simple；　like　those　of
Orientals　or　of　savages；　with　whom　gravity　seems　a　condition　of
nature。

As　a　rule；　he　disliked　everything　that　resembled　any　special　care　for
his　person。　He　commonly　sat　with　his　head　a　little　inclined　to　the
left；　and　so　constantly　rested　his　elbows　on　the　table；　that　the
sleeves　of　his　coats　were　soon　in　holes。

To　this　slight　picture　of　the　outer　man　I　must　add　a　sketch　of　his
moral　qualities；　for　I　believe　I　can　now　judge　him　impartially。

Though　naturally　religious；　Louis　did　not　accept　the　minute　practices
of　the　Roman　ritual；　his　ideas　were　more　intimately　in　sympathy　with
Saint　Theresa　and　Fenelon；　and　several　Fathers　and　certain　Saints；
who；　in　our　day；　would　be　regarded　as　heresiarchs　or　atheists。　He　was
rigidly　calm　during　the　services。　His　own　prayers　went　up　in　gusts；　in
aspirations；　without　any　regular　formality；　in　all　things　he　gave
himself　up　to　nature；　and　would　not　pray；　any　more　than　he　would
think；　at　any　fixed　hour。　In　chapel　he　was　equally　apt　to　think　of　God
or　to　meditate　on　some　problem　of　philosophy。

To　him　Jesus　Christ　was　the　most　perfect　type　of　his　system。　/Et
Verbum　caro　factum　est/　seemed　a　sublime　statement　intended　to　express
the　traditional　formula　of　the　Will；　the　Word；　and　the　Act　made
visible。　Christ's　unconsciousness　of　His　Deathhaving　so　perfected
His　inner　Being　by　divine　works；　that　one　day　the　invisible　form　of　it
appeared　to　His　disciplesand　the　other　Mysteries　of　the　Gospels；　the
magnetic　cures　wrought　by　Christ；　and　the　gift　of　tongues；　all　to　him
confirmed　his　doctrine。　I　remember　once　hearing　him　say　on　this
subject；　that　the　greatest　work　that　could　be　written　nowadays　was　a
History　of　the　Primitive　Church。　And　he　never　rose　to　such　poetic
heights　as　when；　in　the　evening；　as　we　conversed；　he　would　enter　on　an
inquiry　into　miracles；　worked　by　the　power　of　Will　during　that　great
age　of　faith。　He　discerned　the　strongest　evidence　of　his　theory　in
most　of　the　martyrdoms　endured　during　the　first　century　of　our　era；
which　he　spoke　of　as　/the　great　era　of　the　Mind/。

〃Do　not　the　phenomena　observed　in　almost　every　instance　of　the
torments　so　heroically　endured　by　the　early　Christians　for　the
establishment　of　the　faith；　amply　prove　that　Material　force　will　never
prevail　against　the　force　of　Ideas　or　the　Will　of　man？〃　he　would　say。
〃From　this　effect；　produced　by　the　Will　of　all；　each　man　may　draw
conclusions　in　favor　of　his　own。〃

I　need　say　nothing　of　his　views　on　poetry　or　history；　nor　of　his
judgment　on　the　masterpieces　of　our　language。　There　would　be　little
interest　in　the　record　of　opinions　now　almost　universally　held；　though
at　that　time；　from　the　lips　of　a　boy；　they　might　seem　remarkable。
Louis　was　capable　of　the　highest　flights。　To　give　a　notion　of　his
talents　in　a　few　words；　he　could　have　written　/Zadig/　as　wittily　as
Voltaire；　he　could　have　thought　out　the　dialogue　between　Sylla　and
Eucrates　as　powerfully　as　Montesquieu。　His　rectitude　of　character　made
him　desire　above　all　else　in　a　work　that　it　should　bear　the　stamp　of
utility；　at　the　same　time；　his　refined　taste　demanded　novelty　of
thought　as　well　as　of　form。　One　of　his　most　remarkable　literary
observations；　which　will　serve　as　a　clue　to　all　the　others；　and　show
the　lucidity　of　his　judgment；　is　this；　which　has　ever　dwelt　in　my
memory；　〃The　Apocalypse　is　written　ecstasy。〃　He　regarded　the　Bible　as
a　part　of　the　traditional　history　of　the　antediluvian　nations　which
had　taken　for　its　share　the　new　humanity。　He　thought　that　the
mythology　of　the　Greeks　was　borrowed　both　from　the　Hebrew　Scriptures
and　from　the　sacred　Books　of　India；　adapted　after　their　own　fashion　by
the　beauty…loving　Hellenes。

〃It　is　impossible；〃　said　he；　〃to　doubt　the　priority　of　the　Asiatic
Scriptures；　they　are　earlier　than　our　sacred　books。　The　man　who　is
candid　enough　to　admit　this　historical　fact　sees　the　whole　world
expand　before　him。　Was　it　not　on　the　Asiatic　highland　that　the　few　men
took　refuge　who　were　able　to　escape　the　catastrophe　that　ruined　our
globeif；　indeed　men　had　existed　before　that　cataclysm　or　shock？　A
serious　query；　the　answer　to　which　lies　at