louis lambert-第9节

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incident；　analogous　to　what　may　be　known　of　the　phenomena　of　sleep　in
several　persons；　will　illustrate　the　beginnings　of　Lambert's　line　of
talent；　he　took　it；　in　fact；　as　the　basis　of　a　whole　system；　using　a
fragmentas　Cuvier　did　in　another　branch　of　inquiryas　a　clue　to　the
reconstruction　of　a　complete　system。

At　this　moment　we　were　sitting　together　on　an　old　oak…stump；　and　after
a　few　minutes'　reflection；　Louis　said　to　me：

〃If　the　landscape　did　not　come　to　mewhich　it　is　absurd　to　imagineI
must　have　come　here。　If　I　was　here　while　I　was　asleep　in　my　cubicle；
does　not　that　constitute　a　complete　severance　of　my　body　and　my　inner
being？　Does　it　not　prove　some　inscrutable　locomotive　faculty　in　the
spirit　with　effects　resembling　those　of　locomotion　in　the　body？　Well；
then；　if　my　spirit　and　my　body　can　be　severed　during　sleep；　why　should
I　not　insist　on　their　separating　in　the　same　way　while　I　am　awake？　I
see　no　half…way　mean　between　the　two　propositions。

〃But　if　we　go　further　into　details：　either　the　facts　are　due　to　the
action　of　a　faculty　which　brings　out　a　second　being　to　whom　my　body　is
merely　a　husk；　since　I　was　in　my　cell；　and　yet　I　saw　the　landscape
and　this　upsets　many　systems；　or　the　facts　took　place　either　in　some
nerve　centre；　of　which　the　name　is　yet　to　be　discovered；　where　our
feelings　dwell　and　move；　or　else　in　the　cerebral　centre；　where　ideas
are　formed。　This　last　hypothesis　gives　rise　to　some　strange　questions。
I　walked；　I　saw；　I　heard。　Motion　is　inconceivable　but　in　space；　sound
acts　only　at　certain　angles　or　on　surfaces；　color　is　caused　only　by
light。　If；　in　the　dark；　with　my　eyes　shut；　I　saw；　in　myself；　colored
objects；　if　I　heard　sounds　in　the　most　perfect　silence　and　without　the
conditions　requisite　for　the　production　of　sound；　if　without　stirring
I　traversed　wide　tracts　of　space；　there　must　be　inner　faculties
independent　of　the　external　laws　of　physics。　Material　nature　must　be
penetrable　by　the　spirit。

〃How　is　it　that　men　have　hitherto　given　so　little　thought　to　the
phenomena　of　sleep；　which　seem　to　prove　that　man　has　a　double　life？
May　there　not　be　a　new　science　lying　beneath　them？〃　he　added；　striking
his　brow　with　his　hand。　〃If　not　the　elements　of　a　science；　at　any　rate
the　revelation　of　stupendous　powers　in　man；　at　least　they　prove　a
frequent　severance　of　our　two　natures；　the　fact　I　have　been　thinking
out　for　a　very　long　time。　At　last；　then；　I　have　hit　on　evidence　to
show　the　superiority　that　distinguishes　our　latent　senses　from　our
corporeal　senses！　/Homo　duplex/！

〃And　yet；〃　he　went　on；　after　a　pause；　with　a　doubtful　shrug；　〃perhaps
we　have　not　two　natures；　perhaps　we　are　merely　gifted　with　personal
and　perfectible　qualities；　of　which　the　development　within　us　produces
certain　unobserved　phenomena　of　activity；　penetration；　and　vision。　In
our　love　of　the　marvelous；　a　passion　begotten　of　our　pride；　we　have
translated　these　effects　into　poetical　inventions；　because　we　did　not
understand　them。　It　is　so　convenient　to　deify　the　incomprehensible！

〃I　should；　I　own；　lament　over　the　loss　of　my　illusions。　I　so　much
wished　to　believe　in　our　twofold　nature　and　in　Swedenborg's　angels。
Must　this　new　science　destroy　them？　Yes；　for　the　study　of　our　unknown
properties　involves　us　in　a　science　that　appears　to　be　materialistic；
for　the　Spirit　uses；　divides；　and　animates　the　Substance；　but　it　does
not　destroy　it。〃

He　remained　pensive；　almost　sad。　Perhaps　he　saw　the　dreams　of　his
youth　as　swaddling　clothes　that　he　must　soon　shake　off。

〃Sight　and　hearing　are；　no　doubt；　the　sheaths　for　a　very　marvelous
instrument；〃　said　he；　laughing　at　his　own　figure　of　speech。

Always　when　he　was　talking　to　me　of　Heaven　and　Hell；　he　was　wont　to
treat　of　Nature　as　being　master；　but　now；　as　he　pronounced　these　last
words；　big　with　prescience；　he　seemed　to　soar　more　boldly　than　ever
above　the　landscape；　and　his　forehead　seemed　ready　to　burst　with　the
afflatus　of　genius。　His　powersmental　powers　we　must　call　them　till
some　new　term　is　foundseemed　to　flash　from　the　organs　intended　to
express　them。　His　eyes　shot　out　thoughts；　his　uplifted　hand；　his
silent　but　tremulous　lips　were　eloquent；　his　burning　glance　was
radiant；　at　last　his　head；　as　though　too　heavy；　or　exhausted　by　too
eager　a　flight；　fell　on　his　breast。　This　boythis　giantbent　his
head；　took　my　hand　and　clasped　it　in　his　own；　which　was　damp；　so
fevered　was　he　for　the　search　for　truth；　then；　after　a　pause；　he　said：

〃I　shall　be　famous！And　you；　too；〃　he　added　after　a　pause。　〃We　will
both　study　the　Chemistry　of　the　Will。〃

Noble　soul！　I　recognized　his　superiority；　though　he　took　great　care
never　to　make　me　feel　it。　He　shared　with　me　all　the　treasures　of　his
mind；　and　regarded　me　as　instrumental　in　his　discoveries；　leaving　me
the　credit　of　my　insignificant　contributions。　He　was　always　as
gracious　as　a　woman　in　love；　he　had　all　the　bashful　feeling；　the
delicacy　of　soul　which　make　life　happy　and　pleasant　to　endure。



On　the　following　day　he　began　writing　what　he　called　a　/Treatise　on
the　Will/；　his　subsequent　reflections　led　to　many　changes　in　its　plan
and　method；　but　the　incident　of　that　day　was　certainly　the　germ　of　the
work；　just　as　the　electric　shock　always　felt　by　Mesmer　at　the　approach
of　a　particular　manservant　was　the　starting…point　of　his　discoveries
in　magnetism；　a　science　till　then　interred　under　the　mysteries　of
Isis；　of　Delphi；　of　the　cave　of　Trophonius；　and　rediscovered　by　that
prodigious　genius；　close　on　Lavater；　and　the　precursor　of　Gall。

Lambert's　ideas；　suddenly　illuminated　by　this　flash　of　light；　assumed
vaster　proportions；　he　disentangled　certain　truths　from　his　many
acquisitions　and　brought　them　into　order；　then；　like　a　founder；　he
cast　the　model　of　his　work。　At　the　end　of　six　months'　indefatigable
labor；　Lambert's　writings　excited　the　curiosity　of　our　companions；　and
became　the　object　of　cruel　practical　jokes　which　led　to　a　fatal　issue。

One　day　one　of　the　masters；　who　was　bent　on　seeing　the　manuscripts；
enlisted　the　aid　of　our　tyrants；　and　came　to　seize；　by　force；　a　box
that　contained　the　precious　papers。　Lambert　and　I　defended　it　with
incredible　courage。　The　trunk　was　locked；　our　aggressors　could　not
open　it；　but　they　tried　to　smash　it　in　the　struggle；　a　stroke　of
malignity　at　which　we　shrieked　with　rage。　Some　of　the　boys；　with　a
sense　of　justice；　or　struck　perhaps　by　our　heroic　defence；　advised　the
attacking　party　to　leave　us　in　peace；　crushing　us　with　insulting
contempt。　But　suddenly；　brought　to　the　spot　by　the　noise　of　a　battle；
Father　Haugoult　roughly　intervened；　inquiring　as　to　the　cause　of　the
fight。　Our　enemies　had　interrupted　us　in　writing　our　impositions；　and
the　class…master　came　to　protect　his　slaves。　The　foe；　in　self…defence；
betrayed　the　existence　of　the　manuscript。　The　dreadful　Haugoult
insisted　on　our　giving　up　the　box；　if　we　should　resist；　he　would　have
it　broken　open。　Lambert　gave　him　the　key；　the　master　took　out　the
papers；　glanced　through　them；　and　said；　as　he　confiscated　them：

〃And　it　is　for　such　rubbish　as　this　that　you　neglect　your　lessons！〃

Large　tears　fell　from　Lambert's　eyes；　wrung　from　him　as　much　by　a
sense　of　his　offended　moral　superiority　as　by　the　gratuitous　insult
and　betrayal　that　he　had　suffered。　We　gave　the　accusers　a　glance　of
stern　reproach：　had　they　not　delivered　us　over　to　the　common　enemy？　If
the　common　law　of　school　entitled　them　to　thrash　us；　did　it　not
require　them　to　keep　silence　as　to　our　misdeeds？

In　a　moment　they　were　no　doubt　ashamed　of　their　baseness。

Father　Haugoult　probably　sold　the　/Treatise　on　the　Will/　to　a　local
grocer；　unconscious　of　the　scientific　treasure；　of　which　the　germs
thus　fell　into　unworthy　hands。



Six　months　later　I　left　the　school；　and　I　do　not　know　whether　Lambert
ever　recommenced　his　labors。　Our　parting　threw　him　into　a　mood　of　the
darkest　melancholy。

It　was　in　memory　of　the　disaster　that　befell　Louis'　book　that；　in　the
tale　which　comes　first　in　these　/Etudes/；　I　adopted　the　title　invented
by　Lambert　for　a　work　of　fiction；　and　gave　the　name　of　a　woman　who　was
dear　to　him　to　a　girl　characterized　by　her　self…devotion；　but　this　is
not　all　I　have　borrowed　from　him：　his　character　and　occupations　were
of　great　value　to　me　in　writing　that　book；　and　the　subject　arose　from
some　reminiscences　of　our　youthful　meditations。　This　present　volume　is
intended　as　a　modest　monument；　a　broken　column；　to　commemorate　the
life　of　the　man　who　bequeathed　to　me　all　he　had　to　leavehis
thoughts。

In　that　boyish　effort　Lambert　had　enshrined　the　ideas　of　a　man。　Ten
years　later；　when　I　met　some　learned　men　who　were　devoting　serious
attention　to　the　phenomena　that　had　struck　us　and　that　Lambert　had　so
marvelously　analyzed；　I　understood　the　value　of　his　work；　then　already
forgotten　as　childish。　I　at　once　spent　several　months　in　recalling　the
principal　theories　discovered　by　my　poor　schoolmate。　Having　collected
my　reminiscences；　I　can　boldly　state　that；　by　1812；　he　had　proved；
divined；　and　set　forth　in　his　Treatise　several　important　facts　of
which；　as　he　had　declared；　evidence　was　certain　to　come　sooner　or
later。　His　philosophical　speculations　ought　undoubtedly　to　gain　him
re