sartor resartus-第35节

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mazement　enough；　like　the　Lothario　in　_Wilhelm　Meister_；　that　your　'America　is　here　or　nowhere'？　　The　Situation　that　has　not　its　Duty；　its　Ideal；　was　never　yet　occupied　by　man。　　Yes　here；　in　this　poor；　miserable；　hampered；　despicable　Actual；　wherein　thou　even　now　standest；　here　or　nowhere　is　thy　Ideal：　　work　it　out　therefrom；　and　working；　believe；　live；　be　free。　　Fool！　the　Ideal　is　in　thyself；　the　impediment　too　is　in　thyself：　　thy　Condition　is　but　the　stuff　thou　art　to　shape　that　same　Ideal　out　of：　　what　matters　whether　such　stuff　be　of　this　sort　or　that；　so　the　Form　thou　give　it　be　heroic；　be　poetic？　O　thou　that　pinest　in　the　imprisonment　of　the　Actual；　and　criest　bitterly　to　the　gods　for　a　kingdom　wherein　to　rule　and　create；　know　this　of　a　truth：　　the　thing　thou　seekest　is　already　with　thee；　'here　or　nowhere；'　couldst　thou　only　see！

〃But　it　is　with　man's　Soul　as　it　was　with　Nature：　　the　beginning　of　Creation　isLight。　　Till　the　eye　have　vision；　the　whole　members　are　in　bonds。　　Divine　moment；　when　over　the　tempest…tost　Soul；　as　once　over　the　wild…weltering　Chaos；　it　is　spoken：　　Let　there　be　Light！　　Ever　to　the　greatest　that　has　felt　such　moment；　is　it　not　miraculous　and　God…announcing；　even　as；　under　simpler　figures；　to　the　simplest　and　least。　The　mad　primeval　Discord　is　hushed；　the　rudely　jumbled　conflicting　elements　bind　themselves　into　separate　Firmaments：　　deep　silent　rock…foundations　are　built　beneath；　and　the　skyey　vault　with　its　everlasting　Luminaries　above：　instead　of　a　dark　wasteful　Chaos；　we　have　a　blooming；　fertile；　heaven…encompassed　World。

〃I　too　could　now　say　to　myself：　　Be　no　longer　a　Chaos；　but　a　World；　or　even　Worldkin。　　Produce！　　Produce！　　Were　it　but　the　pitifullest　infinitesimal　fraction　of　a　Product；　produce　it；　in　God's　name！　　'Tis　the　utmost　thou　hast　in　thee：　　out　with　it；　then。　　Up；　up！　　Whatsoever　thy　hand　findeth　to　do；　do　it　with　thy　whole　might。　　Work　while　it　is　called　To…day；　for　the　Night　cometh；　wherein　no　man　can　work。〃


CHAPTER　X。　PAUSE。

Thus　have　we；　as　closely　and　perhaps　satisfactorily　as；　in　such　circumstances；　might　be；　followed　Teufelsdrockh；　through　the　various　successive　states　and　stages　of　Growth；　Entanglement；　Unbelief；　and　almost　Reprobation；　into　a　certain　clearer　state　of　what　he　himself　seems　to　consider　as　Conversion。　　〃Blame　not　the　word；〃　says　he；　〃rejoice　rather　that　such　a　word；　signifying　such　a　thing；　has　come　to　light　in　our　modern　Era；　though　hidden　from　the　wisest　Ancients。　　The　Old　World　knew　nothing　of　Conversion；　instead　of　an　_Ecce　Homo_；　they　had　only　some　_Choice　of　Hercules_。　　It　was　a　new…attained　progress　in　the　Moral　Development　of　man：　hereby　has　the　Highest　come　home　to　the　bosoms　of　the　most　Limited；　what　to　Plato　was　but　a　hallucination；　and　to　Socrates　a　chimera；　is　now　clear　and　certain　to　your　Zinzendorfs；　your　Wesleys；　and　the　poorest　of　their　Pietists　and　Methodists。〃

It　is　here；　then；　that　the　spiritual　majority　of　Teufelsdrockh　commences：　we　are　henceforth　to　see　him　〃work　in　well…doing；〃　with　the　spirit　and　clear　aims　of　a　Man。　　He　has　discovered　that　the　Ideal　Workshop　he　so　panted　for　is　even　this　same　Actual　ill…furnished　Workshop　he　has　so　long　been　stumbling　in。　　He　can　say　to　himself：　　〃Tools？　　Thou　hast　no　Tools？　Why；　there　is　not　a　Man；　or　a　Thing；　now　alive　but　has　tools。　　The　basest　of　created　animalcules；　the　Spider　itself；　has　a　spinning…jenny；　and　warping…mill；　and　power…loom　within　its　head：　　the　stupidest　of　Oysters　has　a　Papin's…Digester；　with　stone…and…lime　house　to　hold　it　in：　　every　being　that　can　live　can　do　something：　　this　let　him　_do_。　Tools？　　Hast　thou　not　a　Brain；　furnished；　furnishable　with　some　glimmerings　of　Light；　and　three　fingers　to　hold　a　Pen　withal？　　Never　since　Aaron's　Rod　went　out　of　practice；　or　even　before　it；　was　there　such　a　wonder…working　Tool：　　greater　than　all　recorded　miracles　have　been　performed　by　Pens。　　For　strangely　in　this　so　solid…seeming　World；　which　nevertheless　is　in　continual　restless　flux；　it　is　appointed　that　_Sound_；　to　appearance　the　most　fleeting；　should　be　the　most　continuing　of　all　things。　　The　WORD　is　well　said　to　be　omnipotent　in　this　world；　man；　thereby　divine；　can　create　as　by　a　_Fiat_。　Awake；　arise！　　Speak　forth　what　is　in　thee；　what　God　has　given　thee；　what　the　Devil　shall　not　take　away。　　Higher　task　than　that　of　Priesthood　was　allotted　to　no　man：　　wert　thou　but　the　meanest　in　that　sacred　Hierarchy；　is　it　not　honor　enough　therein　to　spend　and　be　spent？

〃By　this　Art；　which　whoso　will　may　sacrilegiously　degrade　into　a　handicraft；〃　adds　Teufelsdrockh；　〃have　I　thenceforth　abidden。　　Writings　of　mine；　not　indeed　known　as　mine　（for　what　am　I？）；　have　fallen；　perhaps　not　altogether　void；　into　the　mighty　seedfield　of　Opinion；　fruits　of　my　unseen　sowing　gratifyingly　meet　me　here　and　there。　　I　thank　the　Heavens　that　I　have　now　found　my　Calling；　wherein；　with　or　without　perceptible　result；　I　am　minded　diligently　to　persevere。

〃Nay　how　knowest　thou；〃　cries　he；　〃but　this　and　the　other　pregnant　Device；　now　grown　to　be　a　world…renowned　far…working　Institution；　like　a　grain　of　right　mustard…seed　once　cast　into　the　right　soil；　and　now　stretching　out　strong　boughs　to　the　four　winds；　for　the　birds　of　the　air　to　lodge　in；may　have　been　properly　my　doing？　　Some　one's　doing；　it　without　doubt　was；　from　some　Idea；　in　some　single　Head；　it　did　first　of　all　take　beginning：　　why　not　from　some　Idea　in　mine？〃　　Does　Teufelsdrockh；　here　glance　at　that　〃SOCIETY　FOR　THE　CONSERVATION　OF　PROPERTY　（_Eigenthums…conservirende　Gesellschaft_）；〃　of　which　so　many　ambiguous　notices　glide　spectra…like　through　these　inexpressible　Paper…bags？　　〃An　Institution；〃　hints　he；　〃not　unsuitable　to　the　wants　of　the　time；　as　indeed　such　sudden　extension　proves：　　for　already　can　the　Society　number；　among　its　office…bearers　or　corresponding　members；　the　highest　Names；　if　not　the　highest　Persons；　in　Germany；　England；　France；　and　contributions；　both　of　money　and　of　meditation　pour　in　from　all　quarters；　to；　if　possible；　enlist　the　remaining　Integrity　of　the　world；　and；　defensively　and　with　forethought；　marshal　it　round　this　Palladium。〃　　Does　Teufelsdrockh　mean；　then；　to　give　himself　out　as　the　originator　of　that　so　notable　_Eigenthums…conservirende_　（〃Owndom…conserving〃）　_Gesellschaft_；　and　if　so；　what；　in　the　Devil's　name；　is　it？　　He　again　hints：　　〃At　a　time　when　the　divine　Commandment；　_Thou　shalt　not　steal_；　wherein　truly；　if　well　understood；　is　comprised　the　whole　Hebrew　Decalogue；　with　Solon's　and　Lycurgrus's　Constitutions；　Justinian's　Pandects；　the　Code　Napoleon；　and　all　Codes；　Catechisms；　Divinities；　Moralities　whatsoever；　that　man　has　hitherto　devised　（and　enforced　with　Altar…fire　and　Gallows…ropes）　for　his　social　guidance：　　at　a　time；　I　say；　when　this　divine　Commandment　has　all　but　faded　away　from　the　general　remembrance；　and；　with　little　disguise；　a　new　opposite　Commandment；　_Thou　shalt　steal_；　is　everywhere　promulgated；it　perhaps　behooved；　in　this　universal　dotage　and　deliration；　the　sound　portion　of　mankind　to　bestir　themselves　and　rally。　　When　the　widest　and　wildest　violations　of　that　divine　right　of　Property；　the　only　divine　right　now　extant　or　conceivable；　are　sanctioned　and　recommended　by　a　vicious　Press；　and　the　world　has　lived　to　hear　it　asserted　that　_we　have　no　Property　in　our　very　Bodies；　but　only　an　accidental　Possession　and　Life…rent_；　what　is　the　issue　to　be　looked　for？　　Hangmen　and　Catchpoles　may；　by　their　noose…gins　and　baited　fall…traps；　keep　down　the　smaller　sort　of　vermin；　but　what；　except　perhaps　some　such　Universal　Association；　can　protect　us　against　whole　meat…devouring　and　man…devouring　hosts　of　Boa…constrictors。　　If；　therefore；　the　more　sequestered　Thinker　have　wondered；　in　his　privacy；　from　what　hand　that　perhaps　not　ill…written　_Program_　in　the　Public　Journals；　with　its　high　_Prize…Questions_　and　so　liberal　_Prizes_；　could　have　proceeded；let　him　now　cease　such　wonder；　and；　with　undivided　faculty；　betake　himself　to　the　_Concurrenz_　（Competition）。〃

We　ask：　　Has　this　same　〃perhaps　not　ill…written　_Program_；〃　or　any　other　authentic　Transaction　of　that　Property…conserving　Society；　fallen　under　the　eye　of　the　British　Reader；　in　any　Journal　foreign　or　domestic？　　If　so；　what　are　those　_Prize…Questions_；　what　are　the　terms　of　Competition；　and　when　and　where？　　No　printed　Newspaper…leaf；　no　farther　light　of　any　sort；　to　be　met　with　in　these　Paper…bags！　　Or　is　the　whole　business　one　other　of　those　whimsicalities　and　perverse　inexplicabilities；　whereby　Herr　Teufelsdrockh；　meaning　much　or　nothing；　is　pleased　so　often　to　play　fast…and…loose　with　us？


Here；　indeed；　at　length；　must　the　Editor　give　utterance　to　a　painful　suspicion；　which；　through　late　Chapters；　has　begun　to　haunt　him；　paralyzing　any　little　enthusiasm　that　might　still　have　rendered　his　thorny　Biographical　task　a　labor　of　love。　　It　is　a　suspicion　grounded　perhaps　on　trifles；　yet　confirmed　almost　into　certainty　by　the　more　and　more　discernible　humoristico…satirical　tendency　of　Teufelsdrockh；　in　whom　underground　humors　and　intricate　sardonic　rogueries；　wheel　within　wheel；　defy　all　reckoning：　　a　suspicion；　in　one　word；　that　these　Autobiographical　Documents　are　partly　a　mystification！　　What　if　many　a　so…called　Fact　were　little　better　than　a　Fiction；