17-spring-第4部分

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the　judge　does　not　dismis　his　case　　why　the　preacher　does　not

dismiss　his　congregation！　　It　is　because　they　do　not　obey　the　hint

which　God　gives　them；　nor　accept　the　pardon　which　he　freely　offers

to　all。

　　　　〃A　return　to　goodness　produced　each　day　in　the　tranquil　and

beneficent　breath　of　the　morning；　causes　that　in　respect　to　the　love

of　virtue　and　the　hatred　of　vice；　one　approaches　a　little　the

primitive　nature　of　man；　as　the　sprouts　of　the　forest　which　has　been

felled。　　In　like　manner　the　evil　which　one　does　in　the　interval　of　a

day　prevents　the　germs　of　virtues　which　began　to　spring　up　again

from　developing　themselves　and　destroys　them。

　　　　〃After　the　germs　of　virtue　have　thus　been　prevented　many　times

from　developing　themselves；　then　the　beneficent　breath　of　evening

does　not　suffice　to　preserve　them。　　As　soon　as　the　breath　of　evening

does　not　suffice　longer　to　preserve　them；　then　the　nature　of　man

does　not　differ　much　from　that　of　the　brute。　　Men　seeing　the　nature

of　this　man　like　that　of　the　brute；　think　that　he　has　never

possessed　the　innate　faculty　of　reason。　　Are　those　the　true　and

natural　sentiments　of　man？〃



　　　〃The　Golden　Age　was　first　created；　which　without　any　avenger

　　　　Spontaneously　without　law　cherished　fidelity　and　rectitude。

　　　　Punishment　and　fear　were　not；　nor　were　threatening　words　read

　　　　On　suspended　brass；　nor　did　the　suppliant　crowd　fear

　　　　The　words　of　their　judge；　but　were　safe　without　an　avenger。

　　　　Not　yet　the　pine　felled　on　its　mountains　had　descended

　　　　To　the　liquid　waves　that　it　might　see　a　foreign　world；

　　　　And　mortals　knew　no　shores　but　their　own。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　。　。　。　。　。　。　。

　　　　There　was　eternal　spring；　and　placid　zephyrs　with　warm

　　　　Blasts　soothed　the　flowers　born　without　seed。〃



　　　　On　the　29th　of　April；　as　I　was　fishing　from　the　bank　of　the

river　near　the　Nine…Acre…Corner　bridge；　standing　on　the　quaking

grass　and　willow　roots；　where　the　muskrats　lurk；　I　heard　a　singular

rattling　sound；　somewhat　like　that　of　the　sticks　which　boys　play

with　their　fingers；　when；　looking　up；　I　observed　a　very　slight　and

graceful　hawk；　like　a　nighthawk；　alternately　soaring　like　a　ripple

and　tumbling　a　rod　or　two　over　and　over；　showing　the　under　side　of

its　wings；　which　gleamed　like　a　satin　ribbon　in　the　sun；　or　like　the

pearly　inside　of　a　shell。　　This　sight　reminded　me　of　falconry　and

what　nobleness　and　poetry　are　associated　with　that　sport。　　The

Merlin　it　seemed　to　me　it　might　be　called：　but　I　care　not　for　its

name。　　It　was　the　most　ethereal　flight　I　had　ever　witnessed。　　It　did

not　simply　flutter　like　a　butterfly；　nor　soar　like　the　larger　hawks；

but　it　sported　with　proud　reliance　in　the　fields　of　air；　mounting

again　and　again　with　its　strange　chuckle；　it　repeated　its　free　and

beautiful　fall；　turning　over　and　over　like　a　kite；　and　then

recovering　from　its　lofty　tumbling；　as　if　it　had　never　set　its　foot

on　terra　firma。　　It　appeared　to　have　no　companion　in　the　universe　

sporting　there　alone　　and　to　need　none　but　the　morning　and　the

ether　with　which　it　played。　　It　was　not　lonely；　but　made　all　the

earth　lonely　beneath　it。　　Where　was　the　parent　which　hatched　it；　its

kindred；　and　its　father　in　the　heavens？　　The　tenant　of　the　air；　it

seemed　related　to　the　earth　but　by　an　egg　hatched　some　time　in　the

crevice　of　a　crag；　　or　was　its　native　nest　made　in　the　angle　of　a

cloud；　woven　of　the　rainbow's　trimmings　and　the　sunset　sky；　and

lined　with　some　soft　midsummer　haze　caught　up　from　earth？　　Its　eyry

now　some　cliffy　cloud。

　　　　Beside　this　I　got　a　rare　mess　of　golden　and　silver　and　bright

cupreous　fishes；　which　looked　like　a　string　of　jewels。　　Ah！　I　have

penetrated　to　those　meadows　on　the　morning　of　many　a　first　spring

day；　jumping　from　hummock　to　hummock；　from　willow　root　to　willow

root；　when　the　wild　river　valley　and　the　woods　were　bathed　in　so

pure　and　bright　a　light　as　would　have　waked　the　dead；　if　they　had

been　slumbering　in　their　graves；　as　some　suppose。　　There　needs　no

stronger　proof　of　immortality。　　All　things　must　live　in　such　a

light。　　O　Death；　where　was　thy　sting？　　O　Grave；　where　was　thy

victory；　then？

　　　　Our　village　life　would　stagnate　if　it　were　not　for　the

unexplored　forests　and　meadows　which　surround　it。　　We　need　the　tonic

of　wildness　　to　wade　sometimes　in　marshes　where　the　bittern　and

the　meadow…hen　lurk；　and　hear　the　booming　of　the　snipe；　to　smell　the

whispering　sedge　where　only　some　wilder　and　more　solitary　fowl

builds　her　nest；　and　the　mink　crawls　with　its　belly　close　to　the

ground。　　At　the　same　time　that　we　are　earnest　to　explore　and　learn

all　things；　we　require　that　all　things　be　mysterious　and

unexplorable；　that　land　and　sea　be　infinitely　wild；　unsurveyed　and

unfathomed　by　us　because　unfathomable。　　We　can　never　have　enough　of

nature。　　We　must　be　refreshed　by　the　sight　of　inexhaustible　vigor；

vast　and　titanic　features；　the　sea…coast　with　its　wrecks；　the

wilderness　with　its　living　and　its　decaying　trees；　the

thunder…cloud；　and　the　rain　which　lasts　three　weeks　and　produces

freshets。　　We　need　to　witness　our　own　limits　transgressed；　and　some

life　pasturing　freely　where　we　never　wander。　　We　are　cheered　when　we

observe　the　vulture　feeding　on　the　carrion　which　disgusts　and

disheartens　us；　and　deriving　health　and　strength　from　the　repast。

There　was　a　dead　horse　in　the　hollow　by　the　path　to　my　house；　which

compelled　me　sometimes　to　go　out　of　my　way；　especially　in　the　night

when　the　air　was　heavy；　but　the　assurance　it　gave　me　of　the　strong

appetite　and　inviolable　health　of　Nature　was　my　compensation　for

this。　　I　love　to　see　that　Nature　is　so　rife　with　life　that　myriads

can　be　afforded　to　be　sacrificed　and　suffered　to　prey　on　one

another；　that　tender　organizations　can　be　so　serenely　squashed　out

of　existence　like　pulp　　tadpoles　which　herons　gobble　up；　and

tortoises　and　toads　run　over　in　the　road；　and　that　sometimes　it　has

rained　flesh　and　blood！　　With　the　liability　to　accident；　we　must　see

how　little　account　is　to　be　made　of　it。　　The　impression　made　on　a

wise　man　is　that　of　universal　innocence。　　Poison　is　not　poisonous

after　all；　nor　are　any　wounds　fatal。　　Compassion　is　a　very　untenable

ground。　　It　must　be　expeditious。　　Its　pleadings　will　not　bear　to　be

stereotyped。

　　　　Early　in　May；　the　oaks；　hickories；　maples；　and　other　trees；　just

putting　out　amidst　the　pine　woods　around　the　pond；　imparted　a

brightness　like　sunshine　to　the　landscape；　especially　in　cloudy

days；　as　if　the　sun　were　breaking　through　mists　and　shining　faintly

on　the　hillsides　here　and　there。　　On　the　third　or　fourth　of　May　I

saw　a　loon　in　the　pond；　and　during　the　first　week　of　the　month　I

heard　the　whip…poor…will；　the　brown　thrasher；　the　veery；　the　wood

pewee；　the　chewink；　and　other　birds。　　I　had　heard　the　wood　thrush

long　before。　　The　phoebe　had　already　come　once　more　and　looked　in　at

my　door　and　window；　to　see　if　my　house　was　cavern…like　enough　for

her；　sustaining　herself　on　humming　wings　with　clinched　talons；　as　if

she　held　by　the　air；　while　she　surveyed　the　premises。　　The

sulphur…like　pollen　of　the　pitch　pine　soon　covered　the　pond　and　the

stones　and　rotten　wood　along　the　shore；　so　that　you　could　have

collected　a　barrelful。　　This　is　the　〃sulphur　showers〃　we　bear　of。

Even　in　Calidas'　drama　of　Sacontala；　we　read　of　〃rills　dyed　yellow

with　the　golden　dust　of　the　lotus。〃　　And　so　the　seasons　went　rolling

on　into　summer；　as　one　rambles　into　higher　and　higher　grass。

　　　　Thus　was　my　first　year's　life　in　the　woods　completed；　and　the

second　year　was　similar　to　it。　　I　finally　left　Walden　September　6th；

1847。