01-fate-第3部分

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〃The　air　is　full　of　men。〃　This　kind　of　talent　so　abounds；　this

constructive　tool…making　efficiency；　as　if　it　adhered　to　the　chemic

atoms；　as　if　the　air　he　breathes　were　made　of　Vaucansons；　Franklins；

and　Watts。



　　　　　　　　Doubtless；　in　every　million　there　will　be　an　astronomer；　a

mathematician；　a　comic　poet；　a　mystic。　　No　one　can　read　the　history

of　astronomy；　without　perceiving　that　Copernicus；　Newton；　Laplace；

are　not　new　men；　or　a　new　kind　of　men；　but　that　Thales；　Anaximenes；

Hipparchus；　Empedocles；　Aristarchus；　Pythagoras；　；oEnopides；　had

anticipated　them；　each　had　the　same　tense　geometrical　brain；　apt　for

the　same　vigorous　computation　and　logic；　a　mind　parallel　to　the

movement　of　the　world。　　The　Roman　mile　probably　rested　on　a　measure

of　a　degree　of　the　meridian。　　Mahometan　and　Chinese　know　what　we　know

of　leap…year；　of　the　Gregorian　calendar；　and　of　the　precession　of　the

equinoxes。　　As；　in　every　barrel　of　cowries；　brought　to　New　Bedford；

there　shall　be　one　_orangia_；　so　there　will；　in　a　dozen　millions　of

Malays　and　Mahometans；　be　one　or　two　astronomical　skulls。　　In　a　large

city；　the　most　casual　things；　and　things　whose　beauty　lies　in　their

casualty；　are　produced　as　punctually　and　to　order　as　the　baker's

muffin　for　breakfast。　　Punch　makes　exactly　one　capital　joke　a　week；

and　the　journals　contrive　to　furnish　one　good　piece　of　news　every

day。



　　　　　　　　And　not　less　work　the　laws　of　repression；　the　penalties　of

violated　functions。　　Famine；　typhus；　frost；　war；　suicide；　and　effete

races；　must　be　reckoned　calculable　parts　of　the　system　of　the　world。



　　　　　　　　These　are　pebbles　from　the　mountain；　hints　of　the　terms　by

which　our　life　is　walled　up；　and　which　show　a　kind　of　mechanical

exactness；　as　of　a　loom　or　mill；　in　what　we　call　casual　or　fortuitous

events。



　　　　　　　　The　force　with　which　we　resist　these　torrents　of　tendency　looks

so　ridiculously　inadequate；　that　it　amounts　to　little　more　than　a

criticism　or　a　protest　made　by　a　minority　of　one；　under　compulsion　of

millions。　　I　seemed；　in　the　height　of　a　tempest；　to　see　men　overboard

struggling　in　the　waves；　and　driven　about　here　and　there。　　They

glanced　intelligently　at　each　other；　but　'twas　little　they　could　do

for　one　another；　'twas　much　if　each　could　keep　afloat　alone。　　Well；

they　had　a　right　to　their　eye…beams；　and　all　the　rest　was　Fate。



　　　　　　　　We　cannot　trifle　with　this　reality；　this　cropping…out　in　our

planted　gardens　of　the　core　of　the　world。　　No　picture　of　life　can

have　any　veracity　that　does　not　admit　the　odious　facts。　　A　man's

power　is　hooped　in　by　a　necessity；　which；　by　many　experiments；　he

touches　on　every　side；　until　he　learns　its　arc。



　　　　　　　　The　element　running　through　entire　nature；　which　we　popularly

call　Fate；　is　known　to　us　as　limitation。　　Whatever　limits　us；　we　call

Fate。　　If　we　are　brute　and　barbarous；　the　fate　takes　a　brute　and

dreadful　shape。　　As　we　refine；　our　checks　become　finer。　　If　we　rise

to　spiritual　culture；　the　antagonism　takes　a　spiritual　form。　　In　the

Hindoo　fables；　Vishnu　follows　Maya　through　all　her　ascending　changes；

from　insect　and　crawfish　up　to　elephant；　whatever　form　she　took；　he

took　the　male　form　of　that　kind；　until　she　became　at　last　woman　and

goddess；　and　he　a　man　and　a　god。　　The　limitations　refine　as　the　soul

purifies；　but　the　ring　of　necessity　is　always　perched　at　the　top。



　　　　　　　　When　the　gods　in　the　Norse　heaven　were　unable　to　bind　the

Fenris　Wolf　with　steel　or　with　weight　of　mountains；　　the　one　he

snapped　and　the　other　he　spurned　with　his　heel；they　put　round　his

foot　a　limp　band　softer　than　silk　or　cobweb；　and　this　held　him：　the

more　he　spurned　it；　the　stiffer　it　drew。　　So　soft　and　so　stanch　is

the　ring　of　Fate。　　Neither　brandy；　nor　nectar；　nor　sulphuric　ether；

nor　hell…fire；　nor　ichor；　nor　poetry；　nor　genius；　can　get　rid　of　this

limp　band。　　For　if　we　give　it　the　high　sense　in　which　the　poets　use

it；　even　thought　itself　is　not　above　Fate：　that　too　must　act

according　to　eternal　laws；　and　all　that　is　wilful　and　fantastic　in　it

is　in　opposition　to　its　fundamental　essence。



　　　　　　　　And；　last　of　all；　high　over　thought；　in　the　world　of　morals；

Fate　appears　as　vindicator；　levelling　the　high；　lifting　the　low；

requiring　justice　in　man；　and　always　striking　soon　or　late；　when

justice　is　not　done。　　What　is　useful　will　last；　what　is　hurtful　will

sink。　　〃The　doer　must　suffer；〃　said　the　Greeks：　〃you　would　soothe　a

Deity　not　to　be　soothed。〃　〃God　himself　cannot　procure　good　for　the

wicked；〃　said　the　Welsh　triad。　　〃God　may　consent；　but　only　for　a

time；〃　said　the　bard　of　Spain。　　The　limitation　is　impassable　by　any

insight　of　man。　　In　its　last　and　loftiest　ascensions；　insight　itself；

and　the　freedom　of　the　will；　is　one　of　its　obedient　members。　　But　we

must　not　run　into　generalizations　too　large；　but　show　the　natural

bounds　or　essential　distinctions；　and　seek　to　do　justice　to　the　other

elements　as　well。



　　　　　　　　Thus　we　trace　Fate；　in　matter；　mind；　and　morals；　　in　race；　in

retardations　of　strata；　and　in　thought　and　character　as　well。　　It　is

everywhere　bound　or　limitation。　　But　Fate　has　its　lord；　limitation

its　limits；　is　different　seen　from　above　and　from　below；　from　within

and　from　without。　　For；　though　Fate　is　immense；　so　is　power；　which　is

the　other　fact　in　the　dual　world；　immense。　　If　Fate　follows　and

limits　power；　power　attends　and　antagonizes　Fate。　　We　must　respect

Fate　as　natural　history；　but　there　is　more　than　natural　history。　　For

who　and　what　is　this　criticism　that　pries　into　the　matter？　　Man　is

not　order　of　nature；　sack　and　sack；　belly　and　members；　link　in　a

chain；　nor　any　ignominious　baggage；　but　a　stupendous　antagonism；　a

dragging　together　of　the　poles　of　the　Universe。　　He　betrays　his

relation　to　what　is　below　him；　　thick…skulled；　small…brained；

fishy；　quadrumanous；　　quadruped　ill…disguised；　hardly　escaped　into

biped；　and　has　paid　for　the　new　powers　by　loss　of　some　of　the　old

ones。　　But　the　lightning　which　explodes　and　fashions　planets；　maker

of　planets　and　suns；　is　in　him。　　On　one　side；　elemental　order；

sandstone　and　granite；　rock…ledges；　peat…bog；　forest；　sea　and　shore；

and；　on　the　other　part；　thought；　the　spirit　which　composes　and

decomposes　nature；　　here　they　are；　side　by　side；　god　and　devil；

mind　and　matter；　king　and　conspirator；　belt　and　spasm；　riding

peacefully　together　in　the　eye　and　brain　of　every　man。



　　　　　　　　Nor　can　he　blink　the　freewill。　　To　hazard　the　contradiction；　

freedom　is　necessary。　　If　you　please　to　plant　yourself　on　the　side　of

Fate；　and　say；　Fate　is　all；　then　we　say；　a　part　of　Fate　is　the

freedom　of　man。　　Forever　wells　up　the　impulse　of　choosing　and　acting

in　the　soul。　　Intellect　annuls　Fate。　　So　far　as　a　man　thinks；　he　is

free。　　And　though　nothing　is　more　disgusting　than　the　crowing　about

liberty　by　slaves；　as　most　men　are；　and　the　flippant　mistaking　for

freedom　of　some　paper　preamble　like　a　〃Declaration　of　Independence；〃

or　the　statute　right　to　vote；　by　those　who　have　never　dared　to　think

or　to　act；　yet　it　is　wholesome　to　man　to　look　not　at　Fate；　but　the

other　way：　the　practical　view　is　the　other。　　His　sound　relation　to

these　facts　is　to　use　and　command；　not　to　cringe　to　them。　　〃Look　not

on　nature；　for　her　name　is　fatal；〃　said　the　oracle。　　The　too　much

contemplation　of　these　limits　induces　meanness。　　They　who　talk　much

of　destiny；　their　birth…star；　&c。；　are　in　a　lower　dangerous　plane；

and　invite　the　evils　they　fear。



　　　　　　　　I　cited　the　instinctive　and　heroic　races　as　proud　believers　in

Destiny。　　They　conspire　with　it；　a　loving　resignation　is　with　the

event。　　But　the　dogma　makes　a　different　impression；　when　it　is　held

by　the　weak　and　lazy。　　'Tis　weak　and　vicious　people　who　cast　the

blame　on　Fate。　　The　right　use　of　Fate　is　to　bring　up　our　conduct　to

the　loftiness　of　nature。　　Rude　and　invincible　except　by　themselves

are　the　elements。　　So　let　man　be。　　Let　him　empty　his　breast　of　his

windy　conceits；　and　show　his　lordship　by　manners　and　deeds　on　the

scale　of　nature。　　Let　him　hold　his　purpose　as　with　the　tug　of

gravitation。　　No　power；　no　persuasion；　no　bribe　shall　make　him　give

up　his　point。　　A　man　ought　to　compare　advantageously　with　a　river；　an

oak；　or　a　mountain。　　He　shall　have　not　less　the　flow；　the　expansion；

and　the　resistance　of　these。



　　　　　　　　'Tis　the　best　use　of　Fate　to　teach　a　fatal　courage。　　Go　face

the　fire　at　sea；　or　the　cholera　in　your　friend's　house；　or　the

burglar　in　your　own；　or　what　danger　lies　in　the　way　of　duty；　knowing

you　are　guarded　by　the　cherubim　of　Destiny。　　If　you　believe　in　Fate

to　your　harm；　believe　it；　at　least；　for　your　good。



　　　　　　　　For；　if　Fate　is　so　prevailing；　man　also　is　part　of　it；　and　can

confront　fate　with　fate。　　If　the　Universe　have　these　savage

accidents；　our　atoms　are　as　savage　in　resistance。　　We　should　be

crushed　by　the　atmosphere；　but　for　the　reaction　of　the　air　within　the

body。　　A　tube　made　of　a　film　of　glass　can　resist　the　shock　of　the

ocean；　if　filled　with　the　same　water。　　If　there　be　omnipotence　in　the

stroke；　there　is　omnipotence　of　recoil。



　　　　　　　　1。　But　Fate　against　Fate　is　only　parrying　and　defence：　there

are；　also；　the　noble　creative　forces。　　The　revelation　of　Thought

takes　man　out　of　servitude　into　freedom。　　We　rightly　say　of

ourselves；　we　were　born；　and　afterward　we　were　born　again；　and　many

times。　　We　have　successive　experiences　so　important；　that　the　new

forgets　the　old；　and　hence　the　mythology　of　the　seven　or　the　nine

heavens。　　The　day　of　days；　the　great　day　of　the　feast　of　life；　is

that　in　which　the　inward　eye　opens　to　the　Unity　in　things；　to　the

omnipresence　of　law；　　sees　that　what　is　must　be；　and　ought　to　be；

or　is　the　best。　　This　beatitude　dips　from　on　high　down　on　us；　and　we

see。　　It　is　not　in　us　so　much　as　we　are　in　it。　　If　the　air　come　to

our　lungs；　we　breathe　and　live；　if　not；　we　die。　　If　the　light　come　to

our　eyes；　we　see；　else　not。　　And　if　truth　come　to　our　mind；　we

suddenly　e