03-wealth-第6部分

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River；　and　turned　out　to　be　the　safest　and　cheapest　engineer。　　We　say

the　cows　laid　out　Boston。　　Well；　there　are　worse　surveyors。　　Every

pedestrian　in　our　pastures　has　frequent　occasion　to　thank　the　cows

for　cutting　the　best　path　through　the　thicket；　and　over　the　hills：

and　travellers　and　Indians　know　the　value　of　a　buffalo…trail；　which

is　sure　to　be　the　easiest　possible　pass　through　the　ridge。



　　　　　　　　When　a　citizen；　fresh　from　Dock…square；　or　Milk…street；　comes

out　and　buys　land　in　the　country；　his　first　thought　is　to　a　fine

outlook　from　his　windows：　his　library　must　command　a　western　view：　a

sunset　every　day；　bathing　the　shoulder　of　Blue　Hills；　Wachusett；　and

the　peaks　of　Monadnoc　and　Uncanoonuc。　　What；　thirty　acres；　and　all

this　magnificence　for　fifteen　hundred　dollars！　　It　would　be　cheap　at

fifty　thousand。　　He　proceeds　at　once；　his　eyes　dim　with　tears　of　joy；

to　fix　the　spot　for　his　corner…stone。　　But　the　man　who　is　to　level

the　ground；　thinks　it　will　take　many　hundred　loads　of　gravel　to　fill

the　hollow　to　the　road。　　The　stone…mason　who　should　build　the　well

thinks　he　shall　have　to　dig　forty　feet：　the　baker　doubts　he　shall

never　like　to　drive　up　to　the　door：　the　practical　neighbor　cavils　at

the　position　of　the　barn；　and　the　citizen　comes　to　know　that　his

predecessor　the　farmer　built　the　house　in　the　right　spot　for　the　sun

and　wind；　the　spring；　and　water…drainage；　and　the　convenience　to　the

pasture；　the　garden；　the　field；　and　the　road。　　So　Dock…square　yields

the　point；　and　things　have　their　own　way。　　Use　has　made　the　farmer

wise；　and　the　foolish　citizen　learns　to　take　his　counsel。　　From　step

to　step　he　comes　at　last　to　surrender　at　discretion。　　The　farmer

affects　to　take　his　orders；　but　the　citizen　says；　You　may　ask　me　as

often　as　you　will；　and　in　what　ingenious　forms；　for　an　opinion

concerning　the　mode　of　building　my　wall；　or　sinking　my　well；　or

laying　out　my　acre；　but　the　ball　will　rebound　to　you。　　These　are

matters　on　which　I　neither　know；　nor　need　to　know　anything。　　These

are　questions　which　you　and　not　I　shall　answer。



　　　　　　　　Not　less；　within　doors；　a　system　settles　itself　paramount　and

tyrannical　over　master　and　mistress；　servant　and　child；　cousin　and

acquaintance。　　'Tis　in　vain　that　genius　or　virtue　or　energy　of

character　strive　and　cry　against　it。　　This　is　fate。　　And　'tis　very

well　that　the　poor　husband　reads　in　a　book　of　a　new　way　of　living；

and　resolves　to　adopt　it　at　home：　let　him　go　home　and　try　it；　if　he

dare。



　　　　　　　　4。　Another　point　of　economy　is　to　look　for　seed　of　the　same

kind　as　you　sow：　and　not　to　hope　to　buy　one　kind　with　another　kind。

Friendship　buys　friendship；　justice；　justice；　military　merit；

military　success。　　Good　husbandry　finds　wife；　children；　and

household。　　The　good　merchant　large　gains；　ships；　stocks；　and　money。

The　good　poet　fame；　and　literary　credit；　but　not　either；　the　other。

Yet　there　is　commonly　a　confusion　of　expectations　on　these　points。

Hotspur　lives　for　the　moment；　praises　himself　for　it；　and　despises

Furlong；　that　he　does　not。　　Hotspur；　of　course；　is　poor；　and　Furlong

a　good　provider。　　The　odd　circumstance　is；　that　Hotspur　thinks　it　a

superiority　in　himself；　this　improvidence；　which　ought　to　be　rewarded

with　Furlong's　lands。



　　　　　　　　I　have　not　at　all　completed　my　design。　　But　we　must　not　leave

the　topic；　without　casting　one　glance　into　the　interior　recesses。　　It

is　a　doctrine　of　philosophy；　that　man　is　a　being　of　degrees；　that

there　is　nothing　in　the　world；　which　is　not　repeated　in　his　body；　his

body　being　a　sort　of　miniature　or　summary　of　the　world：　then　that

there　is　nothing　in　his　body；　which　is　not　repeated　as　in　a　celestial

sphere　in　his　mind：　then；　there　is　nothing　in　his　brain；　which　is　not

repeated　in　a　higher　sphere；　in　his　moral　system。



　　　　　　　　5。　Now　these　things　are　so　in　Nature。　　All　things　ascend；　and

the　royal　rule　of　economy　is；　that　it　should　ascend　also；　or；

whatever　we　do　must　always　have　a　higher　aim。　　Thus　it　is　a　maxim；

that　money　is　another　kind　of　blood。　　_Pecunia　alter　sanguis_：　or；

the　estate　of　a　man　is　only　a　larger　kind　of　body；　and　admits　of

regimen　analogous　to　his　bodily　circulations。　　So　there　is　no　maxim

of　the　merchant；　_e。　g。_；　〃Best　use　of　money　is　to　pay　debts；〃　〃Every

business　by　itself；〃　〃Best　time　is　present　time；〃　〃The　right

investment　is　in　tools　of　your　trade；〃　or　the　like；　which　does　not

admit　of　an　extended　sense。　　The　counting…room　maxims　liberally

expounded　are　laws　of　the　Universe。　　The　merchant's　economy　is　a

coarse　symbol　of　the　soul's　economy。　　It　is；　to　spend　for　power；　and

not　for　pleasure。　　It　is　to　invest　income；　that　is　to　say；　to　take　up

particulars　into　generals；　days　into　integral　eras；　　literary；

emotive；　practical；　of　its　life；　and　still　to　ascend　in　its

investment。　　The　merchant　has　but　one　rule；　_absorb　and　invest_：　he

is　to　be　capitalist：　the　scraps　and　filings　must　be　gathered　back

into　the　crucible；　the　gas　and　smoke　must　be　burned；　and　earnings

must　not　go　to　increase　expense；　but　to　capital　again。　　Well；　the　man

must　be　capitalist。　　Will　he　spend　his　income；　or　will　he　invest？

His　body　and　every　organ　is　under　the　same　law。　　His　body　is　a　jar；

in　which　the　liquor　of　life　is　stored。　　Will　he　spend　for　pleasure？

The　way　to　ruin　is　short　and　facile。　　Will　he　not　spend；　but　hoard

for　power？　　It　passes　through　the　sacred　fermentations；　by　that　law

of　Nature　whereby　everything　climbs　to　higher　platforms；　and　bodily

vigor　becomes　mental　and　moral　vigor。　　The　bread　he　eats　is　first

strength　and　animal　spirits：　it　becomes；　in　higher　laboratories；

imagery　and　thought；　and　in　still　higher　results；　courage　and

endurance。　　This　is　the　right　compound　interest；　this　is　capital

doubled；　quadrupled；　centupled；　man　raised　to　his　highest　power。



　　　　　　　　The　true　thrift　is　always　to　spend　on　the　higher　plane；　to

invest　and　invest；　with　keener　avarice；　that　he　may　spend　in

spiritual　creation；　and　not　in　augmenting　animal　existence。　　Nor　is

the　man　enriched；　in　repeating　the　old　experiments　of　animal

sensation；　nor　unless　through　new　powers　and　ascending　pleasures；　he

knows　himself　by　the　actual　experience　of　higher　good；　to　be　already

on　the　way　to　the　highest。