walking-第6部分

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it　is　to　make　sheep　ferocious；　and　tanning　their　skins　for　shoes

is　not　the　best　use　to　which　they　can　be　put。







When　looking　over　a　list　of　men's　names　in　a　foreign　language；　as

of　military　officers；　or　of　authors　who　have　written　on　a

particular　subject；　I　am　reminded　once　more　that　there　is　nothing

in　a　name。　The　name　Menschikoff；　for　instance；　has　nothing　in　it

to　my　ears　more　human　than　a　whisker；　and　it　may　belong　to　a　rat。

As　the　names　of　the　Poles　and　Russians　are　to　us；　so　are　ours　to

them。　It　is　as　if　they　had　been　named　by　the　child's

rigmarole；IERY　FIERY　ICHERY　VAN；　TITTLE…TOL…TAN。　I　see　in　my

mind　a　herd　of　wild　creatures　swarming　over　the　earth；　and　to

each　the　herdsman　has　affixed　some　barbarous　sound　in　his　own

dialect。　The　names　of　men　are；　of　course；　as　cheap　and

meaningless　as　BOSE　and　TRAY；　the　names　of　dogs。



Methinks　it　would　be　some　advantage　to　philosophy　if　men　were

named　merely　in　the　gross；　as　they　are　known。　It　would　be

necessary　only　to　know　the　genus　and　perhaps　the　race　or　variety；

to　know　the　individual。　We　are　not　prepared　to　believe　that　every

private　soldier　in　a　Roman　army　had　a　name　of　his　ownbecause　we

have　not　supposed　that　he　had　a　character　of　his　own。



At　present　our　only　true　names　are　nicknames。　I　knew　a　boy　who；

from　his　peculiar　energy；　was　called　〃Buster〃　by　his　playmates；

and　this　rightly　supplanted　his　Christian　name。　Some　travelers

tell　us　that　an　Indian　had　no　name　given　him　at　first；　but　earned

it；　and　his　name　was　his　fame；　and　among　some　tribes　he　acquired

a　new　name　with　every　new　exploit。　It　is　pitiful　when　a　man　bears

a　name　for　convenience　merely；　who　has　earned　neither　name　nor

fame。



I　will　not　allow　mere　names　to　make　distinctions　for　me；　but

still　see　men　in　herds　for　all　them。　A　familiar　name　cannot　make

a　man　less　strange　to　me。　It　may　be　given　to　a　savage　who　retains

in　secret　his　own　wild　title　earned　in　the　woods。　We　have　a　wild

savage　in　us；　and　a　savage　name　is　perchance　somewhere　recorded

as　ours。　I　see　that　my　neighbor；　who　bears　the　familiar　epithet

William　or　Edwin；　takes　it　off　with　his　jacket。　It　does　not

adhere　to　him　when　asleep　or　in　anger；　or　aroused　by　any　passion

or　inspiration。　I　seem　to　hear　pronounced　by　some　of　his　kin　at

such　a　time　his　original　wild　name　in　some　jaw…breaking　or　else

melodious　tongue。







Here　is　this　vast；　savage；　hovering　mother　of　ours；　Nature；　lying

all　around；　with　such　beauty；　and　such　affection　for　her

children；　as　the　leopard；　and　yet　we　are　so　early　weaned　from　her

breast　to　society；　to　that　culture　which　is　exclusively　an

interaction　of　man　on　mana　sort　of　breeding　in　and　in；　which

produces　at　most　a　merely　English　nobility；　a　civilization

destined　to　have　a　speedy　limit。



In　society；　in　the　best　institutions　of　men；　it　is　easy　to　detect

a　certain　precocity。　When　we　should　still　be　growing　children；　we

are　already　little　men。　Give　me　a　culture　which　imports　much　muck

from　the　meadows；　and　deepens　the　soilnot　that　which　trusts　to

heating　manures；　and　improved　implements　and　modes　of　culture

only！



Many　a　poor　sore…eyed　student　that　I　have　heard　of　would　grow

faster；　both　intellectually　and　physically；　if；　instead　of

sitting　up　so　very　late；　he　honestly　slumbered　a　fool's

allowance。



There　may　be　an　excess　even　of　informing　light。　Niepce；　a

Frenchman；　discovered　〃actinism；〃　that　power　in　the　sun's　rays

which　produces　a　chemical　effect；　that　granite　rocks；　and　stone

structures；　and　statues　of　metal　〃are　all　alike　destructively

acted　upon　during　the　hours　of　sunshine；　and；　but　for　provisions

of　Nature　no　less　wonderful；　would　soon　perish　under　the　delicate

touch　of　the　most　subtle　of　the　agencies　of　the　universe。〃　But　he

observed　that　〃those　bodies　which　underwent　this　change　during

the　daylight　possessed　the　power　of　restoring　themselves　to　their

original　conditions　during　the　hours　of　night；　when　this

excitement　was　no　longer　influencing　them。〃　Hence　it　has　been

inferred　that　〃the　hours　of　darkness　are　as　necessary　to　the

inorganic　creation　as　we　know　night　and　sleep　are　to　the　organic

kingdom。〃　Not　even　does　the　moon　shine　every　night；　but　gives

place　to　darkness。



I　would　not　have　every　man　nor　every　part　of　a　man　cultivated；

any　more　than　I　would　have　every　acre　of　earth　cultivated：　part

will　be　tillage；　but　the　greater　part　will　be　meadow　and　forest；

not　only　serving　an　immediate　use；　but　preparing　a　mould　against

a　distant　future；　by　the　annual　decay　of　the　vegetation　which　it

supports。



There　are　other　letters　for　the　child　to　learn　than　those　which

Cadmus　invented。　The　Spaniards　have　a　good　term　to　express　this

wild　and　dusky　knowledgeGramatica　pardatawny　grammar；　a　kind

of　mother…wit　derived　from　that　same　leopard　to　which　I　have

referred。



We　have　heard　of　a　Society　for　the　Diffusion　of　Useful　Knowledge。

It　is　said　that　knowledge　is　power；　and　the　like。　Methinks　there

is　equal　need　of　a　Society　for　the　Diffusion　of　Useful　Ignorance；

what　we　will　call　Beautiful　Knowledge；　a　knowledge　useful　in　a

higher　sense：　for　what　is　most　of　our　boasted　so…called　knowledge

but　a　conceit　that　we　know　something；　which　robs　us　of　the

advantage　of　our　actual　ignorance？　What　we　call　knowledge　is

often　our　positive　ignorance；　ignorance　our　negative　knowledge。

By　long　years　of　patient　industry　and　reading　of　the

newspapersfor　what　are　the　libraries　of　science　but　files　of

newspapersa　man　accumulates　a　myriad　facts；　lays　them　up　in　his

memory；　and　then　when　in　some　spring　of　his　life　he　saunters

abroad　into　the　Great　Fields　of　thought；　he；　as　it　were；　goes　to

grass　like　a　horse　and　leaves　all　his　harness　behind　in　the

stable。　I　would　say　to　the　Society　for　the　Diffusion　of　Useful

Knowledge；　sometimes；Go　to　grass。　You　have　eaten　hay　long

enough。　The　spring　has　come　with　its　green　crop。　The　very　cows

are　driven　to　their　country　pastures　before　the　end　of　May；

though　I　have　heard　of　one　unnatural　farmer　who　kept　his　cow　in

the　barn　and　fed　her　on　hay　all　the　year　round。　So；　frequently；

the　Society　for　the　Diffusion　of　Useful　Knowledge　treats　its

cattle。



A　man's　ignorance　sometimes　is　not　only　useful；　but

beautifulwhile　his　knowledge；　so　called；　is　oftentimes　worse

than　useless；　besides　being　ugly。　Which　is　the　best　man　to　deal

withhe　who　knows　nothing　about　a　subject；　and；　what　is

extremely　rare；　knows　that　he　knows　nothing；　or　he　who　really

knows　something　about　it；　but　thinks　that　he　knows　all？



My　desire　for　knowledge　is　intermittent；　but　my　desire　to　bathe

my　head　in　atmospheres　unknown　to　my　feet　is　perennial　and

constant。　The　highest　that　we　can　attain　to　is　not　Knowledge；　but

Sympathy　with　Intelligence。　I　do　not　know　that　this　higher

knowledge　amounts　to　anything　more　definite　than　a　novel　and

grand　surprise　on　a　sudden　revelation　of　the　insufficiency　of　all

that　we　called　Knowledge　beforea　discovery　that　there　are　more

things　in　heaven　and　earth　than　are　dreamed　of　in　our　philosophy。

It　is　the　lighting　up　of　the　mist　by　the　sun。　Man　cannot　KNOW　in

any　higher　sense　than　this；　any　more　than　he　can　look　serenely

and　with　impunity　in　the　face　of　the　sun：　〃You　will　not　perceive

that；　as　perceiving　a　particular　thing；〃　say　the　Chaldean

Oracles。



There　is　something　servile　in　the　habit　of　seeking　after　a　law

which　we　may　obey。　We　may　study　the　laws　of　matter　at　and　for　our

convenience；　but　a　successful　life　knows　no　law。　It　is　an

unfortunate　discovery　certainly；　that　of　a　law　which　binds　us

where　we　did　not　know　before　that　we　were　bound。　Live　free；　child

of　the　mistand　with　respect　to　knowledge　we　are　all　children　of

the　mist。　The　man　who　takes　the　liberty　to　live　is　superior　to

all　the　laws；　by　virtue　of　his　relation　to　the　lawmaker。　〃That　is

active　duty；〃　says　the　Vishnu　Purana；　〃which　is　not　for　our

bondage；　that　is　knowledge　which　is　for　our　liberation：　all　other

duty　is　good　only　unto　weariness；　all　other　knowledge　is　only　the

cleverness　of　an　artist。〃







It　is　remarkable　how　few　events　or　crises　there　are　in　our

histories；　how　little　exercised　we　have　been　in　our　minds；　how

few　experiences　we　have　had。　I　would　fain　be　assured　that　I　am

growing　apace　and　rankly；　though　my　very　growth　disturb　this　dull

equanimitythough　it　be　with　struggle　through　long；　dark；　muggy

nights　or　seasons　of　gloom。　It　would　be　well　if　all　our　lives

were　a　divine　tragedy　even；　instead　of　this　trivial　comedy　or

farce。　Dante；　Bunyan；　and　others　appear　to　have　been　exercised　in

their　minds　more　than　we：　they　were　subjected　to　a　kind　of

culture　such　as　our　district　schools　and　colleges　do　not

contemplate。　Even　Mahomet；　though　many　may　scream　at　his　name；

had　a　good　deal　more　to　live　for；　aye；　and　to　die　for；　than　they

have　commonly。



When；　at　rare　intervals；　some　thought　visits　one；　as　perchance　he

is　walking　on　a　railroad；　then；　indeed；　the　cars　go　by　without

his　hearing　them。　But　soon；　by　some　inexorable　law；　our　life　goes

by　and　the　cars　return。



　　　〃Gentle　breeze；　that　wanderest　unseen；

　　　And　bendest　the　thistles　round　Loira　of　storms；

　　　Traveler　of　the　windy　glens；

　　　Why　hast　thou　left　my　ear　so　soon？〃



While　almost　all　men　feel　an　attraction　drawing　them　to　society；

few　are　attracted　strongly　to　Nature。　In　their　reaction　to　Nature

men　appear　to　me　for　the　most　part；　notwithstanding　their　arts；

lower　than　the　animals。　It　is　not　often　a　beautiful　relation；　as

in　the　case　of　the　animals。　How　little　appreciation　of　the　beauty

of　the　land…　scape　there　is　among　us！　We　have　to　be　told　that　the

Greeks　called　the　world　Beauty；　or　Order；　but　we　do　not　see

clearly　why　they　did　so；　and　we　esteem　it　at　best　only　a　curious

philological　fact。



For　my　part；　I　feel　that　with　regard　to　Nature　I　live　a　sort　of

border　life；　on　the　confines　of　a　world　into　which　I　make

occasional　and　transient　forays　only；　and　my　pa