07-considerations-第2部分

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their　origin　in　a　private　brain。　　All　the　feats　which　make　our

civility　were　the　thoughts　of　a　few　good　heads。



　　　　　　　　Meantime；　this　spawning　productivity　is　not　noxious　or

needless。　　You　would　say；　this　rabble　of　nations　might　be　spared。

But　no；　they　are　all　counted　and　depended　on。　　Fate　keeps　everything

alive　so　long　as　the　smallest　thread　of　public　necessity　holds　it　on

to　the　tree。　　The　coxcomb　and　bully　and　thief　class　are　allowed　as

proletaries；　every　one　of　their　vices　being　the　excess　or　acridity　of

a　virtue。　　The　mass　are　animal；　in　pupilage；　and　near　chimpanzee。

But　the　units；　whereof　this　mass　is　composed　are　neuters；　every　one

of　which　may　be　grown　to　a　queen…bee。　　The　rule　is；　we　are　used　as

brute　atoms；　until　we　think：　then；　we　use　all　the　rest。　　Nature　turns

all　malfaisance　to　good。　　Nature　provided　for　real　needs。　　No　sane

man　at　last　distrusts　himself。　　His　existence　is　a　perfect　answer　to

all　sentimental　cavils。　　If　he　is；　he　is　wanted；　and　has　the　precise

properties　that　are　required。　　That　we　are　here；　is　proof　we　ought　to

be　here。　　We　have　as　good　right；　and　the　same　sort　of　right　to　be

here；　as　Cape　Cod　or　Sandy　Hook　have　to　be　there。



　　　　　　　　To　say　then；　the　majority　are　wicked；　means　no　malice；　no　bad

heart　in　the　observer；　but；　simply；　that　the　majority　are　unripe；　and

have　not　yet　come　to　themselves；　do　not　yet　know　their　opinion。

_That_；　if　they　knew　it；　is　an　oracle　for　them　and　for　all。　　But　in

the　passing　moment；　the　quadruped　interest　is　very　prone　to　prevail：

and　this　beast…force；　whilst　it　makes　the　discipline　of　the　world；

the　school　of　heroes；　the　glory　of　martyrs；　has　provoked；　in　every

age；　the　satire　of　wits；　and　the　tears　of　good　men。　　They　find　the

journals；　the　clubs；　the　governments；　the　churches；　to　be　in　the

interest；　and　the　pay　of　the　devil。　　And　wise　men　have　met　this

obstruction　in　their　times；　like　Socrates；　with　his　famous　irony；

like　Bacon；　with　life…long　dissimulation；　like　Erasmus；　with　his　book

〃The　Praise　of　Folly；〃　like　Rabelais；　with　his　satire　rending　the

nations。　　〃They　were　the　fools　who　cried　against　me；　you　will　say；〃

wrote　the　Chevalier　de　Boufflers　to　Grimm；　〃aye；　but　the　fools　have

the　advantage　of　numbers；　and　'tis　that　which　decides。　　'Tis　of　no

use　for　us　to　make　war　with　them；　we　shall　not　weaken　them；　they　will

always　be　the　masters。　　There　will　not　be　a　practice　or　an　usage

introduced；　of　which　they　are　not　the　authors。〃



　　　　　　　　In　front　of　these　sinister　facts；　the　first　lesson　of　history

is　the　good　of　evil。　　Good　is　a　good　doctor；　but　Bad　is　sometimes　a

better。　　'Tis　the　oppressions　of　William　the　Norman；　savage

forest…laws；　and　crushing　despotism；　that　made　possible　the

inspirations　of　_Magna　Charta_　under　John。　Edward　I。　wanted　money；

armies；　castles；　and　as　much　as　he　could　get。　　It　was　necessary　to

call　the　people　together　by　shorter；　swifter　ways；　　and　the　House

of　Commons　arose。　　To　obtain　subsidies；　he　paid　in　privileges。　　In

the　twenty…fourth　year　of　his　reign；　he　decreed；　〃that　no　tax　should

be　levied　without　consent　of　Lords　and　Commons；〃　　which　is　the

basis　of　the　English　Constitution。　　Plutarch　affirms　that　the　cruel

wars　which　followed　the　march　of　Alexander；　introduced　the　civility；

language；　and　arts　of　Greece　into　the　savage　East；　introduced

marriage；　built　seventy　cities；　and　united　hostile　nations　under　one

government。　　The　barbarians　who　broke　up　the　Roman　empire　did　not

arrive　a　day　too　soon。　　Schiller　says；　the　Thirty　Years'　War　made

Germany　a　nation。　　Rough；　selfish　despots　serve　men　immensely；　as

Henry　VIII。　　in　the　contest　with　the　Pope；　as　the　infatuations　no

less　than　the　wisdom　of　Cromwell；　as　the　ferocity　of　the　Russian

czars；　as　the　fanaticism　of　the　French　regicides　of　1789。　　The　frost

which　kills　the　harvest　of　a　year；　saves　the　harvests　of　a　century；

by　destroying　the　weevil　or　the　locust。　　Wars；　fires；　plagues；　break

up　immovable　routine；　clear　the　ground　of　rotten　races　and　dens　of

distemper；　and　open　a　fair　field　to　new　men。　　There　is　a　tendency　in

things　to　right　themselves；　and　the　war　or　revolution　or　bankruptcy

that　shatters　a　rotten　system；　allows　things　to　take　a　new　and

natural　order。　　The　sharpest　evils　are　bent　into　that　periodicity

which　makes　the　errors　of　planets；　and　the　fevers　and　distempers　of

men；　self…limiting。　　Nature　is　upheld　by　antagonism。　　Passions；

resistance；　danger；　are　educators。　　We　acquire　the　strength　we　have

overcome。　　Without　war；　no　soldier；　without　enemies；　no　hero。　　The

sun　were　insipid；　if　the　universe　were　not　opaque。　　And　the　glory　of

character　is　in　affronting　the　horrors　of　depravity；　to　draw　thence

new　nobilities　of　power：　as　Art　lives　and　thrills　in　new　use　and

combining　of　contrasts；　and　mining　into　the　dark　evermore　for　blacker

pits　of　night。　　What　would　painter　do；　or　what　would　poet　or　saint；

but　for　crucifixions　and　hells？　　And　evermore　in　the　world　is　this

marvellous　balance　of　beauty　and　disgust；　magnificence　and　rats。　　Not

Antoninus；　but　a　poor　washer…woman　said；　〃The　more　trouble；　the　more

lion；　that's　my　principle。〃



　　　　　　　　I　do　not　think　very　respectfully　of　the　designs　or　the　doings

of　the　people　who　went　to　California；　in　1849。　　It　was　a　rush　and　a

scramble　of　needy　adventurers；　and；　in　the　western　country；　a　general

jail…delivery　of　all　the　rowdies　of　the　rivers。　　Some　of　them　went

with　honest　purposes；　some　with　very　bad　ones；　and　all　of　them　with

the　very　commonplace　wish　to　find　a　short　way　to　wealth。　　But　Nature

watches　over　all；　and　turns　this　malfaisance　to　good。　　California

gets　peopled　and　subdued；　　civilized　in　this　immoral　way；　　and；

on　this　fiction；　a　real　prosperity　is　rooted　and　grown。　　'Tis　a

decoy…duck；　'tis　tubs　thrown　to　amuse　the　whale：　but　real　ducks；　and

whales　that　yield　oil；　are　caught。　　And；　out　of　Sabine　rapes；　and　out

of　robbers'　forays；　real　Romes　and　their　heroisms　come　in　fulness　of

time。



　　　　　　　　In　America；　the　geography　is　sublime；　but　the　men　are　not：　the

inventions　are　excellent；　but　the　inventors　one　is　sometimes　ashamed

of。　　The　agencies　by　which　events　so　grand　as　the　opening　of

California；　of　Texas；　of　Oregon；　and　the　junction　of　the　two　oceans；

are　effected；　are　paltry；　　coarse　selfishness；　fraud；　and

conspiracy：　and　most　of　the　great　results　of　history　are　brought

about　by　discreditable　means。



　　　　　　　　The　benefaction　derived　in　Illinois；　and　the　great　West；　from

railroads　is　inestimable；　and　vastly　exceeding　any　intentional

philanthropy　on　record。　　What　is　the　benefit　done　by　a　good　King

Alfred；　or　by　a　Howard；　or　Pestalozzi；　or　Elizabeth　Fry；　or　Florence

Nightingale；　or　any　lover；　less　or　larger；　compared　with　the

involuntary　blessing　wrought　on　nations　by　the　selfish　capitalists

who　built　the　Illinois；　Michigan；　and　the　network　of　the　Mississippi

valley　roads；　which　have　evoked　not　only　all　the　wealth　of　the　soil；

but　the　energy　of　millions　of　men。　　'Tis　a　sentence　of　ancient

wisdom；　〃that　God　hangs　the　greatest　weights　on　the　smallest　wires。〃



　　　　　　　　What　happens　thus　to　nations；　befalls　every　day　in　private

houses。　　When　the　friends　of　a　gentleman　brought　to　his　notice　the

follies　of　his　sons；　with　many　hints　of　their　danger；　he　replied；

that　he　knew　so　much　mischief　when　he　was　a　boy；　and　had　turned　out

on　the　whole　so　successfully；　that　he　was　not　alarmed　by　the

dissipation　of　boys；　'twas　dangerous　water；　but；　he　thought；　they

would　soon　touch　bottom；　and　then　swim　to　the　top。　　This　is　bold

practice；　and　there　are　many　failures　to　a　good　escape。　　Yet　one

would　say；　that　a　good　understanding　would　suffice　as　well　as　moral

sensibility　to　keep　one　erect；　the　gratifications　of　the　passions　are

so　quickly　seen　to　be　damaging；　and；　　what　men　like　least；　

seriously　lowering　them　in　social　rank。　　Then　all　talent　sinks　with

character。



　　　　　　　　_〃Croyez　moi；　l'erreur　aussi　a　son　merite；〃_　said　Voltaire。　　We

see　those　who　surmount；　by　dint　of　some　egotism　or　infatuation；

obstacles　from　which　the　prudent　recoil。　　The　right　partisan　is　a

heady　narrow　man；　who；　because　he　does　not　see　many　things；　sees　some

one　thing　with　heat　and　exaggeration；　and；　if　he　falls　among　other

narrow　men；　or　on　objects　which　have　a　brief　importance；　as　some

trade　or　politics　of　the　hour；　he　prefers　it　to　the　universe；　and

seems　inspired；　and　a　godsend　to　those　who　wish　to　magnify　the

matter；　and　carry　a　point。　　Better；　certainly；　if　we　could　secure　the

strength　and　fire　which　rude；　passionate　men　bring　into　society；

quite　clear　of　their　vices。　　But　who　dares　draw　out　the　linchpin　from

the　wagon…wheel？　　'Tis　so　manifest；　that　there　is　no　moral　deformity；

but　is　a　good　passion　out　of　place；　that　there　is　no　man　who　is　not

indebted　to　his　foibles；　that；　according　to　the　old　oracle；　〃the

Furies　are　the　bonds　of　men；〃　that　the　poisons　are　our　principal

medicines；　which　kill　the　disease；　and　save　the　life。　　In　the　high

prophetic　phrase；　_He　causes　the　wrath　of　man　to　praise　him_；　and

twists　and　wrenches　our　evil　to　our　good。　　Shakspeare　wrote；　



　　　　　　　　〃'Tis　said；　best　men　are　moulded　of　their　faults；〃



　　　　　　　　and　great　educators　and　lawgivers；　and　especially　generals；　and

leaders　of　colonies；　mainly　rely　on　this　stuff；　and　esteem　men　of

irregular　and　passional　force　the　best　timber。　　A　man　of　sense　and

energy；　the　late　head　of　the　Farm　School　in　Boston　harbor；　said　to

me；　〃I　want　none　of　your　good　boys；　　give　me　the　bad　ones。〃　And

this　is　the　reason；　I　suppose；　why；　as　soon　as　the　children　are　good；

the　mothers　are　scared；　and　think　they　are　going　to　die。　　Mirabeau

said；　〃There　are　none　but　men　of　strong　passions　capable　of　going　to

greatness；　none　but　such　capable　of　meriting　the　public　gratitude。〃

Passion；　though　a　bad　regulator；　is　a　powerful　spring。　　Any　absorbing

passion　has　the　effect　to　deliver　from　the　little　coils　and　cares　of

every　day：　'tis　the　heat　which　sets　our　human　atoms　spinnin