07-considerations-第3部分

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

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

overcomes　the　friction　of　crossing　thresholds；　and　first　addresses　in

society；　and　gives　us　a　good　start　and　speed；　easy　to　continue；　when

once　it　is　begun。　　In　short；　there　is　no　man　who　is　not　at　some　time

indebted　to　his　vices；　as　no　plant　that　is　not　fed　from　manures。　　We

only　insist　that　the　man　meliorate；　and　that　the　plant　grow　upward；

and　convert　the　base　into　the　better　nature。



　　　　　　　　The　wise　workman　will　not　regret　the　poverty　or　the　solitude

which　brought　out　his　working　talents。　　The　youth　is　charmed　with　the

fine　air　and　accomplishments　of　the　children　of　fortune。　　But　all

great　men　come　out　of　the　middle　classes。　　'Tis　better　for　the　head；

'tis　better　for　the　heart。　　Marcus　Antoninus　says；　that　Fronto　told

him；　〃that　the　so…called　high…born　are　for　the　most　part　heartless；〃

whilst　nothing　is　so　indicative　of　deepest　culture　as　a　tender

consideration　of　the　ignorant。　　Charles　James　Fox　said　of　England；

〃The　history　of　this　country　proves；　that　we　are　not　to　expect　from

men　in　affluent　circumstances　the　vigilance；　energy；　and　exertion

without　which　the　House　of　Commons　would　lose　its　greatest　force　and

weight。　　Human　nature　is　prone　to　indulgence；　and　the　most

meritorious　public　services　have　always　been　performed　by　persons　in

a　condition　of　life　removed　from　opulence。〃　And　yet　what　we　ask

daily；　is　to　be　conventional。　　Supply；　most　kind　gods！　this　defect　in

my　address；　in　my　form；　in　my　fortunes；　which　puts　me　a　little　out　of

the　ring：　supply　it；　and　let　me　be　like　the　rest　whom　I　admire；　and

on　good　terms　with　them。　　But　the　wise　gods　say；　No；　we　have　better

things　for　thee。　　By　humiliations；　by　defeats；　by　loss　of　sympathy；

by　gulfs　of　disparity；　learn　a　wider　truth　and　humanity　than　that　of

a　fine　gentleman。　　A　Fifth…Avenue　landlord；　a　West…End　householder；

is　not　the　highest　style　of　man：　and；　though　good　hearts　and　sound

minds　are　of　no　condition；　yet　he　who　is　to　be　wise　for　many；　must

not　be　protected。　　He　must　know　the　huts　where　poor　men　lie；　and　the

chores　which　poor　men　do。　　The　first…class　minds；　Aesop；　Socrates；

Cervantes；　Shakspeare；　Franklin；　had　the　poor　man's　feeling　and

mortification。　　A　rich　man　was　never　insulted　in　his　life：　but　this

man　must　be　stung。　　A　rich　man　was　never　in　danger　from　cold；　or

hunger；　or　war；　or　ruffians；　and　you　can　see　he　was　not；　from　the

moderation　of　his　ideas。　　'Tis　a　fatal　disadvantage　to　be　cockered；

and　to　eat　too　much　cake。　　What　tests　of　manhood　could　he　stand？

Take　him　out　of　his　protections。　　He　is　a　good　book…keeper；　or　he　is

a　shrewd　adviser　in　the　insurance　office：　perhaps　he　could　pass　a

college　examination；　and　take　his　degrees：　perhaps　he　can　give　wise

counsel　in　a　court　of　law。　　Now　plant　him　down　among　farmers；

firemen；　Indians；　and　emigrants。　　Set　a　dog　on　him：　set　a　highwayman

on　him：　try　him　with　a　course　of　mobs：　send　him　to　Kansas；　to　Pike's

Peak；　to　Oregon：　and；　if　he　have　true　faculty；　this　may　be　the

element　he　wants；　and　he　will　come　out　of　it　with　broader　wisdom　and

manly　power。　　Aesop；　Saadi；　Cervantes；　Regnard；　have　been　taken　by

corsairs；　left　for　dead；　sold　for　slaves；　and　know　the　realities　of

human　life。



　　　　　　　　Bad　times　have　a　scientific　value。　　These　are　occasions　a　good

learner　would　not　miss。　　As　we　go　gladly　to　Faneuil　Hall；　to　be

played　upon　by　the　stormy　winds　and　strong　fingers　of　enraged

patriotism；　so　is　a　fanatical　persecution；　civil　war；　national

bankruptcy；　or　revolution；　more　rich　in　the　central　tones　than

languid　years　of　prosperity。　　What　had　been；　ever　since　our　memory；

solid　continent；　yawns　apart；　and　discloses　its　composition　and

genesis。　　We　learn　geology　the　morning　after　the　earthquake；　on

ghastly　diagrams　of　cloven　mountains；　upheaved　plains；　and　the　dry

bed　of　the　sea。



　　　　　　　　In　our　life　and　culture；　everything　is　worked　up；　and　comes　in

use；　　passion；　war；　revolt；　bankruptcy；　and　not　less；　folly　and

blunders；　insult；　ennui；　and　bad　company。　　Nature　is　a　rag…merchant；

who　works　up　every　shred　and　ort　and　end　into　new　creations；　like　a

good　chemist；　whom　I　found；　the　other　day；　in　his　laboratory；

converting　his　old　shirts　into　pure　white　sugar。　　Life　is　a　boundless

privilege；　and　when　you　pay　for　your　ticket；　and　get　into　the　car；

you　have　no　guess　what　good　company　you　shall　find　there。　　You　buy

much　that　is　not　rendered　in　the　bill。　　Men　achieve　a　certain

greatness　unawares；　when　working　to　another　aim。



　　　　　　　　If　now　in　this　connection　of　discourse；　we　should　venture　on

laying　down　the　first　obvious　rules　of　life；　I　will　not　here　repeat

the　first　rule　of　economy；　already　propounded　once　and　again；　that

every　man　shall　maintain　himself；　　but　I　will　say；　get　health。　　No

labor；　pains；　temperance；　poverty；　nor　exercise；　that　can　gain　it；

must　be　grudged。　　For　sickness　is　a　cannibal　which　eats　up　all　the

life　and　youth　it　can　lay　hold　of；　and　absorbs　its　own　sons　and

daughters。　　I　figure　it　as　a　pale；　wailing；　distracted　phantom；

absolutely　selfish；　heedless　of　what　is　good　and　great；　attentive　to

its　sensations；　losing　its　soul；　and　afflicting　other　souls　with

meanness　and　mopings；　and　with　ministration　to　its　voracity　of

trifles。　　Dr。　Johnson　said　severely；　〃Every　man　is　a　rascal　as　soon

as　he　is　sick。〃　Drop　the　cant；　and　treat　it　sanely。　　In　dealing　with

the　drunken；　we　do　not　affect　to　be　drunk。　　We　must　treat　the　sick

with　the　same　firmness；　giving　them；　of　course；　every　aid；　　but

withholding　ourselves。　　I　once　asked　a　clergyman　in　a　retired　town；

who　were　his　companions？　what　men　of　ability　he　saw？　he　replied；　that

he　spent　his　time　with　the　sick　and　the　dying。　　I　said；　he　seemed　to

me　to　need　quite　other　company；　and　all　the　more　that　he　had　this：

for　if　people　were　sick　and　dying　to　any　purpose；　we　would　leave　all

and　go　to　them；　but；　as　far　as　I　had　observed；　they　were　as　frivolous

as　the　rest；　and　sometimes　much　more　frivolous。　　Let　us　engage　our

companions　not　to　spare　us。　　I　knew　a　wise　woman　who　said　to　her

friends；　〃When　I　am　old；　rule　me。〃　And　the　best　part　of　health　is

fine　disposition。　　It　is　more　essential　than　talent；　even　in　the

works　of　talent。　　Nothing　will　supply　the　want　of　sunshine　to

peaches；　and；　to　make　knowledge　valuable；　you　must　have　the

cheerfulness　of　wisdom。　　Whenever　you　are　sincerely　pleased；　you　are

nourished。　　The　joy　of　the　spirit　indicates　its　strength。　　All

healthy　things　are　sweet…tempered。　　Genius　works　in　sport；　and

goodness　smiles　to　the　last；　and；　for　the　reason；　that　whoever　sees

the　law　which　distributes　things；　does　not　despond；　but　is　animated

to　great　desires　and　endeavors。　　He　who　desponds　betrays　that　he　has

not　seen　it。



　　　　　　　　'Tis　a　Dutch　proverb；　that　〃paint　costs　nothing；〃　such　are　its

preserving　qualities　in　damp　climates。　　Well；　sunshine　costs　less；

yet　is　finer　pigment。　　And　so　of　cheerfulness；　or　a　good　temper；　the

more　it　is　spent；　the　more　of　it　remains。　　The　latent　heat　of　an

ounce　of　wood　or　stone　is　inexhaustible。　　You　may　rub　the　same　chip

of　pine　to　the　point　of　kindling；　a　hundred　times；　and　the　power　of

happiness　of　any　soul　is　not　to　be　computed　or　drained。　　It　is

observed　that　a　depression　of　spirits　develops　the　germs　of　a　plague

in　individuals　and　nations。



　　　　　　　　It　is　an　old　commendation　of　right　behavior；　〃_Aliis　laetus；　

sapiens　sibi_；〃　which　our　English　proverb　translates；　〃Be　merry　_and_

wise。〃　I　know　how　easy　it　is　to　men　of　the　world　to　look　grave　and

sneer　at　your　sanguine　youth；　and　its　glittering　dreams。　　But　I　find

the　gayest　castles　in　the　air　that　were　ever　piled；　far　better　for

comfort　and　for　use；　than　the　dungeons　in　the　air　that　are　daily　dug

and　caverned　out　by　grumbling；　discontented　people。　　I　know　those

miserable　fellows；　and　I　hate　them；　who　see　a　black　star　always

riding　through　the　light　and　colored　clouds　in　the　sky　overhead：

waves　of　light　pass　over　and　hide　it　for　a　moment；　but　the　black　star

keeps　fast　in　the　zenith。　　But　power　dwells　with　cheerfulness；　hope

puts　us　in　a　working　mood；　whilst　despair　is　no　muse；　and　untunes　the

active　powers。　　A　man　should　make　life　and　Nature　happier　to　us；　or

he　had　better　never　been　born。　　When　the　political　economist　reckons

up　the　unproductive　classes；　he　should　put　at　the　head　this　class　of

pitiers　of　themselves；　cravers　of　sympathy；　bewailing　imaginary

disasters。　　An　old　French　verse　runs；　in　my　translation：　



　　　　　　　　Some　of　your　griefs　you　have　cured；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　And　the　sharpest　you　still　have　survived；

　　　　　　　　But　what　torments　of　pain　you　endured

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　From　evils　that　never　arrived！



　　　　　　　　There　are　three　wants　which　never　can　be　satisfied：　that　of　the

rich；　who　wants　something　more；　that　of　the　sick；　who　wants　something

different；　and　that　of　the　traveller；　who　says；　‘Anywhere　but　here。'

The　Turkish　cadi　said　to　Layard；　〃After　the　fashion　of　thy　people；

thou　hast　wandered　from　one　place　to　another；　until　thou　art　happy

and　content　in　none。〃　My　countrymen　are　not　less　infatuated　with　the

_rococo_　toy　of　Italy。　　All　America　seems　on　the　point　of　embarking

for　Europe。　　But　we　shall　not　always　traverse　seas　and　lands　with

light　purposes；　and　for　pleasure；　as　we　say。　　One　day　we　shall　cast

out　the　passion　for　Europe；　by　the　passion　for　America。　　Culture　will

give　gravity　and　domestic　rest　to　those　who　now　travel　only　as　not

knowing　how　else　to　spend　money。　　Already；　who　provoke　pity　like　that

excellent　family　party　just　arriving　in　their　well…appointed

carriage；　as　far　from　home　and　any　honest　end　as　ever？　　Each　nation

has　asked　successively；　‘What　are　they　here　for？'　until　at　last　the

party　are　shamefaced；　and　anticipate　the　question　at　the　gates　of

each　town。



　　　　　　　　Genial　manners　are　good；　and　power　of　accommodation　to　any

circumstance；　but　the　high　pri