登陆注册
14823300000101

第101章

And nature advertises me in such persons, that, in democratic America, she will not be democratized. How cloistered and constitutionally sequestered from the market and from scandal! It was only this morning, that I sent away some wild flowers of these wood-gods. They are a relief from literature, -- these fresh draughts from the sources of thought and sentiment; as we read, in an age of polish and criticism, the first lines of written prose and verse of a nation. How captivating is their devotion to their favorite books, whether Aeschylus, Dante, Shakspeare, or Scott, as feeling that they have a stake in that book: who touches that, touches them; -- and especially the total solitude of the critic, the Patmos of thought from which he writes, in unconsciousness of any eyes that shall ever read this writing. Could they dream on still, as angels, and not wake to comparisons, and to be flattered! Yet some natures are too good to be spoiled by praise, and wherever the vein of thought reaches down into the profound, there is no danger from vanity. Solemn friends will warn them of the danger of the head's being turned by the flourish of trumpets, but they can afford to smile. I remember the indignation of an eloquent Methodist at the kind admonitions of a Doctor of Divinity,--- `My friend, a man can neither be praised nor insulted.' But forgive the counsels; they are very natural. I remember the thought which occurred to me when some ingenious and spiritual foreigners came to America, was, Have you been victimized in being brought hither? -- or, prior to that, answer me this, `Are you victimizable?'

As I have said, nature keeps these sovereignties in her own hands, and however pertly our sermons and disciplines would divide some share of credit, and teach that the laws fashion the citizen, she goes her own gait, and puts the wisest in the wrong. She makes very light of gospels and prophets, as one who has a great many more to produce, and no excess of time to spare on any one. There is a class of men, individuals of which appear at long intervals, so eminently endowed with insight and virtue, that they have been unanimously saluted as _divine_, and who seem to be an accumulation of that power we consider. Divine persons are character born, or, to borrow a phrase from Napoleon, they are victory organized. They are usually received with ill-will, because they are new, and because they set a bound to the exaggeration that has been made of the personality of the last divine person. Nature never rhymes her children, nor makes two men alike. When we see a great man, we fancy a resemblance to some historical person, and predict the sequel of his character and fortune, a result which he is sure to disappoint.

None will ever solve the problem of his character according to our prejudice, but only in his own high unprecedented way. Character wants room; must not be crowded on by persons, nor be judged from glimpses got in the press of affairs or on few occasions. It needs perspective, as a great building. It may not, probably does not, form relations rapidly; and we should not require rash explanation, either on the popular ethics, or on our own, of its action.

I look on Sculpture as history. I do not think the Apollo and the Jove impossible in flesh and blood. Every trait which the artist recorded in stone, he had seen in life, and better than his copy. We have seen many counterfeits, but we are born believers in great men.

How easily we read in old books, when men were few, of the smallest action of the patriarchs. We require that a man should be so large and columnar in the landscape, that it should deserve to be recorded, that he arose, and girded up his loins, and departed to such a place.

The most credible pictures are those of majestic men who prevailed at their entrance, and convinced the senses; as happened to the eastern magian who was sent to test the merits of Zertusht or Zoroaster.

When the Yunani sage arrived at Balkh, the Persians tell us, Gushtasp appointed a day on which the Mobeds of every country should assemble, and a golden chair was placed for the Yunani sage. Then the beloved of Yezdam, the prophet Zertusht, advanced into the midst of the assembly. The Yunani sage, on seeing that chief, said, "This form and this gait cannot lie, and nothing but truth can proceed from them." Plato said, it was impossible not to believe in the children of the gods, "though they should speak without probable or necessary arguments." I should think myself very unhappy in my associates, if I could not credit the best things in history. "John Bradshaw," says Milton, "appears like a consul, from whom the fasces are not to depart with the year; so that not on the tribunal only, but throughout his life, you would regard him as sitting in judgment upon kings." I find it more credible, since it is anterior information, that one man should _know heaven_, as the Chinese say, than that so many men should know the world. "The virtuous prince confronts the gods, without any misgiving. He waits a hundred ages till a sage comes, and does not doubt. He who confronts the gods, without any misgiving, knows heaven; he who waits a hundred ages until a sage comes, without doubting, knows men. Hence the virtuous prince moves, and for ages shows empire the way." But there is no need to seek remote examples. He is a dull observer whose experience has not taught him the reality and force of magic, as well as of chemistry.

同类推荐
  • 因明义断

    因明义断

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 英云梦三生姻缘

    英云梦三生姻缘

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 歙砚说辨歙石说

    歙砚说辨歙石说

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 凌沧草

    凌沧草

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 雅言

    雅言

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 防弹少年团之错爱

    防弹少年团之错爱

    她,只是个平凡家的单亲家庭的女孩,因为会韩语所以抱着试一试的态度向各个经纪公司投向了翻译员的职位,没想被Bighit公司看上担任了防弹的翻译员,在去韩国面试的途中又偶遇防弹.......接下来的种种接触中,发生了一件件难以想象的事,甚至是女主自己狗血的身世更让她觉得无语心烦......
  • 大道主之吴道天下

    大道主之吴道天下

    大道万千然归其宗为两种,一曰本源,二曰自身,余下皆有六道,灵,神,妖,魔,人,鬼。以魂种本源道为例,直属本源道下不属于六道,鸿途道则直属自身道下。又有欲神道所属神道内却属于自身神道,又如你重修的灵脉道属于本源灵道,万圣道属于自身人道。各道皆有最强者亦是承载着道统道藏之人为道主。诸般万道各有所长,自身道与本源道皆出过两位大道主,虽有一位本源大道主被自身道驱逐,可如今自身道已陨,本源道依旧,孰是孰非孰强孰弱又有谁说得清呢,说到底不过追求不同罢了。
  • 力命

    力命

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 三代宠妃

    三代宠妃

    她的生母是别国送来联姻的青楼雅妓,被人陷害后本要发配冷宫,却意外生下她这个七公主捡回了命。而她自小因为生母无宠而被人欺凌,吃穿用度总缺了她的,珠宝首饰花粉胭脂也总给她些不值钱的。上天还是公平的,给了她不幸的身世,却给了她一副好皮囊和满腹城府。别国讨伐,她躲在密道中看着娘亲自刎,顾不得擦泛红的眼眶,匆匆而去。她最终还是不慎落到了敌军手上,领头男子将染血的长剑收回鞘中,挑起她的下巴。“以后你就是朕的女人了。”
  • 猎心游戏:裴少,早上好!

    猎心游戏:裴少,早上好!

    “我许你地老天荒,你是我的万寿无疆。”他是商业界的一方霸主,对她本一时兴起。于是他诱她心引她身,等他全身而退,却没想到把心留在了那儿……多年之后,她回想起当年的决定,笑道,“我从不后悔遇见你,也不后悔当初没早一步爱上你,我只求将来我们还在,你不悔,我不老。”
  • 再见霍格沃茨

    再见霍格沃茨

    十七岁的孩子们,将欢笑永远留在这里,霍格沃茨,霍格沃茨,这里是他们不变的回忆,尽管遗憾,可我们曾一起快乐,直到一切消失,走到生命的尽头。若能回到最初的最初,我只想做那个能够和你们一起,坐在湖边看夕阳的少年。“月亮脸,虫尾巴,大脚板,尖头叉子,自豪地献上活点地图!”那个年代,还存在吗?
  • 山青草木荣

    山青草木荣

    “对不起,我也是自身难保,我怎么可能拼得过这样一只成年的吊睛白老虎?动物园里的一声兽吼都能吓得我心惊胆颤,自身难保的我怎么可能救得了你……我去!贼老天,果然是你把我变得太小了吧,这世上怎么可能有这么大的老虎?我是肯定是在做梦,是吧是吧?肯定是吧!贼老天,不带这么样玩人的好吗?!”巨大的琴盒安静地躺在地上,看着它的所有者一脸泪水地边大骂边持着利剑从躲藏的灌木丛中冲出去,宽大的衣服飘起,意外地美丽……生存不易,所以互相扶持,互相依靠。相遇之时,便是他们的开始。
  • 神魔之珏

    神魔之珏

    一块黑色龙形玉佩,一个不甘平庸的少年,受尽家族欺凌。一个封印,面临死亡的威胁,为了守护自己想要保护的人,少年千赢烈一步步迈向修炼世界的水深火热之中。家族赛事,兽灵之争,对抗弑殿,魔族,八大恶魔的席卷归来。面对扑朔迷离的身世,守护自己想要保护的人,少年千赢烈一步步陷入争夺之战且看少年千赢烈如何华丽化身为魔
  • 香樟树下说爱你

    香樟树下说爱你

    “白以沐,我很花心,却为你动心。”“白以沐,傻笑不是与生俱来的,而是由我爱上你的那一刻开始的。”“白以沐,只要你一直在我身边,其他东西不再重要。”“白以沐,你的出现,让我有了杂念。”“白以沐,没有你哪来的幸福?”
  • 有些事现在不做,一辈子都不会做了2:简单生活

    有些事现在不做,一辈子都不会做了2:简单生活

    继续提倡“只需去做,生活就会改变”,提供给大家的是简单生活的建议, 提供一些大家平时想不到,或者想到了却一直没有去做的事情,并且告诉读者,怎么去做,或者去哪里可以做到。这本书讲到的也不是多么惊天动地的大事,有的只是生活中触手可及的简单小事。