05-behavior-第2章

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peasants；　of　different　periods　and　countries；　you　will　see　how　well

they　match　the　same　classes　in　our　towns。　　The　modern　aristocrat　not

only　is　well　drawn　in　Titian's　Venetian　doges；　and　in　Roman　coins　and

statues；　but　also　in　the　pictures　which　Commodore　Perry　brought　home

of　dignitaries　in　Japan。　　Broad　lands　and　great　interests　not　only

arrive　to　such　heads　as　can　manage　them；　but　form　manners　of　power。

A　keen　eye；　too；　will　see　nice　gradations　of　rank；　or　see　in　the

manners　the　degree　of　homage　the　party　is　wont　to　receive。　　A　prince

who　is　accustomed　every　day　to　be　courted　and　deferred　to　by　the

highest　grandees；　acquires　a　corresponding　expectation；　and　a

becoming　mode　of　receiving　and　replying　to　this　homage。



　　　　　　　　There　are　always　exceptional　people　and　modes。　　English

grandees　affect　to　be　farmers。　　Claverhouse　is　a　fop；　and；　under　the

finish　of　dress；　and　levity　of　behavior；　hides　the　terror　of　his　war。

But　Nature　and　Destiny　are　honest；　and　never　fail　to　leave　their

mark；　to　hang　out　a　sign　for　each　and　for　every　quality。　　It　is　much

to　conquer　one's　face；　and　perhaps　the　ambitious　youth　thinks　he　has

got　the　whole　secret　when　he　has　learned；　that　disengaged　manners　are

commanding。　　Don't　be　deceived　by　a　facile　exterior。　　Tender　men

sometimes　have　strong　wills。　　We　had；　in　Massachusetts；　an　old

statesman；　who　had　sat　all　his　life　in　courts　and　in　chairs　of　state；

without　overcoming　an　extreme　irritability　of　face；　voice；　and

bearing：　when　he　spoke；　his　voice　would　not　serve　him；　it　cracked；　it

broke；　it　wheezed；　it　piped；　　little　cared　he；　he　knew　that　it　had

got　to　pipe；　or　wheeze；　or　screech　his　argument　and　his　indignation。

When　he　sat　down；　after　speaking；　he　seemed　in　a　sort　of　fit；　and

held　on　to　his　chair　with　both　hands：　but　underneath　all　this

irritability；　was　a　puissant　will；　firm；　and　advancing；　and　a　memory

in　which　lay　in　order　and　method　like　geologic　strata　every　fact　of

his　history；　and　under　the　control　of　his　will。



　　　　　　　　Manners　are　partly　factitious；　but；　mainly；　there　must　be

capacity　for　culture　in　the　blood。　　Else　all　culture　is　vain。　　The

obstinate　prejudice　in　favor　of　blood；　which　lies　at　the　base　of　the

feudal　and　monarchical　fabrics　of　the　old　world；　has　some　reason　in

common　experience。　　Every　man；　mathematician；　artist；　soldier；　or

merchant；　　looks　with　confidence　for　some　traits　and　talents　in　his

own　child；　which　he　would　not　dare　to　presume　in　the　child　of　a

stranger。　　The　Orientalists　are　very　orthodox　on　this　point。　　〃Take　a

thorn…bush；〃　said　the　emir　Abdel…Kader；　〃and　sprinkle　it　for　a　whole

year　with　water；　　it　will　yield　nothing　but　thorns。　　Take　a

date…tree；　leave　it　without　culture；　and　it　will　always　produce

dates。　　Nobility　is　the　date…tree；　and　the　Arab　populace　is　a　bush　of

thorns。〃



　　　　　　　　A　main　fact　in　the　history　of　manners　is　the　wonderful

expressiveness　of　the　human　body。　　If　it　were　made　of　glass；　or　of

air；　and　the　thoughts　were　written　on　steel　tablets　within；　it　could

not　publish　more　truly　its　meaning　than　now。　　Wise　men　read　very

sharply　all　your　private　history　in　your　look　and　gait　and　behavior。

The　whole　economy　of　nature　is　bent　on　expression。　　The　tell…tale

body　is　all　tongues。　　Men　are　like　Geneva　watches　with　crystal　faces

which　expose　the　whole　movement。　　They　carry　the　liquor　of　life

flowing　up　and　down　in　these　beautiful　bottles；　and　announcing　to　the

curious　how　it　is　with　them。　　The　face　and　eyes　reveal　what　the

spirit　is　doing；　how　old　it　is；　what　aims　it　has。　　The　eyes　indicate

the　antiquity　of　the　soul；　or；　through　how　many　forms　it　has　already

ascended。　　It　almost　violates　the　proprieties；　if　we　say　above　the

breath　here；　what　the　confessing　eyes　do　not　hesitate　to　utter　to

every　street　passenger。



　　　　　　　　Man　cannot　fix　his　eye　on　the　sun；　and　so　far　seems　imperfect。

In　Siberia；　a　late　traveller　found　men　who　could　see　the　satellites

of　Jupiter　with　their　unarmed　eye。　　In　some　respects　the　animals

excel　us。　　The　birds　have　a　longer　sight；　beside　the　advantage　by

their　wings　of　a　higher　observatory。　　A　cow　can　bid　her　calf；　by

secret　signal；　probably　of　the　eye；　to　run　away；　or　to　lie　down　and

hide　itself。　　The　jockeys　say　of　certain　horses；　that　〃they　look　over

the　whole　ground。〃　The　out…door　life；　and　hunting；　and　labor；　give

equal　vigor　to　the　human　eye。　　A　farmer　looks　out　at　you　as　strong　as

the　horse；　his　eye…beam　is　like　the　stroke　of　a　staff。　　An　eye　can

threaten　like　a　loaded　and　levelled　gun；　or　can　insult　like　hissing

or　kicking；　or；　in　its　altered　mood；　by　beams　of　kindness；　it　can

make　the　heart　dance　with　joy。



　　　　　　　　The　eye　obeys　exactly　the　action　of　the　mind。　　When　a　thought

strikes　us；　the　eyes　fix；　and　remain　gazing　at　a　distance；　in

enumerating　the　names　of　persons　or　of　countries；　as　France；　Germany；

Spain；　Turkey；　the　eyes　wink　at　each　new　name。　　There　is　no　nicety　of

learning　sought　by　the　mind；　which　the　eyes　do　not　vie　in　acquiring。

〃An　artist；〃　said　Michel　Angelo；　〃must　have　his　measuring　tools　not

in　the　hand；　but　in　the　eye；〃　and　there　is　no　end　to　the　catalogue　of

its　performances；　whether　in　indolent　vision；　（that　of　health　and

beauty；）　or　in　strained　vision；　（that　of　art　and　labor。）



　　　　　　　　Eyes　are　bold　as　lions；　　roving；　running；　leaping；　here　and

there；　far　and　near。　　They　speak　all　languages。　　They　wait　for　no

introduction；　they　are　no　Englishmen；　ask　no　leave　of　age；　or　rank；

they　respect　neither　poverty　nor　riches；　neither　learning　nor　power；

nor　virtue；　nor　sex；　but　intrude；　and　come　again；　and　go　through　and

through　you；　in　a　moment　of　time。　　What　inundation　of　life　and

thought　is　discharged　from　one　soul　into　another；　through　them！　　The

glance　is　natural　magic。　　The　mysterious　communication　established

across　a　house　between　two　entire　strangers；　moves　all　the　springs　of

wonder。　　The　communication　by　the　glance　is　in　the　greatest　part　not

subject　to　the　control　of　the　will。　　It　is　the　bodily　symbol　of

identity　of　nature。　　We　look　into　the　eyes　to　know　if　this　other　form

is　another　self；　and　the　eyes　will　not　lie；　but　make　a　faithful

confession　what　inhabitant　is　there。　　The　revelations　are　sometimes

terrific。　　The　confession　of　a　low；　usurping　devil　is　there　made；　and

the　observer　shall　seem　to　feel　the　stirring　of　owls；　and　bats；　and

horned　hoofs；　where　he　looked　for　innocence　and　simplicity。　　'Tis

remarkable；　too；　that　the　spirit　that　appears　at　the　windows　of　the

house　does　at　once　invest　himself　in　a　new　form　of　his　own；　to　the

mind　of　the　beholder。



　　　　　　　　The　eyes　of　men　converse　as　much　as　their　tongues；　with　the

advantage；　that　the　ocular　dialect　needs　no　dictionary；　but　is

understood　all　the　world　over。　　When　the　eyes　say　one　thing；　and　the

tongue　another；　a　practised　man　relies　on　the　language　of　the　first。

If　the　man　is　off　his　centre；　the　eyes　show　it。　　You　can　read　in　the

eyes　of　your　companion；　whether　your　argument　hits　him；　though　his

tongue　will　not　confess　it。　　There　is　a　look　by　which　a　man　shows　he

is　going　to　say　a　good　thing；　and　a　look　when　he　has　said　it。　　Vain

and　forgotten　are　all　the　fine　offers　and　offices　of　hospitality；　if

there　is　no　holiday　in　the　eye。　　How　many　furtive　inclinations　avowed

by　the　eye；　though　dissembled　by　the　lips！　　One　comes　away　from　a

company；　in　which；　it　may　easily　happen；　he　has　said　nothing；　and　no

important　remark　has　been　addressed　to　him；　and　yet；　if　in　sympathy

with　the　society；　he　shall　not　have　a　sense　of　this　fact；　such　a

stream　of　life　has　been　flowing　into　him；　and　out　from　him；　through

the　eyes。　　There　are　eyes；　to　be　sure；　that　give　no　more　admission

into　the　man　than　blueberries。　　Others　are　liquid　and　deep；　　wells

that　a　man　might　fall　into；　　others　are　aggressive　and　devouring；

seem　to　call　out　the　police；　take　all　too　much　notice；　and　require

crowded　Broadways；　and　the　security　of　millions；　to　protect

individuals　against　them。　　The　military　eye　I　meet；　no