05-behavior-第4章

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but；〃　　she　adds　good…humoredly；　〃the　movers　and　masters　of　our

souls　have　surely　a　right　to　throw　out　their　limbs　as　carelessly　as

they　please；　on　the　world　that　belongs　to　them；　and　before　the

creatures　they　have　animated。〃　（*）



　　　　　　　　（*）　Landor：　_Pericles　and　Aspasia_。



　　　　　　　　Manners　require　time；　as　nothing　is　more　vulgar　than　haste。

Friendship　should　be　surrounded　with　ceremonies　and　respects；　and　not

crushed　into　corners。　　Friendship　requires　more　time　than　poor　busy

men　can　usually　command。　　Here　comes　to　me　Roland；　with　a　delicacy　of

sentiment　leading　and　inwrapping　him　like　a　divine　cloud　or　holy

ghost。　　'Tis　a　great　destitution　to　both　that　this　should　not　be

entertained　with　large　leisures；　but　contrariwise　should　be　balked　by

importunate　affairs。



　　　　　　　　But　through　this　lustrous　varnish；　the　reality　is　ever　shining。

'Tis　hard　to　keep　the　_what_　from　breaking　through　this　pretty

painting　of　the　_how_。　　The　core　will　come　to　the　surface。　　Strong

will　and　keen　perception　overpower　old　manners；　and　create　new；　and

the　thought　of　the　present　moment　has　a　greater　value　than　all　the

past。　　In　persons　of　character；　we　do　not　remark　manners；　because　of

their　instantaneousness。　　We　are　surprised　by　the　thing　done；　out　of

all　power　to　watch　the　way　of　it。　　Yet　nothing　is　more　charming　than

to　recognize　the　great　style　which　runs　through　the　actions　of　such。

People　masquerade　before　us　in　their　fortunes；　titles；　offices；　and

connections；　as　academic　or　civil　presidents；　or　senators；　or

professors；　or　great　lawyers；　and　impose　on　the　frivolous；　and　a　good

deal　on　each　other；　by　these　fames。　　At　least；　it　is　a　point　of

prudent　good　manners　to　treat　these　reputations　tenderly；　as　if　they

were　merited。　　But　the　sad　realist　knows　these　fellows　at　a　glance；

and　they　know　him；　as　when　in　Paris　the　chief　of　the　police　enters　a

ballroom；　so　many　diamonded　pretenders　shrink　and　make　themselves　as

inconspicuous　as　they　can；　or　give　him　a　supplicating　look　as　they

pass。　　〃I　had　received；〃　said　a　sibyl；　〃I　had　received　at　birth　the

fatal　gift　of　penetration：〃　　and　these　Cassandras　are　always　born。



　　　　　　　　Manners　impress　as　they　indicate　real　power。　　A　man　who　is　sure

of　his　point；　carries　a　broad　and　contented　expression；　which

everybody　reads。　　And　you　cannot　rightly　train　one　to　an　air　and

manner；　except　by　making　him　the　kind　of　man　of　whom　that　manner　is

the　natural　expression。　　Nature　forever　puts　a　premium　on　reality。

What　is　done　for　effect；　is　seen　to　be　done　for　effect；　what　is　done

for　love；　is　felt　to　be　done　for　love。　　A　man　inspires　affection　and

honor；　because　he　was　not　lying　in　wait　for　these。　　The　things　of　a

man　for　which　we　visit　him；　were　done　in　the　dark　and　the　cold。　　A

little　integrity　is　better　than　any　career。　　So　deep　are　the　sources

of　this　surface…action；　that　even　the　size　of　your　companion　seems　to

vary　with　his　freedom　of　thought。　　Not　only　is　he　larger；　when　at

ease；　and　his　thoughts　generous；　but　everything　around　him　becomes

variable　with　expression。　　No　carpenter's　rule；　no　rod　and　chain；

will　measure　the　dimensions　of　any　house　or　house…lot：　go　into　the

house：　if　the　proprietor　is　constrained　and　deferring；　'tis　of　no

importance　how　large　his　house；　how　beautiful　his　grounds；　　you

quickly　come　to　the　end　of　all：　but　if　the　man　is　self…possessed；

happy；　and　at　home；　his　house　is　deep…founded；　indefinitely　large　and

interesting；　the　roof　and　dome　buoyant　as　the　sky。　　Under　the

humblest　roof；　the　commonest　person　in　plain　clothes　sits　there

massive；　cheerful；　yet　formidable　like　the　Egyptian　colossi。



　　　　　　　　Neither　Aristotle；　nor　Leibnitz；　nor　Junius；　nor　Champollion

has　set　down　the　grammar…rules　of　this　dialect；　older　than　Sanscrit；

but　they　who　cannot　yet　read　English；　can　read　this。　　Men　take　each

other's　measure；　when　they　meet　for　the　first　time；　　and　every　time

they　meet。　　How　do　they　get　this　rapid　knowledge；　even　before　they

speak；　of　each　other's　power　and　dispositions？　　One　would　say；　that

the　persuasion　of　their　speech　is　not　in　what　they　say；　　or；　that

men　do　not　convince　by　their　argument；　　but　by　their　personality；

by　who　they　are；　and　what　they　said　and　did　heretofore。　　A　man

already　strong　is　listened　to；　and　everything　he　says　is　applauded。

Another　opposes　him　with　sound　argument；　but　the　argument　is　scouted；

until　by　and　by　it　gets　into　the　mind　of　some　weighty　person；　then　it

begins　to　tell　on　the　community。



　　　　　　　　Self…reliance　is　the　basis　of　behavior；　as　it　is　the　guaranty

that　the　powers　are　not　squandered　in　too　much　demonstration。　　In

this　country；　where　school　education　is　universal；　we　have　a

superficial　culture；　and　a　profusion　of　reading　and　writing　and

expression。　　We　parade　our　nobilities　in　poems　and　orations；　instead

of　working　them　up　into　happiness。　　There　is　a　whisper　out　of　the

ages　to　him　who　can　understand　it；　　‘whatever　is　known　to　thyself

alone；　has　always　very　great　value。'　There　is　some　reason　to　believe；

that；　when　a　man　does　not　write　his　poetry；　it　escapes　by　other　vents

through　him；　instead　of　the　one　vent　of　writing；　clings　to　his　form

and　manners；　whilst　poets　have　often　nothing　poetical　about　them

except　their　verses。　　Jacobi　said；　that　〃when　a　man　has　fully

expressed　his　thought；　he　has　somewhat　less　possession　of　it。〃　One

would　say；　the　rule　is；　　What　a　man　is　irresistibly　urged　to　say；

helps　him　and　us。　　In　explaining　his　thought　to　others；　he　explains

it　to　himself：　but　when　he　opens　it　for　show；　it　corrupts　him。



　　　　　　　　Society　is　the　stage　on　which　manners　are　shown；　novels　are

their　literature。　　Novels　are　the　journal　or　record　of　manners；　and

the　new　importance　of　these　books　derives　from　the　fact；　that　the

novelist　begins　to　penetrate　the　surface；　and　treat　this　part　of　life

more　worthily。　　The　novels　used　to　be　all　alike；　and　had　a　quite

vulgar　tone。　　The　novels　used　to　lead　us　on　to　a　foolish　interest　in

the　fortunes　of　the　boy　and　girl　they　described。　　The　boy　was　to　be

raised　from　a　humble　to　a　high　position。　　He　was　in　want　of　a　wife

and　a　castle；　and　the　object　of　the　story　was　to　supply　him　with　one

or　both。　　We　watched　sympathetically；　step　by　step；　his　climbing；

until；　at　last；　the　point　is　gained；　the　wedding　day　is　fixed；　and　we

follow　the　gala　procession　home　to　the　castle；　when　the　doors　are

slammed　in　our　face；　and　the　poor　reader　is　left　outside　in　the　cold；

not　enriched　by　so　much　as　an　idea；　or　a　virtuous　impulse。



　　　　　　　　But　the　victories　of　character　are　instant；　and　victories　for

all。　　Its　greatness　enlarges　all。　　We　are　fortified　by　every　heroic

anecdote。　　The　novels　are　as　useful　as　Bibles；　if　they　teach　you　the

secret；　that　the　best　of　life　is　conversation；　and　the　greatest

success　is　confidence；　or　perfect　understanding　between　sincere

people。　　'Tis　a　French　definition　of　friendship；　_rien　que

s'entendre_；　good　understanding。　　The　highest　compact　we　can　make

with　our　fellow；　is；　　‘Let　there　be　truth　between　us　two

forevermore。'　That　is　the　charm　in　all　good　novels；　as　it　is　the

charm　in　all　good　histories；　that　the　heroes　mutually　understand；

from　the　first；　and　deal　loyally；　and　with　a　profound　trust　in　each

other。　　It　is　sublime　to　feel　and　say　of　another；　I　need　never　meet；

or　speak；　or　write　to　him：　we　need　not　reinforce　ourselves；　or　send

tokens　of　remembrance：　I　rely　on　him　as　on　myself：　if　he　did　thus　or

thus；　I　know　it　was　right。



　　　　　　　　In　all　the　superior　people　I　have　met；　I　notice　directness；

truth　spoken　more　truly；　as　if　everything　of　obstruction；　of

malformation；　had　been　trained　away。　　What　have　they　to　conceal？

What　have　they　to　exhibit？　　Between　simple　and　noble　persons；　there

is　always　a　quick　intelligence：　they　recognize　at　sight；　and　meet　on

a　better　ground　than　the　talents　and　skills　they　may　chance　to

possess；　namely；　on　sincerity　and　uprightness。　　For；　it　is　not　what

talents　or　genius　a　man　has；　but　how　he　is　to　h