the poet at the breakfast table-第22章

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masters。　　His　nerves　must　be　steady　for　him　to　finish　a　rose…leaf　or
the　fold　of　a　nymph's　drapery　in　his　best　manner；　and　they　will　be
unsteadied　if　he　has　to　perform　the　honest　drudgery　which　another　can
do　for　him　quite　as　well。　　And　it　is　just　so　with　the　poet；　though　he
were　only　finishing　an　epigram；　you　must　no　more　meddle　roughly　with
him　than　you　would　shake　a　bottle　of　Chambertin　and　expect　the
〃sunset　glow〃　to　redden　your　glass　unclouded。　　On　the　other　hand；　it
may　be　said　that　poetry　is　not　an　article　of　prime　necessity；　and
potatoes　are。　　There　is　a　disposition　in　many　persons　just　now　to
deny　the　poet　his　benefit　of　clergy；　and　to　hold　him　no　better　than
other　people。　　Perhaps　he　is　not；　perhaps　he　is　not　so　good；　half　the
time；　but　he　is　a　luxury；　and　if　you　want　him　you　must　pay　for　him；
by　not　trying　to　make　a　drudge　of　him　while　he　is　all　his　lifetime
struggling　with　the　chills　and　heats　of　his　artistic　intermittent
fever。


There　may　have　been　some　lesser　interruptions　during　the　talk　I　have
reported　as　if　it　was　a　set　speech；　but　this　was　the　drift　of　what　I
said　and　should　have　said　if　the　other　man；　in　the　Review　I　referred
to；　had　not　seen　fit　to　meddle　with　the　subject；　as　some　fellow
always　does；　just　about　the　time　when　I　am　going　to　say　something
about　it。　　The　old　Master　listened　beautifully；　except　for　cutting　in
once；　as　I　told　you　he　did。　　But　now　he　had　held　in　as　long　as　it　was
in　his　nature　to　contain　himself；　and　must　have　his　say　or　go　off　in
an　apoplexy；　or　explode　in　some　way。　I　think　you're　right　about　the
poets；he　said。　They　are　to　common　folks　what　repeaters　are　to
ordinary　watches。　　They　carry　music　in　their　inside　arrangements；　but
they　want　to　be　handled　carefully　or　you　put　them　out　of　order。　　And
perhaps　you　must　n't　expect　them　to　be　quite　as　good　timekeepers　as
the　professional　chronometer　watches　that　make　a　specialty　of　being
exact　within　a　few　seconds　a　month。　　They　think　too　much　of
themselves。　　So　does　everybody　that　considers　himself　as　having　a
right　to　fall　back　on　what　he　calls　his　idiosyncrasy。　　Yet　a　man　has
such　a　right；　and　it　is　no　easy　thing　to　adjust　the　private　claim　to
the　fair　public　demand　on　him。　　Suppose　you　are　subject　to　tic
douloureux；　for　instance。　　Every　now　and　then　a　tiger　that　nobody　can
see　catches　one　side　of　your　face　between　his　jaws　and　holds　on　till
he　is　tired　and　lets　go。　　Some　concession　must　be　made　to　you　on　that
score；　as　everybody　can　see。　　It　is　fair　to　give　you　a　seat　that　is
not　in　the　draught；　and　your　friends　ought　not　to　find　fault　with　you
if　you　do　not　care　to　join　a　party　that　is　going　on　a　sleigh…ride。
Now　take　a　poet　like　Cowper。　　He　had　a　mental　neuralgia；　a　great　deal
worse　in　many　respects　than　tic　douloureux　confined　to　the　face。　　It
was　well　that　he　was　sheltered　and　relieved；　by　the　cares　of　kind
friends；　especially　those　good　women；　from　as　many　of　the　burdens　of
life　as　they　could　lift　off　from　him。　　I　am　fair　to　the　poets；don't
you　agree　that　I　am？

Why；　yes；I　said；you　have　stated　the　case　fairly　enough；　a　good
deal　as　I　should　have　put　it　myself。

Now；　then；the　Master　continued；I　'll　tell　you　what　is　necessary
to　all　these　artistic　idiosyncrasies　to　bring　them　into　good　square
human　relations　outside　of　the　special　province　where　their　ways
differ　from　those　of　other　people。　　I　am　going　to　illustrate　what　I
mean　by　a　comparison。　　I　don't　know；　by　the　way；　but　you　would　be
disposed　to　think　and　perhaps　call　me　a　wine…bibber　on　the　strength
of　the　freedom　with　which　I　deal　with　that　fluid　for　the　purposes　of
illustration。　　But　I　make　mighty　little　use　of　it；　except　as　it
furnishes　me　an　image　now　and　then；　as　it　did；　for　that　matter；　to
the　Disciples　and　their　Master。　　In　my　younger　days　they　used　to
bring　up　the　famous　old　wines；　the　White…top；　the　Juno；　the　Eclipse；
the　Essex　Junior；　and　the　rest；　in　their　old　cobwebbed；　dusty
bottles。　　The　resurrection　of　one　of　these　old　sepulchred　dignitaries
had　something　of　solemnity　about　it；　it　was　like　the　disinterment　of
a　king；　the　bringing　to　light　of　the　Royal　Martyr　King　Charles　I。；
for　instance；　that　Sir　Henry　Halford　gave　such　an　interesting　account
of。　　And　the　bottle　seemed　to　inspire　a　personal　respect；　it　was
wrapped　in　a　napkin　and　borne　tenderly　and　reverently　round　to　the
guests；　and　sometimes　a　dead　silence　went　before　the　first　gush　of
its　amber　flood；　and

　　　　〃The　boldest　held　his　breath
　　　　　For　a　time。〃

But　nowadays　the　precious　juice　of　a　long…dead　vintage　is　transferred
carefully　into　a　cut…glass　decanter；　and　stands　side　by　side　with　the
sherry　from　a　corner　grocery；　which　looks　just　as　bright　and
apparently　thinks　just　as　well　of　itself。　　The　old　historic　Madeiras；
which　have　warmed　the　periods　of　our　famous　rhetoricians　of　the　past
and　burned　in　the　impassioned　eloquence　of　our　earlier　political
demigods；　have　nothing　to　mark　them　externally　but　a　bit　of　thread；
it　may　be；　round　the　neck　of　the　decanter；　or　a　slip　of　ribbon；　pink
on　one　of　them　and　blue　on　another。

Go　to　a　London　club；perhaps　I　might　find　something　nearer　home　that
would　serve　my　turn；but　go　to　a　London　club；　and　there　you　will　see
the　celebrities　all　looking　alike　modern；　all　decanted　off　from　their
historic　antecedents　and　their　costume　of　circumstance　into　the
every…day　aspect　of　the　gentleman　of　common　cultivated　society。　　That
is　Sir　Coeur　de　Lion　Plantagenet　in　the　mutton…chop　whiskers　and　the
plain　gray　suit；　there　is　the　Laureate　in　a　frockcoat　like　your　own；
and　the　leader　of　the　House　of　Commons　in　a　necktie　you　do　not　envy。
That　is　the　kind　of　thing　you　want　to　take　the　nonsense　out　of　you。
If　you　are　not　decanted　off　from　yourself　every　few　days　or　weeks；
you　will　think　it　sacrilege　to　brush　a　cobweb　from　your　cork　by　and
by。　　O　little　fool；　that　has　published　a　little　book　full　of　little
poems　or　other　sputtering　tokens　of　an　uneasy　condition；　how　I　love
you　for　the　one　soft　nerve　of　special　sensibility　that　runs　through
your　exiguous　organism；　and　the　one　phosphorescent　particle　in　your
unilluminated　intelligence！　　But　if　you　don't　leave　your　spun…sugar
confectionery　business　once　in　a　while；　and　come　out　among　lusty
men；the　bristly；　pachydermatous　fellows　that　hew　out　the　highways
for　the　material　progress　of　society；　and　the　broad…shouldered；　out…
of…door　men　that　fight　for　the　great　prizes　of　life；you　will　come
to　think　that　the　spun…sugar　business　is　the　chief　end　of　man；　and
begin　to　feel　and　look　as　if　you　believed　yourself　as　much　above
common　people　as　that　personage　of　whom　Tourgueneff　says　that　〃he　had
the　air　of　his　own　statue　erected　by　national　subscription。〃

The　Master　paused　and　fell　into　a　deep　thinking　fit；　as　he　does
sometimes。　　He　had　had　his　own　say；　it　is　true；　but　he　had
established　his　character　as　a　listener　to　my　own　perfect
satisfaction；　for　I；　too；　was　conscious　of　having　preached　with　a
certain　prolixity。

I　am　always　troubled　when　I　think　of　my　very　limited　mathematical
capacities。　　It　seems　as　if　every　well…organized　mind　should　be　able
to　handle　numbers　and　quantities　through　their　symbols　to　an
indefinite　extent；　and　yet；　I　am　puzzled　by　what　seems　to　a　clever
boy　with　a　turn　for　calculation　as　plain　as　counting　his　fingers。　　I
don't　think　any　man　feels　well　grounded　in　knowledge　unless　he　has　a
good　basis　of　mathematical　certainties；　and　knows　how　to　deal　with
them　and　apply　them　to　every　branch　of　knowledge　where　they　can　come
in　to　advantage。

Our　Young　Astronomer　is　known　for　his　mathematical　ability；　and　I
asked　him　what　he　thought　was　the　difficulty　in　the　minds　that　are
weak　in　that　particular　direction；　while　they　may　be　of　remarkable
force　in　other　provinces　of　thought；　as　is　notoriously　the　case　with
some　men　of　great　distinction　in　science。

The　young　man　smiled　and　wrote　a　few　letters　and　symbols　on　a　piece
of　paper。…Can　you　see　through　that　at　once？he　said。

I　puzzled　over　it　for　some　minutes　and　gave　it　up。

He　said；　as　I　returned　it　to　him；　You　have　heard　military　men　say
that　such　a　person　had　an　eye　for　country；　have　n't　you？　　One　man
will　note　all　the　landmarks；　keep　the　points　of　compass