the poet at the breakfast table-第70章

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the　question　who　was　the　best　actor　he　remembered；　〃I　think；　on　the
whole；　Garrick。〃

If　we　did　but　know　how　to　question　these　charming　old　people　before
it　is　too　late！　　About　ten　years；　more　or　less；　after　the　generation
in　advance　of　our　own　has　all　died　off；　it　occurs　to　us　all　at　once；
〃There！　　I　can　ask　my　old　friend　what　he　knows　of　that　picture；　which
must　be　a　Copley；　of　that　house　and　its　legends　about　which　there　is
such　a　mystery。　　He　（or　she）　must　know　all　about　that。〃　　Too　late！
Too　late！

Still；　now　and　then　one　saves　a　reminiscence　that　means　a　good　deal
by　means　of　a　casual　question。　　I　asked　the　first　of　those　two　old
New…Yorkers　the　following　question：　〃Who；　on　the　whole；　seemed　to　you
the　most　considerable　person　you　ever　met？〃

Now　it　must　be　remembered　that　this　was　a　man　who　had　lived　in　a　city
that　calls　itself　the　metropolis；　one　who　had　been　a　member　of　the
State　and　the　National　Legislature；　who　had　come　in　contact　with　men。
of　letters　and　men　of　business；　with　politicians　and　members　of　all
the　professions；　during　a　long　and　distinguished　public　career。　　I
paused　for　his　answer　with　no　little　curiosity。　　Would　it　be　one　of
the　great　Ex…Presidents　whose　names　were　known　to；　all　the　world？
Would　it　be　the　silver…tongued　orator　of　Kentucky　or　the　〃God…like〃
champion　of　the　Constitution；　our　New…England　Jupiter　Capitolinus？
Who　would　it　be？

〃Take　it　altogether；〃　he　answered；　very　deliberately；　〃I　should　say
Colonel　Elisha　Williams　was　the　most　notable　personage　that　I　have
met　with。〃

Colonel　Elisha　Williams！　　And　who　might　he　be；　forsooth？　　A
gentleman　of　singular　distinction；　you　may　be　well　assured；　even
though　you　are　not　familiar　with　his　name；　but　as　I　am　not　writing　a
biographical　dictionary；　I　shall　leave　it　to　my　reader　to　find　out
who　and　what　he　was。

One　would　like　to　live　long　enough　to　witness　certain　things　which
will　no　doubt　come　to　pass　by　and　by。　　I　remember　that　when　one　of
our　good　kindhearted　old　millionnaires　was　growing　very　infirm；　his
limbs　failing　him；　and　his　trunk　getting　packed　with　the　infirmities
which　mean　that　one　is　bound　on　a　long　journey；　he　said　very　simply
and　sweetly；　〃I　don't　care　about　living　a　great　deal　longer；　but　I
should　like　to　live　long　enough　to　find　out　how　much　old　（a　many…
millioned　fellow…citizen）　is　worth。〃　　And　without　committing　myself
on　the　longevity…question；　I　confess　I　should　like　to　live　long
enough　to　see　a　few　things　happen　that　are　like　to　come；　sooner　or
later。

I　want　to　hold　the　skull　of　Abraham　in　my　hand。　　They　will　go　through
the　cave　of　Machpelah　at　Hebron；　I　feel　sure；　in　the　course　of　a　few
generations　at　the　furthest；　and　as　Dr。　Robinson　knows　of　nothing
which　should　lead　us　to　question　the　correctness　of　the　tradition
which　regards　this　as　the　place　of　sepulture　of　Abraham　and　the　other
patriarchs；　there　is　no　reason　why　we　may　not　find　his　mummied　body
in　perfect　preservation；　if　he　was　embalmed　after　the　Egyptian
fashion。　　I　suppose　the　tomb　of　David　will　be　explored　by　a
commission　in　due　time；　and　I　should　like　to　see　the　phrenological
developments　of　that　great　king　and　divine　singer　and　warm…blooded
man。　　If；　as　seems　probable；　the　anthropological　section　of　society
manages　to　get　round　the　curse　that　protects　the　bones　of
Shakespeare；　I　should　like　to　see　the　dome　which　rounded　itself　over
his　imperial　brain。　　Not　that　I　am　what　is　called　a　phrenologist；　but
I　am　curious　as　to　the　physical　developments　of　these　fellow…mortals
of　mine；　and　a　little　in　want　of　a　sensation。

I　should　like　to　live　long　enough　to　see　the　course　of　the　Tiber
turned；　and　the　bottom　of　the　river　thoroughly　dredged。　　I　wonder　if
they　would　find　the　seven…branched　golden　candlestick　brought　from
Jerusalem　by　Titus；　and　said　to　have　been　dropped　from　the　Milvian
bridge。　　I　have　often　thought　of　going　fishing　for　it　some　year　when
I　wanted　a　vacation；　as　some　of　my　friends　used　to　go　to　Ireland　to
fish　for　salmon。　　There　was　an　attempt　of　that　kind；　I　think；　a　few
years　ago。

We　all　know　how　it　looks　well　enough；　from　the　figure　of　it　on　the
Arch　of　Titus；　but　I　should　like　to　〃heft　〃　it　in　my　own　hand；　and
carry　it　home　and　shine　it　up　（excuse　my　colloquialisms）；　and　sit
down　and　look　at　it；　and　think　and　think　and　think　until　the　Temple
of　Solomon　built　up　its　walls　of　hewn　stone　and　its　roofs　of　cedar
around　me　as　noiselessly　as　when　it　rose；　and　〃there　was　neither
hammer　nor　axe　nor　any　tool　of　iron　heard　in　the　house　while　it　was
in　building。〃

All　this；　you　will　remember；　Beloved；　is　a　digression　on　my　own
account；　and　I　return　to　the　old　Master　whom　I　left　smiling　at　his
own　alteration　of　Shenstone's　celebrated　inscription。　　He　now　begin
reading　again：

I　want　it　to　be　understood　that　I　consider　that　a　certain　number　of
persons　are　at　liberty　to　dislike　me　peremptorily；　without　showing
cause；　and　that　they　give　no　offence　whatever　in　so　doing。

If　I　did　not　cheerfully　acquiesce　in　this　sentiment　towards　myself　on
the　part　of　others；　I　should　not　feel　at　liberty　to　indulge　my　own
aversions。　　I　try　to　cultivate　a　Christian　feeling　to　all　my　fellow…
creatures；　but　inasmuch　as　I　must　also　respect　truth　and　honesty；　I
confess　to　myself　a　certain　number　of　inalienable　dislikes　and
prejudices；　some　of　which　may　possibly　be　shared　by　others。　　Some　of
these　are　purely　instinctive；　for　others　I　can　assign　a　reason。　　Our
likes　and　dislikes　play　so　important　a　part　in　the　Order　of　Things
that　it　is　well　to　see　on　what　they　are　founded。

There　are　persons　I　meet　occasionally　who　are　too　intelligent　by　half
for　my　liking。　　They　know　my　thoughts　beforehand；　and　tell　me　what　I
was　going　to　say。　　Of　course　they　are　masters　of　all　my　knowledge；
and　a　good　deal　besides；　have　read　all　the　books　I　have　read；　and　in
later　editions；　have　had　all　the　experiences　I　have　been　through；　and
more…too。　　In　my　private　opinion　every　mother's　son　of　them　will　lie
at　any　time　rather　than　confess　ignorance。

I　have　a　kind　of　dread；　rather　than　hatred；　of　persons　with　a　large
excess　of　vitality；　great　feeders；　great　laughers；　great　story…
tellers；　who　come　sweeping　over　their　company　with　a　huge　tidal　wave
of　animal　spirits　and　boisterous　merriment。　　I　have　pretty　good
spirits　myself；　and　enjoy　a　little　mild　pleasantry；　but　I　am
oppressed　and　extinguished　by　these　great　lusty；　noisy　creatures；
and　feel　as　if　I　were　a　mute　at　a　funeral　when　they　get　into　full
blast。

I　cannot　get　along　much　better　with　those　drooping；　languid　people；
whose　vitality　falls　short　as　much　as　that　of　the　others　is　in
excess。　　I　have　not　life　enough　for　two；　I　wish　I　had。　　It　is　not
very　enlivening　to　meet　a　fellow…creature　whose　expression　and
accents　say；　〃You　are　the　hair　that　breaks　the　camel's　back　of　my
endurance；　you　are　the　last　drop　that　makes　my　cup　of　woe　run　over〃；
persons　whose　heads　drop　on　one　side　like　those　of　toothless　infants；
whose　voices　recall　the　tones　in　which　our　old　snuffling　choir　used
to　wail　out　the　verses　of：

　　　　　〃Life　is　the　time　to　serve　the　Lord。〃

There　is　another　style　which　does　not　captivate　me。　　I　recognize　an
attempt　at　the　grand　manner　now　and　then；　in　persons　who　are　well
enough　in　their　way；　but　of　no　particular　importance；　socially　or
otherwise。　　Some　family　tradition　of　wealth　or　distinction　is　apt　to
be　at　the　bottom　of　it；　and　it　survives　all　the　advantages　that　used
to　set　it　off。　　I　like　family　pride　as　well　as　my　neighbors；　and
respect　the　high…born　fellow…citizen　whose　progenitors　have　not
worked　in　their　shirt…sleeves　for　the　last　two　generations　full　as
much　as　I　ought　to。　　But　grand　pere　oblige；　a　person　with　a　known
grandfather　is　too　distinguished　to　find　it　necessary　to　put　on　airs。
The　few　Royal　Princes　I　have　happened　to　know　were　very　easy　people
to　get　along　with；　and　had　not　half　the　social　knee…action　I　have
often　seen　in　the　collapsed　dowagers　who　lifted　their　eyebrows　at　me
in　my　earlier　years。

My　heart　does　not　warm　as　it　should　do　towards　the　persons；　not
intimates；　who　are　always　too　glad　to　see　me　when　we　meet　by
accident；　and　discover　all　at　once　that　they　have　a　vast　deal　to
unbosom　themse