01-fate-第6章

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carry　the　house　away。　　But　the　Marquis　of　Worcester；　Watt；　and　Fulton

bethought　themselves；　that；　where　was　power；　was　not　devil；　but　was

God；　that　it　must　be　availed　of；　and　not　by　any　means　let　off　and

wasted。　　Could　he　lift　pots　and　roofs　and　houses　so　handily？　he　was

the　workman　they　were　in　search　of。　　He　could　be　used　to　lift　away；

chain；　and　compel　other　devils；　far　more　reluctant　and　dangerous；

namely；　cubic　miles　of　earth；　mountains；　weight　or　resistance　of

water；　machinery；　and　the　labors　of　all　men　in　the　world；　and　time　he

shall　lengthen；　and　shorten　space。



　　　　　　　　It　has　not　fared　much　otherwise　with　higher　kinds　of　steam。

The　opinion　of　the　million　was　the　terror　of　the　world；　and　it　was

attempted；　either　to　dissipate　it；　by　amusing　nations；　or　to　pile　it

over　with　strata　of　society；　　a　layer　of　soldiers；　over　that；　a

layer　of　lords；　and　a　king　on　the　top；　with　clamps　and　hoops　of

castles；　garrisons；　and　police。　　But；　sometimes；　the　religious

principle　would　get　in；　and　burst　the　hoops；　and　rive　every　mountain

laid　on　top　of　it。　　The　Fultons　and　Watts　of　politics；　believing　in

unity；　saw　that　it　was　a　power；　and；　by　satisfying　it；　（as　justice

satisfies　everybody；）　through　a　different　disposition　of　society；　

grouping　it　on　a　level；　instead　of　piling　it　into　a　mountain；　　they

have　contrived　to　make　of　his　terror　the　most　harmless　and　energetic

form　of　a　State。



　　　　　　　　Very　odious；　I　confess；　are　the　lessons　of　Fate。　　Who　likes　to

have　a　dapper　phrenologist　pronouncing　on　his　fortunes？　　Who　likes　to

believe　that　he　has　hidden　in　his　skull；　spine；　and　pelvis；　all　the

vices　of　a　Saxon　or　Celtic　race；　which　will　be　sure　to　pull　him　down；

　with　what　grandeur　of　hope　and　resolve　he　is　fired；　　into　a

selfish；　huckstering；　servile；　dodging　animal？　　A　learned　physician

tells　us；　the　fact　is　invariable　with　the　Neapolitan；　that；　when

mature；　he　assumes　the　forms　of　the　unmistakable　scoundrel。　　That　is

a　little　overstated；　　but　may　pass。



　　　　　　　　But　these　are　magazines　and　arsenals。　　A　man　must　thank　his

defects；　and　stand　in　some　terror　of　his　talents。　　A　transcendent

talent　draws　so　largely　on　his　forces；　as　to　lame　him；　a　defect　pays

him　revenues　on　the　other　side。　　The　sufferance；　which　is　the　badge

of　the　Jew；　has　made　him；　in　these　days；　the　ruler　of　the　rulers　of

the　earth。　　If　Fate　is　ore　and　quarry；　if　evil　is　good　in　the　making；

if　limitation　is　power　that　shall　be；　if　calamities；　oppositions；　and

weights　are　wings　and　means；　　we　are　reconciled。



　　　　　　　　Fate　involves　the　melioration。　　No　statement　of　the　Universe

can　have　any　soundness；　which　does　not　admit　its　ascending　effort。

The　direction　of　the　whole；　and　of　the　parts；　is　toward　benefit；　and

in　proportion　to　the　health。　　Behind　every　individual；　closes

organization：　before　him；　opens　liberty；　　the　Better；　the　Best。

The　first　and　worst　races　are　dead。　　The　second　and　imperfect　races

are　dying　out；　or　remain　for　the　maturing　of　higher。　　In　the　latest

race；　in　man；　every　generosity；　every　new　perception；　the　love　and

praise　he　extorts　from　his　fellows；　are　certificates　of　advance　out

of　fate　into　freedom。　　Liberation　of　the　will　from　the　sheaths　and

clogs　of　organization　which　he　has　outgrown；　is　the　end　and　aim　of

this　world。　　Every　calamity　is　a　spur　and　valuable　hint；　and　where

his　endeavors　do　not　yet　fully　avail；　they　tell　as　tendency。　　The

whole　circle　of　animal　life；　　tooth　against　tooth；　　devouring

war；　war　for　food；　a　yelp　of　pain　and　a　grunt　of　triumph；　until；　at

last；　the　whole　menagerie；　the　whole　chemical　mass　is　mellowed　and

refined　for　higher　use；　　pleases　at　a　sufficient　perspective。



　　　　　　　　But　to　see　how　fate　slides　into　freedom；　and　freedom　into　fate；

observe　how　far　the　roots　of　every　creature　run；　or　find；　if　you　can；

a　point　where　there　is　no　thread　of　connection。　　Our　life　is

consentaneous　and　far…related。　　This　knot　of　nature　is　so　well　tied；

that　nobody　was　ever　cunning　enough　to　find　the　two　ends。　　Nature　is

intricate；　overlapped；　interweaved；　and　endless。　　Christopher　Wren

said　of　the　beautiful　King's　College　chapel；　〃that；　if　anybody　would

tell　him　where　to　lay　the　first　stone；　he　would　build　such　another。〃

But　where　shall　we　find　the　first　atom　in　this　house　of　man；　which　is

all　consent；　inosculation；　and　balance　of　parts？



　　　　　　　　The　web　of　relation　is　shown　in　_habitat_；　shown　in

hybernation。　　When　hybernation　was　observed；　it　was　found；　that；

whilst　some　animals　became　torpid　in　winter；　others　were　torpid　in

summer：　hybernation　then　was　a　false　name。　　The　_long　sleep_　is　not

an　effect　of　cold；　but　is　regulated　by　the　supply　of　food　proper　to

the　animal。　　It　becomes　torpid　when　the　fruit　or　prey　it　lives　on　is

not　in　season；　and　regains　its　activity　when　its　food　is　ready。



　　　　　　　　Eyes　are　found　in　light；　ears　in　auricular　air；　feet　on　land；

fins　in　water；　wings　in　air；　and；　each　creature　where　it　was　meant　to

be；　with　a　mutual　fitness。　　Every　zone　has　its　own　_Fauna_。　　There　is

adjustment　between　the　animal　and　its　food；　its　parasite；　its　enemy。

Balances　are　kept。　　It　is　not　allowed　to　diminish　in　numbers；　nor　to

exceed。　　The　like　adjustments　exist　for　man。　　His　food　is　cooked；

when　he　arrives；　his　coal　in　the　pit；　the　house　ventilated；　the　mud

of　the　deluge　dried；　his　companions　arrived　at　the　same　hour；　and

awaiting　him　with　love；　concert；　laughter；　and　tears。　　These　are

coarse　adjustments；　but　the　invisible　are　not　less。　　There　are　more

belongings　to　every　creature　than　his　air　and　his　food。　　His

instincts　must　be　met；　and　he　has　predisposing　power　that　bends　and

fits　what　is　near　him　to　his　use。　　He　is　not　possible　until　the

invisible　things　are　right　for　him；　as　well　as　the　visible。　　Of　what

changes；　then；　in　sky　and　earth；　and　in　finer　skies　and　earths；　does

the　appearance　of　some　Dante　or　Columbus　apprise　us！



　　　　　　　　How　is　this　effected？　　Nature　is　no　spendthrift；　but　takes　the

shortest　way　to　her　ends。　　As　the　general　says　to　his　soldiers；　〃if

you　want　a　fort；　build　a　fort；〃　so　nature　makes　every　creature　do　its

own　work　and　get　its　living；　　is　it　planet；　animal；　or　tree。　　The

planet　makes　itself。　　The　animal　cell　makes　itself；　　then；　what　it

wants。　　Every　creature；　　wren　or　dragon；　　shall　make　its　own

lair。　　As　soon　as　there　is　life；　there　is　self…direction；　and

absorbing　and　using　of　material。　　Life　is　freedom；　　life　in　the

direct　ratio　of　its　amount。　　You　may　be　sure；　the　new…born　man　is　not

inert。　　Life　works　both　voluntarily　and　supernaturally　in　its

neighborhood。　　Do　you　suppose；　he　can　be　estimated　by　his　weight　in

pounds；　or；　that　he　is　contained　in　his　skin；　　this　reaching；

radiating；　jaculating　fellow？　　The　smallest　candle　fills　a　mile　with

its　rays；　and　the　papillae　of　a　man　run　out　to　every　star。



　　　　　　　　When　there　is　something　to　be　done；　the　world　knows　how　to　get

it　done。　　The　vegetable　eye　makes　leaf；　pericarp；　root；　bark；　or

thorn；　as　the　need　is；　the　first　cell　converts　itself　into　stomach；

mouth；　nose；　or　nail；　according　to　the　want：　the　world　throws　its

life　into　a　hero　or　a　shepherd；　and　puts　him　where　he　is　wanted。

Dante　and　Columbus　were　Italians；　in　their　time：　they　would　be

Russians　or　Americans　to…day。　　Things　ripen；　new　men　come。　　The

adaptation　is　not　capricious。　　The　ulterior　aim；　the　purpose　beyond

itself；　the　correlation　by　which　planets　subside　and　crystallize；

then　animate　beasts　and　men；　will　not　stop；　but　will　work　into　finer

particulars；　and　from　finer　to　finest。



　　　　　　　　The　secret　of　the　world　is；　the　tie　between　person　and　event。

Person　makes　event；　and　event　person。　　The　〃times；〃　〃the　age；〃　what

is　that；　but　a　few　profound　persons　and　a　few　active　persons　who

epitomize　the　times？　　　Goethe；　Hegel；　Metternich；　Adams；　Calhoun；

Guizot；　Peel；　Cobden；　Kossuth；　Rothschild；　Astor；　Brunel；　and　the

rest。　　The　same　fitness　must　be　presumed　between　a　man　and　the　time

and　event；　as　between　the　sexes；　or　between