essays on life, art and science-第4章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


as　it　were；　on　to　the　exterior　world；　and　through　which　it　again
absorbs　the　exterior　world　into　itself〃catching　on〃　through　them
to　things　that　are　thus　both　turtle　and　not　turtle　at　one　and　the
same　timethese　holes　stultify　the　armour；　and　show　it　to　have　been
designed　by　a　creature　with　more　of　faithfulness　to　a　fixed　idea；
and　hence　one…sidedness；　than　of　that　quick　sense　of　relative
importances　and　their　changes；　which　is　the　main　factor　of　good
living。

The　turtle　obviously　had　no　sense　of　proportion；　it　differed　so
widely　from　myself　that　I　could　not　comprehend　it；　and　as　this　word
occurred　to　me；　it　occurred　also　that　until　my　body　comprehended　its
body　in　a　physical　material　sense；　neither　would　my　mind　be　able　to
comprehend　its　mind　with　any　thoroughness。　　For　unity　of　mind　can
only　be　consummated　by　unity　of　body；　everything；　therefore；　must　be
in　some　respects　both　knave　and　fool　to　all　that　which　has　not　eaten
it；　or　by　which　it　has　not　been　eaten。　　As　long　as　the　turtle　was　in
the　window　and　I　in　the　street　outside；　there　was　no　chance　of　our
comprehending　one　another。

Nevertheless　I　knew　that　I　could　get　it　to　agree　with　me　if　I　could
so　effectually　button…hole　and　fasten　on　to　it　as　to　eat　it。　　Most
men　have　an　easy　method　with　turtle　soup；　and　I　had　no　misgiving　but
that　if　I　could　bring　my　first　premise　to　bear　I　should　prove　the
better　reasoner。　　My　difficulty　lay　in　this　initial　process；　for　I
had　not　with　me　the　argument　that　would　alone　compel　Mr。　Sweeting
think　that　I　ought　to　be　allowed　to　convert　the　turtlesI　mean　I
had　no　money　in　my　pocket。　　No　missionary　enterprise　can　be　carried
on　without　any　money　at　all；　but　even　so　small　a　sum　as　half…a…crown
would；　I　suppose；　have　enabled　me　to　bring　the　turtle　partly　round；
and　with　many　half…crowns　I　could　in　time　no　doubt　convert　the　lot；
for　the　turtle　needs　must　go　where　the　money　drives。　　If；　as　is
alleged；　the　world　stands　on　a　turtle；　the　turtle　stands　on　money。
No　money　no　turtle。　　As　for　money；　that　stands　on　opinion；　credit；
trust；　faiththings　that；　though　highly　material　in　connection　with
money；　are　still　of　immaterial　essence。

The　steps　are　perfectly　plain。　　The　men　who　caught　the　turtles
brought　a　fairly　strong　and　definite　opinion　to　bear　upon　them；　that
passed　into　action；　and　later　on　into　money。　　They　thought　the
turtles　would　come　that　way；　and　verified　their　opinion；　on　this；
will　and　action　were　generated；　with　the　result　that　the　men　turned
the　turtles　on　their　backs　and　carried　them　off。　　Mr。　Sweeting
touched　these　men　with　money；　which　is　the　outward　and　visible　sign
of　verified　opinion。　　The　customer　touches　Mr。　Sweeting　with　money；
Mr。　Sweeting　touches　the　waiter　and　the　cook　with　money。　　They　touch
the　turtle　with　skill　and　verified　opinion。　　Finally；　the　customer
applies　the　clinching　argument　that　brushes　all　sophisms　aside；　and
bids　the　turtle　stand　protoplasm　to　protoplasm　with　himself；　to　know
even　as　it　is　known。

But　it　must　be　all　touch；　touch；　touch；　skill；　opinion；　power；　and
money；　passing　in　and　out　with　one　another　in　any　order　we　like；　but
still　link　to　link　and　touch　to　touch。　　If　there　is　failure　anywhere
in　respect　of　opinion；　skill；　power；　or　money；　either　as　regards
quantity　or　quality；　the　chain　can　be　no　stronger　than　its　weakest
link；　and　the　turtle　and　the　clinching　argument　will　fly　asunder。
Of　course；　if　there　is　an　initial　failure　in　connection；　through
defect　in　any　member　of　the　chain；　or　of　connection　between　the
links；　it　will　no　more　be　attempted　to　bring　the　turtle　and　the
clinching　argument　together；　than　it　will　to　chain　up　a　dog　with　two
pieces　of　broken　chain　that　are　disconnected。　　The　contact
throughout　must　be　conceived　as　absolute；　and　yet　perfect　contact　is
inconceivable　by　us；　for　on　becoming　perfect　it　ceases　to　be
contact；　and　becomes　essential；　once　for　all　inseverable；　identity。
The　most　absolute　contact　short　of　this　is　still　contact　by　courtesy
only。　　So　here；　as　everywhere　else；　Eurydice　glides　off　as　we　are
about　to　grasp　her。　　We　can　see　nothing　face　to　face；　our　utmost
seeing　is　but　a　fumbling　of　blind　finger…ends　in　an　overcrowded
pocket。

Presently　my　own　blind　finger…ends　fished　up　the　conclusion；　that　as
I　had　neither　time　nor　money　to　spend　on　perfecting　the　chain　that
would　put　me　in　full　spiritual　contact　with　Mr。　Sweeting's　turtles；
I　had　better　leave　them　to　complete　their　education　at　some　one
else's　expense　rather　than　mine；　so　I　walked　on　towards　the　Bank。
As　I　did　so　it　struck　me　how　continually　we　are　met　by　this　melting
of　one　existence　into　another。　　The　limits　of　the　body　seem　well
defined　enough　as　definitions　go；　but　definitions　seldom　go　far。
What；　for　example；　can　seem　more　distinct　from　a　man　than　his　banker
or　his　solicitor？　　Yet　these　are　commonly　so　much　parts　of　him　that
he　can　no　more　cut　them　off　and　grow　new　ones；　than　he　can　grow　new
legs　or　arms；　neither　must　he　wound　his　solicitor；　a　wound　in　the
solicitor　is　a　very　serious　thing。　　As　for　his　bankfailure　of　his
bank's　action　may　be　as　fatal　to　a　man　as　failure　of　his　heart。　　I
have　said　nothing　about　the　medical　or　spiritual　adviser；　but　most
men　grow　into　the　society　that　surrounds　them　by　the　help　of　these
four　main　tap…roots；　and　not　only　into　the　world　of　humanity；　but
into　the　universe　at　large。　　We　can；　indeed；　grow　butchers；　bakers；
and　greengrocers；　almost　ad　libitum；　but　these　are　low　developments；
and　correspond　to　skin；　hair；　or　finger…nails。　　Those　of　us　again
who　are　not　highly　enough　organised　to　have　grown　a　solicitor　or
banker　can　generally　repair　the　loss　of　whatever　social　organisation
they　may　possess　as　freely　as　lizards　are　said　to　grow　new　tails；
but　this　with　the　higher　social；　as　well　as　organic；　developments　is
only　possible　to　a　very　limited　extent。

The　doctrine　of　metempsychosis；　or　transmigration　of　soulsa
doctrine　to　which　the　foregoing　considerations　are　for　the　most　part
easy　corollariescrops　up　no　matter　in　what　direction　we　allow　our
thoughts　to　wander。　　And　we　meet　instances　of　transmigration　of　body
as　well　as　of　soul。　　I　do　not　mean　that　both　body　and　soul　have
transmigrated　together；　far　from　it；　but　that；　as　we　can　often
recognise　a　transmigrated　mind　in　an　alien　body；　so　we　not　less
often　see　a　body　that　is　clearly　only　a　transmigration；　linked　on　to
some　one　else's　new　and　alien　soul。　　We　meet　people　every　day　whose
bodies　are　evidently　those　of　men　and　women　long　dead；　but　whose
appearance　we　know　through　their　portraits。　　We　see　them　going　about
in　omnibuses；　railway　carriages；　and　in　all　public　places。　　The
cards　have　been　shuffled；　and　they　have　drawn　fresh　lots　in　life　and
nationalities；　but　any　one　fairly　well　up　in　mediaeval　and　last
century　portraiture　knows　them　at　a　glance。

Going　down　once　towards　Italy　I　saw　a　young　man　in　the　train　whom　I
recognised；　only　he　seemed　to　have　got　younger。　　He　was　with　a
friend；　and　his　face　was　in　continual　play；　but　for　some　little　time
I　puzzled　in　vain　to　recollect　where　it　was　that　I　had　seen　him
before。　　All　of　a　sudden　I　remembered　he　was　King　Francis　I。　of
France。　　I　had　hitherto　thought　the　face　of　this　king　impossible；
but　when　I　saw　it　in　play　I　understood　it。　　His　great　contemporary
Henry　VIII。　keeps　a　restaurant　in　Oxford　Street。　　Falstaff　drove　one
of　the　St。　Gothard　diligences　for　many　years；　and　only　retired　when
the　railway　was　opened。　　Titian　once　made　me　a　pair　of　boots　at
Vicenza；　and　not　very　good　ones。　　At　Modena　I　had　my　hair　cut　by　a
young　man　whom　I　perceived　to　be　Raffaelle。　　The　model　who　sat　to
him　for　his　celebrated　Madonnas　is　first　lady　in　a　confectionery
establishment　at　Montreal。　　She　has　a　little　motherly　pimple　on　the
left　side　of　her　nose　that　is　misleading　at　first；　but　on
examination　she　is　readily　recognised；　probably　Raffaelle's　model
had　the　pimple　too；　but　Raffaelle　left　it　outas　he　would。

Handel；　of　course；　is　Madame　Patey。　　Give　Madame　Patey　Handel's　wig
and　clothes；　and　there　would　be　no　telling　her　from　Handel。　　It　is
not　only　that　the　features　and　the　shape　of　the　head　are　the　same；
but　there　is　a　certain　imperiousness　of　expression　and　attitude