essays on life, art and science-第6章

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property。　　It　is　written　and　talked　up　to　as　closely　as　the　means　of
subsistence　are　bred　up　to　by　a　teeming　population。　　There　is　not　a
square　inch　of　it　but　is　in　private　hands；　and　he　who　would　freehold
any　part　of　it　must　do　so　by　purchase；　marriage；　or　fighting；　in　the
usual　wayand　fighting　gives　the　longest；　safest　tenure。　　The
public　itself　has　hardly　more　voice　in　the　question　who　shall　have
its　ear；　than　the　land　has　in　choosing　its　owners。　　It　is　farmed　as
those　who　own　it　think　most　profitable　to　themselves；　and　small
blame　to　them；　nevertheless；　it　has　a　residuum　of　mulishness　which
the　land　has　not；　and　does　sometimes　dispossess　its　tenants。　　It　is
in　this　residuum　that　those　who　fight　place　their　hope　and　trust。

Or　perhaps　AEschylus　squared　the　leading　critics　of　his　time。　　When
one　comes　to　think　of　it；　he　must　have　done　so；　for　how　is　it
conceivable　that　such　plays　should　have　had　such　runs　if　he　had　not？
I　met　a　lady　one　year　in　Switzerland　who　had　some　parrots　that
always　travelled　with　her　and　were　the　idols　of　her　life。　　These
parrots　would　not　let　any　one　read　aloud　in　their　presence；　unless
they　heard　their　own　names　introduced　from　time　to　time。　　If　these
were　freely　interpolated　into　the　text　they　would　remain　as　still　as
stones；　for　they　thought　the　reading　was　about　themselves。　　If　it
was　not　about　them　it　could　not　be　allowed。　　The　leaders　of
literature　are　like　these　parrots；　they　do　not　look　at　what　a　man
writes；　nor　if　they　did　would　they　understand　it　much　better　than
the　parrots　do；　but　they　like　the　sound　of　their　own　names；　and　if
these　are　freely　interpolated　in　a　tone　they　take　as　friendly；　they
may　even　give　ear　to　an　outsider。　　Otherwise　they　will　scream　him
off　if　they　can。

I　should　not　advise　any　one　with　ordinary　independence　of　mind　to
attempt　the　public　ear　unless　he　is　confident　that　he　can　out…lung
and　out…last　his　own　generation；　for　if　he　has　any　force；　people
will　and　ought　to　be　on　their　guard　against　him；　inasmuch　as　there
is　no　knowing　where　he　may　not　take　them。　　Besides；　they　have　staked
their　money　on　the　wrong　men　so　often　without　suspecting　it；　that
when　there　comes　one　whom　they　do　suspect　it　would　be　madness　not　to
bet　against　him。　　True；　he　may　die　before　he　has　out…screamed　his
opponents；　but　that　has　nothing　to　do　with　it。　　If　his　scream　was
well　pitched　it　will　sound　clearer　when　he　is　dead。　　We　do　not　know
what　death　is。　　If　we　know　so　little　about　life　which　we　have
experienced；　how　shall　we　know　about　death　which　we　have　notand　in
the　nature　of　things　never　can？　　Every　one；　as　I　said　years　ago　in
〃Alps　and　Sanctuaries；〃　is　an　immortal　to　himself；　for　he　cannot
know　that　he　is　dead　until　he　is　dead；　and　when　dead　how　can　he　know
anything　about　anything？　　All　we　know　is；　that　even　the　humblest
dead　may　live　long　after　all　trace　of　the　body　has　disappeared；　we
see　them　doing　it　in　the　bodies　and　memories　of　those　that　come
after　them；　and　not　a　few　live　so　much　longer　and　more　effectually
than　is　desirable；　that　it　has　been　necessary　to　get　rid　of　them　by
Act　of　Parliament。　　It　is　love　that　alone　gives　life；　and　the　truest
life　is　that　which　we　live　not　in　ourselves　but　vicariously　in
others；　and　with　which　we　have　no　concern。　　Our　concern　is　so　to
order　ourselves　that　we　may　be　of　the　number　of　them　that　enter　into
lifealthough　we　know　it　not。

AEschylus　did　so　order　himself；　but　his　life　is　not　of　that
inspiriting　kind　that　can　be　won　through　fighting　the　good　fight
onlyor　being　believed　to　have　fought　it。　　His　voice　is　the　echo　of
a　drone；　drone…begotten　and　drone…sustained。　　It　is　not　a　tone　that
a　man　must　utter　or　dienay；　even　though　he　die；　and　likely　enough
half　the　allusions　and　hard　passages　in　AEschylus　of　which　we　can
make　neither　head　nor　tail　are　in　reality　only　puffs　of　some　of　the
literary　leaders　of　his　time。

The　lady　above　referred　to　told　me　more　about　her　parrots。　　She　was
like　a　Nasmyth's　hammer　going　slowvery　gentle；　but　irresistible。
She　always　read　the　newspaper　to　them。　　What　was　the　use　of　having　a
newspaper　if　one　did　not　read　it　to　one's　parrots？

〃And　have　you　divined；〃　I　asked；　〃to　which　side　they　incline　in
politics？〃

〃They　do　not　like　Mr。　Gladstone；〃　was　the　somewhat　freezing　answer；
〃this　is　the　only　point　on　which　we　disagree；　for　I　adore　him。
Don't　ask　more　about　this；　it　is　a　great　grief　to　me。　　I　tell　them
everything；〃　she　continued；　〃and　hide　no　secret　from　them。〃

〃But　can　any　parrot　be　trusted　to　keep　a　secret？〃

〃Mine　can。〃

〃And　on　Sundays　do　you　give　them　the　same　course　of　reading　as　on　a
week…day；　or　do　you　make　a　difference？〃

〃On　Sundays　I　always　read　them　a　genealogical　chapter　from　the　Old
or　New　Testament；　for　I　can　thus　introduce　their　names　without
profanity。　　I　always　keep　tea　by　me　in　case　they　should　ask　for　it
in　the　night；　and　I　have　an　Etna　to　warm　it　for　them；　they　take　milk
and　sugar。　　The　old　white…headed　clergyman　came　to　see　them　last
night；　it　was　very　painful；　for　Jocko　reminded　him　so　strongly　of
his　late　。　。　。　〃

I　thought　she　was　going　to　say　〃wife；〃　but　it　proved　to　have　been
only　of　a　parrot　that　he　had　once　known　and　loved。

One　evening　she　was　in　difficulties　about　the　quarantine；　which　was
enforced　that　year　on　the　Italian　frontier。　　The　local　doctor　had
gone　down　that　morning　to　see　the　Italian　doctor　and　arrange　some
details。　　〃Then；　perhaps；　my　dear；〃　she　said　to　her　husband；　〃he　is
the　quarantine。〃　　〃No；　my　love；〃　replied　her　husband。　　〃The
quarantine　is　not　a　person；　it　is　a　place　where　they　put　people〃；
but　she　would　not　be　comforted；　and　suspected　the　quarantine　as　an
enemy　that　might　at　any　moment　pounce　out　upon　her　and　her　parrots。
So　a　lady　told　me　once　that　she　had　been　in　like　trouble　about　the
anthem。　　She　read　in　her　prayer…book　that　in　choirs　and　places　where
they　sing　〃here　followeth　the　anthem；〃　yet　the　person　with　this　most
mysteriously　sounding　name　never　did　follow。　　They　had　a　choir；　and
no　one　could　say　the　church　was　not　a　place　where　they　sang；　for
they　did　singboth　chants　and　hymns。　　Why；　then；　this　persistent
slackness　on　the　part　of　the　anthem；　who　at　this　juncture　should
follow　her　papa；　the　rector；　into　the　reading…desk？　　No　doubt　he
would　come　some　day；　and　then　what　would　he　be　like？　　Fair　or　dark？
Tall　or　short？　　Would　he　be　bald　and　wear　spectacles　like　papa；　or
would　he　be　young　and　good…looking？　　Anyhow；　there　was　something
wrong；　for　it　was　announced　that　he　would　follow；　and　he　never　did
follow；　therefore　there　was　no　knowing　what　he　might　not　do　next。

I　heard　of　the　parrots　a　year　or　two　later　as　giving　lessons　in
Italian　to　an　English　maid。　　I　do　not　know　what　their　terms　were。
Alas！　since　then　both　they　and　their　mistress　have　joined　the
majority。　　When　the　poor　lady　felt　her　end　was　near　she　desired　（and
the　responsibility　for　this　must　rest　with　her；　not　me）　that　the
birds　might　be　destroyed；　as　fearing　that　they　might　come　to　be
neglected；　and　knowing　that　they　could　never　be　loved　again　as　she
had　loved　them。　　On　being　told　that　all　was　over；　she　said；　〃Thank
you；〃　and　immediately　expired。

Reflecting　in　such　random　fashion；　and　strolling　with　no　greater
method；　I　worked　my　way　back　through　Cheapside　and　found　myself　once
more　in　front　of　Sweeting's　window。　　Again　the　turtles　attracted　me。
They　were　alive；　and　so　far　at　any　rate　they　agreed　with　me。　　Nay；
they　had　eyes；　mouths；　legs；　if　not　arms；　and　feet；　so　there　was
much　in　which　we　were　both　of　a　mind；　but　surely　they　must　be
mistaken　in　arming　themselves　so　very　heavily。　　Any　creature　on
getting　what　the　turtle　aimed　at　would　overreach　itself　and　be
landed　not　in　safety　but　annihilation。　　It　should　have　no　communion
with　the　outside　world　at　all；　for　death　could　creep　in　wherever　the
creature　could　creep　out；　and　it　must　creep　out　somewhere　if　it　was
to　hook　on　to　outside　things。　　What　death　can　be　more　absolute　than
such　absolute　isolation？　　Perfect　death；　indeed；　if　it　were
attainable　（which　it　is　not）；　is　as　near　perfect　security　as　we　can
reach；　but　it　is　not　the　kind　of　security　aimed　at　by　any　animal
that　is　at　the　pains　of　defending　itself。　　For　such　w