glaucus-第21章

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Welcome　with　garlands　and　vows　to　the　temples；　but；　wearily　pining；

Gaze　over　island　and　main　for　the　sails　which　return　not；　they；　

heedless；

Sleep　in　soft　bosoms　for　ever；　and　dream　of　the　surge　and　the　sea…

maids。

So　they　passed　by　in　their　joy；　like　a　dream；　on　the　murmuring　

ripple。〃





Such　a　rhapsody　may　be　somewhat　out　of　order；　even　in　a　popular　

scientific　book；　and　yet　one　cannot　help　at　moments　envying　the　old　

Greek　imagination；　which　could　inform　the　soulless　sea…world　with　a　

human　life　and　beauty。　　For；　after　all；　star…fishes　and　sea…

anemones　are　dull　substitutes　for　Sirens　and　Tritons；　the　lamps　of　

the　sea…nymphs；　those　glorious　phosphorescent　medusae　whose　beauty　

Mr。　Gosse　sets　forth　so　well　with　pen　and　pencil；　are　not　as　

attractive　as　the　sea…nymphs　themselves　would　be；　and　who　would　

not；　like　Menelaus；　take　the　grey　old　man　of　the　sea　himself　asleep　

upon　the　rocks；　rather　than　one　of　his　seal…herd；　probably　too　with　

the　same　result　as　the　world…famous　combat　in　the　Antiquary；　

between　Hector　and　Phoca？　　And　yet　…　is　there　no　human　interest　in　

these　pursuits；　more　humanity　and　more　divine；　than　there　would　be　

even　in　those　Triton　and　Nereid　dreams；　if　realized　to　sight　and　

sense？　　Heaven　forbid　that　those　should　say　so；　whose　wanderings　

among　rock　and　pool　have　been　mixed　up　with　holiest　passages　of　

friendship　and　of　love；　and　the　intercommunion　of　equal　minds　and　

sympathetic　hearts；　and　the　laugh　of　children　drinking　in　health　

from　every　breeze　and　instruction　at　every　step；　running　ever　and　

anon　with　proud　delight　to　add　their　little　treasure　to　their　

parents'　stock；　and　of　happy　friendly　evenings　spent　over　the　

microscope　and　the　vase；　in　examining；　arranging；　preserving；　

noting　down　in　the　diary　the　wonders　and　the　labours　of　the　happy；　

busy　day。　　No；　such　short　glimpses　of　the　water…world　as　our　

present　appliances　afford　us　are　full　enough　of　pleasure；　and　we　

will　not　envy　Glaucus：　　we　will　not　even　be　over…anxious　for　the　

success　of　his　only　modern　imitator；　the　French　naturalist　who　is　

reported　to　have　fitted　himself　with　a　waterproof　dress　and　

breathing　apparatus；　in　order　to　walk　the　bottom　of　the　

Mediterranean；　and　see　for　himself　how　the　world　goes　on　at　the　

fifty…fathom　line：　　we　will　be　content　with　the　wonders　of　the　

shore　and　of　the　sea…floor；　as　far　as　the　dredge　will　discover　them　

to　us。　　We　shall　even　thus　find　enough　to　occupy　（if　we　choose）　our　

lifetime。　　For　we　must　recollect　that　this　hasty　sketch　has　hardly　

touched　on　that　vegetable　water…world；　which　is　as　wonderful　and　as　

various　as　the　animal　one。　　A　hint　or　two　of　the　beauty　of　the　sea…

weeds　has　been　given；　but　space　has　allowed　no　more。　　Yet　we　might　

have　spent　our　time　with　almost　as　much　interest　and　profit；　had　we　

neglected　utterly　the　animals　which　we　have　found；　and　devoted　our　

attention　exclusively　to　the　flora　of　the　rocks。　　Sea…weeds　are　no　

mere　playthings　for　children；　and　to　buy　at　a　shop　some　thirty　

pretty　kinds；　pasted　on　paper；　with　long　names　（probably　mis…spelt）　

written　under　each；　is　not　by　any　means　to　possess　a　collection　of　

them。　　Putting　aside　the　number　and　the　obscurity　of　their　species；　

the　questions　which　arise　in　studying　their　growth；　reproduction；　

and　organic　chemistry　are　of　the　very　deepest　and　most　important　in　

the　whole　range　of　science；　and　it　will　need　but　a　little　study　of　

such　a　book　as　Harvey's　〃Algae；〃　to　show　the　wise　man　that　he　who　

has　comprehended　（which　no　man　yet　does）　the　mystery　of　a　single　

spore　or　tissue…cell；　has　reached　depths　in　the　great　〃Science　of　

Life〃　at　which　an　Owen　would　still　confess　himself　〃blind　by　excess　

of　light。〃　　〃Knowest　thou　how　the　bones　grow　in　the　womb？〃　asks　the　

Jewish　sage；　sadly；　half　self…reprovingly；　as　he　discovers　that　man　

is　not　the　measure　of　all　things；　and　that　in　much　learning　may　be　

vanity　and　vexation　of　spirit；　and　in　much　study　a　weariness　of　the　

flesh；　and　all　our　deeper　physical　science　only　brings　the　same　

question　more　awfully　near。　　〃Vilior　alg？〃　more　worthless　than　the　

very　sea…weed；　says　the　old　Roman：　　and　yet　no　torn　scrap　of　that　

very　sea…weed；　which　to…morrow　may　manure　the　nearest　garden；　but　

says　to　us；　〃Proud　man！　talking　of　spores　and　vesicles；　if　thou　

darest　for　a　moment　to　fancy　that　to　have　seen　spores　and　vesicles　

is　to　have　seen　me；　or　to　know　what　I　am；　answer　this。　　Knowest　

thou　how　the　bones　do　grow　in　the　womb？　　Knowest　thou　even　how　one　

of　these　tiny　black　dots；　which　thou　callest　spores；　grow　on　my　

fronds？〃　　And　to　that　question　what　answer　shall　we　make？　　We　see　

tissues　divide；　cells　develop；　processes　go　on　…　but　How　and　Why？　　

These　are　but　phenomena；　but　what　are　phenomena　save　effects？　　

Causes；　it　may　be；　of　other　effects；　but　still　effects　of　other　

causes。　　And　why　does　the　cause　cause　that　effect？　　Why　should　it　

not　cause　something　else？　　Why　should　it　cause　anything　at　all？　　

Because　it　obeys　a　law。　　But　why　does　it　obey　the　law？　and　how　does　

it　obey　the　law？　　And；　after　all；　what　is　a　law？　　A　mere　custom　of　

Nature。　　We　see　the　same　phenomenon　happen　a　great　many　times；　and　

we　infer　from　thence　that　it　has　a　custom　of　happening；　and　

therefore　we　call　it　a　law：　　but　we　have　not　seen　the　law；　all　we　

have　seen　is　the　phenomenon　which　we　suppose　to　indicate　the　law。　　

We　have　seen　things　fall：　　but　we　never　saw　a　little　flying　thing　

pulling　them　down；　with　〃gravitation〃　labelled　on　its　back；　and　the　

question；　why　things　fall；　and　HOW；　is　just　where　it　was　before　

Newton　was　born；　and　is　likely　to　remain　there。　　All　we　can　say　is；　

that　Nature　has　her　customs；　and　that　other　customs　ensue；　when　

those　customs　appear：　　but　that　as　to　what　connects　cause　and　

effect；　as　to　what　is　the　reason；　the　final　cause；　or　even　the　

CAUSA　CAUSANS；　of　any　phenomenon；　we　know　not　more　but　less　than　

ever；　for　those　laws　or　customs　which　seem　to　us　simplest　

（〃endosmose；〃　for　instance；　or　〃gravitation〃）；　are　just　the　most　

inexplicable；　logically　unexpected；　seemingly　arbitrary；　certainly　

supernatural　…　miraculous；　if　you　will；　for　no　natural　and　physical　

cause　whatsoever　can　be　assigned　for　them；　while　if　anyone　shall　

argue　against　their　being　miraculous　and　supernatural　on　the　ground　

of　their　being　so　common；　I　can　only　answer；　that　of　all　absurd　and　

illogical　arguments；　this　is　the　most　so。　　For　what　has　the　number　

of　times　which　the　miracle　occurs　to　do　with　the　question；　save　to　

increase　the　wonder？　　Which　is　more　strange；　that　an　inexplicable　

and　unfathomable　thing　should　occur　once　and　for　all；　or　that　it　

should　occur　a　million　times　every　day　all　the　world　over？



Let　those；　however；　who　are　too　proud　to　wonder；　do　as　seems　good　

to　them。　　Their　want　of　wonder　will　not　help　them　toward　the　

required　explanation：　　and　to　them；　as　to　us；　as　soon　as　we　begin　

asking；　〃HOW？〃　and　〃WHY？〃　the　mighty　Mother　will　only　reply　with　

that　magnificent　smile　of　hers；　most　genial；　but　most　silent；　which　

she　has　worn　since　the　foundation　of　all　worlds；　that　silent　smile　

which　has　tempted　many　a　man　to　suspect　her　of　irony；　even　of　

deceit　and　hatred　of　the　human　race；　the　silent　smile　which　Solomon　

felt；　and　answered　in　〃Ecclesiastes；〃　which　Goethe　felt；　and　did　

not　answer　in　his　〃Faust；〃　which　Pascal　felt；　and　tried　to　answer　

in　his　〃Thoughts；〃　and　fled　from　into　self…torture　and　

superstition；　terrified　beyond　his　powers　of　endurance；　as　he　found　

out　the　true　meaning　of　St。　John's　vision；　and　felt　himself　really　

standing　on　that　fragile　and　slippery　〃sea　of　glass；〃　and　close　

beneath　him　the　bottomless　abyss　of　doubt；　and　the　nether　fires　of　

moral　retribution。　　He　fled　from　Nature's　silent　smile；　as　that　

poor　old　King　Edward　（mis…called　the　Confessor）　fled　from　her　hymns　

of　praise；　in　the　old　legend　of　Havering…atte…bower；　when　he　cursed　

the　nightingales　because　their　songs　confused　him　in　hi