sartor resartus-第16章

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equally　unimaginable　Volume；　which　stands　in　legible　print。　　Over　such　a　universal　medley　of　high　and　low；　of　hot；　cold；　moist　and　dry；　is　he　here　struggling　（by　union　of　like　with　like；　which　is　Method）　to　build　a　firm　Bridge　for　British　travellers。　　Never　perhaps　since　our　first　Bridge…builders；　Sin　and　Death；　built　that　stupendous　Arch　from　Hell…gate　to　the　Earth；　did　any　Pontifex；　or　Pontiff；　undertake　such　a　task　as　the　present　Editor。　　For　in　this　Arch　too；　leading；　as　we　humbly　presume；　far　otherwards　than　that　grand　primeval　one；　the　materials　are　to　be　fished　up　from　the　weltering　deep；　and　down　from　the　simmering　air；　here　one　mass；　there　another；　and　cunningly　cemented；　while　the　elements　boil　beneath：　　nor　is　there　any　supernatural　force　to　do　it　with；　but　simply　the　Diligence　and　feeble　thinking　Faculty　of　an　English　Editor；　endeavoring　to　evolve　printed　Creation　out　of　a　German　printed　and　written　Chaos；　wherein；　as　he　shoots　to　and　fro　in　it；　gathering；　clutching；　piecing　the　Why　to　the　far…distant　Wherefore；　his　whole　Faculty　and　Self　are　like　to　be　swallowed　up。

Patiently；　under　these　incessant　toils　and　agitations；　does　the　Editor；　dismissing　all　anger；　see　his　otherwise　robust　health　declining；　some　fraction　of　his　allotted　natural　sleep　nightly　leaving　him；　and　little　but　an　inflamed　nervous…system　to　be　looked　for。　　What　is　the　use　of　health；　or　of　life；　if　not　to　do　some　work　therewith？　　And　what　work　nobler　than　transplanting　foreign　Thought　into　the　barren　domestic　soil；　except　indeed　planting　Thought　of　your　own；　which　the　fewest　are　privileged　to　do？　　Wild　as　it　looks；　this　Philosophy　of　Clothes；　can　we　ever　reach　its　real　meaning；　promises　to　reveal　new…coming　Eras；　the　first　dim　rudiments　and　already…budding　germs　of　a　nobler　Era；　in　Universal　History。　　Is　not　such　a　prize　worth　some　striving？　　Forward　with　us；　courageous　reader；　be　it　towards　failure；　or　towards　success！　　The　latter　thou　sharest　with　us；　the　former　also　is　not　all　our　own。


BOOK　II。

CHAPTER　I。　GENESIS。

In　a　psychological　point　of　view；　it　is　perhaps　questionable　whether　from　birth　and　genealogy；　how　closely　scrutinized　soever；　much　insight　is　to　be　gained。　　Nevertheless；　as　in　every　phenomenon　the　Beginning　remains　always　the　most　notable　moment；　so；　with　regard　to　any　great　man；　we　rest　not　till；　for　our　scientific　profit　or　not；　the　whole　circumstances　of　his　first　appearance　in　this　Planet；　and　what　manner　of　Public　Entry　he　made；　are　with　utmost　completeness　rendered　manifest。　　To　the　Genesis　of　our　Clothes…Philosopher；　then；　be　this　First　Chapter　consecrated。　　Unhappily；　indeed；　he　seems　to　be　of　quite　obscure　extraction；　uncertain；　we　might　almost　say；　whether　of　any：　　so　that　this　Genesis　of　his　can　properly　be　nothing　but　an　Exodus　（or　transit　out　of　Invisibility　into　Visibility）；　whereof　the　preliminary　portion　is　nowhere　forthcoming。

〃In　the　village　of　Entepfuhl；〃　thus　writes　he；　in　the　Bag　_Libra_；　on　various　Papers；　which　we　arrange　with　difficulty；　〃dwelt　Andreas　Futteral　and　his　wife；　childless；　in　still　seclusion；　and　cheerful　though　now　verging　towards　old　age。　　Andreas　had　been　grenadier　Sergeant；　and　even　regimental　Schoolmaster　under　Frederick　the　Great；　but　now；　quitting　the　halbert　and　ferule　for　the　spade　and　pruning…hook；　cultivated　a　little　Orchard；　on　the　produce　of　which　he；　Cincinnatus…like；　lived　not　without　dignity。　　Fruits；　the　peach；　the　apple；　the　grape；　with　other　varieties　came　in　their　season；　all　which　Andreas　knew　how　to　sell：　　on　evenings　he　smoked　largely；　or　read　（as　beseemed　a　regimental　Schoolmaster）；　and　talked　to　neighbors　that　would　listen　about　the　Victory　of　Rossbach；　and　how　Fritz　the　Only　（_der　Einzige_）　had　once　with　his　own　royal　lips　spoken　to　him；　had　been　pleased　to　say；　when　Andreas　as　camp…sentinel　demanded　the　pass…word；　'_Schweig　Hund_　（Peace；　hound）！'　before　any　of　his　staff…adjutants　could　answer。　'_Das　nenn'　ich　mir　einen　Konig_；　There　is　what　I　call　a　King；'　would　Andreas　exclaim：　　'but　the　smoke　of　Kunersdorf　was　still　smarting　his　eyes。'

〃Gretchen；　the　housewife；　won　like　Desdemona　by　the　deeds　rather　than　the　looks　of　her　now　veteran　Othello；　lived　not　in　altogether　military　subordination；　for；　as　Andreas　said；　'the　womankind　will　not　drill　（_wer　kann　die　Weiberchen　dressiren_）：'　nevertheless　she　at　heart　loved　him　both　for　valor　and　wisdom；　to　her　a　Prussian　grenadier　Sergeant　and　Regiment's　Schoolmaster　was　little　other　than　a　Cicero　and　Cid：　　what　you　see；　yet　cannot　see　over；　is　as　good　as　infinite。　　Nay；　was　not　Andreas　in　very　deed　a　man　of　order；　courage；　downrightness　（_Geradheit_）；　that　understood　Busching's　_Geography_；　had　been　in　the　victory　of　Rossbach；　and　left　for　dead　in　the　camisade　of　Hochkirch？　　The　good　Gretchen；　for　all　her　fretting；　watched　over　him　and　hovered　round　him　as　only　a　true　house…mother　can：　　assiduously　she　cooked　and　sewed　and　scoured　for　him；　so　that　not　only　his　old　regimental　sword　and　grenadier…cap；　but　the　whole　habitation　and　environment；　where　on　pegs　of　honor　they　hung；　looked　ever　trim　and　gay：　　a　roomy　painted　Cottage；　embowered　in　fruit…trees　and　forest…trees；　evergreens　and　honeysuckles；　rising　many…colored　from　amid　shaven　grass…plots；　flowers　struggling　in　through　the　very　windows；　under　its　long　projecting　eaves　nothing　but　garden…tools　in　methodic　piles　（to　screen　them　from　rain）；　and　seats　where；　especially　on　summer　nights；　a　King　might　have　wished　to　sit　and　smoke；　and　call　it　his。　　Such　a　Bauergut　（Copyhold）　had　Gretchen　given　her　veteran；　whose　sinewy　arms；　and　long…disused　gardening　talent；　had　made　it　what　you　saw。

〃Into　this　umbrageous　Man's…nest；　one　meek　yellow　evening　or　dusk；　when　the　Sun；　hidden　indeed　from　terrestrial　Entepfuhl；　did　nevertheless　journey　visible　and　radiant　along　the　celestial　Balance　（_Libra_）；　it　was　that　a　Stranger　of　reverend　aspect　entered；　and；　with　grave　salutation；　stood　before　the　two　rather　astonished　housemates。　　He　was　close…muffled　in　a　wide　mantle；　which　without　farther　parley　unfolding；　he　deposited　therefrom　what　seemed　some　Basket；　overhung　with　green　Persian　silk；　saying　only：　_Ihr　lieben　Leute；　hier　bringe　ein　unschatzbares　Verleihen；　nehmt　es　in　aller　Acht；　sorgfaltigst　benutzt　es：　　mit　hohem　Lohn；　oder　wohl　mit　schweren　Zinsen；　wird's　einst　zuruckgefordert_。　　'Good　Christian　people；　here　lies　for　you　an　invaluable　Loan；　take　all　heed　thereof；　in　all　carefulness　employ　it：　　with　high　recompense；　or　else　with　heavy　penalty；　will　it　one　day　be　required　back。'　　Uttering　which　singular　words；　in　a　clear；　bell…like；　forever　memorable　tone；　the　Stranger　gracefully　withdrew；　and　before　Andreas　or　his　wife；　gazing　in　expectant　wonder；　had　time　to　fashion　either　question　or　answer；　was　clean　gone。　　Neither　out　of　doors　could　aught　of　him　be　seen　or　heard；　he　had　vanished　in　the　thickets；　in　the　dusk；　the　Orchard…gate　stood　quietly　closed：　　the　Stranger　was　gone　once　and　always。　　So　sudden　had　the　whole　transaction　been；　in　the　autumn　stillness　and　twilight；　so　gentle；　noiseless；　that　the　Futterals　could　have　fancied　it　all　a　trick　of　Imagination；　or　some　visit　from　an　authentic　Spirit。　　Only　that　the　green…silk　Basket；　such　as　neither　Imagination　nor　authentic　Spirits　are　wont　to　carry；　still　stood　visible　and　tangible　on　their　little　parlor…table。　　Towards　this　the　astonished　couple；　now　with　lit　candle；　hastily　turned　their　attention。　　Lifting　the　green　veil；　to　see　what　invaluable　it　hid；　they　descried　there；　amid　down　and　rich　white　wrappages；　no　Pitt　Diamond　or　Hapsburg　Regalia；　but；　in　the　softest　sleep；　a　little　red…colored　Infant！　　Beside　it；　lay　a　roll　of　gold　Friedrichs；　the　exact　amount　of　which　was　never　publicly　known；　also　a　_Taufschein_　（baptismal　certificate）；　wherein　unfortunately　nothing　but　the　Name　was　decipherable；　other　document　or　indication　none　whatever。

〃To　wonder　and　conjecture　was　unavailing；　then　and　always　thenceforth。　Nowhere　in　Entepfuhl；　on　the　morrow　or　next　day；　did　tidings　transpire　of　any　such　figure　as　the　Stranger；　nor　could　the　Traveller；　who　had　passed　through　the　neighboring　Town　in　coach…and…four；　be　connected　with　this　Apparition；　except　in　the　way　of　gratuitous　surmise。　　Meanwhile；　for　Andreas　and　his　wife；　the　gran