sartor resartus-第18章

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ed　or　not；　ever　reach　the　Entepfuhl　Circulating　Library；　some　cultivated　native　of　that　district　might　feel　called　to　afford　explanation。　Nay；　since　Books；　like　invisible　scouts；　permeate　the　whole　habitable　globe；　and　Timbuctoo　itself　is　not　safe　from　British　Literature；　may　not　some　Copy　find　out　even　the　mysterious　basket…bearing　Stranger；　who　in　a　state　of　extreme　senility　perhaps　still　exists；　and　gently　force　even　him　to　disclose　himself；　to　claim　openly　a　son；　in　whom　any　father　may　feel　pride？


CHAPTER　II。　IDYLLIC。

〃HAPPY　season　of　Childhood！〃　exclaims　Teufelsdrockh：　　〃Kind　Nature；　that　art　to　all　a　bountiful　mother；　that　visitest　the　poor　man's　hut　with　auroral　radiance；　and　for　thy　Nursling　hast　provided　a　soft　swathing　of　Love　and　infinite　Hope；　wherein　he　waxes　and　slumbers；　danced　round　（_umgaukelt_）　by　sweetest　Dreams！　　If　the　paternal　Cottage　still　shuts　us　in；　its　roof　still　screens　us；　with　a　Father　we　have　as　yet　a　prophet；　priest　and　king；　and　an　Obedience　that　makes　us　free。　　The　young　spirit　has　awakened　out　of　Eternity；　and　knows　not　what　we　mean　by　Time；　as　yet　Time　is　no　fast…hurrying　stream；　but　a　sportful　sunlit　ocean；　years　to　the　child　are　as　ages：　　ah！　the　secret　of　Vicissitude；　of　that　slower　or　quicker　decay　and　ceaseless　down…rushing　of　the　universal　World…fabric；　from　the　granite　mountain　to　the　man　or　day…moth；　is　yet　unknown；　and　in　a　motionless　Universe；　we　taste；　what　afterwards　in　this　quick…whirling　Universe　is　forever　denied　us；　the　balm　of　Rest。　Sleep　on；　thou　fair　Child；　for　thy　long　rough　journey　is　at　hand！　　A　little　while；　and　thou　too　shalt　sleep　no　more；　but　thy　very　dreams　shall　be　mimic　battles；　thou　too；　with　old　Arnauld；　wilt　have　to　say　in　stern　patience：　　'Rest？　　Rest？　　Shall　I　not　have　all　Eternity　to　rest　in？　'　Celestial　Nepenthe！　though　a　Pyrrhus　conquer　empires；　and　an　Alexander　sack　the　world；　he　finds　thee　not；　and　thou　hast　once　fallen　gently；　of　thy　own　accord；　on　the　eyelids；　on　the　heart　of　every　mother's　child。　　For　as　yet；　sleep　and　waking　are　one：　　the　fair　Life…garden　rustles　infinite　around；　and　everywhere　is　dewy　fragrance；　and　the　budding　of　Hope；　which　budding；　if　in　youth；　too　frost…nipt；　it　grow　to　flowers；　will　in　manhood　yield　no　fruit；　but　a　prickly；　bitter…rinded　stone…fruit；　of　which　the　fewest　can　find　the　kernel。〃

In　such　rose…colored　light　does　our　Professor；　as　Poets　are　wont；　look　back　on　his　childhood；　the　historical　details　of　which　（to　say　nothing　of　much　other　vague　oratorical　matter）　he　accordingly　dwells　on　with　an　almost　wearisome　minuteness。　　We　hear　of　Entepfuhl　standing　〃in　trustful　derangement〃　among　the　woody　slopes；　the　paternal　Orchard　flanking　it　as　extreme　outpost　from　below；　the　little　Kuhbach　gushing　kindly　by；　among　beech…rows；　through　river　after　river；　into　the　Donau；　into　the　Black　Sea；　into　the　Atmosphere　and　Universe；　and　how　〃the　brave　old　Linden；〃　stretching　like　a　parasol　of　twenty　ells　in　radius；　overtopping　all　other　rows　and　clumps；　towered　up　from　the　central　_Agora_　and　_Campus　Martius_　of　the　Village；　like　its　Sacred　Tree；　and　how　the　old　men　sat　talking　under　its　shadow　（Gneschen　often　greedily　listening）；　and　the　wearied　laborers　reclined；　and　the　unwearied　children　sported；　and　the　young　men　and　maidens　often　danced　to　flute…music。　　〃Glorious　summer　twilights；〃　cries　Teufelsdrockh；　〃when　the　Sun；　like　a　proud　Conqueror　and　Imperial　Taskmaster；　turned　his　back；　with　his　gold…purple　emblazonry；　and　all　his　fireclad　bodyguard　（of　Prismatic　Colors）；　and　the　tired　brickmakers　of　this　clay　Earth　might　steal　a　little　frolic；　and　those　few　meek　Stars　would　not　tell　of　them！〃

Then　we　have　long　details　of　the　_Weinlesen_　（Vintage）；　the　Harvest…Home；　Christmas；　and　so　forth；　with　a　whole　cycle　of　the　Entepfuhl　Children's…games；　differing　apparently　by　mere　superficial　shades　from　those　of　other　countries。　　Concerning　all　which；　we　shall　here；　for　obvious　reasons；　say　nothing。　　What　cares　the　world　for　our　as　yet　miniature　Philosopher's　achievements　under　that　〃brave　old　Linden　〃？　　Or　even　where　is　the　use　of　such　practical　reflections　as　the　following？　　〃In　all　the　sports　of　Children；　were　it　only　in　their　wanton　breakages　and　defacements；　you　shall　discern　a　creative　instinct　（_schaffenden　Trieb_）：　　the　Mankin　feels　that　he　is　a　born　Man；　that　his　vocation　is　to　work。　　The　choicest　present　you　can　make　him　is　a　Tool；　be　it　knife　or　pen…gun；　for　construction　or　for　destruction；　either　way　it　is　for　Work；　for　Change。　　In　gregarious　sports　of　skill　or　strength；　the　Boy　trains　himself　to　Co…operation；　for　war　or　peace；　as　governor　or　governed：　　the　little　Maid　again；　provident　of　her　domestic　destiny；　takes　with　preference　to　Dolls。〃

Perhaps；　however；　we　may　give　this　anecdote；　considering　who　it　is　that　relates　it：　　〃My　first　short…clothes　were　of　yellow　serge；　or　rather；　I　should　say；　my　first　short…cloth；　for　the　vesture　was　one　and　indivisible；　reaching　from　neck　to　ankle；　a　mere　body　with　four　limbs：　　of　which　fashion　how　little　could　I　then　divine　the　architectural；　how　much　less　the　moral　significance！〃

More　graceful　is　the　following　little　picture：　　〃On　fine　evenings　I　was　wont　to　carry　forth　my　supper　（bread…crumb　boiled　in　milk）；　and　eat　it　out…of…doors。　　On　the　coping　of　the　Orchard…wall；　which　I　could　reach　by　climbing；　or　still　more　easily　if　Father　Andreas　would　set　up　the　pruning…ladder；　my　porringer　was　placed：　　there；　many　a　sunset；　have　I；　looking　at　the　distant　western　Mountains；　consumed；　not　without　relish；　my　evening　meal。　　Those　hues　of　gold　and　azure；　that　hush　of　World's　expectation　as　Day　died；　were　still　a　Hebrew　Speech　for　me；　nevertheless　I　was　looking　at　the　fair　illuminated　Letters；　and　had　an　eye　for　their　gilding。〃

With　〃the　little　one's　friendship　for　cattle　and　poultry〃　we　shall　not　much　intermeddle。　　It　may　be　that　hereby　he　acquired　a　〃certain　deeper　sympathy　with　animated　Nature：〃　　but　when；　we　would　ask；　saw　any　man；　in　a　collection　of　Biographical　Documents；　such　a　piece　as　this：　　〃Impressive　enough　（_bedeutungsvoll_）　was　it　to　hear；　in　early　morning；　the　Swineherd's　horn；　and　know　that　so　many　hungry　happy　quadrupeds　were；　on　all　sides；　starting　in　hot　haste　to　join　him；　for　breakfast　on　the　Heath。　　Or　to　see　them　at　eventide；　all　marching　in　again；　with　short　squeak；　almost　in　military　order；　and　each；　topographically　correct；　trotting　off　in　succession　to　the　right　or　left；　through　its　own　lane；　to　its　own　dwelling；　till　old　Kunz；　at　the　Village…head；　now　left　alone；　blew　his　last　blast；　and　retired　for　the　night。　　We　are　wont　to　love　the　Hog　chiefly　in　the　form　of　Ham；　yet　did　not　these　bristly　thick…skinned　beings　here　manifest　intelligence；　perhaps　humor　of　character；　at　any　rate；　a　touching；　trustful　submissiveness　to　Man；who；　were　he　but　a　Swineherd；　in　darned　gabardine；　and　leather　breeches　more　resembling　slate　or　discolored…tin　breeches；　is　still　the　Hierarch　of　this　lower　world？〃

It　is　maintained；　by　Helvetius　and　his　set；　that　an　infant　of　genius　is　quite　the　same　as　any　other　infant；　only　that　certain　surprisingly　favorable　influences　accompany　him　through　life；　especially　through　childhood；　and　expand　him；　while　others　lie　close…folded　and　continue　dunces。　　Herein；　say　they；　consists　the　whole　difference　between　an　inspired　Prophet　and　a　double…barrelled　Game…preserver：　　the　inner　man　of　the　one　has　been　fostered　into　generous　development；　that　of　the　other；　crushed　down　perhaps　by　vigor　of　animal　digestion；　and　the　like；　has　exuded　and　evaporated；　or　at　best　sleeps　now　irresuscitably　stagnant　at　the　bottom　of　his　stomach。　　〃With　which　opinion；〃　cries　Teufelsdrockh；　〃I　should　as　soon　agree　as　with　this　other；　that　an　acorn　might；　by　favorable　or　unfavorable　influences　of　soil　and　climate；　be　nursed　into　a　cabbage；　or　the　cabbage…seed　into　an　oak。

〃Nevertheless；〃　continues　he；　〃I　too　acknowledge　the　all…but　omnipotence　of　early　culture　and　nurture：　　hereby　we　have　either　a　doddered　dwarf　bush；　or　a　high…towering；　wide…shadowing　tree；　either　a　sick　yellow　cabbage；　or　an　edible　luxuriant　green　one。　　Of　a　truth；　it　is　the　duty　of　all　men；　especially　of　all　philosophers；　to　note　down　with　accuracy　the　characteristic　circumstances　of　their　Education；　what