sartor resartus-第55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！


　of　the　Sect；　so　that；　what　indeed　otherwise　was　not　to　be　expected　in　such　a　fugitive　fragmentary　sheet；　the　true　secret；　the　Religious　physiognomy　and　physiology　of　the　Dandiacal　Body；　is　nowise　laid　fully　open　there。　　Nevertheless；　scattered　lights　do　from　time　to　time　sparkle　out；　whereby　I　have　endeavored　to　profit。　　Nay；　in　one　passage　selected　from　the　Prophecies；　or　Mythic　Theogonies；　or　whatever　they　are　（for　the　style　seems　very　mixed）　of　this　Mystagogue；　I　find　what　appears　to　be　a　Confession　of　Faith；　or　Whole　Duty　of　Man；　according　to　the　tenets　of　that　Sect。　　Which　Confession　or　Whole　Duty；　therefore；　as　proceeding　from　a　source　so　authentic；　I　shall　here　arrange　under　Seven　distinct　Articles；　and　in　very　abridged　shape　lay　before　the　German　world；　therewith　taking　leave　of　this　matter。　　Observe　also；　that　to　avoid　possibility　of　error；　I；　as　far　as　may　be；　quote　literally　from　the　Original：

ARTICLES　OF　FAITH。

'1。　　Coats　should　have　nothing　of　the　triangle　about　them；　at　the　same　time；　wrinkles　behind　should　be　carefully　avoided。

'2。　　The　collar　is　a　very　important　point：　　it　should　be　low　behind；　and　slightly　rolled。

'3。　　No　license　of　fashion　can　allow　a　man　of　delicate　taste　to　adopt　the　posterial　luxuriance　of　a　Hottentot。

'4。　　There　is　safety　in　a　swallow…tail。

'5。　　The　good　sense　of　a　gentleman　is　nowhere　more　finely　developed　than　in　his　rings。

'6。　　It　is　permitted　to　mankind；　under　certain　restrictions；　to　wear　white　waistcoats。

'7。　　The　trousers　must　be　exceedingly　tight　across　the　hips。'

〃All　which　Propositions　I；　for　the　present；　content　myself　with　modestly　but　peremptorily　and　irrevocably　denying。

〃In　strange　contrast　with　this　Dandiacal　Body　stands　another　British　Sect；　originally；　as　I　understand；　of　Ireland；　where　its　chief　seat　still　is；　but　known　also　in　the　main　Island；　and　indeed　everywhere　rapidly　spreading。　　As　this　Sect　has　hitherto　emitted　no　Canonical　Books；　it　remains　to　me　in　the　same　state　of　obscurity　as　the　Dandiacal；　which　has　published　Books　that　the　unassisted　human　faculties　are　inadequate　to　read。　　The　members　appear　to　be　designated　by　a　considerable　diversity　of　names；　according　to　their　various　places　of　establishment：　　in　England　they　are　generally　called　the　_Drudge_　Sect；　also；　unphilosophically　enough；　the　_White　Negroes_；　and；　chiefly　in　scorn　by　those　of　other　communions；　the　_Ragged…Beggar_　Sect。　In　Scotland；　again；　I　find　them　entitled　_Hallanshakers_；　or　the　_Stook　of　Duds_　Sect；　any　individual　communicant　is　named　_Stook　of　Duds_　（that　is；　Shock　of　Rags）；　in　allusion；　doubtless；　to　their　professional　Costume。　While　in　Ireland；　which；　as　mentioned；　is　their　grand　parent　hive；　they　go　by　a　perplexing　multiplicity　of　designations；　such　as　_Bogtrotters；　Redshanks；　Ribbonmen；　Cottiers；　Peep…of…Day　Boys；　Babes　of　the　Wood；　Rockites；　Poor…Slaves_：　　which　last；　however；　seems　to　be　the　primary　and　generic　name；　whereto；　probably　enough；　the　others　are　only　subsidiary　species；　or　slight　varieties；　or；　at　most；　propagated　offsets　from　the　parent　stem；　whose　minute　subdivisions；　and　shades　of　difference；　it　were　here　loss　of　time　to　dwell　on。　　Enough　for　us　to　understand；　what　seems　indubitable；　that　the　original　Sect　is　that　of　the　_Poor…Slaves_；　whose　doctrines；　practices；　and　fundamental　characteristics　pervade　and　animate　the　whole　Body；　howsoever　denominated　or　outwardly　diversified。

〃The　precise　speculative　tenets　of　this　Brotherhood：　　how　the　Universe；　and　Man；　and　Man's　Life；　picture　themselves　to　the　mind　of　an　Irish　Poor…Slave；　with　what　feelings　and　opinions　he　looks　forward　on　the　Future；　round　on　the　Present；　back　on　the　Past；　it　were　extremely　difficult　to　specify。　Something　Monastic　there　appears　to　be　in　their　Constitution：　　we　find　them　bound　by　the　two　Monastic　Vows；　of　Poverty　and　Obedience；　which　vows；　especially　the　former；　it　is　said；　they　observe　with　great　strictness；　nay；　as　I　have　understood　it；　they　are　pledged；　and　be　it　by　any　solemn　Nazarene　ordination　or　not；　irrevocably　consecrated　thereto；　even　_before_　birth。　That　the　third　Monastic　Vow；　of　Chastity；　is　rigidly　enforced　among　them；　I　find　no　ground　to　conjecture。

〃Furthermore；　they　appear　to　imitate　the　Dandiacal　Sect　in　their　grand　principle　of　wearing　a　peculiar　Costume。　　Of　which　Irish　Poor…Slave　Costume　no　description　will　indeed　be　found　in　the　present　Volume；　for　this　reason；　that　by　the　imperfect　organ　of　Language　it　did　not　seem　describable。　　Their　raiment　consists　of　innumerable　skirts；　lappets　and　irregular　wings；　of　all　cloths　and　of　all　colors；　through　the　labyrinthic　intricacies　of　which　their　bodies　are　introduced　by　some　unknown　process。　　It　is　fastened　together　by　a　multiplex　combination　of　buttons；　thrums　and　skewers；　to　which　frequently　is　added　a　girdle　of　leather；　of　hempen　or　even　of　straw　rope；　round　the　loins。　　To　straw　rope；　indeed；　they　seem　partial；　and　often　wear　it　by　way　of　sandals。　　In　head…dress　they　affect　a　certain　freedom：　hats　with　partial　brim；　without　crown；　or　with　only　a　loose；　hinged；　or　valve　crown；　in　the　former　case；　they　sometimes　invert　the　hat；　and　wear　it　brim　uppermost；　like　a　university…cap；　with　what　view　is　unknown。

〃The　name　Poor…Slaves　seems　to　indicate　a　Slavonic；　Polish；　or　Russian　origin：　　not　so；　however；　the　interior　essence　and　spirit　of　their　Superstition；　which　rather　displays　a　Teutonic　or　Druidical　character。　　One　might　fancy　them　worshippers　of　Hertha；　or　the　Earth：　　for　they　dig　and　affectionately　work　continually　in　her　bosom；　or　else；　shut　up　in　private　Oratories；　meditate　and　manipulate　the　substances　derived　from　her；　seldom　looking　up　towards　the　Heavenly　Luminaries；　and　then　with　comparative　indifference。　　Like　the　Druids；　on　the　other　hand；　they　live　in　dark　dwellings；　often　even　breaking　their　glass　windows；　where　they　find　such；　and　stuffing　them　up　with　pieces　of　raiment；　or　other　opaque　substances；　till　the　fit　obscurity　is　restored。　　Again；　like　all　followers　of　Nature…Worship；　they　are　liable　to　out…breakings　of　an　enthusiasm　rising　to　ferocity；　and　burn　men；　if　not　in　wicker　idols；　yet　in　sod　cottages。

〃In　respect　of　diet；　they　have　also　their　observances。　　All　Poor…Slaves　are　Rhizophagous　（or　Root…eaters）；　a　few　are　Ichthyophagous；　and　use　Salted　Herrings：　　other　animal　food　they　abstain　from；　except　indeed；　with　perhaps　some　strange　inverted　fragment　of　a　Brahminical　feeling；　such　animals　as　die　a　natural　death。　　Their　universal　sustenance　is　the　root　named　Potato；　cooked　by　fire　alone；　and　generally　without　condiment　or　relish　of　any　kind；　save　an　unknown　condiment　named　_Point_；　into　the　meaning　of　which　I　have　vainly　inquired；　the　victual　_Potatoes…and…Point_　not　appearing；　at　least　not　with　specific　accuracy　of　description；　in　any　European　Cookery…Book　whatever。　　For　drink；　they　use；　with　an　almost　epigrammatic　counterpoise　of　taste；　Milk；　which　is　the　mildest　of　liquors；　and　_Potheen_；　which　is　the　fiercest。　　This　latter　I　have　tasted；　as　well　as　the　English　_Blue…Ruin_；　and　the　Scotch　_Whiskey_；　analogous　fluids　used　by　the　Sect　in　those　countries：　　it　evidently　contains　some　form　of　alcohol；　in　the　highest　state　of　concentration；　though　disguised　with　acrid　oils；　and　is；　on　the　whole；　the　most　pungent　substance　known　to　me；indeed；　a　perfect　liquid　fire。　　In　all　their　Religious　Solemnities；　Potheen　is　said　to　be　an　indispensable　requisite；　and　largely　consumed。

〃An　Irish　Traveller；　of　perhaps　common　veracity；　who　presents　himself　under　the　to　me　unmeaning　title　of　_The　late　John　Bernard_；　offers　the　following　sketch　of　a　domestic　establishment；　the　inmates　whereof；　though　such　is　not　stated　expressly；　appear　to　have　been　of　that　Faith。　　Thereby　shall　my　German　readers　now　behold　an　Irish　Poor…Slave；　as　it　were　with　their　own　eyes；　and　even　see　him　at　meat。　　Moreover；　in　the　so　precious　waste…paper　sheet　above　mentioned；　I　have　found　some　corresponding　picture　of　a　Dandiacal　Household；　painted　by　that　same　Dandiacal　Mystagogue；　or　Theogonist：　　this　also；　by　way　of　counterpart　and　contrast；　the　world　shall　look　into。

〃First；　therefore；　of　the　Poor…Slave；　who　appears　likewise　to　have　been　a　species　of　Innkeeper。　　I　quote　from　the　original：


POOR…SLAVE　HOUSEHOLD。

〃'