sartor resartus-第7章

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Certainly　a　most　involved；　self…secluded；　altogether　enigmatic　nature；　this　of　Teufelsdrockh！　　Here；　however；　we　gladly　recall　to　mind　that　once　we　saw　him　_laugh_；　once　only；　perhaps　it　was　the　first　and　last　time　in　his　life；　but　then　such　a　peal　of　laughter；　enough　to　have　awakened　the　Seven　Sleepers！　　It　was　of　Jean　Paul's　doing：　　some　single　billow　in　that　vast　World…Mahlstrom　of　Humor；　with　its　heaven…kissing　coruscations；　which　is　now；　alas；　all　congealed　in　the　frost　of　death！　　The　large…bodied　Poet　and　the　small；　both　large　enough　in　soul；　sat　talking　miscellaneously　together；　the　present　Editor　being　privileged　to　listen；　and　now　Paul；　in　his　serious　way；　was　giving　one　of　those　inimitable　〃Extra…Harangues；〃　and；　as　it　chanced；　On　the　Proposal　for　a　_Cast…metal　King_：　　gradually　a　light　kindled　in　our　Professor's　eyes　and　face；　a　beaming；　mantling；　loveliest　light；　through　those　murky　features；　a　radiant　ever…young　Apollo　looked；　and　he　burst　forth　like　the　neighing　of　all　Tattersall's；tears　streaming　down　his　cheeks；　pipe　held　aloft；　foot　clutched　into　the　air；loud；　long…continuing；　uncontrollable；　a　laugh　not　of　the　face　and　diaphragm　only；　but　of　the　whole　man　from　head　to　heel。　　The　present　Editor；　who　laughed　indeed；　yet　with　measure；　began　to　fear　all　was　not　right：　however；　Teufelsdrockh；　composed　himself；　and　sank　into　his　old　stillness；　on　his　inscrutable　countenance　there　was；　if　anything；　a　slight　look　of　shame；　and　Richter　himself　could　not　rouse　him　again。　　Readers　who　have　any　tincture　of　Psychology　know　how　much　is　to　be　inferred　from　this；　and　that　no　man　who　has　once　heartily　and　wholly　laughed　can　be　altogether　irreclaimably　bad。　　How　much　lies　in　Laughter：　　the　cipher…key；　wherewith　we　decipher　the　whole　man！　　Some　men　wear　an　everlasting　barren　simper；　in　the　smile　of　others　lies　a　cold　glitter　as　of　ice：　　the　fewest　are　able　to　laugh；　what　can　be　called　laughing；　but　only　sniff　and　titter　and　snigger　from　the　throat　outwards；　or　at　best；　produce　some　whiffling　husky　cachinnation；　as　if　they　were　laughing　through　wool：　　of　none　such　comes　good。　　The　man　who　cannot　laugh　is　not　only　fit　for　treasons；　stratagems；　and　spoils；　but　his　whole　life　is　already　a　treason　and　a　stratagem。

Considered　as　an　Author；　Herr　Teufelsdrockh　has　one　scarcely　pardonable　fault；　doubtless　his　worst：　　an　almost　total　want　of　arrangement。　　In　this　remarkable　Volume；　it　is　true；　his　adherence　to　the　mere　course　of　Time　produces；　through　the　Narrative　portions；　a　certain　show　of　outward　method；　but　of　true　logical　method　and　sequence　there　is　too　little。　　Apart　from　its　multifarious　sections　and　subdivisions；　the　Work　naturally　falls　into　two　Parts；　a　Historical…Descriptive；　and　a　Philosophical…Speculative：　　but　falls；　unhappily；　by　no　firm　line　of　demarcation；　in　that　labyrinthic　combination；　each　Part　overlaps；　and　indents；　and　indeed　runs　quite　through　the　other。　　Many　sections　are　of　a　debatable　rubric；　or　even　quite　nondescript　and　unnamable；　whereby　the　Book　not　only　loses　in　accessibility；　but　too　often　distresses　us　like　some　mad　banquet；　wherein　all　courses　had　been　confounded；　and　fish　and　flesh；　soup　and　solid；　oyster…sauce；　lettuces；　Rhine…wine　and　French　mustard；　were　hurled　into　one　huge　tureen　or　trough；　and　the　hungry　Public　invited　to　help　itself。　　To　bring　what　order　we　can　out　of　this　Chaos　shall　be　part　of　our　endeavor。


CHAPTER　V。　THE　WORLD　IN　CLOTHES。

〃As　Montesquieu　wrote　a　_Spirit　of　Laws_；〃　observes　our　Professor；　〃so　could　I　write　a　_Spirit　of　Clothes_；　thus；　with　an　_Esprit　des　Lois_；　properly　an　_Esprit　de　Coutumes_；　we　should　have　an　_Esprit　de　Costumes_。　For　neither　in　tailoring　nor　in　legislating　does　man　proceed　by　mere　Accident；　but　the　hand　is　ever　guided　on　by　mysterious　operations　of　the　mind。　　In　all　his　Modes；　and　habilatory　endeavors；　an　Architectural　Idea　will　be　found　lurking；　his　Body　and　the　Cloth　are　the　site　and　materials　whereon　and　whereby　his　beautified　edifice；　of　a　Person；　is　to　be　built。　Whether　he　flow　gracefully　out　in　folded　mantles；　based　on　light　sandals；　tower　up　in　high　headgear；　from　amid　peaks；　spangles　and　bell…girdles；　swell　out　in　starched　ruffs；　buckram　stuffings；　and　monstrous　tuberosities；　or　girth　himself　into　separate　sections；　and　front　the　world　an　Agglomeration　of　four　limbs；will　depend　on　the　nature　of　such　Architectural　Idea：　　whether　Grecian；　Gothic；　Later　Gothic；　or　altogether　Modern；　and　Parisian　or　Anglo…Dandiacal。　　Again；　what　meaning　lies　in　Color！　　From　the　soberest　drab　to　the　high…flaming　scarlet；　spiritual　idiosyncrasies　unfold　themselves　in　choice　of　Color：　　if　the　Cut　betoken　Intellect　and　Talent；　so　does　the　Color　betoken　Temper　and　Heart。　　In　all　which；　among　nations　as　among　individuals；　there　is　an　incessant；　indubitable；　though　infinitely　complex　working　of　Cause　and　Effect：　　every　snip　of　the　Scissors　has　been　regulated　and　prescribed　by　ever…active　Influences；　which　doubtless　to　Intelligences　of　a　superior　order　are　neither　invisible　nor　illegible。

〃For　such　superior　Intelligences　a　Cause…and…Effect　Philosophy　of　Clothes；　as　of　Laws；　were　probably　a　comfortable　winter…evening　entertainment：　nevertheless；　for　inferior　Intelligences；　like　men；　such　Philosophies　have　always　seemed　to　me　uninstructive　enough。　　Nay；　what　is　your　Montesquieu　himself　but　a　clever　infant　spelling　Letters　from　a　hieroglyphical　prophetic　Book；　the　lexicon　of　which　lies　in　Eternity；　in　Heaven？Let　any　Cause…and…Effect　Philosopher　explain；　not　why　I　wear　such　and　such　a　Garment；　obey　such　and　such　a　Law；　but　even　why　I　am　_here_；　to　wear　and　obey　anything！　Much；　therefore；　if　not　the　whole；　of　that　same　_Spirit　of　Clothes_　I　shall　suppress；　as　hypothetical；　ineffectual；　and　even　impertinent：　　naked　Facts；　and　Deductions　drawn　therefrom　in　quite　another　than　that　omniscient　style；　are　my　humbler　and　proper　province。〃

Acting　on　which　prudent　restriction；　Teufelsdrockh；　has　nevertheless　contrived　to　take　in　a　well…nigh　boundless　extent　of　field；　at　least；　the　boundaries　too　often　lie　quite　beyond　our　horizon。　　Selection　being　indispensable；　we　shall　here　glance　over　his　First　Part　only　in　the　most　cursory　manner。　　This　First　Part　is；　no　doubt；　distinguished　by　omnivorous　learning；　and　utmost　patience　and　fairness：　　at　the　same　time；　in　its　results　and　delineations；　it　is　much　more　likely　to　interest　the　Compilers　of　some　_Library_　of　General；　Entertaining；　Useful；　or　even　Useless　Knowledge　than　the　miscellaneous　readers　of　these　pages。　　Was　it　this　Part　of　the　Book　which　Heuschrecke　had　in　view；　when　he　recommended　us　to　that　joint…stock　vehicle　of　publication；　〃at　present　the　glory　of　British　Literature〃？　　If　so；　the　Library　Editors　are　welcome　to　dig　in　it　for　their　own　behoof。

To　the　First　Chapter；　which　turns　on　Paradise　and　Fig…leaves；　and　leads　us　into　interminable　disquisitions　of　a　mythological；　metaphorical；　cabalistico…sartorial　and　quite　antediluvian　cast；　we　shall　content　ourselves　with　giving　an　unconcerned　approval。　　Still　less　have　we　to　do　with　〃Lilis；　Adam's　first　wife；　whom；　according　to　the　Talmudists；　he　had　before　Eve；　and　who　bore　him；　in　that　wedlock；　the　whole　progeny　of　aerial；　aquatic；　and　terrestrial　Devils；〃very　needlessly；　we　think。　　On　this　portion　of　the　Work；　with　its　profound　glances　into　the　_Adam…Kadmon_；　or　Primeval　Element；　here　strangely　brought　into　relation　with　the　_Nifl_　and　_Muspel_　（Darkness　and　Light）　of　the　antique　North；　it　may　be　enough　to　say；　that　its　correctness　of　deduction；　and　depth　of　Talmudic　and　Rabbinical　lore　have　filled　perhaps　not　the　worst　Hebraist　in　Britain　with　something　like　astonishment。

But；　quitting　this　twilight　region；　Teufelsdrockh　hastens　from　the　Tower　of　Babel；　to　follow　the　dispersion　of　Mankind　over　the　whole　habitable　and　habilable　globe。　　Walking　by　the　light　of　Oriental；　Pelasgic；　Scandinavian；　Egyptian；　Otaheitean；　Ancient　and　Modern　researches　of　every　conceivable　kind；　he　strives　to　give　us　in　compressed　shape　（as　the　Nurnbergers　give　an　_Orbis　Pictus_）　an　_Orbis　Vestitus_；　or　view　of　the　costumes　of　all　mankind；　in　all　countries；　in　all　times。　　It　is　here　that　to　the　Antiquarian；　to　the　Historian；　we　can　triumphantly　say：　　Fall　to！　　Here　is　learning：　　an　irregular　Tre