03-reading-第1章

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Reading



　　　　With　a　little　more　deliberation　in　the　choice　of　their　pursuits；

all　men　would　perhaps　become　essentially　students　and　observers；　for

certainly　their　nature　and　destiny　are　interesting　to　all　alike。　　In

accumulating　property　for　ourselves　or　our　posterity；　in　founding　a

family　or　a　state；　or　acquiring　fame　even；　we　are　mortal；　but　in

dealing　with　truth　we　are　immortal；　and　need　fear　no　change　nor

accident。　　The　oldest　Egyptian　or　Hindoo　philosopher　raised　a　corner

of　the　veil　from　the　statue　of　the　divinity；　and　still　the　trembling

robe　remains　raised；　and　I　gaze　upon　as　fresh　a　glory　as　he　did；

since　it　was　I　in　him　that　was　then　so　bold；　and　it　is　he　in　me　that

now　reviews　the　vision。　　No　dust　has　settled　on　that　robe；　no　time

has　elapsed　since　that　divinity　was　revealed。　　That　time　which　we

really　improve；　or　which　is　improvable；　is　neither　past；　present；

nor　future。

　　　　My　residence　was　more　favorable；　not　only　to　thought；　but　to

serious　reading；　than　a　university；　and　though　I　was　beyond　the

range　of　the　ordinary　circulating　library；　I　had　more　than　ever　come

within　the　influence　of　those　books　which　circulate　round　the　world；

whose　sentences　were　first　written　on　bark；　and　are　now　merely

copied　from　time　to　time　on　to　linen　paper。　　Says　the　poet　Mr

Udd；　〃Being　seated；　to　run　through　the　region　of　the

spiritual　world；　I　have　had　this　advantage　in　books。　　To　be

intoxicated　by　a　single　glass　of　wine；　I　have　experienced　this

pleasure　when　I　have　drunk　the　liquor　of　the　esoteric　doctrines。〃　　I

kept　Homer's　Iliad　on　my　table　through　the　summer；　though　I　looked

at　his　page　only　now　and　then。　　Incessant　labor　with　my　hands；　at

first；　for　I　had　my　house　to　finish　and　my　beans　to　hoe　at　the　same

time；　made　more　study　impossible。　　Yet　I　sustained　myself　by　the

prospect　of　such　reading　in　future。　　I　read　one　or　two　shallow　books

of　travel　in　the　intervals　of　my　work；　till　that　employment　made　me

ashamed　of　myself；　and　I　asked　where　it　was　then　that　I　lived。

　　　　The　student　may　read　Homer　or　AEschylus　in　the　Greek　without

danger　of　dissipation　or　luxuriousness；　for　it　implies　that　he　in

some　measure　emulate　their　heroes；　and　consecrate　morning　hours　to

their　pages。　　The　heroic　books；　even　if　printed　in　the　character　of

our　mother　tongue；　will　always　be　in　a　language　dead　to　degenerate

times；　and　we　must　laboriously　seek　the　meaning　of　each　word　and

line；　conjecturing　a　larger　sense　than　common　use　permits　out　of

what　wisdom　and　valor　and　generosity　we　have。　　The　modern　cheap　and

fertile　press；　with　all　its　translations；　has　done　little　to　bring

us　nearer　to　the　heroic　writers　of　antiquity。　　They　seem　as

solitary；　and　the　letter　in　which　they　are　printed　as　rare　and

curious；　as　ever。　　It　is　worth　the　expense　of　youthful　days　and

costly　hours；　if　you　learn　only　some　words　of　an　ancient　language；

which　are　raised　out　of　the　trivialness　of　the　street；　to　be

perpetual　suggestions　and　provocations。　　It　is　not　in　vain　that　the

farmer　remembers　and　repeats　the　few　Latin　words　which　he　has　heard。

Men　sometimes　speak　as　if　the　study　of　the　classics　would　at　length

make　way　for　more　modern　and　practical　studies；　but　the　adventurous

student　will　always　study　classics；　in　whatever　language　they　may　be

written　and　however　ancient　they　may　be。　　For　what　are　the　classics

but　the　noblest　recorded　thoughts　of　man？　　They　are　the　only　oracles

which　are　not　decayed；　and　there　are　such　answers　to　the　most　modern

inquiry　in　them　as　Delphi　and　Dodona　never　gave。　　We　might　as　well

omit　to　study　Nature　because　she　is　old。　　To　read　well；　that　is；　to

read　true　books　in　a　true　spirit；　is　a　noble　exercise；　and　one　that

will　task　the　reader　more　than　any　exercise　which　the　customs　of　the

day　esteem。　　It　requires　a　training　such　as　the　athletes　underwent；

the　steady　intention　almost　of　the　whole　life　to　this　object。　　Books

must　be　read　as　deliberately　and　reservedly　as　they　were　written。

It　is　not　enough　even　to　be　able　to　speak　the　language　of　that

nation　by　which　they　are　written；　for　there　is　a　memorable　interval

between　the　spoken　and　the　written　language；　the　language　heard　and

the　language　read。　　The　one　is　commonly　transitory；　a　sound；　a

tongue；　a　dialect　merely；　almost　brutish；　and　we　learn　it

unconsciously；　like　the　brutes；　of　our　mothers。　　The　other　is　the

maturity　and　experience　of　that；　if　that　is　our　mother　tongue；　this

is　our　father　tongue；　a　reserved　and　select　expression；　too

significant　to　be　heard　by　the　ear；　which　we　must　be　born　again　in

order　to　speak。　　The　crowds　of　men　who　merely　spoke　the　Greek　and

Latin　tongues　in　the　Middle　Ages　were　not　entitled　by　the　accident

of　birth　to　read　the　works　of　genius　written　in　those　languages；　for

these　were　not　written　in　that　Greek　or　Latin　which　they　knew；　but

in　the　select　language　of　literature。　　They　had　not　learned　the

nobler　dialects　of　Greece　and　Rome；　but　the　very　materials　on　which

they　were　written　were　waste　paper　to　them；　and　they　prized　instead

a　cheap　contemporary　literature。　　But　when　the　several　nations　of

Europe　had　acquired　distinct　though　rude　written　languages　of　their

own；　sufficient　for　the　purposes　of　their　rising　literatures；　then

first　learning　revived；　and　scholars　were　enabled　to　discern　from

that　remoteness　the　treasures　of　antiquity。　　What　the　Roman　and

Grecian　multitude　could　not　hear；　after　the　lapse　of　ages　a　few

scholars　read；　and　a　few　scholars　only　are　still　reading　it。

　　　　However　much　we　may　admire　the　orator's　occasional　bursts　of

eloquence；　the　noblest　written　words　are　commonly　as　far　behind　or

above　the　fleeting　spoken　language　as　the　firmament　with　its　stars

is　behind　the　clouds。　　There　are　the　stars；　and　they　who　can　may

read　them。　　The　astronomers　forever　comment　on　and　observe　them。

They　are　not　exhalations　like　our　daily　colloquies　and　vaporous

breath。　　What　is　called　eloquence　in　the　forum　is　commonly　found　to

be　rhetoric　in　the　study。　　The　orator　yields　to　the　inspiration　of　a

transient　occasion；　and　speaks　to　the　mob　before　him；　to　those　who

can　hear　him；　but　the　writer；　whose　more　equable　life　is　his

occasion；　and　who　would　be　distracted　by　the　event　and　the　crowd

which　inspire　the　orator；　speaks　to　the　intellect　and　health　of

mankind；　to　all　in　any　age　who　can　understand　him。

　　　　No　wonder　that　Alexander　carried　the　Iliad　with　him　on　his

expeditions　in　a　precious　casket。　　A　written　word　is　the　choicest　of

relics。　　It　is　something　at　once　more　intimate　with　us　and　more

universal　than　any　other　work　of　art。　　It　is　the　work　of　art　nearest

to　life　itself。　　It　may　be　translated　into　every　language；　and　not

only　be　read　but　actually　breathed　from　all　human　lips；　　not　be

represented　on　canvas　or　in　marble　only；　but　be　carved　out　of　the

breath　of　life　itself。　　The　symbol　of　an　ancient　man's　thought

becomes　a　modern　man's　speech。　　Two　thousand　summers　have　imparted

to　the　monuments　of　Grecian　literature；　as　to　her　marbles；　only　a

maturer　golden　and　autumnal　tint；　for　they　have　carried　their　own

serene　and　celestial　atmosphere　into　all　lands　to　protect　them

against　the　corrosion　of　time。　　Books　are　the　treasured　wealth　of

the　world　and　the　fit　inheritance　of　generations　and　nations。

Books；　the　oldest　and　the　best；　stand　naturally　and　rightfully　on

the　shelves　of　every　cottage。　　They　have　no　cause　of　their　own　to

plead；　but　while　they　enlighten　and　sustain　the　reader　his　common

sense　will　not　refuse　them。　　Their　authors　are　a　natural　and

irresistible　aristocracy　in　every　society；　and；　more　than　kings　or

emperors；　exert　an　influence　on　mankind。　　When　the　illiterate　and

perhaps　scornful　trader　has　earned　by　enterprise　and　industry　his

coveted　leisure　and　independence；　and　is　admitted　to　the　circles　of

wealth　and　fashion；　he　turns　inevitably　at　last　to　those　still

higher　but　yet　inaccessible　circles　of　intellect　and　genius；　and　is

sensible　only　of　the　imperfection　of　hi