03-reading-第2章

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sensible　only　of　the　imperfection　of　his　culture　and　the　vanity　and

insufficiency　of　all　his　riches；　and　further　proves　his　good　sense

by　the　pains　which　be　takes　to　secure　for　his　children　that

intellectual　culture　whose　want　he　so　keenly　feels；　and　thus　it　is

that　he　becomes　the　founder　of　a　family。

　　　　Those　who　have　not　learned　to　read　the　ancient　classics　in　the

language　in　which　they　were　written　must　have　a　very　imperfect

knowledge　of　the　history　of　the　human　race；　for　it　is　remarkable

that　no　transcript　of　them　has　ever　been　made　into　any　modern

tongue；　unless　our　civilization　itself　may　be　regarded　as　such　a

transcript。　　Homer　has　never　yet　been　printed　in　English；　nor

AEschylus；　nor　Virgil　even　　works　as　refined；　as　solidly　done；　and

as　beautiful　almost　as　the　morning　itself；　for　later　writers；　say

what　we　will　of　their　genius；　have　rarely；　if　ever；　equalled　the

elaborate　beauty　and　finish　and　the　lifelong　and　heroic　literary

labors　of　the　ancients。　　They　only　talk　of　forgetting　them　who　never

knew　them。　　It　will　be　soon　enough　to　forget　them　when　we　have　the

learning　and　the　genius　which　will　enable　us　to　attend　to　and

appreciate　them。　　That　age　will　be　rich　indeed　when　those　relics

which　we　call　Classics；　and　the　still　older　and　more　than　classic

but　even　less　known　Scriptures　of　the　nations；　shall　have　still

further　accumulated；　when　the　Vaticans　shall　be　filled　with　Vedas

and　Zendavestas　and　Bibles；　with　Homers　and　Dantes　and　Shakespeares；

and　all　the　centuries　to　come　shall　have　successively　deposited

their　trophies　in　the　forum　of　the　world。　　By　such　a　pile　we　may

hope　to　scale　heaven　at　last。

　　　　The　works　of　the　great　poets　have　never　yet　been　read　by

mankind；　for　only　great　poets　can　read　them。　　They　have　only　been

read　as　the　multitude　read　the　stars；　at　most　astrologically；　not

astronomically。　　Most　men　have　learned　to　read　to　serve　a　paltry

convenience；　as　they　have　learned　to　cipher　in　order　to　keep

accounts　and　not　be　cheated　in　trade；　but　of　reading　as　a　noble

intellectual　exercise　they　know　little　or　nothing；　yet　this　only　is

reading；　in　a　high　sense；　not　that　which　lulls　us　as　a　luxury　and

suffers　the　nobler　faculties　to　sleep　the　while；　but　what　we　have　to

stand　on　tip…toe　to　read　and　devote　our　most　alert　and　wakeful　hours

to。

　　　　I　think　that　having　learned　our　letters　we　should　read　the　best

that　is　in　literature；　and　not　be　forever　repeating　our　a…b…abs；　and

words　of　one　syllable；　in　the　fourth　or　fifth　classes；　sitting　on

the　lowest　and　foremost　form　all　our　lives。　　Most　men　are　satisfied

if　they　read　or　hear　read；　and　perchance　have　been　convicted　by　the

wisdom　of　one　good　book；　the　Bible；　and　for　the　rest　of　their　lives

vegetate　and　dissipate　their　faculties　in　what　is　called　easy

reading。　　There　is　a　work　in　several　volumes　in　our　Circulating

Library　entitled　〃Little　Reading；〃　which　I　thought　referred　to　a

town　of　that　name　which　I　had　not　been　to。　　There　are　those　who；

like　cormorants　and　ostriches；　can　digest　all　sorts　of　this；　even

after　the　fullest　dinner　of　meats　and　vegetables；　for　they　suffer

nothing　to　be　wasted。　　If　others　are　the　machines　to　provide　this

provender；　they　are　the　machines　to　read　it。　　They　read　the　nine

thousandth　tale　about　Zebulon　and　Sophronia；　and　how　they　loved　as

none　had　ever　loved　before；　and　neither　did　the　course　of　their　true

love　run　smooth　　at　any　rate；　how　it　did　run　and　stumble；　and　get

up　again　and　go　on！　how　some　poor　unfortunate　got　up　on　to　a

steeple；　who　had　better　never　have　gone　up　as　far　as　the　belfry；　and

then；　having　needlessly　got　him　up　there；　the　happy　novelist　rings

the　bell　for　all　the　world　to　come　together　and　hear；　O　dear！　how　he

did　get　down　again！　　For　my　part；　I　think　that　they　had　better

metamorphose　all　such　aspiring　heroes　of　universal　noveldom　into　man

weather…cocks；　as　they　used　to　put　heroes　among　the　constellations；

and　let　them　swing　round　there　till　they　are　rusty；　and　not　come

down　at　all　to　bother　honest　men　with　their　pranks。　　The　next　time

the　novelist　rings　the　bell　I　will　not　stir　though　the　meeting…house

burn　down。　　〃The　Skip　of　the　Tip…Toe…Hop；　a　Romance　of　the　Middle

Ages；　by　the　celebrated　author　of　‘Tittle…Tol…Tan；'　to　appear　in

monthly　parts；　a　great　rush；　don't　all　come　together。〃　　All　this

they　read　with　saucer　eyes；　and　erect　and　primitive　curiosity；　and

with　unwearied　gizzard；　whose　corrugations　even　yet　need　no

sharpening；　just　as　some　little　four…year…old　bencher　his　two…cent

gilt…covered　edition　of　Cinderella　　without　any　improvement；　that

I　can　see；　in　the　pronunciation；　or　accent；　or　emphasis；　or　any　more

skill　in　extracting　or　inserting　the　moral。　　The　result　is　dulness

of　sight；　a　stagnation　of　the　vital　circulations；　and　a　general

deliquium　and　sloughing　off　of　all　the　intellectual　faculties。　　This

sort　of　gingerbread　is　baked　daily　and　more　sedulously　than　pure

wheat　or　rye…and…Indian　in　almost　every　oven；　and　finds　a　surer

market。

　　　　The　best　books　are　not　read　even　by　those　who　are　called　good

readers。　　What　does　our　Concord　culture　amount　to？　　There　is　in　this

town；　with　a　very　few　exceptions；　no　taste　for　the　best　or　for　very

good　books　even　in　English　literature；　whose　words　all　can　read　and

spell。　　Even　the　college…bred　and　so…called　liberally　educated　men

here　and　elsewhere　have　really　little　or　no　acquaintance　with　the

English　classics；　and　as　for　the　recorded　wisdom　of　mankind；　the

ancient　classics　and　Bibles；　which　are　accessible　to　all　who　will

know　of　them；　there　are　the　feeblest　efforts　anywhere　made　to　become

acquainted　with　them。　　I　know　a　woodchopper；　of　middle　age；　who

takes　a　French　paper；　not　for　news　as　he　says；　for　he　is　above　that；

but　to　〃keep　himself　in　practice；〃　he　being　a　Canadian　by　birth；　and

when　I　ask　him　what　he　considers　the　best　thing　he　can　do　in　this

world；　he　says；　beside　this；　to　keep　up　and　add　to　his　English。

This　is　about　as　much　as　the　college…bred　generally　do　or　aspire　to

do；　and　they　take　an　English　paper　for　the　purpose。　　One　who　has

just　come　from　reading　perhaps　one　of　the　best　English　books　will

find　how　many　with　whom　he　can　converse　about　it？　　Or　suppose　he

comes　from　reading　a　Greek　or　Latin　classic　in　the　original；　whose

praises　are　familiar　even　to　the　so…called　illiterate；　he　will　find

nobody　at　all　to　speak　to；　but　must　keep　silence　about　it。　　Indeed；

there　is　hardly　the　professor　in　our　colleges；　who；　if　he　has

mastered　the　difficulties　of　the　language；　has　proportionally

mastered　the　difficulties　of　the　wit　and　poetry　of　a　Greek　poet；　and

has　any　sympathy　to　impart　to　the　alert　and　heroic　reader；　and　as

for　the　sacred　Scriptures；　or　Bibles　of　mankind；　who　in　this　town

can　tell　me　even　their　titles？　　Most　men　do　not　know　that　any　nation

but　the　Hebrews　have　had　a　scripture。　　A　man；　any　man；　will　go

considerably　out　of　his　way　to　pick　up　a　silver　dollar；　but　here　are

golden　words；　which　the　wisest　men　of　antiquity　have　uttered；　and

whose　worth　the　wise　of　every　succeeding　age　have　assured　us　of；　

and　yet　we　learn　to　read　only　as　far　as　Easy　Reading；　the　primers

and　class…books；　and　when　we　leave　school；　the　〃Little　Reading；〃　and

story…books；　which　are　for　boys　and　beginners；　and　our　reading；　our

conversation　and　thinking；　are　all　on　a　very　low　level；　worthy　only

of　pygmies　and　manikins。

　　　　I　aspire　to　be　acquainted　with　wiser　men　than　this　our　Concord

soil　has　produced；　whose　names　are　hardly　known　here。　　Or　shall　I

hear　the　name　of　Plato　and　never　read　his　book？　　As　if　Plato　were　my

townsman　and　I　never　saw　him　　my　next　neighbor　and　I　never　heard

him　speak　or　attended　to　the　wisdom　of　his　words。　　But　how　actually

is　it？　　His　Dialogues；　which　contain　what　was　immortal　in　him；　lie

on　the　next　shelf；　and　yet　I　never　read　them。　　We　are　underbred　and

low…lived　and　illiterate；　and　in　this　respect　I　confess　I　do　not

make　any　very　broad　distinction　between　the　illiterateness　of　my

townsman　wh