introductory-第5章

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was　so…　to　conceive　how　he　should　exist　hereafter；　so　earthly　and

sensuous　did　he　seem；　but　surely　his　existence　here；　admitting　that　it

was　to　terminate　with　his　last　breath；　had　been　not　unkindly　given；

with　no　higher　moral　responsibilities　than　the　beasts　of　the　field；

but　with　a　larger　scope　of　enjoyment　than　theirs；　and　with　all　their

blessed　immunity　from　the　dreariness　and　duskiness　of　age。

　　One　point；　in　which　he　had　vastly　the　advantage　over　his　four…footed

brethren；　was　his　ability　to　recollect　the　good　dinners　which　it　had

made　no　small　portion　of　the　happiness　of　his　life　to　eat。　His

gourmandism　was　a　highly　agreeable　trait；　and　to　hear　him　talk　of

roast…meat　was　as　appetising　as　a　pickle　or　an　oyster。　As　he　possessed

no　higher　attribute；　and　neither　sacrificed　nor　vitiated　any　spiritual

endowment　by　devoting　all　his　energies　and　ingenuities　to　subserve　the

delight　and　profit　of　his　maw；　it　always　pleased　and　satisfied　me　to

hear　him　expatiate　on　fish；　poultry；　and　butcher's　meat；　and　the

most　eligible　methods　of　preparing　them　for　the　table。　His

reminiscences　of　good　cheer；　however　ancient　the　date　of　the　actual

banquet；　seemed　to　bring　the　savour　of　pig　or　turkey　under　one's

very　nostrils。　There　were　flavours　on　his　palate；　that　had　lingered

there　not　less　than　sixty　or　seventy　years；　and　were　still

apparently　as　fresh　as　that　of　the　mutton…chop　which　he　had　just

devoured　for　his　breakfast。　I　have　heard　him　smack　his　lips　over

dinners；　every　guest　at　which；　except　himself；　had　long　been　food

for　worms。　It　was　marvellous　to　observe　how　the　ghosts　of　bygone　meals

were　continually　rising　up　before　him；　not　in　anger　or　retribution；

but　as　if　grateful　for　his　former　appreciation；　and　seeking　to

repudiate　an　endless　series　of　enjoyment；　at　once　shadowy　and　sensual。

A　tenderloin　of　beef；　a　hind…quarter　of　veal；　a　spare…rib　of　pork；　a

particular　chicken；　or　a　remarkably　praiseworthy　turkey；　which　had

perhaps　adorned　his　board　in　the　days　of　the　elder　Adams；　would　be

remembered；　while　all　the　subsequent　experience　of　our　race；　and　all

the　events　that　brightened　or　darkened　his　individual　career；　had　gone

over　him　with　as　little　permanent　effect　as　the　passing　breeze。　The

chief　tragic　event　of　the　old　man's　life；　so　far　as　I　could　judge；　was

his　mishap　with　a　certain　goose；　which　lived　and　died　some　twenty　or

forty　years　ago；　a　goose　of　most　promising　figure；　but　which；　at

table；　proved　so　inveterately　tough　that　the　carving…knife　would

make　no　impression　on　its　carcass；　and　it　could　only　be　divided　with

an　axe　and　handsaw。

　　But　it　is　time　to　quit　this　sketch；　on　which；　however；　I　should　be

glad　to　dwell　at　considerably　more　length；　because；　of　all　men　whom

I　have　ever　known；　this　individual　was　fittest　to　be　a　Custom…House

officer。　Most　persons；　owing　to　causes　which　I　may　not　have　space　to

hint　at；　suffer　moral　detriment　from　this　peculiar　mode　of　life。　The

old　Inspector　was　incapable　of　it；　and；　were　he　to　continue　in

office　to　the　end　of　time；　would　be　just　as　good　as　he　was　then；　and

sit　down　to　dinner　with　just　as　good　an　appetite。

　　There　is　one　likeness；　without　which　my　gallery　of　Custom…House

portraits　would　be　strangely　incomplete；　but　which　my　comparatively

few　opportunities　for　observation　enable　me　to　sketch　only　in　the

merest　outline。　It　is　that　of　the　Collector；　our　gallant　old

General；　who；　after　his　brilliant　military　service；　subsequently　to

which　he　had　ruled　over　a　wild　Western　territory；　had　come　hither；

twenty　years　before；　to　spend　the　decline　of　his　varied　and　honourable

life。　The　brave　soldier　had　already　numbered；　nearly　or　quite；　his

threescore　years　and　ten；　and　was　pursuing　the　remainder　of　his

earthly　march；　burdened　with　infirmities　which　even　the　martial

music　of　his　own　spirit…stirring　recollections　could　do　little　towards

lightening。　The　step　was　palsied　now；　that　had　been　foremost　in　the

charge。　It　was　only　with　the　assistance　of　a　servant；　and　by　leaning

his　hand　heavily　on　the　iron　balustrade；　that　he　could　slowly　and

painfully　ascend　the　Custom…House　steps；　and；　with　a　toilsome　progress

across　the　floor；　attain　his　customary　chair　beside　the　fireplace。

There　he　used　to　sit；　gazing　with　a　somewhat　dim　serenity　of　aspect　at

the　figures　that　came　and　went；　amid　the　rustle　of　papers；　the

administering　of　oaths；　the　discussion　of　business；　and　the　casual

talk　of　the　office；　all　which　sounds　and　circumstances　seemed　but

indistinctly　to　impress　his　senses；　and　hardly　to　make　their　way

into　his　inner　sphere　of　contemplation。　His　countenance；　in　this

repose；　was　mild　and　kindly。　If　his　notice　was　sought；　an　expression

of　courtesy　and　interest　gleamed　out　upon　his　features；　proving　that

there　was　light　within　him；　and　that　it　was　only　the　outward　medium　of

the　intellectual　lamp　that　obstructed　the　rays　in　their　passage。　The

closer　you　penetrated　to　the　substance　of　his　mind；　the　sounder　it

appeared。　When　no　longer　called　upon　to　speak；　or　listen；　either　of

which　operations　cost　him　an　evident　effort；　his　face　would　briefly

subside　into　its　former　not　uncheerful　quietude。　It　was　not　painful　to

behold　this　look；　for　though　dim；　it　had　not　the　imbecility　of

decaying　age。　The　framework　of　his　nature；　originally　strong　and

massive；　was　not　yet　crumbled　into　ruin。

　　To　observe　and　define　his　character；　however；　under　such

disadvantages；　was　as　difficult　a　task　as　to　trace　out　and　build　up

anew；　in　imagination；　an　old　fortress；　like　Ticonderoga；　from　a　view

of　its　grey　and　broken　ruins。　Here　and　there；　perchance；　the　walls　may

remain　almost　complete；　but　elsewhere　may　be　only　a　shapeless　mound；

cumbrous　with　its　very　strength；　and　overgrown；　through　long　years

of　peace　and　neglect；　with　grass　and　alien　weeds。

　　Nevertheless；　looking　at　the　old　warrior　with　affection…　for；　slight

as　was　the　communication　between　us；　my　feeling　towards　him；　like　that

of　all　bipeds　and　quadrupeds　who　knew　him；　might　not　improperly　be

termed　so…　I　could　discern　the　main　points　of　his　portrait。　It　was

marked　with　the　noble　and　heroic　qualities　which　showed　it　to　be　not

by　a　mere　accident；　but　of　good　right；　that　he　had　won　a　distinguished

name。　His　spirit　could　never；　I　conceive；　have　been　characterised　by

an　uneasy　activity；　it　must；　at　any　period　of　his　life；　have

required　an　impulse　to　set　him　in　motion；　but；　once　stirred　up；　with

obstacles　to　overcome；　and　an　adequate　object　to　be　attained；　it　was

not　in　the　man　to　give　out　or　fail。　The　beat　that　had　formerly

pervaded　his　nature；　and　which　was　not　yet　extinct；　was　never　of　the

kind　that　flashes　and　flickers　in　a　blaze；　but；　rather；　a　deep；　red

glow；　as　of　iron　in　a　furnace。　Weight；　solidity；　firmness；　this　was

the　expression　of　his　repose；　even　in　such　decay　as　had　crept　untimely

over　him；　at　the　period　of　which　I　speak。　But　I　could　imagine；　even

then；　that；　under　some　excitement　which　should　go　deeply　into　his

consciousness…　roused　by　a　trumpet…peal；　loud　enough　to　awaken　all

of　his　energies　that　were　not　dead；　but　only　slumbering…　he　was　yet

capable　of　flinging　off　his　infirmities　like　a　sick　man's　gown；

dropping　the　staff　of　age　to　seize　a　battle…sword；　and　starting　up

once　more　a　warrior。　And；　in　so　intense　a　moment；　his　demeanour

would　have　still　been　calm。　Such　an　exhibition；　however；　was　but　to　be

pictured　in　fancy；　not　to　be　anticipated；　nor　desired。　What　I　saw　in

him…　as　evidently　as　the　indestructible　ramparts　of；　Old

Ticonderoga；　already　cited　as　the　most　appropriate　simile…　were　the

features　of　stubborn　and　ponderous　endurance；　which　might　well　have

amounted　to　obstinacy　in　his　earlier　days；　of　integrity；　that；　like

most　of　his　other　endowments；　lay　in　a　somewhat　heavy　mass；　and　was

just　as　unmalleable　and　unmanageable　as　a　ton　of　iron　ore；　and　of

benevolence；　which；　fiercely　as　he　led　the　bayonets　on　at　Chippewa

or　Fort　Erie；　I　take　to　be　of　quite　as　genuine　a　stamp　as　what

actuates　any　or　all　the　polemical　ph