louis lambert-第13章

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these　two　forces　were；　in　a　way；　visible；　tangible。　Thought　was　slow
or　alert；　heavy　or　nimble；　light　or　dark；　he　ascribed　to　it　all　the
attributes　of　an　active　agent；　and　thought　of　it　as　rising；　resting；
waking；　expanding；　growing　old；　shrinking；　becoming　atrophied；　or
resuscitating；　he　described　its　life；　and　specified　all　its　actions　by
the　strangest　words　in　our　language；　speaking　of　its　spontaneity；　its
strength；　and　all　its　qualities　with　a　kind　of　intuition　which　enabled
him　to　recognize　all　the　manifestations　of　its　substantial　existence。

〃Often；〃　said　he；　〃in　the　midst　of　quiet　and　silence；　when　our　inner
faculties　are　dormant；　when　a　sort　of　darkness　reigns　within　us；　and
we　are　lost　in　the　contemplation　of　things　outside　us；　an　idea
suddenly　flies　forth；　and　rushes　with　the　swiftness　of　lightning
across　the　infinite　space　which　our　inner　vision　allows　us　to
perceive。　This　radiant　idea；　springing　into　existence　like　a　will…o'…
the…wisp；　dies　out　never　to　return；　an　ephemeral　life；　like　that　of
babes　who　give　their　parents　such　infinite　joy　and　sorrow；　a　sort　of
still…born　blossom　in　the　fields　of　the　mind。　Sometimes　an　idea；
instead　of　springing　forcibly　into　life　and　dying　unembodied；　dawns
gradually；　hovers　in　the　unknown　limbo　of　the　organs　where　it　has　its
birth；　exhausts　us　by　long　gestation；　develops；　is　itself　fruitful；
grows　outwardly　in　all　the　grace　of　youth　and　the　promising　attributes
of　a　long　life；　it　can　endure　the　closest　inspection；　invites　it；　and
never　tires　the　sight；　the　investigation　it　undergoes　commands　the
admiration　we　give　to　works　slowly　elaborated。　Sometimes　ideas　are
evolved　in　a　swarm；　one　brings　another；　they　come　linked　together；
they　vie　with　each　other；　they　fly　in　clouds；　wild　and　headlong。
Again；　they　rise　up　pallid　and　misty；　and　perish　for　want　of　strength
or　of　nutrition；　the　vital　force　is　lacking。　Or　again；　on　certain
days；　they　rush　down　into　the　depths　to　light　up　that　immense
obscurity；　they　terrify　us　and　leave　the　soul　dejected。

〃Ideas　are　a　complete　system　within　us；　resembling　a　natural　kingdom；
a　sort　of　flora；　of　which　the　iconography　will　one　day　be　outlined　by
some　man　who　will　perhaps　be　accounted　a　madman。

〃Yes；　within　us　and　without；　everything　testifies　to　the　livingness　of
those　exquisite　creations；　which　I　compare　with　flowers　in　obedience
to　some　unutterable　revelation　of　their　true　nature！

〃Their　being　produced　as　the　final　cause　of　man　is；　after　all；　not
more　amazing　than　the　production　of　perfume　and　color　in　a　plant。
Perfumes　/are/　ideas；　perhaps！

〃When　we　consider　the　line　where　flesh　ends　and　the　nail　begins
contains　the　invisible　and　inexplicable　mystery　of　the　constant
transformation　of　a　fluid　into　horn；　we　must　confess　that　nothing　is
impossible　in　the　marvelous　modifications　of　human　tissue。

〃And　are　there　not　in　our　inner　nature　phenomena　of　weight　and　motion
comparable　to　those　of　physical　nature？　Suspense；　to　choose　an　example
vividly　familiar　to　everybody；　is　painful　only　as　a　result　of　the　law
in　virtue　of　which　the　weight　of　a　body　is　multiplied　by　its　velocity。
The　weight　of　the　feeling　produced　by　suspense　increases　by　the
constant　addition　of　past　pain　to　the　pain　of　the　moment。

〃And　then；　to　what；　unless　it　be　to　the　electric　fluid；　are　we　to
attribute　the　magic　by　which　the　Will　enthrones　itself　so　imperiously
in　the　eye　to　demolish　obstacles　at　the　behest　of　genius；　thunders　in
the　voice；　or　filters；　in　spite　of　dissimulation；　through　the　human
frame？　The　current　of　that　sovereign　fluid；　which；　in　obedience　to　the
high　pressure　of　thought　or　of　feeling；　flows　in　a　torrent　or　is
reduced　to　a　mere　thread；　and　collects　to　flash　in　lightnings；　is　the
occult　agent　to　which　are　due　the　evil　or　the　beneficent　efforts　of
Art　and　Passionintonation　of　voice；　whether　harsh　or　suave；
terrible；　lascivious；　horrifying　or　seductive　by　turns；　thrilling　the
heart；　the　nerves；　or　the　brain　at　our　will；　the　marvels　of　the　touch；
the　instrument　of　the　mental　transfusions　of　a　myriad　artists；　whose
creative　fingers　are　able；　after　passionate　study；　to　reproduce　the
forms　of　nature；　or；　again；　the　infinite　gradations　of　the　eye　from
dull　inertia　to　the　emission　of　the　most　terrifying　gleams。

〃By　this　system　God　is　bereft　of　none　of　His　rights。　Mind；　as　a　form
of　matter；　has　brought　me　a　new　conviction　of　His　greatness。〃

After　hearing　him　discourse　thus；　after　receiving　into　my　soul　his
look　like　a　ray　of　light；　it　was　difficult　not　to　be　dazzled　by　his
conviction　and　carried　away　by　his　arguments。　The　Mind　appeared　to　me
as　a　purely　physical　power；　surrounded　by　its　innumerable　progeny。　It
was　a　new　conception　of　humanity　under　a　new　form。

This　brief　sketch　of　the　laws　which；　as　Lambert　maintained；　constitute
the　formula　of　our　intellect；　must　suffice　to　give　a　notion　of　the
prodigious　activity　of　his　spirit　feeding　on　itself。　Louis　had　sought
for　proofs　of　his　theories　in　the　history　of　great　men；　whose　lives；
as　set　forth　by　their　biographers；　supply　very　curious　particulars　as
to　the　operation　of　their　understanding。　His　memory　allowed　him　to
recall　such　facts　as　might　serve　to　support　his　statements；　he　had
appended　them　to　each　chapter　in　the　form　of　demonstrations；　so　as　to
give　to　many　of　his　theories　an　almost　mathematical　certainty。　The
works　of　Cardan；　a　man　gifted　with　singular　powers　of　insight；
supplied　him　with　valuable　materials。　He　had　not　forgotten　that
Apollonius　of　Tyana　had；　in　Asia；　announced　the　death　of　a　tyrant　with
every　detail　of　his　execution；　at　the　very　hour　when　it　was　taking
place　in　Rome；　nor　that　Plotinus；　when　far　away　from　Porphyrius；　was
aware　of　his　friend's　intention　to　kill　himself；　and　flew　to　dissuade
him；　nor　the　incident　in　the　last　century；　proved　in　the　face　of　the
most　incredulous　mockery　ever　knownan　incident　most　surprising　to
men　who　were　accustomed　to　regard　doubt　as　a　weapon　against　the　fact
alone；　but　simple　enough　to　believersthe　fact　that　Alphonzo…Maria　di
Liguori；　Bishop　of　Saint…Agatha；　administered　consolations　to　Pope
Ganganelli；　who　saw　him；　heard　him；　and　answered　him；　while　the　Bishop
himself；　at　a　great　distance　from　Rome；　was　in　a　trance　at　home；　in
the　chair　where　he　commonly　sat　on　his　return　from　Mass。　On　recovering
consciousness；　he　saw　all　his　attendants　kneeling　beside　him；
believing　him　to　be　dead：　〃My　friends；〃　said　he；　〃the　Holy　Father　is
just　dead。〃　Two　days　later　a　letter　confirmed　the　news。　The　hour　of
the　Pope's　death　coincided　with　that　when　the　Bishop　had　been　restored
to　his　natural　state。

Nor　had　Lambert　omitted　the　yet　more　recent　adventure　of　an　English
girl　who　was　passionately　attached　to　a　sailor；　and　set　out　from
London　to　seek　him。　She　found　him；　without　a　guide；　making　her　way
alone　in　the　North　American　wilderness；　reaching　him　just　in　time　to
save　his　life。

Louis　had　found　confirmatory　evidence　in　the　mysteries　of　the
ancients；　in　the　acts　of　the　martyrsin　which　glorious　instances　may
be　found　of　the　triumph　of　human　will；　in　the　demonology　of　the　Middle
Ages；　in　criminal　trials　and　medical　researches；　always　selecting　the
real　fact；　the　probable　phenomenon；　with　admirable　sagacity。

All　this　rich　collection　of　scientific　anecdotes；　culled　from　so　many
books；　most　of　them　worthy　of　credit；　served　no　doubt　to　wrap　parcels
in；　and　this　work；　which　was　curious；　to　say　the　least　of　it；　as　the
outcome　of　a　most　extraordinary　memory；　was　doomed　to　destruction。

Among　the　various　cases　which　added　to　the　value　of　Lambert's
/Treatise/　was　an　incident　that　had　taken　place　in　his　own　family；　of
which　he　had　told　me　before　he　wrote　his　essay。　This　fact；　bearing　on
the　post…existence　of　the　inner　man；　if　I　may　be　allowed　to　coin　a　new
word　for　a　phenomenon　hitherto　nameless；　struck　me　so　forcibly　that　I
have　never　forgotten　it。　His　father　and　mother　were　being　forced　into
a　lawsuit；　of　which　the　loss　would　leave　them　with　a　stain　on　their
good　name；　the　only　thing　they　had　in　the　world。　Hence　their　anxiety
was　very　great　when　the　question　first　arose　as　to　whether　they　should
yield　to　the　plaintiff's　unjust　demands；　or　should　defend　themselve