louis lambert-第14章

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was　very　great　when　the　question　first　arose　as　to　whether　they　should
yield　to　the　plaintiff's　unjust　demands；　or　should　defend　themselves
against　him。　The　matter　came　under　discussion　one　autumn　evening；
before　a　turf　fire　in　the　room　used　by　the　tanner　and　his　wife。　Two　or
three　relations　were　invited　to　this　family　council；　and　among　others
Louis'　maternal　great…grandfather；　an　old　laborer；　much　bent；　but　with
a　venerable　and　dignified　countenance；　bright　eyes；　and　a　bald；　yellow
head；　on　which　grew　a　few　locks　of　thin；　white　hair。　Like　the　Obi　of
the　Negroes；　or　the　Sagamore　of　the　Indian　savages；　he　was　a　sort　of
oracle；　consulted　on　important　occasions。　His　land　was　tilled　by　his
grandchildren；　who　fed　and　served　him；　he　predicted　rain　and　fine
weather；　and　told　them　when　to　mow　the　hay　and　gather　the　crops。　The
barometric　exactitude　of　his　forecasts　was　quite　famous；　and　added　to
the　confidence　and　respect　he　inspired。　For　whole　days　he　would　sit
immovable　in　his　armchair。　This　state　of　rapt　meditation　often　came
upon　him　since　his　wife's　death；　he　had　been　attached　to　her　in　the
truest　and　most　faithful　affection。

This　discussion　was　held　in　his　presence；　but　he　did　not　seem　to　give
much　heed　to　it。

〃My　children；〃　said　he；　when　he　was　asked　for　his　opinion；　〃this　is
too　serious　a　matter　for　me　to　decide　on　alone。　I　must　go　and　consult
my　wife。〃

The　old　man　rose；　took　his　stick；　and　went　out；　to　the　great
astonishment　of　the　others；　who　thought　him　daft。　He　presently　came
back　and　said：

〃I　did　not　have　to　go　so　far　as　the　graveyard；　your　mother　came　to
meet　me；　I　found　her　by　the　brook。　She　tells　me　that　you　will　find
some　receipts　in　the　hands　of　a　notary　at　Blois；　which　will　enable　you
to　gain　your　suit。〃

The　words　were　spoken　in　a　firm　tone；　the　old　man's　demeanor　and
countenance　showed　that　such　an　apparition　was　habitual　with　him。　In
fact；　the　disputed　receipts　were　found；　and　the　lawsuit　was　not
attempted。

This　event；　under　his　father's　roof　and　to　his　own　knowledge；　when
Louis　was　nine　years　old；　contributed　largely　to　his　belief　in
Swedenborg's　miraculous　visions；　for　in　the　course　of　that
philosopher's　life　he　repeatedly　gave　proof　of　the　power　of　sight
developed　in　his　Inner　Being。　As　he　grew　older；　and　as　his
intelligence　was　developed；　Lambert　was　naturally　led　to　seek　in　the
laws　of　nature　for　the　causes　of　the　miracle　which；　in　his　childhood；
had　captivated　his　attention。　What　name　can　be　given　to　the　chance
which　brought　within　his　ken　so　many　facts　and　books　bearing　on　such
phenomena；　and　made　him　the　principal　subject　and　actor　in　such
marvelous　manifestations　of　mind？

If　Lambert　had　no　other　title　to　fame　than　the　fact　of　his　having
formulated；　in　his　sixteenth　year；　such　a　psychological　dictum　as
this：〃The　events　which　bear　witness　to　the　action　of　the　human　race；
and　are　the　outcome　of　its　intellect；　have　causes　by　which　they　are
preconceived；　as　our　actions　are　accomplished　in　our　minds　before　they
are　reproduced　by　the　outer　man；　presentiments　or　predictions　are　the
perception　of　these　causes〃I　think　we　may　deplore　in　him　a　genius
equal　to　Pascal；　Lavoisier；　or　Laplace。　His　chimerical　notions　about
angels　perhaps　overruled　his　work　too　long；　but　was　it　not　in　trying
to　make　gold　that　the　alchemists　unconsciously　created　chemistry？　At
the　same　time；　Lambert；　at　a　later　period；　studied　comparative
anatomy；　physics；　geometry；　and　other　sciences　bearing　on　his
discoveries；　and　this　was　undoubtedly　with　the　purpose　of　collecting
facts　and　submitting　them　to　analysisthe　only　torch　that　can　guide
us　through　the　dark　places　of　the　most　inscrutable　work　of　nature。　He
had　too　much　good　sense　to　dwell　among　the　clouds　of　theories　which
can　all　be　expressed　in　a　few　words。　In　our　day；　is　not　the　simplest
demonstration　based　on　facts　more　highly　esteemed　than　the　most
specious　system　though　defended　by　more　or　less　ingenious　inductions？
But　as　I　did　not　know　him　at　the　period　of　his　life　when　his
cogitations　were；　no　doubt；　the　most　productive　of　results；　I　can　only
conjecture　that　the　bent　of　his　work　must　have　been　from　that　of　his
first　efforts　of　thought。

It　is　easy　to　see　where　his　/Treatise　on　the　Will/　was　faulty。　Though
gifted　already　with　the　powers　which　characterize　superior　men；　he　was
but　a　boy。　His　brain；　though　endowed　with　a　great　faculty　for
abstractions；　was　still　full　of　the　delightful　beliefs　that　hover
around　youth。　Thus　his　conception；　while　at　some　points　it　touched　the
ripest　fruits　of　his　genius；　still；　by　many　more；　clung　to　the　smaller
elements　of　its　germs。　To　certain　readers；　lovers　of　poetry；　what　he
chiefly　lacked　must　have　been　a　certain　vein　of　interest。

But　his　work　bore　the　stamp　of　the　struggle　that　was　going　on　in　that
noble　Spirit　between　the　two　great　principles　of　Spiritualism　and
Materialism；　round　which　so　many　a　fine　genius　has　beaten　its　way
without　ever　daring　to　amalgamate　them。　Louis；　at　first　purely
Spiritualist；　had　been　irresistibly　led　to　recognize　the　Material
conditions　of　Mind。　Confounded　by　the　facts　of　analysis　at　the　moment
when　his　heart　still　gazed　with　yearning　at　the　clouds　which　floated
in　Swedenborg's　heaven；　he　had　not　yet　acquired　the　necessary　powers
to　produce　a　coherent　system；　compactly　cast　in　a　piece；　as　it　were。
Hence　certain　inconsistencies　that　have　left　their　stamp　even　on　the
sketch　here　given　of　his　first　attempts。　Still；　incomplete　as　his　work
may　have　been；　was　it　not　the　rough　copy　of　a　science　of　which　he
would　have　investigated　the　secrets　at　a　later　time；　have　secured　the
foundations；　have　examined；　deduced；　and　connected　the　logical
sequence？



Six　months　after　the　confiscation　of　the　/Treatise　on　the　Will/　I　left
school。　Our　parting　was　unexpected。　My　mother；　alarmed　by　a　feverish
attack　which　for　some　months　I　had　been　unable　to　shake　off；　while　my
inactive　life　induced　symptoms　of　/coma/；　carried　me　off　at　four　or
five　hours'　notice。　The　announcement　of　my　departure　reduced　Lambert
to　dreadful　dejection。

〃Shall　I　ever　seen　you　again？〃　said　he　in　his　gentle　voice；　as　he
clasped　me　in　his　arms。　〃You　will　live；〃　he　went　on；　〃but　I　shall　die。
If　I　can；　I　will　come　back　to　you。〃

Only　the　young　can　utter　such　words　with　the　accent　of　conviction　that
gives　them　the　impressiveness　of　prophecy；　of　a　pledge；　leaving　a
terror　of　its　fulfilment。　For　a　long　time　indeed　I　vaguely　looked　for
the　promised　apparition。　Even　now　there　are　days　of　depression；　of
doubt；　alarm；　and　loneliness；　when　I　am　forced　to　repel　the　intrusion
of　that　sad　parting；　though　it　was　not　fated　to　be　the　last。

When　I　crossed　the　yard　by　which　we　left；　Lambert　was　at　one　of　the
refectory　windows　to　see　me　pass。　By　my　request　my　mother　obtained
leave　for　him　to　dine　with　us　at　the　inn；　and　in　the　evening　I
escorted　him　back　to　the　fatal　gate　of　the　college。　No　lover　and　his
mistress　ever　shed　more　tears　at　parting。

〃Well；　good…bye；　I　shall　be　left　alone　in　this　desert！〃　said　he；
pointing　to　the　playground　where　two　hundred　boys　were　disporting
themselves　and　shouting。　〃When　I　come　back　half　dead　with　fatigue　from
my　long　excursions　through　the　fields　of　thought；　on　whose　heart　can　I
rest？　I　could　tell　you　everything　in　a　look。　Who　will　understand　me
now？Good…bye！　I　could　wish　I　had　never　met　you；　I　should　not　know
all　I　am　losing。〃

〃And　what　is　to　become　of　me？〃　said　I。　〃Is　not　my　position　a　dreadful
one？　/I/　have　nothing　here　to　uphold　me！〃　and　I　slapped　my　forehead。

He　shook　his　head　with　a　gentle　gesture；　gracious　and　sad；　and　we
parted。

At　that　time　Louis　Lambert　was　about　five　feet　five　inches　in　height；
he　grew　no　more。　His　countenance；　which　was　full　of　expression；
revealed　his　sweet　nature。　Divine　patience；　developed　by　harsh　usage；
and　the　constant　concentration　needed　for　his　meditative　life；　had
bereft　his　eyes　of　the　audacious　pride　which　is　so　attractive　in　some
faces；　and　which　had　so　shocked　our　masters。　Peaceful　mildness　gave
charm　to　his　face；　an　exquisite　serenity　that　was　never　marred　by　a
tinge　of　irony　or　satire；　for　his　natural　kindliness　tempered　his
conscious　strength　and　superiority。　He