01-fate-第8部分

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and　are　led　out　solemnly　every　morning　to　parade；　　the　most

admirable　is　this　by　which　we　are　brought　to　believe　that　events　are

arbitrary；　and　independent　of　actions。　　At　the　conjuror's；　we　detect

the　hair　by　which　he　moves　his　puppet；　but　we　have　not　eyes　sharp

enough　to　descry　the　thread　that　ties　cause　and　effect。



　　　　　　　　Nature　magically　suits　the　man　to　his　fortunes；　by　making　these

the　fruit　of　his　character。　　Ducks　take　to　the　water；　eagles　to　the

sky；　waders　to　the　sea　margin；　hunters　to　the　forest；　clerks　to

counting…rooms；　soldiers　to　the　frontier。　　Thus　events　grow　on　the

same　stem　with　persons；　are　sub…persons。　　The　pleasure　of　life　is

according　to　the　man　that　lives　it；　and　not　according　to　the　work　or

the　place。　　Life　is　an　ecstasy。　　We　know　what　madness　belongs　to

love；　　what　power　to　paint　a　vile　object　in　hues　of　heaven。　　As

insane　persons　are　indifferent　to　their　dress；　diet；　and　other

accommodations；　and；　as　we　do　in　dreams；　with　equanimity；　the　most

absurd　acts；　so；　a　drop　more　of　wine　in　our　cup　of　life　will

reconcile　us　to　strange　company　and　work。　　Each　creature　puts　forth

from　itself　its　own　condition　and　sphere；　as　the　slug　sweats　out　its

slimy　house　on　the　pear…leaf；　and　the　woolly　aphides　on　the　apple

perspire　their　own　bed；　and　the　fish　its　shell。　　In　youth；　we　clothe

ourselves　with　rainbows；　and　go　as　brave　as　the　zodiac。　　In　age；　we

put　out　another　sort　of　perspiration；　　gout；　fever；　rheumatism；

caprice；　doubt；　fretting；　and　avarice。



　　　　　　　　A　man's　fortunes　are　the　fruit　of　his　character。　　A　man's

friends　are　his　magnetisms。　　We　go　to　Herodotus　and　Plutarch　for

examples　of　Fate；　but　we　are　examples。　　_〃Quisque　suos　patimur

manes。〃_　The　tendency　of　every　man　to　enact　all　that　is　in　his

constitution　is　expressed　in　the　old　belief；　that　the　efforts　which

we　make　to　escape　from　our　destiny　only　serve　to　lead　us　into　it：　and

I　have　noticed；　a　man　likes　better　to　be　complimented　on　his

position；　as　the　proof　of　the　last　or　total　excellence；　than　on　his

merits。



　　　　　　　　A　man　will　see　his　character　emitted　in　the　events　that　seem　to

meet；　but　which　exude　from　and　accompany　him。　　Events　expand　with　the

character。　　As　once　he　found　himself　among　toys；　so　now　he　plays　a

part　in　colossal　systems；　and　his　growth　is　declared　in　his　ambition；

his　companions；　and　his　performance。　　He　looks　like　a　piece　of　luck；

but　is　a　piece　of　causation；　　the　mosaic；　angulated　and　ground　to

fit　into　the　gap　he　fills。　　Hence　in　each　town　there　is　some　man　who

is；　in　his　brain　and　performance；　an　explanation　of　the　tillage；

production；　factories；　banks；　churches；　ways　of　living；　and　society；

of　that　town。　　If　you　do　not　chance　to　meet　him；　all　that　you　see

will　leave　you　a　little　puzzled：　if　you　see　him；　it　will　become

plain。　　We　know　in　Massachusetts　who　built　New　Bedford；　who　built

Lynn；　Lowell；　Lawrence；　Clinton；　Fitchburg；　Holyoke；　Portland；　and

many　another　noisy　mart。　　Each　of　these　men；　if　they　were

transparent；　would　seem　to　you　not　so　much　men；　as　walking　cities；

and；　wherever　you　put　them；　they　would　build　one。



　　　　　　　　History　is　the　action　and　reaction　of　these　two；　　Nature　and

Thought；　　two　boys　pushing　each　other　on　the　curb…stone　of　the

pavement。　　Everything　is　pusher　or　pushed：　and　matter　and　mind　are　in

perpetual　tilt　and　balance；　so。　　Whilst　the　man　is　weak；　the　earth

takes　up　him。　　He　plants　his　brain　and　affections。　　By　and　by　he　will

take　up　the　earth；　and　have　his　gardens　and　vineyards　in　the

beautiful　order　and　productiveness　of　his　thought。　　Every　solid　in

the　universe　is　ready　to　become　fluid　on　the　approach　of　the　mind；

and　the　power　to　flux　it　is　the　measure　of　the　mind。　　If　the　wall

remain　adamant；　it　accuses　the　want　of　thought。　　To　a　subtler　force；

it　will　stream　into　new　forms；　expressive　of　the　character　of　the

mind。　　What　is　the　city　in　which　we　sit　here；　but　an　aggregate　of

incongruous　materials；　which　have　obeyed　the　will　of　some　man？　　The

granite　was　reluctant；　but　his　hands　were　stronger；　and　it　came。

Iron　was　deep　in　the　ground；　and　well　combined　with　stone；　but　could

not　hide　from　his　fires。　　Wood；　lime；　stuffs；　fruits；　gums；　were

dispersed　over　the　earth　and　sea；　in　vain。　　Here　they　are；　within

reach　of　every　man's　day…labor；　　what　he　wants　of　them。　　The　whole

world　is　the　flux　of　matter　over　the　wires　of　thought　to　the　poles　or

points　where　it　would　build。　　The　races　of　men　rise　out　of　the　ground

preoccupied　with　a　thought　which　rules　them；　and　divided　into　parties

ready　armed　and　angry　to　fight　for　this　metaphysical　abstraction。

The　quality　of　the　thought　differences　the　Egyptian　and　the　Roman；

the　Austrian　and　the　American。　　The　men　who　come　on　the　stage　at　one

period　are　all　found　to　be　related　to　each　other。　　Certain　ideas　are

in　the　air。　　We　are　all　impressionable；　for　we　are　made　of　them；　all

impressionable；　but　some　more　than　others；　and　these　first　express

them。　　This　explains　the　curious　contemporaneousness　of　inventions

and　discoveries。　　The　truth　is　in　the　air；　and　the　most

impressionable　brain　will　announce　it　first；　but　all　will　announce　it

a　few　minutes　later。　　So　women；　as　most　susceptible；　are　the　best

index　of　the　coming　hour。　　So　the　great　man；　that　is；　the　man　most

imbued　with　the　spirit　of　the　time；　is　the　impressionable　man；　　of

a　fibre　irritable　and　delicate；　like　iodine　to　light。　　He　feels　the

infinitesimal　attractions。　　His　mind　is　righter　than　others；　because

he　yields　to　a　current　so　feeble　as　can　be　felt　only　by　a　needle

delicately　poised。



　　　　　　　　The　correlation　is　shown　in　defects。　　Moller；　in　his　Essay　on

Architecture；　taught　that　the　building　which　was　fitted　accurately　to

answer　its　end；　would　turn　out　to　be　beautiful；　though　beauty　had　not

been　intended。　　I　find　the　like　unity　in　human　structures　rather

virulent　and　pervasive；　that　a　crudity　in　the　blood　will　appear　in

the　argument；　a　hump　in　the　shoulder　will　appear　in　the　speech　and

handiwork。　　If　his　mind　could　be　seen；　the　hump　would　be　seen。　　If　a

man　has　a　seesaw　in　his　voice；　it　will　run　into　his　sentences；　into

his　poem；　into　the　structure　of　his　fable；　into　his　speculation；　into

his　charity。　　And；　as　every　man　is　hunted　by　his　own　daemon；　vexed　by

his　own　disease；　this　checks　all　his　activity。



　　　　　　　　So　each　man；　like　each　plant；　has　his　parasites。　　A　strong；

astringent；　bilious　nature　has　more　truculent　enemies　than　the　slugs

and　moths　that　fret　my　leaves。　　Such　an　one　has　curculios；　borers；

knife…worms：　a　swindler　ate　him　first；　then　a　client；　then　a　quack；

then　smooth；　plausible　gentlemen；　bitter　and　selfish　as　Moloch。



　

　　　　　　　　This　correlation　really　existing　can　be　divined。　　If　the

threads　are　there；　thought　can　follow　and　show　them。　　Especially　when

a　soul　is　quick　and　docile；　as　Chaucer　sings；



　　　　　　　　〃Or　if　the　soul　of　proper　kind

　　　　　　　　Be　so　perfect　as　men　find；

　　　　　　　　That　it　wot　what　is　to　come；

　　　　　　　　And　that　he　warneth　all　and　som