the professor at the breakfast table-第27部分

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Through　all　the　wanderings　of　the　path；

We　still　can　see　our　Father's　door！









V



The　Professor　finds　a　Fly　in　his　Teacup。



I　have　a　long　theological　talk　to　relate；　which　must　be　dull　reading

to　some　of　my　young　and　vivacious　friends。　　I　don't　know；　however；

that　any　of　them　have　entered　into　a　contract　to　read　all　that　I

write；　or　that　I　have　promised　always　to　write　to　please　them。　　What

if　I　should　sometimes　write　to　please　myself？



Now　you　must　know　that　there　are　a　great　many　things　which　interest

me；　to　some　of　which　this　or　that　particular　class　of　readers　may　be

totally　indifferent。　　I　love　Nature；　and　human　nature；　its　thoughts；

affections；　dreams；　aspirations；　delusions；Art　in　all　its　forms；

virtu　in　all　its　eccentricities；old　stories　from　black…letter

volumes　and　yellow　manuscripts；　and　new　projects　out　of　hot　brains

not　yet　imbedded　in　the　snows　of　age。　　I　love　the　generous　impulses

of　the　reformer；　but　not　less　does　my　imagination　feed　itself　upon

the　old　litanies；　so　often　warmed　by　the　human　breath　upon　which　they

were　wafted　to　Heaven　that　they　glow　through　our　frames　like　our　own

heart's　blood。　　I　hope　I　love　good　men　and　women；　I　know　that　they

never　speak　a　word　to　me；　even　if　it　be　of　question　or　blame；　that　I

do　not　take　pleasantly；　if　it　is　expressed　with　a　reasonable　amount

of　human　kindness。



I　have　before　me　at　this　time　a　beautiful　and　affecting　letter；　which

I　have　hesitated　to　answer；　though　the　postmark　upon　it　gave　its

direction；　and　the　name　is　one　which　is　known　to　all；　in　some　of　its

representatives。　　It　contains　no　reproach；　only　a　delicately…hinted

fear。　　Speak　gently；　as　this　dear　lady　has　spoken；　and　there　is　no

heart　so　insensible　that　it　does　not　answer　to　the　appeal；　no

intellect　so　virile　that　it　does　not　own　a　certain　deference　to　the

claims　of　age；　of　childhood；　of　sensitive　and　timid　natures；　when

they　plead　with　it　not　to　look　at　those　sacred　things　by　the　broad

daylight　which　they　see　in　mystic　shadow。　　How　grateful　would　it　be

to　make　perpetual　peace　with　these　pleading　saints　and　their

confessors；　by　the　simple　act　that　silences　all　complainings！　　Sleep；

sleep；　sleep！　　says　the　Arch…Enchantress　of　them　all；and　pours　her

dark　and　potent　anodyne；　distilled　over　the　fires　that　consumed　her

foes；its　large；　round　drops　changing；　as　we　look；　into　the　beads　of

her　convert's　rosary！　　Silence！　the　pride　of　reason！　cries　another；

whose　whole　life　is　spent　in　reasoning　down　reason。



I　hope　I　love　good　people；　not　for　their　sake；　but　for　my　own。　　And

most　assuredly；　if　any　deed　of　wrong　or　word　of　bitterness　led　me

into　an　act　of　disrespect　towards　that　enlightened　and　excellent

class　of　men　who　make　it　their　calling　to　teach　goodness　and　their

duty　to　practise　it；　I　should　feel　that　I　had　done　myself　an　injury

rather　than　them。　　Go　and　talk　with　any　professional　man　holding　any

of　the　medieval　creeds；　choosing　one　who　wears　upon　his　features　the

mark　of　inward　and　outward　health；　who　looks　cheerful；　intelligent；

and　kindly；　and　see　how　all　your　prejudices　melt　away　in　his

presence！　　It　is　impossible　to　come　into　intimate　relations　with　a

large；　sweet　nature；　such　as　you　may　often　find　in　this　class；

without　longing　to　be　at　one　with　it　in　all　its　modes　of　being　and

believing。　　But　does　it　not　occur　to　you　that　one　may　love　truth　as

he　sees　it；　and　his　race　as　he　views　it；　better　than　even　the

sympathy　and　approbation　of　many　good　men　whom　he　honors；better

than　sleeping　to　the　sound　of　the　Miserere　or　listening　to　the

repetition　of　an　effete　Confession　of　Faith？



The　three　learned　professions　have　but　recently　emerged　from　a　state

of　quasi…barbarism。　　None　of　them　like　too　well　to　be　told　of　it；　but

it　must　be　sounded　in　their　ears　whenever　they　put　on　airs。　　When　a

man　has　taken　an　overdose　of　laudanum；　the　doctors　tell　us　to　place

him　between　two　persons　who　shall　make　him　walk　up　and　down

incessantly；　and　if　he　still　cannot　be　kept　from　going　to　sleep；　they

say　that　a　lash　or　two　over　his　back　is　of　great　assistance。



So　we　must　keep　the　doctors　awake　by　telling　them　that　they　have　not

yet　shaken　off　astrology　and　the　doctrine　of　signatures；　as　is　shown

by　the　form　of　their　prescriptions；　and　their　use　of　nitrate　of

silver；　which　turns　epileptics　into　Ethiopians。　　If　that　is　not

enough；　they　must　be　given　over　to　the　scourgers；　who　like　their　task

and　get　good　fees　for　it。　　A　few　score　years　ago；　sick　people　were

made　to　swallow　burnt　toads　and　powdered　earthworms　and　the　expressed

juice　of　wood…lice。　　The　physician　of　Charles　I。　and　II。　prescribed

abominations　not　to　be　named。　　Barbarism；　as　bad　as　that　of　Congo　or

Ashantee。　　Traces　of　this　barbarism　linger　even　in　the　greatly

improved　medical　science　of　our　century。　　So　while　the　solemn　farce

of　over…drugging　is　going　on；　the　world　over；　the　harlequin　pseudo…

science　jumps　on　to　the　stage；　whip　in　hand；　with　half…a…dozen

somersets；　and　begins　laying　about　him。



In　1817；　perhaps　you　remember；　the　law　of　wager　by　battle　was

unrepealed；　and　the　rascally　murderous；　and　worse　than　murderous；

clown；　Abraham　Thornton；　put　on　his　gauntlet　in　open　court　and　defied

the　appellant　to　lift　the　other　which　he　threw　down。　　It　was　not

until　the　reign　of　George　II。　that　the　statutes　against　witchcraft

were　repealed。　　As　for　the　English　Court　of　Chancery；　we　know　that

its　antiquated　abuses　form　one　of　the　staples　of　common　proverbs　and

popular　literature。　　So　the　laws　and　the　lawyers　have　to　be　watched

perpetually　by　public　opinion　as　much　as　the　doctors　do。



I　don't　think　the　other　profession　is　an　exception。　　When　the

Reverend　Mr。　Cauvin　and　his　associates　burned　my　distinguished

scientific　brother；he　was　burned　with　green　fagots；　which　made　it

rather　slow　and　painful；it　appears　to　me　they　were　in　a　state　of

religious　barbarism。　　The　dogmas　of　such　people　about　the　Father　of

Mankind　and　his　creatures　are　of　no　more　account　in　my　opinion　than

those　of　a　council　of　Aztecs。　　If　a　man　picks　your　pocket；　do　you　not

consider　him　thereby　disqualified　to　pronounce　any　authoritative

opinion　on　matters　of　ethics？　　If　a　man　hangs　my　ancient　female

relatives　for　sorcery；　as　they　did　in　this　neighborhood　a　little

while　ago；　or　burns　my　instructor　for　not　believing　as　he　does；　I

care　no　more　for　his　religious　edicts　than　I　should　for　those　of　any

other　barbarian。



Of　course；　a　barbarian　may　hold　many　true　opinions；　but　when　the

ideas　of　the　healing　art；　of　the　administration　of　justice；　of

Christian　love；　could　not　exclude　systematic　poisoning；　judicial

duelling；　and　murder　for　opinion's　sake；　I　do　not　see　how　we　can

trust　the　verdict　of　that　time　relating　to　any　subject　which　involves

the　primal　instincts　violated　in　these　abominations　and　absurdities。

What　if　we　are　even　now　in　a　state　of　semi…barbarism？





＇This　physician　believes　we　〃are　even　now　in　a　state　of　semi…

barbarism〃：　invasive　procedures