gether；　a　passable　Bridge　be　effected：　　this；　as　heretofore；　continues　our　only　method。　　Among　such　light…spots；　the　following；　floating　in　much　wild　matter　about　_Perfectibility_；　has　seemed　worth　clutching　at：
  〃Perhaps　the　most　remarkable　incident　in　Modern　History；〃　says　Teufelsdrockh；　〃is　not　the　Diet　of　Worms；　still　less　the　Battle　of　Austerlitz；　Waterloo；　Peterloo；　or　any　other　Battle；　but　an　incident　passed　carelessly　over　by　most　Historians；　and　treated　with　some　degree　of　ridicule　by　others：　　namely；　George　Fox's　making　to　himself　a　suit　of　Leather。　　This　man；　the　first　of　the　Quakers；　and　by　trade　a　Shoemaker；　was　one　of　those；　to　whom；　under　ruder　or　purer　form；　the　Divine　Idea　of　the　Universe　is　pleased　to　manifest　itself；　and；　across　all　the　hulls　of　Ignorance　and　earthly　Degradation；　shine　through；　in　unspeakable　Awfulness；　unspeakable　Beauty；　on　their　souls：　　who　therefore　are　rightly　accounted　Prophets；　God…possessed；　or　even　Gods；　as　in　some　periods　it　has　chanced。　Sitting　in　his　stall；　working　on　tanned　hides；　amid　pincers；　paste…horns；　rosin；　swine…bristles；　and　a　nameless　flood　of　rubbish；　this　youth　had；　nevertheless；　a　Living　Spirit　belonging　to　him；　also　an　antique　Inspired　Volume；　through　which；　as　through　a　window；　it　could　look　upwards；　and　discern　its　celestial　Home。　　The　task　of　a　daily　pair　of　shoes；　coupled　even　with　some　prospect　of　victuals；　and　an　honorable　Mastership　in　Cordwainery；　and　perhaps　the　post　of　Thirdborough　in　his　hundred；　as　the　crown　of　long　faithful　sewing；was　nowise　satisfaction　enough　to　such　a　mind：　　but　ever　amid　the　boring　and　hammering　came　tones　from　that　far　country；　came　Splendors　and　Terrors；　for　this　poor　Cordwainer；　as　we　said；　was　a　Man；　and　the　Temple　of　Immensity；　wherein　as　Man　he　had　been　sent　to　minister；　was　full　of　holy　mystery　to　him。
  〃The　Clergy　of　the　neighborhood；　the　ordained　Watchers　and　Interpreters　of　that　same　holy　mystery；　listened　with　un…affected　tedium　to　his　consultations；　and　advised　him；　as　the　solution　of　such　doubts；　to　'drink　beer；　and　dance　with　the　girls。'　　Blind　leaders　of　the　blind！　　For　what　end　were　their　tithes　levied　and　eaten；　for　what　were　their　shovel…hats　scooped　out；　and　their　surplices　and　cassock…aprons　girt　on；　and　such　a　church…repairing；　and　chaffering；　and　organing；　and　other　racketing；　held　over　that　spot　of　God's　Earth；if　Man　were　but　a　Patent　Digester；　and　the　Belly　with　its　adjuncts　the　grand　Reality？　　Fox　turned　from　them；　with　tears　and　a　sacred　scorn；　back　to　his　Leather…parings　and　his　Bible。　Mountains　of　encumbrance；　higher　than　AEtna；　had　been　heaped　over　that　Spirit：　　but　it　was　a　Spirit；　and　would　not　lie　buried　there。　　Through　long　days　and　nights　of　silent　agony；　it　struggled　and　wrestled；　with　a　man's　force；　to　be　free：　　how　its　prison…mountains　heaved　and　swayed　tumultuously；　as　the　giant　spirit　shook　them　to　this　hand　and　that；　and　emerged　into　the　light　of　Heaven！　　That　Leicester　shoe…shop；　had　men　known　it；　was　a　holier　place　than　any　Vatican　or　Loretto…shrine。'So　bandaged；　and　hampered；　and　hemmed　in；'　groaned　he；　'with　thousand　requisitions；　obligations；　straps；　tatters；　and　tagrags；　I　can　neither　see　nor　move：　　not　my　own　am　I；　but　the　World's；　and　Time　flies　fast；　and　Heaven　is　high；　and　Hell　is　deep：　　Man！　bethink　thee；　if　thou　hast　power　of　Thought！　　Why　not；　what　binds　me　here？　　Want；　want！Ha；　of　what？　　Will　all　the　shoe…wages　under　the　Moon　ferry　me　across　into　that　far　Land　of　Light？　　Only　Meditation　can；　and　devout　Prayer　to　God。　　I　will　to　the　woods：　　the　hollow　of　a　tree　will　lodge　me；　wild　berries　feed　me；　and　for　Clothes；　cannot　I　stitch　myself　one　perennial　suit　of　Leather！'
  〃Historical　Oil…painting；〃　continues　Teufelsdrockh；　〃is　one　of　the　Arts　I　never　practiced；　therefore　shall　I　not　decide　whether　this　subject　were　easy　of　execution　on　the　canvas。　Yet　often　has　it　seemed　to　me　as　if　such　first　outflashing　of　man's　Freewill；　to　lighten；　more　and　more　into　Day；　the　Chaotic　Night　that　threatened　to　engulf　him　in　its　hindrances　and　its　horrors；　were　properly　the　only　grandeur　there　is　in　History。　　Let　some　living　Angelo　or　Rosa；　with　seeing　eye　and　understanding　heart；　picture　George　Fox　on　that　morning；　when　he　spreads　out　his　cutting…board　for　the　last　time；　and　cuts　cowhides　by　unwonted　patterns；　and　stitches　them　together　into　one　continuous　all…including　Case；　the　farewell　service　of　his　awl！　　Stitch　away；　thou　noble　Fox：　　every　prick　of　that　little　instrument　is　pricking　into　the　heart　of　Slavery；　and　World…worship；　and　the　Mammon…god。　　Thy　elbows　jerk；　as　in　strong　swimmer…strokes；　and　every　stroke　is　bearing　thee　across　the　Prison…ditch；　within　which　Vanity　holds　her　Workhouse　and　Ragfair；　into　lands　of　true　Liberty；　were　the　work　done；　there　is　in　broad　Europe　one　Free　Man；　and　thou　art　he！
  〃Thus　from　the　lowest　depth　there　is　a　path　to　the　loftiest　height；　and　for　the　Poor　also　a　Gospel　has　been　published。　　Surely　if；　as　D'Alembert　asserts；　my　illustrious　namesake；　Diogenes；　was　the　greatest　man　of　Antiquity；　only　that　he　wanted　Decency；　then　by　stronger　reason　is　George　Fox　the　greatest　of　the　Moderns；　and　greater　than　Diogenes　himself：　　for　he　too　stands　on　the　adamantine　basis　of　his　Manhood；　casting　aside　all　props　and　shoars；　yet　not；　in　half…savage　Pride；　undervaluing　the　Earth；　valuing　it　rather；　as　a　place　to　yield　him　warmth　and　food；　he　looks　Heavenward　from　his　Earth；　and　dwells　in　an　element　of　Mercy　and　Worship；　with　a　still　Strength；　such　as　the　Cynic's　Tub　did　nowise　witness。　　Great；　truly；　was　that　Tub；　a　temple　from　which　man's　dignity　and　divinity　was　scornfully　preached　abroad：　　but　greater　is　the　Leather　Hull；　for　the　same　sermon　was　preached　there；　and　not　in　Scorn　but　in　Love。〃
  George　Fox's　〃perennial　suit；〃　with　all　that　it　held；　has　been　worn　quite　into　ashes　for　nigh　two　centuries：　　why；　in　a　discussion　on　the　_Perfectibility　of　Society_；　reproduce　it　now？　　Not　out　of　blind　sectarian　partisanship：　　Teufelsdrockh；　himself　is　no　Quaker；　with　all　his　pacific　tendencies；　did　not　we　see　him；　in　that　scene　at　the　North　Cape；　with　the　Archangel　Smuggler；　exhibit　fire…arms？
  For　us；　aware　of　his　deep　Sansculottism；　there　is　more　meant　in　this　passage　than　meets　the　ear。　　At　the　same　time；　who　can　avoid　smiling　at　the　earnestness　and　Boeotian　simplicity　（if　indeed　there　be　not　an　underhand　satire　in　it）；　with　which　that　〃Incident〃　is　here　brought　forward；　and；　in　the　Professor's　ambiguous　way；　as　clearly　perhaps　as　he　durst　in　Weissnichtwo；　recommended　to　imitation！　　Does　Teufelsdrockh　anticipate　that；　in　this　age　of　refinement；　any　considerable　class　of　the　community；　by　way　of　testifying　against　the　〃Mammon…god；〃　and　escaping　from　what　he　calls　〃Vanity's　Workhouse　and　Ragfair；〃　where　doubtless　some　of　them　are　toiled　and　whipped　and　hoodwinked　sufficiently；will　sheathe　themselves　in　close…fitting　cases　of　Leather？　　The　idea　is　ridiculous　in　the　extreme。　Will　Majesty　lay　aside　its　robes　of　state；　and　Beauty　its　frills　and　train…gowns；　for　a　second　skin　of　tanned　hide？　　By　which　change　Huddersfield　and　Manchester；　and　Coventry　and　Paisley；　and　the　Fancy…Bazaar；　were　reduced　to　hungry　solitudes；　and　only　Day　and　Martin　could　profit。　　For　neither　would　Teufelsdrockh's　mad　daydream；　here　as　we　presume　covertly　intended；　of　levelling　Society　（_levelling_　it　indeed　with　a　vengeance；　into　one　huge　drowned　marsh！）；　and　so　attaining　the　political　effects　of　Nudity　without　its　frigorific　or　other　consequences；be　thereby　realized。　　Would　not　the　rich　man　purchase　a　waterproof　suit　of　Russia　Leather；　and　the　high…born　Belle　step　forth　in　red　or　azure　morocco；　lined　with　shamoy：　　the　black　cowhide　being　left　to　the　Drudges　and　Gibeonites　of　the　world；　and　so　all　the　old　Distinctions　be　re…established？
  Or　has　the　Professor　his　own　deeper　intention；　and　laughs　in　his　sleeve　at　our　strictures　and　glosses；　which　indeed　are　but　a　part　thereof？
  CHAPTER　II。　CHURCH…CLOTHES。
  Not　less　questionable　is　his　Chapter　on　_Church…Clothes_；　which　has　the　farther　distinction　of　being　the　shortest　in　the　Volume。　　We　here　translate　it　entire：
  〃By　Church…Clothes；　it　need　not　be　premised　that　I　mean　infinitely　more　than　Cassocks　and　Surplices；　and　do　not　at　all　mean　the　mere　haberdasher　Sunday　Clothes　that　men　go　to　Church　in。　　Far　from　it！　　Church…Clothes　are；　in　our　vocabulary；　the　Forms；　the　_Vestures_；　under　which　men　have　at　various　periods　embodied　and　represented　for　themselves　the　Religious　Principle；　that　is　to　say；　invested　the　Divine　Idea　of　the　World　with　a　sensible　and　practically　active　Body；　so　that　it　might　dwell　among　them　as　a　living　and　life…giving　WORD。
  〃These　are　unspeakably　the　most　important　of　all　the　vestures　and　garnitures　of　Human　Existence。　　They　are　first　spun　and　woven；　I　may　say；　by　that　wonder　of　wonders；　SOCIETY；　for　it　is　still　only　when　'two　or　three　are　gathered　together；'　that　Religion；　spiritually　existent；　and　indeed　indestructible；　however　latent；　in　each；　first　outwardly　manifests　itself　（as　with　'cloven　tongues　of　fire'）；　and　seeks　to　be　embodied　in　a　visible　Communion　and　Church　Militant。　　Mystical；　more　than　magical；　is　that　Communing　of　Soul　with　Soul；　both　looking　heavenward：　　here　properly　Soul　first　speaks　with　Soul；　for　only　i