第 52 节
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这就是结局 更新:2023-05-17 13:24 字数:9321
〃_Ew。 Wohlgeboren_ will have seen from the Public Prints; with what affectionate and hitherto fruitless solicitude Weissnichtwo regards the disappearance of her Sage。 Might but the united voice of Germany prevail on him to return; nay could we but so much as elucidate for ourselves by what mystery he went away! But; alas; old Lieschen experiences or affects the profoundest deafness; the profoundest ignorance: in the Wahngasse all lies swept; silent; sealed up; the Privy Council itself can hitherto elicit no answer。
〃It had been remarked that while the agitating news of those Parisian Three Days flew from mouth to month; and dinned every ear in Weissnichtwo; Herr Teufelsdrockh was not known; at the _Gans_ or elsewhere; to have spoken; for a whole week; any syllable except once these three: _Es geht an_ (It is beginning)。 Shortly after; as _Ew。 Wohlgeboren_ knows; was the public tranquillity here; as in Berlin; threatened by a Sedition of the Tailors。 Nor did there want Evil…wishers; or perhaps mere desperate Alarmists; who asserted that the closing Chapter of the Clothes…Volume was to blame。 In this appalling crisis; the serenity of our Philosopher was indescribable: nay; perhaps through one humble individual; something thereof might pass into the _Rath_ (Council) itself; and so contribute to the country's deliverance。 The Tailors are now entirely pacificated。
〃To neither of these two incidents can I attribute our loss: yet still comes there the shadow of a suspicion out of Paris and its Politics。 For example; when the _Saint…Simonian Society_ transmitted its Propositions hither; and the whole _Gans_ was one vast cackle of laughter; lamentation and astonishment; our Sage sat mute; and at the end of the third evening said merely: 'Here also are men who have discovered; not without amazement; that Man is still Man; of which high; long…forgotten Truth you already see them make a false application。' Since then; as has been ascertained by examination of the Post…Director; there passed at least one Letter with its Answer between the Messieurs Bazard…Enfantin and our Professor himself; of what tenor can now only be conjectured。 On the fifth night following; he was seen for the last time!
〃Has this invaluable man; so obnoxious to most of the hostile Sects that convulse our Era; been spirited away by certain of their emissaries; or did he go forth voluntarily to their head…quarters to confer with them; and confront them? Reason we have; at least of a negative sort; to believe the Lost still living; our widowed heart also whispers that ere long he will himself give a sign。 Otherwise; indeed; his archives must; one day; be opened by Authority; where much; perhaps the _Palingenesie_ itself; is thought to be reposited。〃
Thus far the Hofrath; who vanishes; as is his wont; too like an Ignis Fatuus; leaving the dark still darker。
So that Teufelsdrockh's public History were not done; then; or reduced to an even; unromantic tenor; nay; perhaps the better part thereof were only beginning? We stand in a region of conjectures; where substance has melted into shadow; and one cannot be distinguished from the other。 May Time; which solves or suppresses all problems; throw glad light on this also! Our own private conjecture; now amounting almost to certainty; is that; safe…moored in some stillest obscurity; not to lie always still; Teufelsdrockh; is actually in London!
Here; however; can the present Editor; with an ambrosial joy as of over…weariness falling into sleep; lay down his pen。 Well does he know; if human testimony be worth aught; that to innumerable British readers likewise; this is a satisfying consummation; that innumerable British readers consider him; during these current months; but as an uneasy interruption to their ways of thought and digestion; and indicate so much; not without a certain irritancy and even spoken invective。 For which; as for other mercies; ought not he to thank the Upper Powers? To one and all of you; O irritated readers; he; with outstretched arms and open heart; will wave a kind farewell。 Thou too; miraculous Entity; who namest thyself YORKE and OLIVER; and with thy vivacities and genialities; with thy all too Irish mirth and madness; and odor of palled punch; makest such strange work; farewell; long as thou canst; _fare…well_! Have we not; in the course of Eternity; travelled some months of our Life…journey in partial sight of one another; have we not existed together; though in a state of quarrel?
APPENDIX。
This questionable little Book was undoubtedly written among the mountain solitudes; in 1831; but; owing to impediments natural and accidental; could not; for seven years more; appear as a Volume in England;and had at last to clip itself in pieces; and be content to struggle out; bit by bit; in some courageous _Magazine_ that offered。 Whereby now; to certain idly curious readers; and even to myself till I make study; the insignificant but at last irritating question; What its real history and chronology are; is; if not insoluble; considerably involved in haze。
To the first English Edition; 1838; which an American; or two American had now opened the way for; there was slightingly prefixed; under the title; 〃_Testimonies of Authors_;〃 some straggle of real documents; which; now that I find it again; sets the matter into clear light and sequence:and shall here; for removal of idle stumbling…blocks and nugatory guessings from the path of every reader; be reprinted as it stood。 (_Author's Note; of_ 1868。)
TESTIMONIES OF AUTHORS。
I。 HIGHEST CLASS; BOOKSELLER'S TASTER。
_Taster to Bookseller_。〃 The Author of _Teufelsdrockh_ is a person of talent; his work displays here and there some felicity of thought and expression; considerable fancy and knowledge: but whether or not it would take with the public seems doubtful。 For a _jeu d'esprit_ of that kind it is too long; it would have suited better as an essay or article than as a volume。 The Author has no great tact; his wit is frequently heavy; and reminds one of the German Baron who took to leaping on tables and answered that he was learning to be lively。 _Is_ the work a translation?〃
_Bookseller to Editor_。〃Allow me to say that such a writer requires only a little more tact to produce a popular as well as an able work。 Directly on receiving your permission; I sent your MS。 to a gentleman in the highest class of men of letters; and an accomplished German scholar: I now enclose you his opinion; which; you may rely upon it; is a just one; and I have too high an opinion of your good sense to〃 &c。 &c。_Ms。 (penes nos); London; 17th September_; 1831。
II。 CRITIC OF THE SUN。
〃_Fraser's Magazine_ exhibits the usual brilliancy; and also the〃 &c。
〃_Sartor Resartus_ is what old Dennis used to call 'a heap of clotted nonsense;' mixed however; here and there; with passages marked by thought and striking poetic vigor。 But what does the writer mean by 'Baphometic fire…baptism'? Why cannot he lay aside his pedantry; and write so as to make himself generally intelligible? We quote by way of curiosity a sentence from the _Sartor Resartus_; which may be read either backwards or forwards; for it is equally intelligible either way: indeed; by beginning at the tail; and so working up to the head; we think the reader will stand the fairest chance of getting at its meaning: 'The fire…baptized soul; long so scathed and thunder…riven; here feels its own freedom; which feeling is its Baphometic baptism: the citadel of its whole kingdom it has thus gained by assault; and will keep inexpugnable; outwards from which the remaining dominions; not indeed without hard battering; will doubtless by degrees be conquered and pacificated。' Here is a〃。。。_Sun Newspaper; 1st April_; 1834。
III。 NORTHAMERICAN REVIEWER。
。。。 〃After a careful survey of the whole ground; our belief is that no such persons as Professors Teufelsdrockh or Counsellor Heuschrecke ever existed; that the six Paper…bags; with their China…ink inscriptions and multifarious contents; are a mere figment of the brain; that the 'present Editor' is the only person who has ever written upon the Philosophy of Clothes; and that the _Sartor Resartus_ is the only treatise that has yet appeared upon that subject;in short; that the whole account of the origin of the work before us; which the supposed Editor relates with so much gravity; and of which we have given a brief abstract; is; in plain English; a _hum_。
〃Without troubling our readers at any great length with our reasons for entertaining these suspicions; we may remark; that the absence of all other information on the subject; except what is contained in the work; is itself a fact of a most significant character。 The whole German press; as well as the particular one where the work purports to have been printed; seems to be under the control of _Stillschweigen and Co。 _Silence and Company。 If the Clothes…Philosophy and its author are making so great a sensation throughout Germany as is pretended; how happens it that the only notice we have of the fact is contained in a few numbers of a monthly Magazine published at London! How happens it that no intelligence about the matter has come out directly to this