第 8 节
作者:
翱翔1981 更新:2021-02-19 18:34 字数:9321
happy…hearted human creatures。 Our modern wealth; I think; has
rather a tendency the other way; most political economists
appearing to consider multitudes of human creatures not conducive
to wealth; or at best conducive to it only by remaining in a
dim…eyed and narrow…chested state of being。
Nevertheless; it is open; I repeat; to serious question;
which I leave to the reader's pondering; whether; among national
manufactures; that of Souls of a good quality may not at last
turn out a quite leadingly lucrative one? Nay; in some far…away
and yet undreamt…of hour; I can even imagine that England may
cast all thoughts of possessive wealth back to the barbaric
nations among whom they first arose; and that; while the sands of
the Indus and adamant of Golconda may yet stiffen the housings of
the charger; and flash from the turban of the slave; she; as a
Christian mother; may at last attain to the virtues and the
treasures of a Heathen one; and be able to lead forth her Sons;
saying;
〃These are My Jewels。〃
Qui Judicatis Terram
Some centuries before the Christian era; a Jew merchant
largely engaged in business on the Gold Coast; and reported to
have made one of the largest fortunes of his time; (held also in
repute for much practical sagacity;) left among his ledgers some
general maxims concerning wealth; which have been preserved;
strangely enough; even to our own days。 They were held in
considerable respect by the most active traders of the middle
ages; especially by the Venetians; who even went so far in their
admiration as to place a statue of the old Jew on the angle of
one of their principal public buildings。 Of late years these
writings have fallen into disrepute; being opposed in every
particular to the spirit of modern commerce。 Nevertheless I shall
reproduce a passage or two from them here; partly because they
may interest the reader by their novelty; and chiefly because
they will show him that it is possible for a very practical and
acquisitive tradesman to hold; through a not unsuccessful career;
that principle of distinction between well…gotten and ill…gotten
wealth; which; partially insisted on in my last paper; it must be
our work more completely to examine in this。
He says; for instance; in one place: 〃The getting of
treasures by a lying tongue is a vanity tossed to and fro of them
that see death: 〃adding in another; with the same meaning (he has
a curious way of doubling his sayings): 〃Treasures of wickedness
profit nothing: but justice delivers from death。〃 Both these
passages are notable for their assertion of death as the only
real issue and sum of attainment by any unjust scheme of wealth。
If we read; instead of 〃lying tongue;〃 〃lying label; title;
pretence; or advertisement;〃 we shall more clearly perceive the
bearing of the words on modern business。 The seeking of death is
a grand expression of the true course of men's toil in such
business。 We usually speak as if death pursued us; and we fled
from him; but that is only so in rare instances。 Ordinarily he
masks himself makes himself beautiful all…glorious; not
like the King's daughter; all…glorious within; but outwardly: his
clothing of wrought gold。 We pursue him frantically all our days;
he flying or hiding from us。 Our crowning success at three…score
and ten is utterly and perfectly to seize; and hold him in his
eternal integrity robes; ashes; and sting。
Again: the merchant says; 〃He that oppresseth the poor to
increase his riches; shall surely come to want。〃 And again; more
strongly: 〃Rob not the poor because he is poor; neither oppress
the afflicted in the place of business。 For God shall spoil the
soul of those that spoiled them。〃
This 〃robbing the poor because he is poor;〃 is especially the
mercantile form of theft; consisting in talking advantage of a
man's necessities in order to obtain his labour or property at a
reduced price。 The ordinary highwayman's opposite form of robbery
of the rich; because he is rich does not appear to occur so
often to the old merchant's mind; probably because; being less
profitable and more dangerous than the robbery of the poor; it is
rarely practised by persons of discretion。
But the two most remarkable passages in their deep general
significance are the following:
〃The rich and the poor have met。 God is their maker。〃
〃The rich and the poor have met。 God is their light。〃
They 〃have met:〃 more literally; have stood in each other's
way (obviaverunt)。 That is to say; as long as the world lasts;
the action and counteraction of wealth and poverty; the meeting;
face to face; of rich and poor; is just as appointed and
necessary a law of that world as the flow of stream to sea; or
the interchange of power among the electric clouds: 〃God is
their maker。〃 But; also; this action may be either gentle and
just; or convulsive and destructive: it may be by rage of
devouring flood; or by lapse of serviceable wave; in blackness
of thunderstroke; or continual force of vital fire; soft; and
shapeable into love…syllables from far away。 And which of these
it shall be depends on both rich and poor knowing that God is
their light; that in the mystery of human life; there is no other
light than this by which they can see each other's faces; and
live; light; which is called in another of the books among
which the merchant's maxims have been preserved; the 〃sun of
justice;〃(4*) of which it is promised that it shall rise at last
with 〃healing〃 (health…giving or helping; making whole or setting
at one) in its wings。 For truly this healing is only possible by
means of justice; no love; no faith; no hope will do it; men will
be unwisely fond…vainly faithful; unless primarily they are just;
and the mistake of the best men through generation after
generation; has been that great one of thinking to help the poor
by almsgiving; and by preaching of patience or of hope; and by
every other means; emollient or consolatory; except the one thing
which God orders for them; justice。 But this justice; with its
accompanying holiness or helpfulness; being even by the best men
denied in its trial time; is by the mass of men hated wherever it
appears: so that; when the choice was one day fairly put to them;
they denied the Helpful One and the Just;(5*) and desired a
murderer; sedition…raiser; and robber; to be gran ted to them;
the murderer instead of the Lord of Life; the sedition…raiser
instead of the Prince of Peace; and the robber instead of the
Just Judge of all the world。
I have just spoken of the flowing of streams to the sea as a
partial image of the action of wealth。 In one respect it is not a
partial; but a perfect image。 The popular economist thinks
himself wise in having discovered that wealth; or the forms of
property in general; must go where they are required; that where
demand is; supply must follow。 He farther declares that this
course of demand and supply cannot be forbidden by human laws。
Precisely in the same sense; and with the same certainty; the
waters of the world go where they are required。 Where the land
falls; the water flows。 The course neither of clouds nor rivers
can be forbidden by human will。 But the disposition and
administration of them can be altered by human forethought。
Whether the stream shall be a curse or a blessing; depends upon
man's labour; and administrating intelligence。 For centuries
after centuries; great districts of the world; rich in soil; and
favoured in climate; have lain desert under the rage of their own
rivers; nor only desert; but plague…struck。 The stream which;
rightly directed; would have flowed in soft irrigation from field
to field would have purified the air; given food to man and
beast; and carried their burdens for them on its bosom now
overwhelms the plain; and poisons the wind; its breath
pestilence; and its work famine。 In like manner this wealth 〃goes
where it is required。〃 No human laws can withstand its flow。 They
can only guide it: but this; the lending trench and limiting
mound can do so thoroughly; that it shall become water of life
the riches of the hand of wisdom;(6*) or; on the contrary; by
leaving it to its own lawless flow; they may make it; what it has
been too often; the last and deadliest of national plagues: water
of Marah the water which feeds the roots of all evil。
The