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