第 29 节
作者:套牢      更新:2021-02-21 16:40      字数:9322
  Nay I rather think both of these shortcomings; fatal deficits both; are chargeable upon us; and it is the joint harvest of both that we are now reaping with such havoc to our affairs。  I rather guess; the intellect of the Nineteenth Century; so full of miracle to Heavyside and others; is itself a mechanical or _beaver_ intellect rather than a high or eminently human one。  A dim and mean though authentic kind of intellect; this; venerable only in defect of better。  This kind will avail but little in the higher enterprises of human intellect; especially in that highest enterprise of guiding men Heavenward; which; after all; is the one real 〃governing〃 of them on this God's…Earth:an enterprise not to be achieved by beaver intellect; but by other higher and highest kinds。  This is deficit _first_。  And then _secondly_; Governments have; really to a fatal and extraordinary extent; neglected in late ages to supply themselves with what intellect was going; having; as was too natural in the dim time; taken up a notion that human intellect; or even beaver intellect; was not necessary to them at all; but that a little of the _vulpine_ sort (if attainable); supported by routine; red…tape traditions; and tolerable parliamentary eloquence on occasion; would very well suffice。  A most false and impious notion; leading to fatal lethargy on the part of Governments; while Nature and Fact were preparing strange phenomena in contradiction to it。
  These are two very fatal deficits;the remedy of either of which would be the remedy of both; could we but find it!  For indeed they are vitally connected:  one of them is sure to produce the other; and both once in action together; the advent of darkness; certain enough to issue in anarchy by and by; goes on with frightful acceleration。  If Governments neglect to invite what noble intellect there is; then too surely all intellect; not omnipotent to resist bad influences; will tend to become beaverish ignoble intellect; and quitting high aims; which seem shut up from it; will help itself forward in the way of making money and such like; or will even sink to be sham intellect; helping itself by methods which are not only beaverish but vulpine; and so 〃ignoble〃 as not to have common honesty。  The Government; taking no thought to choose intellect for itself; will gradually find that there is less and less of a good quality to choose from:  thus; as in all impieties it does; bad grows worse at a frightful _double_ rate of progression; and your impiety is twice cursed。  If you are impious enough to tolerate darkness; you will get ever more darkness to tolerate; and at that inevitable stage of the account (inevitable in all such accounts) when actual light or else destruction is the alternative; you will call to the Heavens and the Earth for light; and none will come!
  Certainly this evil; for one; has _not_ 〃wrought its own cure;〃 but has wrought precisely the reverse; and has been hourly eating away what possibilities of cure there were。  And so; I fear; in spite of rumors to the contrary; it always is with evils; with solecisms against Nature; and contradictions to the divine fact of things:  not an evil of them has ever wrought its own cure in my experience;but has continually grown worse and wider and uglier; till some _good_ (generally a good _man_) not able to endure the abomination longer; rose upon it and cured or else extinguished it。  Evil Governments; divested of God's light because they have loved darkness rather; are not likelier than other evils to work their own cure out of that bad plight。
  It is urgent upon all Governments to pause in this fatal course; persisted in; the goal is fearfully evident; every hour's persistence in it is making return more difficult。  Intellect exists in all countries; and the function appointed it by Heaven;Governments had better not attempt to contradict that; for they cannot!  Intellect _has_ to govern in this world and will do it; if not in alliance with so…called 〃Governments〃 of red…tape and routine; then in divine hostility to such; and sometimes alas in diabolic hostility to such; and in the end; as sure as Heaven is higher than Downing Street; and the Laws of Nature are tougher than red…tape; with entire victory over them and entire ruin to them。  If there is one thinking man among the Politicians of England; I consider these things extremely well worth his attention just now。
  Who are available to your Offices in Downing Street?  All the gifted souls; of every rank; who are born to you in this generation。  These are appointed; by the true eternal 〃divine right〃 which will never become obsolete; to be your governors and administrators; and precisely as you employ them; or neglect to employ them; will your State be favored of Heaven or disfavored。  This noble young soul; you can have him on either of two conditions; and on one of them; since he is here in the world; you must have him。  As your ally and coadjutor; or failing that; as your natural enemy:  which shall it be?  I consider that every Government convicts itself of infatuation and futility; or absolves and justifies itself before God and man; according as it answers this question。  With all sublunary entities; this is the question of questions。  What talent is born to you? How do you employ that?  The crop of spiritual talent that is born to you; of human nobleness and intellect and heroic faculty; this is infinitely more important than your crops of cotton or corn; or wine or herrings or whale…oil; which the Newspapers record with such anxiety every season。 This is not quite counted by seasons; therefore the Newspapers are silent: but by generations and centuries; I assure you it becomes amazingly sensible; and surpasses; as Heaven does Earth; all the corn and wine; and whale…oil and California bullion; or any other crop you grow。  If that crop cease; the other cropsplease to take them also; if you are anxious about them。  That once ceasing; we may shut shop; for no other crop whatever will stay with us; nor is worth having if it would。
  To promote men of talent; to search and sift the whole society in every class for men of talent; and joyfully promote them; has not always been found impossible。  In many forms of polity they have done it; and still do it; to a certain degree。  The degree to which they succeed in doing it marks; as I have said; with very great accuracy the degree of divine and human worth that is in them; the degree of success or real ultimate victory they can expect to have in this world。Think; for example; of the old Catholic Church; in its merely terrestrial relations to the State; and see if your reflections; and contrasts with what now is; are of an exulting character。  Progress of the species has gone on as with seven…league boots; and in various directions has shot ahead amazingly; with three cheers from all the world; but in this direction; the most vital and indispensable; it has lagged terribly; and has even moved backward; till now it is quite gone out of sight in clouds of cotton…fuzz and railway…scrip; and has fallen fairly over the horizon to rearward!
  In those most benighted Feudal societies; full of mere tyrannous steel Barons; and totally destitute of Tenpound Franchises and Ballot…boxes; there did nevertheless authentically preach itself everywhere this grandest of gospels; without which no other gospel can avail us much; to all souls of men; 〃Awake ye noble souls; here is a noble career for you!〃  I say; everywhere a road towards promotion; for human nobleness; lay wide open to all men。  The pious soul;which; if you reflect; will mean the ingenuous and ingenious; the gifted; intelligent and nobly…aspiring soul;such a soul; in whatever rank of life it were born; had one path inviting it; a generous career; whereon; by human worth and valor; all earthly heights and Heaven itself were attainable。  In the lowest stratum of social thraldom; nowhere was the noble soul doomed quite to choke; and die ignobly。  The Church; poor old benighted creature; had at least taken care of that:  the noble aspiring soul; not doomed to choke ignobly in its penuries; could at least run into the neighboring Convent; and there take refuge。  Education awaited it there; strict training not only to whatever useful knowledge could be had from writing and reading; but to obedience; to pious reverence; self…restraint; annihilation of self;really to human nobleness in many most essential respects。  No questions asked about your birth; genealogy; quantity of money…capital or the like; the one question was; 〃Is there some human nobleness in you; or is there not?〃  The poor neat…herd's son; if he were a Noble of Nature; might rise to Priesthood; to High…priesthood; to the top of this world;and best of all; he had still high Heaven lying high enough above him; to keep his head steady; on whatever height or in whatever depth his way might lie!
  A thrice…glorious arrangement; when I reflect on it; most salutary to all high and low interests; a truly human arrangement。  You made the born noble yours; welcoming him as what he was; the Sent of Heaven:  you did not force him either to die or become your enemy; idly neglecting or suppressing him as what he was not; a thing of no worth。  You accepte