按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
in which it thrives。
The West is preparing to add its fables to those of the East。 The
valleys of the Ganges； the Nile； and the Shine having yielded
their crop； it remains to be seen what the valleys of the Amazon；
the Plate； the Orinoco； the St。 Lawrence； and the Mississippi
will produce。 Perchance； when； in the course of ages； American
liberty has become a fiction of the pastas it is to some extent
a fiction of the presentthe poets of the world will be inspired
by American mythology。
The wildest dreams of wild men； even； are not the less true；
though they may not recommend themselves to the sense which is
most common among Englishmen and Americans today。 It is not every
truth that recommends itself to the common sense。 Nature has a
place for the wild Clematis as well as for the cabbage。 Some
expressions of truth are reminiscentothers merely SENSIBLE； as
the phrase is；others prophetic。 Some forms of disease； even；
may prophesy forms of health。 The geologist has discovered that
the figures of serpents； griffins； flying dragons； and other
fanciful embellishments of heraldry； have their prototypes in the
forms of fossil species which were extinct before man was
created； and hence 〃indicate a faint and shadowy knowledge of a
previous state of organic existence。〃 The Hindus dreamed that the
earth rested on an elephant； and the elephant on a tortoise； and
the tortoise on a serpent； and though it may be an unimportant
coincidence； it will not be out of place here to state； that a
fossil tortoise has lately been discovered in Asia large enough
to support an elephant。 I confess that I am partial to these wild
fancies； which transcend the order of time and development。 They
are the sublimest recreation of the intellect。 The partridge
loves peas； but not those that go with her into the pot。
In short； all good things are wild and free。 There is something
in a strain of music； whether produced by an instrument or by the
human voicetake the sound of a bugle in a summer night； for
instancewhich by its wildness； to speak without satire； reminds
me of the cries emitted by wild beasts in their native forests。
It is so much of their wildness as I can understand。 Give me for
my friends and neighbors wild men； not tame ones。 The wildness of
the savage is but a faint symbol of the awful ferity with which
good men and lovers meet。
I love even to see the domestic animals reassert their native
rightsany evidence that they have not wholly lost their
original wild habits and vigor； as when my neighbor's cow breaks
out of her pasture early in the spring and boldly swims the
river； a cold； gray tide； twenty…five or thirty rods wide；
swollen by the melted snow。 It is the buffalo crossing the
Mississippi。 This exploit confers some dignity on the herd in my
eyesalready dignified。 The seeds of instinct are preserved
under the thick hides of cattle and horses； like seeds in the
bowels of the earth； an indefinite period。
Any sportiveness in cattle is unexpected。 I saw one day a herd of
a dozen bullocks and cows running about and frisking in unwieldy
sport； like huge rats； even like kittens。 They shook their heads；
raised their tails； and rushed up and down a hill； and I
perceived by their horns； as well as by their activity； their
relation to the deer tribe。 But； alas！ a sudden loud WHOA！ would
have damped their ardor at once； reduced them from venison to
beef； and stiffened their sides and sinews like the locomotive。
Who but the Evil One has cried 〃Whoa！〃 to mankind？ Indeed； the
life of cattle； like that of many men； is but a sort of
locomotiveness； they move a side at a time； and man； by his
machinery； is meeting the horse and the ox halfway。 Whatever part
the whip has touched is thenceforth palsied。 Who would ever think
of a SIDE of any of the supple cat tribe； as we speak of a SIDE
of beef？
I rejoice that horses and steers have to be broken before they
can be made the slaves of men； and that men themselves have some
wild oats still left to sow before they become submissive members
of society。 Undoubtedly； all men are not equally fit subjects for
civilization； and because the majority； like dogs and sheep； are
tame by inherited disposition； this is no reason why the others
should have their natures broken that they may be reduced to the
same level。 Men are in the main alike； but they were made several
in order that they might be various。 If a low use is to be
served； one man will do nearly or quite as well as another； if a
high one； individual excellence is to be regarded。 Any man can
stop a hole to keep the wind away； but no other man could serve
so rare a use as the author of this illustration did。 Confucius
says；〃The skins of the tiger and the leopard； when they are
tanned； are as the skins of the dog and the sheep tanned。〃 But it
is not the part of a true culture to tame tigers； any more than
it is to make sheep ferocious； and tanning their skins for shoes
is not the best use to which they can be put。
When looking over a list of men's names in a foreign language； as
of military officers； or of authors who have written on a
particular subject； I am reminded once more that there is nothing
in a name。 The name Menschikoff； for instance； has nothing in it
to my ears more human than a whisker； and it may belong to a rat。
As the names of the Poles and Russians are to us； so are ours to
them。 It is as if they had been named by the child's
rigmarole；IERY FIERY ICHERY VAN； TITTLE…TOL…TAN。 I see in my
mind a herd of wild creatures swarming over the earth； and to
each the herdsman has affixed some barbarous sound in his own
dialect。 The names of men are； of course； as cheap and
meaningless as BOSE and TRAY； the names of dogs。
Methinks it would be some advantage to philosophy if men were
named merely in the gross； as they are known。 It would be
necessary only to know the genus and perhaps the race or variety；
to know the individual。 We are not prepared to believe that every
private soldier in a Roman army had a name of his ownbecause we
have not supposed that he had a character of his own。
At present our only true names are nicknames。 I knew a boy who；
from his peculiar energy； was called 〃Buster〃 by his playmates；
and this rightly supplanted his Christian name。 Some travelers
tell us that an Indian had no name given him at first； but earned
it； and his name was his fame； and among some tribes he acquired
a new name with every new exploit。 It is pitiful when a man bears
a name for convenience merely； who has earned neither name nor
fame。
I will not allow mere names to make distinctions for me； but
still see men in herds for all them。 A familiar name cannot make
a man less strange to me。 It may be given to a savage who retains
in secret his own wild title earned in the woods。 We have a wild
savage in us； and a savage name is perchance somewhere recorded
as ours。 I see that my neighbor； who bears the familiar epithet
William or Edwin； takes it off with his jacket。 It does not
adhere to him when asleep or in anger； or aroused by any passion
or inspiration。 I seem to hear pronounced by some of his kin at
such a time his original wild name in some jaw…breaking or else
melodious tongue。
Here is this vast； savage； hovering mother of ours； Nature； lying
all around； with such beauty； and such affection for her
children； as the leopard； and yet we are so early weaned from her
breast to society； to that culture which is exclusively an
interaction of man on mana sort of breeding in and in； which
produces at most a merely English nobility； a civilization
destined to have a speedy limit。
In society； in the best institutions of men； it is easy to detect
a certain precocity。 When we should still be growing children； we
are already little men。 Give me a culture which imports much muck
from the meadows； and deepens the soilnot that which trusts to
heating manures； and improved implements and modes of culture
only！
Many a poor sore…eyed student that I have heard of would grow
faster； both intellectually and physically； if； instead of
sitting up so very late； he honestly slumbered a fool's
allowance。
There may be an excess even of informing light。 Niepce； a
Frenchman； discovered 〃actinism；〃 that power in the sun's rays
which produces a chemical effect； that granite rocks； and stone
structures； and statues of metal 〃are all alike destructively
acted upon during the hours of sunshine； and； but for provisions
of Nature no less wonderful； would soon perish under the delicate
touch of the most subtle of the agencies of the universe。〃 But he
observed that 〃those bodies which underwent this change during
the daylight possessed the power of restoring themselves to their
original conditions during the hours of night； when this
excitement was no longer influencing them。〃 Hence it has been
inferred tha