cambridge neighbors-第4部分

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！


itself　in　terms　of　alarming　originality　and　freedom；　was　too　large　for
any　ecclesiastical　limits；　and　one　may　learn　from　the　books　which　record
it；　how　absolutely　individual　his　interpretations　of　Swedenborg　were。
Clarifications　they　cannot　be　called；　and　in　that　other　world　whose
substantial　verity　was　the　inspiration　of　his　life　here；　the　two　sages
may　by　this　time　have　met　and　agreed　to　differ　as　to　some　points　in　the
doctrine　of　the　Seer。　　In　such　a　case；　I　cannot　imagine　the　apostle
giving　way；　and　I　do　not　say　he　would　be　wrong　to　insist；　but　I　think　he
might　now　be　willing　to　allow　that　the　exegetic　pages　which　sentence　by
sentence　were　so　brilliantly　suggestive；　had　sometimes　a　collective
opacity　which　the　most　resolute　vision　could　not　penetrate。　　He　put　into
this　dark　wisdom　the　most　brilliant　intelligence　ever　brought　to　the
service　of　his　mystical　faith；　he　lighted　it　up　with　flashes　of　the
keenest　wit　and　bathed　it　in　the　glow　of　a　lambent　humor；　so　that　it　is
truly　wonderful　to　me　how　it　should　remain　so　unintelligible。　　But　I　have
only　tried　to　read　certain　of　his　books；　and　perhaps　if　I　had　persisted
in　the　effort　I　might　have　found　them　all　as　clear　at　last　as　the　one
which　seems　to　me　the　clearest；　and　is　certainly　most　encouragingly
suggestive：　I　mean　the　one　called　'Society　the　Redeemed　Form　of　Man。'

He　had　his　whole　being　in　his　belief；　it　had　not　only　liberated　him　from
the　bonds　of　the　Calvinistic　theology　in　which　his　youth　was　trammelled；
but　it　had　secured　him　against　the　conscious　ethicism　of　the　prevailing
Unitarian　doctrine　which　supremely　worshipped　Conduct；　and　it　had　colored
his　vocabulary　to　such　strange　effects　that　he　spoke　of　moral　men　with
abhorrence；　as　more　hopelessly　lost　than　sinners。　　Any　one　whose　sphere
tempted　him　to　recognition　of　the　foibles　of　others；　he　called　the　Devil；
but　in　spite　of　his　perception　of　such　diabolism；　he　was　rather　fond　of
yielding　to　it；　for　he　had　a　most　trenchant　tongue。　　I　myself　once　fell
under　his　condemnation　as　the　Devil；　by　having　too　plainly　shared　his　joy
in　his　characterization　of　certain　fellow…men；　perhaps　a　group　of
Bostonians　from　whom　he　had　just　parted　and　whose　reciprocal　pleasure　of
themselves　he　presented　in　the　image　of　〃simmering　in　their　own　fat　and
putting　a　nice　brown　on　each　other。〃

Swedenborg　himself　he　did　not　spare　as　a　man。　　He　thought　that　very
likely　his　life　had　those　lapses　in　it　which　some　of　his　followers　deny；
and　he　regarded　him　on　the　aesthetical　side　as　essentially　commonplace；
and　as　probably　chosen　for　his　prophetic　function　just　because　of　his
imaginative　nullity：　his　tremendous　revelations　could　be　the　more
distinctly　and　unmistakably　inscribed　upon　an　intelligence　of　that　sort；
which　alone　could　render　again　a　strictly　literal　report　of　them。

As　to　some　other　sorts　of　believers　who　thought　they　had　a　special
apprehension　of　the　truth；　he；　had　no　mercy　upon　them　if　they　betrayed；
however　innocently；　any　self…complacency　in　their　possession。　　I　went　one
evening　to　call　upon　him　with　a　dear　old　Shaker　elder；　who　had　the
misfortune　to　say　that　his　people　believed　themselves　to　be　living　the
angelic　life。　　James　fastened　upon　him　with　the　suggestion　that　according
to　Swedenborg　the　most　celestial　angels　were　unconscious　of　their　own
perfection；　and　that　if　the　Shakers　felt　they　were　of　angelic　condition
they　were　probably　the　sport　of　the　hells。　　I　was　very　glad　to　get　my
poor　old　friend　off　alive；　and　to　find　that　he　was　not　even　aware　of
being　cut　asunder：　I　did　not　invite　him　to　shake　himself。

With　spiritualists　James　had　little　or　no　sympathy；　he　was　not　so
impatient　of　them　as　the　Swedenborgians　commonly　are；　and　he　probably
acknowledged　a　measure　of　verity　in　the　spiritistic　phenomena；　but　he
seemed　rather　incurious　concerning　them；　and　he　must　have　regarded　them
as　superfluities　of　naughtiness；　mostly；　as　emanations　from　the　hells。
His　powerful　and　penetrating　intellect　interested　itself　with　all　social
and　civil　facts　through　his　religion。　　He　was　essentially　religious；　but
he　was　very　consciously　a　citizen；　with　most　decided　opinions　upon
political　questions。　　My　own　darkness　as　to　anything　like　social　reform
was　then　so　dense　that　I　cannot　now　be　clear　as　to　his　feeling　in　such
matters；　but　I　have　the　impression　that　it　was　far　more　radical　than　I
could　understand。　　He　was　of　a　very　merciful　mind　regarding　things　often
held　in　pitiless　condemnation；　but　of　charity；　as　it　is　commonly
understood；　he　had　misgivings。　　He　would　never　have　turned　away　from　him
that　asketh；　but　he　spoke　with　regret　of　some　of　his　benefactions　in　the
past；　large　gifts　of　money　to　individuals；　which　he　now　thought　had　done
more　harm　than　good。

I　never　knew　him　to　judge　men　by　the　society　scale。　　He　was　most　human　in
his　relations　with　others；　and　was　in　correspondence　with　all　sorts　of
people　seeking　light　and　help；　he　answered　their　letters　and　tried　to
instruct　them；　and　no　one　was　so　low　or　weak　but　he　or　she　could　reach
him　on　his　or　her　own　level；　though　he　had　his　humorous　perception　of
their　foibles　and　disabilities；　and　he　had　that　keen　sense　of　the
grotesque　which　often　goes　with　the　kindliest　nature。　　He　told　of　his
dining；　early　in　life；　next　a　fellow…man　from　Cape　Cod　at　the　Astor
House；　where　such　a　man　could　seldom　have　found　himself。　　When　they　were
served　with　meat　this　neighbor　asked　if　he　would　mind　his　putting　his　fat
on　James's　plate：　he　disliked　fat。　　James　said　that　he　considered　the
request；　and　seeing　no　good　reason　against　it；　consented。

He　could　be　cruel　with　his　tongue　when　he　fancied　insincerity　or
pretence；　and　then　cruelly　sorry　for　the　hurt　he　gave。　　He　was　indeed
tremulously　sensitive；　not　only　for　himself　but　for　others；　and　would
offer　atonement　far　beyond　the　measure　of　the　offence　he　supposed　himself
to　have　given。

At　all　times　he　thought　originally　in　words　of　delightful　originality；
which　painted　a　fact　with　the　greatest　vividness。　　Of　a　person　who　had　a
nervous　twitching　of　the　face；　and　who　wished　to　call　up　a　friend　to
them；　he　said；　〃He　spasmed　to　the　fellow　across　the　room；　and　introduced
him。〃　　His　written　style　had　traits　of　the　same　bold　adventurousness；
but　it　was　his　speech　which　was　most　captivating。　　As　I　write　of　him　I
see　him　before　me：　his　white　bearded　face；　with　a　kindly　intensity　which
at　first　glance　seemed　fierce；　the　mouth　humorously　shaping　the　mustache；
the　eyes　vague　behind　the　glasses；　his　sensitive　hand　gripping　the　stick
on　which　he　rested　his　weight　to　ease　it　from　the　artificial　limb　he
wore。




V。

The　Goethean　face　and　figure　of　Louis　Agassiz　were　in　those　days　to　be
seen　in　the　shady　walks　of　Cambridge　to　which　for　me　they　lent　a
Weimarish　quality；　in　the　degree　that　in　Weimar　itself　a　few　years　ago；
I　felt　a　quality　of　Cambridge。　　Agassiz；　of　course；　was　Swiss　and　Latin；
and　not　Teutonic；　but　he　was　of　the　Continental　European　civilization；
and　was　widely　different　from　the　other　Cambridge　men　in　everything　but
love　of　the　place。　　〃He　is　always　an　Europaen；〃　said　Lowell　one　day；　in
distinguishing　concerning　him；　and　for　any　one　who　had　tasted　the　flavor
of　the　life　beyond　the　ocean　and　the　channel；　this　had　its　charm。　　Yet　he
was　extremely　fond　of　his　adoptive　compatriots；　and　no　alien　born　had　a
truer　or　tenderer　sense　of　New　England　character。　　I　have　an　idea　that　no
one　else　of　his　day　could　have　got　so　much　money　for　science　out　of　the
General　Court　of　Massachusetts；　and　I　have　heard　him　speak　with　the
wisest　and　warmest　appreciation　of　the　hard　material　from　which　he　was
able　to　extract　this　treasure。　　The　legislators　who　voted　appropriations
for　his　Museum　and　his　other　scientific　objects　were　not　usually　lawyers
or　professional　men；　with　the　perspectives　of　a　liberal　education；　but
were　hard…fisted　farmers；　who　had　a　grip　of　the　State's　money　as　if　it
were　their　own；　and　yet　gave　it　with　intelligent　munificence。　They
understood　that　he　did　not　want　it　for　himself；　and　had　no　interested　aim
in　getting　it；　they　knew　that；　as　he　once　said；　he　had　no　time　to　make
money；　and　wished　to　use　it　solely　for　the　advancement　of　learning；　and
with　this　understanding　they　were　ready；　to　help　him　generously。
He　compared　their　liberality　with　that　of　kings　and　princes；　when　these
patronized　science；　with　a　recognition　of　the　superior　plebeian
generosity。　　It　was　on　the　veranda　of　his　summer　house　at　Nahant；　while
he　lay　in　the　hammock；　talking　of　this；　that　I　heard　him　refer　also　to
the　offer　which　Napoleon　III。　had　made　him；　inviting　him　upon　certain
splendid　conditions　to　come　to　Paris　after　he　had　established　himself　in
Cambridge。　　He　said　that　he　had　not　come　to　America　without　going　over
every　such　possibility　in　his　own　mind；　and　deciding　beforehand　against
it。　　He　was　a　republican；　by　nationality　and　by　preference；　and　was
entirely　satisfied　with　his　position　and　environment　in　New　England。

Outside　of　his　scientific　circle　in　Cambridge　he　was　more　friends　with
Longfellow　than　with　any　one　else；　I　believe；　and　Longfellow　told　me　how；
after　the　doctors　had　condemned　Agassiz　to　inaction；　on　account　of　his
failing　health　he　had　bro