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Linnaeus　said　long　ago；　〃Nescio　quae　facies　laeta；　glabra　plantis

Americanis〃　（I　know　not　what　there　is　of　joyous　and　smooth　in　the

aspect　of　American　plants）；　and　I　think　that　in　this　country

there　are　no；　or　at　most　very　few；　Africanae　bestiae；　African

beasts；　as　the　Romans　called　them；　and　that　in　this　respect　also

it　is　peculiarly　fitted　for　the　habitation　of　man。　We　are　told

that　within　three　miles　of　the　center　of　the　East…Indian　city　of

Singapore；　some　of　the　inhabitants　are　annually　carried　off　by

tigers；　but　the　traveler　can　lie　down　in　the　woods　at　night

almost　anywhere　in　North　America　without　fear　of　wild　beasts。



These　are　encouraging　testimonies。　If　the　moon　looks　larger　here

than　in　Europe；　probably　the　sun　looks　larger　also。　If　the

heavens　of　America　appear　infinitely　higher；　and　the　stars

brighter；　I　trust　that　these　facts　are　symbolical　of　the　height

to　which　the　philosophy　and　poetry　and　religion　of　her

inhabitants　may　one　day　soar。　At　length；　perchance；　the

immaterial　heaven　will　appear　as　much　higher　to　the　American

mind；　and　the　intimations　that　star　it　as　much　brighter。　For　I

believe　that　climate　does　thus　react　on　manas　there　is

something　in　the　mountain　air　that　feeds　the　spirit　and　inspires。

Will　not　man　grow　to　greater　perfection　intellectually　as　well　as

physically　under　these　influences？　Or　is　it　unimportant　how　many

foggy　days　there　are　in　his　life？　I　trust　that　we　shall　be　more

imaginative；　that　our　thoughts　will　be　clearer；　fresher；　and　more

ethereal；　as　our　skyour　understanding　more　comprehensive　and

broader；　like　our　plainsour　intellect　generally　on　a　grander

seale；　like　our　thunder　and　lightning；　our　rivers　and　mountains

and　forests…and　our　hearts　shall　even　correspond　in　breadth　and

depth　and　grandeur　to　our　inland　seas。　Perchance　there　will

appear　to　the　traveler　something；　he　knows　not　what；　of　laeta　and

glabra；　of　joyous　and　serene；　in　our　very　faces。　Else　to　what　end

does　the　world　go　on；　and　why　was　America　discovered？



To　Americans　I　hardly　need　to　say



〃Westward　the　star　of　empire　takes　its　way。〃



As　a　true　patriot；　I　should　be　ashamed　to　think　that　Adam　in

paradise　was　more　favorably　situated　on　the　whole　than　the

backwoodsman　in　this　country。



Our　sympathies　in　Massachusetts　are　not　confined　to　New　England；

though　we　may　be　estranged　from　the　South；　we　sympathize　with　the

West。　There　is　the　home　of　the　younger　sons；　as　among　the

Scandinavians　they　took　to　the　sea　for　their　inheritance。　It　is

too　late　to　be　studying　Hebrew；　it　is　more　important　to

understand　even　the　slang　of　today。



Some　months　ago　I　went　to　see　a　panorama　of　the　Rhine。　It　was

like　a　dream　of　the　Middle　Ages。　I　floated　down　its　historic

stream　in　something　more　than　imagination；　under　bridges　built　by

the　Romans；　and　repaired　by　later　heroes；　past　cities　and　castles

whose　very　names　were　music　to　my　ears；　and　each　of　which　was　the

subject　of　a　legend。　There　were　Ehrenbreitstein　and　Rolandseck

and　Coblentz；　which　I　knew　only　in　history。　They　were　ruins　that

interested　me　chiefly。　There　seemed　to　come　up　from　its　waters

and　its　vine…clad　hills　and　valleys　a　hushed　music　as　of

Crusaders　departing　for　the　Holy　Land。　I　floated　along　under　the

spell　of　enchantment；　as　if　I　had　been　transported　to　an　heroic

age；　and　breathed　an　atmosphere　of　chivalry。



Soon　after；　I　went　to　see　a　panorama　of　the　Mississippi；　and　as　I

worked　my　way　up　the　river　in　the　light　of　today；　and　saw　the

steamboats　wooding　up；　counted　the　rising　cities；　gazed　on　the

fresh　ruins　of　Nauvoo；　beheld　the　Indians　moving　west　across　the

stream；　and；　as　before　I　had　looked　up　the　Moselle；　now　looked　up

the　Ohio　and　the　Missouri　and　heard　the　legends　of　Dubuque　and　of

Wenona's　Cliffstill　thinking　more　of　the　future　than　of　the

past　or　presentI　saw　that　this　was　a　Rhine　stream　of　a

different　kind；　that　the　foundations　of　castles　were　yet　to　be

laid；　and　the　famous　bridges　were　yet　to　be　thrown　over　the

river；　and　I　felt　that　THIS　WAS　THE　HEROIC　AGE　ITSELF；　though　we

know　it　not；　for　the　hero　is　commonly　the　simplest　and　obscurest

of　men。



The　West　of　which　I　speak　is　but　another　name　for　the　Wild；　and

what　I　have　been　preparing　to　say　is；　that　in　Wildness　is　the

preservation　of　the　World。　Every　tree　sends　its　fibers　forth　in

search　of　the　Wild。　The　cities　import　it　at　any　price。　Men　plow

and　sail　for　it。　From　the　forest　and　wilderness　come　the　tonics

and　barks　which　brace　mankind。　Our　ancestors　were　savages。　The

story　of　Romulus　and　Remus　being　suckled　by　a　wolf　is　not　a

meaningless　fable。　The　founders　of　every　state　which　has　risen　to

eminence　have　drawn　their　nourishment　and　vigor　from　a　similar

wild　source。　It　was　because　the　children　of　the　Empire　were　not

suckled　by　the　wolf　that　they　were　conquered　and　displaced　by　the

children　of　the　northern　forests　who　were。



I　believe　in　the　forest；　and　in　the　meadow；　and　in　the　night　in

which　the　corn　grows。　We　require　an　infusion　of　hemlock；　spruce

or　arbor　vitae　in　our　tea。　There　is　a　difference　between　eating

and　drinking　for　strength　and　from　mere　gluttony。　The　Hottentots

eagerly　devour　the　marrow　of　the　koodoo　and　other　antelopes　raw；

as　a　matter　of　course。　Some　of　our　northern　Indians　eat　raw　the

marrow　of　the　Arctic　reindeer；　as　well　as　various　other　parts；

including　the　summits　of　the　antlers；　as　long　as　they　are　soft。

And　herein；　perchance；　they　have　stolen　a　march　on　the　cooks　of

Paris。　They　get　what　usually　goes　to　feed　the　fire。　This　is

probably　better　than　stall…fed　beef　and　slaughterhouse　pork　to

make　a　man　of。　Give　me　a　wildness　whose　glance　no　civilization

can　endureas　if　we　lived　on　the　marrow　of　koodoos　devoured　raw。



There　are　some　intervals　which　border　the　strain　of　the　wood

thrush；　to　which　I　would　migratewild　lands　where　no　settler　has

squatted；　to　which；　methinks；　I　am　already　acclimated。



The　African　hunter　Cumming　tells　us　that　the　skin　of　the　eland；

as　well　as　that　of　most　other　antelopes　just　killed；　emits　the

most　delicious　perfume　of　trees　and　grass。　I　would　have　every　man

so　much　like　a　wild　antelope；　so　much　a　part　and　parcel　of

nature；　that　his　very　person　should　thus　sweetly　advertise　our

senses　of　his　presence；　and　remind　us　of　those　parts　of　nature

which　he　most　haunts。　I　feel　no　disposition　to　be　satirical；　when

the　trapper's　coat　emits　the　odor　of　musquash　even；　it　is　a

sweeter　scent　to　me　than　that　which　commonly　exhales　from　the

merchant's　or　the　scholar's　garments。　When　I　go　into　their

wardrobes　and　handle　their　vestments；　I　am　reminded　of　no　grassy

plains　and　flowery　meads　which　they　have　frequented；　but　of　dusty

merchants'　exchanges　and　libraries　rather。



A　tanned　skin　is　something　more　than　respectable；　and　perhaps

olive　is　a　fitter　color　than　white　for　a　mana　denizen　of　the

woods。　〃The　pale　white　man！〃　I　do　not　wonder　that　the　African

pitied　him。　Darwin　the　naturalist　says；　〃A　white　man　bathing　by

the　side　of　a　Tahitian　was　like　a　plant　bleached　by　the

gardener's　art；　compared　with　a　fine；　dark　green　one；　growing

vigorously　in　the　open　fields。〃



Ben　Jonson　exclaims；



　〃How　near　to　good　is　what　is　fair！〃



So　I　would　say；



　〃How　near　to　good　is　what　is　WILD！〃



Life　consists　with　wildness。　The　most　alive　is　the　wildest。　Not

yet　subdued　to　man；　its　presence　refreshes　him。　One　who　pressed

forward　incessantly　and　never　rested　from　his　labors；　who　grew

fast　and　made　infinite　demands　on　life；　would　always　find　himself

in　a　new　country　or　wilderness；　and　surrounded　by　the　raw

material　of　life。　He　would　be　climbing　over　the　prostrate　stems

of　primitive　forest　trees。



Hope　and　the　future　for　me　are　not　in　lawns　and　cultivated

fields；　not　in　towns　and　cities；　but　in　the　impervious　and

quaking　swamps。　When；　formerly；　I　have　analyzed　my　partiality　for

some　farm　which　I　had　contemplated　purchasing；　I　have　frequently

found　that　I　was　attracted　solely　by　a　few　square　rods　of

impermeable　and　unfathomable　boga　natural　sink　in　one　corner　of

it。　That　was　the　jewel　which　dazzled　me。　I　derive　more　of　my

subsistence　from　the　swamps　which　surround　my　native　town　than

from　the　cultivated　gardens　in　the　village。　There　are　no　richer

parterres　to　my　eyes　than　the　dense　beds　of　dwarf　andromeda

（Cassandra　calyculata）　which　cover　these　tender　places　on　the

earth's　surface。　Botany　cannot　go　farther　than　tell　me　the　names

of　the　shrubs　which　grow　therethe　high　blueberry；　panicled

andromeda；　lambkill；　azalea；　and　rhodoraall　standing　in　the

quaking　sphagnum。　I　often　think　that　I　should　like　to　have　my

house　front　on　this　mass　of　dull　red　bushes；　omitting　other

flower　plots　and　borders；　transplanted　spruce　and　trim　box；　even

graveled　walksto　have　this　fertile　spot　under　my　windows；　not　a

few　imported　barrowfuls　of　soil　only　to　cover　the　sand　which　was

thrown　out　in　digging　the　cellar。　Why　not　put　my　house；　my

parlor；　behind　thi