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es scientific rank beside Codification; and Political Economy; and the Theory of the British Constitution; nay rather; from its prophetic height looks down on all these; as on so many weaving…shops and spinning…mills; where the Vestures which _it_ has to fashion; and consecrate; and distribute; are; too often by haggard hungry operatives who see no farther than their nose; mechanically woven and spun?
But omitting all this; much more all that concerns Natural Supernaturalism; and indeed whatever has reference to the Ulterior or Transcendental portion of the Science; or bears never so remotely on that promised Volume of the _Palingenesie der menschlichen Gesellschaft_ (Newbirth of Society);we humbly suggest that no province of Clothes…Philosophy; even the lowest; is without its direct value; but that innumerable inferences of a practical nature may be drawn therefrom。 To say nothing of those pregnant considerations; ethical; political; symbolical; which crowd on the Clothes…Philosopher from the very threshold of his Science; nothing even of those 〃architectural ideas;〃 which; as we have seen; lurk at the bottom of all Modes; and will one day; better unfolding themselves; lead to important revolutions;let us glance for a moment; and with the faintest light of Clothes…Philosophy; on what may be called the Habilatory Class of our fellow…men。 Here too overlooking; where so much were to be looked on; the million spinners; weavers; fullers; dyers; washers; and wringers; that puddle and muddle in their dark recesses; to make us Clothes; and die that we may live;let us but turn the reader's attention upon two small divisions of mankind; who; like moths; may be regarded as Cloth…animals; creatures that live; move and have their being in Cloth: we mean; Dandies and Tailors。
In regard to both which small divisions it may be asserted without scruple; that the public feeling; unenlightened by Philosophy; is at fault; and even that the dictates of humanity are violated。 As will perhaps abundantly appear to readers of the two following Chapters。
CHAPTER X。 THE DANDIACAL BODY。
First; touching Dandies; let us consider; with some scientific strictness; what a Dandy specially is。 A Dandy is a Clothes…wearing Man; a Man whose trade; office and existence consists in the wearing of Clothes。 Every faculty of his soul; spirit; purse and person is heroically consecrated to this one object; the wearing of Clothes wisely and well: so that as others dress to live; he lives to dress。 The all…importance of Clothes; which a German Professor; of unequalled learning and acumen; writes his enormous Volume to demonstrate; has sprung up in the intellect of the Dandy without effort; like an instinct of genius; he is inspired with Cloth; a Poet of Cloth。 What Teufelsdrockh would call a 〃Divine Idea of Cloth〃 is born with him; and this; like other such Ideas; will express itself outwardly; or wring his heart asunder with unutterable throes。
But; like a generous; creative enthusiast; he fearlessly makes his Idea an Action; shows himself in peculiar guise to mankind; walks forth; a witness and living Martyr to the eternal worth of Clothes。 We called him a Poet: is not his body the (stuffed) parchment…skin whereon he writes; with cunning Huddersfield dyes; a Sonnet to his mistress' eyebrow? Say; rather; an Epos; and _Clotha Virumque cano_; to the whole world; in Macaronic verses; which he that runs may read。 Nay; if you grant; what seems to be admissible; that the Dandy has a Thinking…principle in him; and some notions of Time and Space; is there not in this life…devotedness to Cloth; in this so willing sacrifice of the Immortal to the Perishable; something (though in reverse order) of that blending and identification of Eternity with Time; which; as we have seen; constitutes the Prophetic character?
And now; for all this perennial Martyrdom; and Poesy; and even Prophecy; what is it that the Dandy asks in return? Solely; we may say; that you would recognize his existence; would admit him to be a living object; or even failing this; a visual object; or thing that will reflect rays of light。 Your silver or your gold (beyond what the niggardly Law has already secured him) he solicits not; simply the glance of your eyes。 Understand his mystic significance; or altogether miss and misinterpret it; do but look at him; and he is contented。 May we not well cry shame on an ungrateful world; which refuses even this poor boon; which will waste its optic faculty on dried Crocodiles; and Siamese Twins; and over the domestic wonderful wonder of wonders; a live Dandy; glance with hasty indifference; and a scarcely concealed contempt! Him no Zoologist classes among the Mammalia; no Anatomist dissects with care: when did we see any injected Preparation of the Dandy in our Museums; any specimen of him preserved in spirits! Lord Herringbone may dress himself in a snuff…brown suit; with snuff…brown shirt and shoes: it skills not; the undiscerning public; occupied with grosser wants; passes by regardless on the other side。
The age of Curiosity; like that of Chivalry; is indeed; properly speaking; gone。 Yet perhaps only gone to sleep: for here arises the Clothes…Philosophy to resuscitate; strangely enough; both the one and the other! Should sound views of this Science come to prevail; the essential nature of the British Dandy; and the mystic significance that lies in him; cannot always remain hidden under laughable and lamentable hallucination。 The following long Extract from Professor Teufelsdrockh may set the matter; if not in its true light; yet in the way towards such。 It is to be regretted; however; that here; as so often elsewhere; the Professor's keen philosophic perspicacity is somewhat marred by a certain mixture of almost owlish purblindness; or else of some perverse; ineffectual; ironic tendency; our readers shall judge which:
〃In these distracted times;〃 writes he; 〃when the Religious Principle; driven out of most Churches; either lies unseen in the hearts of good men; looking and longing and silently working there towards some new Revelation; or else wanders homeless over the world; like a disembodied soul seeking its terrestrial organization;into how many strange shapes; of Superstition and Fanaticism; does it not tentatively and errantly cast itself! The higher Enthusiasm of man's nature is for the while without Exponent; yet does it continue indestructible; unweariedly active; and work blindly in the great chaotic deep: thus Sect after Sect; and Church after Church; bodies itself forth; and melts again into new metamorphosis。
〃Chiefly is this observable in England; which; as the wealthiest and worst…instructed of European nations; offers precisely the elements (of Heat; namely; and of Darkness); in which such moon…calves and monstrosities are best generated。 Among the newer Sects of that country; one of the most notable; and closely connected with our present subject; is that of the _Dandies_; concerning which; what little information I have been able to procure may fitly stand here。
〃It is true; certain of the English Journalists; men generally without sense for the Religious Principle; or judgment for its manifestatio