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sartor resartus-第65章

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 delirious condition of Society; equivalent to defying his perpetual fellest enmity?  The epithet _schneidermassig_ (tailor…like) betokens an otherwise unapproachable degree of pusillanimity; we introduce a _Tailor's…Melancholy_; more opprobrious than any Leprosy; into our Books of Medicine; and fable I know not what of his generating it by living on Cabbage。  Why should I speak of Hans Sachs (himself a Shoemaker; or kind of Leather…Tailor); with his _Schneider mit dem Panier_? Why of Shakspeare; in his _Taming of the Shrew_; and elsewhere?  Does it not stand on record that the English Queen Elizabeth; receiving a deputation of Eighteen Tailors; addressed them with a 'Good morning; gentlemen both!'  Did not the same virago boast that she had a Cavalry Regiment; whereof neither horse nor man could be injured; her Regiment; namely; of Tailors on Mares?  Thus everywhere is the falsehood taken for granted; and acted on as an indisputable fact。

〃Nevertheless; need I put the question to any Physiologist; whether it is disputable or not?  Seems it not at least presumable; that; under his Clothes; the Tailor has bones and viscera; and other muscles than the sartorius?  Which function of manhood is the Tailor not conjectured to perform?  Can he not arrest for debt?  Is he not in most countries a taxpaying animal?

〃To no reader of this Volume can it be doubtful which conviction is mine。 Nay if the fruit of these long vigils; and almost preternatural Inquiries; is not to perish utterly; the world will have approximated towards a higher Truth; and the doctrine; which Swift; with the keen forecast of genius; dimly anticipated; will stand revealed in clear light:  that the Tailor is not only a Man; but something of a Creator or Divinity。  Of Franklin it was said; that 'he snatched the Thunder from Heaven and the Sceptre from Kings:'  but which is greater; I would ask; he that lends; or he that snatches?  For; looking away from individual cases; and how a Man is by the Tailor new…created into a Nobleman; and clothed not only with Wool but with Dignity and a Mystic Dominion;is not the fair fabric of Society itself; with all its royal mantles and pontifical stoles; whereby; from nakedness and dismemberment; we are organized into Polities; into nations; and a whole co…operating Mankind; the creation; as has here been often irrefragably evinced; of the Tailor alone?What too are all Poets and moral Teachers; but a species of Metaphorical Tailors?  Touching which high Guild the greatest living Guild…brother has triumphantly asked us:  'Nay if thou wilt have it; who but the Poet first made Gods for men; brought them down to us; and raised us up to them?'

〃And this is he; whom sitting downcast; on the hard basis of his Shopboard; the world treats with contumely; as the ninth part of a man!  Look up; thou much…injured one; look up with the kindling eye of hope; and prophetic bodings of a noble better time。  Too long hast thou sat there; on crossed legs; wearing thy ankle…joints to horn; like some sacred Anchorite; or Catholic Fakir; doing penance; drawing down Heaven's richest blessings; for a world that scoffed at thee。  Be of hope!  Already streaks of blue peer through our clouds; the thick gloom of Ignorance is rolling asunder; and it will be Day。  Mankind will repay with interest their long…accumulated debt: the Anchorite that was scoffed at will be worshipped; the Fraction will become not an Integer only; but a Square and Cube。  With astonishment the world will recognize that the Tailor is its Hierophant and Hierarch; or even its God。

〃As I stood in the Mosque of St。 Sophia; and looked upon these Four…and…Twenty Tailors; sewing and embroidering that rich Cloth; which the Sultan sends yearly for the Caaba of Mecca; I thought within myself:  How many other Unholies has your covering Art made holy; besides this Arabian Whinstone!

〃Still more touching was it when; turning the corner of a lane; in the Scottish Town of Edinburgh; I came upon a Signpost; whereon stood written that such and such a one was 'Breeches…Maker to his Majesty;' and stood painted the Effigies of a Pair of Leather Breeches; and between the knees these memorable words; SIC ITUR AD ASTRA。  Was not this the martyr prison…speech of a Tailor sighing indeed in bonds; yet sighing towards deliverance; and prophetically appealing to a better day?  A day of justice; when the worth of Breeches would be revealed to man; and the Scissors become forever venerable。

〃Neither; perhaps; may I now say; has his appeal been altogether in vain。 It was in this high moment; when the soul; rent; as it were; and shed asunder; is open to inspiring influence; that I first conceived this Work on Clothes:  the greatest I can ever hope to do; which has already; after long retardations; occupied; and will yet occupy; so large a section of my Life; and of which the Primary and simpler Portion may here find its conclusion。〃


CHAPTER XII。 FAREWELL。

So have we endeavored; from the enormous; amorphous Plum…pudding; more like a Scottish Haggis; which Herr Teufelsdrockh had kneaded for his fellow…mortals; to pick out the choicest Plums; and present them separately on a cover of our own。  A laborious; perhaps a thankless enterprise; in which; however; something of hope has occasionally cheered us; and of which we can now wash our hands not altogether without satisfaction。  If hereby; though in barbaric wise; some morsel of spiritual nourishment have been added to the scanty ration of our beloved British world; what nobler recompense could the Editor desire?  If it prove otherwise; why should he murmur?  Was not this a Task which Destiny; in any case; had appointed him; which having now done with; he sees his general Day's…work so much the lighter; so much the shorter?


Of Professor Teufelsdrockh; it seems impossible to take leave without a mingled feeling of astonishment; gratitude; and disapproval。  Who will not regret that talents; which might have profited in the higher walks of Philosophy; or in Art itself; have been so much devoted to a rummaging among lumber…rooms; nay too often to a scraping in kennels; where lost rings and diamond…necklaces are nowise the sole conquests?  Regret is unavoidable; yet censure were loss of time。  To cure him of his mad humors British Criticism would essay in vain:  enough for her if she can; by vigilance; prevent the spreading of such among ourselves。  What a result; should this piebald; entangled; hyper…metaphorical style of writing; not to say of thinking; become general among our Literary men!  As it might so easily do。  Thus has not the Editor himself; working over Teufelsdrockh's German; lost much of his own English purity?  Even as the smaller whirlpool is sucked into the larger; and made to whirl along with it; so has the lesser mind; in this instance; been forced to become portion of the greater; and; like it; see all things figuratively:  which habit time and assiduous effort will be needed to eradicate。

Nevertheless; wayward as our Professor shows himself; is there any reader that can part with him in declared enmity?  Let us confess; there is that in the wild; much…suffering; much…inflicting man; which almost attaches us。 His attitude; we wil
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