CULTURE, BEHAVIOUR, BEAUTY

1876

RALF WALDO EMERSON

CULTURE,BEAUTYETC.

W.C.Rives.

VEST-POCKET bJilLT
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aitir

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HE

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fire,

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SNOW-BOUND.
Illustrated.

By John Gkeenleaf Whittier. By Henry Wadsworth

EVANGELINE.
fellow.

Illustrated.

POWER, WEALTH, ILLUSIONS.

Ralph Waldo Emers-

Essays by

CULTURE, BEHAVIOR, BEAUTY.

Ralph Waldo Emek

Essays by

JAMES

R.

OSGOOD &

CO.,

Publishers, Boston.

Cultusre,

BeTicuvior,

Becuxty.

RALPH WALDO EMERSON.

BOSTON
JAMES
It.

OSGOOD \\D COMPANY,

& Fields, and Fields, Osgood,
1876.
<-

Late Ticknor

Co.

PSUL

Copyright, i860, by

Ralph Waldo Emerson.

GIFT

ESTATE William c

* Pfi "-,

T940

University Press: Welch, Bigelow,

&

Co.,

Cambridge.

c^^^y,
CONTENTS.
Page

CULTURE

BEHAVIOR BEAUTY

45

79

^S5Y&*

CULTURE.

CAW

rules or tutors educate

The semigod whom we await?

He must

be musical,

Tremulous, impressional,

Aluc to gentle inilucnce Of landscape and of sky,

And tender

to the spirit-touch

Of man's or maiden's eye

But, to his native centre fast, Shall into Future fuse the Past,

Aud

the world's flowing fates in his

own mould

recast,

CULTURE
l^^f HE word of am hit ion at the present day
)

is

Culture.

Whilst

all

the world

is

in

pursuit of power, and of wealth as a

means of power, culture corrects the theory of

success.

A man

is

the prisoner of his power. a

topical

memory makes him an almanac;

debate, a

talent for

disputant

skill
is,

to

get

money makes him

a miser, that

a beggar.

Culture reduces these inflammations by invoking the aid of other powers againsl
the domi-

nant

and by appealing to the rank of powers. For performIt watches success. ance, Nature has no mercy, and sacrifices the done makes a dropsy or performer to gel a tympany of him. If she wants a thumb, she makes one at the cost of arms and le<?s, and any excess of power in one part is usually
talent,
it
;

8
paid for at once

CULTURE.
"by

some defect

in a contigu-

ous part.

Our

efficiency

depends so much on our con-

centration, thai Nature usually, in the instances

where a marked man is sent into the world, overloads him with bias, sacrificing bis symis said, no It metry to his working power. a man man can write but one book; and
it'

have a defect, it is apl to leave its impression on all his performances. If she creates a policeman like
f'ouche, he
is

made up

of suspi-

cions and of plots to circumvent them. air," said Fouche, " is full of poniards."

"The
The

physician Sanctorius spent

scales,

his

life in

a pair of

weighing his food. Lord Coke valued Chaucer highly, because the Canon Yeman's
Tale illustrates the statute Hen.
against alchemy.
I

V.

saw

man who
the
to

Chap. 4, believed
state

the principal mischiefs in

English

were derived from the devotion

concerts.

musical
the prin-

freemason,

not

long since, set

oat to explain to this country, that

cipal

cause of

tie-

success of General
lie

Wash-

ington was, the aid

derived from the free-

masons.

But worse than the harping on one string, Nature has secured individualism, by giving

CULTURE.
in the system.

the private person a high conceil of his weight

The

pest of society

is

egotists.

There-are dull and bright, sacred and profane,

coarse and fine egotists.
like

'T
all

is

a disease

that,

influenza,

hills

on

constitutions.

In

the distemper the patienl

known

to physicians as chorea,

sometimes turns round, and con[s

tinues to spin slowly on one spot,

a

egotism

metaphysical varioloid of this malady?

runs round
a

The

man

ring formed

by
it,

his

own
in all

talent, tails into an

admiration of
It is

and

relation to the world.

tendency

annoying forms is a cravThe sufferers parade their ing for sympathy. miseries, tear the lint from their bruises, reminds.
of
its

One

veal

their

indictable

crimes,

that

you
of

may

pity them.
ical

They
will

like

sickness, because phys-

pain

extort

some show

interest

from the hv-standers. as we have seen children, who, finding themselves of mi account when

grown people come in, will cough choke, to draw attention.

This distemper
is

till

they

the scourge of talent,

of artists, inventors, and philosophers.

Emi-

nent spiritualists shall

have an incapacity of
the

putting their act

or

word aloof from them,

nothing
it
is.

and seeing

it

bravely for

10
Beware
of the

CULTURE.
man who
It

says, " T
is

am on

the

eve of a revelation."

speedily punished,

inasmuch as this habit invites men to humor it. ami by treating the patient tenderly, to shut him up in a narrower selfisnij and exclude him from the greal world of God's Let us cheerful fallible men and women.
rather be insulted whilst

we

are

insultable.

Religious

literature

has

eminent
private
list

examples,
of poets,

and

if

we run over our

critics,

philanthropists, and

philosophers,
h

we

shall find

them infected w

it

this

drops) and

elephantiasis, which

we ought

tp have tapped.

This goitre of egotism is so frequent among notable persons, that we must infer some strong necessity in nature which it subserves; such
as

we

see

in

the sexual attraction.

the species

The
it

pres-

et at ion

of

was a point of such

has

necessity, that

Nature

secured

at

all

hazards by immensely overloading the passion, at the risk of perpetual crime mid disorder.
S
sity

egotism has

its root

in

the cardinal neces-

by which each individual persists to be what he is. This individuality

is is

not only not

the basis of
its

inconsistit.

ent with culture, but

valuabb nature

is

there in

own

right,

Every and

CULTURE.
the student
wit

11

we speak
facilities,

to

must have a mother-

books, arts,

which uses all and elegances of intercourse, but is never subdued and lost in them. He only is a well-made man who has a good And the end of culture is not determination.
invincible by his culture,
!

to destroy this, (iod forbid

all

but to train

away

impediment and mixture, and leave nothing Our student must have a but pure power. style and determination, and be a master in
his

own
it

specialty.

But, having this, he must

put

behind him.

He
Yet
is

licity, a

power

to see with a free

must have a cathoand disengaged

this private interest

look every object.

and self so overcharged, that, if a man seeks a companion who can look at objects for their

own
him

sake, and without

find

affection or sell'-refer-

ence, he will
that

the

fewest

who
most

will

give
are

satisfaction; whilst

men

afflicted

with

coldness,
u..t

an

incuriosity, as

soon as any object does

self-love.

connect with their

Though
is

llic\

talk of the object be-

fore them, they arc thinking of themselves,

and

their vanity

laying

little

traps for your ad-

miration.

But

after a

man

has discovered that there

are limits to the interest which his private

12

CULTURE.
he
still

history has for mankind,

converses

with his family, or a few companions,

per-

haps with half a dozen personalities thai are famous in his neighborhood. In Boston, tli3
the names of some eighi or Eave von seen Mr. Allston, Doctor Channing, Mr. Adams. Mr. Webster, Mr. Greenough? Have you beard Everett, Garrison, Father Taylor, Theodore Parker? Have you talked with Messieurs Turbinewheel, Sum- r mitlevcl, and Lacofrup Then you may as

question of

life is

ten men.

si

well die.

lu

New

York, the question

is

of

some other eight, or ten, or twenty. Have you seen a few lawyers, merchants, and brotwo or three scholars, two or three kers, capitalists, vro or three editors of newspap

New
tion

York
is

is

sucked orange.

All

com

an end, when we have discharged ourselves of a dozen personalities, domestic or imported, which make up our American existence. Nor do we expect anybody to be
at

other than a
Life
is

taint

very
of

narrow.

copy of these heroes. Bring any club or

company

intelligent

men together again

and if the presence of some penetrating and calming genius could dispose
after ten years,

them

to frankness,

what a confession of

in-

CULTURE.
sanities

13
to

would come up!

The "causes"

which we have

sacrificed, Tariff

or Democracy,

Whigism
ism,

or Abolition, Temperance or Sociallike roots of bitterness

and and our talents arc as mischievous as if each had been seized upon by some bird of prey, which had whisked him away from fortune, from truth, from the dear society of the poets, some zeal, some bias, and only when he was 'now gray and nerveless, was relaxing its claws, and he awaking to
dragons of wrath:
it

would show

sober perceptions.

Culture

is

the suggestion from certain best

thoughts, that a

man

lias

a range of affinities,

through which he can modulate the violence of any master-tones that have a droning preponderance in his scale, and succor him against himself. Culture redresses his balance, puts

him among
the

his

equals and superiors,

revives

sympathy, and warns him of the dangers of solitude and repulsion. "T is not a compliment, but a disparagement to consull a man only on horses, or on steam,
delicious
sens.' of

or on theatres, or on eating, or on books, and,

whenever he appears, considerately

the conversation to the bantling he
to fondle.
is

to

turn

known
tore-

In the Norse heaven of our

li
fathers,

CULTURE.
Tlior's

forty floors;
fired

house had five hundred and and man's house has five linn-

and forty Hours. Eis excellence is faof adaptation and of transition through many related points, to wide contrasts and
cility

extremes.
conceit

Culture

kills

his exaggeration,

li

is

of his village or his city.

We

must

leave our pets

street,

home, when we go into the at and meet men on broad grounds of No performgood meaning and good sense. ance is worth loss of geniality. 'T is a cruel price we pay for certain fancy goods called fine arts and philosophy. In the Norse legend,
Allfadir did not gel a drink of Mimir's spring
(the fountain

of

wisdom),

until
is

he

left

his

eye

in

pledge.

And
his

cannol

unfold
at

pedant that wrinkles, nor conceal his

a
if

here

wrath
is

interruption by the best,

tit

their con-

versation do not

his

impertinency,

here

us with his personalities. 'Tis incident to scholars, that each of them fanhe to
afflict
is

cies he

pointedly odious
of this

in

his

community.

limbo of irritability. Cleanse with healthy blood his parchment skin.

Draw him out

You

restore to him his eves which he left in

at

pledge

Mirmir's

spring.

If

victim of your doing,

who

cares what

von arc the you do?

CULTURE.

15

We

can spare your opera, your gazetteer, your chemic analysis, your history, your syllogisms.

Your man of genius pays dear

tion.

for his distinc-

head runs up into a spire, and instead of a healthy man, merry and wise, he is some mad dominie. Nature is reekless of the
Tlis

individual.
carries them.

When
the

she has points to carry, she

in

To wade

marshes and seathis, that

margins

is

destiny of certain birds, and

they are so accurately made for

are imprisoned in those out of
its

they

places.

Each animal

habitat would starve.

To

the phy-

sician, eacli

man, each woman,

is

an amplificaLocksmith, a

tion of

one organ.

soldier, a

bank-clerk, and a dancer could not

functions.
tation.

exchange

And

thus

we

are victims of adap-

The
are,

antidotes againsl

this

organic egotism

the

range and

v;iriet\

of attractions, as

pained by acquaintance with the world, with men of merit, with classes of society, with travel, with eminent pereons, and with the
high resources of philosophy,
art,

ami religion:
a

books, travel, society, solitude.

The

hardiest

sceptic

who

has seen

horse

broken, a pointer trained, or

who

has visited

a menagerie, or the exhibition of the Indus-

16

CULTURE.

.trious Fleas, will not

cation.

"A
all
is

deny tlie validity of eduboy," says Plato, "is the most

wild beasts"; and, in the same

vicious of
spirit,

the old English poel

" A

boy
city

The
sea, thai

Gascoigne says, unborn than untaught." breeds One kind of speech and manbetter

ners; the back-country a different style; the

another; the army, a fourth.

that,

We know
may

an army which can be confided in

be formed by discipline;
discipline, all

by systematic

men may
said to a

be

shal

Lannes

French

made heroes: Marofficer, " Know,

Colonel, thai
thai

he never
is

courage

none bul a poltroon will boast A great part of was afraid." the couraige of having done the

thing before.

And,

in all

human

action, those

faculties will be strong

ert

Owen

said,

which arc used. Rob"Give me a tiger, and I will

"lis inhuman to want faith in power of education, since to meliorate is the law of nature; and men are valued precisely as they exert onward or meliorating

educate him."
the

force.

On

the other hand, poltroonery

is

the

acknowledging an 'inferiority
Incapacity of melioration
distemper.

to be incurable.
is

the only mortal

There are people who can never understand a trope, or any second or expanded

CULTURE.
sense given to your words, or any

17

humor

but

remain

literalists, after

bearing the music, and

and wit, of seventy 01 They are past the help of surgeon or clergy. Bui even these can nndi rpoetry, and
rhetoric,

eighty years.

stand pitchforks and the

cry of

fire!

and

have noticed

in

.some of this class a

marked

dislike of earthquakes.

Let ns make our education brave and preventive.

Politics
is

an

after-work,
little

poor

patching.
evil
is

We

are always a
is

late.

done, the law

passed, and

The we begin
which

the up-hil] agitation for repeal of that of

weoughl
shall

to

have prevented the enacting.

politics

We
by

one day learn to supersede

education.

What we

call

our root-and-branch

ance,

reforms of shivery, war, gambling, intemperis only medicating the symptoms. We

must begin higher up, namely, in Education. Our arts and tools give to him who can handle them much the same advantage over the novice, as if you extended his life, ten. fifty,
or a hundred years.

Ami

think

it

the part

of good sense to provide every

line soul

with

such culture, that

years, have to say,

it

shall not, at thirty or forty

1

"This which made hopeless through my want

might do

is

of weapons."

L8

CULTURE.
it

But
fails

is

of effect

conceded that much of our training liat all success is hazardous and
; I

rare; that a large pari of our cost and pains

Nature lakes the matter into we must not omit any jot of our system, we can seldom be sure that has availed much, or, that as muchgood would not have accrued from a different sysis

thrown away.

ber

own
it

hands, and. though

tem.

Books, as containing the finest records of Jiuman wit, must always enter into our notion The besl heads that e\er existof Culture.
ed.

Pericles,

Plato, Julius Caesar, Shakspeare,

Goethe,

Milton,

were

well-read,

universally

educated men, and quite too wise to underTheir i. pinion has weight, bevalue' letters.
cause they had means of knowing the opposite
opinion.
he a

We

look that

great

man should

good reader, or, in proportion to the spontaneous power should he the assimilating power, Good criticism is very rare, ami always precious. 1 am always bappy to meet
persons
riority

who
of

perceive the transcendent supeall

Shakspeare over

other writers.

I like people

who
are

like Plato.

Because

this

love does not consist with self-conceit.

But books

good only

as far as a

boy

is

CULTURE.
ready for them.
very slowly.
schoolmaster,
but

10

He
't

sometimes gets ready

child
to

You send your

is

the

the

school-boys

who

educate him.
class,

but

way

to

You send him to the Latin much of his tuition comes, on his You school, from the shop-windows.

and the long terms; and in a by-way of his own, and refuses any companions but of his el lb' hates the grammar and (!r</<h<s, sing, and Loves guns, fishing-rods, horses, and boats.
like the strict rules

he finds his best leading

Well, the boy

is

right

and von an- not

if

lit

to

dinct

his

bringing up.

your theory leaves

Archery, cricket,
all

out his gymnastic training.

gun and
educators,

fishing-rod,
liberalizers

horse and boat, are

;

and so are and

is

dancing,

dn--,

and

the

street-talk;

-provided
of a noble

only the boy has resource--, and

and

ingenuous strain
less

these will not

lie

serve

him

than the bonks.

learns chess,

whist,

dancing, and

theatricals.

The
l'nt

father

observes that another boy has learned algebra

and geometry

in

the

same

time.

the fust

boy has acquired much more than these poor games along with them, lie is infatuated lor
will find out, as

weeks with whist and chess; but presently you did, that when he rises

20

CULTURE.
lie

from the game too long played,

is

vacant

and
has

forlorn,

and despises

himself.

Thence-

takes place with other things, and it due weighl in his experience. These minor skills and accomplishments, for example, dancing, are tickets of admission to the dresscircle of mankind, and the being master of

forward
its

them enables the youth to judge intelligently of much, on which, otherwise, he would give
said, " I have sufbad dancing, than from all the misfortunes and miseries of my life put Provided always the boy is teachtogether."

a pedantic squint.

Landor

fered

more from

my

able

(for

we

are

not

proposing to make a

statue out of punk), foot-ball, cricket, archery,

swimming, skating, climbing, fencing, riding, arc lessons in the art of power, which it is his -riding, specially, of main business to learn which Lord Herbert ofCherbury said. "A good rider on a good horse is as much above himself anil others as the world can make him." Besides, the gun, fishing-rod, boat, and horse
;

constitute,

freemasonries.
to one club.

among all who use them, secret They are as if they belonged

There

is

also a negative value in these arts.

is,

Their chief use to the youth

not amuse-

CULTURE.

21

mentj but to be known for what they are, and not to remain to him occasions of heartburn.

We
its

are full of superstitions.

it

Each

class fixes
:

eyes on the advantages

has not

the re-

on rude strength; the democrat, on birth and breeding. One of the benefits of a college education is, to show the boy its little
fined,
avail.

knew

a leading

man

in a

leading city,

who, having set his heart on an education at the university, and missed it, could never quite
feel

himself the equal of his

own
men

brothers

who
to

had

gone

thither.

His easy superiority

could

multitudes of professional
quite countervail to

never

him

this

imaginary defect.

Balls, riding, wine-parties,

and billiards pass to a poor boy for something line and roman-' and a free admission tic, which they are not to them on an equal footing, if it were possible, only once or twice, would be worth ten
;

times
I

its

cost,

by undeceiving him.

am
T

and

much an advocate for travelling, observe that men run away to other
not

countries, because they are not

good

in

their

own, and run back to their own, because they For the pass for nothing in the new places. must part, only the light characters travel.

"Who are you that have no task

to keep

you

22
at

CULTURE.
?

home

I have

tious things about travel; but I

justice.

been quoted as saying capmean to do

there
is

I think,

a restlessness

in

our people, which argues want of character. All educated Americans, first or last, go to perhaps, because it is their mental Europe;

home, as the invalid habits of

mighl suggest.
said,

this

country
what-

An eminent
them
for

teacher of girls
is,

"The

idea of a girl's education

going to Europe." Can ue never extract this tape-worm of Europe from the brain of our countrymen? One
ever
qualifies

sees very well whal

their fate
a

that docs

not

lill

place

at

must be. II home, cannot

abroad.

He

only goes there to hide his inin

a larger crowd. You do not think you will find anything there which you

significance

have not seen

countries
there
is

at

homer

The

stuff

of all

is

just

the same.

Do you

suppose,

any country where they do not scald

milkpans, and swaddle the infants, and burn

the brushwood, and broil the fish?
true anywhere
is

true everywhere.

What is And let

him go where he will, he can only find so much beauty or worth as he carries. Of course, for some men, travel may be useful. Naturalists, discoverers, and sailors

CULTURE.
arc born.

23
for couriers,

Some men

are

made

exchangers, envoys, missionaries, bearers of

despatches, as others are for farmers and workingmen. And if the man is of a light and social turn, and Nature has aimed to make a Legged and winged creature, framed for locomotion, we must follow her hint, and furnish him with that breeding which gives

currency,

as

sedulously as with
But,
let

that

which

gives worth.

us not

be

pedantic,

but allow to travel its full effect. The hoy grown up ou the farm, which he has never left, is said in the country to have had no chance, and hoys and nun of that condition
look upon work on a railroad, or drudgery
in
a city, as

opportunity.

Poor country boya

their

of

Vermont and Connecticut formerly owed

knowledge they had to Southern Slates.
is

what
the

peddling

trips to the

California and

Pacific Coast

now

the university of tins

class, as Virginia

was

in old times.

"To

have

some chance"

is

their word.

And

the phrase

"to know the world," or to travel, is synonymous with all men's ideas of advantage and
superiority.

No

travel offers advantages.

as he has, as

a man of sense, As many languages many friends, as many arts and

doubt, to

2i
trades, so

CULTURE.
many
a

limes

is

he a man.

foreign

country
to

is

point

of comparison,

wherefrom

One use of travel is, to judge bis own. recommend the honks and works of home; (we go to Europe to be Americanized;) and
to
find

another,
put

men.
in

For,

as
a

Nature

has
in

fruits

apart
so

latitudes,

new
fine

fruit

every

degree,

knowledge and
men.

moral
thus,

quality she lodges in distant

And
each
it

of the six or seven teachers

want'-

whom

man

among
that

his

contemporaries,

often hap-

pens
(it

one or two of them

in

live

on the

her side of the world.

Moreover, there
(vrtain solstice,

is

every constitution a
still
is

when

the stars stand

in

our inward firmament, and when there

quired some foreign
alterative
to
fore,',

re-

some diversion or
And, as seems one of the

prevent

stagnation.

medical

remedy,

travel

best.

Just as a

man

witnessing the admiralull

pain, and meditating on the contingencies of wounds, cancers, lockble effect

of ether to

jaws, rejoices
ery, so a

in

Dr. Jackson's benign discov-

man who

looks

at

Paris, at

Naples,

London, says, "If I should be driven from my own home, here, at least, my thoughts can be consoled by the most prodigal amuseor
at

CULTURE.
incut

:lo

in ages could contrive

and occupation which the human race and accumulate."

to the
benefit

Akin
eesthetic

of foreign travel, the

is

value

of

railroads

to

unite

the

advantages of town and country

of

life,

neither
live

which we can spare.

may,
city,

A man
it

should
let

in or near a large town, because,

his

own
as
it

genius be what

it

will

repel quite as
talent

much
all

of agreeable

and valuable
tin-

draws, and, in a
the citizens
is

total attraction of
first

sure to conquer,
tin-

or

last,

every repulsion, and drag

hermit within
its

most improbable
in

walls
find

some day
the

the year.

In town, he can
the

swimming-school,

ing-gallery, opera, theatre,

gymnasium, the dancing-master, the shootand panorama; the

the

chemist's shop,

museum
line

of

natural histhe

tory;

the

gallery

of

arts;

national

orators, in their tarn;

libraries,

foreign travellers, the

In

and

his

club.

the country,

he

and reading, manly labor, cheap living, and his old shoes; moors for game, hills for geology, and groves for devotion. Aubrey writes, " L have heard Thomas llobbes say, that, in the Earl of Devon's house, in Derbyshire, there was a good library
Can
find

solitude

and books enough

for him,

and

his

lordship


26

CULTURE.
to be bought.
lie thought But the want of good con-

stored the library with what books

lit

versation was a very greal inconvenience, and, though he conceived lie could order his think-

ing as well as another, yet he found a great In the country, in long time, for detect.

want of good conversation, one's understanding aud invention contract a moss on them, Uke an old paling in an orchard."
Cities give us collision.

'T

is

said,

London

and New York take the nonsense out of a man. A great part of our education is symBoys and girls who ha\e pathetic and social. been brought up with well-informed and superior people show in their manners an inestimable
grace.

Fuller says, that

" William,

Earl of Nassau,

won

a
lie

subject from the

king

of Spain, every time

put off his bat."

You

cannot have one well-bred man, without a whole society of such. They keep each other

up
it

to

any high point.

Especially
cultivated

women;

requires a great
of

many

saloons

bright,

elegant,

women, reading women,

accustomed to ease and refinement, to spectacles, 'pictures, sculpture, poetrv, and to elegant society, in order that you should have one Madame de Stael. The head of a com-

CULTURE.
cian of

27

mercial house or a loading lawyer or politiis

men from
too

brought into daily contact with troops all parts of the count ry, and
the driving-wheels, the

those

business

nun

of each section, and one can hardly sug-

gest for an apprehensive

ing culture.

Besides,

man a more searchwe must remember the

offers

high social possibilities of a million of men.

The best bribe which London

to

to-day can

the

imagination
of

is,

that,

in

such a \ast

variety

people
is

ami

conditions,

one
poet,

believe there

room
hero

for persons of romantic

character to
mystic, ami

exist,

and

that

the
to

the

the

may hope

confront

their counterparts.

of
mark

wish

Cities

could teach their best lesson,

It

quiet

manners.

is

the

foible

espe-

cially of

American youth, pretension.

The

of the.

man
lie

of the world

is

absence of

pretension,

docs not
plainly,

make

speech; he
all

takes a low business-tone, avoids

brag,
at

is

nobody, dresses
his

promises not

all,

performs much, speaks

fact.

in monosyllables, lings

He

calls

his

employment
evil

b\

us

lowest
their

name, and so takes from

sharpest
to

tongues

weapon.

His

conversation

clings

the weather and

the news, yet he

28

CULTURE.
his

allows himself to be surprised into thought,

and the unlocking of

losophy.

learning and phiis

How
king

the imagination

piqued by

anecdotes of some great

nito, as a
in

man

gray clothes,
.suit

of Napoleon
levee;

passing incog-

affecting a plain

at

his glittering

of Burns, or Scott, or Beethoven, or Wellington, or Goethe, or any container of transcen-

dent

power,

passing for uobody; of Epami-

nondas,
listen
trilling

"who
subjects

never says anything, but will

eternally"; of Goethe,

who

preferred

and common expressions in intercourse with strangers, worse rather than better clothes, and to appear a little more There arc advancapricious than he was. I have tages in the old hat and box-coat.
heard, that, throughout this country, a certain

respect

is

paid to good broadcloth

little

but dress

makes a
it

restraint:

men

will

not commit

themselves.

unlocks the tongue,

But the box-coat is like wine; and men say what

old poet says,
far

they think.

An
"

Go

and go sparing,
it

For you

'11

find

certain,

The poorer and the baser you appear, The more you '11 look through still." *
*

Beaumont and Fletcher

The Tamer Tamed.

CULTURE.
Not much otherwise Mflnes "Lay of the Humble,"

29
writes,

in

the

"

To me men

are for what they are, They wear no masks with me."

'T

witter

not odd that our people should have, but a little gas there. on the brain, shrewd foreigner said of the Americans,
is

that,

''whatever they say has a

little

the air

of a speech."

Yet one of the

traits

down

in

the books as distinguishing the Anglo-Saxon

is,

a trick of self-disparagement.
old,

To be
a

sure,

in

dense countries,
a
line

among

million of

good
lish

coats,

coat comes to be no dis-

tinction,

and you
a

find humorists.

In an Eng-

with no marked manners or features, with a face like red dough, unexpectedly discloses wit, learning, a wide range
party,

man

of topics, and personal familiarity with

men

in all parts of the world, until

good you think

you have fallen upon some illustrious personCan it be that the American forest has age. refreshed some weeds of old Pictish barbarism
just ready to die out,
feather,

the love of the

?

scarlet

of beads, and tinsel

The

Italians

are fond of red clothes, peacock plumes, and

embroidery

and

remember one

rainy

morn-

30

CULTURE.

ing in the city of Palermo, the street was in

The English a blaze with scarlet umbrellas. The equipages of the have a plain taste. grandees are plain. A gorgeous livery indiMr. cates new and awkward city wealth. Pitt, like Mr. Pym, thought the title of Mister good against any king in Europe. They have piqued themselves on governing the whole world in the poor, plain, dark Committee-

room which the House of Commons

before the
fire.

sat in,

Whilst we want

cities

as the centres

where
finds

the best things are found, cities degrade us

by magnifying trifles. The countryman the town a chop-house, a barber's shop.

He

has lost the lines of grandeur of the horizon, hills and plains, and with them, sobriety and
elevation.

He

has

come among
live for
is

supple,

glib-tongued tribe,
to public opinion.

who
Life

show, servile

dragged down to

a fracas of pitiful cares and disasters.

say the gods ought to respect a
objects are their
life

You
whose
have

own; but

in cities they

betrayed you to a cloud of insignificant an-

noyances

" Mirmidons, race feconde,

Mirmidons,

CULTURE.
Enfin nous conrmandons
Jupiter livrc
le

31

monde
aux mirmidons." *

Aux mirmidons,
'T
is

heavy odds
will

Against the gods,

"When they

match with myrmidons.

We

spawning, spawning myrmidons,

to-day
!

Our turn

we

take

command,

Jove gives the glohe into the hand

Of myrmidons,

of myrmidons.

What is odious but noise, and people who scream and bewail? people whose vane points always cast, who live to dine, who send for
the doctor,
their
feet

who coddle

themselves,

who

toast

on the register, who intrigue to secure a padded chair, and a corner out of Sutler them once to begin the the draught. enumeration of their infirmities, and the sun Let will go down on the unfinished tale.
these triflers put us out of conceit with petty

comforts.

To

man
in.

at

work, the frost

is

but

a color: the rain, the wind, he forgot them

when
least

coarsely,

Let us learn to live The and lie hard. habit of dominion over the palate has
he

came

dress

plainly,

* Berany;er.

32-

CULTURE.
good
effects

certain

not

easily

estimated.

Neither will
sist

we be
'T

driven into a quiddling

is

abstemiousness.

a superstition
is

to

in-

on a special diet. All of the same chemical atoms.

wants.

made

at last

A man in pursuit of greatness feels no little How can you mind diet, bed, dress,
in

or salutes or compliments, or the figure you

make

company, or wealth,

or

even the

bringing things to pass,

when you think how

and the workers ? to me, in West-

paltry are the machinery

Wordsworth was

praised

moreland, for having afforded to his country

neighbors an example of a modest household

where comfort and culture were secured, without display. And a tender boy who wears his rusty cap and outgrown coat, that he may secure the coveted place in college, and the right in the library, is educated to some
purpose.

There is' a great deal of self-denial and manliness in poor and middle-class houses, in town and country, that has not got into literature, and never will, but that keeps the earth sweet that saves on superfluities, and spends on essentials that goes rusty, and educates the boy; that sells the horse, but builds the school works early and late, takes
;

CULTURE.
two looms
looms,
to
in

33
three looms,
six

the factory,
off

mortgage on the paternal farm, and then goes back cheerfully

but pays
again.
ill

the

work

commanding social must be used yet cautiously, and haughtily, and will yield their best values to him who best can do without them. Keep the town for occasions, but the habits should be formed to retirement.
can
spare
;

We

the

benefits

of cities

they

Solitude, the safeguard

of mediocrity,

is

to

genius the stern friend, the cold, obscure shel-

where moult the wings which will bear than suns and stars. He who should inspire and lead his race must be defended from travelling with the souls of other men, from living, breathing, reading, and writing in the daily, time-worn yoke of " In the morning, their opinions. solithat Nature may tude " said Pythagoras
ter
it

farther

'

speak to the imagination, as she does never

.

company, and that her favorite may make acquaintance with those divine strengths which disclose themselves to serious and abstracted
in

thought.
tinus,

'T is very certain that Plato, PloArchimedes, Hermes, Newton, Milton,

live

Wordsworth, did not

in

a crowd, but

34

CULTURE.

descended into it from time to time as bonefactors; and the wise instructor will press
this

point of securing to the

young

soul in

the disposition of time and the arrangements The of living, periods and habits of solitude.

high advantage of university-life mere mechanical one, I may call

arate

is
it,

often the

which parents will chamber and fire, allow the boy without hesitation at Cambridge, We say but do not think needful at home.
solitude, to

of a sep-

mark
but

the character of the tone

of thought

if it

two or more than two,

less
his

can be shared between is happier, and not it

noble.

"We

four,"

wrote

Neander to
whose The more and must
Their

sacred friends, "will enjoy at Halle the

of
a

inward blessedness
I

civitas Dei,

foundations are forever friendship.

know

you, the more

dissatisfy

dissatisfy all

my wonted
stupefies

companions.

very

presence

me.
itself

The

common

understanding withdraws
centre of
all

from the one

existence."

Solitude takes off the pressure of present

relations

and humane and poet seek privacy to ends the most public and universal; and it is the secret of culture, to
importunities, that

more

catholic

may

appear.

The

saint

CULTURE.
interest the
his

35
in

man more
quality.

in his public than

is

private
elicits

Here

new poem,
in the

which
it

journals
is

a good many comments and in conversation. From

at
last,

these

easy,

to eliminate the verdict

it
;

which readers passed upon

in

and that
poet,
as

is,

the

main,
is

unfavorable.

The
in

craftsman,

only interested in the

praise

accorded to him,

and not

the

censure,
little

though

poet hearkens only to that, and rejects the censure, as proving incapacity in the critic. But the
it

be just.

And

the poor

poet cultivated becomes a stockholder in both

say Mr. Curfew, in the Curfew stock, and in the humanity stock; and, in the last, exults as much in the demonstration of the unsoundness of Curfew, as his interest in the former gives him pleasure in the currency of Curfew. For, the depreciation of his Curfew stock only shows the immense values of the humanity stock. As soon as he sides with his critic against himself, with joy, he is a cultivated man. We must have an intellectual quality in all property and in all action, or they are naught. I must have children, I must have events, I must have a social state and history, or

companies,

36

CULTURE.
thinking'

my
But

and speaking want body or

these
accessories any
as

basis.

to

give

value,

must

know them

contingenl

and raihcr
for

showy possessions, which pass

the people than to me.
tion
in

more

to

We

see this abstrac-

scholars,
it

as a

what a charm
tical

matter of course; but adds when observed in prac-

lectual,

men! Bonaparte, like Caesar, was inteland could look at every objeel for without affection. itself, Though an egotist
could criticise
universal
a play, a

a I'outrance, he
ing, a

build-

character, on
just
a

grounds, and
to

give

a
as

opinion.
in

A man known
politics
it"

us

only
gains
th.it

eel ibritj

or

in

trade,

largely

in

our esteem
intellectual

we discover
or
skill

he

has

some
learn

taste

as

when we

of Lord
his

Fairfax, the

Long
anti-

Parliament's

general,
or

passion

for

quarian
Carnot,
or of a

studies;
his

of

the

French
in

regicide

sublime genius

mathematics;
in

or of a living banker, his success

partisan journalist,
So.
if

poetry;
to

his

devotion
in

ornithology.

in

travelling

the dreary

wildernesses of Arkansas or Texas, we should observe on the next scat a man reading Horace,
"i-

Martial, or Calderon,

we should wish
require roughest

to

hug him.

In callings

thai

CULTURE.
energy, soldiers, sea-captains, and
civil
if

37
engi-

neers sometimes betray

fine

insight,

only

through a certain gentleness when nil* duly; a good-natured admission that There are illusions,

and who
r

shall

say thai the

that

he

is

not not

their

sport

We

only

vary
say

phrase,

the

doctrine,

when we

culture
is

opens

the sense of beauty.

A man
in

beggar who

only lives to the useful, and, however he

serve as a piu or
rivet

may

the social machine,

at

cannot be said to have arrived

sion.

self-po

suffer,

every day. from the want of

in

perception of beauty

people.
all

They do

not

know
ner-,

the

charm with which

of

moments and
charm of manRe-

objects can be embellished, the

of self-command,

benevolence.

pose and cheerfulness are the badge of the repose in energy. gentleman. The Greek
battle-pieces

are

calm; the heroes,

of

in
a

whatserene
it

ever violent actions engaged, retain

aspeel
:

as

we

say

Niagara,

that

falls

without
is

speed.
r\\(\

cheerful,

intelligent

face

the

For it wisdom

and success enough. indicates the purpose of nature and

of culture,
attained.

When
we
are

our higher faculties are

domesticated, and

in

activity.

awkwardness and

38

CULTURE.
It

discomfort give place to natural and agreeable

movements.
eration
astr
)iny

is

noticed,

that

the

consid-

of the

great

induces a
to death.

and spaces of dignity of mind, and an

periods

indifference

The

influence of line

scenery, the presence of mountains, appeases

our

irritations

Even a high dome, and

ners.

and elevates our friendships. the expansive interior

of a cathedral, have a sensible effect on manI have heard that still' people lose something of their awkwardness under high ceilings and in spacious halls. I think, sculpture and painting have an effeel to teach us manners, and abolish hurry.

But, over

all,

culture must

reinforce from

higher influx the empirical

skills of

eloquence,

or of politics, or of trade, and the useful arts.

There

is

certain

loftiness of

thought

and

power

marshal and adjust particulars, which can only come from an insight of their whole
to

Connection.
things
in

The orator who has once seen

never quite

their divine order will

lose sight of this,

from a nothing of philosophy, he

mastery
in

and will come to affairs as higher ground, and. though he will say
will

have a certain

dealing with them, and an incapa-

hlencss of being

dazzled

or frighted, which

CULTURE.

39

wiD distinguish his handling from that of attorneys and factors. A man who stands on a good footing -with the heads of parties at Washington reads the rumors of the newspapers, and the guesses of provincial politicians, with
a

key to the right

and wrong in

cadi statement, and sees well enough where

end. Archimedes will look through your Connecticut machine, at a glance, and judge of its fitness. And much more, a wise man who knows not only what Plato, but what
all this will

Saint John can show him, can easily raise the

affair

he

deals

with

to

certain

majesty.

Plato says, Pericles

owed

this elevation to the

lessons of Anaxagoras.
a

higher

sphere

human

affairs.

Burke descended from he would influence Franklin, Adams, Jefferson,

when

Washington, stood on a line humanity, before which the brawls of modern senates are but
pothouse
lint

polities.

there

are

higher

secrets

of culture,

which an; not for the apprentices, hut for These arc lessons <>nl\ for the proficients. brave. We must know our friends under The calamities arc our friends. ugly masks. Pen Jonson specifics in his address to the

Muse

40
"Get him the

CULTURE.
time's long grudge, the court's ill-will,

And, reconciled, keep him suspected still, Make him lose all his friends, and, what is worse, Almost all ways to any better course

me thou leav'st a better Muse than thee, And which thou brought'st me, blessed Poverty."
"With

We

wish to learn philosophy by rote, and play

at heroism.

But the wiser God

says,

Take the

shame, the poverty, and the penal solitude,

Try the rough water as well as the smooth. Rough water can teach lessons worth knowing. When the
that belong to truth-speaking.
state
is

unquiet, personal qualities are more

than ever decisive. Fear not a revolution which

will constrain

you to live five years in one. Don't be so tender at making an enemy now and then. Be willing to go to Coventry sometimes, and let the populace bestow on you their
coldest contempts.

The

finished

man

of the

world must eat of every apple once.

He must

hold his hatreds also at arm's-length, and not remember spite. He has neither friends nor enemies, but values

men only as channels of power. aims high, must dread an easy home and popular manners. Heaven sometimes hedges a rare character about with un-

He who

gainliness

and odium, as the burr that protects

CULTURE.
the fruit.
If there
is

41

in store for you,

it

or the second
ease,

call,

any great and good thing not come at the first nor in the shape of fashion,
will

and

for dolls.

drawing-rooms. Popularity is " Steep and craggy," said Porphyry,

city

"

is

the path of the gods."

cus Antoninus.

Open your MarIn the opinion of the ancients,

he was the great

man who

scorned to shine,

and who contested the frowns of fortune. They preferred the noble vessel too late for the tide, contending with winds and waves, dismantled and unrigged, to her companion borne into harbor with colors flying and guns firing. There is none of the social goods that may not be purchased too dear, and mere amiableness must not take rank with high aims' and self-subsistency.
Bettine replies
to

Goethe's mother,
in

who

chides her disregard of dress, "If I cannot

do as I have a mind,

shall not carry things far."

our poor Frankfort, I And the youth

must

rate at its true

levity of local opinion.

mark the inconceivable The longer we live,

the more

ence
allow

of

we must endure the elementary existmen and women; and every brave

heart must treat society as a child, and never

it

to dictate.

42

CULTURE.

" All that class of the severe and restrictive

virtues," said Burke, "are almost too costly
for

eminent and polite, in behalf of the poor, and low, and impolite ? and who that dares do it, can keep his temper
resist the

Who

humanity." wishes to

Who

wishes to be severe

sweet, his frolic spirits

The high

virtues are

not debonair, but have their redress in being

illustrious at last.

What

forests of laurel

bring,

and the tears of mankind,

to those

we who

stood firm against the opinion of their contemporaries

!

The measure
all

of a master

is

his suc-

cess in bringing

men round

to his opinion

twenty years later. Let me say here, that culture cannot begin too early. In talking with scholars, I observe that they lost on ruder companions those years of boyhood which alone could give imaginative literature a religious and infinite quality in 1 find, too, that the chance for their esteem. appreciation is much increased by being the son of an appreciator, and that these boys who now grow up are caught not only years too
late,

but two or three births too

of.

late, to
it

make

the best scholars

And

I think

a pre-

sentable motive to a scholar, that, as, in an

old community, a well-born proprietor
is

usu-

CULTURE.
ally

43

found, after the

first

heats of youth, to be

a careful husband, and to feel a habitual desire

that the estate shall suffer

no harm by

his ad-

ministration, but shall be delivered

down

to

the next heir in as good condition as he received

it
;

so, a considerate

man

will

reckon

himself a subject of that secular melioration by

which mankind is mollified, cured, and refined, and will shun every expenditure of his forces on pleasure or gain, which will jeopardize this social and secular accumulation.

The fossil strata show us that nature began with rudimental forms, and rose to the more
was fit for their and that the lower perish, as the higher appear. Very few of our race can be said to be yet finished men. We still carry sticking to us some remains of the preceding inferior quadruped organization. We call these millions men; but they are not yet men. Half engaged in the soil, pawing to get free, man needs all the music that can be brought to disengage him. If Love, red Love, with tears and joy if Want with his scourge if War with his cannonade; if Christianity with its charity; if Trade with its money; if Art
complex, as
fast as the earth
;

dwelling-place

with

its

portfolios

if

Science with her tele-

44

CULTURE.

graphs through the dorps of space and time can set his dull nerves throbbing, and by loud taps on the tough chrysalis, can break
its

walls,

and
free,

lei

the

new creature emerge

sing psean!
is

erect

and

-make way, and

to

The age

of the quadruped

go out,

the

age of the brain and of the heart is to come in. The time will come when the evil forms we have known can no more be organized.

Man's culture can spare nothing, wants

material,
lie
is

all

the

to eoiivert

all

impediment s into

instruments,

all

enemies into power.

The

for-

midable mischief will only make the more useful slave. And if one shall read the future of
the race hinted
to
in the organic effort of Nature mount and meliorate, and the corresponding

impulse to the Better

shall

in

the
is

human

being,

we
will

dare affirm that there

nothing he

not overcome and convert, until at last culture shall absorb the chaos and gehenna. Tie will
convert the Furies into
into benefit.

Muses, and the hells

BEHAVIOR
Grace, Beauty, and Caprice
Build this golden portal;
Graceful women, chosen men, Dazzle every mortal
:

Their sweet and

lofty

countenance

His enchauting food

He need nol go to them, their forms Beset his Bolitude.

Hi' looketh seldom in their face, His eyes explore the ground,

The green grass is a Whereon their traits

Little he Bays to

looking-glass
are found.

them,

So dances Ins heart in his breast, Their tranquil nuen liereaveth him

Of \\ n, of words, of rest. Too weak to win, too loud to shun

The tyrants of his doOIU, The much-deceived Endymion

Slips behind a tomb.

<Z$^

BEHAVIOR.
HE
soul

which animates

Nature

is

not less significantly published

in the

figure, movement, and gesture of animated bodies, than in its last vehicle of This silent and subtile articulate speech. language is .Manners; not what, but koto. A statue has no tongue, and Lite expresses. Good tableaux do not need devneeds none.

lamation.

Nature

tells

every

secret

once.

Yes, but in

man

she

tells it all

the time, by form,

attitude, gesture, mien, face,

face,

and parts of the and by the whole action of the machine.

The

visible carriage or action of the individual,

as resulting from his organization and his will

combined, we

call

manners.

What

are they
feet,

but thought entering the hands and

con-

48
trolling the

BEHAVIOR.

movements of the body, the speech and behavior ? There is always a best way of doing everyManners are thing, if it be to boil an egg. the happy ways of doing things; each once
a stroke of genius or of love,

now repeated

and hardened into usage. They form at last a rich varnish, with which the routine of life is washed, and its details adorned. If they are superficial, so are the dew-drops which give such a depth to the morning meadows. Manners are very communicable men catch them from each other. Consuelo, in the romance, boasts of the lessons she had given the nobles in manners, on the stage; and, in real life, Talma taught Napoleon the arts of behavior. Genius invents line manners, which the baron and the baroness copy very fast, and, by the advantage of a palace, better the instruction. They stereotype the lesson they have learned
:

into a mode.

The power

of manners

is

incessant,

an

element as unconcealable as

lire.

The

nobility

cannot in any country be disguised, and no more in a republic or a democracy, than in a

kingdom. No man can resist their influence. There are certain manners which are learned

BEHAVIOR.
in

49

good society, of that force, that, if a person have them, he or she must be considered, and is everywhere welcome, though without beauty, or wealth, or genius. Give a boy address and accomplishments, and you give him the mastery of palaces and fortunes where he goes.

He

has not the trouble of earning or owning

tliem; they solicit

him

to enter

and possess.

We

send

girls of a timid, retreating disposition

to the boarding-school, to the riding-school, to

the ballroom, or wheresoever they can come

into acquaintance and nearness of leading per-

sons of their

where they mighl learn at hand. The power of a woman of fashion to lead, and also to daunt and repel, derives from their belief that she knows resources and behaviors nol known to them but when these have mastered her secret, they learn to confront her, and recover
sex
;

own

address, and see

it

near

their self-possession.

Every day bears witness to their gentle rule. People who would obtrude, now do not obtrude. The mediocre circle learns to demand
that which belongs to a high state of nature or of culture.

examination,
pected,

Your manners are always under and by committees little suspolice in citizens' clothes,

but

50

BEHAVIOR.
you very high prizes
least think of
it.

are awarding or denying

when you

but 't is our In hours of business, we go to him who knows, or has, or does this or that which we want, and we do not let our taste or feeling stand in the way. But
talk

We

much

of utilities,

manners

thai

associate us.

we return to the indolent we can be at case with; those who will go where Ave go, whose manners do not offend us, whose social tone chimes with ours. "When wc reflect on their
this activity

over,

state,

and wish

for those

persuasive and cheering force;

how

they rec-

draw people together; how, in all clubs, manners make the members; how manners make the fortune of the ambitious youth; that, for the most part, his manners marry him, and, for the most part, he marries manners; when wc think what keys they are, and to what secrets; what high les-

ommend,

prepare, and

sons and inspiring tokens of character they

convey; and what divination

for the

is

required

in us,

reading of this

line

telegraph,

we

see

what range the subject has, and what relations to convenience, power, and beauty.
Their
are the
first

service

is

very low,
't is

when they

minor morals; but

the beginning

BEHAVIOR.
of
civility,

51

to

make

us, I

mean, endurable
for their rough-

to each other.

We

prize

them

plastic, abstergent force; to get

people out of

the quadruped state;

clothed,

to

get them

washed,

and set up on end; to slough their animal husks and habits; compel them to be clean overawe their spite and meanness, teach them to stifle the base, and choose the generous expression, and make them know how
;

much
is

happier the generous behaviors are.

the laws cannot reach.

Bad behavior
infested

Society

with rude, cynical,

restless,

and

frivolous persons

who prey upon

the rest, and

a public opinion concentrated into good manners, forms aceeptcd by the sense of all, the contradictors and railers at can reach

whom,

public and private tables,

who

are like terriers,

who

the duty of a dog of honor to growl at any passer-by, and do the honors of

conceive

it

I the house by harking him out of sight: have seen men who neigh like a horse when

yon contradict them, or say something which then the overbold, they do not understand who make their own invitation to your hearth the persevering talker, who gives yon his society in large, saturating doses; tin pitiers of them:

selves,

perilous class

the frivolous As-

52
modeus, who

BEHAVIOR.
relics

on you to find him

the

in ropes

of sand to twist;

monotones;
;

every stripe of absurdity

in

short,

these are social

inflictions which the magistrate cannot cure or defend yon from, and which must be intrusted

to the restraining force of custom, and proverbs, and familiar rules of behavior impressed on

young people

in

their school-days.
t

In the hotels mi
the

lie

banks of the Mississippi,

rules of

they print, or used to print,

house, thai

among the "no gentleman can

same country,
in

be per-

mitted to enine to the public table without his

coat"; and

in

the

the pews

of the churches,

little

placards plead with the

worshipper againsl the fury of expectoration.

Charles Dickens self-sacrificingly undertook the
reformation of our American manners in unspeakable particulars. I think the lesson was
not

quite lost; thai

that

it

held bad manners up,

deformity.
deformities.

so

the

churls could sec the

its

Unhappily, the book had

It

own
in a

oughl not io need to print

caution to strangers not to speak

reading-room loud; nor

to persons

who

look over line engravings, that

they

should

be
;

handled

like

cobwebs

and

butterflies'

wings

nor to persons who look at

they shall not smite

marble statues,

that

them

BEHAVIOR.
with canes.
tion of

53

But, even in the perfect civilizaBoston, such cautions are not quite
arc fact
ions,

needless in the Athenaeum and City Library.

Manners
cumstance
ants,

it

and grow oul of

If

cir-

as well as oul of character.

you

look at the pictures of patricians and of peasof

different

periods and countries, yon

will see in
is

how

well they mat eh the

same

classes

our towns.
well

The modern
in Titian's

aristocrat not only

in

drawn

Venetian doges, and

Roman

coins and statues, but

also in the pic-

tures which

Commodore Perry brought home

Broad lands and
great

of dignitaries in Japan.

interests not only arrive to such heads as can

manage them, but form manners

of power.

A
who
and

keen eye, too, will see nice gradations of rank. homage or see in the manners the degree of
the party
is
is

wont

to receive.

prince

accustomed every day to be courted

deferred to by the highest grandees, acquires a corresponding expectation, and a becoming

mode

of receiving and replying to this homage. There are always exceptional people and modes. English grandees affect to be farmers. Claverhouse is a fop. and. under the finish oi dress, and levity of behavior, hides the terror But Nature and Destiny are lionof his war.

54
est,

BEHAVIOR.

and never fail to leave their mark, to hang out a sign for each and for every quality. It is much to conquer one's face, and perhaps the ambitious youth thinks he lias got the whole
secret

when

he has learned

that

disengaged

manners are commanding. Don't be deceived by a facile exterior. Tender men sometimes
have
setts,
life

strong

wills.

We

had,

in

Massachusat all his

an old statesman,

who had

in

courts and in chairs of state, without

overcoming an extreme irritability of face, and bearing when he spoke, his voice would not serve him; it cracked, it broke, it wheezed, it piped, little cared he; he knew
voice,
:

that
his

it

had got

to pipe, or

wheeze, or screech

argument and his indignation. When he sat down, after speaking, he seemed in a sort of fit, and held on to his chair with both hands:
but underneath
in
all this irritability

was a puis-

sant will, linn, and advancing, and a

memory

which lav

in

order and method like geologic

strata every fact of his history,

and under the

mainly,

control of his will.

Manners are partly

Else
all

factitious, but,

there must be capacity for culture in the blood.

culture
is

vain.

The

obstinate preju-

dice in favor of blood, which lies at the base of

BEHAVIOR.
the feudal and monarchical fabrics of the

55
Old

World, has some reason in common experience. Every man mathematician, artist, soldier, or merchant looks with confidence for some traits and talents in his own child, which he would not dare to presume in the child of a stranger. The Orientalists are very orthodox on this point. " Take a thorn-bush," said the emir Abdel-Kader, " and sprinkle it for a whole

year

with water;

it

will

yield

nothing but
it

thorns.
culture,

Take a and it
is

date-tree,
will

leave

without
dates.

always

produce

Nobility
lace
is

the date-tree,

and the Arab popuis

A
If
it

a bush of thorns." main fact iu the history of manners

the

wonderful expressiveness of the

human

body.

were made of

glass, or of air,

and the

thoughts were written on steel tablets within,

its meaning Wise men read very sharply all your private history in your look and gait and behavior. The whole economy of nature, is bent on expression. The tell-tale body is all tongues. Men are like Geneva watches with crystal laces which expose the whole movement. They carry the liquor of life flowing up and down in these beautiful bottles, and announcing
it

could not publish more truly

than now.

56
to the curious

BEHAVIOR.
how
it

is

with them.

The

face

and eyes reveal what the spirit is doing, how has. The eyes indicate old it is, what aims the antiquity of the soul, or through how
it.

many forms

it

has already ascended.

It al-

mosl violates the proprieties, if we say above the breath here, what the confessing eyes do

not hesitate to utter to every street passenger.

Man
far

cannot

li\

his eve on the sun,

and so

seems imperfect.

In Siberia, a
eye.

late trav-

eller

found men who could see the

satellites of

Jupiter with their

unarmed

In some

re-

spects the animals excel us.

The

hirds have

a longer sight, beside the advantage by their

wings of

higher observatory.

cow can
hide
it-

bid her calf, by secret signal, probably of the

eye, to run away, or to
self.
lie

down and

The jockeys say

of certain horses, that

out-door
out

"they look over the whole ground." The hunting, and labor, give life, and

equal vigor to the

at
is

human

eye.

farmer looks
his eve-

yon as strong as the horse;

like the stroke of a
stall'.

beam

An
its

eye can
altered

threaten like a loaded and levelled gun, or can

insult like hissing or kicking; or, in

mood, by beams of kindness,

heart dance with joy.

it

can make the

BEHAVIOR.
The eye obeys exactly the action

57
of the mind.
fix, and enumerating

When
the

a thought strikes us, the eyes

in

remain gazing at a distance;

names of persons or of countries, as France, Germany, Spain, Turkey, the eyes wink at each new name. There is no nicety of learning sought by the mind, which the eyes do not vie
in acquiring.

gelo,

"An artist," said Michel An" must have his measuring tools, not in the hand, but in the eye " and there is no end to the catalogue of its performances, whether
;

in indolent vision (that of health

or in strained vision (that of

leaping, here

roving, running, Eyes are bold as lions, and there, far and near. They speak all languages. They wait for no introduction they are no Englishmen ask no leave
; ;

art

and beauty) and labor).

of age, or rank; they respect neither poverty

nor riches, neither learning nor power, nor virtue, nor sex, but intrude, and come again, and go through and through von, in a moment
of time.
is

discharged

"What inundation of life and thought from one soul into another,
!

through them

The glance

is

natural magic.

The

communication established across a house between two entire strangers, moves all the springs of wonder. The conimumysterious

58

BEHAVIOR.
is

nication by the glance

in the greatest part

will.

not subject to the control of the

into the

It

is

the

bodily symbol of identity of nature.

We

look
is

eyes to
self,

know

if this

other form

and the eyes Mill not lie, but make a faithful confession what inhabitant is there. The revelations are sometimes terrific. The confession of a low, usurping devil is there made, and the observer shall seem to feel the stirring of owls, and bats, and horned hoofs, where he looked for innocence and simplicity.
another
'T
is

remarkable, too, that the

spirit,

that ap-

pears at the windows of the house does at

once invest himself in a

to the

new form

of his own,

mind

of the beholder. of

The eyes

men

converse as

much
is

as their

tongues, with the advantage, that the ocular

dialect needs
all

no dictionary, but

understood

the world over.

When

the eyes say one

thing, and the tongue another, a practised

relies
is

on the language of the

in the eyes of

first,

If the

man man

eves show it. You can your companion, whether your argument hits him, though his tongue will not confess it. There is a look by which a man shows he is going to say a good thing, and a look when he has said it. Vain and
off his centre, the

read

BEHAVIOR.
forgotten are
hospitality,
if

59

all

the fine offers and offices of

is

no holiday in the eye. avowed by ihe eye, though dissembled by the lips One comes away from a company, in which, it may easily happen, he has said nothing, and no important remark has been addressed to him, and yet, if in sympathy with the society, he shall not have a sense of this fact, such a stream of life has been flowing into him, and out from There are eyes, to be him, through the eyes. sure, that give no more admission into the man than blueberries. Others are liquid and deep, wells that a man might fall into others are aggressive and devouring, seem to call out the police, take all too much notice, and require crowded Broadways, and the security of milthere

How many

furtive inclinations

lions,

to

protect

individuals

against

them.
'T

The

military eye I meet,

clerical,

now
't is

darkly sparkling
is

under
nets.

now under
;

rustic brows.

the city of Lacedoemon

a stack of bayoof fate,

There are asking eyes, asserting

full

prowling eyes; and eyes

of good and

some
The
It
al-

eves,

some of
a

sinister

omen.
eye.

leged power to charm

in beasts,
is

down

insanity, or ferocity

power behind the

must
it

be a victory achieved in the

will,

before

can

60

BEHAVIOR.
'T
is

be signified in the eye.

very certain that

each

man

carries in his eye the exact indication

of his rank in the

immense

scale of

men, and

we are always learning to read it. A complete man should need no auxiliaries to his personal Whoever looked on him would conpresence.
sent to his will, being certified that his aims

were generous ami universal. The reason why men do not obey us, is because they see the mud at the bottom of our eye.
If the organ of sight
is

such a vehicle of

power, the

oilier features
in

have their own.

man

finds

room

the lew square inches of the

all

face for the traits of

his

ancestors; for the

ami his wants. The sculptor, and Winckelmann, and Lavater will tell you how significant a feature is the nose; how its forms express strength or weakness
expression of
all his history,

of will,

and good or bad temper.

The nose of

Julius Caesar, of Dante, and of Pitt suggest " the terrors of the beak." What refinement,

"Beand what limitations, the teeth betray! ware von don't laugh/ said the wise mother, " for then you show all your faults."
5

Balzae left in manuscript a chapter, which he called " Theorie de l<t demarche" in which

he says

"

The

look, the voice, the respiration,

BEHAVIOR.
and the attitude or walk are
as
it

61
identical.

But

has not been given to man, the power to

stand guard, at once, over these four differenl simultaneous expressions of his thought, watch
thai
will

know

one which speaks out the truth, and you the whole man."

Palaces interest us mainly in the exhibition

of manners, which, in the idle and expensive
society dwelling in them, arc raised to a high
art.

The maxim

of courts

is,

that

manner

is

power.

calm and resolute bearing, a polished speech, an embellishment of trifles, and

all

the art of hiding

essential to the courtier

uncomfortable feeling, are ami Saim Simon, and

;

Cardinal de Retz, and

Roederer,

clopaedia of Memoires, will instrucl you,

and an encyif you

it

wish, in those potent secrets.

point of pride with kings, to

Thus,

is

remember

faces

is reported of one prince, that It and names. his head had the air of leaning downwards, in

order not to humble the crowd.

There are
child with a

people

who come

in ever like a

piece of good news. It was said of the late Lord Holland, that he always came down to breakfast with the air of a man who had just

met with some signal good-fortune. In " Notre Dame," the grandee took his place on the dais,

62

BEHAVIOR.
who
is

with the look of one

thing
else.

thinking of someeaves-

But we must not peep and

drop

at palace-doors.

Fine manners need the support of fine man-

A scholar may be a well-bred man, or he may not. The enthusiast is introduced to polished scholars in society, and is
ners in others.

and silenced by finding himself not in They all haw somewhat which he has not, and, it seems, ought to have. But if he finds the .scholar apart from his companions, it is then the enthusiast's turn, and the scholar has no defence, but must deal on his
chilled
their element.

terms.

Now

they must

tight

the
is

battle out

on
ful

their private strengths.

Wliat

the talent

of that character so

common,

man

of the world,
1-

the
:

success-

in all marts, senates,

and drawing-rooms Manners manners of power; sense to see his advantage, and manners up to it. See him approach his man. He knows that troops behave as they are handled
at first;

happens
affair,

that what cheap secret; every two persons who meet on any one he has the perceives
is

his

just

to

instantly

that

key of the situation, that his will comprehends

the other's will, as the cat does the

mouse;

and he has ouly

to use courtesy,

and furnish

BEHAVIOR.

63

good-natured reasons to his victim to cover up

the chain, lest he be shamed into resistance.

The theatre
but
for

in

which

this science of
is

manners

has a formal importance

day's business,

not with us a court,

dress-circles, wherein, after the close of the

men and women meet al leisure, mutual entertainment, in ornamented drawOf course
it

ing-rooms.

has every variety of

great objects

attraction and merit; but, to earnest persons,

to youths or maidens
at heart,

who have

we cannot extol it highly. A welldressed, talkative company, where each is bent yet the high-born Turk to amuse the other, who came hither fancied that every woman seemed to be suffering for a chair that all the talkers were brained and exhausted by the

deoxygenated it put all on

that

air:

it

spoiled the best persons:

stilts.

Yet here are the secret

biographies written and read.

The

aspecl of

man

is

repulsive

I do not wish to deal

The other is irritable, shy, and on his guard. The youth looks humble and manly: I choose him. Look on this woman. There is not beauty, nor brilliant sayings, nor distinguished power to serve you; but all sec her gladly her whole air and impression are healthful. Here come the sentimentalists, and
with him.
;

64
the invalids.
in

BEHAVIOR.
Here
the
since.
is

Elise

who caught
and
arc
has

cold

coming

into
it

world,

always
at

increased

Here

creep-mouse
"

manners
thai

and thievish manners.

seen
a cat,"

Look

Northcote," said Fuseli; "he looks

has

like a rat

In the shallow comis

pany, easily excited, easily tired, here

:

the

columnar Bernard the Alleghanies do not Here express more repose than his behavior.
are
the

sweet

following

eyes

of Cecile:

it

seemed always that she demanded the heart. Nothing can he more exeellent in kind than the Corinthian grace of Gertrude's manners, and vet Blanche, who has no manners, has better manners than she; for the movements of
Blanche are the
ficient

sallies of a spirit

which

is

suf-

for the

moment, and she can

afford to

express even thoughl by instant action.

Manners have been somewhal cynically demen to keep fools at a distance. Fashion is shrewd to detect those who do no! belong to her train, and
fined to he a contrivance of wise

seldom wastes her attentions.

swift in its instincts, and.
if

Society

is

very

von do not belong

to

it,

resists

and sneers
tirst

at

von. or quietly drops

yon.

weapon enrages the party attacked; the second is still more effective, but

The

BEHAVIOR.
is

65

action

not to be resisted, as the date of the transis not easily found. People grow up and
old under this infliction, and never sustruth, ascribing the solitude which on them very injuriously to any cause

grow
nets

pect the

but the right one.

The

basis of
is

good manners
all

is

self-reliance.

Necessity
possessed.

the law of

who

are not

self-

Those who are not self-possessed, obtrude, and pain us. Some men appear to
belong to a Pariah caste.

feel that they

They

fear to offend, they

bend and apologize, and

walk through life with a timid step. As we sometimes dream that we are in a well-dressed company without any coat, so Godfrey acts ever as if he suffered from some mortifying
circumstance.
at

The hero should

;

find

himself

home, wherever lie is should imparl comfort by his own security and good-nature to all beholders. The hero is suffered to be himself. A person of strong mind comes to perceive
(hal

for

him an immunity

is

secured so long

as he renders to society that service which is native and proper to him, an immunity from

all

the

observances,

yea,

and

duties,

society so tyrannically imposes on the rank

file

which and

of

its

members.

"Euripides," says Aspa-

66
sia,

BEHAVIOR.
" has not the
fine

manners of Sophocles

but," she adds good-humoredly, "the movers

and masters of our souls have surely a right to limbs as carelessly as they tli row out their please, on the world that belongs to them, and before the creatures they have animated."* Maimers require time, as nothing is more
Friendship should be surrounded with ceremonies and respects, and Friendship requires not crushed intocorners. more time than poor busy men can usually comvulgar than haste.

mand.

Here comes to me Roland, with a

deli-

cacy of sentiment leading and inwrapping him 'T is a great like a divine cloud or holy ghost.
destitution to both that this should not be en-

tertained with large leisures, but contrariwise

should be balked by importunate

affairs.

But through
is

this lustrous varnish, the reality

ever shining.

is

from breaking through

how.
will

hard to keep the what this pretty painting of

The core will come to the surface. Strong and keen perception overpower old manners and create new; and the thought of the present moment has a greater value than all the In persons of character, we do not repast.

mark manners, because

* Laiidor
:

of their iustantaneousand Aspasia.

Pericles

BEHAVIOR.
ness.

67

We
all

are surprised by the tiling done,

power to watch the way of it. Yet nothing is more charming than to recognize
out of
the great style which runs through the actions
of such.
fortunes,

People masquerade before us

titles,

in their

offices,

and connections, as

academic or
frivolous,

civil

presidents, or senators, or

professors, or great lawyers,

and impose on the and a good deal on each other, by

these fames.

At

least, it is

a point of prudent

good manners to
derly, as if they
realist

treat these reputations ten-

were merited.
as

But the sad

and

knows these
;

fellows at a glance,

they

know him

when

in

Paris the chief

many diamonded pretenders shrink and make themselves as inconspicuous as they can, or give him a
of the police enters a ballroom, so

supplicating look as they pass.

ceived," said a sibyl,
birth

the

fatal

gift

" I had rehad received at of penetration": and

"1

these Cassandras are always born.

Manners impress

as they indicate real power.

A man who

is

sure of his point carries a broad

and contented expression, which everybody reads. And you cannot rightly train one to an air and manner, except by making hi in the kind of man of whom that manner is the natu-

68
ral expression.

BEHAVIOR.
reality.

Nature forever put a premium is done for effect is seen to be done for effect what is done for love is felt to be done for love. A man inspires affection and honor, because he was not lying in The things of a man for which wait for these. we visit him were done in the dark and the cold.

on

What

little

integrity

is

better

than

any career.

So deep are the sources of

this surface-action,

that even the size of your companion seems to vary with his freedom of thought. Not only is

ho larger,
riable

when

at ease,

and

his thoughts gen-

erous, hut everything around him becomes va-

with expression.
chain, will

No
:

carpenter's rule,

no rod and

measure the dimensions of any house or house-lot go into the house if the proprietor is constrained and deferring, 'tis of no importance how large his house, how
:

beautiful his grounds,

you
man

quickly
is

come

to

the end of

all

but

if

the

self-possessed,

happy, and at home, his house

indefinitely large

is

deep-founded,

and interesting, the roof and

roof, the
sits

dome buoyant as the sky. Under the humblest commonest person in plain clothes
there massive, cheerful, yet formidable like

the Egyptain colossi.

Neither Aristotle, nor Leibnitz, nor Junius,

BEHAVIOR.

69

nor Champollion has set down the grammarbut rules of this dialect, older than Sanscrit they who cannot yet nail English can read this. Men take each other's measure, when they meet
;

for the first time,

ami every time they meet.

power and
not in wlmt they say,

How do

they get this rapid knowledge, even bedis-

fore they speak, of each other's

positions

One would
is

say, that the persuasion

of their speech

or,

that

but

men do

not convince by their argument,

by their personality, by who they are, and what they said and did heretofore. .V man already strong is listened to, and everyAnother opposes thing he says is applauded. him with sound argument, hut the argument is scouted, until by and by it gets into the mind of some weighty person; then it begins
to tell on the

community.
is

Self-reliance
is

the basis of behavior, as

it

the guaranty that the powers are not squan-

dered in too

much

demonstration.
is

In

this

country, where school education

universal,

we have

a superficial culture, and a profusion

of reading and writing and expression.

We

parade our nobilities

instead of working

in

poems and
into

orations,

them up

happiness.

There

is

a whisper out of the ages to him

who

70
can understand
thyself alone

BEHAVIOU.
it,

" whatever

is

known

to

has

always very great value."

There is some reason to believe, that, when a man does not write his poetry, it escapes by other vents through him, instead of the one vent of writing; clings to his form and manners, whilst poets have often nothing poetical
about them except their verses.
that

Jacobi said,

"when

man

has

fully

expressed his

thought, he has somewhat less possession of

it."
is

One would

say, the rule

is,

What

man

urged to say, helps him and us. In explaining his thought to others, he explains it to himself: but when he opens it for
irresistibly

show,

it

corrupts him.
is

Society

the stage on which manners are

arc their
literature.

Novels manners and the new importance of these books derives from
;

shown

novels

are the journal or record of

the fact, that the novelist begins to penetrate

the surface, and treat this part of
worthily.
life

The novels used

to

be

all alike,

more and

had a quite vulgar tone. The novels used to lead us on to a foolish interest in the fortunes
of the boy and girl they described.

was
tion.

to be raised from a

He was

in

The boy humble to a high posiwant of a wife and a castle,

BEHAVIOR.
with one or both.
the point

71

and the object of the story was to supply him We watched sympathetically, step by step, his climbing, until, at last,
is gained, the wedding day is fixed, and we follow the gala procession home to the castle, when the doors are slammed in our face,

and the poor reader

not enriched by so
tuous impulse.

is left

outside in the cold,

much

as an idea or a vir-

But the
and
all.

victories of character are instant,

all.

victories for

Its

greatness enlarges

We are fortified

by every heroic anecdote.

if

The novels

are as useful as Bibles,

they teach

you the secret, that the best of life is conversation, and the greatesl success is confidence, or perfect understanding between sincere people. 'T is, a French definition of friendship, Hen que The highest s'entendre, good understanding.
compact

we can make with our

That
is

fellow

is,

"Let
as
it

there be truth between us two forever-

more."
is

the charm in
all

all

good novels,
histories, that
first,

the charm in

good
a

the heroes mutually understand, from the

and deal

loyally,

and with

profound trust

in

each other.
to

It is sublime to feel

and say of

another, I need never meet, or speak, or write

him

we need

not reinforce ourselves, or

72

BEHAVIOR.
:

I rely on him on myself if he did thus or thus, 1 know it was right. In all the superior people I have met, I notice directness, truth spoken more truly, as if
as
:

send tokens of remembrance

everything of obstruction, of malformation, had

been trained away.

ceal
?

What have they to conWhat have they to exhibit ? Between

persons, there
;

simple and noble

quick intelligence

is

always a

they recognize at sight, and

meet on a better ground than the talents and skills they may chance to possess, namely, on sincerity and uprightness. For it is not what
talents or genius a

man

has, but

how

he

is

to

his talents, that constitutes friendship acter.

and charrelated of

The man

that
lt;ni

stands
also.

by himself, the
It
is

universe stands 1a
the

monk

Basle, that,

being excommunicated
at

by the Pope, he Mas,

his

death,

sent

in

charge of an angel to find a lit place of suffering in hell; but, such \\a> the eloquence and

good-humor of the monk, that, wherever he went, he was received gladly, and civilly treated, even by the most uncivil angels; and when he came to discourse with them, instead of contradicting or forcing him, they took his part,

and adopted

his

manners

and even good an-

BEHAVIOR.
gels
their

73
up was

came from

far,

to see him, and take

abode with him.

The angel

that

sent to find a place of torment for him attempted to remove him to a worse pit, but with no better success; for such was t he contented spirit of the monk, that he found something to praise in every place and company, though in hell, and made a kind of heaven of
it.

At

last the escorting angel

returned with

his prisoner to

them

that sent him, saving, that

no phlegethon could be found that would burn him for that, in whatever condition, Basle remained incorrigibly Basle. The legend says, his sentence was remitted, and he was allowed to go into heaven, and was canonized as
;

a saint.

There

is

a stroke of magnanimity in the

correspondence of Bonaparte with his brother Joseph, when the latter was king of Spain, and

complained

that

he missed La Napoleon's letters

the affectionate tone which

childish correspondence.
plies

had marked their

sorry," re-

"I am

" you think yon shall find your brother again only in the Klvsian Fields.

Napoleon,

should not feel towards you as he did at twelve. But his feelings towards you have greater truth and

It is natural, that at forty, he

74
strength.
his

BEHAVIOR.
His friendship has the features of
forgive to those

mind."

How much we
the rare
will

who

yield us
!

spectacle

of heroic

manners

We

pardon them the want of books, of arts, and even of the gentler virtues. How tena-

Here is a lesson ciously we remember them which I brought along with me in boyhood from the Latin School, and which ranks with
!

the best of

Roman

anecdotes.

Marcus Scau-

rus was accused by Quintus Varius Hispanus,

that he had excited the allies to take arms

against the republic.

But

he,

full

of firm-

ness and gravity, defended himself in this man-

ner "Quintus Varius Hispanus alleges that Marcus Scaurus, President of the Senate, excited the allies to arms Marcus Scaurus, President of the Senate, denies it, There is no
: :

witness.

Which do you

believe,

Romans?"
had said

" Utri crcditis, Quirites ? "

of the people.

When he

these words, he was absolved by the assembly

I have seen manners that

like exhilaration,

make a
;

similar

impression with personal beauty

in

that give the

;

and refine us like that and, memorable experiences, they are suddenly better than beauty, and make that superfluous

BEHAVIOR,.
and ugly.

75
fine

But they must be marked by

self-control
:

perception, the acquaintance with real beauty.

They must always show

not be
facile,

you

shall

apologetic, or leaky, but king

;

and every gesture and action power at rest. Then they must be inspired by the good heart. There is no
shall indicate

over your word

beautifier of complexion, or form, or behavior,

like the
us.

wish to scatter joy and not pain around

is

good to give a stranger a meal or a 'T is better to be hospitable to his good meaning and thought, and give courage to a companion. We must be as
'T
night's lodging.

courteous to a

man

as

we

are to a picture,

which we are willing to give the advantage of Special precepts are not to be a good light. thought of: the talent of well-doing contains them all. Every hour will show a duty as paramount as that of my whim just now; and yet I will write it, that there is one

topic peremptorily forbidden to

all

well-bred,

to

all

rational mortals, namely, their distem-

you have not slept, or if you have you have headache, or sciatica, or leprosy, or thunder-stroke, I beseech you, by all angels, to hold your peace, and not pollute the morning, to which all the housemates bring
pers.

If

slept,

or

if

7G

BEHAVIOR.

serene and pleasant thoughts, by corruption and groans. Come out of the azure. Love
the day.

Do

not leave the sky out of your

The oldest and the most deserving person should come very modestly Into any newly awaked company, respecting the divine
landscape.

communications, out of which

all

must be
old

presumed

to

have newly come.

An

man

who added

an elevating culture to a large experience of life said to me, " When you come
into the room, I think I will study

how

to

make humanity beautiful to you." As respects the delicate question

of culture,

I do not think that any other than negative rules can be laid down. For positive rides, for suggestion. Nature alone inspires it. Who dare assume to guide a youth, a maid, to perfect

manners

difficult,

the golden mean so say unattainable.

?
is

delicate,

frankly,

"What

finest

hands would not be clumsy

to sketch the

genial precepts of the

young

girl's

demeanor?

The chances seem

infinite againsi

success: and

vet success is continually attained. There must not be secondariness, and '1 isathousand to one that her air and manner will at once

betray that she

is

not primary, but that there

of her class, to

is

some other one or many

whom

BEHAVIOR.
she habitually postpones herself.
lifts

77
But Nature
it,

her easily, and without knowing

over

these impossibilities, and

we

are continually

surprised with graces and felicities not only

unteachablc, but undescribable.

BEAUTY.

Was

never form and never face

So sweet to Seyd as only grace Which did not slumber like a stone But hovered gleaming and was gone.

Beauty chased he everywhere,

In flame, in storm, in clouds of air. He smote the lake to feed his eye

With the beryl beam of the broken wave,

He

flung in pebbles well to hear

The moment's music which they gave. Oft pealed for him a lofty tone From nodding pole and belting zone.

He

heard a voice none

else could

hear

From centred and from

errant sphere.

The quaking earth did quake in rhyme, Seas ebbed and flowed in epic chime.
In dens of passion, and pits of woe,

He saw strong Eros struggling through, To sun the dark and solve the curse, And beam to the bounds of the universe.

80

BEAUTY.
While thus to love he gave his days In loyal worship, scorning praise,

How spread their lures for him, in vain, Thieving Ambition and paltering Gain! He thought it happier to be dead, To die for Beauty, than live for bread.

BEAUTY
HE spiral tendency of vegetation infects
Our books approach we most wish to know. What a parade we make of our science, and how far off, and at arm's length, it is from its objects Our botany is all names,
education also.

very slowly the things

not powers
anist

poets and romancers talk of herbs

;

of grace and healing

but what does the bot-

know
his

of the virtues of his weeds

geologist lays bare the strata, and can tell

all

on

fingers

but does he

The them know what

?

builds his house on the race that inhabits a granite shelf? what on the inhabitants of marl and of alluvium ? We should go to the ornithologist with a new feeling, if he could teach us what the soeffect passes into the

man who

in

them

what

effect

82
cial

BEAUTY.
birds say,

when they

sit

in the

council, talking

together in the

trees.

autumn The

tionary.

want of sympathy makes his record a dull dicHis result is a dead bird. The bird is not in its ounces and inches, but in its relations to nature; and tbe skin or skeleton you show me is no more a heron, than a heap of
ashes or a bottle of gases into which his body
has

been

reduced,
is

is

Dante or Washington.

ledyjww the road by the whole distance of his fancied advance. The boy had juster views when lie gazed at the shells on the

The

naturalist

beach, or the flowers in the

call

meadow, unable

to

them by

their names, than the

man

in the

pride of his nomenclature.

ested us, for
it

Astrology interInstar

tied

man

to the system.

stead of an isolated beggar, the farthest

felt

However rash him, and he felt the star. and however falsified by pretenders and traders in it, the hint was true and divine, the soul's avowal of its large relations, and, that climate, century, remote natures, as well as Chemistry near, are part of its biography.
takes
to

pieces,

but

it

does not construct.

Alchemy which sought to transmute one element into another, to prolong life, to arm with All power, that was in the right direction.

BEAUTY.

83

our science lacks a human side. The tenant is more than the house. Bugs and stamens and spores, on which we lavish so many years, are not finalities; and man, when his powers unfold in order, will take

Nature along

\\

ith

him,

and emit

light into all her recesses.

The hu-

man
into
'

heart concerns us more than the poring

microscopes, and is larger than can be measured by the pompous figures of the as-

tronomer.

We are just so frivolous and

hold themselves cheap and
is

sceptical.
;

Men

vile

and yet a man

a fagot of thunderbolts.
:

All the elements

pour through his system he is the flood of the flood, and fire of the fire he feels the antipodes and the pole, as drops of his blood
;
:

they are the extension of his personality.

duties are

lis

measured by that instrument he is; and perfect man would be felt to the centre of the Copernican system. 'T is
and
a righi

curious that we only believe as dec]) as we

live.

do not think heroes can exert any more awful power than that surface-play which

We

amuses

us.

deep

man
in

believes in miracles,

waits for them, believes

magic, believes that

the orator will decompose his adversary; believes that the evil eye can wither,

that

the

84

BEAUTY.
heal; thai
all

heart's blessing can

talenl
;

love can exalt

can overcome
secret

odds.
flow

From

great

hearl

magnetisms

incessantly to

draw

uiv.it

events.

Bui we prizevery humble

utilities,

voter, a citizen,

character
value,
bill

husband, a good Bon, a and deprecate any romance of and perhaps reckon only his money
prudenl
easily

- his intellect, his affection, as a sort of

of exchange,

convertible into

fine

chambers, pictures, music, and Mine The motive of science was the extension of

man. on

all

sides,

into
stars,

nature,
his

till

his

hands

Should tOUCb the

beasl

eves see tllTOUgh

the earth, his ears understand the language of

andbird,and the sense of the wind

his

and

through

sympathy, heaven and earth should talk with him. Bui thai is nol our science. These geologies, chemistries, astronomies, seem to make wive, l.ut they leave US where
they found
the
us.

The invention
of

is

of

use
to

to

inventor,

questionable

help

any

other.

The formulas
in

of science are like the

papers

your pocket-book, of no value to

any but the owner.

Science in England, in America, is jealous of theory, hates the name There's a revenge of love and moral purpose.
for this

inhumanity.

What

manner

of

man

BEAUTY.
science
Hi
says,
1

85

make? The boy is qo1 attracted. do qoI wish to be suchakiud of

professor
is.

man
dried
Losl

as
all

my

The

collector

lias

the plants in his herbal, bnl

he has

weighl and humor.

He

has gol

all

snakes

and
for

lizards in his phials, lmt

science has done

him also,and ha- pu1 the man intoabottle. reliance on the physician is a kind of deThe clergy have liroiichil is, spair of ourselves.

Our

which docs not seem

health.

a certificate

of spiritual

Bfacready thoughl it came of the falAn Indian prince, Tisso, setto of their voicing. one day riding in the forest, saw a herd of elk
sporting.
i-

Sec how happy," he >aid, "these

!

Why should not priests, browsing elks are lodged and fed comfortably in the temples, Returning home, amuse themselves ? "
r The he imparted this reflection to the kiuu conferred sovereignty the king, on the next day,
.

on him, saying, " Prince, administer this empire for seven davs: at the termination of that " At the end period, 1 shall put thee to death.
of the seventh day the king inquired, "

From
"

what cause

He

thon become so emaciated ? answered, "From the horror of death."

has!
:

" lave, my child, and The monarch rejoined Thou hasl ceased to take recreation, be wise.

86

BEAUTY.
I

saying to thyself, In seven days

to death.
i

shall

be pul

These priests in he temple incessantly meditate on death; bow can they enter
into

healthful diversions

"

Bui

the

men
\

of
ic-

.science or the doctors or the clergj are nol

tims of their pursuits, more than others.

miller, the

The

lawyer, and the merchant dedicate

themselves to their
out

own

details,

and do aol come

divination,

men

of

more

force.

Have they

grand aims, hospitality of soul, and the equality to an\ event, which we demand in man. or
only the reactions of the mill, of the wares, of
the chicane
?

in

No objeel man only

feally interests
his superiorities;

as bu1

man. and

ami. though
nature,
its
it

we
has

are aware of a

perfecl

law

in

fascination for us only through

relation to

him,

or, as

it

is

rooted

in

the

mind.
a

At

the

birth nf

Wmckelmann, more than

hundred

years ago, side by side with this arid, departmental, post mortem science, rose an enthusiasm
in

the

stud}
it

of

Beauty

and perhaps

s<

may yel lighl a conflagration in Knowledge of men. knowledge of the other. manners, the power of form, and our sensibility
sparks from
to personal influence, never

nee which

go out of fashion. we study

BEAUTY.
always near
us.
is

87

without book, wlio.se teachers and subjects are

uveterate

our habit of criticism, that

in

much
in

of our

knowledge
oftener

this direction

be-

longs to the chapter of pathology.

the
street

Tiie

crowd
prove
its

furnishes

degradations
all

than angels or redeemers; bui they

the

transparency.

Every

spiril

makes

house; and we can give a shrewd guess from the house to the inhabitant. Bui uol Less
does
nature
furnish
us

with

every

sign

of

grace and

goodness.

The

delicious

faces of

children, the beauty of school-girls,

"the sweet

seriousness of sixteen/' the lofty air of well-

born, well-bred boys, the passionate histories looks and manners of youth and early manhood, and the varied power in all that well-known company that escort us through
in the
life,

we

know how
is

these forms

thrill,

para-

lyze,

provoke, inspire, and enlarge

world.
are
All

us.

Beauty
that

the form under which the intellect

tin;

prefers to study

privilege

is

of beauty;

for there

as, of

genera] nature, of the

many beauties; human face and

form, of manners, of brain, or method, moral

beauty, or beauty of
t

he souL

The ancients

believed that a genius or

demon

88
took
possession

BEAUTY.
at

birth

of

cadi

mortal,

to

guide him; thai these genii were sometimes

seen as a flame of
bodies
vi

fire

partly
;

immersed
on an
evil

in

the

hich thej governed

his

man,

resting on

bead;

with

liis

substance.
tin-

in a good man, mixed They thoughl the same

genius,

at

death of

new-born
ognize
give
it

child,
tin'

its ward, entered ami they pretended to g

the pilot, by

sailing of the ship.

tin-

We

rec-

obscurely

same

lac',

though

we

our

own names.

We

say, that

every

man

h\ his besl momeasure our friends so. We know, they have intervals of folly, whereof we lake
is

entitled to he valued

ment.

We

no heed, hut wait the reappearillgS of the genius,

ot

which are sure

ami
all

beautiful.

On

the

her side, everybody

knows people who appeal

degrees of
air of free
ability,

beridden, ami who. with

never impress us with the

agency.

They know
see
it'

it too, ami peep with their eyes to We fancy, you detect their sad plight. could we pronounce the solving word, and disenchant them, the cloud would roll up, the little rider would he discovered and unseated, ami they would regain their freedom. The remedy seems never to he far oil', since the

first

step into thought

lifts

this

mountain of

BEAUTY.
necessity.

'>

is the pent air-ball which and the beauty which certain objects have foT him is the friendly Bre which expands the thought, and acquaints the

Thought

r.iu rive the planet,

prisoner that liberty and power await him. The question of Beauty takes us out
surfaces,
things.
to

of
of

thinking
said, "

of

the

foundations
is

Goethe

The

beautiful

man-

ifestation of secrel

laws of nature, which, but

fortius appearance, had been forever concealed

from us/'
stinct

And
all

the

working of

this

deep

init

makes

the c\eil emellt

milch of

and absurd enough -about works of art, which leads armies of vain travellers Every every year to Italy, Greece, and Egypt.
superficial

man
nest

values every acquisition

he

makes

in

the

science of beauty above his possessions.

useful

The

man

in

the most

useful world, so

long as only commodity

was served, would

fasi

remain unsatisfied.
beauty,
I

But, as

as

he sees
philosoL

life

acquires a very high value.

ill

11

warned by the

fate of

many
its

phers not to attempt

will

a definition

of Beauty.

rather enumerate

few of

qualities.

We ascribe beauty to that which is simple; which has no superfluous parts; which exactly answers it-- end; which stands related to all

90
things; which
It is

BEAUTY.
is

the

mean

of

many extremes.

enduring quality, and the most ascending quality. We say, love is blind, and the figure of Cupid is drawn with a bandage round his eves. Blind: yes, because lie
the mosl

does imi

see what

he does nol
in

like; hut
is

the

sharpest-sighted hunter
for finding

the universe

Love,
;

what he seeks, and only thai

tell

the

mythologists

us.

that

Vulcan
call

and was

painted lame, and Cupid blind, to

tion to the
t'aet,

atten-

thai

one was

all

limbs, and the

other
is

all

eyes.

In the true mythology,

Love

an immortal child, and Beauty leads him as

a

a guide: nor can we express

deeper mum'
of the

than when we say, Beaut}

is

the pilot

young soul. Beyond their sensuous

delight, the forms and colors of nature have a aew charm for us in our perception, that not one ornament was added for ornament, Inn is a sign of some better health or more excellent action. Elegance
in

of form

bird or beast, or in the

human
;

figure,

marks some excellence

is
I

of structure

or beauty

only an invitation from what belongs to us.

-

law-

of botany, thai

in

plants, the
]t

same

virtues follow the

largesl

same forms.

is

a rule of

application, true in a plant, true in a

BEAUTY.
loaf of bread, thai
fabric or organism,
to
its

91

in

the construction of any

real

any

increase of fitness

end

is

an increase of beauty.

The
of
(

lesson taughl by the study of Greek and

iuihic art, of antique

all

and of Pre-Raphaelite

namely, beauty musl be organic; thai outside embellishment is deformity. is the soundIt
thai
all

painting, was worth

the research, -

ness of the 1) s that peach-bloom complexion

that

nltiniatcs
:

itself

in

health of constitution
the
1

makes the sparkle and the power of

'T
is

eye.

the adjustment

of the size and of

the joining of the sockets of the skeleton, thai gives grace of outline and the liner grace of

movement.
or
sit

inelegantly.

Thecal and the deer cannot move The dancing-master can

nevei

teach a badly built

man

to

walk well.
its

The

tint

of the flower proceeds from

rout,

and the ln>tres of the sea->he]l begin with its existence. Eence our taste in building rejects
paint,

and

all

shifts,

and shows the original

refuses pilasters and col-

grain of the

wood:

umns thai support nothing, and allows the real supporters of the house QOnestlj to show theinEvery
to water, a

necessary

or

organic

action

pleases the beholder.

A man leading a horse farmer sowing seed, the labors of

92
haymakers
a
ship,
in the

BE A TV.
I

field, at

the carpenter building

his

the

smith
is

forge,

or whatever
eye.

useful Labor,
if
it

becoming to the wise

to

Bui

i>

done

he

seen,

it

is

mean.
bui

How

beautiful are ships on the sea!

ships in

the theatre,
effecl

-or ships

kept

for

picturesque

"M Virginia Water, by George [V., and

hired
to

men

stand

in

lining costumes

at

penny an hour! What a difference in effect between a battalion "I" troops marching to action, ami one of our independenl companies on Iu the midst of a military show, a holiday! saw and a festal procession gay with banners,
I

boy seize an old tin pan that lav rusting under a wall, and poising it m the top of a
it

stick, he set

turning, and

made

it

describe

imaginable curves, and drew away attention from the decorated procession
the most elegant

by

this startling beauty.

text from the mythologists. The Greeks fabled that Venus was born of the foam of the sea. Nothing interests us which is stark or bounded, bui only what streams with life, what is in ad or endeavor to reach

Another

somewhat beyond.
gives
tin'

The pleasure
eye
is,

a palace or a

that

an order

and

method

lias

been communicated to stones, so

BEAUTY.
that they speak and geometrize,

93

Woine

tender

or

sublime

with

expression.
if

moment
heaping,
a

of transition, as

Beauty is the the form were just

ready to flow into other forms.

or concentration

Anv

fixedness,

on one

feature

long no^e, a sharp chin, a hump-hack

Beautiful as

is

the reverse of the flowing, and therefore de-

formed.
form,
if

is

the form can

the symmetry of any move, we seek a more. of equi-

excellent symmetry.

The interruption
to

librium stimulates the eve to desire the restoration

of symmetry, and

watch the steps

This
is

through

which

it

is

attained.

the

charm of miming water, sea-waves, the

of birds, and the Locomotion of animals.
is

flight

This

the theory of dancing, to recover continually

in changes the lost equilibrium, not by abrupt and angular, but by gradual and curving move-

ments.
perience

in

have been told by persons of exmailers of taste, that the fashions

follow a law of gradation, and are never arbitrary.

onward
and
dicts
|

The new mode is always only a step in the same direction as the last mode;
eye
is

a cultivated

he

new
all

fashion.

prepared for and preThis feci Suggests he

|

reason of

mistakes and offence

is

in

our

own

modes.

It

necessary in music,

when you

94

BEAUTY.
let

strike a discord, to

down

the oar

by an

in-

termediate note or two to the accord again;

and many a good experiment, born of good sense, and destined to succeed, fails only because
it

is

offensively sudden.

suppose, the
to recon-

Parisian

milliner

who

dresses the world from

her imperious boudoir will

cile

know how

Bloomer costume to the eye of mankind, and make it triumphanl over Punch
the
himself, by interposing the jusl gradations.

how wide the same law ranges, All and how much it can be hop< d to effect.
need
n<>t

say

that

is

a little

harshly claimed by progressive

parties

may
if

easily
this

come

t<

he conceded without

question,

rule he observed.
easily

Thus
in

the

circumstances may he

imagined
the
st

which

woman may
and drive
in
a

speak, vote, argue causes, Legislate,

coach, and
if

all

naturally

the world,

only

it

come by

degrees.

To

streaming or lowing belongs the beauty that all circular movemenl has; as, the circuthis

lation of waters, the circulation of the blood,

the periodical

motion of planets, the annual

Wave
in

of vegetation, the action

if

and reaction of

nature: ami,

we

follow

it

out, this

demand
is

our thought for an ever-onward action the argument for the immortality.

BEAUTY.
One more
Beauty
beauty
is

95
is

text from the mycologists

the same purpose,

rests
t

Beauty

to

rides on a lion.

on
is

necessities.

The

line*

of

lie

result of perfect
built at thai

cell of the

bee

economy. The angle which gives

\\;i\
;

the most strength with the least

the bone

or the quill of the bird gives the most alar " It is the strength, with the least weight.

purgation of superfluities," said Michel A.ngelo. There is not a particle to spare in natural
structures.

There
the

is

the

uses of

plant,

compelling reason in for every novelty of

color or form; and our art saves material, by

skilful arrangement, and reaches beauty by taking every superfluous ounce thai can be spared from a wall, and keeping all its strength

more

in

the

poetrj

of columns.
is
is

In

rhetoric,

this

art of
in

omission
it

a chief secret of power, and,

general,

proof of high culture, to say

in
all.

the greatest matters

the simplest way.

Veracity 6rs1

of

and forever.
all

Rien de
lies
Is

beau que

!<

vrai.

In

design, art

in
a

making your
nent.

object

prominent, hut there

prior art in choosing objects that

are promi-

The

line arts

have nothing casual, but

spring from the instincts of the nations that

created them.

96
Beauty
dure.
a block
oi*

BEAUTY.
is

the quality which

I

makes to enI

In a bouse thai

know,

have uoticed

spermaceti lying about closets ami

the form of
to

mantel-pieces, for twenty years together, simply because the tallow-man gave
a
lie
ii

rabbit

and,

suppose,

it

may continue
for

lugged

about

unchanged

century.

Lei
tin-

an artist

scrawl a few lines or figures on

ami that scrap of paper is fromdanger, is put in portfolio, is framed and glazed, and. in proportion to the beauty of the lines drawn, will be kepi for cena letter,

back of

rescued

turies.

Burns writes

sends them to a
perish.

a copy of verses, and newspaper, and the human

race take charge of

them

that

they shall nol

As the
see

(lute

is

how

surely a

heard farther than the cart, beautiful form strikes the

is

fancy of men, and

copied and reproduced

copies are there of

without end.
the

How many

Belvedere Apollo, tin- Venus, the Psyche, the Warwick Vase, the Part hen, m, and tin;
of Vesta?
all.

Temple

These are objects of tencities, an ugly building is soon removed, and is never repeated, but any beautiful building is copied and improved upon, so that all masons and carpenters work
derness to
In our

BEAUTY.
to repeat

97

and preserve the agreeable forms,

of design in art, or in worts

whilst the ugly ones die out.

The

felicities

of nature, are shadows or forerunners of that

beauty which reaches

its

perfection
its lovers.

in

the hu-

man

form.
-.
it

All

men are
j<>y
it.

Wherever
and everyits

creates

and

hilarity,
It

thing
in

is

permitted to

reaches

height

woman.
I

"To
is

Eve," say the Mahometans,

all

gave

two thirds of

beauty."

taming her savage mate, planting tenderness, hope, and eloquence in all whom she approach favors of condition must go with it, since a
beautiful
a practical poet,

woman

certain serenity

is

essential,

hut

we

1"'

reproofs and superiorities.

Nature wishes that

little

woman

should attract man. yel she often cunsarcasm,

to say, " Yes,
a

ningly moulds into her face a

which seems
tract, hut

am

willing to at-

to attract
I

little

better kind of a
French//,'/

man

than any

yet behold."

of the fifteenth century celebrate the

name of

Pauline de Viguiere,

and accomplished maiden, who so tired the enthusiasm of her contemporaries, by her enchanting form,
a

virtuous

thai the citizens of her native city of

Toul

obtained the aid ofthecivil authorities to com-

98

BEAUTY.
twice a week, and, as often as she showed

pel her to appear publicly on the balcony at

feasl

herself, the
less, in

crowd was dangerous

in

to

life.

No!
oiar-

England,
of

the

lasl

century, was the

fame of the Gunnings, of whom, Elizabeth

ri

id

i
'

lamiltou

and Maria, the

Earl of Coventry.
course

Walpole says,

"The

con-

was so great, when the Duchess of Hamilton was presented al court, on Friday,
thai

even the u ble crowd in the drawing-room clambered on chairs and tables to look at her. mv them gel There are mobs at their doors
t
i

into their chairs, and

3

people g

at

the theatres,

wheu

it

is

known

they
adds,

will

there." "Such crowds/' he elsewhere, " flock to see the Duchess of

be

Hamup
all

ilton,

that

s -ve:i

hundred people
inn,
in

sat

night, in

and aboul an

Yorkshire, to

see her gel into her post-chaise aexl morning."

Bui

why need we console ourselves with

the

fames of Helen of Argos, or Corinna, or Pauline of

\\
i

Toulouse, or the Duchess of Hamilton?

know- this magic very well, or can didoes ii,i hurl weak eyes to look It

all
it.

vine
into

beautiful eyes

never so

long.

Women
as,

stand related to beautiful

nature around
their

and the

eiiatn

nvd youth mixes

form with

BEAUTY.
moon and the pomp
stars,

99

with woods and waters, and summer. They heal us of awkWc obwardness by their words and looks.
of

serve their intellectual

serious

influence on the most

refine and clear his mind: teach him to put a pleasing method into what is dry and difficult. VTe talk to them, and wish to be listened to; we fear

student.

They

to

fatigue them, and acquire a facility of ex-

pression which passes from conversation into

habit of style.

That

Beauty

is

the normal state

is

shown

by the perpetual effort of nature to attain it. Mirabeau had an ugly face od a handsome ground; and we see faces every day which have a good type, but have been marred in the
Casting:
a

proof thai

we are

all

entitled
if

to

beauty, should have been beautiful,

cestors had kept the laws, --

our anas every lily ami

til

every rose

is

well.

us, hut caricature

legs,

and

But our bodies do not Thus short satirize us.

us
to

which

constrain

short,

mincing
and con-

steps, are a

kind of persona] insult

tumely to the owner; and long stilts, again, put him at perpetual disadvantage, and force him to stoop to the general level of mankind.
.Martini ridicules
;i

gentleman of

his d,t\

whose

100

BEAUTY.
i'.uv

countenanpe resembled the

seen under water.

of a

swimmer

Saadi describes a school-

master "so ugh and crabbed, thai a sighl of him would derange the ecstasies of the orthodox."
but

Faces arc rarely true to any ideal type,

record
in

are a

sculpture of a thousand
folly.

anecdotes of whim and

ers say thai mosl faces

Portrait-paint-

and unsymmetrical ;

and forms are irregular have one eye blue and

uol

one gray; the

nose

straight;
the

and one
hair
is

shoulder bigher than another;

equally distributed, etc.
cally

un-

The man
a

physiof

as

well

as

metaphysically

thing

shreds and patches, borrowed unequally from

good and bad ancestors, and

start.

a mislit

from the

beautiful person,
to

among
;

thought
pride,
that
a

betray by this

sign

favor of the immortal gods

was some secret and we can pardon

the Greeks,

when

woman

possesses such a figure,

wherever she stands, or moves, or leaves shadow on the wall, or sits for a portrait to the artist, she confers a favor on the world.

And

\et

it

is

no1

beauty that inspires the

Beauty without grace is the hook without the bait. Beauty without expresdeepest passion.
sion tires.

Abbe Menage

said of the President

BEAUTY.
Lp
sit

101
for

Bailleul,

"that

lie

was

fit

nothing but to

for his portrait."

A Greek
when

epigram intimates

that

the

force of love is not

shown by

the
is

courting of beauty, but

the like desire

inflamed for one who is ill-favored.

(l(l

And

petulant

gentlemen,

who have chanced

from

to suffer

some

intolerable

weariness

pretty people, or

who have seen euT flowers to some profusion, who see, after a world of pains have been successfully taken for the cosl e, how the
or

mistake in sentimenl takes all the beauty out of your clothes, affirm that the secret of
least

ugliness consists,

not

in

irregularity,

but

in

being uninteresting.

We love any forms, however ugly, from which great qualities shine, [f command, eloquence,
art,

formed person,
higher.

or invention exist in the most deall the accidents thai usually

displease, please,

The

significant

esteem and wonder was an emaciated, inperson, bul he was all brain. Carraise

and

great orator

dinal

De Retz says
eagle."

of

De
was

Bouillon,

"With
Hooke,

the physiognomy of an OX, he had the perspicacity of an

It

said of
is

the friend of Newton,

"He

the most, anil

in

promises the
" Since I

least,

of any

man

England."

am

so ugly," said

Du

Guesclin, "it

102

BEAUTY.

behooves that I bo bold." Sir Philip Sidney, tlic darling of mankind, Ben Jonson tells lis, " was no pleasant man in countenance, his face
spoiled with pimples, and of high blood,

and

long."

Those who have

ruled

human

thousands of years, If a man can raise were not handsome men. a small city to be a great kingdom, can make
destinies, like planets, for

cheap, can irrigate deserts, can join oceans b\ canals, eau subdue steam, can organ-

bread

ize victory,

can lead the opinions of mankind,

can enlarge knowledge, 't is no matter whether his nose is parallel to his spine, us it ought to
be, or

whether he has
his

Qose

at

all;
his

whether
legs are

his ]cl:s are straight, or

whether

amputated;
reckoned
the whole.

deformities will

come

to

be
on

ornamental,

and

advantageous

This i^ the triumph of expression, degrading beauty, charming us with a power so line and friendly and intoxicating, that
it

makes admired

persons

insipid,

and

the
in<

thoughl of passing our

supportable.

lives

with
i

them

There are faces si fluid with \pression, so Hushed and rippled by the play of thought, thai we can hardly find whal the mere
features really are.

When
its

the delicious beauty

it

of lineaments loses

power,

is

because a

BEAUTY.
more
delicious beauty 1ms appeared
;

L03

interior

that an and durable form has been disclosed. Still, Beauty rides on her lion, as before. Still, "it was for beauty thai the world was m
artists,

The lives of the Italian

who

established a

despotism of genius amidst the dukes and kings

and nmbs of their stormy epoch, prove how

loyal
finer

men

in

all

times are to a liner brain, a

It' a man can method, than their own. cut such a head on his stone gate-posl as shall

draw and keep

if

crowd about

it

all

day, b\ Us

beauty, good-nature, and inscrutable meaning;

a

man

can build a plain cottagewith such

as to

Symmetry

make

all

the

line

palaces lock

cheap and vulgar; can take such advanti Nature, that all her powers serve him; making use of geometry, instead of expense; tapping
a

mountain

for his water-jel

causing the

sun and
his (^tate

moon
;

to

this

seem only the decorations of is still the legitimate dominthe

is

ion of beauty.
'I'he

radiance of

human

form, though

sometimes astonishing,
ty for a few

onlj a bursl of beau-

years or

a
in

fection of youth,

and

few months, at the pi pmost, rapidlj declines.

it,

Bui

we remain

lovers of

onl\

transferring

our interest to interior excellence.

And

it

is

104

BE A UTY.
in singular

not only admirable

and salient

tal-

ents, but also in the

world of manners.
remains to be

But
noted.

the sovereign attribute

Tilings are pretty, graceful, rich, elebut,

until they speak to the

gant, handsome,

imagination, not

yel
is

beautiful.
still

This

is

the
all

reason

why beauty
It
is

escaping out of
possessed,
it

analysis.

not

yet

cannot
the

be handled.
light

Proclus says, "It swims on the

It
is

of

forms."

properly not in
It

form, but in the mind.

possession, and
If I could put
flies

instantly deserts

to an object in the horizon.

my hand on

the

north

star,

would it be as beautiful? The sea is lovely, but when we bailie in it. the beauty forsakes all the near water. For the imagination and senses cannot lie gratified at the same time. Wordsworth rightly speaks of "a light that never was on sea or land," meaning, that it wits supplied by the observer; and the Welsh bard warns his countrywomen that
" Half of their charms with Cadwallon
shall die."

The new
tiful is

irtue

which constitutes a thing beau-

a certain cosmical quality, or a

relation to the

power

to suggest

whole world, and

so

lift

the object out of a pitiful individuality.

BEAUTY.
Every natural
flowers,

105
sky,
in
it

feature

musical tone

has

sea,

rainbow,

somewhat

which
ture,

is

not private, but universal, speaks of

is

that central benefit which

the soul of na-

and thereby is beautiful. And, in chosen men and women, I find somewhat in form, speech, and manners which is not of their person and family, but of a humane, catholic, and spiritual character, and we love them as
the sky.

They have

a largeness of suggestion,

and their face and manners carry a certain grandeur like time and justice. The feat of the imagination is in showing the
convertibility of everything

into every other

thing.

Facts which had never before left their stark common-sense, suddenly figure as Eleusinian

mysteries.

My
in

boots and chair and

disguise, meteors,
facts

candlestick are fairies

constellations.

and

All

the

in

nature arc

and make the grammar Every word has a double, treble, or centuple u-e and meaning. What! lias my stove and pepper-pot a false bottom! I cry you mercy, good shoe-box I did not know you were a jewel-case, ('hall' and dust begin to sparkle, and are clothed about with immortality. And there is a joy in nouns of the
intellect,

of the eternal language.

L06

BEAUTY.

perceiving the representative or symbolic character of a

can ever give.

which no hare fad Or event, There arc no days in life so memorable as those which vibrated to some
fact,

stroke of the imagination.

The poets
mistresses

are quite

righl

in

decking their
the

with

the

spoils of

Landscape,
flushes
of

flower-gardens,

gems,

rainbows,

morning, and stars of night, since all beauty points at identity, and whatsoever thing does
night,

and and wrong. Into every beautiful object there enters somewhat immeasurable and di\ ine, and just as much into form hounded by outlines, like mountains
not

express to
is

me

the sea and sky, day

somewhat

forbidden

on the horizon, as
dipt hs of space.
Becrel

into

tones of music, or

Polarized lighl showed the

architecture of bodies;
l-sight of the

and when the

mind more
its

is

opened,

now one
had been
in

color or form or gesture, and now another, has

a pungency, as
emitted,

if

interior ray

disclosing

deep holdings

the

frame of things.

The laws of this translation we do not know, why one feature or gesture enchants, why one word or syllable intoxicates but the fact
or
;

is

familiar that the fine touch of the eye, or

BEAUTY.
wings
his

107

grace of manners, or a phrase of poetry, plants

at

our shoulders; as
lifts

if

the Divinity, in

away mountains of obstruction, and deigns to draw a truer line, which the mind knows and owns. This is that haughty force of beauty, vis superba forma,
approaches,

which the poets

cise

praise,

outline,

the
all

under calm and preimmeasurable and divine:

Beauty hiding
calm sky.
All

wisdom and power

in

its

high beauty has a moral clement in

find

it,

and

the antique sculpture as ethical as

the

Marcus Antoninus; and

proportion to the

beauty ever

in

Gross and obscure natures, however decorated, seem

depth of thought.

impure shambles but character gives splendor to youth, and awe to wrinkled skin and gray An adorer of truth we cannot choose hairs. hut obey, and the woman who lias shared with us the moral sentiment, her locks must ap;

pear to us sublime.
scale of culture,
tion

Thus

there

is a

climbing
stain

from the

firsl

agreeable sensa-

which

sparkling

gem

or a scarlel
fair

affords the eve,

up through

outlines and

details of the landscape, features of the

face

human

and

r form, siu ns and tokens of thought

and character

in

manners, up to the ineffable

108

BEAUTY.
Wherever we be:

mysteries of the intellect.

gin, thither

our steps tend

an ascent from

the joy of a horse in his trappings, up to the

we

perception of Newton, thai the globe on which ride is only a larger apple falling from a

up to the perception of Plato, and universe are rude and early exthe first pressions of an all-dissolving Unity, stair on the scale to the temple of the Mind.
larger

tree;

that globe

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