lay morals-第4部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！

ve　been　　playing　fast　and　loose　with　mankind's　resources　against　　hunger；　there　will　be　less　bread　in　consequence；　and　for　lack　　of　that　bread　somebody　will　die　next　winter：　a　grim　　consideration。　　And　you　must　not　hope　to　shuffle　out　of　blame　　because　you　got　less　money　for　your　less　quantity　of　bread；　　for　although　a　theft　be　partly　punished；　it　is　none　the　less　　a　theft　for　that。　　You　took　the　farm　against　competitors；　　there　were　others　ready　to　shoulder　the　responsibility　and　be　　answerable　for　the　tale　of　loaves；　but　it　was　you　who　took　　it。　　By　the　act　you　came　under　a　tacit　bargain　with　mankind　　to　cultivate　that　farm　with　your　best　endeavour；　you　were　　under　no　superintendence；　you　were　on　parole；　and　you　have　　broke　your　bargain；　and　to　all　who　look　closely；　and　yourself　　among　the　rest　if　you　have　moral　eyesight；　you　are　a　thief。　　　Or　take　the　case　of　men　of　letters。　　Every　piece　of　work　　which　is　not　as　good　as　you　can　make　it；　which　you　have　　palmed　off　imperfect；　meagrely　thought；　niggardly　in　　execution；　upon　mankind　who　is　your　paymaster　on　parole　and　　in　a　sense　your　pupil；　every　hasty　or　slovenly　or　untrue　　performance；　should　rise　up　against　you　in　the　court　of　your　　own　heart　and　condemn　you　for　a　thief。　　Have　you　a　salary？　　　If　you　trifle　with　your　health；　and　so　render　yourself　less　　capable　for　duty；　and　still　touch；　and　still　greedily　pocket　　the　emolument　…　what　are　you　but　a　thief？　　Have　you　double　　accounts？　do　you　by　any　time…honoured　juggle；　deceit；　or　　ambiguous　process；　gain　more　from　those　who　deal　with　you　　than　it　you　were　bargaining　and　dealing　face　to　face　in　front　　of　God？　…　What　are　you　but　a　thief？　　Lastly；　if　you　fill　an　　office；　or　produce　an　article；　which；　in　your　heart　of　　hearts；　you　think　a　delusion　and　a　fraud　upon　mankind；　and　　still　draw　your　salary　and　go　through　the　sham　manoeuvres　of　　this　office；　or　still　book　your　profits　and　keep　on　flooding　　the　world　with　these　injurious　goods？　…　though　you　were　old；　　and　bald；　and　the　first　at　church；　and　a　baronet；　what　are　　you　but　a　thief？　　These　may　seem　hard　words　and　mere　　curiosities　of　the　intellect；　in　an　age　when　the　spirit　of　　honesty　is　so　sparingly　cultivated　that　all　business　is　　conducted　upon　lies　and　so…called　customs　of　the　trade；　that　　not　a　man　bestows　two　thoughts　on　the　utility　or　　honourableness　of　his　pursuit。　　I　would　say　less　if　I　thought　　less。　　But　looking　to　my　own　reason　and　the　right　of　things；　　I　can　only　avow　that　I　am　a　thief　myself；　and　that　I　　passionately　suspect　my　neighbours　of　the　same　guilt。

Where　did　you　hear　that　it　was　easy　to　be　honest？　　Do　you　　find　that　in　your　Bible？　　Easy！　　It　is　easy　to　be　an　ass　and　　follow　the　multitude　like　a　blind；　besotted　bull　in　a　　stampede；　and　that；　I　am　well　aware；　is　what　you　and　Mrs。　　Grundy　mean　by　being　honest。　　But　it　will　not　bear　the　stress　　of　time　nor　the　scrutiny　of　conscience。　　Even　before　the　　lowest　of　all　tribunals；　…　before　a　court　of　law；　whose　　business　it　is；　not　to　keep　men　right；　or　within　a　thousand　　miles　of　right；　but　to　withhold　them　from　going　so　tragically　　wrong　that　they　will　pull　down　the　whole　jointed　fabric　of　　society　by　their　misdeeds　…　even　before　a　court　of　law；　as　we　　begin　to　see　in　these　last　days；　our　easy　view　of　following　　at　each　other's　tails；　alike　to　good　and　evil；　is　beginning　　to　be　reproved　and　punished；　and　declared　no　honesty　at　all；　　but　open　theft　and　swindling；　and　simpletons　who　have　gone　on　　through　life　with　a　quiet　conscience　may　learn　suddenly；　from　　the　lips　of　a　judge；　that　the　custom　of　the　trade　may　be　a　　custom　of　the　devil。　　You　thought　it　was　easy　to　be　honest。　　　Did　you　think　it　was　easy　to　be　just　and　kind　and　truthful？　　　Did　you　think　the　whole　duty　of　aspiring　man　was　as　simple　as　　a　horn…pipe？　and　you　could　walk　through　life　like　a　gentleman　　and　a　hero；　with　no　more　concern　than　it　takes　to　go　to　　church　or　to　address　a　circular？　　And　yet　all　this　time　you　　had　the　eighth　commandment！　and；　what　makes　it　richer；　you　　would　not　have　broken　it　for　the　world！

The　truth　is；　that　these　commandments　by　themselves　are　of　　little　use　in　private　judgment。　　If　compression　is　what　you　　want；　you　have　their　whole　spirit　compressed　into　the　golden　　rule；　and　yet　there　expressed　with　more　significance；　since　　the　law　is　there　spiritually　and　not　materially　stated。　　And　　in　truth；　four　out　of　these　ten　commands；　from　the　sixth　to　　the　ninth；　are　rather　legal　than　ethical。　　The　police…court　　is　their　proper　home。　　A　magistrate　cannot　tell　whether　you　　love　your　neighbour　as　yourself；　but　he　can　tell　more　or　less　　whether　you　have　murdered；　or　stolen；　or　committed　adultery；　　or　held　up　your　hand　and　testified　to　that　which　was　not；　and　　these　things；　for　rough　practical　tests；　are　as　good　as　can　　be　found。　　And　perhaps；　therefore；　the　best　condensation　of　　the　Jewish　moral　law　is　in　the　maxims　of　the　priests；　　'neminem　laedere'　and　'suum　cuique　tribuere。'　　But　all　this　　granted；　it　becomes　only　the　more　plain　that　they　are　　inadequate　in　the　sphere　of　personal　morality；　that　while　　they　tell　the　magistrate　roughly　when　to　punish；　they　can　　never　direct　an　anxious　sinner　what　to　do。

Only　Polonius；　or　the　like　solemn　sort　of　ass；　can　offer　us　a　　succinct　proverb　by　way　of　advice；　and　not　burst　out　blushing　　in　our　faces。　　We　grant　them　one　and　all　and　for　all　that　　they　are　worth；　it　is　something　above　and　beyond　that　we　　desire。　　Christ　was　in　general　a　great　enemy　to　such　a　way　of　　teaching；　we　rarely　find　him　meddling　with　any　of　these　plump　　commands　but　it　was　to　open　them　out；　and　lift　his　hearers　　from　the　letter　to　the　spirit。　　For　morals　are　a　personal　　affair；　in　the　war　of　righteousness　every　man　fights　for　his　　own　hand；　all　the　six　hundred　precepts　of　the　Mishna　cannot　　shake　my　private　judgment；　my　magistracy　of　myself　is　an　　indefeasible　charge；　and　my　decisions　absolute　for　the　time　　and　case。　　The　moralist　is　not　a　judge　of　appeal；　but　an　　advocate　who　pleads　at　my　tribunal。　　He　has　to　show　not　the　　law；　but　that　the　law　applies。　　Can　he　convince　me？　then　he　　gains　the　cause。　　And　thus　you　find　Christ　giving　various　　counsels　to　varying　people；　and　often　jealously　careful　to　　avoid　definite　precept。　　Is　he　asked；　for　example；　to　divide　　a　heritage？　　He　refuses：　and　the　best　advice　that　he　will　　offer　is　but　a　paraphrase　of　that　tenth　commandment　which　　figures　so　strangely　among　the　rest。　　TAKE　HEED；　AND　BEWARE　　OF　COVETOUSNESS。　　If　you　complain　that　this　is　vague；　I　have　　failed　to　carry　you　along　with　me　in　my　argument。　　For　no　　definite　precept　can　be　more　than　an　illustration；　though　its　　truth　were　resplendent　like　the　sun；　and　it　was　announced　　from　heaven　by　the　voice　of　God。　　And　life　is　so　intricate　　and　changing；　that　perhaps　not　twenty　times；　or　perhaps　not　　twice　in　the　ages；　shall　we　find　that　nice　consent　of　　circumstances　to　which　alone　it　can　apply。



LAY　MORALS　CHAPTER　III



ALTHOUGH　the　world　and　life　have　in　a　sense　become　　commonplace　to　our　experience；　it　is　but　in　an　external　　torpor；　the　true　sentiment　slumbers　within　us；　and　we　have　　but　to　reflect　on　ourselves　or　our　surroundings　to　rekindle　　our　astonishment。　　No　length　of　habit　can　blunt　our　first　　surprise。　　Of　the　world　I　have　but　little　to　say　in　this　　connection；　a　few　strokes　shall　suffice。　　We　inhabit　a　dead　　ember　swimming　wide　in　the　blank　of　space；　dizzily　spinning　　as　it　swims；　and　lighted　up　from　several　million　miles　away　　by　a　more　horrible　hell…fire　than　was　ever　conceived　by　the　　theological　imagination。　　Yet　the　dead　ember　is　a　green；　　commodious　dwelling…place；　and　the　reverberation　of　this　　hell…fire　ripens　flower　and　fruit　and　mildly　warms　us　on　　summer　eves　upon　the　lawn。　　Far　off　on　all　hands　other　dead　　embers；　other　flaming　suns；　wheel　and　race　in　the　apparent　　void；　the　nearest　is　out　of　call；　the　farthest　so　far　that　　the　heart　sickens　in　the　effort　to　conceive　the　distance。　　　Shipwrecked　seamen　on　the　deep；　though　they　bestride　but　the　　truncheon　of　a　boom；　are　safe　and　near　at　home　compared　with　　mankind　on　its　bullet。　　Even　to　us　who　have　known　no　other；　　it　seems　a　strange；　if　not　an　appalling；　place　of　residence。

But　far　stranger　is　the　resident；　man；　a　creature　compact　of　　wonders　that；　after　centuries　of　custom；　is　still　wonderful　　to　himself。　　He　inhabits　a　body　which　he　is　continually　　outliving；　discarding　and　renewing。　　Food　and　sleep；　by　an　　unknown　alchemy；　restore　his　spirits　and　the　freshness　of　his　　countenance。　　Hair　grows　on　him　like　grass；　his　eyes；　his　　brain；　his　sinews；　thirst　for　action；　he　joys　to　see　and　　touch　and　hear；　to　partake　the　sun　and　wind；　to　sit　down　and　　intently　ponder　on　his　astonishing　attributes　and　situation；　　to　rise　up　and　run；　to　perform　the　strange　and　revolting　　round　of　physical　functions。　　The　sight　of　a　flower；　the　note　　of　a　bird；　will　often　move　him　deeply；　yet　he　looks　　unconcerned　on　the　impassable　distances　and　portentous　　bonfires　of　the　universe。　　He　comprehends；　he　designs；　he　　tames　nature；　rides　the　sea；　ploughs；　climbs　the　air　in　a　　balloon；　makes　vast　inquiries；　begins　interminable　labours；　　joins　himself　into　federations　and　populous　cities；　spends　　his　days　to　deliver　the　ends　of　the　earth　or　to　benefit　　unborn　posterity