Circles
拉爾夫·沃爾多·愛默生/RalphWaldoEmerson
Theeyeisthefirstcircle;thehorizonwhichitformsisthesecond;andthroughoutnaturethisprimaryfigureisrepeatedwithoutend.Itisthehighestembleminthecipheroftheworld.St.AugustinedescribedthenatureofGodasacirclewhosecentrewaseverywhereanditscircumferencenowhere.Weareallourlifetimereadingthecopioussenseofthisfirstofforms.Onemoralwehavealreadydeducedinconsideringthecircularorcompensatorycharacterofeveryhumanaction.Anotheranalogyweshallnowtrace,thateveryactionadmitsofbeingoutdone.Ourlifeisanapprenticeshiptothetruththataroundeverycircleanothercanbedrawn;thatthereisnoendinnature,buteveryendisabeginning;thatthereisalwaysanotherdawnrisenonmid-noon,andundereverydeepalowerdeepopens.
Thisfact,asfarasitsymbolizesthemoralfactoftheUnattainable,theflyingPerfect,aroundwhichthehandsofmancannevermeet,atoncetheinspirerandthecondemnerofeverysuccess,mayconvenientlyserveustoconnectmanyillustrationsofhumanpowerineverydepartment.
Therearenofixturesinnature.Theuniverseisfluidandvolatile.Permanenceisbutawordofdegrees.OurglobeseenbyGodisatransparentlaw,notamassoffacts.Thelawdissolvesthefactandholdsitfluid.Ourcultureisthepredominanceofanideawhichdrawsafteritthistrainofcitiesandinstitutions.Letusriseintoanotheridea,theywilldisappear.TheGreeksculptureisallmeltedaway,asifithadbeenstatuesofice;hereandthereasolitaryfigureoffragmentremaining,asweseeflecksandscrapsofsnowleftincolddellsandmountaincleftsinJuneandJuly.Forthegeniusthatcreateditcreatesnowsomewhatelse.TheGreekletterslastalittlelonger,butarealreadypassingunderthesamesentenceandtumblingintotheinevitablepitwhichthecreationofnewthoughtopensforallthatisold.Thenewcontinentsarebuiltoutoftheruinsofanoldplanet;thenewracesfedoutofthedecompositionoftheforegoing.Newartsdestroytheold.Seetheinvestmentofcapitalinaqueductsmadeuselessbyhydraulics;fortifications,bygunpowder;roadsandcanals,byrailways;sails,bysteam;steambyelectricity.
Eachnewstepwetakeinthoughtreconcilestwentyseeminglydiscordantfacts,asexpressionsofonelaw.AristotleandPlatoarereckonedtherespectiveheadsoftwoschools.AwisemanwillseethatAristotleplatonizes.Bygoingonestepfartherbackinthought,discordantopinionsarereconciledbybeingseentobetwoextremesofoneprinciple,andwecannevergosofarbackastoprecludeastillhighervision.
Valorconsistsinthepowerofself-recovery,sothatamancannothavehisflankturned,cannotbeout-generalled,butputhimwhereyouwill,hestands.Thiscanonlybebyhispreferringtruth,tohispastapprehensionoftruth,andhisalertacceptanceofitfromwhateverquarter;theintrepidconvictionthathislaws,hisrelationstosociety,hisChristianity,hisworld,mayatanytimebesupersededanddecease.
Conversationisagameofcircles.Inconversationwepluckuptheterminiwhichboundthecommonofsilenceoneveryside.ThepartiesarenottobejudgedbythespirittheypartakeandevenexpressunderthisPentecost.Tomorrowtheywillhaverecededfromthishigh-watermark.Tomorrowyoushallfindthemstoopingundertheoldpack-saddles.Yetletusenjoytheclovenflamewhilstitglowsonourwalls.Wheneachnewspeakerstrikesanewlight,emancipatesusfromtheoppressionofthelastspeakertooppressuswiththegreatnessandexclusivenessofhisownthought,thenyieldsustoanotherredeemer,weseemtorecoverourrights,tobecomemen.Oh,whattruthsprofoundandexecutableonlyinagesandorbsaresupposedintheannouncementofeverytruth!Incommonhours,societysitscoldandstatuesque.Weallstandwaiting,empty-knowing,possibly,thatwecanbefull,surroundedbymightysymbolswhicharenotsymbolstous,butproseandtrivialtoys.Thencomethegodandconvertsthestatuesintofierymen,andbyaflashofhiseyeburnsuptheveilwhichshroudedallthings,andthemeaningoftheveryfurniture,ofcupandsaucer,ofchairandclockandtester,ismanifest.Thefactswhichloomedsolargeinthefogsofyesterday—property,climate,breeding,personalbeautyandthelike,havestrangelychangedtheirproportions.Allthatwereckonedsettledshakesandrattles;andliteratures,cities,climates,religions,leavetheirfoundationsanddancebeforeoureyes.Andyethereagainseetheswiftcircumscription!Goodasisdiscourse,silenceisbetter,andshamesit.Thelengthofthediscourseindicatesthedistanceofthoughtbetwixtthespeakerandthehearer.Iftheywereataperfectunderstandinginanypart,nowordswouldbenecessarythereon.