The Company, That What He Recites Is Not His, But Another's
Journeying on, we stopped by a gurgling spring, in a beautiful grove1; and here, we stretched out on the grass, and our attendants unpacked2 their hampers3, to provide us a lunch.
But as for that Babbalanja of ours, he must needs go and lunch by himself, and, like a cannibal, feed upon an author; though in other respects he was not so partial to bones.
Bringing forth4 the treasure he had buried in his bosom5, he was soon buried in it; and motionless on his back, looked as if laid out, to keep an appointment with his undertaker.
"What, ho! Babbalanja!" cried Media from under a tree, "don't be a duck, there, with your bill in the air; drop your metaphysics, man, and fall to on the solids. Do you hear?"
"Come, philosopher," said Mohi, handling a banana, "you will weigh more after you have eaten."
"Come, list, Babbalanja," cried Yoomy, "I am going to sing."
"Up! up! I say," shouted Media again. "But go, old man, and wake him: rap on his head, and see whether he be in."
Mohi, obeying, found him at home; and Babbalanja started up.
"A Happy Life! a Happy Life!" cried Babbalanja, in an ecstasy7. "My lord, I am lost in the dream of it, as here recorded. Marvelous book! its goodness transports me. Let me read:—'I would bear the same mind, whether I be rich or poor, whether I get or lose in the world. I will reckon benefits well placed as the fairest part of my possession, not valuing them by number or weight, but by the profit and esteem8 of the receiver; accounting9 myself never the poorer for any thing I give. What I do shall be done for conscience, not ostentation10. I will eat and drink, not to gratify my palate, but to satisfy nature. I will be cheerful to my friends, mild and placable to my enemies. I will prevent an honest request, if I can foresee it; and I will grant it, without asking. I will look upon the whole world as my country; and upon Oro, both as the witness and the judge of my words and my deeds. I will live and die with this testimony11: that I loved a good conscience; that I never invaded another man's liberty; and that I. — preserved my own. I will govern my life and my thoughts, as if the whole world were to see the one, and to read the other; for what does it signify, to make any thing a secret to my neighbor, when to Oro all our privacies are open.'"
"Very fine," said Media.
"Inimitable," said Yoomy.
Said Babbalanja, "Listen again:—'Righteousness is sociable13 and gentle; free, steady, and fearless; full of inexhaustible delights.' And here again, and here, and here:—The true felicity of life is to understand our duty to Oro.'—'True joy is a serene14 and sober motion.' And here, and here,—my lord, 'tis hard quoting from this book;—but listen—'A peaceful conscience, honest thoughts, and righteous actions are blessings15 without end, satiety16, or measure. The poor man wants many things; the covetous17 man, all. It is not enough to know Oro, unless we obey him.'"
"Alma all over," cried Mohi; "sure, you read from his sayings?"
"I read but odd sentences from one, who though he lived ages ago, never saw, scarcely heard of Alma. And mark me, my lord, this time I. — improvise18 nothing. What I have recited, Is here. Mohi, this book is more marvelous than the prophecies. My lord, that a mere19 man, and a heathen, in that most heathenish time, should give utterance20 to such heavenly wisdom, seems more wonderful than that an inspired prophet should reveal it. And is it not more divine in this philosopher, to love righteousness for its own sake, and in view of annihilation, than for pious21 sages22 to extol23 it as the means of everlasting24 felicity?"
"Alas," sighed Yoomy, "and does he not promise us any good thing, when we are dead?"
"He speaks not by authority. He but woos us to goodness and happiness here."
"Then, Babbalanja," said Media, "keep your treasure to yourself. Without authority, and a full right hand, Righteousness better be silent. Mardi's religion must seem to come direct from Oro, and the mass of you mortals endeavor it not, except for a consideration, present or to come."
"And call you that righteousness, my lord, which is but the price paid down for something else?"
"I called it not righteousness; it is religion so called. But let us prate25 no more of these things; with which I, a demi-god, have but little in common. It ever impairs26 my digestion27. No more, Babbalanja."
"My lord! my lord! out of itself, Religion has nothing to bestow28. Nor will she save us from aught, but from the evil in ourselves. Her one grand end is to make us wise; her only manifestations29 are reverence30 to Oro and love to man; her only, but ample reward, herself. He who has this, has all. He who has this, whether he kneel to an image of wood, calling it Oro; or to an image of air, calling it the same; whether he fasts or feasts; laughs or weeps;—that man can be no richer. And this religion, faith, virtue31, righteousness, good, whate'er you will, I. — find in this book I hold. No written page can teach me more."
"Have you that, then, of which you speak, Babbalanja? Are you content, there where you stand?"
"My lord, you drive me home. I am not content. The mystery of mysteries is still a mystery. How this author came to be so wise, perplexes me. How he led the life he did, confounds me. Oh, my lord, I. — am in darkness, and no broad blaze comes down to flood me. The rays that come to me are but faint cross lights, mazing32 the obscurity wherein I live. And after all, excellent as it is, I can be no gainer by this book. For the more we learn, the more we unlearn; we accumulate not, but substitute; and take away, more than we add. We dwindle33 while we grow; we sally out for wisdom, and retreat beyond the point whence we started; we essay the Fondiza, and get but the Phe. Of all simpletons, the simplest! Oh! that I were another sort of fool than I am, that I might restore my good opinion of myself. Continually I stand in the pillory34, am broken on the wheel, and dragged asunder35 by wild horses. Yes, yes, Bardianna, all is in a nut, as thou sayest; but all my back teeth can not crack it; I but crack my own jaws36. All round me, my fellow men are new-grafting their vines, and dwelling37 in flourishing arbors; while I am forever pruning38 mine, till it is become but a stump39. Yet in this pruning will I persist; I will not add, I. — will diminish; I will train myself down to the standard of what is unchangeably true. Day by day I drop off my redundancies; ere long I. — shall have stripped my ribs40; when I die, they will but bury my spine41. Ah! where, where, where, my lord, is the everlasting Tekana? Tell me, Mohi, where the Ephina? I may have come to the Penultimate, but where, sweet Yoomy, is the Ultimate? Ah, companions! I faint, I am wordless:- -something, nothing, riddles,—does Mardi hold her?"
"He swoons!" cried Yoomy.
"Water! water!" cried Media.
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1
grove
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| n.林子，小树林，园林 | |
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2
unpacked
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| v.从（包裹等）中取出（所装的东西），打开行李取出( unpack的过去式和过去分词 )；拆包；解除…的负担；吐露（心事等） | |
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3
hampers
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| 妨碍，束缚，限制( hamper的第三人称单数 ) | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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6
ails
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| v.生病( ail的第三人称单数 )；感到不舒服；处境困难；境况不佳 | |
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7
ecstasy
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| n.狂喜，心醉神怡，入迷 | |
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8
esteem
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| n.尊敬，尊重；vt.尊重，敬重；把…看作 | |
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9
accounting
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| n.会计，会计学，借贷对照表 | |
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10
ostentation
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| n.夸耀，卖弄 | |
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11
testimony
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| n.证词；见证，证明 | |
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12
followers
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| 追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件 | |
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13
sociable
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| adj.好交际的，友好的，合群的 | |
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14
serene
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| adj. 安详的，宁静的，平静的 | |
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15
blessings
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| n.（上帝的）祝福( blessing的名词复数 )；好事；福分；因祸得福 | |
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16
satiety
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| n.饱和；(市场的)充分供应 | |
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17
covetous
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| adj.贪婪的，贪心的 | |
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18
improvise
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| v.即兴创作；临时准备，临时凑成 | |
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19
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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utterance
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| n.用言语表达，话语，言语 | |
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pious
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| adj.虔诚的；道貌岸然的 | |
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sages
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| n.圣人( sage的名词复数 )；智者；哲人；鼠尾草（可用作调料） | |
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extol
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| v.赞美，颂扬 | |
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everlasting
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| adj.永恒的，持久的，无止境的 | |
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prate
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| v.瞎扯，胡说 | |
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impairs
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| v.损害，削弱( impair的第三人称单数 ) | |
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digestion
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| n.消化，吸收 | |
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28
bestow
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| v.把…赠与，把…授予；花费 | |
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manifestations
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| n.表示，显示（manifestation的复数形式） | |
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30
reverence
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| n.敬畏，尊敬，尊严；Reverence:对某些基督教神职人员的尊称；v.尊敬，敬畏，崇敬 | |
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31
virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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32
mazing
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| 使困惑（maze的现在分词形式） | |
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33
dwindle
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| v.逐渐变小（或减少） | |
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34
pillory
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| n.嘲弄；v.使受公众嘲笑；将…示众 | |
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asunder
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| adj.分离的，化为碎片 | |
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jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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37
dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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38
pruning
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| n.修枝，剪枝，修剪v.修剪（树木等）( prune的现在分词 )；精简某事物，除去某事物多余的部分 | |
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stump
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| n.残株，烟蒂，讲演台；v.砍断，蹒跚而走 | |
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40
ribs
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| n.肋骨( rib的名词复数 )；（船或屋顶等的）肋拱；肋骨状的东西；（织物的）凸条花纹 | |
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41
spine
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| n.脊柱，脊椎；(动植物的)刺；书脊 | |
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42
serenely
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| adv.安详地，宁静地，平静地 | |
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