第21部分(第4/7 頁)

o；　that　is　another　thing。　Nor　do　I　speak　of　the　healthy　people　（happily　still　numerous）　who　are　at　the　same　time　bright…witted　and　fond　of　books。　The　man　I　have　in　view　is　he　who　pursues　the　things　of　the　mind　with　passion；　who　turns　impatiently　from　all　mon　interests　or　cares　which　encroach　upon　his　sacred　time；　who　is　haunted　by　a　sense　of　the　infinity　of　thought　and　learning；　who；　sadly　aware　of　the　conditions　on　which　he　holds　his　mental　vitality；　cannot　resist　the　hourly　temptation　to　ignore　them。　Add　to　these　native　characteristics　the　frequent　fact　that　such　a　man　must　make　merchandise　of　his　attainments；　must　toil　under　the　perpetual　menace　of　destitution；　and　what　hope　remains　that　his　blood　will　keep　the　true　rhythm；　that　his　nerves　will　play　as　Nature　bade　them；　that　his　sinews　will　bide　the　strain　of　exceptional　task？　Such　a　man　may　gaze　with　envy　at　those　who　〃sweat　in　the　eye　of　Phoebus；〃　but　he　knows　that　no　choice　was　offered　him。　And　if　life　has　so　far　been　benignant　as　to　grant　him　frequent　tranquillity　of　studious　hours；　let　him　look　from　the　reapers　to　the　golden　harvest；　and　fare　on　in　thankfulness。

XVII

That　a　labourer　in　the　fields　should　stand　very　much　on　the　level　of　the　beast　that　toils　with　him；　can　be　neither　desirable　nor　necessary。　He　does　so；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　and　one　hears　that　only　the　dullest…witted　peasant　will　nowadays　consent　to　the　peasant　life；　his　children；　taught　to　read　the　newspaper；　make　what　haste　they　can　to　the　land　of　promise……where　newspapers　are　printed。　That　here　is　something　altogether　wrong　it　needs　no　evangelist　to　tell　us；　the　remedy　no　prophet　has　as　yet　even　indicated。　Husbandry　has　in　our　time　been　glorified　in　eloquence　which　for　the　most　part　is　vain；　endeavouring；　as　it　does；　to　prove　a　falsi