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The　Professor　at　the　Breakfast　Table



by　Oliver　Wendell　Holmes









PREFACE　TO　REVISED　EDITION。



The　reader　of　to…day　will　not　forget；　I　trust；　that　it　is　nearly　a

quarter　of　a　century　since　these　papers　were　written。　　Statements

which　were　true　then　are　not　necessarily　true　now。　　Thus；　the　speed

of　the　trotting　horse　has　been　so　much　developed　that　the　record　of

the　year　when　the　fastest　time　to　that　date　was　given　must　be　very

considerably　altered；　as　may　be　seen　by　referring　to　a　note　on　page

49　of　the　〃Autocrat。〃　　No　doubt　many　other　statements　and　opinions

might　be　more　or　less　modified　if　I　were　writing　today　instead　of

having　written　before　the　war；　when　the　world　and　I　were　both　more

than　a　score　of　years　younger。



These　papers　followed　close　upon　the　track　of　the　〃Autocrat。〃　　They

had　to　endure　the　trial　to　which　all　second　comers　are　subjected；

which　is　a　formidable　ordeal　for　the　least　as　well　as　the　greatest。

Paradise　Regained　and　the　Second　Part　of　Faust　are　examples　which　are

enough　to　warn　every　one　who　has　made　a　jingle　fair　hit　with　his

arrow　of　the　danger　of　missing　when　he　looses　〃his　fellow　of　the

selfsame　flight。〃



There　is　good　reason　why　it　should　be　so。　　The　first　juice　that　runs

of　itself　from　the　grapes　comes　from　the　heart　of　the　fruit；　and

tastes　of　the　pulp　only；　when　the　grapes　are　squeezed　in　the　press

the　flow　betrays　the　flavor　of　the　skin。　　If　there　is　any　freshness

in　the　original　idea　of　the　work；　if　there　is　any　individuality　in

the　method　or　style　of　a　new　author；　or　of　an　old　author　on　a　new

track；　it　will　have　lost　much　of　its　first　effect　when　repeated。

Still；　there　have　not　been　wanting　readers　who　have　preferred　this

second　series　of　papers　to　the　first。　　The　new　papers　were　more

aggressive　than　the　earlier　ones；　and　for　that　reason　found　a

heartier　welcome　in　some　quarters；　and　met　with　a　sharper　antagonism

in　others。　　It　amuses　me　to　look　back　on　some　of　the　attacks　they

called　forth。　　Opinions　which　do　not　excite　the　faintest　show　of

temper　at　this　time　from　those　who　do　not　accept　them　were　treated　as

if　they　were　the　utterances　of　a　nihilist　incendiary。　　It　required

the　exercise　of　some　forbearance　not　to　recriminate。



How　a　stray　sentence；　a　popular　saying；　the　maxim　of　some　wise　man；　a

line　accidentally　fallen　upon　and　remembered；　will　sometimes　help　one

when　he　is　all　ready　to　be　vexed　or　indignant！　　One　day；　in　the　time

when　I　was　young　or　youngish；　I　happened　to　open　a　small　copy　of　〃Tom

Jones；〃　and　glance　at　the　title…page。　　There　was　one　of　those　little

engravings　opposite；　which　bore　the　familiar　name　of　〃T。　Uwins；〃　as　I

remember　it；　and　under　it　the　words　〃Mr。　Partridge　bore　all　this

patiently。〃　　How　many　times；　when；　after　rough　usage　from

ill…mannered　critics；　my　own　vocabulary　of　vituperation　was　simmering

in　such　a　lively　way　that　it　threatened　to　boil　and　lift　its　lid　and

so　boil　over；　those　words　have　calmed　the　small　internal

effervescence！　　There　is　very　little　in　them　and　very　little　of　them；

and　so　there　is　not　much　in　a　linchpin　considered　by　itself；　but　it

often　keeps　a　wheel　from　coming　off　and　prevents　what　might　be　a

catastrophe。　　The　chief　trouble　in　offering　such　papers　as　these　to

the　readers　of　to…day　is　that　their　heresies　have　become　so　familiar

among　intelligent　people　that　they　have　too　commonplace　an　aspect。

All　the　lighthouses　and　land…marks　of　belief　bear　so　differently　from

the　way　in　which　they　presented　themselves　when　these　papers　were

written　that　it　is　hard　to　recognize　that　we　and　our　fellow…

passengers　are　still　in　the　same　old　vessel　sailing　the　same

unfathomable　sea　and　bound　to　the　same　as　yet　unseen　harbor。



But　after　all；　there　is　not　enough　theology；　good　or　bad；　in　these

papers　to　cause　them　to　be　inscribed　on　the　Protestant　Index

Expurgatorius；　and　if　they　are　medicated　with　a　few　questionable

dogmas　or　antidogmas；　the　public　has　become　used　to　so　much　rougher

treatments；　that　what　was　once　an　irritant　may　now　act　as　an　anodyne；

and　the　reader　may　nod　over　pages　which；　when　they　were　first

written；　would　have　waked　him　into　a　paroxysm　of　protest　and

denunciation。



November；　1882。













PREFACE　TO　THE　NEW　EDITION



This　book　is　one　of　those　which；　if　it　lives　for　a　number　of　decades；

and　if　it　requires　any　Preface　at　all；　wants　a　new　one　every　ten

years。　　The　first　Preface　to　a　book　is　apt　to　be　explanatory；　perhaps

apologetic；　in　the　expectation　of　attacks　from　various　quarters。　　If

the　book　is　in　some　points　in　advance　of　public　opinion；　it　is

natural　that　the　writer　should　try　to　smooth　the　way　to　the　reception

of　his　more　or　less　aggressive　ideas。　　He　wishes　to　convince；　not　to

offend；to　obtain　a　hearing　for　his　thought；　not　to　stir　up　angry

opposition　in　those　who　do　not　accept　it。　　There　is　commonly　an

anxious　look　about　a　first　Preface。　　The　author　thinks　he　shall　be

misapprehended　about　this　or　that　matter；　that　his　well…meant

expressions　will　probably　be　invidiously　interpreted　by　those　whom　he

looks　upon　as　prejudiced　critics；　and　if　he　deals　with　living

questions　that　he　will　be　attacked　as　a　destructive　by　the

conservatives　and　reproached　for　his　timidity　by　the　noisier

radicals。　　The　first　Preface；　therefore；　is　likely　to　be　the　weakest

part　of　a　work　containing　the　thoughts　of　an　honest　writer。



After　a　time　the　writer　has　cooled　down　from　his　excitement；has　got

over　his　apprehensions；　is　pleased　to　find　that　his　book　is　still

read；　and　that　he　must　write　a　new　Preface。　　He　comes　smiling　to　his

task。　　How　many　things　have　explained　themselves　in　the　ten　or　twenty

or　thirty　years　since　he　came　before　his　untried　public　in　those

almost　plaintive　paragraphs　in　which　he　introduced　himself　to　his

readers；for　the　Preface　writer；　no　matter　how　fierce　a　combatant　he

may　prove；　comes　on　to　the　stage　with　his　shield　on　his　right　arm　and

his　sword　in　his　left　hand。



The　Professor　at　the　Breakfast…Table　came　out　in　the　〃Atlantic

Monthly〃　and　introduced　itself　without　any　formal　Preface。　　A　quarter

of　a　century　later　the　Preface　of　1882；　which　the　reader　has　just　had

laid　before　him；　was　written。　　There　is　no　mark　of　worry；　I　think；　in

that。　　Old　opponents　had　come　up　and　shaken　hands　with　the　author

they　had　attacked　or　denounced。　　Newspapers　which　had　warned　their

subscribers　against　him　were　glad　to　get　him　as　a　contributor　to

their　columns。　　A　great　change　had　come　over　the　community　with

reference　to　their　beliefs。　　Christian　believers　were　united　as　never

before　in　the　feeling　that；　after　all；　their　common　object　was　to

elevate　the　moral　and　religious　standard　of　humanity。　　But　within　the

special　compartments　of　the　great　Christian　fold　the　marks　of

division　have　pronounced　themselves　in　the　most　unmistakable　manner。

As　an　example　we　may　take　the　lines　of　cleavage　which　have　shown

themselves　in　the　two　great　churches；　the　Congregational　and　the

Presbyterian；　and　the　very　distinct　fissure　which　is　manifest　in　the

transplanted　Anglican　church　of　this　country。　　Recent　circumstances

have　brought　out　the　fact　of　the　great　change　in　the　dogmatic

communities　which　has　been　going　on　silently　but　surely。　　The

licensing　of　a　missionary；　the　transfer　of　a　Professor　from　one

department　to　another；　the　election　of　a　Bishop；each　of　these

movements　furnishes　evidence　that　there　is　no　such　thing　as　an　air…

tight　reservoir　of　doctrinal　finalities。



The　folding…doors　are　wide　open　to　every　Protestant　to　enter　all　the

privileged　precincts　and　private　apartments　of　the　various　exclusive

religious　organizations。　　We　may　demand　the　credentials　of　every

creed　and　catechise　all　the　catechisms。　　So　we　may　discuss　the

gravest　questions　unblamed　over　our　morning　coffee…cups　or　our

evening　tea…cups。　　There　is　no　rest　for　the　Protestant　until　he　gives

up　his　legendary　anthropology　and　all　its　dogmatic　dependencies。



It　is　only　incidentally；　however；　that　the　Professor　at　the

Breakfast…Table　handles　matters　which　are　the　subjects　of　religious

controversy。　　The　reader　who　is　sensitive　about　having　his　fixed

beliefs　dealt　with　as　if　they　were　open　to　question　had　better　skip

the　pages　which　look　as　if　they　would　disturb　his　complacency。

〃Faith〃　is　the　most　precious　of　possessions；　and　it　dislikes　being

meddled　with。　　It　means；　of　course；　self…trust；that　is；　a　belief　in

the　value　of　our；　own　opinion　of　a　doctrine；　of　a　church；　of　a

religion；　of　a　Being；　a　belief　quite　independent　of　any　evidence　that

we　can　bring　to　convince　a　jury　of　our　fellow　beings。　　Its　roots　are

thus　inextricably　entangled　with　those　of　self…love　and　bleed　as

mandrakes　were　said　to；　when　pulled　up　as　weeds。　　Some　persons　may

even　at　this　late　day　take　offence　at　a　few　opinions　expressed　in　the

following　pages；　but　most　of　these　passages　will　be　read　without　loss

of　temper　by　those　who　disagree　with　them；　and　by…and…by