05-behavior-第2节

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！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



mark；　to　hang　out　a　sign　for　each　and　for　every　quality。　　It　is　much

to　conquer　one's　face；　and　perhaps　the　ambitious　youth　thinks　he　has

got　the　whole　secret　when　he　has　learned；　that　disengaged　manners　are

commanding。　　Don't　be　deceived　by　a　facile　exterior。　　Tender　men

sometimes　have　strong　wills。　　We　had；　in　Massachusetts；　an　old

statesman；　who　had　sat　all　his　life　in　courts　and　in　chairs　of　state；

without　overcoming　an　extreme　irritability　of　face；　voice；　and

bearing：　when　he　spoke；　his　voice　would　not　serve　him；　it　cracked；　it

broke；　it　wheezed；　it　piped；　　little　cared　he；　he　knew　that　it　had

got　to　pipe；　or　wheeze；　or　screech　his　argument　and　his　indignation。

When　he　sat　down；　after　speaking；　he　seemed　in　a　sort　of　fit；　and

held　on　to　his　chair　with　both　hands：　but　underneath　all　this

irritability；　was　a　puissant　will；　firm；　and　advancing；　and　a　memory

in　which　lay　in　order　and　method　like　geologic　strata　every　fact　of

his　history；　and　under　the　control　of　his　will。



　　　　　　　　Manners　are　partly　factitious；　but；　mainly；　there　must　be

capacity　for　culture　in　the　blood。　　Else　all　culture　is　vain。　　The

obstinate　prejudice　in　favor　of　blood；　which　lies　at　the　base　of　the

feudal　and　monarchical　fabrics　of　the　old　world；　has　some　reason　in

common　experience。　　Every　man；　mathematician；　artist；　soldier；　or

merchant；　　looks　with　confidence　for　some　traits　and　talents　in　his

own　child；　which　he　would　not　dare　to　presume　in　the　child　of　a

stranger。　　The　Orientalists　are　very　orthodox　on　this　point。　　〃Take　a

thorn…bush；〃　said　the　emir　Abdel…Kader；　〃and　sprinkle　it　for　a　whole

year　with　water；　　it　will　yield　nothing　but　thorns。　　Take　a

date…tree；　leave　it　without　culture；　and　it　will　always　produce

dates。　　Nobility　is　the　date…tree；　and　the　Arab　populace　is　a　bush　of

thorns。〃



　　　　　　　　A　main　fact　in　the　history　of　manners　is　the　wonderful

expressiveness　of　the　human　body。　　If　it　were　made　of　glass；　or　of

air；　and　the　thoughts　were　written　on　steel　tablets　within；　it　could

not　publish　more　truly　its　meaning　than　now。　　Wise　men　read　very

sharply　all　your　private　history　in　your　look　and　gait　and　behavior。

The　whole　economy　of　nature　is　bent　on　expression。　　The　tell…tale

body　is　all　tongues。　　Men　are　like　Geneva　watches　with　crystal　faces

which　expose　the　whole　movement。　　They　carry　the　liquor　of　life

flowing　up　and　down　in　these　beautiful　bottles；　and　announcing　to　the

curious　how　it　is　with　them。　　The　face　and　eyes　reveal　what　the

spirit　is　doing；　how　old　it　is；　what　aims　it　has。　　The　eyes　indicate

the　antiquity　of　the　soul；　or；　through　how　many　forms　it　has　already

ascended。　　It　almost　violates　the　proprieties；　if　we　say　above　the

breath　here；　what　the　confessing　eyes　do　not　hesitate　to　utter　to

every　street　passenger。



　　　　　　　　Man　cannot　fix　his　eye　on　the　sun；　and　so　far　seems　imperfect。

In　Siberia；　a　late　traveller　found　men　who　could　see　the　satellites

of　Jupiter　with　their　unarmed　eye。　　In　some　respects　the　animals

excel　us。　　The　birds　have　a　longer　sight；　beside　the　advantage　by

their　wings　of　a　higher　observatory。　　A　cow　can　bid　her　calf；　by

secret　signal；　probably　of　the　eye；　to　run　away；　or　to　lie　down　and

hide　itself。　　The　jockeys　say　of　certain　horses；　that　〃they　look　over

the　whole　ground。〃　The　out…door　life；　and　hunting；　and　labor；　give

equal　vigor　to　the　human　eye。　　A　farmer　looks　out　at　you　as　strong　as

the　horse；　his　eye…beam　is　like　the　stroke　of　a　staff。　　An　eye　can

threaten　like　a　loaded　and　levelled　gun；　or　can　insult　like　hissing

or　kicking；　or；　in　its　altered　mood；　by　beams　of　kindness；　it　can

make　the　heart　dance　with　joy。



　　　　　　　　The　eye　obeys　exactly　the　action　of　the　mind。　　When　a　thought

strikes　us；　the　eyes　fix；　and　remain　gazing　at　a　distance；　in

enumerating　the　names　of　persons　or　of　countries；　as　France；　Germany；

Spain；　Turkey；　the　eyes　wink　at　each　new　name。　　There　is　no　nicety　of

learning　sought　by　the　mind；　which　the　eyes　do　not　vie　in　acquiring。

〃An　artist；〃　said　Michel　Angelo；　〃must　have　his　measuring　tools　not

in　the　hand；　but　in　the　eye；〃　and　there　is　no　end　to　the　catalogue　of

its　performances；　whether　in　indolent　vision；　（that　of　health　and

beauty；）　or　in　strained　vision；　（that　of　art　and　labor。）



　　　　　　　　Eyes　are　bold　as　lions；　　roving；　running；　leaping；　here　and

there；　far　and　near。　　They　speak　all　languages。　　They　wait　for　no

introduction；　they　are　no　Englishmen；　ask　no　leave　of　age；　or　rank；

they　respect　neither　poverty　nor　riches；　neither　learning　nor　power；

nor　virtue；　nor　sex；　but　intrude；　and　come　again；　and　go　through　and

through　you；　in　a　moment　of　time。　　What　inundation　of　life　and

thought　is　discharged　from　one　soul　into　another；　through　them！　　The

glance　is　natural　magic。　　The　mysterious　communication　established

across　a　house　between　two　entire　strangers；　moves　all　the　springs　of

wonder。　　The　communication　by　the　glance　is　in　the　greatest　part　not

subject　to　the　control　of　the　will。　　It　is　the　bodily　symbol　of

identity　of　nature。　　We　look　into　the　eyes　to　know　if　this　other　form

is　another　self；　and　the　eyes　will　not　lie；　but　make　a　faithful

confession　what　inhabitant　is　there。　　The　revelations　are　sometimes

terrific。　　The　confession　of　a　low；　usurping　devil　is　there　made；　and

the　observer　shall　seem　to　feel　the　stirring　of　owls；　and　bats；　and

horned　hoofs；　where　he　looked　for　innocence　and　simplicity。　　'Tis

remarkable；　too；　that　the　spirit　that　appears　at　the　windows　of　the

house　does　at　once　invest　himself　in　a　new　form　of　his　own；　to　the

mind　of　the　beholder。



　　　　　　　　The　eyes　of　men　converse　as　much　as　their　tongues；　with　the

advantage；　that　the　ocular　dialect　needs　no　dictionary；　but　is

understood　all　the　world　over。　　When　the　eyes　say　one　thing；　and　the

tongue　another；　a　practised　man　relies　on　the　language　of　the　first。

If　the　man　is　off　his　centre；　the　eyes　show　it。　　You　can　read　in　the

eyes　of　your　companion；　whether　your　argument　hits　him；　though　his

tongue　will　not　confess　it。　　There　is　a　look　by　which　a　man　shows　he

is　going　to　say　a　good　thing；　and　a　look　when　he　has　said　it。　　Vain

and　forgotten　are　all　the　fine　offers　and　offices　of　hospitality；　if

there　is　no　holiday　in　the　eye。　　How　many　furtive　inclinations　avowed

by　the　eye；　though　dissembled　by　the　lips！　　One　comes　away　from　a

company；　in　which；　it　may　easily　happen；　he　has　said　nothing；　and　no

important　remark　has　been　addressed　to　him；　and　yet；　if　in　sympathy

with　the　society；　he　shall　not　have　a　sense　of　this　fact；　such　a

stream　of　life　has　been　flowing　into　him；　and　out　from　him；　through

the　eyes。　　There　are　eyes；　to　be　sure；　that　give　no　more　admission

into　the　man　than　blueberries。　　Others　are　liquid　and　deep；　　wells

that　a　man　might　fall　into；　　others　are　aggressive　and　devouring；

seem　to　call　out　the　police；　take　all　too　much　notice；　and　require

crowded　Broadways；　and　the　security　of　millions；　to　protect

individuals　against　them。　　The　military　eye　I　meet；　now　darkly

sparkling　under　clerical；　now　under　rustic　brows。　　'Tis　the　city　of

Lacedaemon；　'tis　a　stack　of　bayonets。　　There　are　asking　eyes；

asserting　eyes；　prowling　eyes；　and　eyes　full　of　fate；　　some　of

good；　and　some　of　sinister　omen。　　The　alleged　power　to　charm　down

insanity；　or　ferocity　in　beasts；　is　a　power　behind　the　eye。　　It　must

be　a　victory　achieved　in　the　will；　before　it　can　be　signified　in　the

eye。　　'Tis　very　certain　that　each　man　carries　in　his　eye　the　exact

indication　of　his　rank　in　the　immense　scale　of　men；　and　we　are　always

learning　to　read　it。　　A　complete　man　should　need　no　auxiliaries　to

his　personal　presence。　　Whoever　looked　on　him　would　consent　to　his

will；　being　certified　that　his　aims　were　generous　and　universal。　　The

reason　why　men　do　not　obey　us；　is　because　they　see　the　mud　at　the

bottom　of　our　eye。



　　　　　　　　If　the　organ　of　sight　is　such　a　vehicle　of　power；　the　other

features　have　their　own。　　A　man　finds　room　in　the　few　square　inches

of　the　face　for　the　traits　of　all　his　ancestors；　for　the　expression

of　all　his　history；　and　his　wants。　　The　sculptor；　and　Winckelmann；

and　Lavater；　will　tell　you　how　significant　a　feature　is　the　nose；　how

its　forms　express　strength　or　weakness　of　will；　and　good　or　bad

temper。　　The　nose　of　Julius　Caesar；　of　Dante；　and　of　Pitt；　suggest

〃the　terrors　of　the　beak。〃　What　refinement；　and　what　limitations；　the

teeth　betray！　　〃Beware　you　don't　laugh；〃　said　the　wise　mother；　〃for

then　you　show　all　your　faults。〃



　　　　　　　　Balzac　left　in　manuscript　a　chapter；　which　he　called　〃_Theorie

de　la　demarche_；〃　in　which　he　says：　〃The　look；　the　voice；　the

respiration；　and　the　attitude　or　walk；　are　identical。　　But；　as　it　has

not　been　given　to　man；　the　power　to　stand　guard；　at　once；　over　these

four　different　simultaneous　expressions　of　his　thought；　watch　that

one　which　speaks　out　the　truth；　and　you　will　know　the　whole　man。〃



　　　　　　　　Palaces　interest　us　mainly　in　the　exhibition　of　manners；　which；

in　the　idle　a