Higher Laws

ycastsusdown.Heisblessedwhoisassuredthattheanimalisdyingoutinhimdaybyday,andthedivinebeingestablished.Perhapsthereisnonebuthascauseforshameonaccountoftheinferiorandbrutishnaturetowhichheisallied.Ifearthatwearesuchgodsordemigodsonlyasfaunsandsatyrs,thedivinealliedtobeasts,thecreaturesofappetite,andthat,tosomeextent,ourverylifeisourdisgrace.— “Howhappy’shewhohathdueplaceassigned Tohisbeastsanddisafforestedhismind! ***** Canusethishorse,goat,wolf,andev’rybeast, Andisnotasshimselftoalltherest! Elsemannotonlyistheherdofswine, Buthe’sthosedevilstoowhichdidincline Themtoaheadlongrage,andmadethemworse.” Allsensualityisone,thoughittakesmanyformsallpurityisone.Itisthesamewhetheramaneat,ordrink,orcohabit,orsleepsensually.Theyarebutoneappetite,andweonlyneedtoseeapersondoanyoneofthesethingstoknowhowgreatasensualistheis.Theimpurecanneitherstandnorsitwithpurity.Whenthereptileisattackedatonemouthofhisburrow,heshowshimselfatanother.Ifyouwouldbechaste,youmustbetemperate.Whatischastity?Howshallamanknowifheischaste?Heshallnotknowit.Wehaveheardofthisvirtue,butweknownotwhatitis.Wespeakconformablytotherumorwhichwehaveheard.Fromexertioncomewisdomandpurityfromslothignoranceandsensuality.Inthestudentsensualityisasluggishhabitofmind.Anuncleanpersonisuniversallyaslothfulone,onewhositsbyastove,whomthesunshinesonprostrate,whoreposeswithoutbeingfatigued.Ifyouwouldavoiduncleanness,andallthesins,workearnestly,thoughitbeatcleaningastable.Natureishardtobeovercome,butshemustbeovercome.WhatavailsitthatyouareChristian,ifyouarenotpurerthantheheathen,ifyoudenyyourselfnomore,ifyouarenotmorereligious?Iknowofmanysystemsofreligionesteemedheathenishwhosepreceptsfillthereaderwithshame,andprovokehimtonewendeavors,thoughitbetotheperformanceofritesmerely. Ihesitatetosaythesethings,butitisnotbecauseofthesubject,—Icarenothowobscenemywordsare,—butbecauseIcannotspeakofthemwithoutbetrayingmyimpurity.Wediscoursefreelywithoutshameofoneformofsensuality,andaresilentaboutanother.Wearesodegradedthatwecannotspeaksimplyofthenecessaryfunctionsofhumannature.Inearlierages,insomecountries,everyfunctionwasreverentlyspokenofandregulatedbylaw.NothingwastootrivialfortheHindoolawgiver,howeveroffensiveitmaybetomoderntaste.Heteacheshowtoeat,drink,cohabit,voidexcrementandurine,andthelike,elevatingwhatismean,anddoesnotfalselyexcusehimselfbycallingthesethingstrifles. Everymanisthebuilderofatemple,calledhisbody,tothegodheworships,afterastylepurelyhisown,norcanhegetoffbyhammeringmarbleinstead.Weareallsculptorsandpainters,andourmaterialisourownfleshandbloodandbones.Anynoblenessbeginsatoncetorefineaman’sfeatures,anymeannessorsensualitytoimbrutethem. JohnFarmersatathisdooroneSeptemberevening,afterahardday’swork,hismindstillrunningonhislabormoreorless.Havingbathed,hesatdowntore-createhisintellectualman.Itwasarathercoolevening,andsomeofhisneighborswereapprehendingafrost.Hehadnotattendedtothetrainofhisthoughtslongwhenheheardsomeoneplayingonaflute,andthatsoundharmonizedwithhismood.Stillhethoughtofhisworkbuttheburdenofhisthoughtwas,thatthoughthiskeptrunninginhishead,andhefoundhimselfplanningandcontrivingitagainsthiswill,yetitconcernedhimverylittle.Itwasnomorethanthescurfofhisskin,whichwasconstantlyshuffledoff.Butthenotesoftheflutecamehometohisearsoutofadifferentspherefromthatheworkedin,andsuggestedworkforcertainfacultieswhichslumberedinhim.Theygentlydidawaywiththestreet,andthevillage,andthestateinwhichhelived.Avoicesaidtohim,—Whydoyoustayhereandlivethismeanmoilinglife,whenagloriousexistenceispossibleforyou?Thosesamestarstwinkleoverotherfieldsthanthese.—Buthowtocomeoutofthisconditionandactuallymigratethither?Allthathecouldthinkofwastopractisesomenewausterity,tolethisminddescendintohisbodyandredeemit,andtreathimselfwitheverincreasingrespect.