第5章
Iknownotwhetheritweretheexcitementofthescene，or
whetherthegoodpeoplearoundthebonfirewerereallygrowingmore
enlightenedeveryinstant；buttheynowproceededtomeasures，in
thefulllengthofwhichIwashardlypreparedtokeepthemcompany。
Forinstance，somethrewtheirmarriagecertificatesintothe
flames，anddeclaredthemselvescandidatesforahigher，holier，and
morecomprehensiveunionthanthatwhichhadsubsistedfromthe
birthoftime，undertheformoftheconnubialtie。Othershastenedto
thevaultsofbanks，andtothecoffersoftherich-allofwhichwere
opentothefirstcomer，onthisfatedoccasion-andbroughtentire
balesofpaper-moneytoenliventheblaze，andtonsofcointobe
melteddownbyitsintensity。Henceforth，theysaid，universal
benevolence，uncoinedandexhaustless，wastobethegoldencurrency
oftheworld。Atthisintelligence，thebankers，andspeculatorsin
thestocks，grewpale；andapickpocket，whohadreapedarichharvest
amongthecrowd，felldowninadeadlyfainting-fit。Afewmenof
businessburnttheirday-booksandledgers，thenotesand
obligationsoftheircreditors，andallotherevidencesofdebtsdue
tothemselves；whileperhapsasomewhatlargernumbersatisfied
theirzealforreformwiththesacrificeofanyuncomfortable
recollectionoftheirownindebtment。Therewasthenacry，thatthe
periodwasarrivedwhenthetitle-deedsoflandedpropertyshouldbe
giventotheflames，andthewholesoiloftheearthreverttothe
public，fromwhomithadbeenwrongfullyabstracted，andmost
unequallydistributedamongindividuals。Anotherpartydemandedthat
allwrittenconstitutions，setformsofgovernment，legislative
acts，statute-books，andeverythingelseonwhichhumaninvention
hadendeavoredtostampitsarbitrarylaws，shouldatoncebe
destroyed，leavingtheconsummatedworldasfreeasthemanfirst
created。
Whetheranyultimateactionwastakenwithregardtothese
propositions，isbeyondmyknowledge；for，justthen，somematters
wereinprogressthatconcernedmysympathiesmorenearly。
“See！see！whatheapsofbooksandpamphlets！”criedafellow，
whodidnotseemtobealoverofliterature。“Nowweshallhavea
gloriousblaze！”
“That’sjustthething。”saidamodernphilosopher。“Nowweshall
getridoftheweightofdeadmen’sthought，whichhashitherto
pressedsoheavilyonthelivingintellectthatithasbeen
incompetenttoanyeffectualself-exertion。Welldone，mylads！Into
thefirewiththem！Nowyouareenlighteningtheworld，indeed！”
“ButwhatistobecomeoftheTrade？”criedafranticbookseller。
“Oh，byallmeans，letthemaccompanytheirmerchandise。”coolly
observedanauthor。“Itwillbeanoblefuneralpile！”
Thetruthwas，thatthehumanracehadnowreachedastageof
progresssofarbeyondwhatthewisestandwittiestmenofformerages
hadeverdreamedof，thatitwouldhavebeenamanifestabsurdityto
allowtheearthtobeanylongerencumberedwiththeirpoor
achievementsintheliteraryline。Accordingly，athoroughand
searchinginvestigationhadsweptthebooksellers’shops，hawkers’
stands，publicandprivatelibraries，andeventhelittlebook-shelf
bythecountryfireside，andhadbroughttheworld’sentiremassof
printedpaper，boundorinsheets，toswellthealready
mountain-bulkofourillustriousbonfire。Thick，heavyfolios，
containingthelaborsoflexicographers，commentators，and
encyclopedists，wereflungin，and，fallingamongtheemberswitha
leadenthump，smoulderedawaytoashes，likerottenwood。Thesmall，
richlygiltFrenchtomesofthelastage，withthehundredvolumes
ofVoltaireamongthem，wentoffinabrilliantshowerofsparkles，
andlittlejetsofflame；whilethecurrentliteratureofthesame
nationburntredandblue，andthrewaninfernallightoverthe
visagesofthespectators，convertingthemalltotheaspectof
parti-coloredfiends。AcollectionofGermanstoriesemittedascent
ofbrimstone。TheEnglishstandardauthorsmadeexcellentfuel，
generallyexhibitingthepropertiesofsoundoaklogs。Milton’sworks，
inparticular，sentupapowerfulblaze，graduallyreddeningintoa
coal，whichpromisedtoendurelongerthanalmostanyothermaterial
ofthepile。FromShakspearetheregushedaflameofsuchmarvellous
splendorthatmenshadedtheireyesasagainstthesun’smeridian
glory；norevenwhentheworksofhisownelucidatorswereflung
uponhimdidheceasetoflashforthadazzlingradiancefrom
beneaththeponderousheap。Itismybeliefthatheisstillblazing
asfervidlyasever。
“Couldapoetbutlightalampatthatgloriousflame。”remarkedI，
“hemightthenconsumethemidnightoiltosomegoodpurpose。”
“Thatistheverythingwhichmodernpoetshavebeentooapttodo，
oratleasttoattempt。”answeredacritic。“Thechiefbenefittobe
expectedfromthisconflagrationofpastliteratureundoubtedlyis，
thatwriterswillhenceforthbecompelledtolighttheirlampsat
thesunorstars。”
“Iftheycanreachsohigh。”saidI。“Butthattaskrequiresa
giant，whomayafterwarddistributethelightamonginferiormen。It
isnoteveryonethatcanstealthefirefromheaven，like
Prometheus；butwhenoncehehaddonethedeed，athousandhearths
werekindledbyit。”
Itamazedmemuchtoobservehowindefinitewastheproportion
betweenthephysicalmassofanygivenauthor，andthepropertyof
brilliantandlong-continuedcombustion。Forinstance，therewasnota
quartovolumeofthelastcentury-nor，indeed，ofthepresent-that
couldcompete，inthatparticular，withachild’slittle
gilt-coveredbook，containingMotherGoose’sMelodies。TheLifeand
DeathofTomThumboutlastedthebiographyofMarlborough。Anepic-
indeed，adozenofthem-wasconvertedtowhiteashes，beforethe
singlesheetofanoldballadwashalfconsumed。Inmorethanone
case，too，whenvolumesofapplaudedverseprovedincapableof
anythingbetterthanastiflingsmoke，anunregardeddittyofsome
namelessbard-perchanceinthecornerofanewspaper-soaredupamong
thestars，withaflameasbrilliantastheirown。Speakingofthe
propertiesofflame，methoughtShelley’spoetryemittedapurer
lightthanalmostanyotherproductionsofhisday；contrasting
beautifullywiththefitfulandluridgleams，andgushesofblack
vapor，thatflashedandeddiedfromthevolumesofLordByron。As
forTomMoore，someofhissongsdiffusedanodorlikeaburning
pastille。
IfeltparticularinterestinwatchingthecombustionofAmerican
authors，andscrupulouslynoted，bymywatch，theprecisenumberof
momentsthatchangedmostofthemfromshabbilyprintedbooksto
indistinguishableashes。Itwouldbeinvidious，however，ifnot
perilous，tobetraytheseawfulsecrets；sothatIshallcontent
myselfwithobserving，thatitwasnotinvariablythewritermost
frequentinthepublicmouththatmadethemostsplendidappearancein
thebonfire。Iespeciallyremember，thatagreatdealofexcellent
inflammabilitywasexhibitedinathinvolumeofpoemsbyEllery
Channing；although，tospeakthetruth，therewerecertainportions
thathissedandsplutteredinaverydisagreeablefashion。Acurious
phenomenonoccurredinreferencetoseveralwriters，nativeaswellas
foreign。Theirbooks，thoughofhighlyrespectablefigure，instead
ofburstingintoablaze，orevensmoulderingouttheirsubstancein
smoke，suddenlymeltedaway，inamannerthatprovedthemtobeice。
Ifitbenolackofmodestytomentionmyownworks，itmusthere
beconfessed，thatIlookedforthemwithfatherlyinterest，butin
vain。Tooprobably，theywerechangedtovaporbythefirstaction
oftheheat；atbest，Icanonlyhopethat，intheirquietway，they
contributedaglimmeringsparkortwotothesplendoroftheevening。
“Alas！andwoisme！”thusbemoanedhimselfaheavy-looking
gentlemaningreenspectacles。“Theworldisutterlyruined，andthere
isnothingtoliveforanylonger！Thebusinessofmylifeissnatched
fromme。Notavolumetobehadforloveormoney！”
“This。”remarkedthesedateobserverbesideme，“isabook-worm-
oneofthosemenwhoareborntognawdeadthoughts。Hisclothes，
yousee，arecoveredwiththedustoflibraries。Hehasnoinward
fountainofideas；and，ingoodearnest，nowthattheoldstockis
abolished，Idonotseewhatistobecomeofthepoorfellow。Haveyou
nowordofcomfortforhim？”
“Mydearsir。”saidI，tothedesperatebook-worm，“isnotNature
betterthanabook？isnotthehumanheartdeeperthananysystemof
philosophy？isnotliferepletewithmoreinstructionthanpast
observershavefounditpossibletowritedowninmaxims？Beofgood
cheer！ThegreatbookofTimeisstillspreadwideopenbeforeus；
and，ifwereaditaright，itwillbetousavolumeofeternal
Truth。”
“Oh，mybooks，mybooks，myprecious，printedbooks！”reiterated
theforlornbook-worm。“Myonlyrealitywasaboundvolume；andnow
theywillnotleavemeevenashadowypamphlet！”
Infact，thelastremnantoftheliteratureofalltheageswasnow
descendingupontheblazingheap，intheshapeofacloudofpamphlets
fromthepressoftheNewWorld。These，likewise，wereconsumedinthe
twinklingofaneye，leavingtheearth，forthefirsttimesincethe
daysofCadmus，freefromtheplagueofletters-anenviablefieldfor
theauthorsofthenextgeneration！
“Well！anddoesanythingremaintobedone？”inquiredI，somewhat
anxiously。“Unlesswesetfiretotheearthitself，andthenleap
boldlyoffintoinfinitespace，Iknownotthatwecancarryreformto
anyfurtherpoint。”
“Youarevastlymistaken，mygoodfriend。”saidtheobserver。
“Believeme，thefirewillnotbeallowedtosettledownwithoutthe
additionoffuelthatwillstartlemanypersons，whohavelenta
willinghandthusfar。”
Nevertheless，thereappearedtobearelaxationofeffort，fora
littletime，duringwhich，probably，theleadersofthemovement
wereconsideringwhatshouldbedonenext。Intheinterval，a
philosopherthrewhistheoryintotheflames；asacrificewhich，by
thosewhoknewhowtoestimateit，waspronouncedthemost
remarkablethathadyetbeenmade。Thecombustion，however，wasby
nomeansbrilliant。Someindefatigablepeople，scorningtotakea
moment’sease，nowemployedthemselvesincollectingallthe
witheredleavesandfallenboughsoftheforest，andtherebyrecruited
thebonfiretoagreaterheightthanever。Butthiswasmereby-play。
“HerecomesthefreshfuelthatIspokeof。”saidmycompanion。
Tomyastonishment，thepersonswhonowadvancedintothevacant
spacearoundthemountainfire，boresurplicesandotherpriestly
garments，mitres，crosiers，andaconfusionofPopishandProtestant
emblems，withwhichitseemedtheirpurposetoconsummatethegreat
ActofFaith。Crosses，fromthespiresofoldcathedrals，werecast
upontheheapwithaslittleremorseasifthereverenceofcenturies，
passinginlongarraybeneaththeloftytowers，hadnotlookedupto
themastheholiestofsymbols。Thefont，inwhichinfantswere
consecratedtoGod；thesacramentalvessels，whencePietyreceivedthe
halloweddraught；weregiventothesamedestruction。Perhapsit
mostnearlytouchedmyhearttosee，amongthesedevotedrelics，
fragmentsofthehumblecommunion-tablesandundecoratedpulpits，
whichIrecognizedashavingbeentornfromthemeeting-housesof
NewEngland。Thosesimpleedificesmighthavebeenpermittedtoretain
allofsacredembellishmentthattheirPuritanfoundershad
bestowed，eventhoughthemightystructureofSt。Peter’shadsentits
spoilstothefireofthisterriblesacrifice。YetIfeltthatthese
werebuttheexternalsofreligion，andmightmostsafelybe
relinquishedbyspiritsthatbestknewtheirdeepsignificance。
“Alliswell。”saidIcheerfully。“Thewood-pathsshallbethe
aislesofourcathedral-thefirmamentitselfshallbeitsceiling！
WhatneedsanearthlyroofbetweentheDeityandhisworshippers？
Ourfaithcanwellaffordtoloseallthedraperythateventhe
holiestmenhavethrownaroundit，andbeonlythemoresublimeinits
simplicity。”
“True。”saidmycompanion。“Butwilltheypausehere？”