Earths Holocaust.docx
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Earths Holocaust.docx
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EarthsHolocaust
FromMossesfromanOldManse,1846,1854
ByNathanielHawthorne(1804-1864),1844,1846
Earth'sHolocaust
ONCEUPONatime--butwhetherinthetimepastortimetocome,isamatteroflittleornomoment--thiswideworldhadbecomesooverburthenedwithanaccumulationofworn-outtrumpery,thattheinhabitantsdeterminedtoridthemselvesofitbyageneralbonfire.Thesitefixedupon,attherepresentationoftheInsuranceCompanies,andasbeingascentralaspotasanyotherontheglobe,wasoneofthebroadestprairiesoftheWest,wherenohumanhabitationwouldbeendangeredbytheflames,andwhereavastassemblageofspectatorsmightcommodiouslyadmiretheshow.Havingatasteforsightsofthiskind,andimagining,likewise,thattheilluminationofthebonfiremightrevealsomeprofundityofmoraltruth,heretoforehiddeninmistordarkness,Imadeitconvenienttojourneythitherandbepresent.Atmyarrival,althoughtheheapofcondemnedrubbishwasasyetcomparativelysmall,thetorchhadalreadybeenapplied.Amidthatboundlessplain,intheduskoftheevening,likeafar-offstaraloneinthefirmament,therewasmerelyvisibleonetremulousgleam,whencenonecouldhaveanticipatedsofierceablazeaswasdestinedtoensue.Witheverymoment,however,therecamefoot-travellers,womenholdinguptheiraprons,menonhorseback,wheelbarrows,lumberingbaggagewagons,andothervehicles,greatandsmall,andfromfarandnear,ladenwitharticlesthatwerejudgedfitfornothingbuttobeburnt.
"Whatmaterialshavebeenusedtokindletheflame?
"inquiredIofabystander,forIwasdesirousofknowingthewholeprocessoftheaffair,frombeginningtoend.
ThepersonwhomIaddressedwasagraveman,fiftyyearsold,orthereabout,whohadevidentlycomethitherasalooker-on;hestruckmeimmediatelyashavingweighedforhimselfthetruevalueoflifeanditscircumstances,andthereforeasfeelinglittlepersonalinterestinwhateverjudgmenttheworldmightformofthem.Beforeansweringmyquestion,helookedmeintheface,bythekindlinglightofthefire.
"Oh,someverydrycombustibles,"repliedhe,"andextremelysuitabletothepurpose--noother,infact,thanyesterday'snewspapers,lastmonth'smagazines,andlastyear'switheredleaves.Here,now,comessomeantiquatedtrash,thatwilltakefirelikeahandfulofshavings."
Ashespoke,somerough-lookingmenadvancedtothevergeofthebonfire,andthrewin,asitappeared,alltherubbishoftheHerald'sOffice;theblazonryofcoat-armor;thecrestsanddevicesofillustriousfamilies;pedigreesthatextendedback,likelinesoflight,intothemistofthedarkages;togetherwithstars,garters,andembroideredcollars;eachofwhich,aspaltryabaubleasitmightappeartotheuninstructedeye,hadoncepossessedvastsignificance,andwasstill,intruth,reckonedamongthemostpreciousofmoralormaterialfacts,bytheworshippersofthegorgeouspast.Mingledwiththisconfusedheap,whichwastossedintotheflamesbyarmsfullatonce,wereinnumerablebadgesofknighthood;comprisingthoseofalltheEuropeansovereignties,andNapoleon'sdecorationoftheLegionofHonor,theribandsofwhichwereentangledwiththoseoftheancientorderofSt.Louis.There,too,werethemedalsofourownsocietyofCincinnati,bymeansofwhich,ashistorytellsus,anorderofhereditaryknightscamenearbeingconstitutedoutoftheking-quellersoftheRevolution.Andbesides,therewerethepatentsofnobilityofGermancountsandbarons,Spanishgrandees,andEnglishpeers,fromtheworm-eateninstrumentssignedbyWilliamtheConqueror,downtothebran-newparchmentofthelatestlord,whohasreceivedhishonorsfromthefairhandofVictoria.
Atsightofthesedensevolumesofsmoke,mingledwithvividjetsofflamethatgushedandeddiedforthfromthisimmensepileofearthlydistinctions,themultitudeofplebeianspectatorssetupajoyousshout,andclapttheirhandswithanemphasisthatmadethewelkinecho.Thatwastheirmomentoftriumph,achievedafterlongages,overcreaturesofthesameclayandthesamespiritualinfirmities,whohaddaredtoassumetheprivilegesdueonlytoHeaven'sbetterworkmanship.Butnowthererushedtowardstheblazingheapagray-hairedman,ofstatelypresence,wearingacoatfromthebreastofwhichastar,orotherbadgeofrank,seemedtohavebeenforciblywrenchedaway.Hehadnotthetokensofintellectualpowerinhisface;butstilltherewasthedemeanor--thehabitual,andalmostnativedignity--ofonewhohadbeenborntotheideaofhisownsocialsuperiority,andhadneverfeltitquestioned,tillthatmoment.
"People,"criedhe,gazingattheruinofwhatwasdearesttohiseyeswithgriefandwonder,butnevertheless,withadegreeofstateliness--"people,whathaveyoudone!
Thisfireisconsumingallthatmarkedyouradvancefrombarbarism,orthatcouldhavepreventedyourrelapsethither.We--themenoftheprivilegedorders--werethosewhokeptalive,fromagetoage,theoldchivalrousspirit;thegentleandgenerousthought;thehigher,thepurer,themorerefinedanddelicatelife!
Withthenobles,too,youcastoffthepoet,thepainter,thesculptor--allthebeautifularts;forweweretheirpatronsandcreatedtheatmosphereinwhichtheyflourish.Inabolishingthemajesticdistinctionsofrank,societylosesnotonlyitsgrace,butitssteadfastness--"
Morehewoulddoubtlesshavespoken;butheretherearoseanoutcry,sportive,contemptuous,andindignant,thataltogetherdrownedtheappealofthefallennobleman,insomuchthat,castingonelookofdespairathisownhalf-burntpedigree,heshrunkbackintothecrowd,gladtoshelterhimselfunderhisnew-foundinsignificance.
"Lethimthankhisstarsthatwehavenotflunghimintothesamefire!
"shoutedarudefigure,spurningtheemberswithhisfoot."And,henceforth,letnomandaretoshowapieceofmustyparchmentashiswarrantforlordingitoverhisfellows!
Ifhehavestrengthofarm,wellandgood;itisonespeciesofsuperiority.Ifhehavewit,wisdom,courage,forceofcharacter,lettheseattributesdoforhimwhattheymay.But,fromthisdayforward,nomortalmusthopeforplaceandconsiderationbyreckoningupthemouldybonesofhisancestors!
Thatnonsenseisdoneaway."
"Andingoodtime,"remarkedthegraveobserverbymyside--inalowvoicehowever--"ifnoworsenonsensecomeinitsplace.But,atallevents,thisspeciesofnonsensehasfairlylivedoutitslife."
Therewaslittlespacetomuseormoralizeovertheembersofthistime-honoredrubbish;for,beforeitwashalfburntout,therecameanothermultitudefrombeyondthesea,bearingthepurplerobesofroyalty,andthecrowns,globes,andsceptresofemperorsandkings.Allthesehadbeencondemnedasuselessbaubles;playthings,atbest,fitonlyfortheinfancyoftheworld,orrodstogovernandchastiseitinitsnonage;butwithwhichuniversalmanhood,atitsfull-grownstature,couldnolongerbrooktobeinsulted.Intosuchcontempthadtheseregalinsignianowfallen,thatthegildedcrownandtinseledrobesoftheplayer-king,fromDruryLaneTheatre,hadbeenthrowninamongtherest,doubtlessasamockeryofhisbrother-monarchsonthegreatstageoftheworld.Itwasastrangesighttodiscernthecrown-jewelsofEngland,glowingandflashinginthemidstofthefire.SomeofthemhadbeendelivereddownfromthetimeoftheSaxonprinces;otherswerepurchasedwithvastrevenues,or,perchance,ravishedfromthedeadbrowsofthenativepotentatesofHindostan;andthewholenowblazedwithadazzlinglustre,asifastarhadfalleninthatspot,andbeenshatteredintofragments.Thesplendoroftheruinedmonarchyhadnoreflection,saveinthoseinestimableprecious-stones.Butenoughonthissubject!
ItwerebuttedioustodescribehowtheEmperorofAustria'smantlewasconvertedtotinder,andhowthepostsandpillarsoftheFrenchthronebecameaheapofcoals,whichitwasimpossibletodistinguishfromthoseofanyotherwood.Letmeadd,however,thatInoticedoneoftheexiledPolesstirringupthebonfirewiththeCzarofRussia'ssceptre,whichheafterwardsflungintotheflames.
"Thesmellofsingedgarmentsisquiteintolerablehere,"observedmynewacquaintance,asthebreezeenvelopedusinthesmokeofaroyalwardrobe."Letusgettowindward,andseewhattheyaredoingontheothersideofthebonfire."
Weaccordinglypassedaround,andwerejustintimetowitnessthearrivalofavastprocessionofWashingtonians--asthevotariesoftemperancecallthemselvesnow-a-days--accompaniedbythousandsoftheIrishdisciplesofFatherMathew,withthatgreatapostleattheirhead.Theybroughtarichcontributiontothebonfire;beingnothinglessthanallthehogsheadsandbarrelsofliquorintheworld,whichtheyrolledbeforethemacrosstheprairie.
"Now,mychildren,"criedFatherMathew,whentheyreachedthevergeofthefire--"oneshovemore,andtheworkisdone!
AndnowletusstandoffandseeSatandealwithhisownliquor!
"
Accordingly,havingplacedtheirwoodenvesselswithinreachoftheflames,theprocessionstoodoffatasafedistance,andsoonbeheldthemburstintoablazethatreachedtheclouds,andthreatenedtosettheskyitselfonfire.Andwellitmight.Forherewasthewholeworld'sstockofspirituousliquors,which,insteadofkindlingafrenziedlightintheeyesofindividualtopersasofyore,soaredupwardswithabewilderinggleamthatstartledallmankind.Itwastheaggregateofthatfiercefire,whichwouldotherwisehavescorchedtheheartsofmillions.Meantime,numberlessbottlesofpreciouswinewereflungintotheblaze;whichlappedupthecontentsasifitlovedthem,and
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