第8部分(第1/7 页)

；　my　fortune　somewhat　resembled　that　of　aperson　who　should　entertain　an　idea　of　mitting　suicide；　and；although　beyond　his　hopes；　meet　with　the　good　hap　to　be　murdered。　Inthe　Custom…House；　as　before　in　the　Old　Manse；　I　had　spent　three　years；a　term　long　enough　to　rest　a　weary　brain；　long　enough　to　break　off　oldintellectual　habits；　and　make　room　for　new　ones；　long　enough；　andtoo　long；　to　have　lived　in　an　unnatural　state；　doing　what　was　reallyof　no　advantage　nor　delight　to　any　human　being；　and　withholding　myselffrom　toil　that　would；　at　least；　have　stilled　an　unquiet　impulse　in　me。Then；　moreover；　as　regarded　his　unceremonious　ejectment；　the　lateSurveyor　was　not　altogether　ill…pleased　to　be　recognised　by　theWhigs　as　an　enemy；　since　his　inactivity　in　political　affairs…　histendency　to　roam；　at　will；　in　that　broad　and　quiet　field　where　allmankind　may　meet；　rather　than　confine　himself　to　those　narrow　pathswhere　brethren　of　the　same　household　must　diverge　from　one　another…had　sometimes　made　it　questionable　with　his　brother　Democratswhether　he　was　a　friend。　Now；　after　he　had　won　the　crown　ofmartyrdom　（though　with　no　longer　a　head　to　wear　it　on）；　the　pointmight　be　looked　upon　as　settled。　Finally；　little　heroic　as　he　was；it　seemed　more　decorous　to　be　overthrown　in　the　downfall　of　theparty　with　which　he　had　been　content　to　stand；　than　to　remain　aforlorn　survivor；　when　so　many　worthier　men　were　falling；　and；　atlast；　after　subsisting　for　four　years　on　the　mercy　of　a　hostileadministration；　to　be　pelled　then　to　define　his　position　anew；and　claim　the　yet　more　humiliating　mercy　of　a　friendly　one。 Meanwhile　the　press　had　taken　up　my　affair；　and　kept　me；　for　aweek　or　two；　careering　through　the　public　prints；　in　my　decapitatedstate；　like　Irving's　Headless　Horseman；　ghastly　and　grim；　andlon