07-the bean field-第3部分

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heedlessness　by　us；　our　object　being　to　have　large　farms　and　large

crops　merely。　　We　have　no　festival；　nor　procession；　nor　ceremony；

not　excepting　our　cattle…shows　and　so…called　Thanksgivings；　by　which

the　farmer　expresses　a　sense　of　the　sacredness　of　his　calling；　or　is

reminded　of　its　sacred　origin。　　It　is　the　premium　and　the　feast

which　tempt　him。　　He　sacrifices　not　to　Ceres　and　the　Terrestrial

Jove；　but　to　the　infernal　Plutus　rather。　　By　avarice　and

selfishness；　and　a　grovelling　habit；　from　which　none　of　us　is　free；

of　regarding　the　soil　as　property；　or　the　means　of　acquiring

property　chiefly；　the　landscape　is　deformed；　husbandry　is　degraded

with　us；　and　the　farmer　leads　the　meanest　of　lives。　　He　knows　Nature

but　as　a　robber。　　Cato　says　that　the　profits　of　agriculture　are

particularly　pious　or　just　（maximeque　pius　quaestus）；　and　according

to　Varro　the　old　Romans　〃called　the　same　earth　Mother　and　Ceres；　and

thought　that　they　who　cultivated　it　led　a　pious　and　useful　life；　and

that　they　alone　were　left　of　the　race　of　King　Saturn。〃

　　　　We　are　wont　to　forget　that　the　sun　looks　on　our　cultivated

fields　and　on　the　prairies　and　forests　without　distinction。　　They

all　reflect　and　absorb　his　rays　alike；　and　the　former　make　but　a

small　part　of　the　glorious　picture　which　he　beholds　in　his　daily

course。　　In　his　view　the　earth　is　all　equally　cultivated　like　a

garden。　　Therefore　we　should　receive　the　benefit　of　his　light　and

heat　with　a　corresponding　trust　and　magnanimity。　　What　though　I

value　the　seed　of　these　beans；　and　harvest　that　in　the　fall　of　the

year？　　This　broad　field　which　I　have　looked　at　so　long　looks　not　to

me　as　the　principal　cultivator；　but　away　from　me　to　influences　more

genial　to　it；　which　water　and　make　it　green。　　These　beans　have

results　which　are　not　harvested　by　me。　　Do　they　not　grow　for

woodchucks　partly？　　The　ear　of　wheat　（in　Latin　spica；　obsoletely

speca；　from　spe；　hope）　should　not　be　the　only　hope　of　the

husbandman；　its　kernel　or　grain　（granum　from　gerendo；　bearing）　is

not　all　that　it　bears。　　How；　then；　can　our　harvest　fail？　　Shall　I

not　rejoice　also　at　the　abundance　of　the　weeds　whose　seeds　are　the

granary　of　the　birds？　　It　matters　little　comparatively　whether　the

fields　fill　the　farmer's　barns。　　The　true　husbandman　will　cease　from

anxiety；　as　the　squirrels　manifest　no　concern　whether　the　woods　will

bear　chestnuts　this　year　or　not；　and　finish　his　labor　with　every

day；　relinquishing　all　claim　to　the　produce　of　his　fields；　and

sacrificing　in　his　mind　not　only　his　first　but　his　last　fruits　also。







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