hercropsthanthese?Whyconcernourselvessomuchaboutourbeansforseed,andnotbeconcernedatallaboutanewgenerationofmen?WeshouldreallybefedandcheeredifwhenwemetamanweweresuretoseethatsomeofthequalitieswhichIhavenamed,whichweallprizemorethanthoseotherproductions,butwhichareforthemostpartbroadcastandfloatingintheair,hadtakenrootandgrowninhim.Herecomessuchasubtileandineffablequality,forinstance,astruthorjustice,thoughtheslightestamountornewvarietyofit,alongtheroad.Ourambassadorsshouldbeinstructedtosendhomesuchseedsasthese,andCongresshelptodistributethemoveralltheland.Weshouldneverstanduponceremonywithsincerity.Weshouldnevercheatandinsultandbanishoneanotherbyourmeanness,iftherewerepresentthekernelofworthandfriendliness.Weshouldnotmeetthusinhaste.MostmenIdonotmeetatall,fortheyseemnottohavetimetheyarebusyabouttheirbeans.Wewouldnotdealwithamanthusploddingever,leaningonahoeoraspadeasastaffbetweenhiswork,notasamushroom,butpartiallyrisenoutoftheearth,somethingmorethanerect,likeswallowsalightedandwalkingontheground:—
“Andashespake,hiswingswouldnowandthen
Spread,ashemeanttofly,thencloseagain,”
sothatweshouldsuspectthatwemightbeconversingwithanangel.Breadmaynotalwaysnourishusbutitalwaysdoesusgood,iteventakesstiffnessoutofourjoints,andmakesussuppleandbuoyant,whenweknewnotwhatailedus,torecognizeanygenerosityinmanorNature,toshareanyunmixedandheroicjoy.
Ancientpoetryandmythologysuggest,atleast,thathusbandrywasonceasacredartbutitispursuedwithirreverenthasteandheedlessnessbyus,ourobjectbeingtohavelargefarmsandlargecropsmerely.Wehavenofestival,norprocession,norceremony,notexceptingourCattle-showsandsocalledThanksgivings,bywhichthefarmerexpressesasenseofthesacrednessofhiscalling,orisremindedofitssacredorigin.Itisthepremiumandthefeastwhichtempthim.HesacrificesnottoCeresandtheTerrestrialJov