Powers

BUT, my son, think not that it is necessary for thee to be excellent if

thou wouldst be powerful. Observe how the lighter substance in nature

riseth by its own levity and overtoppeth that which is the more grave.

Even so, my son, mayest thou be light and worthless, and yet make a

goodly show above those who are of a more intrinsic value than thyself.

But as much circumspection will be necessary for thee to attain this

glorious end, and as by reason of thy youth thou art liable to miss many

of the most able and effective means of becoming possessed of it, hear

the words of an old man and treasure them in thy heart. The required

qualities, my son, are easily procured; many are naturally gifted with

them. In order, however, that thou mayest keep them in set form in thy

mind commit to memory the following list of requisites: Love of self,

love of show, love of sound, reserve, openness, distrust.

The love of self, which shall chiefly manifest itself in the obtaining

the best of all things for thyself to the exclusion of another, be he who

he may; and as meal-times are the fittest occasion for the exercise of

this necessary quality, I will even illustrate my meaning that thou

mayest the more plainly comprehend me. Suppose that many are congregated

to a breakfast and there is a dish of kidneys on the table, but not so

many but what the greater number must go without them, cry out with a

loud voice, immediately that thou hast perceived them: “Kidneys! Oh, ah!

I say, G., old fellow, give us some kidneys.” Then will the master of

the house be pleased that he hath provided something to thy liking, and

as others from false shame will fear to do the like thou wilt both obtain

that thy soul desireth, and be looked upon by thy fellows as a bold

fellow and one who knoweth how to make his way in the world, and G. will

say immediately: “Waiter, take this to Mr. Potguts,” and he taketh them,

and so on, my son, with all other meats that are on the table, see thou

refrain not from one of them, for a large appetite well becometh a power,

or if not a large one then a dainty one. But if thine appetite be small

and dainty see thou express contempt for a large eater as one inferior to

thyself. Or again, my son, if thou art not at a banquet but enterest any

room where there are many met together, see thou take the arm-chair or

the best seat or couch, or what other place of comfort is in the room;

and if there be another power in the room as well as thyself see thou

fight with him for it, and if thou canst by any craft get rid of him an

he be more thickly set than thyself, see that thou do this openly and

with a noise, that all men may behold and admire thee, for they will fear

thee and yield and not venture to reprove thee openly; and so long as

they dare not, all will be well. Nevertheless I would have thee keep

within certain bounds, lest men turn upon thee if thy rule is too

oppressive to be borne. And under this head I would class also the care

and tending of the sick; for in the first place the sick have many

delicacies which those who are sound have not, so that if thou lay the

matter well, thou mayest obtain the lion’s share of these things also.

But more particularly the minds of men being weak and easily overpowered

when they are in sickness, thou shalt obtain much hold over them, and

when they are well (whether thou didst really comfort them or not) they

will fear to say aught against thee, lest men shall accuse them of

ingratitude. But above all see thou do this openly and in the sight of

men, who thinking in consequence that thy heart is very soft and amiable

notwithstanding a few outward defects, will not fail to commend thee and

submit to thee the more readily, and so on all counts thou art the

gainer, and it will serve thee as an excuse with the authorities for the

neglect or breach of duty. But all this is the work of an exceedingly

refined and clever power and not absolutely necessary, but I have named

it as a means of making thy yoke really the lighter but nevertheless the

more firmly settled upon the neck of thy fellows. So much then for the

love of self.

As for the love of show this is to display itself in thy dress, in the

trimming or in the growth of thy whiskers, in thy walk and carriage, in

the company thou keepest, seeing that thou go with none but powers or men

of wealth or men of title, and caring not so much for men of parts, since

these commonly deal less in the exterior and are not fit associates, for

thou canst have nothing in common with them. When thou goest to thy

dinner let a time elapse, so that thine entry may cause a noise and a

disturbance, and when after much bustling thou hast taken thy seat, say

not: “Waiter, will you order me green peas and a glass of college,” but

say: “Waiter (and then a pause), peas,” and then suffer him to depart,

and when he hath gone some little way recall him with a loud voice, which

shall reach even unto the ears of the fellows, say, “and, waiter,

college”; and when they are brought unto thee complain bitterly of the

same. When thou goest to chapel talk much during the service, or pray

much; do not the thing by halves; thou must either be the very religious

power, which kind though the less remarked yet on the whole hath the

greater advantage, or the thoughtless power, but above all see thou

combine not the two, at least not in the same company, but let thy

religion be the same to the same men. Always, if thou be a careless

power, come in late to chapel and hurriedly; sit with the other powers

and converse with them on the behaviour of others or any other light and

agreeable topic. And, as I said above, under this love of show thou must

include the choice of thine acquaintance, and as it is not possible for

thee to order it so as not to have knowledge of certain men whom it will

not be convenient for thee to know at all times and in all places, see

thou cultivate those two excellent defects of both sight and hearing

which will enable thee to pass one thou wouldst not meet, without seeing

him or hearing his salutation. If thou hast a cousin or schoolfellow who

is somewhat rustic or uncouth in his manner but nevertheless hath an

excellent heart, know him in private in thine individual capacity, but

when thou art abroad or in the company of other powers shun him as if he

were a venomous thing and deadly. Again, if thou sittest at table with a

man at the house of a friend and laughest and talkest with him and

playest pleasant, if he be not perfect in respect of externals see thou

pass him the next day without a smile, even though he may have prepared

his countenance for a thousand grins; but if in the house of the same

friend or another thou shouldst happen to stumble upon him, deal with him

as though thy previous conversation had broken off but five minutes

previously; but should he be proud and have all nothing to say unto thee,

forthwith calumniate him to thine acquaintance as a sorry-spirited fellow

and mean.

And with regard to smoking, though that, too, is advantageous, it is not

necessary so much for the power as for the fast man, for the power is a

more calculating and thoughtful being than this one; but if thou smokest,

see that others know it; smoke cigars if thou canst afford them; if not,

say thou wonderest at such as do, for to thy liking a pipe is better.

And with regard to all men except thine own favoured and pre-eminent

clique, designate them as “cheerful,” “lively,” or use some other

ironical term with regard to them. So much then for the love of show.

And of the love of sound I would have thee observe that it is but a

portion of the love of show, but so necessary for him who would be

admired without being at the same time excellent and worthy of admiration

as to deserve a separate heading to itself. At meal-times talk loudly,

laugh loudly, condemn loudly; if thou sneezest sneeze loudly; if thou

call the waiter do so with a noise and, if thou canst, while he is

speaking to another and receiving orders from him; it will be a

convenient test of thine advance to see whether he will at once quit the

other in the midst of his speech with him and come to thee, or will wait

until the other hath done; if thou handle it well he will come to thee at

once. When others are in their rooms, as thou passeth underneath their

windows, sing loudly and all men will know that a power goeth by and will

hush accordingly; if thou hast a good voice it will profit thee much, if

a bad one, care not so long as it be a loud one; but above all be it

remembered that it is to be loud at all times and not low when with

powers greater than thyself, for this damneth much—even powers being

susceptible of awe, when they shall behold one resolutely bent to out-top

them, and thinking it advisable to lend such an one a helping hand lest

he overthrow them—but if thy voice be not a loud one, thou hadst better

give up at once the hope of rising to a height by thine own skill, but

must cling to and flatter those who have, and if thou dost this well thou

wilt succeed.

And of personal strength and prowess in bodily accomplishment, though of

great help in the origin, yet are they not necessary; but the more thou

lackest physical and mental powers the more must thou cling to the

powerful and rise with them; the more careful must thou be of thy dress,

and the more money will it cost thee, for thou must fill well the

bladders that keep thee on the surface, else wilt thou sink.

And of reserve, let no man know anything about thee. If thy father is a

greengrocer, as I dare say is the case with some of the most mighty

powers in the land, what matter so long as another knoweth it not? See

that thou quell all inquisitive attempts to discover anything about thine

habits, thy country, thy parentage, and, in a word, let no one know

anything of thee beyond the exterior; for if thou dost let them within

thy soul, they will find but little, but if it be barred and locked, men

will think that by reason of thy strong keeping of the same, it must

contain much; and they will admire thee upon credit.

And of openness, be reserved in the particular, open in the general; talk

of debts, of women, of money, but say not what debts, what women, or what

money; be most open when thou doest a shabby thing, which thou knowest

will not escape detection. If thy coat is bad, laugh and boast

concerning it, call attention to it and say thou hast had it for ten

years, which will be a lie, but men will nevertheless think thee frank,

but run not the risk of wearing a bad coat, save only in vacation time or

in the country. But when thou doest a shabby thing which will not reach

the general light, breathe not a word of it, but bury it deeply in some

corner of thine own knowledge only; if it come out, glory in it; if not,

let it sleep, for it is an unprofitable thing to turn over bad ground.

And of distrust, distrust all men, most of all thine own friends; they

will know thee best, and thou them; thy real worth cannot escape them,

think not then that thou wilt get service out of them in thy need, think

not that they will deny themselves that thou mayest be saved from want,

that they will in after life put out a finger to save thee, when thou

canst be of no more use to them, the clique having been broken up by

time. Nay, but be in thyself sufficient; distrust, and lean not so much

as an ounce-weight upon another.

These things keep and thou shalt do well; keep them all and thou wilt be

perfect; the more thou keep, the more nearly wilt thou arrive at the end

I proposed to thee at the commencement, and even if thou doest but one of

these things thoroughly, trust me thou wilt still have much power over

thy fellows.