Sartor Resartus | Page 5

implied in the
concluding phrase: Mochte es (this remarkable Treatise) auch im
Brittischen Boden gedeihen!

CHAPTER II.
EDITORIAL DIFFICULTIES.
If for a speculative man, "whose seedfield," in the sublime words of the
Poet, "is Time," no conquest is important but that of new ideas, then
might the arrival of Professor Teufelsdrockh's Book be marked with
chalk in the Editor's calendar. It is indeed an "extensive Volume," of
boundless, almost formless contents, a very Sea of Thought; neither
calm nor clear, if you will; yet wherein the toughest pearl-diver may
dive to his utmost depth, and return not only with sea-wreck but with
true orients.
Directly on the first perusal, almost on the first deliberate inspection, it
became apparent that here a quite new Branch of Philosophy, leading to
as yet undescried ulterior results, was disclosed; farther, what seemed
scarcely less interesting, a quite new human Individuality, an almost
unexampled personal character, that, namely, of Professor
Teufelsdrockh the Discloser. Of both which novelties, as far as might
be possible, we resolved to master the significance. But as man is
emphatically a proselytizing creature, no sooner was such mastery even
fairly attempted, than the new question arose: How might this acquired
good be imparted to others, perhaps in equal need thereof; how could

the Philosophy of Clothes, and the Author of such Philosophy, be
brought home, in any measure, to the business and bosoms of our own
English Nation? For if new-got gold is said to burn the pockets till it be
cast forth into circulation, much more may new truth.
Here, however, difficulties occurred. The first thought naturally was to
publish Article after Article on this remarkable Volume, in such widely
circulating Critical Journals as the Editor might stand connected with,
or by money or love procure access to. But, on the other hand, was it
not clear that such matter as must here be revealed, and treated of,
might endanger the circulation of any Journal extant? If, indeed, all
party-divisions in the State could have been abolished, Whig, Tory, and
Radical, embracing in discrepant union; and all the Journals of the
Nation could have been jumbled into one Journal, and the Philosophy
of Clothes poured forth in incessant torrents therefrom, the attempt had
seemed possible. But, alas, what vehicle of that sort have we, except
_Fraser's Magazine_? A vehicle all strewed (figuratively speaking)
with the maddest Waterloo-Crackers, exploding distractively and
destructively, wheresoever the mystified passenger stands or sits; nay,
in any case, understood to be, of late years, a vehicle full to
overflowing, and inexorably shut! Besides, to state the Philosophy of
Clothes without the Philosopher, the ideas of Teufelsdrockh without
something of his personality, was it not to insure both of entire
misapprehension? Now for Biography, had it been otherwise
admissible, there were no adequate documents, no hope of obtaining
such, but rather, owing to circumstances, a special despair. Thus did the
Editor see himself, for the while, shut out from all public utterance of
these extraordinary Doctrines, and constrained to revolve them, not
without disquietude, in the dark depths of his own mind.
So had it lasted for some months; and now the Volume on Clothes, read
and again read, was in several points becoming lucid and lucent; the
personality of its Author more and more surprising, but, in spite of all
that memory and conjecture could do, more and more enigmatic;
whereby the old disquietude seemed fast settling into fixed
discontent,--when altogether unexpectedly arrives a Letter from Herr
Hofrath Heuschrecke, our Professor's chief friend and associate in
Weissnichtwo, with whom we had not previously corresponded. The
Hofrath, after much quite extraneous matter, began dilating largely on

the "agitation and attention" which the Philosophy of Clothes was
exciting in its own German Republic of Letters; on the deep
significance and tendency of his Friend's Volume; and then, at length,
with great circumlocution, hinted at the practicability of conveying
"some knowledge of it, and of him, to England, and through England to
the distant West:" a work on Professor Teufelsdrockh "were
undoubtedly welcome to the Family, the National, or any other of those
patriotic Libraries, at present the glory of British Literature;" might
work revolutions in Thought; and so forth;--in conclusion, intimating
not obscurely, that should the present Editor feel disposed to undertake
a Biography of Teufelsdrockh, he, Hofrath Heuschrecke, had it in his
power to furnish the requisite Documents.
As in some chemical mixture, that has stood long evaporating, but
would not crystallize, instantly when the wire or other fixed substance
is introduced, crystallization commences, and rapidly proceeds till the
whole is finished, so was it with the Editor's mind and this offer of
Heuschrecke's. Form rose out of void solution and discontinuity; like
united itself with like in definite arrangement: and soon either in actual
vision and possession,