GRACE BEFORE MEAT
Theformthenofthebenedictionbeforeeatinghasitsbeautyatapoormanstable,oratthesimpleandunprovocativerepastsofchildren.Itisherethattheracebeesexceedinglygraceful.Theindigentman,whohardlyknowswhetherheshallhaveamealthenextdayornot,sitsdowntohisfarewithapresentsenseoftheblessing,whichcanbebutfeeblyactedbytherich,intowhosemindstheconceptionofwantingadinnercouldnever,butbysomeextremetheory,haveentered.Theproperendoffood——theanimalsustenance——isbarelycontemplatedbythem.Thepoormansbreadishisdailybread,literallyhisbreadfortheday.Theircoursesareperennial.
Again,theplainestdietseemsthefittesttobeprecededbythegrace.Thatwhichisleaststimulativetoappetite,leavesthemindmostfreeforforeignconsiderations.Amanmayfeelthankful,heartilythankful,overadishofplainmuttonwithturnips,andhaveleisuretoreflectupontheordinanceandinstitutionofeating;whenheshallconfessaperturbationofmind,inconsistentwiththepurposesofthegrace,atthepresenceofvenisonorturtle.WhenIhavesate(ararushospes)atrichmenstables,withthesavourysoupandmessessteamingupthenostrils,andmoisteningthelipsoftheguestswithdesireandadistractedchoice,Ihavefelttheintroductionofthatceremonytobeunseasonable.Withtheravenousorgasmuponyou,itseemsimpertinenttointerposeareligioussentiment.Itisaconfusionofpurposetomutteroutpraisesfromamouththatwaters.Theheatsofepicurismputoutthegentleflameofdevotion.Theincensewhichrisesroundispagan,andthebelly-godinterceptsitforhisown.Theveryexcessoftheprovisionbeyondtheneeds,takesawayallsenseofproportionbetweentheendandmeans.Thegiverisveiledbyhisgifts.Youarestartledattheinjusticeofreturningthanks——forwhat?——forhavingtoomuch,whilesomanystarve.ItistopraisetheGodsamiss.
Ihaveobservedthisawkwardnessfelt,scarceconsciouslyperhaps,bythegoodmanwhosaysthegrace.Ihaveseenitinclergymenandothers——asortofshame——asenseoftheco-presenceofcircumstanceswhichunhallowtheblessing.Afteradevotionaltoneputonforafewseconds,howrapidlythespeakerwillfallintohismonvoice,helpinghimselforhisneighbour,asiftogetridofsomeuneasysensationofhypocrisy.Notthatthegoodmanwasahypocrite,orwasnotmostconscientiousinthedischargeoftheduty;buthefeltinhisinmostmindtheinpatibilityofthesceneandtheviandsbeforehimwiththeexerciseofacalmandrationalgratitude.
Ihearsomebodyexclaim,——WouldyouhaveChristianssitdownattable,likehogstotheirtroughs,withoutrememberingtheGiver?no——IwouldhavethemsitdownasChristians,rememberingtheGiver,andlesslikehogs.Oriftheirappetitesmustrunriot,andtheymustpamperthemselveswithdelicaciesforwhicheastandwestareransacked,Iwouldhavethempostponetheirbenedictiontoafitterseason,whenappetiteislaid;whenthestillsmallvoicecanbeheard,andthereasonofthegracereturns——withtemperatedietandrestricteddishes.Gluttonyandsurfeitingarenoproperoccasionsforthanksgiving.WhenJeshurunwaxedfat,wereadthathekicked.Virgilknewtheharpy-naturebetter,whenheputintothemouthofCelaenoanythingbutablessing.Wemaybegratefullysensibleofthedeliciousnessofsomekindsoffoodbeyondothers,thoughthatisameanerandinferiorgratitude:buttheproperobjectofthegraceissustenance,notrelishes;dailybread,notdelicacies;themeansoflife,andnotthemeansofpamperingthecarcass.Withwhatframeorposure,Iwonder,canacitychaplainpronouncehisbenedictionatsomegreatHallfeast,whenheknowsthathislastconcludingpiousword——andthat,inallprobability,thesacrednamewhichhepreaches——isbutthesignalforsomanyimpatientharpiestomencetheirfoulorgies,withaslittlesenseoftruethankfulness(whichistemperance)asthoseVirgilianfowl!Itiswellifthegoodmanhimselfdoesnotfeelhisdevotionsalittleclouded,thosefoggysensuoussteamsminglingwithandpollutingthepurealtarsacrifice.
TheseverestsatireuponfulltablesandsurfeitsisthebanquetwhichSatan,intheParadiseRegained,providesforatemptationinthewilderness:
Atablerichlyspreadinregalmode,
Withdishespiled,andmeatsofnoblestsort
Andsavour;beastsofchase,orfowlofgame,
Inpastrybuilt,orfromthespit,orboiled,
Gris-amber-steamed;allfishfromseaorshore,
Freshetorpurlingbrook,forwhichwasdrained
Pontus,andLucrinebay,andAfriccoast.
TheTempter,Iwarrantyou,thoughtthesecateswouldgodownwithouttheremendatoryprefaceofabenediction.Theyareliketoheshortgraceswherethedevilplaysthehost——Iamafraidthepoetwantshisusualdecoruminthisplace.WashethinkingoftheoldRomanluxury,orofagaudydayatCambridge?ThiswasatemptationfitterforaHeliogabalus.Thewholebanquetistoocivicandculinary,andtheacpanimentsaltogetheraprofanationofthatdeep,abstracted,holyscene.Themightyartilleryofsauces,whichthecook-fiendconjuresup,isoutofproportiontothesimplewantsandplainhungeroftheguest.Hethatdisturbedhiminhisdreams,fromhisdreamsmighthavebeentaughtbetter.TothetemperatefantasiesofthefamishedSonofGod,whatsortoffeastspresentedthemselves?——Hedreamedindeed,——
Asappetiteiswonttodream,
Ofmeatsanddrinks,naturesrefreshmentsweet.
Butwhatmeats?——
Himthought,hebythebrookofCherithstood,
Andsawtheravenswiththeirhornybeaks
FoodtoElijahbringing,evenandmorn;
Thoughravenous,taughttoabstainfromwhattheybrought:
Hesawtheprophetalsohowhefled
Intothedesert,andhowthereheslept
Underajuniper;thenhowawaked
Hefoundhissupperonthecoalsprepared,
Andbytheangelwasbidriseandeat,
Andatethesecondtimeafterrepose,
Thestrengthwhereofsufficedhimfortydays:
Sometimes,thatwithElijahhepartook,
OrasaguestwithDanielathispulse.
NothinginMiltonisfinelierfanciedthanthesetemperatedreamsofthedivineHungerer.Towhichofthesetwovisionarybanquets,thinkyou,wouldtheintroductionofwhatiscalledthegracehavebeenmostfittingandpertinent?
TheoreticallyIamnoenemytograces;butpracticallyIownthat(beforemeatespecially)theyseemtoinvolvesomethingawkwardandunseasonable.Ourappetites,ofoneoranotherkind,areexcellentspurstoourreason,whichmightotherwisebutfeeblysetaboutthegreatendsofpreservingandcontinuingthespecies.Theyarefitblessingstobecontemplatedatadistancewithabeinggratitude;butthemomentofappetite(thejudiciousreaderwillapprehendme)is,perhaps,theleastfitseasonforthatexercise.TheQuakerswhogoabouttheirbusiness,ofeverydescription,withmorecalmnessthanwe,havemoretitletotheuseofthesebenedictoryprefaces.Ihavealwaysadmiredtheirsilentgrace,andthemorebecauseIhaveobservedtheirapplicationstothemeatanddrinkfollowingtobelesspassionateandsensualthanours.Theyareneithergluttonsnorwine-bibbersasapeople.Theyeat,asahorseboltshischopthay,withindifference,calmness,andcleanlycircumstances.Theyneithergreasenorslopthemselves.WhenIseeacitizeninhisbibandtucker,Icannotimagineitasurplice.
IamnoQuakeratmyfood.IconfessIamnotindifferenttothekindsofit.Thoseunctuousmorselsofdeersfleshwerenotmadetobereceivedwithdispassionateservices.Ihateamanwhoswallowsit,affectingnottoknowwhatheiseating.Isuspecthistasteinhighermatters.Ishrinkinstinctivelyfromonewhoprofessestolikemincedveal.Thereisaphysiognomicalcharacterinthetastesforfood.C——holdsthatamancannothaveapuremindwhorefusesapple-dumplings.Iamnotcertainbutheisright.Withthedecayofmyfirstinnocence,Iconfessalessandlessrelishdailyforthoseinnocuouscates.Thewholevegetabletribehavelosttheirgustwithme.OnlyIsticktoasparagus,whichstillseemstoinspiregentlethoughts.Iamimpatientandquerulousunderculinarydisappointments,astoehomeatthedinnerhour,forinstance,expectingsomesavourymess,andtofindonequitetastelessandsapidless.Butterillmelted——thatmonestofkitchenfailures——putsmebesidemytenour——TheauthoroftheRamblerusedtomakeinarticulateanimalnoisesoverafavouritefood.Wasthisthemusicquitepropertobeprecededbythegrace?orwouldthepiousmanhavedonebettertopostponehisdevotionstoaseasonwhentheblessingmightbecontemplatedwithlessperturbation?Iquarrelwithnomanstastes,norwouldsetmythinfaceagainstthoseexcellentthings,intheirway,jollityandfeasting.Butastheseexercises,howeverlaudable,havelittleinthemofgraceorgracefulness,amanshouldbesure,beforeheventuressotogracethem,thatwhileheispretendinghisdevotionsotherwhere,heisnotsecretlykissinghishandtosomegreatfish——hisDagon——withaspecialconsecrationofnoarkbutthefattureenbeforehim.Gracesarethesweetpreludingstrainstothebanquetsofangelsandchildren;totherootsandsevererrepastsoftheChartreuse;totheslender,butnotslenderlyacknowledged,refectionofthepoorandhumbleman:butattheheaped-upboardsofthepamperedandtheluxurioustheybeeofdissonantmood,lesstimedandtunedtotheoccasion,methinks,thanthenoiseofthosebetterbefittingorganswouldbe,whichchildrenheartalesof,atHogsNorton.Wesittoolongatourmeals,oraretoocuriousinthestudyofthem,ortoodisorderedinourapplicationtothem,orengrosstoogreataportionofthosegoodthings(whichshouldbemon)toourshare,tobeablewithanygracetosaygrace.Tobethankfulforwhatwegraspexceedingourproportionistoaddhypocrisytoinjustice.Alurkingsenseofthistruthiswhatmakestheperformanceofthisdutysocoldandspiritlessaserviceatmosttables.Inhouseswherethegraceisasindispensableasthenapkin,whohasnotseenthatneversettledquestionarise,astowhoshallsayit;whilethegoodmanofthehouseandthevisitorclergyman,orsomeotherguestbelikeofnextauthorityfromyearsorgravity,shallbe——bandyingabouttheofficebetweenthemasamatterofpliment,eachofthemnotunwillingtoshifttheawkwardburthenofanequivocaldutyfromhisownshoulders?
IoncedrankteainpanywithtwoMethodistdivinesofdifferentpersuasions,whomitwasmyfortunetointroducetoeachotherforthefirsttimethatevening.Beforethefirstcupwashandedround,oneofthesereverendgentlemenputittotheother,withallduesolemnity,whetherhechosetosayanything.Itseemsitisthecustomwithsomesectariestoputupashortprayerbeforethismealalso.Hisreverendbrotherdidnotatfirstquiteapprehendhim,butuponanexplanation,withlittlelessimportancehemadeanswer,thatitwasnotacustomknowninhischurch:inwhichcourteousevasiontheotheracquiescingforgoodmannerssake,orinpliancewithaweakbrother,thesupplementaryortea-gracewaswaivedaltogether.WithwhatspiritmightnotLucianhavepaintedtwopriests,ofhisreligion,playingintoeachothershandstheplimentofperformingoromittingasacrifice,——thehungryGodmeantime,doubtfulofhisincense,withexpectantnostrilshoveringoverthetwoflamens,and(asbetweentwostools)goingawayintheendwithouthissupper.
Ashortformupontheseoccasionsisfelttowantreverence;alongone,Iamafraid,cannotescapethechargeofimpertinence.Idonotquiteapproveoftheepigrammaticconcisenesswithwhichthatequivocalwag(butmypleasantschool-fellow)C.V.L.,whenimportunedforagraceusedtoinquire,firstslylyleeringdownthetable,"Istherenoclergymanhere?"——significantlyadding,"thankG."NordoIthinkouroldformatschoolquitepertinent,wherewewereusedtoprefaceourbaldbreadandcheesesupperswithapreamble,connectingwiththathumbleblessingarecognitionofbenefitsthemostawfulandoverwhelmingtotheimaginationwhichreligionhastooffer.Nontuncilliseratlocus.Irememberwewereputtoittoreconcilethephrase"goodcreatures,"uponwhichtheblessingrested,withthefaresetbeforeus,wilfullyunderstandingthatexpressioninalowandanimalsense,——tilsomeonerecalledalegend,whichtoldhowinthegoldendaysofChrists,theyoungHospitallerswerewonttohavesmokingjointsofroastmeatupontheirnightlyboards,tillsomepiousbenefactor,miseratingthedecencies,ratherthanthepalates,ofthechildren,mutedourfleshforgarments,andgaveus——horrescoreferens——trowsersinsteadofmutton.