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SeatthyselfsultanicallyamongthemoonsofSaturn,andtakehighabstractedmanalone;andheseemsawonder,agrandeur,andawoe.
Butfromthesamepoint,takemankindinmass,andforthemostpart,theyseemamobofunnecessaryduplicates,bothcontemporaryandhereditary.
Butmosthumblethoughhewas,andfarfromfurnishinganexampleofthehigh,humaneabstraction;thePequod’scarpenterwasnoduplicate;hence,henowcomesinpersononthisstage.
Likeallsea-goingshipcarpenters,andmoreespeciallythosebelongingtowhalingvessels,hewas,toacertainoff-hand,practicalextent,alikeexperiencedinnumeroustradesandcallingscollateraltohisown;thecarpenter’spursuitbeingtheancientandoutbranchingtrunkofallthosenumeroushandicraftswhichmoreorlesshavetodowithwoodasanauxiliarymaterial.
But,besidestheapplicationtohimofthegenericremarkabove,thiscarpenterofthePequodwassingularlyefficientinthosethousandnamelessmechanicalemergenciescontinuallyrecurringinalargeship,uponathreeorfouryears’voyage,inuncivilizedandfar-distantseas.
Fornottospeakofhisreadinessinordinaryduties:-repairingstoveboats,sprungspars,reformingtheshapeofclumsy-bladedoars,insertingbull’seyesinthedeck,ornewtree-nailsinthesideplanks,andothermiscellaneousmattersmoredirectlypertainingtohisspecialbusiness;hewasmoreoverunhesitatinglyexpertinallmannerofconflictingaptitudes,bothusefulandcapricious.
Theonegrandstagewhereheenactedallhisvariouspartssomanifold,washisvice-bench;alongrudeponderoustablefurnishedwithseveralvices,ofdifferentsizes,andbothofironandofwood.
Atalltimesexceptwhenwhaleswerealongside,thisbenchwassecurelylashedathwartshipsagainsttherearoftheTry-works.
Abelayingpinisfoundtoolargetobeeasilyinsertedintoitshole:thecarpenterclapsitintooneofhiseverreadyvices,andstraightwayfilesitsmaller.
Alostlandbirdofstrangeplumagestraysonboard,andismadeacaptive:outofcleanshavedrodsofright-whalebone,andcross-beamsofspermwhaleivory,thecarpentermakesapagoda-lookingcageforit.
Anoarsmensprainshiswrist:thecarpenterconcoctsasoothinglotion.
Stubblongedforvermillionstarstobepainteduponthebladeofhiseveryoar;screwingeachoarinhisbigviceofwood,thecarpentersymmetricallysuppliestheconstellation.
Asailortakesafancytowearshark-boneear-rings:thecarpenterdrillshisears.
Anotherhasthetoothache:thecarpenteroutpincers,andclappingonehanduponhisbenchbidshimbeseatedthere;butthepoorfellowunmanageablywincesundertheunconcludedoperation;whirlingroundthehandleofhiswoodenvice,thecarpentersignshimtoclaphisjawinthat,ifhewouldhavehimdrawthetooth.
Thus,thiscarpenterwaspreparedatallpoints,andalikeindifferentandwithoutrespectinall.
Teethheaccountedbitsofivory;headshedeemedbuttop-blocks;menthemselveshelightlyheldforcapstans.
Butwhilenowuponsowideafieldthusvariouslyaccomplishedandwithsuchlivelinessofexpertnessinhim,too;allthiswouldseemtoarguesomeuncommonvivacityofintelligence.Butnotpreciselyso.
Fornothingwasthismanmoreremarkable,thanforacertainimpersonalstolidityasitwere;impersonal,Isay;foritsoshadedoffintothesurroundinginfiniteofthings,thatitseemedonewiththegeneralstoliditydiscernibleinthewholevisibleworld;whichwhilepauselesslyactiveinuncountedmodes,stilleternallyholdsitspeace,andignoresyou,thoughyoudigfoundationsforcathedrals.
Yetwasthishalf-horriblestolidityinhim,involving,too,asitappeared,anall-ramifyingheartlessness;-yetwasitoddlydashedattimes,withanold,crutch-like,antediluvian,wheezinghumorousness,notunstreakednowandthenwithacertaingrizzledwittiness;suchasmighthaveservedtopassthetimeduringthemidnightwatchonthebeardedforecastleofNoah’sark.
Wasitthatthisoldcarpenterhadbeenalife-longwanderer,whosemuchrolling,toandfro,notonlyhadgatherednomoss;butwhatismore,hadrubbedoffwhateversmalloutwardclingingsmighthaveoriginallypertainedtohim?
Hewasastriptabstract;anunfractionedintegral;uncompromisedasanew-bornbabe;livingwithoutpremeditatedreferencetothisworldorthenext.
Youmightalmostsay,thatthisstrangeuncompromisednessinhiminvolvedasortofunintelligence;forinhisnumeroustrades,hedidnotseemtoworksomuchbyreasonorbyinstinct,orsimplybecausehehadbeentutoredtoit,orbyanyintermixtureofallthese,evenoruneven;butmerelybykindofdeafanddumb,spontaneousliteralprocess.
Hewasapuremanipulater;hisbrain,ifhehadeverhadone,musthaveearlyoozedalongintothemusclesofhisfingers.
Hewaslikeoneofthoseunreasoningbutstillhighlyuseful,multuminparvo,Sheffieldcontrivances,assumingtheexterior-thoughalittleswelled-ofacommonpocketknife;butcontaining,notonlybladesofvarioussizes,butalsoscrew-drivers,cork-screws,tweezers,awls,pens,rulers,nail-filers,countersinkers.
So,ifhissuperiorswantedtousethecarpenterforascrew-driver,alltheyhadtodowastoopenthatpartofhim,andthescrewwasfast:oriffortweezers,takehimupbythelegs,andtheretheywere.
Yet,aspreviouslyhinted,thisomnitooled,open-and-shutcarpenter,was,afterall,nomeremachineofanautomaton.
Ifhedidnothaveacommonsoulinhim,hehadasubtlesomethingthatsomehowanomalouslydiditsduty.
Whatthatwas,whetheressenceofquicksilver,orafewdropsofhartshorn,thereisnotelling.
Butthereitwas;andthereithadabidedfornowsomesixtyyearsormore.
Andthisitwas,thissameunaccountable,cunninglife-principleinhim;thisitwas,thatkepthimagreatpartofthetimesoliloquizing;butonlylikeanunreasoningwheel,whichalsohumminglysoliloquizes;orrather,hisbodywasasentry-boxandthissoliloquizeronguardthere,andtalkingallthetimetokeephimselfawake.
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