CHAPTER107TheCarpenter

seatthyselfsultanicallyamongthemoonsofsaturn,andtakehighabstractedmanalone;andheseemsawonder,agrandeur,andawoe.butfromthesamepoint,takemankindinmass,andforthemostpart,theyseemamobofunnecessaryduplicates,bothcontemporaryandhereditary.butmosthumblethoughhewas,andfarfromfurnishinganexampleofthehigh,humaneabstraction;thepequod'scarpenterwasnoduplicate;hence,henowcomesinpersononthisstage.

likeallsea-goingshipcarpenters,andmoreespeciallythosebelongingtowhalingvessels,hewas,toacertainoff-handed,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:thecarpenterclapsitintooneofhisever-readyvices,andstraightwayfilesitsmaller.alostland-birdofstrangeplumagestraysonboard,andismadeacaptive:outofcleanshavedrodsofrightwhalebone,andcross-beamsofspermwhaleivory,thecarpentermakesapagoda-lookingcageforit.anoarsmansprainshiswrist: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;uncompromisedasanewbornbabe;livingwithoutpremeditatedreferencetothisworldorthenext.youmightalmostsay,thatthisstrangeuncompromisednessinhiminvolvedasortofunintelligence;forinhisnumeroustrades,hedidnotseemtoworksomuchbyreasonorbyinstinct,orsimplybecausehehadbeentutoredtoit,orbyanyintermixtureofallthese,evenoruneven;butmerelybyakindofdeafanddumb,spontaneousliteralprocess.hewasapuremanipulator;hisbrain,ifhehadeverhadone,musthaveearlyoozedalongintothemusclesofhisfingers.hewaslikeoneofthoseunreasoningbutstillhighlyuseful,multuminparvo,sheffieldcontrivances,assumingtheexteriorthoughalittleswelled—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-andshutcarpenter,was,afterall,nomeremachineofanautomaton.ifhedidnothaveacommonsoulinhim,hehadasubtlesomethingthatsomehowanomalouslydiditsduty.whatthatwas,whetheressenceofquicksilver,orafewdropsofhartshorn,thereisnotelling.butthereitwas;andthereithadabidedfornowsomesixtyyearsormore.andthisitwas,thissameountable,cunninglife-principleinhim;thisitwas,thatkepthimagreatpartofthetimesoliloquizing;butonlylikeanunreasoningwheel,whichalsohumminglysoliloquizes;orrather,hisbodywasasentry-boxandthissoliloquizeronguardthere,andtalkingallthetimetokeephimselfawake.