CHAPTER106Ahab'sLeg

theprecipitatingmannerinwhichcaptainahabhadquittedthesamuelenderbyoflondon,hadnotbeenunattendedwithsomesmallviolencetohisownperson.hehadlightedwithsuchenergyuponathwartofhisboatthathisivoryleghadreceivedahalf-splinteringshock.andwhenaftergaininghisowndeck,andhisownpivot-holethere,hesovehementlywheeledroundwithanurgentcommandtothesteersman(itwas,asever,somethingabouthisnotsteeringinflexiblyenough);then,thealreadyshakenivoryreceivedsuchanadditionaltwistandwrench,thatthoughitstillremainedentire,andtoallappearanceslusty,yetahabdidnotdeemitentirelytrustworthy.

and,indeed,itseemedsmallmatterforwonder,thatforallhispervading,madrecklessness,ahabdidattimesgivecarefulheedtotheconditionofthatdeadboneuponwhichhepartlystood.forithadnotbeenverylongpriortothepequod'ssailingfromnantucket,thathehadbeenfoundonenightlyingproneupontheground,andinsensible;bysomeunknown,andseeminglyinexplicable,unimaginablecasualty,hisivorylimbhavingbeensoviolentlydisplaced,thatithadstake-wisesmitten,andallbutpiercedhisgroin;norwasitwithoutextremedifficultythattheagonizingwoundwasentirelycured.

nor,atthetime,haditfailedtoenterhismonomaniacmind,thatalltheanguishofthatthenpresentsufferingwasbutthedirectissueofaformerwoe;andhetooplainlyseemedtosee,thatasthemostpoisonousreptileofthemarshperpetuateshiskindasinevitablyasthesweetestsongsterofthegrove;so,equallywitheveryfelicity,allmiserableeventsdonaturallybegettheirlike.yea,morethanequally,thoughtahab;sinceboththeancestryandposterityofgriefgofurtherthantheancestryandposterityofjoy.for,nottohintofthis:thatitisaninferencefromcertaincanonicteachings,thatwhilesomenaturalenjoymentshereshallhavenochildrenborntothemfortheotherworld,but,onthecontrary,shallbefollowedbythejoy-childlessnessofallhell'sdespair;whereas,someguiltymortalmiseriesshallstillfertilelybegettothemselvesaneternallyprogressiveprogenyofgriefsbeyondthegrave;notatalltohintofthis,therestillseemsaninequalityinthedeeperanalysisofthething.for,thoughtahab,whileeventhehighestearthlyfelicitieseverhaveacertainunsignifyingpettinesslurkinginthem,but,atbottom,allheartwoes,amysticsignificance,and,insomemen,anarchangelicgrandeur;sodotheirdiligenttracings-outnotbelietheobviousdeduction.totrailthegenealogiesofthesehighmortalmiseries,carriesusatlastamongthesourcelessprimogenituresofthegods;sothat,inthefaceofalltheglad,hay-makingsuns,andsoftcymballing,roundharvest-moons,wemustneedsgiveintothis:thatthegodsthemselvesarenotforeverglad.theineffaceable,sadbirth-markinthebrowofman,isbutthestampofsorrowinthesigners.

unwittinglyhereasecrethasbeendivulged,whichperhapsmightmoreproperly,insetway,havebeendisclosedbefore.withmanyotherparticularsconcerningahab,alwayshaditremainedamysterytosome,whyitwas,thatforacertainperiod,bothbeforeandafterthesailingofthepequod,hehadhiddenhimselfawaywithsuchgrand-lama-likeexclusiveness;and,forthatoneinterval,soughtspeechlessrefuge,asitwere,amongthemarblesenateofthedead.captainpeleg'sbruitedreasonforthisthingappearedbynomeansadequate;though,indeed,astouchingallahab'sdeeperpart,everyrevelationpartookmoreofsignificantdarknessthanofexplanatorylight.but,intheend,itallcameout;thisonematterdid,atleast.thatdirefulmishapwasatthebottomofhistemporaryrecluseness.andnotonlythis,buttothatever-contracting,droppingcircleashore,who,foranyreason,possessedtheprivilegeofalessbannedapproachtohim;tothattimidcircletheabovehintedcasualty—remaining,asitdid,moodilyountedforbyahab—investeditselfwithterrors,notentirelyunderivedfromthelandofspiritsandofwails.sothat,throughtheirzealforhim,theyhadallconspired,sofarasinthemlay,tomuffleuptheknowledgeofthisthingfromothers;andhenceitwas,thatnottillaconsiderableintervalhadelapsed,didittranspireuponthepequod'sdecks.

butbeallthisasitmay;lettheunseen,ambiguoussynodintheair,orthevindictiveprincesandpotentatesoffire,havetodoornotwithearthlyahab,yet,inthispresentmatterofhisleg,hetookplainpracticalprocedures;—hecalledthecarpenter.

andwhenthatfunctionaryappearedbeforehim,hebadehimwithoutdelaysetaboutmakinganewleg,anddirectedthematestoseehimsuppliedwithallthestudsandjoistsofjaw-ivory(spermwhale)whichhadthusfarbeenaccumulatedonthevoyage,inorderthatacarefulselectionofthestoutest,clearest-grainedstuffmightbesecured.thisdone,thecarpenterreceivedorderstohavethelegcompletedthatnight;andtoprovideallthefittingsforit,independentofthosepertainingtothedistrustedoneinuse.moreover,theship'sforgewasorderedtobehoistedoutofitstemporaryidlenessinthehold;and,toacceleratetheaffair,theblacksmithwascommandedtoproceedatoncetotheforgingofwhateverironcontrivancesmightbeneeded.