go once, scanning my
way with any earnestness of outlook, and successfully arriving,
my footprints are an invitation to me a second time to go by the
same way. It is easier than any other way: the industry of
'scanning' lies already invested in it for me; I can go this
time with less of scanning, or without scanning at all. Nay the
very sight of my footprints, what a comfort for me; and in a
degree, for all my brethren of mankind! The footprints are
trodden and retrodden; the path wears ever broader, smoother,
into a broad highway, where even wheels can run; and many travel
it;--till--till the Town of Stowe disappear from that locality
(as towns have been known to do), or no merchandising, heavenly
oracle, or real business any longer exist for one there: then
why should anybody travel the way?--Habit is our primal,
fundamental law; Habit and Imitation, there is nothing more
perennial in us than these two. They are the source of all
Working and all Apprenticeship, of all Practice and all Learning,
in this world.

Yes, the wise man too speaks, and acts, in Formulas; all men do
so. In general the more completely cased with Formulas a man may
be, the safer, happier is it for him. Thou who, in an All of
rotten Formulas, seemest to stand nigh bare, having indignantly
shaken off the superannuated rags and unsound callosities of
Formulas,--consider how thou too art still clothed! This English
Nationality, whatsoever from uncounted ages is genuine and a fact
among thy native People, and their words and ways: all this, has
it not made for thee a skin or second-skin, adhesive actually as
thy natural skin? This thou hast not stript off, this thou wilt
never strip off: the humour that thy mother gave thee has to
shew itself through this. A common, or it may be an uncommon
Englishman thou art: but good Heavens, what sort of Arab,
Chinaman, Jew-Clothesman, Turk, Hindoo, African Mandingo, wouldst
_thou_ have been, thou with those mother-qualities of thine!

It strikes me dumb to look over the long series of faces, such as
any full Church, Courthouse, London-Tavern Meeting, or miscellany
of men will shew them. Some score or two of years ago, all these
were little red-coloured pulpy infants; each of them capable of
being kneaded, baked into any social form you chose: yet see now
how they are fixed and hardened,--into artisans, artists, clergy,
gentry, learned sergeants, unlearned dandies, and can and shall
now