CHAPTER 8 The Pulpit

Ihadnotbeenseatedverylongereamanofacertainvenerablerobustnessentered;immediatelyasthestorm-pelteddoorflewbackuponadmittinghim,aquickregardfuleyeingofhimbyallthecongregation,sufficientlyattestedthatthisfineolmanwasthechaplain.Yes,itwasthefamousFatherMapple,socalledbythewhalemen,amongwhomhewasaverygreatfavourite.Hehadbeenasailorandaharpooneerinhisyouth,butformanyyearspasthaddedicatedhislifetotheministry.AtthetimeInowwriteof,FatherMapplewasinthehardywinterofahealthyoldage;thatsortofoldagewhichseemsmergingintoasecondfloweringyouth,foramongallthefissuresofhiswrinkles,thereshonecertainmildgleamsofanewlydevelopingbloom—thespringverdurepeepingforthevenbeneathFebruary'ssnow.Noonehavingpreviouslyheardhishistory,couldforthefirsttimebeholdFatherMapplewithouttheutmostinterest,becausetherewerecertainengraftedclericalpeculiaritiesabouthim,imputabletothatadventurousmaritimelifehehadled.WhenheenteredIobservedthathecarriednoumbrella,andcertainlyhadnotcomeinhiscarriage,forhistarpaulinhatrandownwithmeltingsleet,andhisgreatpilotclothjacketseemedalmosttodraghimtothefloorwiththeweightofthewaterithadabsorbed.However,hatandcoatandovershoeswereonebyoneremoved,andhungupinalittlespaceinanadjacentcorner;when,arrayedinadecentsuit,hequietlyapproachedthepulpit.

Likemostoldfashionedpulpits,itwasaveryloftyone,andsincearegularstairstosuchaheightwould,byitslonganglewiththefloor,seriouslycontractthealreadysmallareaofthechapel,thearchitect,itseemed,hadacteduponthehintofFatherMapple,andfinishedthepulpitwithoutastairs,substitutingaperpendicularsideladder,likethoseusedinmountingashipfromaboatatsea.Thewifeofawhalingcaptainhadprovidedthechapelwithahandsomepairofredworstedman-ropesforthisladder,which,beingitselfnicelyheaded,andstainedwithamahoganycolour,thewholecontrivance,consideringwhatmannerofchapelitwas,seemedbynomeansinbadtaste.Haltingforaninstantatthefootoftheladder,andwithbothhandsgraspingtheornamentalknobsoftheman-ropes,FatherMapplecastalookupwards,andthenwithatrulysailor-likebutstillreverentialdexterity,handoverhand,mountedthestepsasifascendingthemain-topofhisvessel.

Theperpendicularpartsofthissideladder,asisusuallythecasewithswingingones,wereofclothcoveredrope,onlytheroundswereofwood,sothatateverysteptherewasajoint.Atmyfirstglimpseofthepulpit,ithadnotescapedmethathoweverconvenientforaship,thesejointsinthepresentinstanceseemedunnecessary.ForIwasnotpreparedtoseeFatherMappleaftergainingtheheight,slowlyturnround,andstoopingoverthepulpit,deliberatelydraguptheladderstepbystep,tillthewholewasdepositedwithin,leavinghimimpregnableinhislittleQuebec.

Iponderedsometimewithoutfullycomprehendingthereasonforthis.FatherMappleenjoyedsuchawidereputationforsincerityandsanctity,thatIcouldnotsuspecthimofcourtingnotorietybyanymeretricksofthestage.No,thoughtI,theremustbesomesoberreasonforthisthing;furthermore,itmustsymbolizesomethingunseen.Canitbe,then,thatbythatactofphysicalisolation,hesignifieshisspiritualwithdrawalforthetime,fromalloutwardworldlytiesandconnexions?Yes,forreplenishedwiththemeatandwineoftheword,tothefaithfulmanofGod,thispulpit,Isee,isaself-containingstronghold—aloftyEhrenbreitstein,withaperennialwellofwaterwithinthewalls.

Butthesideladderwasnottheonlystrangefeatureoftheplace,borrowedfromthechaplain'sformersea-farings.Betweenthemarblecenotaphsoneitherhandofthepulpit,thewallwhichformeditsbackwasadornedwithalargepaintingrepresentingagallantshipbeatingagainstaterriblestormoffaleecoastofblackrocksandsnowybreakers.Buthighabovetheflyingscudanddark-rollingclouds,therefloatedalittleisleofsunlight,fromwhichbeamedforthanangel'sface;andthisbrightfaceshedadistinctspotofradianceupontheship'stosseddeck,somethinglikethatsilverplatenowinsertedintotheVictory'splankwhereNelsonfell."Ah,nobleship,"theangelseemedtosay,"beaton,beaton,thounobleship,andbearahardyhelm;forlo!thesunisbreakingthrough;thecloudsarerollingoff—serenestazureisathand."

Norwasthepulpititselfwithoutatraceofthesamesea-tastethathadachievedtheladderandthepicture.Itspanelledfrontwasinthelikenessofaship'sbluffbows,andtheHolyBiblerestedonaprojectingpieceofscrollwork,fashionedafteraship'sfiddle-headedbeak.

Whatcouldbemorefullofmeaning?—forthepulpitiseverthisearth'sforemostpart;alltherestcomesinitsrear;thepulpitleadstheworld.FromthenceitisthestormofGod'squickwrathisfirstdescried,andthebowmustbeartheearliestbrunt.FromthenceitistheGodofbreezesfairorfoulisfirstinvokedforfavourablewinds.Yes,theworld'sashiponitspassageout,andnotavoyagecomplete;andthepulpitisitsprow.