第31章
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  ’Why,yes;whoshallconvictGibbonoffalsehood?ManypeoplehaveendeavouredtoconvictGibbonoffalsehood;theyhavefollowedhiminhisresearches,andhaveneverfoundhimoncetripping。Oh,heisawonderfulwriter!hispowerofcondensationisadmirable;theloreofthewholeworldistobefoundinhispages。Sometimesinasinglenotehehasgivenustheresultofthestudyofyears;or,tospeakmetaphorically,“hehasransackedathousandGulistans,andhascondensedallhisfragrantbootyintoasingledropofotto。“’

  ’ButwasnotGibbonanenemytotheChristianfaith?’

  ’Why,no;hewasratheranenemytopriestcraft,soamI;andwhenIsaythephilosophyoftheBibleisinmanyrespectsunsound,I

  alwayswishtomakeanexceptioninfavourofthatpartofitwhichcontainsthelifeandsayingsofJesusofBethlehem,towhichI

  mustalwaysconcedemyunqualifiedadmiration-ofJesus,mindyou;

  forwithhisfollowersandtheirdogmasIhavenothingtodo。OfallhistoriccharactersJesusisthemostbeautifulandthemostheroic。Ihavealwaysbeenafriendtohero-worship,itistheonlyrationalone,andhasalwaysbeeninuseamongstcivilisedpeople-theworshipofspiritsissynonymouswithbarbarism-itismerefetish;thesavagesofWestAfricaareallspirit-

  worshippers。Butthereissomethingphilosophicintheworshipoftheheroesofthehumanrace,andthetrueheroisthebenefactor。

  Brahma,Jupiter,Bacchus,wereallbenefactors,and,therefore,entitledtotheworshipoftheirrespectivepeoples。TheCeltsworshippedHesus,whotaughtthemtoplough,ahighlyusefulart。

  We,whohaveattainedamuchhigherstateofcivilisationthantheCeltseverdid,worshipJesus,thefirstwhoendeavouredtoteachmentobehavedecentlyanddecorouslyunderallcircumstances;whowasthefoeofvengeance,inwhichthereissomethinghighlyindecorous;whohadfirstthecouragetolifthisvoiceagainstthatviolentdogma,“aneyeforaneye“;whoshoutedconquer,butconquerwithkindness;whosaidputupthesword,aviolentunphilosophicweapon;andwhofinallydiedcalmlyanddecorouslyindefenceofhisphilosophy。HemustbeasavagewhodeniesworshiptotheheroofGolgotha。’

  ’Buthewassomethingmorethanahero;hewastheSonofGod,wasn’the?’

  Theelderlyindividualmadenoimmediateanswer;but,afterafewmorewhiffsfromhispipe,exclaimed,’Come,fillyourglass!HowdoyouadvancewithyourtranslationofTELL’?

  ’Itisnearlyfinished;butIdonotthinkIshallproceedwithit;

  Ibegintothinktheoriginalsomewhatdull。’

  ’Thereyouarewrong;itisthemasterpieceofSchiller,thefirstofGermanpoets。’

  ’Itmaybeso,’saidtheyouth。’But,prayexcuseme,IdonotthinkveryhighlyofGermanpoetry。IhavelatelybeenreadingShakespeare;and,whenIturnfromhimtotheGermans-eventhebestofthem-theyappearmerepigmies。YouwillpardonthelibertyIperhapstakeinsayingso。’

  ’Ilikethateveryoneshouldhaveanopinionofhisown,’saidtheelderlyindividual;’and,whatismore,declareit。Nothingdispleasesmemorethantoseepeopleassentingtoeverythingthattheyhearsaid;Iatoncecometotheconclusionthattheyareeitherhypocrites,orthereisnothinginthem。But,withrespecttoShakespeare,whomIhavenotreadforthirtyyears,ishenotrathergiventobombast,“cracklingbombast,“asIthinkIhavesaidinoneofmyessays?’

  ’Idaresayheis,’saidtheyouth;’butIcan’thelpthinkinghimthegreatestofallpoets,notevenexceptingHomer。Iwouldsoonerhavewrittenthatseriesofplays,foundedonthefortunesoftheHouseofLancaster,thantheILIADitself。TheeventsdescribedareasloftyasthosesungbyHomerinhisgreatwork,andthecharactersbroughtuponthestagestillmoreinteresting。

  IthinkHotspurasmuchofaheroasHector,andyoungHenrymoreofamanthanAchilles;andthenthereisthefatknight,thequintessenceoffun,wit,andrascality。FalstaffisacreationbeyondthegeniusevenofHomer。’

  ’YoualmosttemptmetoreadShakespeareagain-buttheGermans?’

  ’Idon’tadmiretheGermans,’saidtheyouth,somewhatexcited。’I

  don’tadmiretheminanypointofview。Ihaveheardmyfathersaythat,thoughgoodsharpshooters,theycan’tbemuchdependeduponassoldiers;andthatoldSergeantMeredithtoldhimthatMindenwouldneverhavebeenwonbutforthetwoEnglishregiments,whochargedtheFrenchwithfixedbayonets,andsentthemtotheright-

  aboutindouble-quicktime。Withrespecttopoetry,settingShakespeareandtheEnglishaltogetheraside,IthinkthereisanotherGothicnation,atleast,entitledtodisputewiththemthepalm。Indeed,tomymind,thereismoregenuinepoetrycontainedintheoldDanishbookwhichIcamesostrangelyby,thanhasbeenproducedinGermanyfromtheperiodoftheNiebelungenlaytothepresent。’

  ’Ah,theKoempeViser?’saidtheelderlyindividual,breathingforthanimmensevolumeofsmoke,whichhehadbeencollectingduringthedeclamationofhisyoungcompanion。’Therearesingularthingsinthatbook,Imustconfess;andIthankyouforshowingittome,orratheryourattemptattranslation。IwasstruckwiththatballadofOrmUngarswayne,whogoesbynighttothegrave-hillofhisfathertoseekforcounsel。Andthen,again,thatstrangemelancholySwayneVonved,whoroamsabouttheworldpropoundingpeopleriddles;slayingthosewhocannotanswer,andrewardingthosewhocanwithgoldenbracelets。Wereitnotfortheviolence,Ishouldsaythatballadhasaphilosophictendency。Ithankyouformakingmeacquaintedwiththebook,andIthanktheJewMoushaformakingmeacquaintedwithyou。’

  ’ThatMoushawasastrangecustomer,’saidtheyouth,collectinghimself。

  ’HeWASastrangecustomer,’saidtheelderindividual,breathingforthagentlecloud。’Ilovetoexercisehospitalitytowanderingstrangers,especiallyforeigners;andwhenhecametothisplace,pretendingtoteachGermanandHebrew,Iaskedhimtodinner。

  Afterthefirstdinner,heaskedmetolendhimfivepounds;IDID

  lendhimfivepounds。Afterthefifthdinner,heaskedmetolendhimfiftypounds;IdidNOTlendhimthefiftypounds。’

  ’HewasasignorantofGermanasofHebrew,’saidtheyouth;’onwhichaccounthewassoonglad,Isuppose,totransferhispupiltosomeoneelse。’

  ’Hetoldme,’saidtheelderindividual,’thatheintendedtoleaveatownwherehedidnotfindsufficientencouragement;and,atthesametime,expressedregretatbeingobligedtoabandonacertainextraordinarypupil,forwhomhehadaparticularregard。NowI,whohavetaughtmanypeopleGermanfromthelovewhichIbeartoit,andthedesirewhichIfeelthatitshouldbegenerallydiffused,instantlysaidthatIshouldbehappytotakehispupiloffhishands,andaffordhimwhatinstructionIcouldinGerman,for,astoHebrew,Ihavenevertakenmuchinterestinit。Suchwastheoriginofouracquaintance。Youhavebeenanaptscholar。

  Oflate,however,Ihaveseenlittleofyou-whatisthereason?’

  Theyouthmadenoanswer。

  ’Youthink,probably,thatyouhavelearnedallIcanteachyou?

  Well,perhapsyouareright。’

  ’Notso,notso,’saidtheyoungmaneagerly;’beforeIknewyouI

  knewnothing,andamstillveryignorant;butoflatemyfather’shealthhasbeenverymuchbroken,andherequiresattention;hisspiritsalsohavebecomelow,which,totellyouthetruth,heattributestomymisconduct。HesaysthatIhaveimbibedallkindsofstrangenotionsanddoctrines,whichwill,inallprobability,provemyruin,bothhereandhereafter;which-which-’

  ’Ah!Iunderstand,’saidtheelder,withanothercalmwhiff。’I

  havealwayshadakindofrespectforyourfather,forthereissomethingremarkableinhisappearance,somethingheroic,andI

  wouldfainhavecultivatedhisacquaintance;thefeeling,however,hasnotbeenreciprocated。Imethim,theotherday,uptheroad,withhiscaneanddog,andsalutedhim;hedidnotreturnmysalutation。’

  ’Hehascertainopinionsofhisown,’saidtheyouth,’whicharewidelydifferentfromthosewhichhehasheardthatyouprofess。’

  ’Irespectamanforentertaininganopinionofhisown,’saidtheelderlyindividual。’Iholdcertainopinions;butIshouldnotrespectanindividualthemoreforadoptingthem。AllIwishforistolerance,whichImyselfendeavourtopractise。Ihavealwayslovedthetruth,andsoughtit;ifIhavenotfoundit,thegreatermymisfortune。’

  ’Areyouhappy?’saidtheyoungman。

  ’Why,no!And,betweenourselves,itisthatwhichinducesmetodoubtsometimesthetruthofmyopinions。Mylife,uponthewhole,Iconsiderafailure;onwhichaccount,Iwouldnotcounselyou,oranyone,tofollowmyexampletooclosely。Itisgettinglate,andyouhadbetterbegoing,especiallyasyourfather,yousay,isanxiousaboutyou。But,aswemaynevermeetagain,IthinktherearethreethingswhichImaysafelyventuretopressuponyou。Thefirstis,thatthedecenciesandgentlenessesshouldneverbelostsightof,asthepracticeofthedecenciesandgentlenessesisatalltimescompatiblewithindependenceofthoughtandaction。ThesecondthingwhichIwouldwishtoimpressuponyouis,thatthereisalwayssomeeyeuponus;andthatitisimpossibletokeepanythingwedofromtheworld,asitwillassuredlybedivulgedbysomebodyassoonasitishisinteresttodoso。ThethirdthingwhichIwouldwishtopressuponyou-’

  ’Yes,’saidtheyouth,eagerlybendingforward。

  ’Is-’andheretheelderlyindividuallaiddownhispipeuponthetable-’thatitwillbeaswelltogoonimprovingyourselfinGerman!’

  CHAPTERXXIV

  Thealehouse-keeper-Compassionfortherich-OldEnglishgentleman-Howisthis?-Madeira-TheGreekParr-Twentylanguages-Whiter’shealth-Aboutthefight-Asportinggentleman-Theflattenednose-Lendusthatpightle-Thesurlynod。

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