the ancien regime-第18部分

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that　unknown　goal　which　Bacon　saw　afar　off；　and　like　all　other

heroes；　died　in　faith；　not　having　received　the　promises；　but　seeking

still　a　polity　which　has　foundations；　whose　builder　and　maker　is

God。



These　will　be　the　men　of　science；　whether　physical　or　spiritual。

Not　merely　the　men　who　utilise　and　apply　that　which　is　known　（useful

as　they　plainly　are）；　but　the　men　who　themselves　discover　that　which

was　unknown；　and　are　generally　deemed　useless；　if　not　hurtful；　to

their　race。　　They　will　keep　the　sacred　lamp　burning　unobserved　in

quiet　studies；　while　all　the　world　is　gazing　only　at　the　gaslights

flaring　in　the　street。　　They　will　pass　that　lamp　on　from　hand　to

hand；　modestly；　almost　stealthily；　till　the　day　comes　round　again；

when　the　obscure　student　shall　be　discovered　once　more　to　be；　as　he

has　always　been；　the　strongest　man　on　earth。　　For　they　follow　a

mistress　whose　footsteps　may　often　slip；　yet　never　fall；　for　she

walks　forward　on　the　eternal　facts　of　Nature；　which　are　the　acted

will　of　God。　　A　giantess　she　is；　young　indeed；　but　humble　as　yet：

cautious　and　modest　beyond　her　years。　　She　is　accused　of　trying　to

scale　Olympus；　by　some　who　fancy　that　they　have　already　scaled　it

themselves；　and　will；　of　course；　brook　no　rival　in　their　fancied

monopoly　of　wisdom。



The　accusation；　I　believe；　is　unjust。　　And　yet　science　may　scale

Olympus　after　all。　　Without　intending　it；　almost　without　knowing　it；

she　may　find　herself　hereafter　upon　a　summit　of　which　she　never

dreamed；　surveying　the　universe　of　God　in　the　light　of　Him　who　made

it　and　her；　and　remakes　them　both　for　ever　and　ever。　　On　that　summit

she　may　stand　hereafter；　if　only　she　goes　on；　as　she　goes　now；　in

humility　and　in　patience；　doing　the　duty　which　lies　nearest　her；

lured　along　the　upward　road；　not　by　ambition；　vanity；　or　greed；　but

by　reverent　curiosity　for　every　new　pebble；　and　flower；　and　child；

and　savage；　around　her　feet。







Footnotes：



｛1｝　　Mr。　H。　Reeve's　translation　of　De　Tocqueville's　〃France　before

the　Revolution　of　1789。〃　　p。　280。









End