heroes and hero worship-第12部分

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them；　what　good　is　it？　　The　great　Reality　stands　glaring　there　upon　_him_。　　He　there　has　to　answer　it；　or　perish　miserably。　　Now；　even　now；　or　else　through　all　Eternity　never！　　Answer　it；　_thou_　must　find　an　answer。Ambition？　　What　could　all　Arabia　do　for　this　man；　with　the　crown　of　Greek　Heraclius；　of　Persian　Chosroes；　and　all　crowns　in　the　Earth；what　could　they　all　do　for　him？　　It　was　not　of　the　Earth　he　wanted　to　hear　tell；　it　was　of　the　Heaven　above　and　of　the　Hell　beneath。　　All　crowns　and　sovereignties　whatsoever；　where　would　_they_　in　a　few　brief　years　be？　　To　be　Sheik　of　Mecca　or　Arabia；　and　have　a　bit　of　gilt　wood　put　into　your　hand；will　that　be　one's　salvation？　　I　decidedly　think；　not。　　We　will　leave　it　altogether；　this　impostor　hypothesis；　as　not　credible；　not　very　tolerable　even；　worthy　chiefly　of　dismissal　by　us。

Mahomet　had　been　wont　to　retire　yearly；　during　the　month　Ramadhan；　into　solitude　and　silence；　as　indeed　was　the　Arab　custom；　a　praiseworthy　custom；　which　such　a　man；　above　all；　would　find　natural　and　useful。　　Communing　with　his　own　heart；　in　the　silence　of　the　mountains；　himself　silent；　open　to　the　〃small　still　voices：〃　　it　was　a　right　natural　custom！　　Mahomet　was　in　his　fortieth　year；　when　having　withdrawn　to　a　cavern　in　Mount　Hara；　near　Mecca；　during　this　Ramadhan；　to　pass　the　month　in　prayer；　and　meditation　on　those　great　questions；　he　one　day　told　his　wife　Kadijah；　who　with　his　household　was　with　him　or　near　him　this　year；　That　by　the　unspeakable　special　favor　of　Heaven　he　had　now　found　it　all　out；　was　in　doubt　and　darkness　no　longer；　but　saw　it　all。　　That　all　these　Idols　and　Formulas　were　nothing；　miserable　bits　of　wood；　that　there　was　One　God　in　and　over　all；　and　we　must　leave　all　Idols；　and　look　to　Him。　　That　God　is　great；　and　that　there　is　nothing　else　great！　　He　is　the　Reality。　　Wooden　Idols　are　not　real；　He　is　real。　　He　made　us　at　first；　sustains　us　yet；　we　and　all　things　are　but　the　shadow　of　Him；　a　transitory　garment　veiling　the　Eternal　Splendor。　　〃_Allah　akbar_；　God　is　great；〃and　then　also　〃_Islam_；〃　That　we　must　submit　to　God。　　That　our　whole　strength　lies　in　resigned　submission　to　Him；　whatsoever　He　do　to　us。　For　this　world；　and　for　the　other！　　The　thing　He　sends　to　us；　were　it　death　and　worse　than　death；　shall　be　good；　shall　be　best；　we　resign　ourselves　to　God。〃If　this　be　_Islam_；〃　says　Goethe；　〃do　we　not　all　live　in　_Islam_？〃　Yes；　all　of　us　that　have　any　moral　life；　we　all　live　so。　　It　has　ever　been　held　the　highest　wisdom　for　a　man　not　merely　to　submit　to　Necessity；Necessity　will　make　him　submit；but　to　know　and　believe　well　that　the　stern　thing　which　Necessity　had　ordered　was　the　wisest；　the　best；　the　thing　wanted　there。　　To　cease　his　frantic　pretension　of　scanning　this　great　God's…World　in　his　small　fraction　of　a　brain；　to　know　that　it　_had_　verily；　though　deep　beyond　his　soundings；　a　Just　Law；　that　the　soul　of　it　was　Good；that　his　part　in　it　was　to　conform　to　the　Law　of　the　Whole；　and　in　devout　silence　follow　that；　not　questioning　it；　obeying　it　as　unquestionable。

I　say；　this　is　yet　the　only　true　morality　known。　　A　man　is　right　and　invincible；　virtuous　and　on　the　road　towards　sure　conquest；　precisely　while　he　joins　himself　to　the　great　deep　Law　of　the　World；　in　spite　of　all　superficial　laws；　temporary　appearances；　profit…and…loss　calculations；　he　is　victorious　while　he　co…operates　with　that　great　central　Law；　not　victorious　otherwise：and　surely　his　first　chance　of　co…operating　with　it；　or　getting　into　the　course　of　it；　is　to　know　with　his　whole　soul　that　it　is；　that　it　is　good；　and　alone　good！　　This　is　the　soul　of　Islam；　it　is　properly　the　soul　of　Christianity；for　Islam　is　definable　as　a　confused　form　of　Christianity；　had　Christianity　not　been；　neither　had　it　been。　Christianity　also　commands　us；　before　all；　to　be　resigned　to　God。　　We　are　to　take　no　counsel　with　flesh　and　blood；　give　ear　to　no　vain　cavils；　vain　sorrows　and　wishes：　　to　know　that　we　know　nothing；　that　the　worst　and　cruelest　to　our　eyes　is　not　what　it　seems；　that　we　have　to　receive　whatsoever　befalls　us　as　sent　from　God　above；　and　say；　It　is　good　and　wise；　God　is　great！　　〃Though　He　slay　me；　yet　will　I　trust　in　Him。〃　　Islam　means　in　its　way　Denial　of　Self；　Annihilation　of　Self。　　This　is　yet　the　highest　Wisdom　that　Heaven　has　revealed　to　our　Earth。

Such　light　had　come；　as　it　could；　to　illuminate　the　darkness　of　this　wild　Arab　soul。　　A　confused　dazzling　splendor　as　of　life　and　Heaven；　in　the　great　darkness　which　threatened　to　be　death：　　he　called　it　revelation　and　the　angel　Gabriel；who　of　us　yet　can　know　what　to　call　it？　　It　is　the　〃inspiration　of　the　Almighty〃　that　giveth　us　understanding。　　To　_know_；　to　get　into　the　truth　of　anything；　is　ever　a　mystic　act；of　which　the　best　Logics　can　but　babble　on　the　surface。　　〃Is　not　Belief　the　true　god…announcing　Miracle？〃　says　Novalis。That　Mahomet's　whole　soul；　set　in　flame　with　this　grand　Truth　vouchsafed　him；　should　feel　as　if　it　were　important　and　the　only　important　thing；　was　very　natural。　　That　Providence　had　unspeakably　honored　him　by　revealing　it；　saving　him　from　death　and　darkness；　that　he　therefore　was　bound　to　make　known　the　same　to　all　creatures：　　this　is　what　was　meant　by　〃Mahomet　is　the　Prophet　of　God；〃　this　too　is　not　without　its　true　meaning。

The　good　Kadijah；　we　can　fancy；　listened　to　him　with　wonder；　with　doubt：　at　length　she　answered：　　Yes；　it　was　true　this　that　he　said。　　One　can　fancy　too　the　boundless　gratitude　of　Mahomet；　and　how　of　all　the　kindnesses　she　had　done　him；　this　of　believing　the　earnest　struggling　word　he　now　spoke　was　the　greatest。　　〃It　is　certain；〃　says　Novalis；　〃my　Conviction　gains　infinitely；　the　moment　another　soul　will　believe　in　it。〃　　It　is　a　boundless　favor。He　never　forgot　this　good　Kadijah。　　Long　afterwards；　Ayesha　his　young　favorite　wife；　a　woman　who　indeed　distinguished　herself　among　the　Moslem；　by　all　manner　of　qualities；　through　her　whole　long　life；　this　young　brilliant　Ayesha　was；　one　day；　questioning　him：　　〃Now　am　not　I　better　than　Kadijah？　　She　was　a　widow；　old；　and　had　lost　her　looks：　　you　love　me　better　than　you　did　her？〃〃　No；　by　Allah！〃　answered　Mahomet：　　〃No；　by　Allah！　　She　believed　in　me　when　none　else　would　believe。　　In　the　whole　world　I　had　but　one　friend；　and　she　was　that！〃Seid；　his　Slave；　also　believed　in　him；　these　with　his　young　Cousin　Ali；　Abu　Thaleb's　son；　were　his　first　converts。

He　spoke　of　his　Doctrine　to　this　man　and　that；　but　the　most　treated　it　with　ridicule；　with　indifference；　in　three　years；　I　think；　he　had　gained　but　thirteen　followers。　　His　progress　was　slow　enough。　　His　encouragement　to　go　on；　was　altogether　the　usual　encouragement　that　such　a　man　in　such　a　case　meets。　　After　some　three　years　of　small　success；　he　invited　forty　of　his　chief　kindred　to　an　entertainment；　and　there　stood　up　and　told　them　what　his　pretension　was：　　that　he　had　this　thing　to　promulgate　abroad　to　all　men；　that　it　was　the　highest　thing；　the　one　thing：　　which　of　them　would　second　him　in　that？　　Amid　the　doubt　and　silence　of　all；　young　Ali；　as　yet　a　lad　of　sixteen；　impatient　of　the　silence；　started　up；　and　exclaimed　in　passionate　fierce　language；　That　he　would！　　The　assembly；　among　whom　was　Abu　Thaleb；　Ali's　Father；　could　not　be　unfriendly　to　Mahomet；　yet　the　sight　there；　of　one　unlettered　elderly　man；　with　a　lad　of　sixteen；　deciding　on　such　an　enterprise　against　all　mankind；　appeared　ridiculous　to　them；　the　assembly　broke　up　in　laughter。　　Nevertheless　it　proved　not　a　laughable　thing；　it　was　a　very　serious　thing！　　As　for　this　young　Ali；　one　cannot　but　like　him。　　A　noble…minded　creature；　as　he　shows　himself；　now　and　always　afterwards；　full　of　affection；　of　fiery　daring。　　Something　chivalrous　in　him；　brave　as　a　lion；　yet　with　a　grace；　a　truth　and　affection　worthy　of　Christian　knighthood。　　He　died　by　assassination　in　the　Mosque　at　Bagdad；　a　death　occasioned　by　his　own　generous　fairness；　confidence　in　the　fairness　of　others：　　he　said；　If　the　wound　proved　not　unto　death；　they　must　pardon　the　Assassin；　but　if　it　did；　then　they　must　slay　him　straightway；　that　so　they　two　in　the　same　hour　might　appear　before　God；　and　see　which　side　of　that　quarrel　was　the　just　one！

Mahomet　naturally　gave　offence　to　the　Koreish；　Keepers　of　the　Caabah；　superintendents　of　the　Idols。　　One　or　two　men　of　influence　had　joined　him：　the　thing　spread　slowly；　but　it　was　spreading。　　Naturally　he　gave　offence　to　everybody：　　Who　is　this　that　pretends　to　be　wiser　than　we　all；　that　rebukes　us　all；　as　mere　fools　and　worshippers　of　wood！　　Abu　Thaleb　the　good　Uncle　spoke　with　him：　　Could　he　not　be　silent　about　all　that；　believe　it　all　for　himself；　and　not　trouble　others；　anger　the　chief　men；　endanger　himself　and　them　all；　talking　of　it？　　Mahomet　answered：　　If　the　Sun　stood　on　his　right　hand　and　the　Moon　on　his　left；　ordering　him　to　hold　his　peace；　he　could　not　obey！　　No：　　there　was　something　in　this　Truth　he　had　got　which　was　of　Nature　herself；　equal　in　rank　to　Sun；　or　Moon；　or　whatsoever　thing　Nature　had　made。　　It　would　speak　itself　there；　so　long　as　the　Almighty　allowed　it；　in　spite　of　Sun　and　Moon；　and　all　Koreish　and　all　men　and　things。　　It　must　do　that；　and　could　do　no　other。　　Mahomet　answered　so；　and；　they　say；　〃burst　into　tears。〃　　Burst　into　tears：　　he　felt　that　Abu　Thaleb　was　good　to　him；　that　the　task　he　had　got　was　no　soft；　but　a　stern　and　great　one。

He　went　on　speaking　to　who　would　listen　to　him；　publishing　his　Doctrine　among　the　pilgrims　as　they　came　to　Mecca；　gaining　adherents　in　this　place　and　that。　　Continual　contradiction；　hatred；　open　or　secret　danger　attended　him。　　His　powerful　relations　protected　Mahomet　himself；　but　by　and　by；　on　his　own　advice；　all　his　adherents　had　to　quit　Mecca；　and　seek　refuge　in　Abyssinia　over　the　sea。　　The　Koreish　grew　ever　angrier；　laid　plots；　and　swore　oaths　among　them；　to　put　Mahomet　to　death　with　their　own　hands。　　Abu　Thaleb　was　dead；　the　good　Kadijah　was　dead。　　Mahomet　is　not　solicitous　of　sympathy　from　us；　but　his　outlook　at　this　time　was　one　of　the　dismalest。　He　had　to　hide　in　caverns；　escape　in　disguise；　fly　hither　and　thither；　homeless；　in　continual　peril　of　his　life。　　More　than　once　it　seemed　all　over　with　him；　more　than　once　it　turned　on　a　straw；　some　rider's　horse　taking　fright　or　the　like；　whether　Mahomet　and　his　Doctrine　had　no