heroes and hero worship-第13部分

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ed　on　a　straw；　some　rider's　horse　taking　fright　or　the　like；　whether　Mahomet　and　his　Doctrine　had　not　ended　there；　and　not　been　heard　of　at　all。　　But　it　was　not　to　end　so。

In　the　thirteenth　year　of　his　mission；　finding　his　enemies　all　banded　against　him；　forty　sworn　men；　one　out　of　every　tribe；　waiting　to　take　his　life；　and　no　continuance　possible　at　Mecca　for　him　any　longer；　Mahomet　fled　to　the　place　then　called　Yathreb；　where　he　had　gained　some　adherents；　the　place　they　now　call　Medina；　or　〃_Medinat　al　Nabi_；　the　City　of　the　Prophet；〃　from　that　circumstance。　　It　lay　some　two　hundred　miles　off；　through　rocks　and　deserts；　not　without　great　difficulty；　in　such　mood　as　we　may　fancy；　he　escaped　thither；　and　found　welcome。　　The　whole　East　dates　its　era　from　this　Flight；　_hegira_　as　they　name　it：　　the　Year　1　of　this　Hegira　is　622　of　our　Era；　the　fifty…third　of　Mahomet's　life。　　He　was　now　becoming　an　old　man；　his　friends　sinking　round　him　one　by　one；　his　path　desolate；　encompassed　with　danger：　　unless　he　could　find　hope　in　his　own　heart；　the　outward　face　of　things　was　but　hopeless　for　him。　　It　is　so　with　all　men　in　the　like　case。　　Hitherto　Mahomet　had　professed　to　publish　his　Religion　by　the　way　of　preaching　and　persuasion　alone。　　But　now；　driven　foully　out　of　his　native　country；　since　unjust　men　had　not　only　given　no　ear　to　his　earnest　Heaven's…message；　the　deep　cry　of　his　heart；　but　would　not　even　let　him　live　if　he　kept　speaking　it；the　wild　Son　of　the　Desert　resolved　to　defend　himself；　like　a　man　and　Arab。　　If　the　Koreish　will　have　it　so；　they　shall　have　it。　　Tidings；　felt　to　be　of　infinite　moment　to　them　and　all　men；　they　would　not　listen　to　these；　would　trample　them　down　by　sheer　violence；　steel　and　murder：　　well；　let　steel　try　it　then！　　Ten　years　more　this　Mahomet　had；　all　of　fighting　of　breathless　impetuous　toil　and　struggle；　with　what　result　we　know。

Much　has　been　said　of　Mahomet's　propagating　his　Religion　by　the　sword。　　It　is　no　doubt　far　nobler　what　we　have　to　boast　of　the　Christian　Religion；　that　it　propagated　itself　peaceably　in　the　way　of　preaching　and　conviction。　Yet　withal；　if　we　take　this　for　an　argument　of　the　truth　or　falsehood　of　a　religion；　there　is　a　radical　mistake　in　it。　　The　sword　indeed：　　but　where　will　you　get　your　sword！　　Every　new　opinion；　at　its　starting；　is　precisely　in　a　_minority　of　one_。　　In　one　man's　head　alone；　there　it　dwells　as　yet。　One　man　alone　of　the　whole　world　believes　it；　there　is　one　man　against　all　men。　　That　_he_　take　a　sword；　and　try　to　propagate　with　that；　will　do　little　for　him。　　You　must　first　get　your　sword！　　On　the　whole；　a　thing　will　propagate　itself　as　it　can。　　We　do　not　find；　of　the　Christian　Religion　either；　that　it　always　disdained　the　sword；　when　once　it　had　got　one。　Charlemagne's　conversion　of　the　Saxons　was　not　by　preaching。　　I　care　little　about　the　sword：　　I　will　allow　a　thing　to　struggle　for　itself　in　this　world；　with　any　sword　or　tongue　or　implement　it　has；　or　can　lay　hold　of。　We　will　let　it　preach；　and　pamphleteer；　and　fight；　and　to　the　uttermost　bestir　itself；　and　do；　beak　and　claws；　whatsoever　is　in　it；　very　sure　that　it　will；　in　the　long…run；　conquer　nothing　which　does　not　deserve　to　be　conquered。　　What　is　better　than　itself；　it　cannot　put　away；　but　only　what　is　worse。　　In　this　great　Duel；　Nature　herself　is　umpire；　and　can　do　no　wrong：　　the　thing　which　is　deepest…rooted　in　Nature；　what　we　call　_truest_；　that　thing　and　not　the　other　will　be　found　growing　at　last。

Here　however；　in　reference　to　much　that　there　is　in　Mahomet　and　his　success；　we　are　to　remember　what　an　umpire　Nature　is；　what　a　greatness；　composure　of　depth　and　tolerance　there　is　in　her。　　You　take　wheat　to　cast　into　the　Earth's　bosom；　your　wheat　may　be　mixed　with　chaff；　chopped　straw；　barn…sweepings；　dust　and　all　imaginable　rubbish；　no　matter：　　you　cast　it　into　the　kind　just　Earth；　she　grows　the　wheat；the　whole　rubbish　she　silently　absorbs；　shrouds　_it_　in；　says　nothing　of　the　rubbish。　　The　yellow　wheat　is　growing　there；　the　good　Earth　is　silent　about　all　the　rest；has　silently　turned　all　the　rest　to　some　benefit　too；　and　makes　no　complaint　about　it！　　So　everywhere　in　Nature！　　She　is　true　and　not　a　lie；　and　yet　so　great；　and　just；　and　motherly　in　her　truth。　　She　requires　of　a　thing　only　that　it　_be_　genuine　of　heart；　she　will　protect　it　if　so；　will　not；　if　not　so。　　There　is　a　soul　of　truth　in　all　the　things　she　ever　gave　harbor　to。　Alas；　is　not　this　the　history　of　all　highest　Truth　that　comes　or　ever　came　into　the　world？　　The　_body_　of　them　all　is　imperfection；　an　element　of　light　in　darkness：　　to　us　they　have　to　come　embodied　in　mere　Logic；　in　some　merely　_scientific_　Theorem　of　the　Universe；　which　_cannot_　be　complete；　which　cannot　but　be　found；　one　day；　incomplete；　erroneous；　and　so　die　and　disappear。　　The　body　of　all　Truth　dies；　and　yet　in　all；　I　say；　there　is　a　soul　which　never　dies；　which　in　new　and　ever…nobler　embodiment　lives　immortal　as　man　himself！　　It　is　the　way　with　Nature。　　The　genuine　essence　of　Truth　never　dies。　　That　it　be　genuine；　a　voice　from　the　great　Deep　of　Nature；　there　is　the　point　at　Nature's　judgment…seat。　　What　_we_　call　pure　or　impure；　is　not　with　her　the　final　question。　　Not　how　much　chaff　is　in　you；　but　whether　you　have　any　wheat。　　Pure？　　I　might　say　to　many　a　man：　Yes；　you　are　pure；　pure　enough；　but　you　are　chaff；insincere　hypothesis；　hearsay；　formality；　you　never　were　in　contact　with　the　great　heart　of　the　Universe　at　all；　you　are　properly　neither　pure　nor　impure；　you　_are_　nothing；　Nature　has　no　business　with　you。

Mahomet's　Creed　we　called　a　kind　of　Christianity；　and　really；　if　we　look　at　the　wild　rapt　earnestness　with　which　it　was　believed　and　laid　to　heart；　I　should　say　a　better　kind　than　that　of　those　miserable　Syrian　Sects；　with　their　vain　janglings　about　_Homoiousion_　and　_Homoousion_；　the　head　full　of　worthless　noise；　the　heart　empty　and　dead！　　The　truth　of　it　is　embedded　in　portentous　error　and　falsehood；　but　the　truth　of　it　makes　it　be　believed；　not　the　falsehood：　　it　succeeded　by　its　truth。　　A　bastard　kind　of　Christianity；　but　a　living　kind；　with　a　heart…life　in　it；　not　dead；　chopping　barren　logic　merely！　　Out　of　all　that　rubbish　of　Arab　idolatries；　argumentative　theologies；　traditions；　subtleties；　rumors　and　hypotheses　of　Greeks　and　Jews；　with　their　idle　wire…drawings；　this　wild　man　of　the　Desert；　with　his　wild　sincere　heart；　earnest　as　death　and　life；　with　his　great　flashing　natural　eyesight；　had　seen　into　the　kernel　of　the　matter。　Idolatry　is　nothing：　　these　Wooden　Idols　of　yours；　〃ye　rub　them　with　oil　and　wax；　and　the　flies　stick　on　them；〃these　are　wood；　I　tell　you！　　They　can　do　nothing　for　you；　they　are　an　impotent　blasphemous　presence；　a　horror　and　abomination；　if　ye　knew　them。　　God　alone　is；　God　alone　has　power；　He　made　us；　He　can　kill　us　and　keep　us　alive：　　〃_Allah　akbar_；　God　is　great。〃　Understand　that　His　will　is　the　best　for　you；　that　howsoever　sore　to　flesh　and　blood；　you　will　find　it　the　wisest；　best：　　you　are　bound　to　take　it　so；　in　this　world　and　in　the　next；　you　have　no　other　thing　that　you　can　do！

And　now　if　the　wild　idolatrous　men　did　believe　this；　and　with　their　fiery　hearts　lay　hold　of　it　to　do　it；　in　what　form　soever　it　came　to　them；　I　say　it　was　well　worthy　of　being　believed。　　In　one　form　or　the　other；　I　say　it　is　still　the　one　thing　worthy　of　being　believed　by　all　men。　　Man　does　hereby　become　the　high…priest　of　this　Temple　of　a　World。　　He　is　in　harmony　with　the　Decrees　of　the　Author　of　this　World；　cooperating　with　them；　not　vainly　withstanding　them：　　I　know；　to　this　day；　no　better　definition　of　Duty　than　that　same。　　All　that　is　_right_　includes　itself　in　this　of　co…operating　with　the　real　Tendency　of　the　World：　　you　succeed　by　this　（the　World's　Tendency　will　succeed）；　you　are　good；　and　in　the　right　course　there。　　_Homoiousion_；　_Homoousion_；　vain　logical　jangle；　then　or　before　or　at　any　time；　may　jangle　itself　out；　and　go　whither　and　how　it　likes：　　this　is　the　_thing_　it　all　struggles　to　mean；　if　it　would　mean　anything。　　If　it　do　not　succeed　in　meaning　this；　it　means　nothing。　　Not　that　Abstractions；　logical　Propositions；　be　correctly　worded　or　incorrectly；　but　that　living　concrete　Sons　of　Adam　do　lay　this　to　heart：　　that　is　the　important　point。　Islam　devoured　all　these　vain　jangling　Sects；　and　I　think　had　right　to　do　so。　　It　was　a　Reality；　direct　from　the　great　Heart　of　Nature　once　more。　Arab　idolatries；　Syrian　formulas；　whatsoever　was　not　equally　real；　had　to　go　up　in　flame；mere　dead　_fuel_；　in　various　senses；　for　this　which　was　_fire_。


It　was　during　these　wild　warfarings　and　strugglings；　especially　after　the　Flight　to　Mecca；　that　Mahomet　dictated　at　intervals　his　Sacred　Book；　which　they　name　_Koran_；　or　_Reading_；　〃Thing　to　be　read。〃　　This　is　the　Work　he　and　his　disciples　made　so　much　of；　asking　all　the　world；　Is　not　that　a　miracle？　　The　Mahometans　regard　their　Koran　with　a　reverence　which　few　Christians　pay　even　to　their　Bible。　　It　is　admitted　every　where　as　the　standard　of　all　law　and　all　practice；　the　thing　to　be　gone　upon　in　speculation　and　life；　the　message　sent　direct　out　of　Heaven；　which　this　Earth　has　to　conform　to；　and　walk　by；　the　thing　to　be　read。　　Their　Judges　decide　by　it；　all　Moslem　are　bound　to　study　it；　seek　in　it　for　the　light　of　their　life。　　They　have　mosques　where　it　is　all　read　daily；　thirty　relays　of　priests　take　it　up　in　succession；　get　through　the　whole　each　day。　　There；　for　twelve　hundred　years；　has　the　voice　of　this　Book；　at　all　moments；　kept　sounding　through　the　ears　and　the　hearts　of　so　many　men。　　We　hear　of　Mahometan　Doctors　that　had　read　it　seventy　thousand　times！

Very　curious：　　if　one　sought　for　〃discrepancies　of　national　taste；〃　here　surely　were　the　most　eminent　instance　of　that！　　We　also　can　read　the　Koran；　our　Translation　of　it；　by　Sale；　is　known　to　be　a　very　fair　one。　　I　must　say；　it　is　as　toilsome　reading　as　I　ever　undertook。　　A　wearisome　confused　jumble；　crude；　incondite；　endless　iterations；　long…windedness；　entanglement；　most　crude；　incondite；insupportable　stupidity；　in　short！　Nothing　but　a　sense　of　duty　could　carry　any　European　through　the　Koran。　　We　read　in　it；　as　we　might　in　the　State…Paper　Office；　unreadable　masses　of　lumber；　that　perhaps　we　may　get　some　glimpses　of　a　remarkable　man。　　It　is　true