heroes and hero worship-第14部分

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　unreadable　masses　of　lumber；　that　perhaps　we　may　get　some　glimpses　of　a　remarkable　man。　　It　is　true　we　have　it　under　disadvantages：　　the　Arabs　see　more　method　in　it　than　we。　　Mahomet's　followers　found　the　Koran　lying　all　in　fractions；　as　it　had　been　written　down　at　first　promulgation；　much　of　it；　they　say；　on　shoulder…blades　of　mutton；　flung　pell…mell　into　a　chest：　　and　they　published　it；　without　any　discoverable　order　as　to　time　or　otherwise；merely　trying；　as　would　seem；　and　this　not　very　strictly；　to　put　the　longest　chapters　first。　　The　real　beginning　of　it；　in　that　way；　lies　almost　at　the　end：　　for　the　earliest　portions　were　the　shortest。　　Read　in　its　historical　sequence　it　perhaps　would　not　be　so　bad。　　Much　of　it；　too；　they　say；　is　rhythmic；　a　kind　of　wild　chanting　song；　in　the　original。　This　may　be　a　great　point；　much　perhaps　has　been　lost　in　the　Translation　here。　　Yet　with　every　allowance；　one　feels　it　difficult　to　see　how　any　mortal　ever　could　consider　this　Koran　as　a　Book　written　in　Heaven；　too　good　for　the　Earth；　as　a　well…written　book；　or　indeed　as　a　_book_　at　all；　and　not　a　bewildered　rhapsody；　_written_；　so　far　as　writing　goes；　as　badly　as　almost　any　book　ever　was！　　So　much　for　national　discrepancies；　and　the　standard　of　taste。

Yet　I　should　say；　it　was　not　unintelligible　how　the　Arabs　might　so　love　it。　When　once　you　get　this　confused　coil　of　a　Koran　fairly　off　your　hands；　and　have　it　behind　you　at　a　distance；　the　essential　type　of　it　begins　to　disclose　itself；　and　in　this　there　is　a　merit　quite　other　than　the　literary　one。　　If　a　book　come　from　the　heart；　it　will　contrive　to　reach　other　hearts；　all　art　and　author…craft　are　of　small　amount　to　that。　　One　would　say　the　primary　character　of　the　Koran　is　this　of　its　_genuineness_；　of　its　being　a　_bona…fide_　book。　　Prideaux；　I　know；　and　others　have　represented　it　as　a　mere　bundle　of　juggleries；　chapter　after　chapter　got　up　to　excuse　and　varnish　the　author's　successive　sins；　forward　his　ambitions　and　quackeries：　but　really　it　is　time　to　dismiss　all　that。　　I　do　not　assert　Mahomet's　continual　sincerity：　　who　is　continually　sincere？　　But　I　confess　I　can　make　nothing　of　the　critic；　in　these　times；　who　would　accuse　him　of　deceit　_prepense_；　of　conscious　deceit　generally；　or　perhaps　at　all；still　more；　of　living　in　a　mere　element　of　conscious　deceit；　and　writing　this　Koran　as　a　forger　and　juggler　would　have　done！　　Every　candid　eye；　I　think；　will　read　the　Koran　far　otherwise　than　so。　　It　is　the　confused　ferment　of　a　great　rude　human　soul；　rude；　untutored；　that　cannot　even　read；　but　fervent；　earnest；　struggling　vehemently　to　utter　itself　in　words。　　With　a　kind　of　breathless　intensity　he　strives　to　utter　himself；　the　thoughts　crowd　on　him　pell…mell：　　for　very　multitude　of　things　to　say；　he　can　get　nothing　said。　The　meaning　that　is　in　him　shapes　itself　into　no　form　of　composition；　is　stated　in　no　sequence；　method；　or　coherence；they　are　not　_shaped_　at　all；　these　thoughts　of　his；　flung　out　unshaped；　as　they　struggle　and　tumble　there；　in　their　chaotic　inarticulate　state。　　We　said　〃stupid：〃　　yet　natural　stupidity　is　by　no　means　the　character　of　Mahomet's　Book；　it　is　natural　uncultivation　rather。　　The　man　has　not　studied　speaking；　in　the　haste　and　pressure　of　continual　fighting；　has　not　time　to　mature　himself　into　fit　speech。　　The　panting　breathless　haste　and　vehemence　of　a　man　struggling　in　the　thick　of　battle　for　life　and　salvation；　this　is　the　mood　he　is　in！　　A　headlong　haste；　for　very　magnitude　of　meaning；　he　cannot　get　himself　articulated　into　words。　　The　successive　utterances　of　a　soul　in　that　mood；　colored　by　the　various　vicissitudes　of　three…and…twenty　years；　now　well　uttered；　now　worse：　　this　is　the　Koran。

For　we　are　to　consider　Mahomet；　through　these　three…and…twenty　years；　as　the　centre　of　a　world　wholly　in　conflict。　　Battles　with　the　Koreish　and　Heathen；　quarrels　among　his　own　people；　backslidings　of　his　own　wild　heart；　all　this　kept　him　in　a　perpetual　whirl；　his　soul　knowing　rest　no　more。　　In　wakeful　nights；　as　one　may　fancy；　the　wild　soul　of　the　man；　tossing　amid　these　vortices；　would　hail　any　light　of　a　decision　for　them　as　a　veritable　light　from　Heaven；　_any_　making…up　of　his　mind；　so　blessed；　indispensable　for　him　there；　would　seem　the　inspiration　of　a　Gabriel。　　Forger　and　juggler？　　No；　no！　　This　great　fiery　heart；　seething；　simmering　like　a　great　furnace　of　thoughts；　was　not　a　juggler's。　　His　Life　was　a　Fact　to　him；　this　God's　Universe　an　awful　Fact　and　Reality。　　He　has　faults　enough。　　The　man　was　an　uncultured　semi…barbarous　Son　of　Nature；　much　of　the　Bedouin　still　clinging　to　him：　　we　must　take　him　for　that。　　But　for　a　wretched　Simulacrum；　a　hungry　Impostor　without　eyes　or　heart；　practicing　for　a　mess　of　pottage　such　blasphemous　swindlery；　forgery　of　celestial　documents；　continual　high…treason　against　his　Maker　and　Self；　we　will　not　and　cannot　take　him。

Sincerity；　in　all　senses；　seems　to　me　the　merit　of　the　Koran；　what　had　rendered　it　precious　to　the　wild　Arab　men。　　It　is；　after　all；　the　first　and　last　merit　in　a　book；　gives　rise　to　merits　of　all　kinds；nay；　at　bottom；　it　alone　can　give　rise　to　merit　of　any　kind。　　Curiously；　through　these　incondite　masses　of　tradition；　vituperation；　complaint；　ejaculation　in　the　Koran；　a　vein　of　true　direct　insight；　of　what　we　might　almost　call　poetry；　is　found　straggling。　　The　body　of　the　Book　is　made　up　of　mere　tradition；　and　as　it　were　vehement　enthusiastic　extempore　preaching。　　He　returns　forever　to　the　old　stories　of　the　Prophets　as　they　went　current　in　the　Arab　memory：　　how　Prophet　after　Prophet；　the　Prophet　Abraham；　the　Prophet　Hud；　the　Prophet　Moses；　Christian　and　other　real　and　fabulous　Prophets；　had　come　to　this　Tribe　and　to　that；　warning　men　of　their　sin；　and　been　received　by　them　even　as　he　Mahomet　was；which　is　a　great　solace　to　him。　　These　things　he　repeats　ten；　perhaps　twenty　times；　again　and　ever　again；　with　wearisome　iteration；　has　never　done　repeating　them。　　A　brave　Samuel　Johnson；　in　his　forlorn　garret；　might　con　over　the　Biographies　of　Authors　in　that　way！　This　is　the　great　staple　of　the　Koran。　　But　curiously；　through　all　this；　comes　ever　and　anon　some　glance　as　of　the　real　thinker　and　seer。　　He　has　actually　an　eye　for　the　world；　this　Mahomet：　　with　a　certain　directness　and　rugged　vigor；　he　brings　home　still；　to　our　heart；　the　thing　his　own　heart　has　been　opened　to。　　I　make　but　little　of　his　praises　of　Allah；　which　many　praise；　they　are　borrowed　I　suppose　mainly　from　the　Hebrew；　at　least　they　are　far　surpassed　there。　　But　the　eye　that　flashes　direct　into　the　heart　of　things；　and　_sees_　the　truth　of　them；　this　is　to　me　a　highly　interesting　object。　　Great　Nature's　own　gift；　which　she　bestows　on　all；　but　which　only　one　in　the　thousand　does　not　cast　sorrowfully　away：　　it　is　what　I　call　sincerity　of　vision；　the　test　of　a　sincere　heart。

Mahomet　can　work　no　miracles；　he　often　answers　impatiently：　　I　can　work　no　miracles。　　I？　　〃I　am　a　Public　Preacher；〃　appointed　to　preach　this　doctrine　to　all　creatures。　　Yet　the　world；　as　we　can　see；　had　really　from　of　old　been　all　one　great　miracle　to　him。　　Look　over　the　world；　says　he；　is　it　not　wonderful；　the　work　of　Allah；　wholly　〃a　sign　to　you；〃　if　your　eyes　were　open！　　This　Earth；　God　made　it　for　you；　〃appointed　paths　in　it；〃　you　can　live　in　it；　go　to　and　fro　on　it。The　clouds　in　the　dry　country　of　Arabia；　to　Mahomet　they　are　very　wonderful：　　Great　clouds；　he　says；　born　in　the　deep　bosom　of　the　Upper　Immensity；　where　do　they　come　from！　　They　hang　there；　the　great　black　monsters；　pour　down　their　rain…deluges　〃to　revive　a　dead　earth；〃　and　grass　springs；　and　〃tall　leafy　palm…trees　with　their　date…clusters　hanging　round。　　Is　not　that　a　sign？〃　　Your　cattle　too；Allah　made　them；　serviceable　dumb　creatures；　they　change　the　grass　into　milk；　you　have　your　clothing　from　them；　very　strange　creatures；　they　come　ranking　home　at　evening…time；　〃and；〃　adds　he；　〃and　are　a　credit　to　you！〃　　Ships　also；he　talks　often　about　ships：　　Huge　moving　mountains；　they　spread　out　their　cloth　wings；　go　bounding　through　the　water　there；　Heaven's　wind　driving　them；　anon　they　lie　motionless；　God　has　withdrawn　the　wind；　they　lie　dead；　and　cannot　stir！　　Miracles？　　cries　he：　　What　miracle　would　you　have？　　Are　not　you　yourselves　there？　　God　made　you；　〃shaped　you　out　of　a　little　clay。〃　　Ye　were　small　once；　a　few　years　ago　ye　were　not　at　all。　　Ye　have　beauty；　strength；　thoughts；　〃ye　have　compassion　on　one　another。〃　　Old　age　comes　on　you；　and　gray　hairs；　your　strength　fades　into　feebleness；　ye　sink　down；　and　again　are　not。　　〃Ye　have　compassion　on　one　another：〃　　this　struck　me　much：　　Allah　might　have　made　you　having　no　compassion　on　one　another；how　had　it　been　then！　　This　is　a　great　direct　thought；　a　glance　at　first…hand　into　the　very　fact　of　things。　　Rude　vestiges　of　poetic　genius；　of　whatsoever　is　best　and　truest；　are　visible　in　this　man。　　A　strong　untutored　intellect；　eyesight；　heart：　　a　strong　wild　man；might　have　shaped　himself　into　Poet；　King；　Priest；　any　kind　of　Hero。

To　his　eyes　it　is　forever　clear　that　this　world　wholly　is　miraculous。　　He　sees　what；　as　we　said　once　before；　all　great　thinkers；　the　rude　Scandinavians　themselves；　in　one　way　or　other；　have　contrived　to　see：　　That　this　so　solid…looking　material　world　is；　at　bottom；　in　very　deed；　Nothing；　is　a　visual　and　factual　Manifestation　of　God's　power　and　presence；a　shadow　hung　out　by　Him　on　the　bosom　of　the　void　Infinite；　nothing　more。　The　mountains；　he　says；　these　great　rock…mountains；　they　shall　dissipate　themselves　〃like　clouds；〃　melt　into　the　Blue　as　clouds　do；　and　not　be！　　He　figures　the　Earth；　in　the　Arab　fashion；　Sale　tells　us；　as　an　immense　Plain　or　flat　Plate　of　ground；　the　mountains　are　set　on　that　to　_steady_　it。　　At　the　Last　Day　they　shall　disappear　〃like　clouds；〃　the　whole　Earth　shall　go　spinning；　whirl　itself　off　into　wreck；　and　as　dust　and　vapor　vanish　in　the　Inane。　　Allah　withdraws　his　hand　from　it；　and　it　ceases　to　be。　　The　universal　empire　of　Allah；　presence　everywhere　of　an　unspeakable　Power；　a　Splendor；　and　a　Terror　not　to　be　named；　as　the　true　force；　essence　and　reality；　in　all　things　whatsoever；　was　continually　clear　to　this　man。　　What　a　modern　talks　of　by　the　name；　Forces　of　Nature；　Laws　of　Nature；　and　does　not　figure　as　a　divine　thing；　not　even　as