heroes and hero worship-第15部分

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of　by　the　name；　Forces　of　Nature；　Laws　of　Nature；　and　does　not　figure　as　a　divine　thing；　not　even　as　one　thing　at　all；　but　as　a　set　of　things；　undivine　enough；salable；　curious；　good　for　propelling　steamships！　With　our　Sciences　and　Cyclopaedias；　we　are　apt　to　forget　the　_divineness_；　in　those　laboratories　of　ours。　　We　ought　not　to　forget　it！　　That　once　well　forgotten；　I　know　not　what　else　were　worth　remembering。　　Most　sciences；　I　think　were　then　a　very　dead　thing；　withered；　contentious；　empty；a　thistle　in　late　autumn。　　The　best　science；　without　this；　is　but　as　the　dead　_timber_；　it　is　not　the　growing　tree　and　forest；which　gives　ever…new　timber；　among　other　things！　　Man　cannot　_know_　either；　unless　he　can　_worship_　in　some　way。　　His　knowledge　is　a　pedantry；　and　dead　thistle；　otherwise。

Much　has　been　said　and　written　about　the　sensuality　of　Mahomet's　Religion；　more　than　was　just。　　The　indulgences；　criminal　to　us；　which　he　permitted；　were　not　of　his　appointment；　he　found　them　practiced；　unquestioned　from　immemorial　time　in　Arabia；　what　he　did　was　to　curtail　them；　restrict　them；　not　on　one　but　on　many　sides。　　His　Religion　is　not　an　easy　one：　　with　rigorous　fasts；　lavations；　strict　complex　formulas；　prayers　five　times　a　day；　and　abstinence　from　wine；　it　did　not　〃succeed　by　being　an　easy　religion。〃　　As　if　indeed　any　religion；　or　cause　holding　of　religion；　could　succeed　by　that！　　It　is　a　calumny　on　men　to　say　that　they　are　roused　to　heroic　action　by　ease；　hope　of　pleasure；　recompense；sugar…plums　of　any　kind；　in　this　world　or　the　next！　　In　the　meanest　mortal　there　lies　something　nobler。　　The　poor　swearing　soldier；　hired　to　be　shot；　has　his　〃honor　of　a　soldier；〃　different　from　drill…regulations　and　the　shilling　a　day。　　It　is　not　to　taste　sweet　things；　but　to　do　noble　and　true　things；　and　vindicate　himself　under　God's　Heaven　as　a　god…made　Man；　that　the　poorest　son　of　Adam　dimly　longs。　　Show　him　the　way　of　doing　that；　the　dullest　day…drudge　kindles　into　a　hero。　　They　wrong　man　greatly　who　say　he　is　to　be　seduced　by　ease。　　Difficulty；　abnegation；　martyrdom；　death　are　the　_allurements_　that　act　on　the　heart　of　man。　　Kindle　the　inner　genial　life　of　him；　you　have　a　flame　that　burns　up　all　lower　considerations。　　Not　happiness；　but　something　higher：　　one　sees　this　even　in　the　frivolous　classes；　with　their　〃point　of　honor〃　and　the　like。　　Not　by　flattering　our　appetites；　no；　by　awakening　the　Heroic　that　slumbers　in　every　heart；　can　any　Religion　gain　followers。

Mahomet　himself；　after　all　that　can　be　said　about　him；　was　not　a　sensual　man。　　We　shall　err　widely　if　we　consider　this　man　as　a　common　voluptuary；　intent　mainly　on　base　enjoyments；nay　on　enjoyments　of　any　kind。　　His　household　was　of　the　frugalest；　his　common　diet　barley…bread　and　water：　sometimes　for　months　there　was　not　a　fire　once　lighted　on　his　hearth。　　They　record　with　just　pride　that　he　would　mend　his　own　shoes；　patch　his　own　cloak。　　A　poor；　hard…toiling；　ill…provided　man；　careless　of　what　vulgar　men　toil　for。　　Not　a　bad　man；　I　should　say；　something　better　in　him　than　_hunger_　of　any　sort；or　these　wild　Arab　men；　fighting　and　jostling　three…and…twenty　years　at　his　hand；　in　close　contact　with　him　always；　would　not　have　reverenced　him　so！　　They　were　wild　men；　bursting　ever　and　anon　into　quarrel；　into　all　kinds　of　fierce　sincerity；　without　right　worth　and　manhood；　no　man　could　have　commanded　them。　　They　called　him　Prophet；　you　say？　　Why；　he　stood　there　face　to　face　with　them；　bare；　not　enshrined　in　any　mystery；　visibly　clouting　his　own　cloak；　cobbling　his　own　shoes；　fighting；　counselling；　ordering　in　the　midst　of　them：　　they　must　have　seen　what　kind　of　a　man　he　_was_；　let　him　be　_called_　what　you　like！　　No　emperor　with　his　tiaras　was　obeyed　as　this　man　in　a　cloak　of　his　own　clouting。　During　three…and…twenty　years　of　rough　actual　trial。　　I　find　something　of　a　veritable　Hero　necessary　for　that；　of　itself。

His　last　words　are　a　prayer；　broken　ejaculations　of　a　heart　struggling　up；　in　trembling　hope；　towards　its　Maker。　　We　cannot　say　that　his　religion　made　him　_worse_；　it　made　him　better；　good；　not　bad。　　Generous　things　are　recorded　of　him：　　when　he　lost　his　Daughter；　the　thing　he　answers　is；　in　his　own　dialect；　every　way　sincere；　and　yet　equivalent　to　that　of　Christians；　〃The　Lord　giveth；　and　the　Lord　taketh　away；　blessed　be　the　name　of　the　Lord。〃　　He　answered　in　like　manner　of　Seid；　his　emancipated　well…beloved　Slave；　the　second　of　the　believers。　　Seid　had　fallen　in　the　War　of　Tabuc；　the　first　of　Mahomet's　fightings　with　the　Greeks。　　Mahomet　said；　It　was　well；　Seid　had　done　his　Master's　work；　Seid　had　now　gone　to　his　Master：　　it　was　all　well　with　Seid。　　Yet　Seid's　daughter　found　him　weeping　over　the　body；the　old　gray…haired　man　melting　in　tears！　　〃What　do　I　see？〃　said　she。〃You　see　a　friend　weeping　over　his　friend。〃He　went　out　for　the　last　time　into　the　mosque；　two　days　before　his　death；　asked；　If　he　had　injured　any　man？　　Let　his　own　back　bear　the　stripes。　　If　he　owed　any　man？　　A　voice　answered；　〃Yes；　me　three　drachms；〃　borrowed　on　such　an　occasion。　　Mahomet　ordered　them　to　be　paid：　　〃Better　be　in　shame　now；〃　said　he；　〃than　at　the　Day　of　Judgment。〃You　remember　Kadijah；　and　the　〃No；　by　Allah！〃　　Traits　of　that　kind　show　us　the　genuine　man；　the　brother　of　us　all；　brought　visible　through　twelve　centuries；the　veritable　Son　of　our　common　Mother。

Withal　I　like　Mahomet　for　his　total　freedom　from　cant。　　He　is　a　rough　self…helping　son　of　the　wilderness；　does　not　pretend　to　be　what　he　is　not。　There　is　no　ostentatious　pride　in　him；　but　neither　does　he　go　much　upon　humility：　　he　is　there　as　he　can　be；　in　cloak　and　shoes　of　his　own　clouting；　speaks　plainly　to　all　manner　of　Persian　Kings；　Greek　Emperors；　what　it　is　they　are　bound　to　do；　knows　well　enough；　about　himself；　〃the　respect　due　unto　thee。〃　　In　a　life…and…death　war　with　Bedouins；　cruel　things　could　not　fail；　but　neither　are　acts　of　mercy；　of　noble　natural　pity　and　generosity　wanting。　　Mahomet　makes　no　apology　for　the　one；　no　boast　of　the　other。　　They　were　each　the　free　dictate　of　his　heart；　each　called　for；　there　and　then。　　Not　a　mealy…mouthed　man！　　A　candid　ferocity；　if　the　case　call　for　it；　is　in　him；　he　does　not　mince　matters！　　The　War　of　Tabuc　is　a　thing　he　often　speaks　of：　　his　men　refused；　many　of　them；　to　march　on　that　occasion；　pleaded　the　heat　of　the　weather；　the　harvest；　and　so　forth；　he　can　never　forget　that。　　Your　harvest？　　It　lasts　for　a　day。　　What　will　become　of　your　harvest　through　all　Eternity？　　Hot　weather？　　Yes；　it　was　hot；　〃but　Hell　will　be　hotter！〃　　Sometimes　a　rough　sarcasm　turns　up：　　He　says　to　the　unbelievers；　Ye　shall　have　the　just　measure　of　your　deeds　at　that　Great　Day。　　They　will　be　weighed　out　to　you；　ye　shall　not　have　short　weight！Everywhere　he　fixes　the　matter　in　his　eye；　he　_sees_　it：　　his　heart；　now　and　then；　is　as　if　struck　dumb　by　the　greatness　of　it。　〃Assuredly；〃　he　says：　　that　word；　in　the　Koran；　is　written　down　sometimes　as　a　sentence　by　itself：　　〃Assuredly。〃

No　_Dilettantism_　in　this　Mahomet；　it　is　a　business　of　Reprobation　and　Salvation　with　him；　of　Time　and　Eternity：　　he　is　in　deadly　earnest　about　it！　　Dilettantism；　hypothesis；　speculation；　a　kind　of　amateur…search　for　Truth；　toying　and　coquetting　with　Truth：　　this　is　the　sorest　sin。　　The　root　of　all　other　imaginable　sins。　　It　consists　in　the　heart　and　soul　of　the　man　never　having　been　_open_　to　Truth；〃living　in　a　vain　show。〃　　Such　a　man　not　only　utters　and　produces　falsehoods；　but　is　himself　a　falsehood。　　The　rational　moral　principle；　spark　of　the　Divinity；　is　sunk　deep　in　him；　in　quiet　paralysis　of　life…death。　　The　very　falsehoods　of　Mahomet　are　truer　than　the　truths　of　such　a　man。　　He　is　the　insincere　man：　　smooth…polished；　respectable　in　some　times　and　places；　inoffensive；　says　nothing　harsh　to　anybody；　most　_cleanly_；just　as　carbonic　acid　is；　which　is　death　and　poison。

We　will　not　praise　Mahomet's　moral　precepts　as　always　of　the　superfinest　sort；　yet　it　can　be　said　that　there　is　always　a　tendency　to　good　in　them；　that　they　are　the　true　dictates　of　a　heart　aiming　towards　what　is　just　and　true。　　The　sublime　forgiveness　of　Christianity；　turning　of　the　other　cheek　when　the　one　has　been　smitten；　is　not　here：　　you　_are_　to　revenge　yourself；　but　it　is　to　be　in　measure；　not　overmuch；　or　beyond　justice。　　On　the　other　hand；　Islam；　like　any　great　Faith；　and　insight　into　the　essence　of　man；　is　a　perfect　equalizer　of　men：　　the　soul　of　one　believer　outweighs　all　earthly　kingships；　all　men；　according　to　Islam　too；　are　equal。　　Mahomet　insists　not　on　the　propriety　of　giving　alms；　but　on　the　necessity　of　it：　　he　marks　down　by　law　how　much　you　are　to　give；　and　it　is　at　your　peril　if　you　neglect。　The　tenth　part　of　a　man's　annual　income；　whatever　that　may　be；　is　the　_property_　of　the　poor；　of　those　that　are　afflicted　and　need　help。　　Good　all　this：　　the　natural　voice　of　humanity；　of　pity　and　equity　dwelling　in　the　heart　of　this　wild　Son　of　Nature　speaks　_so_。

Mahomet's　Paradise　is　sensual；　his　Hell　sensual：　　true；　in　the　one　and　the　other　there　is　enough　that　shocks　all　spiritual　feeling　in　us。　　But　we　are　to　recollect　that　the　Arabs　already　had　it　so；　that　Mahomet；　in　whatever　he　changed　of　it；　softened　and　diminished　all　this。　　The　worst　sensualities；　too；　are　the　work　of　doctors；　followers　of　his；　not　his　work。　　In　the　Koran　there　is　really　very　little　said　about　the　joys　of　Paradise；　they　are　intimated　rather　than　insisted　on。　　Nor　is　it　forgotten　that　the　highest　joys　even　there　shall　be　spiritual；　the　pure　Presence　of　the　Highest；　this　shall　infinitely　transcend　all　other　joys。　　He　says；　〃Your　salutation　shall　be；　Peace。〃　　_Salam_；　Have　Peace！the　thing　that　all　rational　souls　long　for；　and　seek；　vainly　here　below；　as　the　one　blessing。　　〃Ye　shall　sit　on　seats；　facing　one　another：　　all　grudges　shall　be　taken　away　out　of　your　hearts。〃　　All　grudges！　　Ye　shall　love　one　another　freely；　for　each　of　you；　in　the　eyes　of　his　brothers；　there　will　be　Heaven　enough！

In　reference　to　this　of　the　sensual　Paradise　and　Mahomet's　sensuality；　the　sorest　chapter　of　all　for　us；　there　were　many　things　to　be　said；　which　it　is　not　convenient　to　enter　upon　here。　　Two　remarks　only　I　shall　make；　and　therewith　leave　it　to　your　candor。　　The　first　is　furnished　me　by　Goethe；　it　is　a　casual　hint