heroes and hero worship-第30部分

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ven　in　Holland！　　Were　we　of　open　sense　as　the　Greeks　were；　we　had　found　a　Poem　here；　one　of　Nature's　own　Poems；　such　as　she　writes　in　broad　facts　over　great　continents。　　For　it　was　properly　the　beginning　of　America：　　there　were　straggling　settlers　in　America　before；　some　material　as　of　a　body　was　there；　but　the　soul　of　it　was　first　this。　　These　poor　men；　driven　out　of　their　own　country；　not　able　well　to　live　in　Holland；　determine　on　settling　in　the　New　World。　　Black　untamed　forests　are　there；　and　wild　savage　creatures；　but　not　so　cruel　as　Star…chamber　hangmen。　　They　thought　the　Earth　would　yield　them　food；　if　they　tilled　honestly；　the　everlasting　heaven　would　stretch；　there　too；　overhead；　they　should　be　left　in　peace；　to　prepare　for　Eternity　by　living　well　in　this　world　of　Time；　worshipping　in　what　they　thought　the　true；　not　the　idolatrous　way。　　They　clubbed　their　small　means　together；　hired　a　ship；　the　little　ship　Mayflower；　and　made　ready　to　set　sail。

In　Neal's　_History　of　the　Puritans_　＇Neal　（London；　1755）；　i。　490＇　is　an　account　of　the　ceremony　of　their　departure：　　solemnity；　we　might　call　it　rather；　for　it　was　a　real　act　of　worship。　　Their　minister　went　down　with　them　to　the　beach；　and　their　brethren　whom　they　were　to　leave　behind；　all　joined　in　solemn　prayer；　That　God　would　have　pity　on　His　poor　children；　and　go　with　them　into　that　waste　wilderness；　for　He　also　had　made　that；　He　was　there　also　as　well　as　here。Hah！　　These　men；　I　think；　had　a　work！　　The　weak　thing；　weaker　than　a　child；　becomes　strong　one　day；　if　it　be　a　true　thing。　　Puritanism　was　only　despicable；　laughable　then；　but　nobody　can　manage　to　laugh　at　it　now。　　Puritanism　has　got　weapons　and　sinews；　it　has　firearms；　war…navies；　it　has　cunning　in　its　ten　fingers；　strength　in　its　right　arm；　it　can　steer　ships；　fell　forests；　remove　mountains；it　is　one　of　the　strongest　things　under　this　sun　at　present！

In　the　history　of　Scotland；　too；　I　can　find　properly　but　one　epoch：　　we　may　say；　it　contains　nothing　of　world…interest　at　all　but　this　Reformation　by　Knox。　　A　poor　barren　country；　full　of　continual　broils；　dissensions；　massacrings；　a　people　in　the　last　state　of　rudeness　and　destitution；　little　better　perhaps　than　Ireland　at　this　day。　　Hungry　fierce　barons；　not　so　much　as　able　to　form　any　arrangement　with　each　other　_how　to　divide_　what　they　fleeced　from　these　poor　drudges；　but　obliged；　as　the　Colombian　Republics　are　at　this　day；　to　make　of　every　alteration　a　revolution；　no　way　of　changing　a　ministry　but　by　hanging　the　old　ministers　on　gibbets：　　this　is　a　historical　spectacle　of　no　very　singular　significance！　　〃Bravery〃　enough；　I　doubt　not；　fierce　fighting　in　abundance：　　but　not　braver　or　fiercer　than　that　of　their　old　Scandinavian　Sea…king　ancestors；　_whose_　exploits　we　have　not　found　worth　dwelling　on！　　It　is　a　country　as　yet　without　a　soul：　nothing　developed　in　it　but　what　is　rude；　external；　semi…animal。　　And　now　at　the　Reformation；　the　internal　life　is　kindled；　as　it　were；　under　the　ribs　of　this　outward　material　death。　　A　cause；　the　noblest　of　causes　kindles　itself；　like　a　beacon　set　on　high；　high　as　Heaven；　yet　attainable　from　Earth；whereby　the　meanest　man　becomes　not　a　Citizen　only；　but　a　Member　of　Christ's　visible　Church；　a　veritable　Hero；　if　he　prove　a　true　man！

Well；　this　is　what　I　mean　by　a　whole　〃nation　of　heroes；〃　a　_believing_　nation。　　There　needs　not　a　great　soul　to　make　a　hero；　there　needs　a　god…created　soul　which　will　be　true　to　its　origin；　that　will　be　a　great　soul！　　The　like　has　been　seen；　we　find。　　The　like　will　be　again　seen；　under　wider　forms　than　the　Presbyterian：　　there　can　be　no　lasting　good　done　till　then。Impossible！　say　some。　　Possible？　　Has　it　not　_been_；　in　this　world；　as　a　practiced　fact？　　Did　Hero…worship　fail　in　Knox's　case？　　Or　are　we　made　of　other　clay　now？　　Did　the　Westminster　Confession　of　Faith　add　some　new　property　to　the　soul　of　man？　　God　made　the　soul　of　man。　　He　did　not　doom　any　soul　of　man　to　live　as　a　Hypothesis　and　Hearsay；　in　a　world　filled　with　such；　and　with　the　fatal　work　and　fruit　of　such！

But　to　return：　　This　that　Knox　did　for　his　Nation；　I　say；　we　may　really　call　a　resurrection　as　from　death。　　It　was　not　a　smooth　business；　but　it　was　welcome　surely；　and　cheap　at　that　price；　had　it　been　far　rougher。　　On　the　whole；　cheap　at　any　price！as　life　is。　　The　people　began　to　_live_：　they　needed　first　of　all　to　do　that；　at　what　cost　and　costs　soever。　　Scotch　Literature　and　Thought；　Scotch　Industry；　James　Watt；　David　Hume；　Walter　Scott；　Robert　Burns：　　I　find　Knox　and　the　Reformation　acting　in　the　heart's　core　of　every　one　of　these　persons　and　phenomena；　I　find　that　without　the　Reformation　they　would　not　have　been。　　Or　what　of　Scotland？　　The　Puritanism　of　Scotland　became　that　of　England；　of　New　England。　　A　tumult　in　the　High　Church　of　Edinburgh　spread　into　a　universal　battle　and　struggle　over　all　these　realms；there　came　out；　after　fifty　years'　struggling；　what　we　all　call　the　〃_Glorious_　Revolution〃　a　_Habeas　Corpus_　Act；　Free　Parliaments；　and　much　else！Alas；　is　it　not　too　true　what　we　said；　That　many　men　in　the　van　do　always；　like　Russian　soldiers；　march　into　the　ditch　of　Schweidnitz；　and　fill　it　up　with　their　dead　bodies；　that　the　rear　may　pass　over　them　dry…shod；　and　gain　the　honor？　　How　many　earnest　rugged　Cromwells；　Knoxes；　poor　Peasant　Covenanters；　wrestling；　battling　for　very　life；　in　rough　miry　places；　have　to　struggle；　and　suffer；　and　fall；　greatly　censured；　_bemired_；before　a　beautiful　Revolution　of　Eighty…eight　can　step　over　them　in　official　pumps　and　silk…stockings；　with　universal　three…times…three！

It　seems　to　me　hard　measure　that　this　Scottish　man；　now　after　three　hundred　years；　should　have　to　plead　like　a　culprit　before　the　world；　intrinsically　for　having　been；　in　such　way　as　it　was　then　possible　to　be；　the　bravest　of　all　Scotchmen！　　Had　he　been　a　poor　Half…and…half；　he　could　have　crouched　into　the　corner；　like　so　many　others；　Scotland　had　not　been　delivered；　and　Knox　had　been　without　blame。　　He　is　the　one　Scotchman　to　whom；　of　all　others；　his　country　and　the　world　owe　a　debt。　　He　has　to　plead　that　Scotland　would　forgive　him　for　having　been　worth　to　it　any　million　〃unblamable〃　Scotchmen　that　need　no　forgiveness！　　He　bared　his　breast　to　the　battle；　had　to　row　in　French　galleys；　wander　forlorn　in　exile；　in　clouds　and　storms；　was　censured；　shot　at　through　his　windows；　had　a　right　sore　fighting　life：　　if　this　world　were　his　place　of　recompense；　he　had　made　but　a　bad　venture　of　it。　　I　cannot　apologize　for　Knox。　　To　him　it　is　very　indifferent；　these　two　hundred　and　fifty　years　or　more；　what　men　say　of　him。　　But　we；　having　got　above　all　those　details　of　his　battle；　and　living　now　in　clearness　on　the　fruits　of　his　victory；　we；　for　our　own　sake；　ought　to　look　through　the　rumors　and　controversies　enveloping　the　man；　into　the　man　himself。

For　one　thing；　I　will　remark　that　this　post　of　Prophet　to　his　Nation　was　not　of　his　seeking；　Knox　had　lived　forty　years　quietly　obscure；　before　he　became　conspicuous。　　He　was　the　son　of　poor　parents；　had　got　a　college　education；　become　a　Priest；　adopted　the　Reformation；　and　seemed　well　content　to　guide　his　own　steps　by　the　light　of　it；　nowise　unduly　intruding　it　on　others。　　He　had　lived　as　Tutor　in　gentlemen's　families；　preaching　when　any　body　of　persons　wished　to　hear　his　doctrine：　　resolute　he　to　walk　by　the　truth；　and　speak　the　truth　when　called　to　do　it；　not　ambitious　of　more；　not　fancying　himself　capable　of　more。　　In　this　entirely　obscure　way　he　had　reached　the　age　of　forty；　was　with　the　small　body　of　Reformers　who　were　standing　siege　in　St。　Andrew's　Castle；when　one　day　in　their　chapel；　the　Preacher　after　finishing　his　exhortation　to　these　fighters　in　the　forlorn　hope；　said　suddenly；　That　there　ought　to　be　other　speakers；　that　all　men　who　had　a　priest's　heart　and　gift　in　them　ought　now　to　speak；which　gifts　and　heart　one　of　their　own　number；　John　Knox　the　name　of　him；　had：　　Had　he　not？　said　the　Preacher；　appealing　to　all　the　audience：　what　then　is　_his_　duty？　　The　people　answered　affirmatively；　it　was　a　criminal　forsaking　of　his　post；　if　such　a　man　held　the　word　that　was　in　him　silent。　　Poor　Knox　was　obliged　to　stand　up；　he　attempted　to　reply；　he　could　say　no　word；burst　into　a　flood　of　tears；　and　ran　out。　　It　is　worth　remembering；　that　scene。　　He　was　in　grievous　trouble　for　some　days。　　He　felt　what　a　small　faculty　was　his　for　this　great　work。　　He　felt　what　a　baptism　he　was　called　to　be　baptized　withal。　　He　〃burst　into　tears。〃

Our　primary　characteristic　of　a　Hero；　that　he　is　sincere；　applies　emphatically　to　Knox。　　It　is　not　denied　anywhere　that　this；　whatever　might　be　his　other　qualities　or　faults；　is　among　the　truest　of　men。　　With　a　singular　instinct　he　holds　to　the　truth　and　fact；　the　truth　alone　is　there　for　him；　the　rest　a　mere　shadow　and　deceptive　nonentity。　　However　feeble；　forlorn　the　reality　may　seem；　on　that　and　that　only　_can_　he　take　his　stand。　　In　the　Galleys　of　the　River　Loire；　whither　Knox　and　the　others；　after　their　Castle　of　St。　Andrew's　was　taken；　had　been　sent　as　Galley…slaves；some　officer　or　priest；　one　day；　presented　them　an　Image　of　the　Virgin　Mother；　requiring　that　they；　the　blasphemous　heretics；　should　do　it　reverence。　　Mother？　　Mother　of　God？　said　Knox；　when　the　turn　came　to　him：　　This　is　no　Mother　of　God：　　this　is　〃_a　pented　bredd_；〃_a_　piece　of　wood；　I　tell　you；　with　paint　on　it！　　She　is　fitter　for　swimming；　I　think；　than　for　being　worshipped；　added　Knox；　and　flung　the　thing　into　the　river。　It　was　not　very　cheap　jesting　there：　　but　come　of　it　what　might；　this　thing　to　Knox　was　and　must　continue　nothing　other　than　the　real　truth；　it　was　a　_pented　bredd_：　　worship　it　he　would　not。

He　told　his　fellow…prisoners；　in　this　darkest　time；　to　be　of　courage；　the　Cause　they　had　was　the　true　one；　and　must　and　would　prosper；　the　whole　world　could　not　put　it　down。　　Reality　is　of　God's　making；　it　is　alone　strong。　　How　many　_pented　bredds_；　pretending　to　be　real；　are　fitter　to　swim　than　to　be　worshipped！This　Knox　cannot　live　but　by　fact：　　he　clings　to　reality　as　the　shipwrecked　sailor　to　the　cliff。　　He　is　an　instance　to　us　how　a　man；　by　sincerity　itself；　becomes　heroic：　　it　is　the　grand　gift　he　has。　　We　find　in　Knox　a　good　honest　intellectual　talent；　no　transcendent　one；a　narr