heroes and hero worship-第47部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


s；　but　it　does　not　quench　itself；　and　become　no　Sun　at　all；　but　a　mass　of　Darkness！　　I　will　venture　to　say　that　such　never　befell　a　great　deep　Cromwell；　I　think；　never。　　Nature's　own　lionhearted　Son；　Antaeus…like；　his　strength　is　got　by　_touching　the　Earth_；　his　Mother；　lift　him　up　from　the　Earth；　lift　him　up　into　Hypocrisy；　Inanity；　his　strength　is　gone。　　We　will　not　assert　that　Cromwell　was　an　immaculate　man；　that　he　fell　into　no　faults；　no　insincerities　among　the　rest。　　He　was　no　dilettante　professor　of　〃perfections；〃　〃immaculate　conducts。〃　　He　was　a　rugged　Orson；　rending　his　rough　way　through　actual　true　_work_；_doubtless_　with　many　a　_fall_　therein。　　Insincerities；　faults；　very　many　faults　daily　and　hourly：　it　was　too　well　known　to　him；　known　to　God　and　him！　　The　Sun　was　dimmed　many　a　time；　but　the　Sun　had　not　himself　grown　a　Dimness。　　Cromwell's　last　words；　as　he　lay　waiting　for　death；　are　those　of　a　Christian　heroic　man。　Broken　prayers　to　God；　that　He　would　judge　him　and　this　Cause；　He　since　man　could　not；　in　justice　yet　in　pity。　　They　are　most　touching　words。　　He　breathed　out　his　wild　great　soul；　its　toils　and　sins　all　ended　now；　into　the　presence　of　his　Maker；　in　this　manner。

I；　for　one；　will　not　call　the　man　a　Hypocrite！　　Hypocrite；　mummer；　the　life　of　him　a　mere　theatricality；　empty　barren　quack；　hungry　for　the　shouts　of　mobs？　　The　man　had　made　obscurity　do　very　well　for　him　till　his　head　was　gray；　and　now　he　_was_；　there　as　he　stood　recognized　unblamed；　the　virtual　King　of　England。　　Cannot　a　man　do　without　King's　Coaches　and　Cloaks？　　Is　it　such　a　blessedness　to　have　clerks　forever　pestering　you　with　bundles　of　papers　in　red　tape？　　A　simple　Diocletian　prefers　planting　of　cabbages；　a　George　Washington；　no　very　immeasurable　man；　does　the　like。　　One　would　say；　it　is　what　any　genuine　man　could　do；　and　would　do。　　The　instant　his　real　work　were　out　in　the　matter　of　Kingship；away　with　it！

Let　us　remark；　meanwhile；　how　indispensable　everywhere　a　_King_　is；　in　all　movements　of　men。　　It　is　strikingly　shown；　in　this　very　War；　what　becomes　of　men　when　they　cannot　find　a　Chief　Man；　and　their　enemies　can。　　The　Scotch　Nation　was　all　but　unanimous　in　Puritanism；　zealous　and　of　one　mind　about　it；　as　in　this　English　end　of　the　Island　was　always　far　from　being　the　case。　　But　there　was　no　great　Cromwell　among　them；　poor　tremulous；　hesitating；　diplomatic　Argyles　and　such　like：　　none　of　them　had　a　heart　true　enough　for　the　truth；　or　durst　commit　himself　to　the　truth。　　They　had　no　leader；　and　the　scattered　Cavalier　party　in　that　country　had　one：　Montrose；　the　noblest　of　all　the　Cavaliers；　an　accomplished；　gallant…hearted；　splendid　man；　what　one　may　call　the　Hero…Cavalier。　　Well；　look　at　it；　on　the　one　hand　subjects　without　a　King；　on　the　other　a　King　without　subjects！　　The　subjects　without　King　can　do　nothing；　the　subjectless　King　can　do　something。　　This　Montrose；　with　a　handful　of　Irish　or　Highland　savages；　few　of　them　so　much　as　guns　in　their　hands；　dashes　at　the　drilled　Puritan　armies　like　a　wild　whirlwind；　sweeps　them；　time　after　time；　some　five　times　over；　from　the　field　before　him。　　He　was　at　one　period；　for　a　short　while；　master　of　all　Scotland。　　One　man；　but　he　was　a　man；　a　million　zealous　men；　but　without　the　one；　they　against　him　were　powerless！　　Perhaps　of　all　the　persons　in　that　Puritan　struggle；　from　first　to　last；　the　single　indispensable　one　was　verily　Cromwell。　　To　see　and　dare；　and　decide；　to　be　a　fixed　pillar　in　the　welter　of　uncertainty；a　King　among　them；　whether　they　called　him　so　or　not。


Precisely　here；　however；　lies　the　rub　for　Cromwell。　　His　other　proceedings　have　all　found　advocates；　and　stand　generally　justified；　but　this　dismissal　of　the　Rump　Parliament　and　assumption　of　the　Protectorship；　is　what　no　one　can　pardon　him。　　He　had　fairly　grown　to　be　King　in　England；　Chief　Man　of　the　victorious　party　in　England：　　but　it　seems　he　could　not　do　without　the　King's　Cloak；　and　sold　himself　to　perdition　in　order　to　get　it。　　Let　us　see　a　little　how　this　was。

England；　Scotland；　Ireland；　all　lying　now　subdued　at　the　feet　of　the　Puritan　Parliament；　the　practical　question　arose；　What　was　to　be　done　with　it？　　How　will　you　govern　these　Nations；　which　Providence　in　a　wondrous　way　has　given　up　to　your　disposal？　　Clearly　those　hundred　surviving　members　of　the　Long　Parliament；　who　sit　there　as　supreme　authority；　cannot　continue　forever　to　sit。　　What　_is_　to　be　done？It　was　a　question　which　theoretical　constitution…builders　may　find　easy　to　answer；　but　to　Cromwell；　looking　there　into　the　real　practical　facts　of　it；　there　could　be　none　more　complicated。　　He　asked　of　the　Parliament；　What　it　was　they　would　decide　upon？　　It　was　for　the　Parliament　to　say。　　Yet　the　Soldiers　too；　however　contrary　to　Formula；　they　who　had　purchased　this　victory　with　their　blood；　it　seemed　to　them　that　they　also　should　have　something　to　say　in　it！　　We　will　not　〃for　all　our　fighting　have　nothing　but　a　little　piece　of　paper。〃　We　understand　that　the　Law　of　God's　Gospel；　to　which　He　through　us　has　given　the　victory；　shall　establish　itself；　or　try　to　establish　itself；　in　this　land！

For　three　years；　Cromwell　says；　this　question　had　been　sounded　in　the　ears　of　the　Parliament。　　They　could　make　no　answer；　nothing　but　talk；　talk。　Perhaps　it　lies　in　the　nature　of　parliamentary　bodies；　perhaps　no　Parliament　could　in　such　case　make　any　answer　but　even　that　of　talk；　talk！　Nevertheless　the　question　must　and　shall　be　answered。　　You　sixty　men　there；　becoming　fast　odious；　even　despicable；　to　the　whole　nation；　whom　the　nation　already　calls　Rump　Parliament；　you　cannot　continue　to　sit　there：　　who　or　what　then　is　to　follow？　　〃Free　Parliament；〃　right　of　Election；　Constitutional　Formulas　of　one　sort　or　the　other；the　thing　is　a　hungry　Fact　coming　on　us；　which　we　must　answer　or　be　devoured　by　it！　　And　who　are　you　that　prate　of　Constitutional　Formulas；　rights　of　Parliament？　　You　have　had　to　kill　your　King；　to　make　Pride's　Purges；　to　expel　and　banish　by　the　law　of　the　stronger　whosoever　would　not　let　your　Cause　prosper：　　there　are　but　fifty　or　threescore　of　you　left　there；　debating　in　these　days。　　Tell　us　what　we　shall　do；　not　in　the　way　of　Formula；　but　of　practicable　Fact！

How　they　did　finally　answer；　remains　obscure　to　this　day。　　The　diligent　Godwin　himself　admits　that　he　cannot　make　it　out。　　The　likeliest　is；　that　this　poor　Parliament　still　would　not；　and　indeed　could　not　dissolve　and　disperse；　that　when　it　came　to　the　point　of　actually　dispersing；　they　again；　for　the　tenth　or　twentieth　time；　adjourned　it；and　Cromwell's　patience　failed　him。　　But　we　will　take　the　favorablest　hypothesis　ever　started　for　the　Parliament；　the　favorablest；　though　I　believe　it　is　not　the　true　one；　but　too　favorable。

According　to　this　version：　　At　the　uttermost　crisis；　when　Cromwell　and　his　Officers　were　met　on　the　one　hand；　and　the　fifty　or　sixty　Rump　Members　on　the　other；　it　was　suddenly　told　Cromwell　that　the　Rump　in　its　despair　_was_　answering　in　a　very　singular　way；　that　in　their　splenetic　envious　despair；　to　keep　out　the　Army　at　least；　these　men　were　hurrying　through　the　House　a　kind　of　Reform　Bill；Parliament　to　be　chosen　by　the　whole　of　England；　equable　electoral　division　into　districts；　free　suffrage；　and　the　rest　of　it！　　A　very　questionable；　or　indeed　for　_them_　an　unquestionable　thing。　Reform　Bill；　free　suffrage　of　Englishmen？　　Why；　the　Royalists　themselves；　silenced　indeed　but　not　exterminated；　perhaps　_outnumber_　us；　the　great　numerical　majority　of　England　was　always　indifferent　to　our　Cause；　merely　looked　at　it　and　submitted　to　it。　　It　is　in　weight　and　force；　not　by　counting　of　heads；　that　we　are　the　majority！　　And　now　with　your　Formulas　and　Reform　Bills；　the　whole　matter；　sorely　won　by　our　swords；　shall　again　launch　itself　to　sea；　become　a　mere　hope；　and　likelihood；　_small_　even　as　a　likelihood？　　And　it　is　not　a　likelihood；　it　is　a　certainty；　which　we　have　won；　by　God's　strength　and　our　own　right　hands；　and　do　now　hold　_here_。　Cromwell　walked　down　to　these　refractory　Members；　interrupted　them　in　that　rapid　speed　of　their　Reform　Bill；ordered　them　to　begone；　and　talk　there　no　more。Can　we　not　forgive　him？　　Can　we　not　understand　him？　　John　Milton；　who　looked　on　it　all　near　at　hand；　could　applaud　him。　　The　Reality　had　swept　the　Formulas　away　before　it。　　I　fancy；　most　men　who　were　realities　in　England　might　see　into　the　necessity　of　that。

The　strong　daring　man；　therefore；　has　set　all　manner　of　Formulas　and　logical　superficialities　against　him；　has　dared　appeal　to　the　genuine　Fact　of　this　England；　Whether　it　will　support　him　or　not？　　It　is　curious　to　see　how　he　struggles　to　govern　in　some　constitutional　way；　find　some　Parliament　to　support　him；　but　cannot。　　His　first　Parliament；　the　one　they　call　Barebones's　Parliament；　is；　so　to　speak；　a　_Convocation　of　the　Notables_。　From　all　quarters　of　England　the　leading　Ministers　and　chief　Puritan　Officials　nominate　the　men　most　distinguished　by　religious　reputation；　influence　and　attachment　to　the　true　Cause：　　these　are　assembled　to　shape　out　a　plan。　　They　sanctioned　what　was　past；　shaped　as　they　could　what　was　to　come。　　They　were　scornfully　called　_Barebones's　Parliament_：　　the　man's　name；　it　seems；　was　not　_Barebones_；　but　Barbone；a　good　enough　man。　　Nor　was　it　a　jest；　their　work；　it　was　a　most　serious　reality；a　trial　on　the　part　of　these　Puritan　Notables　how　far　the　Law　of　Christ　could　become　the　Law　of　this　England。　　There　were　men　of　sense　among　them；　men　of　some　quality；　men　of　deep　piety　I　suppose　the　most　of　them　were。　　They　failed；　it　seems；　and　broke　down；　endeavoring　to　reform　the　Court　of　Chancery！　They　dissolved　themselves；　as　incompetent；　delivered　up　their　power　again　into　the　hands　of　the　Lord　General　Cromwell；　to　do　with　it　what　he　liked　and　could。

What　_will_　he　do　with　it？　　The　Lord　General　Cromwell；　〃Commander…in…chief　of　all　the　Forces　raised　and　to　be　raised；〃　he　hereby　sees　himself；　at　this　unexampled　juncture；　as　it　were　the　one　available　Authority　left　in　England；　nothing　between　England　and　utter　Anarchy　but　him　alone。　　Such　is　the　undeniable　Fact　of　his　position　and　England's；　there　and　then。　　What　will　he　do　with　it？　　After　deliberation；　he　decides　that　he　will　_accept_　it；　will　formally；　with　public　solemnity；　say　and　vow