historical lecturers and essays-第13部分

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our　own　race；　of　what　might　be；　if　we　should　fail　mankind　and　our



own　calling　and　election。







God　grant　that　day　may　never　come。　　But　God　grant；　also；　that　if



that　day　does　come；　then　may　come　true　also　what　that　wise　Vala



sang；　of　the　day　when　gods；　and　men；　and　earth　should　be　burnt　up



with　fire。











When　slaked　Surtur's　flame　is；



Still　the　man　and　the　maiden；



Hight　Valour　and　Life；



Shall　keep　themselves　hid



In　the　wood　of　remembrance。



The　dew　of　the　dawning



For　food　it　shall　serve　them：



From　them　spring　new　peoples。











New　peoples。　　For　after　all　is　said；　the　ideal　form　of　human　society



is　democracy。







A　nationand；　were　it　even　possible；　a　whole　worldof　free　men；



lifting　free　foreheads　to　God　and　Nature；　calling　no　man　masterfor



one　is　their　master；　even　God；　knowing　and　obeying　their　duties



towards　the　Maker　of　the　Universe；　and　therefore　to　each　other；　and



that　not　from　fear；　nor　calculation　of　profit　or　loss；　but　because



they　loved　and　liked　it；　and　had　seen　the　beauty　of　righteousness



and　trust　and　peace；　because　the　law　of　God　was　in　their　hearts；　and



needing　at　last；　it　may　be；　neither　king　nor　priest；　for　each　man



and　each　woman；　in　their　place；　were　kings　and　priests　to　God。　　Such



a　nationsuch　a　societywhat　nobler　conception　of　mortal　existence



can　we　form？　　Would　not　that　be；　indeed；　the　kingdom　of　God　come　on



earth？







And　tell　me　not　that　that　is　impossibletoo　fair　a　dream　to　be　ever



realised。　　All　that　makes　it　impossible　is　the　selfishness；



passions；　weaknesses；　of　those　who　would　be　blest　were　they　masters



of　themselves；　and　therefore　of　circumstances；　who　are　miserable



because；　not　being　masters　of　themselves；　they　try　to　master



circumstance；　to　pull　down　iron　walls　with　weak　and　clumsy　hands；



and　forget　that　he　who　would　be　free　from　tyrants　must　first　be　free



from　his　worst　tyrant；　self。







But　tell　me　not　that　the　dream　is　impossible。　　It　is　so　beautiful



that　it　must　be　true。　　If　not　now；　nor　centuries　hence；　yet　still



hereafter。　　God　would　never；　as　I　hold；　have　inspired　man　with　that



rich　imagination　had　He　not　meant　to　translate；　some　day；　that



imagination　into　fact。







The　very　greatness　of　the　idea；　beyond　what　a　single　mind　or



generation　can　grasp；　will　ensure　failure　on　failurefollies；



fanaticisms；　disappointments；　even　crimes；　bloodshed；　hasty　furies；



as　of　children　baulked　of　their　holiday。







But　it　will　be　at　last　fulfilled；　filled　full；　and　perfected；　not



perhaps　here；　or　among　our　peoples；　or　any　people　which　now　exist　on



earth：　　　but　in　some　future　civilisationit　may　be　in　far　lands



beyond　the　seawhen　all　that　you　and　we　have　made　and　done　shall　be



as　the　forest…grown　mounds　of　the　old　nameless　civilisers　of　the



Mississippi　valley。















RONDELET；　｛7｝　THE　HUGUENOT　NATURALIST　｛8｝















〃Apollo；　god　of　medicine；　exiled　from　the　rest　of　the　earth；　was



straying　once　across　the　Narbonnaise　in　Gaul；　seeking　to　fix　his



abode　there。　　Driven　from　Asia；　from　Africa；　and　from　the　rest　of



Europe；　he　wandered　through　all　the　towns　of　the　province　in　search



of　a　place　propitious　for　him　and　for　his　disciples。　　At　last　he



perceived　a　new　city；　constructed　from　the　ruins　of　Maguelonne；　of



Lattes；　and　of　Substantion。　　He　contemplated　long　its　site；　its



aspect；　its　neighbourhood；　and　resolved　to　establish　on　this　hill　of



Montpellier　a　temple　for　himself　and　his　priests。　　All　smiled　on　his



desires。　　By　the　genius　of　the　soil；　by　the　character　of　the



inhabitants；　no　town　is　more　fit　for　the　culture　of　letters；　and



above　all　of　medicine。　　What　site　is　more　delicious　and　more　lovely？



A　heaven　pure　and　smiling；　a　city　built　with　magnificence；　men　born



for　all　the　labours　of　the　intellect。　　All　around　vast　horizons　and



enchanting　sitesmeadows；　vines；　olives；　green　champaigns；



mountains　and　hills；　rivers；　brooks；　lagoons；　and　the　sea。



Everywhere　a　luxuriant　vegetationeverywhere　the　richest　production



of　the　land　and　the　water。　　Hail　to　thee　sweet　and　dear　city！　　Hail；



happy　abode　of　Apollo；　who　spreadest　afar　the　light　of　the　glory　of



thy　name！〃







〃This　fine　tirade；〃　says　Dr。　Maurice　Raynaudfrom　whose　charming



book　on　the　〃Doctors　of　the　Time　of　Moliere〃　I　quote〃is　not；　as



one　might　think；　the　translation　of　a　piece　of　poetry。　　It　is　simply



part　of　a　public　oration　by　Francois　Fanchon；　one　of　the　most



illustrious　chancellors　of　the　faculty　of　medicine　of　Montpellier　in



the　seventeenth　century。〃　　〃From　time　immemorial；〃　he　says；　〃'the



faculty'　of　Montpellier　had　made　itself　remarkable　by　a　singular



mixture　of　the　sacred　and　the　profane。　　The　theses　which　were



sustained　there　began　by　an　invocation　to　God；　the　Blessed　Virgin；



and　St。　Luke；　and　ended　by　these　words：　　　'This　thesis　will　be



sustained　in　the　sacred　Temple　of　Apollo。'〃







But　however　extravagant　Chancellor　Fanchon's　praises　of　his　native



city　may　seem；　they　are　really　not　exaggerated。　　The　Narbonnaise；　or



Languedoc；　is　perhaps　the　most　charming　district　of　charming　France。



In　the　far　north…east　gleam　the　white　Alps；　in　the　far　south…west



the　white　Pyrenees；　and　from　the　purple　glens　and　yellow　downs　of



the　Cevennes　on　the　north…west；　the　Herault　slopes　gently　down



towards　the　〃Etangs；〃　or　great　salt…water　lagoons；　and　the　vast



alluvial　flats　of　the　Camargue；　the　field　of　Caius　Marius；　where



still　run　herds　of　half…wild　horses；　descended　from　some　ancient



Roman　stock；　while　beyond　all　glitters　the　blue　Mediterranean。　　The



great　almond　orchards；　each　one　sheet　of　rose…colour　in　spring；　the



mulberry　orchards；　the　oliveyards；　the　vineyards；　cover　every　foot



of　available　upland　soil：　　　save　where　the　rugged　and　arid　downs　are



sweet　with　a　thousand　odoriferous　plants；　from　which　the　bees



extract　the　famous　white　honey　of　Narbonne。　　The　native　flowers　and



shrubs；　of　a　beauty　and　richness　rather　Eastern　than　European；　have



made　the　〃Flora　Montpeliensis；〃　and　with　it　the　names　of　Rondelet



and　his　disciples；　famous　among　botanists；　and　the　strange　fish　and



shells　upon　its　shores　afforded　Rondelet　materials　for　his　immortal



work　upon　the　〃Animals　of　the　Sea。〃　　The　innumerable　wild　fowl　of



the　Benches　du　Rhone；　the　innumerable　songsters　and　other　birds　of



passage；　many　of　them　unknown　in　these　islands；　and　even　in　the



north　of　France　itself；　which　haunt　every　copse　of　willow　and　aspen



along　the　brook…sides；　the　gaudy　and　curious　insects　which　thrive



beneath　that　clear；　fierce；　and　yet　bracing　sunlight；　all　these　have



made　the　district　of　Montpellier　a　home　prepared　by　Nature　for　those



who　study　and　revere　her。







Neither　was　Chancellor　Fanchon　misled　by　patriotism；　when　he　said



the　pleasant　people　who　inhabit　that　district　are　fit　for　all　the



labours　of　the　intellect。　　They　are　a　very　mixed　race；　and；　like



most　mixed　races；　quick…witted；　and　handsome　also。　　There　is



probably　much　Roman　blood　among　them；　especially　in　the　towns；　for



Languedoc；　or　Gallia　Narbonnensis；　as　it　was　called　of　old；　was　said



to　be　more　Roman　than　Rome　itself。　　The　Roman　remains　are　more



perfect　and　more　interestingso　the　late　Dr。　Whewell　used　to　say



than　any　to　be　seen　now　in　Italy；　and　the　old　capital；　Narbonne



itself；　was　a　complete　museum　of　Roman　antiquities　ere　Francis　I。



destroyed　it；　in　order　to　fortify　the　city　upon　a　modern　system



against　the　invading　armies　of　Charles　V。　　There　must　be　much



Visigothic　blood　likewise　in　Languedoc：　　　for　the　Visigothic　Kings



held　their　courts　there　from　the　fifth　century；　until　the　time　that



they　were　crushed　by　the　invading　Moors。　　Spanish　blood；　likewise；



there　may　be；　for　much　of　Languedoc　was　held　in　the　early　Middle　Age



by　those　descendants　of　Eudes　of　Aquitaine　who　established



themselves　as　kings　of　Majorca　and　Arragon；　and　Languedoc　did　not



become　entirely　French　till　1349；　when　Philip　le　Bel　bought



Montpellier　of　those　potentates。　　The　Moors；　too；　may　have　left　some



traces　of　their　race　behind。　　They　held　the　country　from　about　A。D。



713　to　758；　when　they　were　finally　expelled　by　Charles　Martel　and



Eudes。　　One　sees　to　this　day　their　towers　of　meagre　stonework；



perched　on　the　grand　Roman　masonry　of　those　old　amphitheatres；　which



they　turned　into　fortresses。　　One　may　see；　tooso　tradition　holds



upon　those　very　amphitheatres　the　stains　of　the　fires　with　which



Charles　Martel　smoked　them　out；　and　one　may　see；　too；　or　fancy　that



one　sees；　in　the　aquiline　features；　the　bright　black　eyes；　the　lithe



and　graceful　gestures；　which　are　so　common　in　Languedoc；　some　touch



of　the　old　Mahommedan　race；　which　passed　like　a　flood　over　that



Christian　land。







Whether　or　not　the　Moors　left　behind　any　traces　of　their　blood；　they



left　behind；　at　least；　traces　of　their　learning；　for　the　university



of　Montpellier　claimed　to　have　been　founded　by　Moors　at　a　date　of



altogether　abysmal　antiquity。　　They　looked　upon　the　Arabian



physicians　of　the　Middle　Age；　on　Avicenna　and　Averrhoes；　as　modern



innovators；　and　derived　their　parentage　from　certain　mythic　doctors



of　Cordova；　who；　when　the　Moors　were　expelled　from　Spain　in　the



eighth　century；　fled　to　Montpellier；　bringing　with　them　traditions



of　that　primaeval　science　which　had　been　revealed　to　Adam　while



still　in　Paradise；　and　founded　Montpellier；　the　mother　of　all　the



universities　in　Europe。