第 26 节
作者:莫再讲      更新:2021-02-19 00:42      字数:9321
  of his time misleading them。  No: neither unpatriotic; though he says little about his Patriotism; nor sceptic; though he says little about his Faith。  Such 〃indifference〃 was the fruit of his greatness withal:  his whole heart was in his own grand sphere of worship (we may call it such); these other controversies; vitally important to other men; were not vital to him。
  But call it worship; call it what you will; is it not a right glorious thing; and set of things; this that Shakspeare has brought us?  For myself; I feel that there is actually a kind of sacredness in the fact of such a man being sent into this Earth。  Is he not an eye to us all; a blessed heaven…sent Bringer of Light?And; at bottom; was it not perhaps far better that this Shakspeare; every way an unconscious man; was _conscious_ of no Heavenly message?  He did not feel; like Mahomet; because he saw into those internal Splendors; that he specially was the 〃Prophet of God:〃  and was he not greater than Mahomet in that?  Greater; and also; if we compute strictly; as we did in Dante's case; more successful。  It was intrinsically an error that notion of Mahomet's; of his supreme Prophethood; and has come down to us inextricably involved in error to this day; dragging along with it such a coil of fables; impurities; intolerances; as makes it a questionable step for me here and now to say; as I have done; that Mahomet was a true Speaker at all; and not rather an ambitious charlatan; perversity and simulacrum; no Speaker; but a Babbler!  Even in Arabia; as I compute; Mahomet will have exhausted himself and become obsolete; while this Shakspeare; this Dante may still be young;while this Shakspeare may still pretend to be a Priest of Mankind; of Arabia as of other places; for unlimited periods to come!
  Compared with any speaker or singer one knows; even with Aeschylus or Homer; why should he not; for veracity and universality; last like them? He is _sincere_ as they; reaches deep down like them; to the universal and perennial。  But as for Mahomet; I think it had been better for him _not_ to be so conscious!  Alas; poor Mahomet; all that he was _conscious_ of was a mere error; a futility and triviality;as indeed such ever is。  The truly great in him too was the unconscious:  that he was a wild Arab lion of the desert; and did speak out with that great thunder…voice of his; not by words which he _thought_ to be great; but by actions; by feelings; by a history which _were_ great!  His Koran has become a stupid piece of prolix absurdity; we do not believe; like him; that God wrote that! The Great Man here too; as always; is a Force of Nature。  whatsoever is truly great in him springs up from the _in_articulate deeps。
  Well:  this is our poor Warwickshire Peasant; who rose to be Manager of a Playhouse; so that he could live without begging; whom the Earl of Southampton cast some kind glances on; whom Sir Thomas Lucy; many thanks to him; was for sending to the Treadmill!  We did not account him a god; like Odin; while he dwelt with us;on which point there were much to be said。 But I will say rather; or repeat:  In spite of the sad state Hero…worship now lies in; consider what this Shakspeare has actually become among us。 Which Englishman we ever made; in this land of ours; which million of Englishmen; would we not give up rather than the Stratford Peasant?  There is no regiment of highest Dignitaries that we would sell him for。  He is the grandest thing we have yet done。  For our honor among foreign nations; as an ornament to our English Household; what item is there that we would not surrender rather than him?  Consider now; if they asked us; Will you give up your Indian Empire or your Shakspeare; you English; never have had any Indian Empire; or never have had any Shakspeare?  Really it were a grave question。  Official persons would answer doubtless in official language; but we; for our part too; should not we be forced to answer: Indian Empire; or no Indian Empire; we cannot do without Shakspeare! Indian Empire will go; at any rate; some day; but this Shakspeare does not go; he lasts forever with us; we cannot give up our Shakspeare!
  Nay; apart from spiritualities; and considering him merely as a real; marketable; tangibly useful possession。  England; before long; this Island of ours; will hold but a small fraction of the English:  in America; in New Holland; east and west to the very Antipodes; there will be a Saxondom covering great spaces of the Globe。  And now; what is it that can keep all these together into virtually one Nation; so that they do not fall out and fight; but live at peace; in brotherlike intercourse; helping one another? This is justly regarded as the greatest practical problem; the thing all manner of sovereignties and governments are here to accomplish:  what is it that will accomplish this?  Acts of Parliament; administrative prime…ministers cannot。  America is parted from us; so far as Parliament could part it。  Call it not fantastic; for there is much reality in it: Here; I say; is an English King; whom no time or chance; Parliament or combination of Parliaments; can dethrone!  This King Shakspeare; does not he shine; in crowned sovereignty; over us all; as the noblest; gentlest; yet strongest of rallying…signs; indestructible; really more valuable in that point of view than any other means or appliance whatsoever?  We can fancy him as radiant aloft over all the Nations of Englishmen; a thousand years hence。  From Paramatta; from New York; wheresoever; under what sort of Parish…Constable soever; English men and women are; they will say to one another:  〃Yes; this Shakspeare is ours; we produced him; we speak and think by him; we are of one blood and kind with him。〃  The most common…sense politician; too; if he pleases; may think of that。
  Yes; truly; it is a great thing for a Nation that it get an articulate voice; that it produce a man who will speak forth melodiously what the heart of it means!  Italy; for example; poor Italy lies dismembered; scattered asunder; not appearing in any protocol or treaty as a unity at all; yet the noble Italy is actually _one_:  Italy produced its Dante; Italy can speak!  The Czar of all the Russias; he is strong with so many bayonets; Cossacks and cannons; and does a great feat in keeping such a tract of Earth politically together; but he cannot yet speak。  Something great in him; but it is a dumb greatness。  He has had no voice of genius; to be heard of all men and times。  He must learn to speak。  He is a great dumb monster hitherto。  His cannons and Cossacks will all have rusted into nonentity; while that Dante's voice is still audible。  The Nation that has a Dante is bound together as no dumb Russia can be。We must here end what we had to say of the _Hero…Poet_。
  'May 15; 1840。' LECTURE IV。 THE HERO AS PRIEST。  LUTHER; REFORMATION:  KNOX; PURITANISM。
  Our present discourse is to be of the Great Man as Priest。  We have repeatedly endeavored to explain that all sorts of Heroes are intrinsically of the same material; that given a great soul; open to the Divine Significance of Life; then there is given a man fit to speak of this; to sing of this; to fight and work for this; in a great; victorious; enduring manner; there is given a Hero;the outward shape of whom will depend on the time and the environment he finds himself in。  The Priest too; as I understand it; is a kind of Prophet; in him too there is required to be a light of inspiration; as we must name it。  He presides over the worship of the people; is the Uniter of them with the Unseen Holy。  He is the spiritual Captain of the people; as the Prophet is their spiritual King with many captains:  he guides them heavenward; by wise guidance through this Earth and its work。  The ideal of him is; that he too be what we can call a voice from the unseen Heaven; interpreting; even as the Prophet did; and in a more familiar manner unfolding the same to men。  The unseen Heaven;the 〃open secret of the Universe;〃which so few have an eye for! He is the Prophet shorn of his more awful splendor; burning with mild equable radiance; as the enlightener of daily life。  This; I say; is the ideal of a Priest。  So in old times; so in these; and in all times。  One knows very well that; in reducing ideals to practice; great latitude of tolerance is needful; very great。  But a Priest who is not this at all; who does not any longer aim or try to be this; is a characterof whom we had rather not speak in this place。
  Luther and Knox were by express vocation Priests; and did faithfully perform that function in its common sense。  Yet it will suit us better here to consider them chiefly in their historical character; rather as Reformers than Priests。  There have been other Priests perhaps equally notable; in calmer times; for doing faithfully the office of a Leader of Worship; bringing down; by faithful heroism in that kind; a light from Heaven into the daily life of their people; leading them forward; as under God's guidance; in the way wherein they were to go。  But when this same _way_ was a rough one; of battle; confusion and danger; the spiritual Captain; who led through that; becomes; especially to us who live under the fruit of his leading; more notable than any other。  He is