heroes and hero worship-第17节

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m　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　of　his　which　seems　well　worth　taking　note　of。　　In　one　of　his　Delineations；　in　_Meister's　Travels_　it　is；　the　hero　comes　upon　a　Society　of　men　with　very　strange　ways；　one　of　which　was　this：　　〃We　require；〃　says　the　Master；　〃that　each　of　our　people　shall　restrict　himself　in　one　direction；〃　shall　go　right　against　his　desire　in　one　matter；　and　_make_　himself　do　the　thing　he　does　not　wish；　〃should　we　allow　him　the　greater　latitude　on　all　other　sides。〃　　There　seems　to　me　a　great　justness　in　this。　　Enjoying　things　which　are　pleasant；　that　is　not　the　evil：　　it　is　the　reducing　of　our　moral　self　to　slavery　by　them　that　is。　　Let　a　man　assert　withal　that　he　is　king　over　his　habitudes；　that　he　could　and　would　shake　them　off；　on　cause　shown：　　this　is　an　excellent　law。　　The　Month　Ramadhan　for　the　Moslem；　much　in　Mahomet's　Religion；　much　in　his　own　Life；　bears　in　that　direction；　if　not　by　forethought；　or　clear　purpose　of　moral　improvement　on　his　part；　then　by　a　certain　healthy　manful　instinct；　which　is　as　good。

But　there　is　another　thing　to　be　said　about　the　Mahometan　Heaven　and　Hell。　This　namely；　that；　however　gross　and　material　they　may　be；　they　are　an　emblem　of　an　everlasting　truth；　not　always　so　well　remembered　elsewhere。　That　gross　sensual　Paradise　of　his；　that　horrible　flaming　Hell；　the　great　enormous　Day　of　Judgment　he　perpetually　insists　on：　　what　is　all　this　but　a　rude　shadow；　in　the　rude　Bedouin　imagination；　of　that　grand　spiritual　Fact；　and　Beginning　of　Facts；　which　it　is　ill　for　us　too　if　we　do　not　all　know　and　feel：　　the　Infinite　Nature　of　Duty？　　That　man's　actions　here　are　of　_infinite_　moment　to　him；　and　never　die　or　end　at　all；　that　man；　with　his　little　life；　reaches　upwards　high　as　Heaven；　downwards　low　as　Hell；　and　in　his　threescore　years　of　Time　holds　an　Eternity　fearfully　and　wonderfully　hidden：　　all　this　had　burnt　itself；　as　in　flame…characters；　into　the　wild　Arab　soul。　　As　in　flame　and　lightning；　it　stands　written　there；　awful；　unspeakable；　ever　present　to　him。　　With　bursting　earnestness；　with　a　fierce　savage　sincerity；　half…articulating；　not　able　to　articulate；　he　strives　to　speak　it；　bodies　it　forth　in　that　Heaven　and　that　Hell。　　Bodied　forth　in　what　way　you　will；　it　is　the　first　of　all　truths。　　It　is　venerable　under　all　embodiments。　　What　is　the　chief　end　of　man　here　below？　　Mahomet　has　answered　this　question；　in　a　way　that　might　put　some　of　us　to　shame！　　He　does　not；　like　a　Bentham；　a　Paley；　take　Right　and　Wrong；　and　calculate　the　profit　and　loss；　ultimate　pleasure　of　the　one　and　of　the　other；　and　summing　all　up　by　addition　and　subtraction　into　a　net　result；　ask　you；　Whether　on　the　whole　the　Right　does　not　preponderate　considerably？　　No；　it　is　not　_better_　to　do　the　one　than　the　other；　the　one　is　to　the　other　as　life　is　to　death；as　Heaven　is　to　Hell。　　The　one　must　in　nowise　be　done；　the　other　in　nowise　left　undone。　　You　shall　not　measure　them；　they　are　incommensurable：　　the　one　is　death　eternal　to　a　man；　the　other　is　life　eternal。　　Benthamee　Utility；　virtue　by　Profit　and　Loss；　reducing　this　God's…world　to