heroes and hero worship-第26节

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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