heroes and hero worship-第34节

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l　content　to　guide　his　own　steps　by　the　light　of　it；　nowise　unduly　intruding　it　on　others。　　He　had　lived　as　Tutor　in　gentlemen's　families；　preaching　when　any　body　of　persons　wished　to　hear　his　doctrine：　　resolute　he　to　walk　by　the　truth；　and　speak　the　truth　when　called　to　do　it；　not　ambitious　of　more；　not　fancying　himself　capable　of　more。　　In　this　entirely　obscure　way　he　had　reached　the　age　of　forty；　was　with　the　small　body　of　Reformers　who　were　standing　siege　in　St。　Andrew's　Castle；when　one　day　in　their　chapel；　the　Preacher　after　finishing　his　exhortation　to　these　fighters　in　the　forlorn　hope；　said　suddenly；　That　there　ought　to　be　other　speakers；　that　all　men　who　had　a　priest's　heart　and　gift　in　them　ought　now　to　speak；which　gifts　and　heart　one　of　their　own　number；　John　Knox　the　name　of　him；　had：　　Had　he　not？　said　the　Preacher；　appealing　to　all　the　audience：　what　then　is　_his_　duty？　　The　people　answered　affirmatively；　it　was　a　criminal　forsaking　of　his　post；　if　such　a　man　held　the　word　that　was　in　him　silent。　　Poor　Knox　was　obliged　to　stand　up；　he　attempted　to　reply；　he　could　say　no　word；burst　into　a　flood　of　tears；　and　ran　out。　　It　is　worth　remembering；　that　scene。　　He　was　in　grievous　trouble　for　some　days。　　He　felt　what　a　small　faculty　was　his　for　this　great　work。　　He　felt　what　a　baptism　he　was　called　to　be　baptized　withal。　　He　〃burst　into　tears。〃

Our　primary　characteristic　of　a　Hero；　that　he　is　sincere；　applies　emphatically　to　Knox。　　It　is　not　denied　anywhere　that　this；　whatever　might　be　his　other　qualities　or　faults；　is　among　the　truest　of　men。　　With　a　singular　instinct　he　holds　to　the　truth　and　fact；　the　truth　alone　is　there　for　him；　the　rest　a　mere　shadow　and　deceptive　nonentity。　　However　feeble；　forlorn　the　reality　may　seem；　on　that　and　that　only　_can_　he　take　his　stand。　　In　the　Galleys　of　the　River　Loire；　whither　Knox　and　the　others；　after　their　Castle　of　St。　Andrew's　was　taken；　had　been　sent　as　Galley…slaves；some　officer　or　priest；　one　day；　presented　them　an　Image　of　the　Virgin　Mother；　requiring　that　they；　the　blasphemous　heretics；　should　do　it　reverence。　　Mother？　　Mother　of　God？　said　Knox；　when　the　turn　came　to　him：　　This　is　no　Mother　of　God：　　this　is　〃_a　pented　bredd_；〃_a_　piece　of　wood；　I　tell　you；　with　paint　on　it！　　She　is　fitter　for　swimming；　I　think；　than　for　being　worshipped；　added　Knox；　and　flung　the　thing　into　the　river。　It　was　not　very　cheap　jesting　there：　　but　come　of　it　what　might；　this　thing　to　Knox　was　and　must　continue　nothing　other　than　the　real　truth；　it　was　a　_pented　bredd_：　　worship　it　he　would　not。

He　told　his　fellow…prisoners；　in　this　darkest　time；　to　be　of　courage；　the　Cause　they　had　was　the　true　one；　and　must　and　would　prosper；　the　whole　world　could　not　put　it　down。　　Reality　is　of　God's　making；　it　is　alone　strong。　　How　many　_pented　bredds_；　pretending　to　be　real；　are　fitter　to　swim　than　to　be　worshipped！This　Knox　cannot　live　but　by　fact：　　he　clings　to　reality　as　the　shipwrecked　sailor　to　the　cliff。　　He　is　an　instance　to　us　how　a　man；　by　sincerity　itself；　becomes　heroic：　　it　is　the　grand　gift　he　has。　　We　find　in　Knox　a　good　honest　intellectual　talent；　no　transcendent　one；a　narrow；　inconsiderable　man；　as　compared　with　Luther：　　but　in　heartfelt　instinctive　adherence　to　truth；　in　_sincerity_；　as　we　say；　he　has　no　superior；　nay；　one　might　ask；　What　equal　he　has？　　The　heart　of　him　is　of　the　true　Prophet　cast。　　〃He　lies　there；〃　said　the　Earl　of　Morton　at　his　grave；　〃who　never　feared　the　face　of　man。〃　　He　resembles；　more　than　any　of　the　moderns；　an　Old…Hebrew　Prophet。　　The　same　inflexibility；　intolerance；　rigid　narrow…looking　adherence　to　God's　truth；　stern　rebuke　in　the　name　of　God　to　all　that　forsake　truth：　　an　Old…Hebrew　Prophet　in　the　guise　of　an　Edinburgh　Minister　of　the　Sixteenth　Century。　　We　are　to　take　him　for　that；　not　require　him　to　be　other。

Knox's　conduct　to　Queen　Mary；　the　harsh　visits　he　used　to　make　in　her　own　palace；　to　reprove　her　there；　have　been　much　commented　upon。　　Such　cruelty；　such　coarseness　fills　us　with　indignation。　　On　reading　the　actual　narrative　of　the　business；　what　Knox　said；　and　what　Knox　meant；　I　must　say　one's　tragic　feeling　is　rather　disappointed。　　They　are　not　so　coarse；　these　speeches；　they　seem　to　me　about　as　fine　as　the　circumstances　would　permit！　Knox　was　not　there　to　do　the　courtier；　he　came　on　another　errand。　　Whoever；　reading　these　colloquies　of　his　with　the　Queen；　thinks　they　are　vulgar　insolences　of　a　plebeian　priest　to　a　delicate　high　lady；　mistakes　the　purport　and　essence　of　them　altogether。　　It　was　unfortunately　not　possible　to　be　polite　with　the　Queen　of　Scotland；　unless　one　proved　untrue　to　the　Nation　and　Cause　of　Scotland。　　A　man　who　did　not　wish　to　see　the　land　of　his　birth　made　a　hunting…field　for　intriguing　ambitious　Guises；　and　the　Cause　of　God　trampled　underfoot　of　Falsehoods；　Formulas　and　the　Devil's　Cause；　had　no　method　of　making　himself　agreeable！　　〃Better　that　women　weep；〃　said　Morton；　〃than　that　bearded　men　be　forced　to　weep。〃　　Knox　was　the　constitutional　opposition…party　in　Scotland：　　the　Nobles　of　the　country；　called　by　their　station　to　take　that　post；　were　not　found　in　it；　Knox　had　to　go；　or　no　one。　　The　hapless　Queen；but　the　still　more　hapless　Country；　if　_she_　were　made　happy！　　Mary　herself　was　not　without　sharpness　enough；　among　her　other　qualities：　　〃Who　are　you；〃　said　she　once；　〃that　presume　to　school　the　nobles　and　sovereign　of　this　realm？〃〃Madam；　a　subject　born　within　the　same；〃　answered　he。　　Reasonably　answered！　　If　the　〃subject〃　have　truth　to　speak；　it　is　not　the　〃subject's〃　footing　that　will　fail　him　here。

We　blame　Knox　for　his　intolerance。　　Well；　surely　it　is　good　that　each　of　us　be　as　tolerant　as　possible。　　Yet；　at　bottom；　after　all　the　talk　there　is　and　has　been　about　it；　what　is　tolerance？　　Tolerance　has　to　tolerate　the　unessential；　and　to　see　well　what　that　is。　　Tolerance　has　to　be　noble；　measured；　just　in　its　very　wrath；　when　it　can　tolerate　no　longer。　　But；　on　the　whole；　we　are　not　altogether　here　to　tolerate！　　We　are　here　to　resist；　to　control　and　vanquish　withal。　　We　do　not　〃tolerate〃　Falsehoods；　Thieveries；　Iniquities；　when　they　fasten　on　us；　we　say　to　them；　Thou　art　false；　thou　art　not　tolerable！　　We　are　here　to　extinguish　Falsehoods；　and　put　an　end　to　them；　in　some　wise　way！　　I　will　not　quarrel　so　much　with　the　way；　the　doing　of　the　thing　is　our　great　concern。　　In　this　sense　Knox　was；　full　surely；　intolerant。

A　man　sent　to　row　in　French　Galleys；　and　such　like；　for　teaching　the　Truth　in　his　own　land；　cannot　always　be　in　the　mildest　humor！　　I　am　not　prepared　to　say　that　Knox　had　a　soft　temper；　nor　do　I　know　that　he　had　what　we　call　an　ill　temper。　　An　ill　nature　he　decidedly　had　not。　　Kind　honest　affections　dwelt　in　the　much…enduring；　hard…worn；　ever…battling　man。　　That　he　_could_　rebuke　Queens；　and　had　such　weight　among　those　proud　turbulent　Nobles；　proud　enough　whatever　else　they　were；　and　could　maintain　to　the　end　a　kind　of　virtual　Presidency　and　Sovereignty　in　that　wild　realm；　he　who　was　only　〃a　subject　born　within　the　same：〃　　this　of　itself　will　prove　to　us　that　he　was　found；　close　at　hand；　to　be　no　mean　acrid　man；　but　at　heart　a　healthful；　strong；　sagacious　man。　　Such　alone　can　bear　rule　in　that　kind。　They　blame　him　for　pulling　down　cathedrals；　and　so　forth；　as　if　he　were　a　seditious　rioting　demagogue：　　precisely　the　reverse　is　seen　to　be　the　fact；　in　regard　to　cathedrals　and　the　rest　of　it；　if　we　examine！　　Knox　wanted　no　pulling　down　of　stone　edifices；　he　wanted　leprosy　and　darkness　to　be　thrown　out　of　the　lives　of　men。　　Tumult　was　not　his　element；　it　was　the　tragic　feature　of　his　life　that　he　was　forced　to　dwell　so　much　in　that。　　Every　such　man　is　the　born　enemy　of　Disorder；　hates　to　be　in　it：　　but　what　then？　Smooth　Falsehood　is　not　Order；　it　is　the　general　sum…total　of　Disorder。　Order　is　_Truth_；each　thing　standing　on　the　basis　that　belongs　to　it：　Order　and　Falsehood　cannot　subsist　together。

Withal；　unexpectedly　enough；　this　Knox　has　a　vein　of　drollery　in　him；　which　I　like　much；　in　combination　with　his　other　qualities。　　He　has　a　true　eye　for　the　ridiculous。　　His　_History_；　with　its　rough　earnestness；　is　curiously　enlivened　with　this。　　When　the　two　Prelates；　entering　Glasgow　Cathedral；　quarrel　about　precedence；　march　rapidly　up；　take　to　hustling　one　another；　twitching　one　another's　rochets；　and　at　last　flourishing　their　crosiers　like　quarter…staves；　it　is　a　great　sight　for　him　every　way！　　Not　mockery；　scorn；　bitterness　alone；　though　there　is　enough　of　that　too。　　But　a　true；　loving；　illuminating　laugh　mounts　up　over　the　earnest　visage；　not　a　loud　laugh；　you　would　say；　a　laugh　in　the　_eyes_　most　of　all。　　An　honest…hearted；　brotherly　man；　brother　to　the　high；　brother　also　to　the　low；　sincere　in　his　sympathy　with　both。　　He　had　his　pipe　of　Bourdeaux　too；　we　find；　in　that　old　Edinburgh　house　of　his；　a　cheery　social　man；　with　faces　that　loved　him！　　They　go　far　wrong　who　think　this　Knox　was　a　gloomy；　spasmodic；　shrieking　fanatic。　　Not　at　all：　　he　is　one　of　the　solidest　of　men。　　Practical；　cautious…hopeful；　patient；　a　most　shrewd；　observing；　quietly　discerning　man。　　In　fact；　he　has　very　much　the　type　of　character　we　assign　to　the　Scotch　at　present：　　a　certain　sardonic　taciturnity　is　in　him；　insight　enough；　and　a　sto