heroes and hero worship-第37节

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istence　too　is　modified；　to　the　very　basis　of　it；　by　the　existence　of　Books。　　Universities　arose　while　there　were　yet　no　Books　procurable；　while　a　man；　for　a　single　Book；　had　to　give　an　estate　of　land。　　That；　in　those　circumstances；　when　a　man　had　some　knowledge　to　communicate；　he　should　do　it　by　gathering　the　learners　round　him；　face　to　face；　was　a　necessity　for　him。　　If　you　wanted　to　know　what　Abelard　knew；　you　must　go　and　listen　to　Abelard。　　Thousands；　as　many　as　thirty　thousand；　went　to　hear　Abelard　and　that　metaphysical　theology　of　his。　　And　now　for　any　other　teacher　who　had　also　something　of　his　own　to　teach；　there　was　a　great　convenience　opened：　　so　many　thousands　eager　to　learn　were　already　assembled　yonder；　of　all　places　the　best　place　for　him　was　that。　　For　any　third　teacher　it　was　better　still；　and　grew　ever　the　better；　the　more　teachers　there　came。　　It　only　needed　now　that　the　King　took　notice　of　this　new　phenomenon；　combined　or　agglomerated　the　various　schools　into　one　school；　gave　it　edifices；　privileges；　encouragements；　and　named　it　_Universitas_；　or　School　of　all　Sciences：　　the　University　of　Paris；　in　its　essential　characters；　was　there。　　The　model　of　all　subsequent　Universities；　which　down　even　to　these　days；　for　six　centuries　now；　have　gone　on　to　found　themselves。　　Such；　I　conceive；　was　the　origin　of　Universities。

It　is　clear；　however；　that　with　this　simple　circumstance；　facility　of　getting　Books；　the　whole　conditions　of　the　business　from　top　to　bottom　were　changed。　　Once　invent　Printing；　you　metamorphosed　all　Universities；　or　superseded　them！　　The　Teacher　needed　not　now　to　gather　men　personally　round　him；　that　he　might　_speak_　to　them　what　he　knew：　　print　it　in　a　Book；　and　all　learners　far　and　wide；　for　a　trifle；　had　it　each　at　his　own　fireside；　much　more　effectually　to　learn　it！Doubtless　there　is　still　peculiar　virtue　in　Speech；　even　writers　of　Books　may　still；　in　some　circumstances；　find　it　convenient　to　speak　also；witness　our　present　meeting　here！　　There　is；　one　would　say；　and　must　ever　remain　while　man　has　a　tongue；　a　distinct　province　for　Speech　as　well　as　for　Writing　and　Printing。　　In　regard　to　all　things　this　must　remain；　to　Universities　among　others。　　But　the　limits　of　the　two　have　nowhere　yet　been　pointed　out；　ascertained；　much　less　put　in　practice：　　the　University　which　would　completely　take　in　that　great　new　fact；　of　the　existence　of　Printed　Books；　and　stand　on　a　clear　footing　for　the　Nineteenth　Century　as　the　Paris　one　did　for　the　Thirteenth；　has　not　yet　come　into　existence。　　If　we　think　of　it；　all　that　a　University；　or　final　highest　School　can　do　for　us；　is　still　but　what　the　first　School　began　doing；teach　us　to　_read_。　　We　learn　to　_read_；　in　various　languages；　in　various　sciences；　we　learn　the　alphabet　and　letters　of　all　manner　of　Books。　But　the　place　where　we　are　to　get　knowledge；　even　theoretic　knowledge；　is　the　Books　themselves！　　It　depends　on　what　we　read；　after　all　manner　of　Professors　have　done　their　best　for　us。　　The　true　University　of　these　days　is　a　Collection　of　Books。

But　to　the　Church　itself；　as　I　hinted　already；　all　is　changed；　in　its　preaching；　in　its　working；　by　the　introduction　of　Books。　　The　Church　is　the　working　recognized　Union　of　our　Priests　or　Prophets；　of　those　who　by　wise　teaching　guide　the　souls　of　men。　　While　there　was　no　Writing；　even　while　there　was　no　Easy…writing；　or　_Printing_；　the　preaching　of　the　voice　was　the　natural　sole　method　of　performing　this。　　But　now　with　Books！　He　that　can　write　a　true　Book；　to　persuade　England；　is　not　he　the　Bishop　and　Archbishop；　the　Primate　of　England　and　of　All　England？　　I　many　a　time　say；　the　writers　of　Newspapers；　Pamphlets；　Poems；　Books；　these　_are_　the　real　working　effective　Church　of　a　modern　country。　　Nay　not　only　our　preaching；　but　even　our　worship；　is　not　it　too　accomplished　by　means　of　Printed　Books？　The　noble　sentiment　which　a　gifted　soul　has　clothed　for　us　in　melodious　words；　which　brings　melody　into　our　hearts；is　not　this　essentially；　if　we　will　understand　it；　of　the　nature　of　worship？　　There　are　many；　in　all　countries；　who；　in　this　confused　time；　have　no　other　method　of　worship。　　He　who；　in　any　way；　shows　us　better　than　we　knew　before　that　a　lily　of　the　fields　is　beautiful；　does　he　not　show　it　us　as　an　effluence　of　the　Fountain　of　all　Beauty；　as　the　_handwriting_；　made　visible　there；　of　the　great　Maker　of　the　Universe？　　He　has　sung　for　us；　made　us　sing　with　him；　a　little　verse　of　a　sacred　Psalm。　　Essentially　so。　　How　much　more　he　who　sings；　who　says；　or　in　any　way　brings　home　to　our　heart　the　noble　doings；　feelings；　darings　and　endurances　of　a　brother　man！　　He　has　verily　touched　our　hearts　as　with　a　live　coal　_from　the　altar_。　　Perhaps　there　is　no　worship　more　authentic。

Literature；　so　far　as　it　is　Literature；　is　an　〃apocalypse　of　Nature；〃　a　revealing　of　the　〃open　secret。〃　　It　may　well　enough　be　named；　in　Fichte's　style；　a　〃continuous　revelation〃　of　the　Godlike　in　the　Terrestrial　and　Common。　　The　Godlike　does　ever；　in　very　truth；　endure　there；　is　brought　out；　now　in　this　dialect；　now　in　that；　with　various　degrees　of　clearness：　all　true　gifted　Singers　and　Speakers　are；　consciously　or　unconsciously；　doing　so。　　The　dark　stormful　indignation　of　a　Byron；　so　wayward　and　perverse；　may　have　touches　of　it；　nay　the　withered　mockery　of　a　French　sceptic；his　mockery　of　the　False；　a　love　and　worship　of　the　True。　　How　much　more　the　sphere…harmony　of　a　Shakspeare；　of　a　Goethe；　the　cathedral　music　of　a　Milton！　　They　are　something　too；　those　humble　genuine　lark…notes　of　a　Burns；skylark；　starting　from　the　humble　furrow；　far　overhead　into　the　blue　depths；　and　singing　to　us　so　genuinely　there！　　For　all　true　singing　is　of　the　nature　of　worship；　as　indeed　all　true　_working_　may　be　said　to　be；whereof　such　_singing_　is　but　the　record；　and　fit　melodious　representation；　to　us。　　Fragments　of　a　real　〃Church　Liturgy〃　and　〃Body　of　Homilies；〃　strangely　disguised　from　the　common　eye；　are　to　be　found　weltering　in　that　huge　froth…ocean　of　Printed　Speech　we　loosely　call　Literature！　　Books　are　our　Church　too。

Or　turning　now　to　the　Government　of　men。　　Witenagemote；　old　Parliament；　was　a　great　thing。　　The　affairs　of　the　nation　were　there　deliberated　and　decided；　what　we　were　to　_do_　as　a　nation。　　But　does　not；　though　the　name　Parliament　subsists；　the　parliamentary　debate　go　on　now；　everywhere　and　at　all　times；　in　a　far　more　comprehensive　way；　_out_　of　Parliament　altogether？　Burke　said　there　were　Three　Estates　in　Parliament；　but；　in　the　Reporters'　Gallery　yonder；　there　sat　a　_Fourth　Estate_　more　important　far　than　they　all。　　It　is　not　a　figure　of　speech；　or　a　witty　saying；　it　is　a　literal　fact；very　momentous　to　us　in　these　times。　　Literature　is　our　Parliament　too。　　Printing；　which　comes　necessarily　out　of　Writing；　I　say　often；　is　equivalent　to　Democracy：　　invent　Writing；　Democracy　is　inevitable。　　Writing　brings　Printing；　brings　universal　everyday　extempore　Printing；　as　we　see　at　present。　　Whoever　can　speak；　speaking　now　to　the　whole　nation；　becomes　a　power；　a　branch　of　government；　with　inalienable　weight　in　law…making；　in　all　acts　of　authority。　　It　matters　not　what　rank　he　has；　what　revenues　or　garnitures。　　the　requisite　thing　is；　that　he　have　a　tongue　which　others　will　listen　to；　this　and　nothing　more　is　requisite。　　The　nation　is　governed　by　all　that　has　tongue　in　the　nation：　　Democracy　is　virtually　_there_。　　Add　only；　that　whatsoever　power　exists　will　have　itself；　by　and　by；　organized；　working　secretly　under　bandages；　obscurations；　obstructions；　it　will　never　rest　till　it　get　to　work　free；　unencumbered；　visible　to　all。　　Democracy　virtually　extant　will　insist　on　becoming　palpably　extant。

On　all　sides；　are　we　not　driven　to　the　conclusion　that；　of　the　things　which　man　can　do　or　make　here　below；　by　far　the　most　momentous；　wonderful　and　worthy　are　the　things　we　call　Books！　　Those　poor　bits　of　rag…paper　with　black　ink　on　them；from　the　Daily　Newspaper　to　the　sacred　Hebrew　BOOK；　what　have　they　not　done；　what　are　they　not　doing！For　indeed；　whatever　be　the　outward　form　of　the　thing　（bits　of　paper；　as　we　say；　and　black　ink）；　is　it　not　verily；　at　bottom；　the　highest　act　of　man's　faculty　that　produces　a　Book？　　It　is　the　_Thought_　of　man；　the　true　thaumaturgic　virtue；　by　which　man　works　all　things　whatsoever。　　All　that　he　does；　and　brings　to　pass；　is　the　vesture　of　a　Thought。　　This　London　City；　with　all　its　houses；　palaces；　steam…engines；　cathedrals；　and　huge　immeasurable　traffic　and　tumult；　what　is　it　but　a　Thought；　but　millions　of　Thoughts　made　into　One；a　huge　immeasurable　Spirit　of　a　THOUGHT；　embodied　in　brick；　in　iron；　smoke；　dust；　Palaces；　Parliaments；　Hackney　Coaches；　Katherine　Docks；　and　the　rest　of　it！　Not　a　brick　was　made　but　some　man　had　to　_think_　of　the　making　of　that　brick。The　thing　we　called　〃bits　of　paper　with　traces　of　black　ink；〃　is　the　_purest_　embodiment　a　Thought　of　man　can　have。　　No　wonder　it　is；　in　all　ways；　the　activest　and　noblest。

All　this；　of　the　importance　and　supreme　importance　of　the　Man　of　Letters　in　modern　Society；　and　how　the　Press　is　to　such　a　degree　superseding　the　Pulpit；　the　Senate；　the　_Senatus　Academicus_　and　much　else；　has　been　admitted　for　a　good　while；　and　recognized　often　enough；　in　late　times；　with　a　sort　of　sentimental　tr