heroes and hero worship-第48节
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
ore deciding to revolt against his Government。 Ours is a most confused world； in which a good man will be thankful to see any kind of Government maintain itself in a not insupportable manner： and here in England； to this hour； if he is not ready to pay a great many taxes which he can see very small reason in； it will not go well with him； I think！ He must try some other climate than this。 Tax…gatherer？ Money？ He will say： 〃Take my money； since you _can_； and it is so desirable to you； take it；and take yourself away with it； and leave me alone to my work here。 I am still here； can still work； after all the money you have taken from me！〃 But if they come to him； and say； 〃Acknowledge a Lie； pretend to say you are worshipping God； when you are not doing it： believe not the thing that you find true； but the thing that I find； or pretend to find true！〃 He will answer： 〃No； by God's help； no！ You may take my purse； but I cannot have my moral Self annihilated。 The purse is any Highwayman's who might meet me with a loaded pistol： but the Self is mine and God my Maker's； it is not yours； and I will resist you to the death； and revolt against you； and； on the whole； front all manner of extremities； accusations and confusions； in defence of that！〃
Really； it seems to me the one reason which could justify revolting； this of the Puritans。 It has been the soul of all just revolts among men。 Not _Hunger_ alone produced even the French Revolution； no； but the feeling of the insupportable all…pervading _Falsehood_ which had now embodied itself in Hunger； in universal material Scarcity and Nonentity； and thereby become _indisputably_ false in the eyes of all！ We will leave the Eighteenth century with its 〃liberty to tax itself。〃 We will not astonish ourselves that the meaning of such men as the Puritans remained dim to it。 To men who believe in no reality at all； how shall a _real_ human soul； the intensest of all realities； as it were the Voice of this world's Maker still speaking to us；be intelligible？ What it cannot reduce into constitutional doctrines relative to 〃taxing；〃 or other the like material interest； gross； palpable to the sense； such a century will needs reject as an amorphous heap of rubbish。 Hampdens； Pyms and Ship…money will be the theme of much constitutional eloquence； striving to be fervid；which will glitter； if not as fire does； then as ice does： and the irreducible Cromwell will remain a chaotic mass of 〃madness；〃 〃hypocrisy；〃 and much else。
From of old； I will confess； this theory of Cromwell's falsity has been incredible to me。 Nay I cannot believe the like； of any Great Man whatever。 Multitudes of Great Men figure in History as false selfish men； but if we will consider it； they are but _figures_ for us； unintelligible shadows； we do not see into them as men that could have existed at all。 A superficial unbelieving generation only； with no eye but for the surfaces and semblances of things； could form such notions of Great Men。 Can a great soul be possible without a _conscience_ in it； the essence of all _real_ souls； great or small？No； we cannot figure Cromwell as a Falsity and Fatuity； the longer I study him and his career； I believe this the less。 Why should we？ There is no evidence of it。 Is it not strange that； after all the mountains of calumny this man has been subject to； after being represented as the very prince of liars； who never； or hardly ever； spoke truth； but always some cunning counterfeit of truth； there should not yet have been one falsehood brought clearly home to him？ A prince of liars； and no lie spoken by him。 Not one that I could yet get sight of。 It is like Pococke asking Grotius； Where is your _proof_ of Mahomet's Pigeon？ No proof！Let us leave all these calumnious chimeras； as chimeras ought to be left。 They are not portraits of the man； they are distracted phantasms of him； the joint product of hatred and darkness。
Looking at the man's life with our own eyes； it seems to me； a very different hypothesis suggests itself。 What little we know of his earlier obscure years； distorted as it has come down to us； does it not all betoken an earnest； affectionate； sincere kind of man？ His nervous melancholic temperament indicates rather a seriousness _too_ deep for him。 Of those stories of 〃Spectres；〃 of the white Spectre in broad daylight； predicting that he should be King of England； we are not bound to believe much；probably no more than of the other black Spectre； or Devil in person； to whom the Officer _saw_ him sell himself before Worcester Fight！ But the mournful； oversensitive； hypochondriac humor of Oliver； in his young years； is otherwise indisputably known。 The Huntingdon Physician told Sir Philip Warwick himself； He had often been sent for at midnight； Mr。 Cromwell was full of hypochondria； thought himself near dying； and 〃had fancies about the Town…cross。〃 These things are significant。 Such an excitable deep…feeling nature； in that rugged stubborn strength of his； is not the symptom of falsehood； it is the symptom and promise of quite other than falsehood！
The young Oliver is sent to study Law； falls； or is said to have fallen； for a little period； into some of the dissipations of youth； but if so； speedily repents； abandons all this： not much above twenty； he is married； settled as an altogether grave and quiet man。 〃He pays back what money he had won at gambling；〃 says the story；he does not think any gain of that kind could be really _his_。 It is very interesting； very natural； this 〃conversion；〃 as they well name it； this awakening of a great true soul from the worldly slough； to see into the awful _truth_ of things；to see that Time and its shows all rested on Eternity； and this poor Earth of ours was the threshold either of Heaven or of Hell！ Oliver's life at St。 Ives and Ely； as a sober industrious Farmer； is it not altogether as that of a true and devout man？ He has renounced the world and its ways； _its_ prizes are not the thing that can enrich him。 He tills the earth； he reads his Bible； daily assembles his servants round him to worship God。 He comforts persecuted ministers； is fond of preachers； nay can himself preach；exhorts his neighbors to be wise； to redeem the time。 In all this what 〃hypocrisy；〃 〃ambition；〃 〃cant；〃 or other falsity？ The man's hopes； I do believe； were fixed on the other Higher World； his aim to get well _thither_； by walking well through his humble course in _this_ world。 He courts no notice： what could notice here do for him？ 〃Ever in his great Taskmaster's eye。〃
It is striking； too； how he comes out once into public view； he； since no other is willing to come： in resistance to a public grievance。 I mean； in that matter of the Bedford Fens。 No one else will go to law with Authority； therefore he will。 That matter once settled； he returns back into obscurity； to his Bible and his Plough。 〃Gain influence〃？ His influence is the most legitimate； derived from personal knowledge of him； as a just； religious； reasonable and determined man。 In this way he has lived till past forty； old age is now in view of him； and the earnest portal of Death and Eternity； it was at this point that he suddenly became 〃ambitious〃！ I do not interpret his Parliamentary mission in that way！
His successes in Parliament； his successes through the war； are honest successes of a brave man； who has more resolution in the heart of him； more light in the head of him than other men。 His prayers to God； his spoken thanks to the God of Victory； who had preserved him safe； and carried him forward so far； through the furious clash of a world all set in conflict； through desperate…looking envelopments at Dunbar； through the death…hail of so many battles； mercy after mercy； to the 〃crowning mercy〃 of Worcester Fight： all this is good and genuine for a deep…hearted Calvinistic Cromwell。 Only to vain unbelieving Cavaliers； worshipping not God but their own 〃love…locks；〃 frivolities and formalities； living quite apart from contemplations of God； living _without_ God in the world； need it seem hypocritical。
Nor will his participation in the King's death involve him in condemnation with us。 It is a stern business killing of a King！ But if you once go to war with him； it lies _there_； this and all else lies there。 Once at war； you have made wager of battle with him： it is he to die； or else you。 Reconciliation is problematic； may be possible； or； far more likely； is impossible。 It is now pretty generally admitted that the Parliament； having vanquished Charles First； had no way of making any tenable arrangement with him。 The large Presbyterian party； apprehensive now of the Independents； were most anxious to do so； anxious indeed as for their own existence； but it could not be。 The unhappy Charles； in those final Hampton…Court negotiations； shows himself as a man fatally incapable of being dealt with。 A man who； once for all； could not and would not _understand_：whose thought did not in any measure represent to him the real fact of the matter； nay worse； whose _word_ did not at all represent his thought。 We may say this of him without cruelty； with deep pity rather： but it is true and undeniable。 Forsaken there of all but the _n
