historical lecturers and essays-第13节

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friends　and　predecessors；　slain　in　the　world…old　fight　of　Ormuzd



against　Ahrimanlight　against　darkness；　order　against　disorder。



Confusedly　they　fought；　and　sometimes　ill：　　　but　their　corpses　piled



the　breach　and　filled　the　trench　for　us；　and　over　their　corpses　we



step　on　to　what　should　be　to　us　an　easy　victorywhat　may　be　to　us；



yet；　a　shameful　ruin。







For　if　we　be；　as　we　are　wont　to　boast；　the　salt　of　the　earth　and　the



light　of　the　world；　what　if　the　salt　should　lose　its　savour？　　What



if　the　light　which　is　in　us　should　become　darkness？　　For　myself；



when　I　look　upon　the　responsibilities　of　the　free　nations　of　modern



times；　so　far　from　boasting　of　that　liberty　in　which　I　delightand



to　keep　which　I　freely；　too；　could　dieI　rather　say；　in　fear　and



trembling；　God　help　us　on　whom　He　has　laid　so　heavy　a　burden　as　to



make　us　free；　responsible；　each　individual　of　us；　not　only　to



ourselves；　but　to　Him　and　all　mankind。　　For　if　we　fall　we　shall　fall



I　know　not　whither；　and　I　dare　not　think。







How　those　old　despotisms；　the　mighty　empires　of　old　time；　fell；　we



know；　and　we　can　easily　explain。　　Corrupt；　luxurious；　effeminate；



eaten　out　by　universal　selfishness　and　mutual　fear；　they　had　at　last



no　organic　coherence。　　The　moral　anarchy　within　showed　through；　at



last　burst　through；　the　painted　skin　of　prescriptive　order　which



held　them　together。　　Some　braver　and　abler；　and　usually　more



virtuous　people；　often　some　little；　hardy；　homely　mountain　tribe；



saw　that　the　fruit　was　ripe　for　gathering；　and；　caring　naught　for



superior　numbersand　saying　with　German　Alaric　when　the　Romans



boasted　of　their　numbers；　〃The　thicker　the　hay　the　easier　it　is



mowed〃struck　one　brave　blow　at　the　huge　inflated　wind…bagas



Cyrus　and　his　handful　of　Persians　struck　at　the　Medes；　as　Alexander



and　his　handful　of　Greeks　struck　afterwards　at　the　Persiansand



behold；　it　collapsed　upon　the　spot。　　And　then　the　victors　took　the



place　of　the　conquered；　and　became　in　their　turn　an　aristocracy；　and



then　a　despotism；　and　in　their　turn　rotted　down　and　perished。　　And



so　the　vicious　circle　repeated　itself；　age　after　age；　from　Egypt　and



Assyria　to　Mexico　and　Peru。







And　therefore；　we；　free　peoples　as　we　are；　have　need　to　watch；　and



sternly　watch；　ourselves。　　Equality　of　some　kind　or　other　is；　as　I



said；　our　natural　and　seemingly　inevitable　goal。　　But　which



equality？　　For　there　are　twoa　true　one　and　a　false；　a　noble　and　a



base；　a　healthful　and　a　ruinous。　　There　is　the　truly　divine



equality；　and　there　is　the　brute　equality　of　sheep　and　oxen；　and　of



flies　and　worms。　　There　is　the　equality　which　is　founded　on　mutual



envy。　　The　equality　which　respects　others；　and　the　equality　which



asserts　itself。　　The　equality　which　longs　to　raise　all　alike；　and



the　equality　which　desires　to　pull　down　all　alike。　　The　equality



which　says：　　　Thou　art　as　good　as　I；　and　it　may　be　better　too；　in



the　sight　of　God。　　And　the　equality　which　says：　　　I　am　as　good　as



thou；　and　will　therefore　see　if　I　cannot　master　thee。







Side　by　side；　in　the　heart　of　every　free　man；　and　every　free　people；



are　the　two　instincts　struggling　for　the　mastery；　called　by　the　same



name；　but　bearing　the　same　relation　to　each　other　as　Marsyas　to



Apollo；　the　Satyr　to　the　God。　　Marsyas　and　Apollo；　the　base　and　the



noble；　are；　as　in　the　old　Greek　legend；　contending　for　the　prize。



And　the　prize　is　no　less　a　one　than　all　free　people　of　this　planet。







In　proportion　as　that　nobler　idea　conquers；　and　men　unite　in　the



equality　of　mutual　respect　and　mutual　service；　they　move　one　step



farther　towards　realising　on　earth　that　Kingdom　of　God　of　which　it



is　written：　　　〃The　despots　of　the　nations　exercise　dominion　over



them；　and　they　that　exercise　authority　over　them　are　called



benefactors。　　But　he　that　will　be　great　among　you　let　him　be　the



servant　of　all。〃







And　in　proportion　as　that　base　idea　conquers；　and　selfishness；　not



self…sacrifice；　is　the　ruling　spirit　of　a　State；　men　move　on；　one



step　forward；　towards　realising　that　kingdom　of　the　devil　upon



earth；　〃Every　man　for　himself　and　the　devil　take　the　hindmost。〃



Only；　alas！　in　that　evil　equality　of　envy　and　hate；　there　is　no



hindmost；　and　the　devil　takes　them　all　alike。







And　so　is　a　period　of　discontent；　revolution；　internecine　anarchy；



followed　by　a　tyranny　endured；　as　in　old　Rome；　by　men　once　free；



because　tyranny　will　at　least　do　for　them　what　they　were　too　lazy



and　greedy　and　envious　to　do　for　themselves。











And　all　because　they　have　forgot



What　'tis　to　be　a　manto　curb　and　spurn。



The　tyrant　in　us：　　　the　ignobler　self



Which　boasts；　not　loathes；　its　likeness　to　the　brute；



And　owns　no　good　save　ease；　no　ill　save　pain；



No　purpose；　save　its　share　in　that　wild　war



In　which；　through　countless　ages；　living　things



Compete　in　internecine　greed。　　Ah；　loving　God；



Are　we　as　creeping　things；　which　have　no　lord？



That　we　are　brutes；　great　God；　we　know　too　well；



Apes　daintier…featured；　silly　birds；　who　flaunt



Their　plumes；　unheeding　of　the　fowler's　step；



Spiders；　who　catch　with　paper；　not　with　webs；



Tigers；　who　slay　with　cannon　and　sharp　steel；



Instead　of　teeth　and　claws：…　all　these　we　are。



Are　we　no　more　than　these；　save　in　degree？



Mere　fools　of　nature；　puppets　of　strong　lusts；



Taking　the　sword；　to　perish　by　the　sword



Upon　the　universal　battle…field；



Even　as　the　things　upon　the　moor　outside？







The　heath　eats　up　green　grass　and　delicate　herbs；



The　pines　eat　up　the　heath；　the　grub　the　pine；



The　finch　the　grub；　the　hawk　the　silly　finch；



And　man；　the　mightiest　of　all　beasts　of　prey；



Eats　what　he　lists。　　The　strong　eat　up　the　weak；



The　many　eat　the　few；　great　nations；　small；



And　he　who　cometh　in　the　name　of　all



Shall；　greediest；　triumph　by　the　greed　of　all；



And；　armed　by　his　own　victims；　eat　up　all。



While　ever　out　of　the　eternal　heavens



Looks　patient　down　the　great　magnanimous　God；



Who；　Master　of　all　worlds；　did　sacrifice



All　to　Himself？　　Nay：　　　but　Himself　to　all；



Who　taught　mankind；　on　that　first　Christmas　Day；



What　'tis　to　be　a　manto　give；　not　take；



To　serve；　not　rule；　to　nourish；　not　devour；



To　lift；　not　crush；　if　need；　to　die；　not　live。











〃He　that　cometh　in　the　name　of　all〃the　popular　military　despot



the　〃saviour　of　his　country〃he　is　our　internecine　enemy　on　both



sides　of　the　Atlantic；　whenever　he　risesthe　inaugurator　of　that



Imperialism；　that　Caesarism　into　which　Rome　sank；　when　not　her



liberties　merely；　but　her　virtues；　were　decaying　out　of　herthe



sink　into　which　all　wicked　States；　whether　republics　or　monarchies；



are　sure　to　fall；　simply　because　men　must　eat　and　drink　for　to…



morrow　they　die。　　The　Military　and　Bureaucratic　Despotism　which



keeps　the　many　quiet；　as　in　old　Rome；　by　PANEM　ET　CIRCENSESbread



and　gamesor；　if　need　be；　Pilgrimages；　that　the　few　may　make　money；



eat；　drink；　and　be　merry；　as　long　as　it　can　last。　　That；　let　it　ape



as　it　mayas　did　the　Caesars　of　old　Rome　at　firstas　another



Emperor　did　even　in　our　own　daysthe　forms　of　dead　freedom；　really



upholds　an　artificial　luxury　by　brute　force；　and　consecrates　the



basest　of　all　aristocracies；　the　aristocracy　of　the　money…bag；　by



the　divine　sanction　of　the　bayonet。







That　at　all　risks；　even　at　the　price　of　precious　blood；　the　free



peoples　of　the　earth　must　ward　off　from　them；　for；　makeshift　and



stop…gap　as　it　is；　it　does　not　even　succeed　in　what　it　tries　to　do。



It　does　not　last。　　Have　we　not　seen　that　it　does　not；　cannot　last？



How　can　it　last？　　This　falsehood；　like　all　falsehoods；　must　collapse



at　one　touch　of　Ithuriel's　spear　of　truth　and　fact。　　And　…







〃Then　saw　I　the　end　of　these　men。　　Namely；　how　Thou　dost　set　them　in



slippery　places；　and　casteth　them　down。　　Suddenly　do　they　perish；



and　come　to　a　fearful　end。　　Yea；　like　as　a　dream　when　one　awaketh；



so　shalt　Thou　make　their　image　to　vanish　out　of　the　city。〃







Have　we　not　seen　that　too；　though；　thank　God；　neither　in　England　nor



in　the　United　States？







And　then？　　What　then？　　None　knows；　and　none　can　know。







The　future　of　France　and　Spain；　the　future　of　the　Tropical　Republics



of　Spanish　America；　is　utterly　blank　and　dark；　not　to　be　prophesied；



I　hold；　by　mortal　man；　simply　because　we　have　no　like　cases　in　the



history　of　the　past　whereby　to　judge　the　tendencies　of　the　present。



Will　they　revive？　　Under　the　genial　influences　of　free　institutions



will　t