the four horsemen of the apocalypse-第25节

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le　revolutionary　who　tends　to　socialism。　　Furthermore；　he　is　a　humanitarian　and　makes　a　virtue　of　mercy；　defending　the　existence　of　the　weak　who　do　not　amount　to　anything。

The　illustrious　German　places　above　everything　else；　Method　and　Power。　　Elected　by　Nature　to　command　the　impotent　races；　he　possesses　all　the　qualifications　that　distinguish　the　superior　leader。　　The　French　Revolution　was　merely　a　clash　between　Teutons　and　Celts。　　The　nobility　of　France　were　descended　from　Germanic　warriors　established　in　the　country　after　the　so…called　invasion　of　the　barbarians。　　The　middle　and　lower　classes　were　the　Gallic…Celtic　element。　　The　inferior　race　had　conquered　the　superior；　disorganizing　the　country　and　perturbing　the　world。　　Celtism　was　the　inventor　of　Democracy；　of　the　doctrines　of　Socialism　and　Anarchy。　Now　the　hour　of　Germanic　retaliation　was　about　to　strike；　and　the　Northern　race　would　re…establish　order；　since　God　had　favored　it　by　demonstrating　its　indisputable　superiority。

〃A　nation；〃　he　added；　〃can　aspire　to　great　destinies　only　when　it　is　fundamentally　Teutonic。　　The　less　German　it　is；　the　less　its　civilization　amounts　to。　　We　represent　'the　aristocracy　of　humanity；'　'the　salt　of　the　earth；'　as　our　William　said。〃

Argensola　was　listening　with　astonishment　to　this　outpouring　of　conceit。　　All　the　great　nations　had　passed　through　the　fever　of　Imperialism。　　The　Greeks　aspired　to　world…rule　because　they　were　the　most　civilized　and　believed　themselves　the　most　fit　to　give　civilization　to　the　rest　of　mankind。　　The　Romans；　upon　conquering　countries；　implanted　law　and　the　rule　of　justice。　　The　French　of　the　Revolution　and　the　Empire　justified　their　invasions　on　the　plea　that　they　wished　to　liberate　mankind　and　spread　abroad　new　ideas。　　Even　the　Spaniards　of　the　sixteenth　century；　when　battling　with　half　of　Europe　for　religious　unity　and　the　extermination　of　heresy；　were　working　toward　their　ideals　obscure　and　perhaps　erroneous；　but　disinterested。

All　the　nations　of　history　had　been　struggling　for　something　which　they　had　considered　generous　and　above　their　own　interests。　　Germany　alone；　according　to　this　professor；　was　trying　to　impose　itself　upon　the　world　in　the　name　of　racial　superioritya　superiority　that　nobody　had　recognized；　that　she　was　arrogating　to　herself；　coating　her　affirmations　with　a　varnish　of　false　science。

〃Until　now　wars　have　been　carried　on　by　the　soldiery；〃　continued　Hartrott。　　〃That　which　is　now　going　to　begin　will　be　waged　by　a　combination　of　soldiers　and　professors。　　In　its　preparation　the　University　has　taken　as　much　part　as　the　military　staff。　　German　science；　leader　of　all　sciences；　is　united　forever　with　what　the　Latin　revolutionists　disdainfully　term　militarism。　　Force；　mistress　of　the　world；　is　what　creates　right；　that　which　our　truly　unique　civilization　imposes。　　Our　armies　are　the　representatives　of　our　culture；　and　in　a　few　weeks　we　shall　free　the　world　from　its　decadence；　completely　rejuvenating　it。〃

The　vision　of　the　immense　future　of　his　race　was　leading　him　on　to　expose　himself　with　lyrical　enthusiasm。　　William　I；　Bismarck；　all　the　heroes　of　past　victories；　inspired　his　veneration；　but　he　spoke　of　them　as　dying　gods　whose　hour　had　passed。　　They　were　glorious　ancestors　of　modest　pretensions　who　had　confined　their　activities　to　enlarging　the　frontiers；　and　to　establishing　the　unity　of　the　Empire；　afterwards　opposing　themselves　with　the　prudence　of　valetudinarians　to　the　daring　of　the　new　generation。　　Their　ambitions　went　no　further　than　a　continental　hegemony　。　。　。　but　now　William　II　had　leaped　into　the　arena；　the　complex　hero　that　the　country　required。

〃Lamprecht；　my　master；　has　pictured　his　greatness。　　It　is　tradition　and　the　future；　method　and　audacity。　　Like　his　grandfather；　the　Emperor　holds　the　conviction　of　what　monarchy　by　the　grace　of　God　represents；　but　his　vivid　and　modern　intelligence　recognizes　and　accepts　modern　conditions。　　At　the　same　time　that　he　is　romantic；　feudal　and　a　supporter　of　the　agrarian　conservatives；　he　is　also　an　up…to…date　man　who　seeks　practical　solutions　and　shows　a　utilitarian　spirit。　　In　him　are　correctly　balanced　instinct　and　reason。〃

Germany；　guided　by　this　hero；　had；　according　to　Hartrott；　been　concentrating　its　strength；　and　recognizing　its　true　path。　　The　Universities　supported　him　even　more　unanimously　than　the　army。　　Why　store　up　so　much　power　and　maintain　it　without　employment？　。　。　。　The　empire　of　the　world　belongs　to　the　German　people。　　The　historians　and　philosophers；　disciples　of　Treitschke；　were　taking　it　upon　themselves　to　frame　the　rights　that　would　justify　this　universal　domination。　　And　Lamprecht；　the　psychological　historian；　like　the　other　professors；　was　launching　the　belief　in　the　absolute　superiority　of　the　Germanic　race。　　It　was　just　that　it　should　rule　the　world；　since　it　only　had　the　power　to　do　so。　　This　〃telurian　germanization〃　was　to　be　of　immense　benefit　to　mankind。　　The　earth　was　going　to　be　happy　under　the　dictatorship　of　a　people　born　for　mastery。　　The　German　state；　〃tentacular　potency；〃　would　eclipse　with　its　glory　the　most　imposing　empire　of　the　past　and　present。　　Gott　mit　uns！

〃Who　will　be　able　to　deny；　as　my　master　says；　that　there　exists　a　Christian；　German　God；　the　'Great　Ally；'　who　is　showing　himself　to　our　enemies；　the　foreigners；　as　a　strong　and　jealous　divinity？〃　。　。　。

Desnoyers　was　listening　to　his　cousin　with　astonishment　and　at　the　same　time　looking　at　Argensola　who；　with　a　flutter　of　his　eyes；　seemed　to　be　saying　to　him；　〃He　is　mad！　　These　Germans　are　simply　mad　with　pride。〃

Meanwhile；　the　professor；　unable　to　curb　his　enthusiasm；　continued　expounding　the　grandeur　of　his　race。　　From　his　viewpoint；　the　providential　Kaiser　had　shown　inexplicable　weakenings。　　He　was　too　good　and　too　kind。　　〃Deliciae　generis　humani；〃　as　had　said　Professor　Lasson；　another　of　Hartrott's　masters。　　Able　to　overthrow　everything　with　his　annihilating　power；　the　Emperor　was　limiting　himself　merely　to　maintaining　peace。　　But　the　nation　did　not　wish　to　stop　there；　and　was　pushing　its　leader　until　it　had　him　started。　　It　was　useless　now　to　put　on　the　brakes。　　〃He　who　does　not　advance　recedes〃；that　was　the　cry　of　PanGermanism　to　the　Emperor。　　He　must　press　on　in　order　to　conquer　the　entire　world。

〃And　now　war　comes；〃　continued　the　pedant。　　〃We　need　the　colonies　of　the　others；　even　though　Bismarck；　through　an　error　of　his　stubborn　old　age；　exacted　nothing　at　the　time　of　universal　distribution；　letting　England　and　France　get　possession　of　the　best　lands。　　We　must　control　all　countries　that　have　Germanic　blood　and　have　been　civilized　by　our　forbears。〃

Hartrott　enumerated　these　countries。　　Holland　and　Belgium　were　German。　　France；　through　the　Franks；　was　one…third　Teutonic　blood。　Italy。　。　。　。　　Here　the　professor　hesitated；　recalling　the　fact　that　this　nation　was　still　an　ally；　certainly　a　little　insecure；　but　still　united　by　diplomatic　bonds。　　He　mentioned；　nevertheless；　the　Longobards　and　other　races　coming　from　the　North。　　Spain　and　Portugal　had　been　populated　by　the　ruddy　Goth　and　also　belonged　to　the　dominant　race。　　And　since　the　majority　of　the　nations　of　America　were　of　Spanish　and　Portuguese　origin；　they　should　also　be　included　in　this　recovery。

〃It　is　a　little　premature　to　think　of　these　last　nations　just　yet；〃　added　the　Doctor　modestly；　〃but　some　day　the　hour　of　justice　will　sound。　　After　our　continental　triumph；　we　shall　have　time　to　think　of　their　fate。　。　。　。　　North　America　also　should　receive　our　civilizing　influence；　for　there　are　living　millions　of　Germans　who　have　created　its　greatness。〃

He　was　talking　of　the　future　conquests　as　though　they　were　marks　of　distinction　with　which　his　country　was　going　to　favor　other　countries。　　These　were　to　continue　living　politically　the　same　as　before　with　their　individual　governments；　but　subject　to　the　Teutons；　like　minors　requiring　the　strong　hand　of　a　master。　　They　would　form　the　Universal　United　States；　with　an　hereditary　and　all…　powerful　presidentthe　Emperor　of　Germanyreceiving　all　the　benefits　of　Germanic　culture；　working　disciplined　under　his　industrial　direction。　。　。　。　　But　the　world　is　ungrateful；　and　human　badness　always　opposes　itself　to　progress。

〃We　have　no　illusions；〃　sighed　the　professor；　with　lofty　sadness。　〃We　have　no　friends。　　All　look　upon　us　with　jealousy；　as　dangerous　beings；　because　we　are　the　most　intelligent；　the　most　active；　and　have　proved　ourselves　superior　to　all　others。　。　。　。　　But　since　they　no　longer　love　us；　let　them　fear　us！　　As　my　friend　Mann　says；　although　Kultur　is　the　spiritual　organization　of　the　world；　it　does　not　exclude　bloody　savagery　when　that　becomes　necessary。　　Kultur　sanctifies　the　demon　within　us；　and　is　above　morality；　reason　and　science。　　We　are　going　to　impose　Kultur　by　force　of　the　cannon。〃

Argensola　continued；　saying　with　his　eyes；　〃They　are　crazy；　crazy　with　pride！　。　。　。　　What　can　the　world　expect　of　such　people！〃

Desnoyers　here　intervened　in　order　to　brighten　this　gloomy　monologue　with　a　little　optimism。　　War　had　not　yet　been　positively　declared。　The　diplomats　were　still　trying　to　arrange　matters。　　Perhaps　it　might　all　turn　out　peaceably　at　the　last　minute；　as　had　so　often　happened　before。　　His　cousin　was　see