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lavengro-第49部分
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undignified in it; unheroic; un…Germanic。 But if you must commit
suicide … and there is no knowing to what people may be brought …
always contrive to do it as decorously as possible; the decencies;
whether of life or of death; should never be lost sight of。 I
remember a female Quaker who committed suicide by cutting her
throat; but she did it decorously and decently: kneeling down over
a pail; so that not one drop fell upon the floor; thus exhibiting
in her last act that nice sense of neatness for which Quakers are
distinguished。 I have always had a respect for that woman's
memory。'
And here; filling his pipe from the canister; and lighting it at
the taper; he recommenced smoking calmly and sedately。
'But is not suicide forbidden in the Bible?' the youth demanded。
'Why; no; but what though it were! … the Bible is a respectable
book; but I should hardly call it one whose philosophy is of the
soundest。 I have said that it is a respectable book; I mean
respectable from its antiquity; and from containing; as Herder
says; 〃the earliest records of the human race;〃 though those
records are far from being dispassionately written; on which
account they are of less value than they otherwise might have been。
There is too much passion in the Bible; too much violence; now; to
come to all truth; especially historic truth; requires cool
dispassionate investigation; for which the Jews do not appear to
have ever been famous。 We are ourselves not famous for it; for we
are a passionate people; the Germans are not … they are not a
passionate people … a people celebrated for their oaths; we are。
The Germans have many excellent historic writers; we 。 。 。 'tis
true we have Gibbon 。 。 。 You have been reading Gibbon … what do
you think of him?'
'I think him a very wonderful writer。'
'He is a wonderful writer … one SUI GENERIS … uniting the
perspicuity of the English … for we are perspicuous … with the cool
dispassionate reasoning of the Germans。 Gibbon sought after the
truth; found it; and made it clear。'
'Then you think Gibbon a truthful writer?'
'Why; yes; who shall convict Gibbon of falsehood? Many people have
endeavoured to convict Gibbon of falsehood; they have followed him
in his researches; and have never found him once tripping。 Oh; he
is a wonderful writer! his power of condensation is admirable; the
lore of the whole world is to be found in his pages。 Sometimes in
a single note he has given us the result of the study of years; or;
to speak metaphorically; 〃he has ransacked a thousand Gulistans;
and has condensed all his fragrant booty into a single drop of
otto。〃'
'But was not Gibbon an enemy to the Christian faith?'
'Why; no; he was rather an enemy to priestcraft; so am I; and when
I say the philosophy of the Bible is in many respects unsound; I
always wish to make an exception in favour of that part of it which
contains the life and sayings of Jesus of Bethlehem; to which I
must always concede my unqualified admiration … of Jesus; mind you;
for with his followers and their dogmas I have nothing to do。 Of
all historic characters Jesus is the most beautiful and the most
heroic。 I have always been a friend to hero…worship; it is the
only rational one; and has always been in use amongst civilised
people … the worship of spirits is synonymous with barbarism … it
is mere fetish; the savages of West Africa are all spirit…
worshippers。 But there is something philosophic in the worship of
the heroes of the human race; and the true hero is the benefactor。
Brahma; Jupiter; Bacchus; were all benefactors; and; therefore;
entitled to the worship of their respective peoples。 The Celts
worshipped Hesus; who taught them to plough; a highly useful art。
We; who have attained a much higher state of civilisation than the
Celts ever did; worship Jesus; the first who endeavoured to teach
men to behave decently and decorously under all circumstances; who
was the foe of vengeance; in which there is something highly
indecorous; who had first the courage to lift his voice against
that violent dogma; 〃an eye for an eye〃; who shouted conquer; but
conquer with kindness; who said put up the sword; a violent
unphilosophic weapon; and who finally died calmly and decorously in
defence of his philosophy。 He must be a savage who denies worship
to the hero of Golgotha。'
'But he was something more than a hero; he was the Son of God;
wasn't he?'
The elderly individual made no immediate answer; but; after a few
more whiffs from his pipe; exclaimed; 'Come; fill your glass! How
do you advance with your translation of TELL'?
'It is nearly finished; but I do not think I shall proceed with it;
I begin to think the original somewhat dull。'
'There you are wrong; it is the masterpiece of Schiller; the first
of German poets。'
'It may be so;' said the youth。 'But; pray excuse me; I do not
think very highly of German poetry。 I have lately been reading
Shakespeare; and; when I turn from him to the Germans … even the
best of them … they appear mere pigmies。 You will pardon the
liberty I perhaps take in saying so。'
'I like that every one should have an opinion of his own;' said the
elderly individual; 'and; what is more; declare it。 Nothing
displeases me more than to see people assenting to everything that
they hear said; I at once come to the conclusion that they are
either hypocrites; or there is nothing in them。 But; with respect
to Shakespeare; whom I have not read for thirty years; is he not
rather given to bombast; 〃crackling bombast;〃 as I think I have
said in one of my essays?'
'I daresay he is;' said the youth; 'but I can't help thinking him
the greatest of all poets; not even excepting Homer。 I would
sooner have written that series of plays; founded on the fortunes
of the House of Lancaster; than the ILIAD itself。 The events
described are as lofty as those sung by Homer in his great work;
and the characters brought upon the stage still more interesting。
I think Hotspur as much of a hero as Hector; and young Henry more
of a man than Achilles; and then there is the fat knight; the
quintessence of fun; wit; and rascality。 Falstaff is a creation
beyond the genius even of Homer。'
'You almost tempt me to read Shakespeare again … but the Germans?'
'I don't admire the Germans;' said the youth; somewhat excited。 'I
don't admire them in any point of view。 I have heard my father say
that; though good sharpshooters; they can't be much depended upon
as soldiers; and that old Sergeant Meredith told him that Minden
would never have been won but for the two English regiments; who
charged the French with fixed bayonets; and sent them to the right…
about in double…quick time。 With respect to poetry; setting
Shakespeare and the English altogether aside; I think there is
another G
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