heroes and hero worship-第14节

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　language；　That　he　would！　　The　assembly；　among　whom　was　Abu　Thaleb；　Ali's　Father；　could　not　be　unfriendly　to　Mahomet；　yet　the　sight　there；　of　one　unlettered　elderly　man；　with　a　lad　of　sixteen；　deciding　on　such　an　enterprise　against　all　mankind；　appeared　ridiculous　to　them；　the　assembly　broke　up　in　laughter。　　Nevertheless　it　proved　not　a　laughable　thing；　it　was　a　very　serious　thing！　　As　for　this　young　Ali；　one　cannot　but　like　him。　　A　noble…minded　creature；　as　he　shows　himself；　now　and　always　afterwards；　full　of　affection；　of　fiery　daring。　　Something　chivalrous　in　him；　brave　as　a　lion；　yet　with　a　grace；　a　truth　and　affection　worthy　of　Christian　knighthood。　　He　died　by　assassination　in　the　Mosque　at　Bagdad；　a　death　occasioned　by　his　own　generous　fairness；　confidence　in　the　fairness　of　others：　　he　said；　If　the　wound　proved　not　unto　death；　they　must　pardon　the　Assassin；　but　if　it　did；　then　they　must　slay　him　straightway；　that　so　they　two　in　the　same　hour　might　appear　before　God；　and　see　which　side　of　that　quarrel　was　the　just　one！

Mahomet　naturally　gave　offence　to　the　Koreish；　Keepers　of　the　Caabah；　superintendents　of　the　Idols。　　One　or　two　men　of　influence　had　joined　him：　the　thing　spread　slowly；　but　it　was　spreading。　　Naturally　he　gave　offence　to　everybody：　　Who　is　this　that　pretends　to　be　wiser　than　we　all；　that　rebukes　us　all；　as　mere　fools　and　worshippers　of　wood！　　Abu　Thaleb　the　good　Uncle　spoke　with　him：　　Could　he　not　be　silent　about　all　that；　believe　it　all　for　himself；　and　not　trouble　others；　anger　the　chief　men；　endanger　himself　and　them　all；　talking　of　it？　　Mahomet　answered：　　If　the　Sun　stood　on　his　right　hand　and　the　Moon　on　his　left；　ordering　him　to　hold　his　peace；　he　could　not　obey！　　No：　　there　was　something　in　this　Truth　he　had　got　which　was　of　Nature　herself；　equal　in　rank　to　Sun；　or　Moon；　or　whatsoever　thing　Nature　had　made。　　It　would　speak　itself　there；　so　long　as　the　Almighty　allowed　it；　in　spite　of　Sun　and　Moon；　and　all　Koreish　and　all　men　and　things。　　It　must　do　that；　and　could　do　no　other。　　Mahomet　answered　so；　and；　they　say；　〃burst　into　tears。〃　　Burst　into　tears：　　he　felt　that　Abu　Thaleb　was　good　to　him；　that　the　task　he　had　got　was　no　soft；　but　a　stern　and　great　one。

He　went　on　speaking　to　who　would　listen　to　him；　publishing　his　Doctrine　among　the　pilgrims　as　they　came　to　Mecca；　gaining　adherents　in　this　place　and　that。　　Continual　contradiction；　hatred；　open　or　secret　danger　attended　him。　　His　powerful　relations　protected　Mahomet　himself；　but　by　and　by；　on　his　own　advice；　all　his　adherents　had　to　quit　Mecca；　and　seek　refuge　in　Abyssinia　over　the　sea。　　The　Koreish　grew　ever　angrier；　laid　plots；　and　swore　oaths　among　them；　to　put　Mahomet　to　death　with　their　own　hands。　　Abu　Thaleb　was　dead；　the　good　Kadijah　was　dead。　　Mahomet　is　not　solicitous　of　sympathy　from　us；　but　his　outlook　at　this　time　was　one　of　the　dismalest。　He　had　to　hide　in　caverns；　escape　in　disguise；　fly　hither　and　thither；　homeless；　in　continual　peril　of　his　life。　　More　than　once　it　seemed　all　over　with　him；　more　than　once　it　turned　on　a　straw；　some　rider's　horse　taking　fright　or　the　like；　whether　Mahomet　and　his　Doctrine　had　not　ended　there；　and　not　been　heard　of　at　all。　　But　it　was　not　to　end　so。

In　the　thirteenth　year　of　his　mission；　finding　his　enemies　all　banded　against　him；　forty　sworn　men；　one　out　of　every　tribe；　waiting　to　take　his　life；　and　no　continuance　possible　at　Mecca　for　him　any　longer；　Mahomet　fled　to　the　place　then　called　Yathreb；　where　he　had　gained　some　adherents；　the　place　they　now　call　Medina；　or　〃_Medinat　al　Nabi_；　the　City　of　the　Prophet；〃　from　that　circumstance。　　It　lay　some　two　hundred　miles　off；　through　rocks　and　deserts；　not　without　great　difficulty；　in　such　mood　as　we　may　fancy；　he　escaped　thither；　and　found　welcome。　　The　whole　East　dates　its　era　from　this　Flight；　_hegira_　as　they　name　it：　　the　Year　1　of　this　Hegira　is　622　of　our　Era；　the　fifty…third　of　Mahomet's　life。　　He　was　now　becoming　an　old　man；　his　friends　sinking　round　him　one　by　one；　his　path　desolate；　encompassed　with　danger：　　unless　he　could　find　hope　in　his　own　heart；　the　outward　face　of　things　was　but　hopeless　for　him。　　It　is　so　with　all　men　in　the　like　case。　　Hitherto　Mahomet　had　professed　to　publish　his　Religion　by　the　way　of　preaching　and　persuasion　alone。　　But　now；　driven　foully　out　of　his　native　country；　since　unjust　men　had　not　only　given　no　ear　to　his　earnest　Heaven's…message；　the　deep　cry　of　his　heart；　but　would　not　even　let　him　live　if　he　kept　speaking　it；the　wild　Son　of　the　Desert　resolved　to　defend　himself；　like　a　man　and　Arab。　　If　the　Koreish　will　have　it　so；　they　shall　have　it。　　Tidings；　felt　to　be　of　infinite　moment　to　them　and　all　men；　they　would　not　listen　to　these；　would　trample　them　down　by　sheer　violence；　steel　and　murder：　　well；　let　steel　try　it　then！　　Ten　years　more　this　Mahomet　had；　all　of　fighting　of　breathless　impetuous　toil　and　struggle；　with　what　result　we　know。

Much　has　been　said　of　Mahomet's　propagating　his　Religion　by　the　sword。　　It　is　no　doubt　far　nobler　what　we　have　to　boast　of　the　Christian　Religion；　that　it　propagated　itself　peaceably　in　the　way　of　preaching　and　conviction。　Yet　withal；　if　we　take　this　for　an　argument　of　the　truth　or　falsehood　of　a　religion；　there　is　a　radical　mistake　in　it。　　The　sword　indeed：　　but　where　will　you　get　your　sword！　　Every　new　opinion；　at　its　starting；　is　precisely　in　a　_minority　of　one_。　　In　one　man's　head　alone；　there　it　dwells　as　yet。　One　man　alone　of　the　whole　world　believes　it；　there　is　one　man　against　all　men。　　That　_he_　take　a　sword；　and　try　to　propagate　with　that；　will　do　little　for　him。　　You　must　first　get　your　sword！　　On　the　whole；　a　thing　will　propagate　itself　as　it　can。　　We　do　not　find；　of　the　Christian　Religion　either；　that　it　always　disdained　the　sword；　when　once　it　had　got　one。　Charlemagne's　conversion　of　the　Saxons　was　not　by　preaching。　　I　care　little　about　the　sword：　　I　will　allow　a　thing　to　struggle　for　itself　in　this　world；　with　any　sword　or　tongue　or　implement　it　has；　or　can　lay　hold　of。　We　will　let　it　preach；　and　pamphleteer；　and　fight；　and　to　the　uttermost　bestir　itself；　and　do；　beak　and　claws；　whatsoever　is　in　it；　very　sure　that　it　will；　in　the　long…run；　conquer　nothing　which　does　not　deserve　to　be　conquered。　　What　is　better　than　itself；　it　cannot　put　away；　but　only　what　is　worse。　　In　this　great　Duel；　Nature　herself　is　umpire；　and　can　do　no　wrong：　　the　thing　which　is　deepest…rooted　in　Nature；　what　we　call　_truest_；　that　thing　and　not　the　other　will　be　found　growing　at　last。

Here　however；　in　reference　to　much　that　there　is　in　Mahomet　and　his　success；　we　are　to　remember　what　an　umpire　Nature　is；　what　a　greatness；　composure　of　depth　and　tolerance　there　is　in　her。　　You　take　wheat　to　cast　into　the　Earth's　bosom；　your　wheat　may　be　mixed　with　chaff；　chopped　straw；　barn…sweepings；　dust　and　all　imaginable　rubbish；　no　matter：　　you　cast　it　into　the　kind　just　Earth；　she　grows　the　wheat；the　whole　rubbish　she　silently　absorbs；　shrouds　_it_　in；　says　nothing　of　the　rubbish。　　The　yellow　wheat　is　growing　there；　the　good　Earth　is　silent　about　all　the　rest；has　silently　turned　all　the　rest　to　some　benefit　too；　and　makes　no　complaint　about　it！　　So　everywhere　in　Nature！　　She　is　true　and　not　a　lie；　and　yet　so　great；　and　just；　and　motherly　in　her　truth。　　She　requires　of　a　thing　only　that　it　_be_　genuine　of　heart；　she　will　protect　it　if　so；　will　not；　if　not　so。　　There　is　a　soul　of　truth　in　all　the　things　she　ever　gave　harbor　to。　Alas；　is　not　this　the　history　of　all　highest　Truth　that　comes　or　ever　came　into　the　world？　　The　_body_　of　them　all　is　imperfection；　an　element　of　light　in　darkness：　　to　us　they　have　to　come　embodied　in　mere　Logic；　in　some　merely　_scientific_　Theorem　of　the　Universe；　which　_cannot_　be　complete；　which　cannot　but　be　found；　one　day；　incomplete；　erroneous；　and　so　die　and　disappear。　　The　body　of　all　Truth　dies；　and　yet　in　all；　I　say；　there　is　a　soul　which　never　dies；　which　in　new　and　ever…nobler　embodiment　lives　immortal　as　man　himself！　　It　is　the　way　with　Nature。　　The　genuine　essence　of　Truth　never　dies。　　That　it　be　genuine；　a　voice　from　the　great　Deep　of　Nature；　there　is　the　point　at　Nature's　judgment…seat。　　What　_we_　call　pure　or　impure；　is　not　with　her　the　final　question。　　Not　how　much　chaff　is　in　you；　but　whether　you　have　any　wheat。　　Pure？　　I　might　say　to　many　a　man：　Yes；　you　are　pure；　pure　enough；　but　you　are　chaff；insincere　hypothesis；　hearsay；　formality；　you　never　were　in　contact　with　the　great　heart　of　the　Universe　at　all；　you　are　properly　neither　pure　nor　impure；　you　_are_　nothing；　Nature　has　no　business　with　you。

Mahomet's　Creed　we　called　a　kind　of　Christianity；　and　really；　if　we　look　at　the　wild　rapt　earnestness　with　which　it　was　believed　and　laid　to　heart；　I　should　say　a　better　kind　than　that　of　those　miserable　Syrian　Sects；　with　their　vain　janglings　about　_Homoiousion_　and　_Homoousion_；　the　head　full　of　worthless　noise；　the　heart　empty　and　dead！　　The　truth　of　it　is　embedded　in　portentous　error　and　falsehood；　but　the　truth　of　it　makes　it　be　believed；　not　the　falsehood：　　it　succeeded　by　its　truth。　　A　bastard　kind　of　Christianity；　but　a　living　kind；　with　a　heart…life　in　it；　not　dead；　chopping　barren　logic　merely！　　Out　of　all　that　rubbish　of　Arab　idolatries；　argum