the golden bough-第20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！


n　the　particular　circumstances　is　known　to　be　determined　with　absolute　certainty。　Thus　in　so　far　as　religion　assumes　the　world　to　be　directed　by　conscious　agents　who　may　be　turned　from　their　purpose　by　persuasion；　it　stands　in　fundamental　antagonism　to　magic　as　well　as　to　science；　both　of　which　take　for　granted　that　the　course　of　nature　is　determined；　not　by　the　passions　or　caprice　of　personal　beings；　but　by　the　operation　of　immutable　laws　acting　mechanically。　In　magic；　indeed；　the　assumption　is　only　implicit；　but　in　science　it　is　explicit。　It　is　true　that　magic　often　deals　with　spirits；　which　are　personal　agents　of　the　kind　assumed　by　religion；　but　whenever　it　does　so　in　its　proper　form；　it　treats　them　exactly　in　the　same　fashion　as　it　treats　inanimate　agents；　that　is；　it　constrains　or　coerces　instead　of　conciliating　or　propitiating　them　as　religion　would　do。　Thus　it　assumes　that　all　personal　beings；　whether　human　or　divine；　are　in　the　last　resort　subject　to　those　impersonal　forces　which　control　all　things；　but　which　nevertheless　can　be　turned　to　account　by　any　one　who　knows　how　to　manipulate　them　by　the　appropriate　ceremonies　and　spells。　In　ancient　Egypt；　for　example；　the　magicians　claimed　the　power　of　compelling　even　the　highest　gods　to　do　their　bidding；　and　actually　threatened　them　with　destruction　in　case　of　disobedience。　Sometimes；　without　going　quite　so　far　as　that；　the　wizard　declared　that　he　would　scatter　the　bones　of　Osiris　or　reveal　his　sacred　legend；　if　the　god　proved　contumacious。　Similarly　in　India　at　the　present　day　the　great　Hindoo　trinity　itself　of　Brahma；　Vishnu；　and　Siva　is　subject　to　the　sorcerers；　who；　by　means　of　their　spells；　exercise　such　an　ascendency　over　the　mightiest　deities；　that　these　are　bound　submissively　to　execute　on　earth　below；　or　in　heaven　above；　whatever　commands　their　masters　the　magicians　may　please　to　issue。　There　is　a　saying　everywhere　current　in　India：　The　whole　universe　is　subject　to　the　gods；　the　gods　are　subject　to　the　spells　（mantras）；　the　spells　to　the　Brahmans；　therefore　the　Brahmans　are　our　gods。

This　radical　conflict　of　principle　between　magic　and　religion　sufficiently　explains　the　relentless　hostility　with　which　in　history　the　priest　has　often　pursued　the　magician。　The　haughty　self…sufficiency　of　the　magician；　his　arrogant　demeanour　towards　the　higher　powers；　and　his　unabashed　claim　to　exercise　a　sway　like　theirs　could　not　but　revolt　the　priest；　to　whom；　with　his　awful　sense　of　the　divine　majesty；　and　his　humble　prostration　in　presence　of　it；　such　claims　and　such　a　demeanour　must　have　appeared　an　impious　and　blasphemous　usurpation　of　prerogatives　that　belong　to　God　alone。　And　sometimes；　we　may　suspect；　lower　motives　concurred　to　whet　the　edge　of　the　priest's　hostility。　He　professed　to　be　the　proper　medium；　the　true　intercessor　between　God　and　man；　and　no　doubt　his　interests　as　well　as　his　feelings　were　often　injured　by　a　rival　practitioner；　who　preached　a　surer　and　smoother　road　to　fortune　than　the　rugged　and　slippery　path　of　divine　favour。

Yet　this　antagonism；　familiar　as　it　is　to　us；　seems　to　have　made　its　appearance　comparatively　late　in　the　history　of　religion。　At　an　earlier　stage　the　functions　of　priest　and　sorcerer　were　often　combined　or；　to　speak　perhaps　more　correctly；　were　not　yet　differentiated　from　each　other。　To　serve　his　purpose　man　wooed　the　good…will　of　gods　or　spirits　by　prayer　and　sacrifice；　while　at　the　same　time　he　had　recourse　to　ceremonies　and　forms　of　words　which　he　hoped　would　of　themselves　bring　about　the　desired　result　without　the　help　of　god　or　devil。　In　short；　he　performed　religious　and　magical　rites　simultaneously；　he　uttered　prayers　and　incantations　almost　in　the　same　breath；　knowing　or　recking　little　of　the　theoretical　inconsistency　of　his　behaviour；　so　long　as　by　hook　or　crook　he　contrived　to　get　what　he　wanted。　Instances　of　this　fusion　or　confusion　of　magic　with　religion　have　already　met　us　in　the　practices　of　Melanesians　and　of　other　peoples。

The　same　confusion　of　magic　and　religion　has　survived　among　peoples　that　have　risen　to　higher　levels　of　culture。　It　was　rife　in　ancient　India　and　ancient　Egypt；　it　is　by　no　means　extinct　among　European　peasantry　at　the　present　day。　With　regard　to　ancient　India　we　are　told　by　an　eminent　Sanscrit　scholar　that　the　sacrificial　ritual　at　the　earliest　period　of　which　we　have　detailed　information　is　pervaded　with　practices　that　breathe　the　spirit　of　the　most　primitive　magic。　Speaking　of　the　importance　of　magic　in　the　East；　and　especially　in　Egypt；　Professor　Maspero　remarks　that　we　ought　not　to　attach　to　the　word　magic　the　degrading　idea　which　it　almost　inevitably　calls　up　in　the　mind　of　a　modern。　Ancient　magic　was　the　very　foundation　of　religion。　The　faithful　who　desired　to　obtain　some　favour　from　a　god　had　no　chance　of　succeeding　except　by　laying　hands　on　the　deity；　and　this　arrest　could　only　be　effected　by　means　of　a　certain　number　of　rites；　sacrifices；　prayers；　and　chants；　which　the　god　himself　had　revealed；　and　which　obliged　him　to　do　what　was　demanded　of　him。

Among　the　ignorant　classes　of　modern　Europe　the　same　confusion　of　ideas；　the　same　mixture　of　religion　and　magic；　crops　up　in　various　forms。　Thus　we　are　told　that　in　France　the　majority　of　the　peasants　still　believe　that　the　priest　possesses　a　secret　and　irresistible　power　over　the　elements。　By　reciting　certain　prayers　which　he　alone　knows　and　has　the　right　to　utter；　yet　for　the　utterance　of　which　he　must　afterwards　demand　absolution；　he　can；　on　an　occasion　of　pressing　danger；　arrest　or　reverse　for　a　moment　the　action　of　the　eternal　laws　of　the　physical　world。　The　winds；　the　storms；　the　hail；　and　the　rain　are　at　his　command　and　obey　his　will。　The　fire　also　is　subject　to　him；　and　the　flames　of　a　conflagration　are　extinguished　at　his　word。　For　example；　French　peasants　used　to　be；　perhaps　are　still；　persuaded　that　the　priests　could　celebrate；　with　certain　special　rites；　a　Mass　of　the　Holy　Spirit；　of　which　the　efficacy　was　so　miraculous　that　it　never　met　with　any　opposition　from　the　divine　will；　God　was　forced　to　grant　whatever　was　asked　of　Him　in　this　form；　however　rash　and　importunate　might　be　the　petition。　No　idea　of　impiety　or　irreverence　attached　to　the　rite　in　the　minds　of　those　who；　in　some　of　the　great　extremities　of　life；　sought　by　this　singular　means　to　take　the　kingdom　of　heaven　by　storm。　The　secular　priests　generally　refused　to　say　the　Mass　of　the　Holy　Spirit；　but　the　monks；　especially　the　Capuchin　friars；　had　the　reputation　of　yielding　with　less　scruple　to　the　entreaties　of　the　anxious　and　distressed。　In　the　constraint　thus　supposed　by　Catholic　peasantry　to　be　laid　by　the　priest　upon　the　deity　we　seem　to　have　an　exact　counterpart　of　the　power　which　the　ancient　Egyptians　ascribed　to　their　magicians。　Again；　to　take　another　example；　in　many　villages　of　Provence　the　priest　is　still　reputed　to　possess　the　faculty　of　averting　storms。　It　is　not　every　priest　who　enjoys　this　reputation；　and　in　some　villages；　when　a　change　of　pastors　takes　place；　the　parishioners　are　eager　to　learn　whether　the　new　incumbent　has　the　power　（pouder）；　as　they　call　it。　At　the　first　sign　of　a　heavy　storm　they　put　him　to　the　proof　by　inviting　him　to　exorcise　the　threatening　clouds；　and　if　the　result　answers　to　their　hopes；　the　new　shepherd　is　assured　of　the　sympathy　and　respect　of　his　flock。　In　some　parishes；　where　the　reputation　of　the　curate　in　this　respect　stood　higher　than　that　of　his　rector；　the　relations　between　the　two　have　been　so　strained　in　consequence　that　the　bishop　has　had　to　translate　the　rector　to　another　benefice。　Again；　Gascon　peasants　believe　that　to　revenge　themselves　on　their　enemies　bad　men　will　sometimes　induce　a　priest　to　say　a　mass　called　the　Mass　of　Saint　Sécaire。　Very　few　priests　know　this　mass；　and　three…fourths　of　those　who　do　know　it　would　not　say　it　for　love　or　money。　None　but　wicked　priests　dare　to　perform　the　gruesome　ceremony；　and　you　may　be　quite　sure　that　they　will　have　a　very　heavy　account　to　render　for　it　at　the　last　day。　No　curate　or　bishop；　not　even　the　archbishop　of　Auch；　can　pardon　them；　that　right　belongs　to　the　pope　of　Rome　alone。　The　Mass　of　Saint　Sécaire　may　be　said　only　in　a　ruined　or　deserted　church；　where　owls　mope　and　hoot；　where　bats　flit　in　the　gloaming；　where　gypsies　lodge　of　nights；　and　where　toads　squat　under　the　desecrated　altar。　Thither　the　bad　priest　comes　by　night　with　his　light　o'　love；　and　at　the　first　stroke　of　eleven　he　begins　to　mumble　the　mass　backwards；　and　ends　just　as　the　clocks　are　knelling　the　midnight　hour。　His　leman　acts　as　clerk。　The　host　he　blesses　is　black　and　has　three　points；　he　consecrates　no　wine；　but　instead　he　drinks　the　water　of　a　well　into　which　the　body　of　an　unbaptized　infant　has　been　flung。　He　makes　the　sign　of　the　cross；　but　it　is　on　the　ground　and　with　his　left　foot。　And　many　other　things　he　does　which　no　good　Christian　could　look　upon　without　being　struck　blind　and　deaf　and　dumb　for　the　rest　of　his　life。　But　the　man　for　whom　the　mass　is　said　withers　away　little　by　little；　and　nobody　can　say　what　is　the　matter　with　him；　even　the　doctors　can　make　nothing　of　it。　They　do　not　know　that　he　is　slowly　dying　of　the　Mass　of　Saint　Sécaire。

Yet　though　magic　is　thus　found　to　fuse　and　amalgamate　wit