第 3 节
作者:莫莫言      更新:2022-08-21 16:32      字数:9322
  At all events; we shall not escape our duty by being afraid of it; we shall
  not escape our duty by inventing to ourselves some other duty; and calling
  it   〃Order。〃   Elizabeth   did   so   at   first。 She   tried   to   keep   the   peace   with
  Spain; she shrank from injuring the cause of Order (then a nobler one than
  now; because it was the cause of Loyalty; and not merely of Mammon) by
  assisting the Scotch and the Netherlanders:               but her duty was forced upon
  her; and she did it at last; cheerfully; boldly; utterly; like a hero; she put
  herself   at   the   head   of   the   battle   for   the   freedom   of   the   world;   and   she
  conquered; for God was with her; and so that seemingly most fearful of all
  England's perils; when the real meaning of it was seen; and God's will in it
  obeyed manfully; became the foundation of England's naval and colonial
  empire; and laid the foundation of all her future glories。                  So it was then;
  so it is now; so it will be for ever: he who seeks to save his life will lose it:
  he who willingly throws away his life for the cause of mankind; which is
  the cause of God; the Father of mankind; he shall save it; and be rewarded
  a   hundred…fold。  That   God   may   grant   us;   the   children   of   the   Elizabethan
  heroes; all wisdom to see our duty; and courage to do it; even to the death;
  should be our earliest prayer。           Our statesmen have done wisely and well
  in refusing; in spite of hot…headed clamours; to appeal to the sword as long
  as   there   was   any   chance   of   a   peaceful   settlement   even   of   a   single   evil。
  They   are   doing   wisely   and       well   now   in   declining    to   throw   away   the
  scabbard   as   long   as   there   is   hope   that   a   determined   front   will   awe   the
  offender into submission:           but the day may come when the scabbard must
  be thrown away; and God grant that they may have the courage to do it。
  It is reported that our rulers have said; that English diplomacy can no
  longer   recognise   〃nationalities;〃   but   only   existing   〃governments。〃            God
  grant   that   they   may   see   in   time   that   the   assertion   of   national   life;   as   a
  spiritual and indefeasible existence; was for centuries the central idea of
  English policy; the idea by faith in which she delivered first herself; and
  then the Protestant nations of the Continent; successively from the yokes
  of Rome; of Spain; of France; and that they may reassert that most English
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  of all truths again; let the apparent cost be what it may。
  It   is   true;   that   this   end   will   not   be   attained   without   what   is   called
  nowadays   〃a   destruction   of   human   life。〃        But   we   have   yet   to   learn   (at
  least if the doctrines which I have tried to illustrate in this little book have
  any   truth   in   them)   whether   shot   or   shell   has   the   power   of   taking   away
  human life; and to believe; if we believe our Bibles; that human life can
  only be destroyed by sin; and that all which is lost in battle is that animal
  life of which it is written; 〃Fear not those who can kill the body; and after
  that have no more that they can do:               but I will forewarn you whom you
  shall fear; him who; after he has killed; has power to destroy both body
  and   soul   in   hell。〃   Let   a   man   fear   him;   the   destroying   devil;   and   fear
  therefore   cowardice;   disloyalty;   selfishness;   sluggishness;   which   are   his
  works; and to be utterly afraid of which is to be truly brave。                     God grant
  that   we   of   the   clergy   may   remember   this   during   the   coming   war;   and
  instead of weakening the righteous courage and honour of our countrymen
  by instilling into them selfish and superstitious fears; and a theory of the
  future state which represents God; not as a saviour; but a tormentor; may
  boldly tell them that 〃He is not the God of the dead but of the living; for
  all   live  unto    Him;〃    and   that   he   who    renders    up   his  animal    life  as   a
  worthless thing; in the cause of duty; commits his real and human life; his
  very soul and self; into the hands of a just and merciful Father; who has
  promised   to   leave   no   good   deed   unrewarded;   and   least   of   all   that   most
  noble deed; the dying like a man for the sake not merely of this land of
  England; but of the freedom and national life of half the world。
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  LECTURE ITHE PTOLEMAIC
  ERA
  Before I begin to lecture upon the Physical and Metaphysical schools
  of Alexandria;   it   may   be   better;   perhaps;   to   define the   meaning   of   these
  two epithets。      Physical; we shall all agree; means that which belongs to
  'Greek   text:    phusis';   natura;   nature;   that   which   'Greek   text:   phuetai';
  nascitur; grows; by an organic life; and therefore decays again; which has
  a beginning; and therefore; I presume; an end。              And Metaphysical means
  that   which   we   learn   to   think   of   after   we   think   of   nature;   that   which   is
  supernatural;     in   fact;  having   neither   beginning     nor   end;  imperishable;
  immovable; and eternal; which does not become; but always is。                   These; at
  least; are the wisest definitions of these two terms for us just now; for they
  are those which were received by the whole Alexandrian school; even by
  those    commentators       who    say  that   Aristotle;   the  inventor    of  the  term
  Metaphysics;   named   his   treatise   so   only   on   account   of   its   following   in
  philosophic sequence his book on Physics。
  But;   according   to   these   definitions;   the   whole   history   of   Alexandria
  might be to us; from one point of view; a physical school; for Alexandria;
  its society and its philosophy; were born; and grew; and fed; and reached
  their vigour; and had their old age; their death; even as a plant or an animal
  has;   and   after   they   were   dead   and   dissolved;   the   atoms   of   them   formed
  food for new creations; entered into new organisations; just as the atoms of
  a dead plant or animal might do。 Was Alexandria then; from beginning to
  end; merely a natural and physical phenomenon?
  It may have been。        And yet we cannot deny that Alexandria was also
  a metaphysical phenomenon; vast and deep enough; seeing that it held for
  some   eighteen   hundred   years   a   population   of   several   hundred   thousand
  souls;   each   of   whom;   at   least   according   to   the Alexandrian   philosophy;
  stood   in   a   very   intimate   relation   to   those   metaphysic   things   which   are
  imperishable      and   immovable      and   eternal;   and   indeed;   contained     them
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  more or less; each man; woman; and child of them in themselves; having
  wills;    reasons;    consciences;     affections;    relations    to  each    other;   being
  parents; children; helpmates; bound together by laws concerning right and
  wrong; and numberless other unseen and spiritual relations。
  Surely such a body was not merely natural; any more than any other
  nation;   society;   or   scientific   school;   made   up   of   men   and   of   the   spirits;
  thoughts; affections of men。          It; like them; was surely spiritual; and could
  be   only   living   and   healthy;   in   as   far   as   it   was   in   harmony   with   certain
  spiritual;    unseen;     and   everlasting     laws    of   God;    perhaps;     as  certain
  Alexandrian philosophers would have held; in as far as it was a pattern of
  that ideal constitution and polity after which man was created; the city of
  God which is eternal in the Heavens。               If so; may we not suspect of this
  Alexandria       that  it  was   its  own    fault   if  it  became    a  merely    physical
  phenomenon; and that it stooped to become a part of nature; and took its
  place among the things which are born to die; only by breaking the law
  which God   had   appointed   for   it; so   fulfilling; in its   own   case;  St。  Paul's
  great words; that death entered into the world by sin; and that sin is the
  transgression of the law?
  Be that as it may; there must have been metaphysic enough to be learnt
  in that; or any city of three hundred thousand inhabitants; even though it
  had   never   contained   lecture…room   or   philosoph