Essays and Lectures Part 12

'Once, indeed,' answered the Hermit, 'I possessed the perfect knowledge of G.o.d. But in my foolishness I parted with it, and divided it amongst others. Yet even now is such knowledge as remains to me more precious than purple or pearls.'

And when the young Robber heard this he threw away the purple and the pearls that he was bearing in his hands, and drawing a sharp sword of curved steel he said to the Hermit, 'Give me, forthwith this knowledge of G.o.d that you possess, or I will surely slay you. Wherefore should I not slay him who has a treasure greater than my treasure?'

And the Hermit spread out his arms and said, 'Were it not better for me to go unto the uttermost courts of G.o.d and praise Him, than to live in the world and have no knowledge of Him? Slay me if that be your desire.

But I will not give away my knowledge of G.o.d.'

And the young Robber knelt down and besought him, but the Hermit would not talk to him about G.o.d, nor give him his Treasure, and the young Robber rose up and said to the Hermit, 'Be it as you will. As for myself, I will go to the City of the Seven Sins, that is but three days'

journey from this place, and for my purple they will give me pleasure, and for my pearls they will sell me joy.' And he took up the purple and the pearls and went swiftly away.

And the Hermit cried out and followed him and besought him. For the s.p.a.ce of three days he followed the young Robber on the road and entreated him to return, nor to enter into the City of the Seven Sins.

And ever and anon the young Robber looked back at the Hermit and called to him, and said, 'Will you give me this knowledge of G.o.d which is more precious than purple and pearls? If you will give me that, I will not enter the city.'

And ever did the Hermit answer, 'All things that I have I will give thee, save that one thing only. For that thing it is not lawful for me to give away.'

And in the twilight of the third day they came nigh to the great scarlet gates of the City of the Seven Sins. And from the city there came the sound of much laughter.

And the young Robber laughed in answer, and sought to knock at the gate.

And as he did so the Hermit ran forward and caught him by the skirts of his raiment, and said to him: 'Stretch forth your hands, and set your arms around my neck, and put your ear close to my lips, and I will give you what remains to me of the knowledge of G.o.d.' And the young Robber stopped.

And when the Hermit had given away his knowledge of G.o.d, he fell upon the ground and wept, and a great darkness hid from him the city and the young Robber, so that he saw them no more.

And as he lay there weeping he was ware of One who was standing beside him; and He who was standing beside him had feet of bra.s.s and hair like fine wool. And He raised the Hermit up, and said to him: 'Before this time thou hadst the perfect knowledge of G.o.d. Now thou shalt have the perfect love of G.o.d. Wherefore art thou weeping?' And he kissed him.

FOOTNOTES

{29} Plato's _Laws_; aeschylus' _Prometheus Bound_.

{31} Somewhat in the same spirit Plato, in his _Laws_, appeals to the local position of Ilion among the rivers of the plain, as a proof that it was not built till long after the Deluge.

{32} Plutarch remarks that the _only_ evidence Greece possesses of the truth that the legendary power of Athens is no 'romance or idle story,'

is the public and sacred buildings. This is an instance of the exaggerated importance given to ruins against which Thucydides is warning us.

{37} The fict.i.tious sale in the Roman marriage _per coemptionem_ was originally, of course, a real sale.

{43} Notably, of course, in the case of heat and its laws.

{57} Cousin errs a good deal in this respect. To say, as he did, 'Give me the lat.i.tude and the longitude of a country, its rivers and its mountains, and I will deduce the race,' is surely a glaring exaggeration.

{59} The monarchical, aristocratical, and democratic elements of the Roman const.i.tution are referred to.

{63a} Polybius, vi. 9. _a?t? p???te??? ??a?????s??_, _a?t? f?se??

???????a_.

{63b} _????? ????? ? f????? p????e??? t?? ?p?fas??_.

{63c} The various stages are _s?stas??_, _a???s??_, _???_, _eta???

??? t??pa???_.

{68} Polybius, xii. 24.

{69a} Polybius, i. 4, viii. 4, specially; and really _pa.s.sim_.

{69b} He makes one exception.

{69c} Polybius, viii. 4.

{71} Polybius, xvi. 12.

{72a} Polybius, viii. 4: _t? pa?ad???t?? ?a?' ??? ????? ? t???

s??et??ese_; _t??t? d' ?st? t? p??ta t? ???????e?a ??? t?? ?????????

?p? ?a? ????? ?a? d??aste?a? ??a?e??_, _? p??te??? ??? e???s?eta?

?e?????_.

{72b} Polybius resembled Gibbon in many respects. Like him he held that all religions were to the philosopher equally false, to the vulgar equally true, to the statesman equally useful.

{76} Cf. Polybius, xii. 25, _?pe? ????? ?e??e??? a?t? ?e????? ???a???e?

??_, _?fe?e? d' ??d??_? _p??ste?e?s?? d? t?? a?t?a? ???a?p?? ? t??

?st???a? ????eta? ???s??_.

{78} Polybius, xxii. 8.

{81} I mean particularly as regards his sweeping denunciation of the complete moral decadence of Greek society during the Peloponnesain War, which, from what remains to us of Athenian literature, we know must have been completely exaggerated. Or, rather, he is looking at men merely in their political dealings: and in politics the man who is personally honourable and refined will not scruple to do anything for his party.

{86} Polybius, xii. 25.

{124} As an instance of the inaccuracy of published reports of this lecture, it may be mentioned that all unauthorised versions give this pa.s.sage as _The artist may trace the depressed revolution of Bunthorne simply to the lack of technical means_!

{206} _The Two Paths_, Lect. iii. p. 123 (1859 ed.).