historical lectures and essays(查尔斯金斯利历史讲座)






     But whence es the royal race; the aristocracy; the priesthood? You 

inquire;   and   you   find   that   they   usually   know   not   themselves。   They   are 

usuallyI had almost dared to say; alwaysforeigners。 They have crossed 

the    neighbouring      mountains。       The     have   e     by   sea;   like  Dido    to 

Carthage; like Manco Cassae and Mama Belle to America; and they have 

sometimes forgotten when。             At least they are wiser; stronger; fairer; than 

the aborigines。       They are to themas Jacques Cartier was to the Indians 

of Canadaas gods。          They are not sure that they are not descended from 

gods。     They are the Children of the Sun; or what not。                  The children of 

light;   who   ray   out   such   light   as   they   have;   upon   the   darkness   of   their 

subjects。     They are at first; probably; civilisers; not conquerors。                For; if 

tradition is worth anythingand we have nothing else to go uponthey are 

at first few in number。        They e as settlers; or even as single sages。              It 

is; in all tradition; not the many who influence the few; but the few who 

influence the many。 

     So aristocracies; in the true sense; are formed。 

     But   the   higher   calling    is   soon  forgotten。    The   purer   light   is   soon 

darkened in pride and selfishness; luxury and lust; as in Genesis; the sons 

of   God   see   the   daughters of   men;   that they  are   fair;   and they  take   them 

wives   of   all   that   they   choose。    And   so    a  mixed   race   springs   up    and 

increases;   without   detriment   at   first   to   the   monwealth。         For;   by   a 

well…known   law   of   heredity;   the   cross   between   two   races;   probably   far 

apart; produces at first a progeny possessing the forces; and; alas! probably 

the vices of both。        And when the sons of God go in to the daughters of 

men;   there   are   giants   in   the   earth   in   those   days;   men   of   renown。 The 

Roman Empire; remember; was never stronger than when the old Patrician 

blood      had    mingled      itself   with    that    of   every    nation     round     the 

Mediterranean。 

     But it does not last。       Selfishness; luxury; ferocity; spread from above; 

as    well   as  from    below。     The    just   aristocracy    of   virtue   and   wisdom 



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bees   an   unjust   one   of   mere   power   and   privilege;   that   again;   one   of 

mere wealth   corrupting and   corrupt;   and is   destroyed;  not by  the  people 

from below; but by the monarch from above。                   The hereditary bondsmen 

may know 

       Who would be free; Himself must strike the blow。 

       But   they   dare   not;   know   not   how。   The   king   must   do   it   for   them。 

He   must   bee   the   State。      〃Better   one   tyrant;〃   as   Voltaire   said;   〃than 

many。〃      Better stand in fear of one lion far away; than of many wolves; 

each   in   the   nearest   wood。    And   so   arise   those   truly   monstrous   Eastern 

despotisms;   of   which   modern   Persia   is;   thank   God;   the   only   remaining 

specimen;   for   Turkey   and   Egypt   are   too   amenable   of   late   years   to   the 

influence of the free nations to be counted as despotisms pure and simple 

despotisms in which men; instead of worshipping a God…man; worship the 

hideous counterfeit; a Man…goda poor human being endowed by public 

opinion      with   the   powers     of  deity;   while    he   is  the  slave    of  all  the 

weaknesses of humanity。            But such; as an historic fact; has been the last 

stage of every civilisation even that of Rome; which ripened itself upon 

this earth the last in ancient times; and; I had almost said; until this very 

day;  except   among   the   men   who   speak Teutonic   tongues;   and   who  have 

preserved through all temptations; and reasserted through all dangers; the 

free ideas which have been our sacred heritage ever since Tacitus beheld 

us; with respect   and awe; among our German   forests; and saw  in us the 

future masters of the Roman Empire。 

     Yes; it is very sad; the past history of mankind。              But shall we despise 

those   who   went   before   us;   and   on   whose   accumulated   labours   we   now 

stand? 

     Shall   we   not   reverence   our   spiritual   ancestors?     Shall   we   not   show 

our reverence by copying them; at least whenever; as in those old Persians; 

we    see   in  them    manliness      and   truthfulness;    hatred    of  idolatries;   and 

devotion to the God of light and life and good?                   And shall we not feel 

pity;   instead    of  contempt;     for   their  ruder   forms    of   government;      their 

ignorances; excesses; failuresso excusable in men who; with little or no 



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previous teaching; were trying to solve for themselves for the first time the 

deepest social and political problems of humanity。 

     Yes; those old despotisms we trust are dead; and never to revive。 But 

their corpses are the corpses; not of   our enemies; but of our friends  and 

predecessors;   slain   in   the   world…old   fight   of   Ormuzd   against   Ahriman 

light against darkness; order against disorder。 Confusedly they fought; and 

sometimes   ill:       but   their   corpses   piled the   breach   and   filled the   trench 

for us; and over their corpses we step on to what should be to us an easy 

victorywhat may be to us; yet; a shameful ruin。 

     For if we be; as we are wont to boast; the salt of the earth and the light 

of the  world;  what   if   the salt should lose  its   savour?          What   if the  light 

which is in us should bee darkness?                  For myself; when I look upon 

the    responsibilities     of  the   free  nations    of   modern     times;    so  far  from 

boasting of that liberty in which I delightand to keep which I freely; too; 

could dieI rather say; in fear and trembling; God help us on whom He 

has laid so heavy a burden as to make us free; responsible; each individual 

of us; not only to ourselves; but to Him and all mankind。                     For if we fall 

we shall fall I know not whither; and I dare not think。 

     How   those   old   despotisms;   the   mighty   empires   of   old   time;   fell;   we 

know;   and   we   can   easily  explain。      Corrupt;   luxurious;   effeminate;   eaten 

out by universal selfishness   and mutual fear; they  had at last no organic 

coherence。       The     moral    anarchy     within    showed      through;    at  last  burst 

through; the painted skin of prescriptive order which held them together。 

Some braver and abler; and usually more virtuous people; often some little; 

hardy;   homely   mountain   tribe;   saw   that   the   fruit   was   ripe   for   gathering; 

and; caring naught for superior numbersand saying with German Alaric 

when   the   Romans   boasted   of   their   numbers;   〃The   thicker   the   hay   the 

easier it is mowed〃struck one brave blow at the huge inflated wind…bag 

as   Cyrus   and   his   handful   of   Persians   struck   at   the  Medes;   as Alexander 

and his handful of Greeks struck afterwards at the Persiansand behold; it 

collapsed   upon   the   spot。       And   then   the   victors   took   the   place   of   the 

conquered; and became in their turn an aristocracy; and then a despotism; 



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and   in   their   turn   rotted   down   and   perished。     And   so   the   vicious   circle 

repeated itself; age after age; from Egypt and Assyria to Mexico and Peru。 

     And   therefore;   we;   free   peoples   as   we   are;   have   need   to   watch;   and 

sternly watch; ourselves。          Equality of some kind or other is; as I said; our 

natural   and   seemingly   inevitable   goal。        But   which   equality?       For   there 

are   twoa   true   one   and   a   false;   a   noble   and   a   base;   a   healthful   and   a 

ruinous。      There is the truly divine equality; and there is the brute equality 

of sheep and oxen; and of flies and worms。                There is the equality which is 

founded   on   mutual   envy。        The   equality   which   respects   others;   and   the 

equality which asserts itself。          The equality which longs to raise all alike; 

and the equality which desires to pull down all alike。                  The equality which 

says:      Thou art as good as I; and it may be better too; in the sight of God。 

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