alexandria and her schools-第1章

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！



Alexandria　and　her　Schools

by　Charles　Kingsley




PREFACE



I　should　not　have　presumed　to　choose　for　any　lectures　of　mine　such　a　subject　as　that　which　I　have　tried　to　treat　in　this　book。　　The　subject　was　chosen　by　the　Institution　where　the　lectures　were　delivered。　　Still　less　should　I　have　presumed　to　print　them　of　my　own　accord；　knowing　how　fragmentary　and　crude　they　are。　　They　were　printed　at　the　special　request　of　my　audience。　　Least　of　all；　perhaps；　ought　I　to　have　presumed　to　publish　them；　as　I　have　done；　at　Cambridge；　where　any　inaccuracy　or　sciolism　（and　that　such　defects　exist　in　these　pages；　I　cannot　but　fear）　would　be　instantly　detected；　and　severely　censured：　　but　nevertheless；　it　seemed　to　me　that　Cambridge　was　the　fittest　place　in　which　they　could　see　the　light；　because　to　Cambridge　I　mainly　owe　what　little　right　method　or　sound　thought　may　be　found　in　them；　or　indeed；　in　anything　which　I　have　ever　written。　　In　the　heyday　of　youthful　greediness　and　ambition；　when　the　mind；　dazzled　by　the　vastness　and　variety　of　the　universe；　must　needs　know　everything；　or　rather　know　about　everything；　at　once　and　on　the　spot；　too　many　are　apt；　as　I　have　been　in　past　years；　to　complain　of　Cambridge　studies　as　too　dry　and　narrow：　　but　as　time　teaches　the　student；　year　by　year；　what　is　really　required　for　an　understanding　of　the　objects　with　which　he　meets；　he　begins　to　find　that　his　University；　in　as　far　as　he　has　really　received　her　teaching　into　himself；　has　given　him；　in　her　criticism；　her　mathematics；　above　all；　in　Plato；　something　which　all　the　popular　knowledge；　the　lectures　and　institutions　of　the　day；　and　even　good　books　themselves；　cannot　give；　a　boon　more　precious　than　learning；　namely；　the　art　of　learning。　　That　instead　of　casting　into　his　lazy　lap　treasures　which　he　would　not　have　known　how　to　use；　she　has　taught　him　to　mine　for　them　himself；　and　has　by　her　wise　refusal　to　gratify　his　intellectual　greediness；　excited　his　hunger；　only　that　he　may　be　the　stronger　to　hunt　and　till　for　his　own　subsistence；　and　thus；　the　deeper　he　drinks；　in　after　years；　at　fountains　wisely　forbidden　to　him　while　he　was　a　Cambridge　student；　and　sees　his　old　companions　growing　up　into　sound…headed　and　sound…hearted　practical　men；　liberal　and　expansive；　and　yet　with　a　firm　standing…　ground　for　thought　and　action；　he　learns　to　complain　less　and　less　of　Cambridge　studies；　and　more　and　more　of　that　conceit　and　haste　of　his　own；　which　kept　him　from　reaping　the　full　advantage　of　her　training。

These　Lectures；　as　I　have　said；　are　altogether　crude　and　fragmentary　how；　indeed；　could　they　be　otherwise；　dealing　with　so　vast　a　subject；　and　so　long　a　period　of　time？　　They　are　meant　neither　as　Essays　nor　as　Orations；　but　simply　as　a　collection　of　hints　to　those　who　may　wish　to　work　out　the　subject　for　themselves；　and；　I　trust；　as　giving　some　glimpses　of　a　central　idea；　in　the　light　of　which　the　spiritual　history　of　Alexandria；　and　perhaps　of　other　countries　also；　may　be　seen　to　have　in　itself　a　coherence　and　organic　method。

I　was　of　course　compelled；　by　the　circumstances　under　which　these　Lectures　were　delivered；　to　keep　clear　of　all　points　which　are　commonly　called　〃controversial。〃　　I　cannot　but　feel　that　this　was　a　gain；　rather　than　a　loss；　because　it　forced　me；　if　I　wished　to　give　any　interpretation　at　all　of　Alexandrian　thought；　any　Theodicy　at　all　of　her　fate；　to　refer　to　laws　which　I　cannot　but　believe　to　be　deeper；　wider；　more　truly　eternal　than　the　points　which　cause　most　of　our　modern　controversies；　either　theological　or　political；　laws　which　will；　I　cannot　but　believe　also；　reassert　themselves；　and　have　to　be　reasserted　by　all　wise　teachers；　very　soon　indeed；　and　it　may　be　under　most　novel　embodiments；　but　without　any　change　in　their　eternal　spirit。

For　I　may　say；　I　hope；　now　（what　if　said　ten　years　ago　would　have　only　excited　laughter）；　that　I　cannot　but　subscribe　to　the　opinion　of　the　many　wise　men　who　believe　that　Europe；　and　England　as　an　integral　part　thereof；　is　on　the　eve　of　a　revolution；　spiritual　and　political；　as　vast　and　awful　as　that　which　took　place　at　the　Reformation；　and　that；　beneficial　as　that　revolution　will　doubtless　be　to　the　destinies　of　mankind　in　general；　it　depends　upon　the　wisdom　and　courage　of　each　nation　individually；　whether　that　great　deluge　shall　issue；　as　the　Reformation　did；　in　a　fresh　outgrowth　of　European　nobleness　and　strength　or　usher　in；　after　pitiable　confusions　and　sorrows；　a　second　Byzantine　age　of　stereotyped　effeminacy　and　imbecility。　　For　I　have　as　little　sympathy　with　those　who　prate　so　loudly　of　the　progress　of　the　species；　and　the　advent　of　I　know…not…what　Cockaigne　of　universal　peace　and　plenty；　as　I　have　with　those　who　believe　on　the　strength　of　〃unfulfilled　prophecy；〃　the　downfall　of　Christianity；　and　the　end　of　the　human　race　to　be　at　hand。　　Nevertheless；　one　may　well　believe　that　prophecy　will　be　fulfilled　in　this　great　crisis；　as　it　is　in　every　great　crisis；　although　one　be　unable　to　conceive　by　what　method　of　symbolism　the　drying　up　of　the　Euphrates　can　be　twisted　to　signify　the　fall　of　Constantinople：　　and　one　can　well　believe　that　a　day　of　judgment　is　at　hand；　in　which　for　every　nation　and　institution；　the　wheat　will　be　sifted　out　and　gathered　into　God's　garner；　for　the　use　of　future　generations；　and　the　chaff　burnt　up　with　that　fire　unquenchable　which　will　try　every　man's　work；　without　being　of　opinion　that　after　a　few　more　years　are　over；　the　great　majority　of　the　human　race　will　be　consigned　hopelessly　to　never…ending　torments。

If　prophecy　be　indeed　a　divine　message　to　man；　if　it　be　anything　but　a　cabbala；　useless　either　to　the　simple…minded　or　to　the　logical；　intended　only　for　the　plaything　of　a　few　devout　fancies；　it　must　declare　the　unchangeable　laws　by　which　the　unchangeable　God　is　governing；　and　has　always　governed；　the　human　race；　and　therefore　only　by　understanding　what　has　happened；　can　we　understand　what　will　happen；　only　by　understanding　history；　can　we　understand　prophecy；　and　that　not　merely　by　picking　outtoo　often　arbitrarily　and　unfairlya　few　names　and　dates　from　the　records　of　all　the　ages；　but　by　trying　to　discover　its　organic　laws；　and　the　causes　which　produce　in　nations；　creeds；　and　systems；　health　and　disease；　growth；　change；　decay　and　death。　　If；　in　one　small　corner　of　this　vast　field；　I　shall　have　thrown　a　single　ray　of　light　upon　these　subjectsif　I　shall　have　done　anything　in　these　pages　towards　illustrating　the　pathology　of　a　single　people；　I　shall　believe　that　I　have　done　better　service　to　the　Catholic　Faith　and　the　Scriptures；　than　if　I　did　really　〃know　the　times　and　the　seasons；　which　the　Father　has　kept　in　His　own　hand。〃　　For　by　the　former　act　I　may　have　helped　to　make　some　one　man　more　prudent　and　brave　to　see　and　to　do　what　God　requires　of　him；　by　the　latter　I　could　only　add　to　that　paralysis　of　superstitious　fear；　which　is　already　but　too　common　among　us；　and　but　too　likely　to　hinder　us　from　doing　our　duty　manfully　against　our　real　foes；　whether　it　be　pestilence　at　home　or　tyranny　abroad。

These　last　words　lead　me　to　another　subject；　on　which　I　am　bound　to　say　a　few　words。　　I　have；　at　the　end　of　these　Lectures；　made　some　allusion　to　the　present　war。　　To　have　entered　further　into　political　questions　would　have　been　improper　in　the　place　where　those　Lectures　were　delivered：　　but　I　cannot　refrain　from　saying　here　something　more　on　this　matter；　and　that；　first；　because　all　political　questions　have　their　real　root　in　moral　and　spiritual　ones；　and　not　（as　too　many　fancy）　in　questions　merely　relating　to　the　balance　of　power　or　commercial　economy；　and　are　（the　world　being　under　the　guidance　of　a　spiritual；　and　not　a　physical　Being）　finally　decided　on　those　spiritual　grounds；　and　according　to　the　just　laws　of　the　kingdom　of　God；　and；　therefore；　the　future　political　horoscope　of　the　East　depends　entirely　on　the　present　spiritual　state　of　its　inhabitants；　and　of　us　who　have　（and　rightly）　taken　up　their　cause；　in　short；　on　many　of　those　questions　on　which　I　have　touched　in　these　Lectures：　　and　next；　because　I　feel　bound；　in　justice　to　myself；　to　guard　against　any　mistake　about　my　meaning　or　supposition　that　I　consider　the　Turkish　empire　a　righteous　thi