alexandria and her schools-第27章

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f　St。　Louis；　which　all　may　read　so　graphically　described　in　the　pages　of　Joinville。

The　Crusaders　failed　utterly　of　the　object　at　which　they　aimed。　　They　succeeded　in　an　object　of　which　they　never　dreamed；　for　in　those　Crusades　the　Moslem　and　the　Christian　had　met　face　to　face；　and　found　that　both　were　men；　that　they　had　a　common　humanity；　a　common　eternal　standard　of　nobleness　and　virtue。　　So　the　Christian　knights　went　home　humbler　and　wiser　men；　when　they　found　in　the　Saracen　emirs　the　same　generosity；　truth；　mercy；　chivalrous　self…sacrifice；　which　they　had　fancied　their　own　peculiar　possession；　and　added　to　that；　a　civilisation　and　a　learning　which　they　could　only　admire　and　imitate。　　And　thus；　from　the　era　of　the　Crusades；　a　kindlier　feeling　sprang　up　between　the　Crescent　and　the　Cross；　till　it　was　again　broken　by　the　fearful　invasions　of　the　Turks　throughout　Eastern　Europe。　　The　learning　of　the　Moslem；　as　well　as　their　commerce；　began　to　pour　rapidly　into　Christendom；　both　from　Spain；　Egypt；　and　Syria；　and　thus　the　Crusaders　were；　indeed；　rewarded　according　to　their　deeds。　　They　had　fancied　that　they　were　bound　to　vindicate　the　possession　of　the　earth　for　Him　to　whom　they　believed　the　earth　belonged。　　He　showed　themor　rather　He　has　shown　us；　their　childrenthat　He　can　vindicate　His　own　dominion　better　far　than　man　can　do　it　for　Him；　and　their　cruel　and　unjust　aim　was　utterly　foiled。　　That　was　not　the　way　to　make　men　know　or　obey　Him。　They　took　the　sword；　and　perished　by　the　sword。　　But　the　truly　noble　element　in　themthe　element　which　our　hearts　and　reasons　recognise　and　love；　in　spite　of　all　the　loud　words　about　the　folly　and　fanaticism　of　the　Crusades；　whensoever　we　read　〃The　Talisman〃　or　〃Ivanhoe〃the　element　of　loyal　faith　and　self…sacrificedid　not　go　unrequited。　　They　learnt　wider；　juster　views　of　man　and　virtue；　which　I　cannot　help　believing　must　have　had　great　effect　in　weakening　in　their　minds　their　old；　exclusive；　and　bigoted　notions；　and　in　paving　the　way　for　the　great　outburst　of　free　thought；　and　the　great　assertion　of　the　dignity　of　humanity；　which　the　fifteenth　century　beheld。　　They　opened　a　path　for　that　influx　of　scientific　knowledge　which　has　produced；　in　after　centuries；　the　most　enormous　effects　on　the　welfare　of　Europe；　and　made　life　possible　for　millions　who　would　otherwise　have　been　pent　within　the　narrow　bounds　of　Europe；　to　devour　each　other　in　the　struggle　for　room　and　bread。

But　those　Arabic　translations　of　Greek　authors　were　a　fatal　gift　for　Egypt；　and　scarcely　less　fatal　gift　for　Bagdad。　　In　that　Almagest　of　Ptolemy；　in　that　Organon　of　Aristotle；　which　the　Crusaders　are　said　to　have　brought　home；　lay；　rude　and　embryotic；　the　germs　of　that　physical　science；　that　geographical　knowledge　which　has　opened　to　the　European　the　commerce　and　the　colonisation　of　the　globe。　　Within　three　hundred　years　after　his　works　reached　Europe；　Ptolemy　had　taught　the　Portuguese　to　sail　round　Africa；　and　from　that　day　the　stream　of　eastern　wealth　flowed　no　longer　through　the　Red　Sea；　or　the　Persian　Gulf；　on　its　way　to　the　new　countries　of　the　West；　and　not　only　Alexandria；　but　Damietta　and　Bagdad；　dwindled　down　to　their　present　insignificance。　　And　yet　the　whirligig　of　time　brings　about　its　revenges。　　The　stream　of　commerce　is　now　rapidly　turning　back　to　its　old　channel；　and　British　science　bids　fair　to　make　Alexandria　once　more　the　inn　of　all　the　nations。

It　is　with　a　feeling　of　awe　that　one　looks　upon　the　huge　possibilities　of　her　future。　　Her　own　physical　capacities；　as　the　great　mind　of　Napoleon　saw；　are　what　they　always　have　been；　inexhaustible；　and　science　has　learnt　to　set　at　naught　the　only　defect　of　situation　which　has　ever　injured　her　prosperity；　namely；　the　short　land　passage　from　the　Nile　to　the　Red　Sea。　　The　fate　of　Palestine　is　now　more　than　ever　bound　up　with　her　fate；　and　a　British　or　French　colony　might；　holding　the　two　countries；　develop　itself　into　a　nation　as　vast　as　sprang　from　Alexander's　handful　of　Macedonians；　and　become　the　meeting　point　for　the　nations　of　the　West　and　those　great　Anglo…Saxon　peoples　who　seem　destined　to　spring　up　in　the　Australian　ocean。　　Wide　as　the　dream　may　appear；　steam　has　made　it　a　far　narrower　one　than　the　old　actual　fact；　that　for　centuries　the　Phoenician　and　the　Arabian　interchanged　at　Alexandria　the　produce　of　Britain　for　that　of　Ceylon　and　Hindostan。　　And　as　for　intellectual　development；　though　Alexandria　wants；　as　she　has　always　wanted；　that　insular　and　exclusive　position　which　seems　almost　necessary　to　develop　original　thought　and　original　national　life；　yet　she　may　still　act　as　the　point　of　fusion　for　distinct　schools　and　polities；　and　the　young　and　buoyant　vigour　of　the　new…born　nations　may　at　once　teach；　and　learn　from；　the　prudence；　the　experience；　the　traditional　wisdom　of　the　ancient　Europeans。

This　vision；　however　possible；　may　be　a　far…off　one：　　but　the　first　step　towards　it；　at　least；　is　being　laid　before　our　eyesand　that　is；　a　fresh　reconciliation　between　the　Crescent　and　the　Cross。　　Apart　from　all　political　considerations；　which　would　be　out　of　place　here；　I　hail；　as　a　student　of　philosophy；　the　school　which　is　now；　both　in　Alexandria　and　in　Constantinople；　teaching　to　Moslem　and　to　Christians　the　same　lesson　which　the　Crusaders　learnt　in　Egypt　five　hundred　years　ago。　　A　few　years'　more　perseverance　in　the　valiant　and　righteous　course　which　Britain　has　now　chosen；　will　reward　itself　by　opening　a　vast　field　for　capital　and　enterprise；　for　the　introduction　of　civil　and　religious　liberty　among　the　down…trodden　peasantry　of　Egypt；　as　the　Giaour　becomes　an　object　of　respect；　and　trust；　and　gratitude　to　the　Moslem；　and　as　the　feeling　that　Moslem　and　Giaour　own　a　common　humanity；　a　common　eternal　standard　of　justice　and　mercy；　a　common　sacred　obligation　to　perform　our　promises；　and　to　succour　the　oppressed；　shall　have　taken　place　of　the　old　brute　wonder　at　our　careless　audacity；　and　awkward　assertion　of　power；　which　now　expresses　itself　in　the　somewhat　left…handed　Alexandrian　compliment〃There　is　one　Satan；　and　there　are　many　Satans：　but　there　is　no　Satan　like　a　Frank　in　a　round　hat。〃


It　would　be　both　uncourteous　and　unfair　of　me　to　close　these　my　hasty　Lectures；　without　expressing　my　hearty　thanks　for　the　great　courtesy　and　kindness　which　I　have　received　in　this　my　first　visit　to　your　most　noble　and　beautiful　city；　and　often；　I　am　proud　to　say；　from　those　who　differ　from　me　deeply　on　many　important　points；　and　also　for　the　attention　with　which　I　have　been　listened　to　while　trying；　clumsily　enough；　to　explain　dry　and　repulsive　subjects；　and　to　express　opinions　which　may　be　new；　and　perhaps　startling；　to　many　of　my　hearers。　　If　my　imperfect　hints　shall　have　stirred　up　but　one　hearer　to　investigate　this　obscure　and　yet　most　important　subject；　and　to　examine　for　himself　the　original　documents；　I　shall　feel　that　my　words　in　this　place　have　not　been　spoken　in　vain；　for　even　if　such　a　seeker　should　arrive　at　conclusions　different　from　my　own　（and　I　pretend　to　no　infallibility）；　he　will　at　least　have　learnt　new　facts；　the　parents　of　new　thought；　perhaps　of　new　action；　he　will　have　come　face　to　face　with　new　human　beings；　in　whom　he　will　have　been　compelled　to　take　a　human　interest；　and　will　surely　rise　from　his　researches；　let　them　lead　him　where　they　will；　at　least　somewhat　of　a　wider…minded　and　a　wider…hearted　man。



Footnotes：

｛1｝　　These　Lectures　were　delivered　at　the　Philosophical　Institution；　Edinburgh；　in　February；　1854；　at　the　commencement　of　the　Crimean　War。

｛2｝　　Smith's　〃Classical　Dictionary。〃





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