essays and lectures-第38章
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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
God。' And the young Robber stopped。
And when the Hermit had given away his knowledge of God; 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 brass
and hair like fine wool。 And He raised the Hermit up; and said to
him: 'Before this time thou hadst the perfect knowledge of God。
Now thou shalt have the perfect love of God。 Wherefore art thou
weeping?' And he kissed him。
Footnotes:
(1) Plato's LAWS; AEschylus' PROMETHEUS BOUND。
(2) 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。
(3) 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。
(4) The fictitious sale in the Roman marriage PER COEMPTIONEM was
originally; of course; a real sale。
(5) Notably; of course; in the case of heat and its laws。
(6) Cousin errs a good deal in this respect。 To say; as he did;
'Give me the latitude and the longitude of a country; its rivers
and its mountains; and I will deduce the race;' is surely a glaring
exaggeration。
(7) The monarchical; aristocratical; and democratic elements of the
Roman constitution are referred to。
(8) Polybius; vi。 9。 'Greek text which cannot be reproduced'
(9) 'Greek text which cannot be reproduced'
(10) The various stages are 'Greek text which cannot be
reproduced'; 'Greek text which cannot be reproduced'。
(11) Polybius; xii。 24。
(12) Polybius; i。 4; viii。 4; specially; and really PASSIM。
(13) He makes one exception。
(14) Polybius; viii。 4。
(15) Polybius; xvi。 12。
(16) Polybius; viii。 4: 'Greek text which cannot be reproduced'
(17) 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。
(18) Cf。 Polybius; xii。 25; 'Greek text which cannot be reproduced'
(19) Polybius; xxii。 8。
(20) 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。
(21) Polybius; xii。 25。
(22) THE TWO PATHS; Lect。 iii。 p。 123 (1859 ed。)。
End