ben-hur-第5章

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or　sought　my　life。　In　all　India；　finally；　there　was　not　a　place　in　which　I　could　find　peace　or　safetynot　even　among　the　outcasts；　for；　though　fallen；　they　were　still　believers　in　Brahm。　In　my　extremity；　I　looked　for　a　solitude　in　which　to　hide　from　all　but　God。　I　followed　the　Ganges　to　its　source；　far　up　in　the　Himalayas。　When　I　entered　the　pass　at　Hurdwar；　where　the　river；　in　unstained　purity；　leaps　to　its　course　through　the　muddy　lowlands；　I　prayed　for　my　race；　and　thought　myself　lost　to　them　forever。　Through　gorges；　over　cliffs；　across　glaciers；　by　peaks　that　seemed　star…high；　I　made　my　way　to　the　Lang　Tso；　a　lake　of　marvellous　beauty；　asleep　at　the　feet　of　the　Tise　Gangri；　the　Gurla；　and　the　Kailas　Parbot；　giants　which　flaunt　their　crowns　of　snow　everlastingly　in　the　face　of　the　sun。　There；　in　the　centre　of　the　earth；　where　the　Indus；　Ganges；　and　Brahmapootra　rise　to　run　their　different　courses；　where　mankind　took　up　their　first　abode；　and　separated　to　replete　the　world；　leaving　Balk；　the　mother　of　cities；　to　attest　the　great　fact；　where　Nature；　gone　back　to　its　primeval　condition；　and　secure　in　its　immensities；　invites　the　sage　and　the　exile；　with　promise　of　safety　to　the　one　and　solitude　to　the　otherthere　I　went　to　abide　alone　with　God；　praying；　fasting；　waiting　for　death。〃

Again　the　voice　fell；　and　the　bony　hands　met　in　a　fervent　clasp。

〃One　night　I　walked　by　the　shores　of　the　lake；　and　spoke　to　the　listening　silence；　'When　will　God　come　and　claim　his　own？　Is　there　to　be　no　redemption？'　Suddenly　a　light　began　to　glow　tremulously　out　on　the　water；　soon　a　star　arose；　and　moved　towards　me；　and　stood　overhead。　The　brightness　stunned　me。　While　I　lay　upon　the　ground；　I　heard　a　voice　of　infinite　sweetness　say；　'Thy　love　hath　conquered。　Blessed　art　thou；　O　son　of　India！　The　redemption　is　at　hand。　With　two　others；　from　far　quarters　of　the　earth；　thou　shalt　see　the　Redeemer；　and　be　a　witness　that　he　hath　come。　In　the　morning　arise；　and　go　meet　them；　and　put　all　thy　trust　in　the　Spirit　which　shall　guide　thee。'

〃And　from　that　time　the　light　has　stayed　with　me；　so　I　knew　it　was　the　visible　presence　of　the　Spirit。　In　the　morning　I　started　to　the　world　by　the　way　I　had　come。　In　a　cleft　of　the　mountain　I　found　a　stone　of　vast　worth；　which　I　sold　in　Hurdwar。　By　Lahore；　and　Cabool；　and　Yezd；　I　came　to　Ispahan。　There　I　bought　the　camel；　and　thence　was　led　to　Bagdad；　not　waiting　for　caravans。　Alone　I　traveled；　fearless；　for　the　Spirit　was　with　me；　and　is　with　me　yet。　What　glory　is　ours；　O　brethren！　We　are　to　see　the　Redeemerto　speak　to　himto　worship　him！　I　am　done。〃




CHAPTER　V



The　vivacious　Greek　broke　forth　in　expressions　of　joy　and　congratulations；　after　which　the　Egyptian　said；　with　characteristic　gravity：

〃I　salute　you；　my　brother。　You　have　suffered　much；　and　I　rejoice　in　your　triumph。　If　you　are　both　pleased　to　hear　me；　I　will　now　tell　you　who　I　am；　and　how　I　came　to　be　called。　Wait　for　me　a　moment。〃

He　went　out　and　tended　the　camels；　coming　back；　he　resumed　his　seat。

〃Your　words；　brethren；　were　of　the　Spirit；〃　he　said；　in　commencement；　〃and　the　Spirit　gives　me　to　understand　them。　You　each　spoke　particularly　of　your　countries；　in　that　there　was　a　great　object；　which　I　will　explain；　but　to　make　the　interpretation　complete；　let　me　first　speak　of　myself　and　my　people。　I　am　Balthasar　the　Egyptian。〃

The　last　words　were　spoken　quietly；　but　with　so　much　dignity　that　both　listeners　bowed　to　the　speaker。

〃There　are　many　distinctions　I　might　claim　for　my　race；〃　he　continued；　〃but　I　will　content　myself　with　one。　History　began　with　us。　We　were　the　first　to　perpetuate　events　by　records　kept。　So　we　have　no　traditions；　and　instead　of　poetry；　we　offer　you　certainty。　On　the　facades　of　palaces　and　temples；　on　obelisks；　on　the　inner　walls　of　tombs；　we　wrote　the　names　of　our　kings；　and　what　they　did；　and　to　the　delicate　papyri　we　intrusted　the　wisdom　of　our　philosophers　and　the　secrets　of　our　religionall　the　secrets　but　one；　whereof　I　will　presently　speak。　Older　than　the　Vedas　of　Para…Brahm　or　the　Up…Angas　of　Vyasa；　O　Melchior；　older　than　the　songs　of　Homer　or　the　metaphysics　of　Plato；　O　my　Gaspar；　older　than　the　sacred　books　or　kings　of　the　people　of　China；　or　those　of　Siddartha；　son　of　the　beautiful　Maya；　older　than　the　Genesis　of　Mosche　the　Hebrewoldest　of　human　records　are　the　writings　of　Menes；　our　first　king。〃　Pausing　an　instant；　he　fixed　his　large　eves　kindly　upon　the　Greek；　saying；　〃In　the　youth　of　Hellas；　who；　O　Gaspar；　were　the　teachers　of　her　teachers？〃

The　Greek　bowed；　smiling。

〃By　those　records；〃　Balthasar　continued；　〃we　know　that　when　the　fathers　came　from　the　far　East；　from　the　region　of　the　birth　of　the　three　sacred　rivers；　from　the　centre　of　the　earththe　Old　Iran　of　which　you　spoke；　O　Melchiorcame　bringing　with　them　the　history　of　the　world　before　the　Flood；　and　of　the　Flood　itself；　as　given　to　the　Aryans　by　the　sons　of　Noah；　they　taught　God；　the　Creator　and　the　Beginning；　and　the　Soul；　deathless　as　God。　When　the　duty　which　calls　us　now　is　happily　done；　if　you　choose　to　go　with　me；　I　will　show　you　the　sacred　library　of　our　priesthood；　among　others；　the　Book　of　the　Dead；　in　which　is　the　ritual　to　be　observed　by　the　soul　after　Death　has　despatched　it　on　its　journey　to　judgment。　The　ideasGod　and　the　Immortal　Soulwere　borne　to　Mizraim　over　the　desert；　and　by　him　to　the　banks　of　the　Nile。　They　were　then　in　their　purity；　easy　of　understanding；　as　what　God　intends　for　our　happiness　always　is；　so；　also；　was　the　first　worshipa　song　and　a　prayer　natural　to　a　soul　joyous；　hopeful；　and　in　love　with　its　Maker。〃

Here　the　Greek　threw　up　his　hands；　exclaiming；　〃Oh！　the　light　deepens　within　me！〃

〃And　in　me！〃　said　the　Hindoo；　with　equal　fervor。

The　Egyptian　regarded　them　benignantly；　then　went　on；　saying；　〃Religion　is　merely　the　law　which　binds　man　to　his　Creator：　in　purity　it　has　but　these　elementsGod；　the　Soul；　and　their　Mutual　Recognition；　out　of　which；　when　put　in　practise；　spring　Worship；　Love；　and　Reward。　This　law；　like　all　others　of　divine　origin　like　that；　for　instance；　which　binds　the　earth　to　the　sunwas　perfected　in　the　beginning　by　its　Author。　Such；　my　brothers；　was　the　religion　of　the　first　family；　such　was　the　religion　of　our　father　Mizraim；　who　could　not　have　been　blind　to　the　formula　of　creation；　nowhere　so　discernible　as　in　the　first　faith　and　the　earliest　worship。　Perfection　is　God；　simplicity　is　perfection。　The　curse　of　curses　is　that　men　will　not　let　truths　like　these　alone。〃

He　stopped；　as　if　considering　in　what　manner　to　continue。

〃Many　nations　have　loved　the　sweet　waters　of　the　Nile；〃　he　said　next；　〃the　Ethiopian；　the　Pali…Putra；　the　Hebrew；　the　Assyrian；　the　Persian；　the　Macedonian；　the　Romanof　whom　all；　except　the　Hebrew；　have　at　one　time　or　another　been　its　masters。　So　much　coming　and　going　of　peoples　corrupted　the　old　Mizraimic　faith。　The　Valley　of　Palms　became　a　Valley　of　Gods。　The　Supreme　One　was　divided　into　eight；　each　personating　a　creative　principle　in　nature；　with　Ammon…Re　at　the　head。　Then　Isis　and　Osiris；　and　their　circle；　representing　water；　fire；　air；　and　other　forces；　were　invented。　Still　the　multiplication　went　on　until　we　had　another　order；　suggested　by　human　qualities；　such　as　strength；　knowledge；　love；　and　the　like。〃

〃In　all　which　there　was　the　old　folly！〃　cried　the　Greek；　impulsively。　〃Only　the　things　out　of　reach　remain　as　they　came　to　us。〃

The　Egyptian　bowed；　and　proceeded：

〃Yet　a　little　further；　O　my　brethren；　a　little　further；　before　I　come　to　myself。　What　we　go　to　will　seem　all　the　holier　of　comparison　with　what　is　and　has　been。　The　records　show　that　Mizraim　found　the　Nile　in　possession　of　the　Ethiopians；　who　were　spread　thence　through　the　African　desert；　a　people　of　rich；　fantastic　genius；　wholly　given　to　the　worship　of　nature。　The　Poetic　Persian　sacrificed　to　the　sun；　as　the　completest　image　of　Ormuzd；　his　God；　the　devout　children　of　the　far　East　carved　their　deities　out　of　wood　and　ivory；　but　the　Ethiopian；　without　writing；　without　books；　without　mechanical　faculty　of　any　kind；　quieted　his　soul　by　the　worship　of　animals；　birds；　and　insects；　holding　the　cat　sacred　to　Re；　the　bull　to　Isis；　the　beetle　to　Pthah。　A　long　struggle　against　their　rude　fa