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diff --git a/38803-h/38803-h.htm b/38803-h/38803-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..ef0f41d --- /dev/null +++ b/38803-h/38803-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,13972 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" +"http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> +<head> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=utf-8" /> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Style-Type" content="text/css" /> +<title>The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll, Volume 3 (of 12) By Robert G. Ingersoll</title> + +<style type="text/css" xml:space="preserve"> + + body { margin-left: 20%; margin-right: 20%; text-align: justify; } + P { text-indent: 1em; margin-top: .25em; margin-bottom: .25em; } + H1,H2,H3,H4,H5,H6 { text-align: center; margin-left: 15%; margin-right: 15%; } + hr { width: 50%; text-align: center;} + blockquote {font-size: 97%; font-style: italic; margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%;} + .toc { margin-left: 10%; margin-bottom: .75em;} + div.fig { display:block; margin:0 auto; text-align:center; } + pre { font-style: italic; font-size: 90%; margin-left: 10%;} + +</style> + </head> + <body> + +<div style='text-align:center; font-size:1.2em; font-weight:bold'>The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll, Vol. 3 (of 12), by Robert G. Ingersoll</div> +<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and +most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions +whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms +of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online +at <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you +are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the +country where you are located before using this eBook. +</div> +<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll, Vol. 3 (of 12)<br /> +Dresden Edition—Lectures</div> +<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: Robert G. Ingersoll</div> +<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: February 9, 2012 [eBook #38803]<br /> +[Most recently updated: June 3, 2021]</div> +<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Language: English</div> +<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Character set encoding: UTF-8</div> +<div style='display:block; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Produced by: David Widger</div> +<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WORKS OF INGERSOLL ***</div> + + <h1> + THE WORKS OF ROBERT G. INGERSOLL + </h1> + <p> + <br /> + </p> + <h2> + By Robert G. Ingersoll + </h2> + <blockquote> + <p> + "GIVE ME THE STORM AND TEMPEST OF THOUGHT AND ACTION, RATHER THAN THE + DEAD CALM OF IGNORANCE AND FAITH. BANISH ME FROM EDEN WHEN YOU WILL; BUT + FIRST LET ME EAT OF THE FRUIT OF THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE." + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + <br /> + </p> + <h3> + IN TWELVE VOLUMES, VOLUME III. + </h3> + <p> + <br /> + </p> + <h4> + LECTURES + </h4> + <p> + <br /> + </p> + <h3> + 1900 + </h3> + <p> + <br /> + </p> + <h3> + THE DRESDEN EDITION + </h3> + <p> + <br /> + </p> + <table summary="" border="3" cellpadding="4"> + <tbody> + <tr> + <td> + <big><big><a + href="http://www.gutenberg.org/files/38803/old/orig38803-h/main.htm">This + file has been formatted in a very plain format for use with tablet + readers. Those wishing to view this eBook in its normal more + appealing format for laptops and other computers may click on this + line to to view the original HTML file.</a></big></big> + </td> + <td></td> + </tr> + </tbody> + </table> + <p> + <br /> + </p> + <div class="fig" style="width:80%;"> + <img alt="titlepage (64K)" src="images/titlepage.jpg" width="100%" /><br /> + </div> + <p> + <br /> <br /> + </p> + <div class="fig" style="width:80%;"> + <img alt="portrait (64K)" src="images/portrait.jpg" width="100%" /><br /> + </div> + <p> + <br /> <br /> <br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <br /> <br /> + </p> + <h3> + Contents + </h3> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#linkTOC">CONTENTS OF VOLUME III.</a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link0001">SHAKESPEARE</a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link0002">ROBERT BURNS.*</a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link0003">ABRAHAM LINCOLN</a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link0004">VOLTAIRE.</a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link0005">LIBERTY IN LITERATURE.</a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link0006">THE GREAT INFIDELS.*</a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#linkCONC">CONCLUSION.</a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link0008">WHICH WAY?</a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link0009">ABOUT THE HOLY BIBLE.</a> + </p> + <p> + <br /> <br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <br /> <br /> <a name="linkTOC" id="linkTOC"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> + </div> + <h2> + CONTENTS OF VOLUME III. + </h2> + <blockquote> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link0001">SHAKESPEARE</a> + </p> + <p> + <br /> (1891.)<br /> I. The Greatest Genius of our World—Not of + Supernatural Origin or<br /> of Royal Blood—Illiteracy of his + Parents—Education—His Father—His<br /> Mother a Great + Woman—Stratford Unconscious of the Immortal<br /> Child—Social + Position of Shakespeare—Of his Personal<br /> Peculiarities—Birth, + Marriage, and Death—What we Know of Him—No Line<br /> written + by him to be Found—The Absurd Epitaph—II. Contemporaries<br /> + by whom he was Mentioned—III. No direct Mention of any of his<br /> + Contemporaries in the Plays—Events and Personages of his Time—IV.<br /> + Position of the Actor in Shakespeare's Time—Fortunately he was Not<br /> + Educated at Oxford—An Idealist—His Indifference to + Stage-carpentry<br /> and Plot—He belonged to All Lands—Knew + the Brain and Heart of Man—An<br /> Intellectual Spendthrift—V. + The Baconian Theory—VI. Dramatists before<br /> and during the Time + of Shakespeare—Dramatic Incidents Illustrated in<br /> Passages + from "Macbeth" and "Julius Cæsar"—VII. His Use of the Work + of<br /> Others—The Pontic Sea—A Passage from "Lear"—VIII. + Extravagance that<br /> touches the Infinite—The Greatest + Compliment—"Let me not live after<br /> my flame lacks oil"—Where + Pathos almost Touches the Grotesque—IX.<br /> An Innovator and + Iconoclast—Disregard of the "Unities"—Nature<br /> Forgets—Violation + of the Classic Model—X. Types—The Secret of<br /> Shakespeare—Characters + who Act from Reason and Motive—What they Say<br /> not the Opinion + of Shakespeare—XI. The Procession that issued from<br /> + Shakespeare's Brain—His Great Women—Lovable Clowns—His + Men—Talent<br /> and Genius—XII. The Greatest of all + Philosophers—Master of the<br /> Human Heart—Love—XIII. + In the Realm of Comparison—XIV. Definitions:<br /> Suicide, Drama, + Death, Memory, the Body, Life, Echo, the<br /> World, Rumor—The + Confidant of Nature—XV. Humor and<br /> Pathos—Illustrations—XVI. + Not a Physician, Lawyer, or Botanist—He was<br /> a Man of + Imagination—He lived the Life of All—The Imagination had a<br /> + Stage in Shakespeare's Brain.<br /> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link0002">ROBERT BURNS.</a> + </p> + <p> + <br /> (1878.)<br /> Poetry and Poets—Milton, Dante, Petrarch—Old-time + Poetry in<br /> Scotland—Influence of Scenery on Literature—Lives + that are<br /> Poems—Birth of Burns—Early Life and Education—Scotland + Emerging from<br /> the Gloom of Calvinism—A Metaphysical Peasantry—Power + of the Scotch<br /> Preacher—Famous Scotch Names—John + Barleycorn vs. Calvinism—Why Robert<br /> Burns is Loved—His + Reading—Made Goddesses of Women—Poet of Love: His<br /> + "Vision," "Bonnie Doon," "To Mary in Heaven"—Poet of Home:<br /> + "Cotter's Saturday Night," "John Anderson, My Jo"—Friendship: + "Auld<br /> Lang-Syne"—Scotch Drink: "Willie brew'd a peck o' maut"—Burns + the<br /> Artist: The "Brook," "Tam O'Shanter"—A Real Democrat: "A + man's a man<br /> for a' that"—His Theology: The Dogma of Eternal + Pain, "Morality,"<br /> "Hypocrisy," "Holy Willie's Prayer"—On the + Bible—A Statement of his<br /> Religion—Contrasted with + Tennyson—From Cradle to Coffin—His Last<br /> words—Lines + on the Birth-place of Burns.<br /> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link0003">ABRAHAM LINCOLN.</a> + </p> + <p> + <br /> (1894.)<br /> I. Simultaneous Birth of Lincoln and Darwin—Heroes + of Every<br /> Generation—Slavery—Principle Sacrificed to + Success—Lincoln's<br /> Childhood—His first Speech—A + Candidate for the Senate against<br /> Douglass—II. A Crisis in the + Affairs of the Republic—The South Not<br /> Alone Responsible for + Slavery—Lincoln's Prophetic Words—Nominated for<br /> + President and Elected in Spite of his Fitness—III. Secession and<br /> + Civil War—The Thought uppermost in his Mind—IV. A Crisis in + the<br /> North—Proposition to Purchase the Slaves—V. The + Proclamation of<br /> Emancipation—His Letter to Horace Greeley—Waited + on by Clergymen—VI.<br /> Surrounded by Enemies—Hostile + Attitude of Gladstone, Salisbury,<br /> Louis Napoleon, and the Vatican—VII. + Slavery the Perpetual<br /> Stumbling-block—Confiscation—VIII. + His Letter to a Republican<br /> Meeting in Illinois—Its Effect—IX. + The Power of His Personality—The<br /> Embodiment of Mercy—Use + of the Pardoning Power—X. The Vallandigham<br /> Affair—The + Horace Greeley Incident—Triumphs of Humor—XI. Promotion of<br /> + General Hooker—A Prophecy and its Fulfillment—XII.—States + Rights vs.<br /> Territorial Integrity—XIII. His Military Genius—The + Foremost Man in<br /> all the World: and then the Horror Came—XIV. + Strange Mingling of Mirth<br /> and Tears—Deformation of Great + Historic Characters—Washington now<br /> only a Steel Engraving—Lincoln + not a Type—Virtues Necessary in a<br /> New Country—Laws of + Cultivated Society—In the Country is the Idea<br /> of Home—Lincoln + always a Pupil—A Great Lawyer—Many-sided—Wit and<br /> + Humor—As an Orator—His Speech at Gettysburg contrasted with + the<br /> Oration of Edward Everett—Apologetic in his Kindness—No + Official<br /> Robes—The gentlest Memory of our World.<br /> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link0004">VOLTAIRE.</a> + </p> + <p> + <br /> (1894.)<br /> I. Changes wrought by Time—Throne and Altar + Twin Vultures—The King and<br /> the Priest—What is + Greatness?—Effect of Voltaire's Name on Clergyman<br /> and Priest—Born + and Baptized—State of France in 1694—The Church<br /> at the + Head—Efficacy of Prayers and Dead Saints—Bells and Holy<br /> + Water—Prevalence of Belief in Witches, Devils, and Fiends—Seeds + of<br /> the Revolution Scattered by Noble and Priest—Condition in + England—The<br /> Inquisition in full Control in Spain—Portugal + and Germany burning<br /> Women—Italy Prostrate beneath the + Priests, the Puritans in America<br /> persecuting Quakers, and stealing + Children—II. The Days of Youth—His<br /> Education—Chooses + Literature as a Profession and becomes a Diplomat—In<br /> Love and + Disinherited—Unsuccessful Poem Competition—Jansenists<br /> + and Molinists—The Bull Unigenitus—Exiled to Tulle—Sent + to the<br /> Bastile—Exiled to England—Acquaintances made + there—III. The Morn<br /> of Manhood—His Attention turned to + the History of the Church—The<br /> "Triumphant Beast" Attacked—Europe + Filled with the Product of his<br /> Brain—What he Mocked—The + Weapon of Ridicule—His Theology—His<br /> "Retractions"—What + Goethe said of Voltaire—IV. The Scheme of<br /> Nature—His + belief in the Optimism of Pope Destroyed by the Lisbon<br /> Earthquake—V. + His Humanity—Case of Jean Calas—The Sirven Family—The<br /> + Espenasse Case—Case of Chevalier de la Barre and D'Etallonde—Voltaire<br /> + Abandons France—A Friend of Education—An Abolitionist—Not<br /> + a Saint—VI. The Return—His Reception—His Death—Burial + at<br /> Romilli-on-the-Seine—VII. The Death-bed Argument—Serene + Demise of<br /> the Infamous—God has no Time to defend the Good and + protect the<br /> Pure—Eloquence of the Clergy on the Death-bed + Subject—The<br /> Second Return—Throned upon the Bastile—The + Grave Desecrated by<br /> Priests—Voltaire.<br /> A Testimonial to + Walt Whitman—Let us put Wreaths on the Brows of the<br /> Living—Literary + Ideals of the American People in 1855—"Leaves of<br /> Grass"—Its + reception by the Provincial Prudes—The Religion of the<br /> Body—Appeal + to Manhood and Womanhood—Books written for the<br /> Market—The + Index Expurgatorius—Whitman a believer in<br /> Democracy—Individuality—Humanity—An + Old-time Sea-fight—What is<br /> Poetry?—Rhyme a Hindrance to + Expression—Rhythm the Comrade of<br /> the Poetic—Whitman's + Attitude toward Religion—Philosophy—The Two<br /> Poems—"A + Word Out of the Sea"—"When Lilacs Last in the Door"—"A Chant<br /> + for Death"—<br /> The History of Intellectual Progress is written + in the Lives of<br /> Infidels—The King and the Priest—The + Origin of God and Heaven, of<br /> the Devil and Hell—The Idea of + Hell born of Ignorance, Brutality,<br /> Cowardice, and Revenge—The + Limitations of our Ancestors—The Devil<br /> and God—Egotism + of Barbarians—The Doctrine of Hell not an Exclusive<br /> + Possession of Christianity—The Appeal to the Cemetery—Religion + and<br /> Wealth, Christ and Poverty—The "Great" not on the Side of + Christ and<br /> his Disciples—Epitaphs as Battle-cries—Some + Great Men in favor of<br /> almost every Sect—Mistakes and + Superstitions of Eminent Men—Sacred<br /> Books—The Claim + that all Moral Laws came from God through<br /> the Jews—Fear—Martyrdom—God's + Ways toward Men—The Emperor<br /> Constantine—The Death Test—Theological + Comity between Protestants and<br /> Catholics—Julian—A + childish Fable still Believed—Bruno—His Crime,<br /> his + Imprisonment.<br /> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link0005">LIBERTY IN LITERATURE.</a> + </p> + <p> + <br /> (1890.)<br /> "Old Age"—"Leaves of Grass" + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link0006">THE GREAT INFIDELS.*</a> + </p> + <p> + <br /> (1881.)<br /> Martyrdom—The First to die for Truth without + Expectation of Reward—The<br /> Church in the Time of Voltaire—Voltaire—Diderot—David + Hume—Benedict<br /> Spinoza—Our Infidels—Thomas Paine—Conclusion.<br /> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link0008">WHICH WAY?</a> + </p> + <p> + <br /> (1884.)<br /> I. The Natural and the Supernatural—Living for + the Benefit of<br /> your Fellow-Man and Living for Ghosts—The + Beginning of Doubt—Two<br /> Philosophies of Life—Two + Theories of Government—II. Is our God<br /> superior to the Gods of + the Heathen?—What our God has done—III. Two<br /> Theories + about the Cause and Cure of Disease—The First Physician—The<br /> + Bones of St. Anne Exhibited in New York—Archbishop Corrigan and<br /> + Cardinal Gibbons Countenance a Theological Fraud—A Japanese Story—The<br /> + Monk and the Miraculous Cures performed by the Bones of a Donkey<br /> + represented as those of a Saint—IV.—Two Ways of accounting + for Sacred<br /> Books and Religions—V-Two Theories about Morals—Nothing + Miraculous<br /> about Morality—The Test of all Actions—VI. + Search for the<br /> Impossible—Alchemy—"Perpetual Motion"—Astrology—Fountain + of Perpetual<br /> Youth—VII. "Great Men" and the Superstitions in + which they have<br /> Believed—VIII. Follies and Imbecilities of + Great Men—We do not know<br /> what they Thought, only what they + Said—Names of Great Unbelievers—Most<br /> Men Controlled by + their Surroundings—IX. Living for God in Switzerland,<br /> + Scotland, New England—In the Dark Ages—Let us Live for Man—X. + The<br /> Narrow Road of Superstition—The Wide and Ample Way—Let + us Squeeze the<br /> Orange Dry—This Was, This Is, This Shall Be.<br /> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link0009">ABOUT THE HOLY BIBLE.</a> + </p> + <p> + (1894.)<br /> The Truth about the Bible Ought to be Told—I. The + Origin of the<br /> Bible—Establishment of the Mosaic Code—Moses + not the Author of the<br /> Pentateuch—Some Old Testament Books of + Unknown Origin—II. Is the Old<br /> Testament Inspired?—What + an Inspired Book Ought to Be—What the Bible<br /> Is—Admission + of Orthodox Christians that it is not Inspired as to<br /> Science—The + Enemy of Art—III. The Ten Commandments—Omissions and<br /> + Redundancies—The Story of Achan—The Story of Elisha—The + Story of<br /> Daniel—The Story of Joseph—IV. What is it all + Worth?—Not True, and<br /> Contradictory—Its Myths Older than + the Pentateuch—Other Accounts<br /> of the Creation, the Fall, etc.—Books + of the Old Testament Named<br /> and Characterized—V. Was Jehovah a + God of Love?—VI. Jehovah's<br /> Administration—VII. The New + Testament—Many Other Gospels besides<br /> our Four—Disagreements—Belief + in Devils—Raising of the Dead—Other<br /> Miracles—Would + a real Miracle-worker have been Crucified?—VIII.<br /> The + Philosophy of Christ—Love of<br /> Enemies—Improvidence—Self-Mutilation—The + Earth as a<br /> Footstool—Justice—A Bringer of War—Division + of Families—IX. Is Christ<br /> our Example?—X. Why should we + place Christ at the Top and Summit of the<br /> Human Race?—How did + he surpass Other Teachers?—What he left Unsaid,<br /> and Why—Inspiration—Rejected + Books of the New Testament—The Bible and<br /> the Crimes it has + Caused.<br /> + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + <a name="link0001" id="link0001"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> + </div> + <h2> + SHAKESPEARE + </h2> + <h3> + I. + </h3> + <p> + WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE was the greatest genius of our world. He left to us + the richest legacy of all the dead—the treasures of the rarest soul + that ever lived and loved and wrought of words the statues, pictures, + robes and gems of thought. + </p> + <p> + It is hard to overstate the debt we owe to the men and women of genius. + Take from our world what they have given, and all the niches would be + empty, all the walls naked—meaning and connection would fall from + words of poetry and fiction, music would go back to common air, and all + the forms of subtle and enchanting Art would lose proportion and become + the unmeaning waste and shattered spoil of thoughtless Chance. + </p> + <p> + Shakespeare is too great a theme. I feel as though endeavoring to grasp a + globe so large that the hand obtains no hold. He who would worthily speak + of the great dramatist should be inspired by "a muse of fire that should + ascend the brightest heaven of invention"—he should have "a kingdom + for a stage, and monarchs to behold the swelling scene." + </p> + <p> + More than three centuries ago, the most intellectual of the human race was + born. He was not of supernatural origin. At his birth there were no + celestial pyrotechnics. His father and mother were both English, and both + had the cheerful habit of living in this world. The cradle in which he was + rocked was canopied by neither myth nor miracle, and in his veins there + was no drop of royal blood. + </p> + <p> + This babe became the wonder of mankind. Neither of his parents could read + or write. He grew up in a small and ignorant village on the banks of the + Avon, in the midst of the common people of three hundred years ago. There + was nothing in the peaceful, quiet landscape on which he looked, nothing + in the low hills, the cultivated and undulating fields, and nothing in the + murmuring stream, to excite the imagination—nothing, so far as we + can see, calculated to sow the seeds of the subtlest and sublimest + thought. + </p> + <p> + So there is nothing connected with his education, or his lack of + education, that in any way accounts for what he did. It is supposed that + he attended school in his native town—but of this we are not + certain. Many have tried to show that he was, after all, of gentle blood, + but the fact seems to be the other way. Some of his biographers have + sought to do him honor by showing that he was patronized by Queen + Elizabeth, but of this there is not the slightest proof. + </p> + <p> + As a matter of fact, there never sat on any throne a king, queen, or + emperor who could have honored William Shakespeare. + </p> + <p> + Ignorant people are apt to overrate the value of what is called education. + The sons of the poor, having suffered the privations of poverty, think of + wealth as the mother of joy. On the other hand, the children of the rich, + finding that gold does not produce happiness, are apt to underrate the + value of wealth. So the children of the educated often care but little for + books, and hold all culture in contempt. The children of great authors do + not, as a rule, become writers. + </p> + <p> + Nature is filled with tendencies and obstructions. Extremes beget + limitations, even as a river by its own swiftness creates obstructions for + itself. + </p> + <p> + Possibly, many generations of culture breed a desire for the rude joys of + savagery, and possibly generations of ignorance breed such a longing for + knowledge, that of this desire, of this hunger of the brain, Genius is + born. It may be that the mind, by lying fallow, by remaining idle for + generations, gathers strength. + </p> + <p> + Shakespeare's father seems to have been an ordinary man of his time and + class. About the only thing we know of him is that he was officially + reported for not coming monthly to church. This is good as far as it goes. + We can hardly blame him, because at that time Richard Bifield was the + minister at Stratford, and an extreme Puritan, one who read the Psalter by + Sternhold and Hopkins. + </p> + <p> + The church was at one time Catholic, but in John Shakespeare's day it was + Puritan, and in 1564, the year of Shakespeare's birth, they had the images + defaced. It is greatly to the honor of John Shakespeare that he refused to + listen to the "tidings of great joy" as delivered by the Puritan Bifield. + </p> + <p> + Nothing is known of his mother, except her beautiful name—Mary + Arden. In those days but little attention was given to the biographies of + women. They were born, married, had children, and died. No matter how + celebrated their sons became, the mothers were forgotten. In old times, + when a man achieved distinction, great pains were taken to find out about + the father and grandfather—the idea being that genius is inherited + from the father's side. The truth is, that all great men have had great + mothers. Great women have had, as a rule, great fathers. + </p> + <p> + The mother of Shakespeare was, without doubt, one of the greatest of + women. She dowered her son with passion and imagination and the higher + qualities of the soul, beyond all other men. It has been said that a man + of genius should select his ancestors with great care—and yet there + does not seem to be as much in heredity as most people think. The children + of the great are often small. Pigmies are born in palaces, while over the + children of genius is the roof of straw. Most of the great are like + mountains, with the valley of ancestors on one side and the depression of + posterity on the other. + </p> + <p> + In his day Shakespeare was of no particular importance. It may be that his + mother had some marvelous and prophetic dreams, but Stratford was + unconscious of the immortal child. He was never engaged in a reputable + business. Socially he occupied a position below servants. The law + described him as "a sturdy vagabond." He was neither a noble, a soldier, + nor a priest. Among the half-civilized people of England, he who amused + and instructed them was regarded as a menial. Kings had their clowns, the + people their actors and musicians. Shakespeare was scheduled as a servant. + It is thus that successful stupidity has always treated genius. Mozart was + patronized by an Archbishop—lived in the palace,—but was + compelled to eat with the scullions. + </p> + <p> + The composer of divine melodies was not fit to sit by the side of the + theologian, who long ago would have been forgotten but for the fame of the + composer. + </p> + <p> + We know but little of the personal peculiarities, of the daily life, or of + what may be called the outward Shakespeare, and it may be fortunate that + so little is known. He might have been belittled by friendly fools. What + silly stories, what idiotic personal reminiscences, would have been + remembered by those who scarcely saw him! We have his best—his + sublimest—and we have probably lost only the trivial and the + worthless. All that is known can be written on a page. + </p> + <p> + We are tolerably certain of the date of his birth, of his marriage and of + his death. We think he went to London in 1586, when he was twenty-two + years old. We think that three years afterward he was part owner of + Blackfriars' Theatre. We have a few signatures, some of which are supposed + to be genuine. We know that he bought some land—that he had two or + three law-suits. We know the names of his children. We also know that this + incomparable man—so apart from, and so familiar with, all the world—lived + during his literary life in London—that he was an actor, dramatist + and manager—that he returned to Stratford, the place of his birth,—that + he gave his writings to negligence, deserted the children of his brain—that + he died on the anniversary of his birth at the age of fifty-two, and that + he was buried in the church where the images had been defaced, and that on + his tomb was chiseled a rude, absurd and ignorant epitaph. + </p> + <p> + No letter of his to any human being has been found, and no line written by + him can be shown. + </p> + <p> + And here let me give my explanation of the epitaph. Shakespeare was an + actor—a disreputable business—but he made money—always + reputable. He came back from London a rich man. He bought land, and built + houses. Some of the supposed great probably treated him with deference. + When he died he was buried in the church. Then came a reaction. The pious + thought the church had been profaned. They did not feel that the ashes of + an actor were fit to lie in holy ground. The people began to say the body + ought to be removed. Then it was, as I believe, that Dr. John Hall, + Shakespeare's son-in-law, had this epitaph cut on the tomb: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "Good friend, for Jesus' sake forbeare + To digg the dust enclosed heare: + Blest be ye man yt spares thes stones, + And curst be he yt moves my bones." +</pre> + <p> + Certainly Shakespeare could have had no fear that his tomb would be + violated. How could it have entered his mind to have put a warning, a + threat and a blessing, upon his grave? But the ignorant people of that day + were no doubt convinced that the epitaph was the voice of the dead, and so + feeling they feared to invade the tomb. In this way the dust was left in + peace. + </p> + <p> + This epitaph gave me great trouble for years. It puzzled me to explain why + he, who erected the intellectual pyramids,—great ranges of mountains—should + put such a pebble at his tomb. But when I stood beside the grave and read + the ignorant words, the explanation I have given flashed upon me. + </p> + <p> + II. + </p> + <p> + IT has been said that Shakespeare was hardly mentioned by his + contemporaries, and that he was substantially unknown. This is a mistake. + In 1600 a book was published called <i>England's Parnassus</i>, and it + contained ninety extracts from Shakespeare. In the same year was published + the <i>Garden of the Muses</i>, containing several pieces from + Shakespeare, Chapman, Marston and Ben Jonson. <i>England's Helicon</i> was + printed in the same year, and contained poems from Spenser, Greene, Harvey + and Shakespeare. + </p> + <p> + In 1600 a play was acted at Cambridge, in which Shakespeare was alluded to + as follows: "Why, here's our fellow Shakespeare who puts them all down." + John Weaver published a book of poems in 1595, in which there was a sonnet + to Shakespeare. In 1598 Richard Bamfield wrote a poem to Shakespeare. + Francis Meres, "clergyman, master of arts in both universities, compiler + of school books," was the author of the <i>Wits Treasury</i>. In this he + compares the ancient and modern tragic poets, and mentions Marlowe, Peele, + Kyd and Shakespeare. So he compares the writers of comedies, and mentions + Lilly, Lodge, Greene and Shakespeare. He speaks of elegiac poets, and + names Surrey, Wyatt, Sidney, Raleigh and Shakespeare. He compares the + lyric poets, and names Spenser, Drayton, Shakespeare and others. This same + writer, speaking of Horace, says that England has Sidney, Shakespeare and + others, and that "as the soul of Euphorbus was thought to live in + Pythagoras, so the sweet-wittie soul of Ovid lives in the mellifluous and + honey-tongued Shakespeare." He also says: "If the Muses could speak + English, they would speak in Shakespeare's phrase." This was in 1598. In + 1607, John Davies alludes in a poem to Shakespeare. + </p> + <p> + Of course we are all familiar with what rare Ben Jonson wrote. Henry + Chettle took Shakespeare to task because he wrote nothing on the death of + Queen Elizabeth. + </p> + <p> + It may be wonderful that he was not better known. But is it not wonderful + that he gained the reputation that he did in so short a time, and that + twelve years after he began to write he stood at least with the first? + </p> + <p> + III. + </p> + <p> + BUT there is a wonderful fact connected with the writings of Shakespeare: + In the Plays there is no direct mention of any of his contemporaries. We + do not know of any poet, author, soldier, sailor, statesman, priest, + nobleman, king, or queen, that Shakespeare directly mentioned. + </p> + <p> + Is it not marvelous that he, living in an age of great deeds, of + adventures in far-off lands and unknown seas—in a time of religious + wars—in the days of the Armada—the massacre of St. Bartholomew—the + Edict of Nantes—the assassination of Henry III.—the victory of + Lepanto—the execution of Marie Stuart—did not mention the name + of any man or woman of his time? Some have insisted that the paragraph + ending with the lines: "The imperial votress passed on in maiden + meditation fancy-free," referred to Queen Elizabeth; but it is impossible + for me to believe that the daubed and wrinkled face, the small black eyes, + the cruel nose, the thin lips, the bad teeth, and the red wig of Queen + Elizabeth could by any possibility have inspired these marvelous lines. + </p> + <p> + It is perfectly apparent from Shakespeare's writings that he knew but + little of the nobility, little of kings and queens. He gives to these + supposed great people great thoughts, and puts great words in their mouths + and makes them speak—not as they really did—but as Shakespeare + thought such people should. This demonstrates that he did not know them + personally. + </p> + <p> + Some have insisted that Shakespeare mentions Queen Elizabeth in the last + scene of Henry VIII. The answer to this is that Shakespeare did not write + the last scene in that Play. The probability is that Fletcher was the + author. + </p> + <p> + Shakespeare lived during the great awakening of the world, when Europe + emerged from the darkness of the Middle Ages, when the discovery of + America had made England, that blossom of the Gulf-Stream, the centre of + commerce, and during a period when some of the greatest writers, thinkers, + soldiers and discoverers were produced. + </p> + <p> + Cervantes was born in 1547, dying on the same day that Shakespeare died. + He was undoubtedly the greatest writer that Spain has produced. Rubens was + born in 1577. Camoens, the Portuguese, the author of the <i>Lusiad</i>, + died in 1597. Giordano Bruno—greatest of martyrs—was born in + 1548—visited London in Shakespeare's time—delivered lectures + at Oxford, and called that institution "the widow of learning." Drake + circled the globe in 1580. Galileo was born in 1564—the same year + with Shakespeare. Michael Angelo died in 1563. Kepler—he of the + Three Laws—born in 1571. Calderon, the Spanish dramatist, born in + 1601. Corneille, the French poet, in 1606. Rembrandt, greatest of + painters, 1607. Shakespeare was born in 1564. In that year John Calvin + died. What a glorious exchange! + </p> + <p> + Seventy-two years after the discovery of America Shakespeare was born, and + England was filled with the voyages and discoveries written by Hakluyt, + and the wonders that had been seen by Raleigh, by Drake, by Frobisher and + Hawkins. London had become the centre of the world, and representatives + from all known countries were in the new metropolis. The world had been + doubled. The imagination had been touched and kindled by discovery. In the + far horizon were unknown lands, strange shores beyond untraversed seas. + Toward every part of the world were turned the prows of adventure. All + these things fanned the imagination into flame, and this had its effect + upon the literary and dramatic world. And yet Shakespeare—the master + spirit of mankind—in the midst of these discoveries, of these + adventures, mentioned no navigator, no general, no discoverer, no + philosopher. + </p> + <p> + Galileo was reading the open volume of the sky, but Shakespeare did not + mention him. This to me is the most marvelous thing connected with this + most marvelous man. + </p> + <p> + At that time England was prosperous—was then laying the foundation + of her future greatness and power. + </p> + <p> + When men are prosperous, they are in love with life. Nature grows + beautiful, the arts begin to flourish, there is work for painter and + sculptor, the poet is born, the stage is erected—and this life with + which men are in love, is represented in a thousand forms. + </p> + <p> + Nature, or Fate, or Chance prepared a stage for Shakespeare, and + Shakespeare prepared a stage for Nature. + </p> + <p> + Famine and faith go together. In disaster and want the gaze of man is + fixed upon another world. He that eats a crust has a creed. Hunger falls + upon its knees, and heaven, looked for through tears, is the mirage of + misery. But prosperity brings joy and wealth and leisure—and the + beautiful is born. + </p> + <p> + One of the effects of the world's awakening was Shakespeare. We account + for this man as we do for the highest mountain, the greatest river, the + most perfect gem. We can only say: He was. + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "It hath been taught us from the primal state + That he which is was wished until he were." +</pre> + <p> + IV. + </p> + <p> + IN Shakespeare's time the actor was a vagabond, the dramatist a + disreputable person—and yet the greatest dramas were then written. + In spite of law, and social ostracism, Shakespeare reared the many-colored + dome that fills and glorifies the intellectual heavens. + </p> + <p> + Now the whole civilized world believes in the theatre—asks for some + great dramatist—is hungry for a play worthy of the century, is + anxious to give gold and fame to any one who can worthily put our age upon + the stage—and yet no great play has been written since Shakespeare + died. + </p> + <p> + Shakespeare pursued the highway of the right. He did not seek to put his + characters in a position where it was right to do wrong. He was sound and + healthy to the centre. It never occurred to him to write a play in which a + wife's lover should be jealous of her husband. + </p> + <p> + There was in his blood the courage of his thought. He was true to himself + and enjoyed the perfect freedom of the highest art. He did not write + according to rules—but smaller men make rules from what he wrote. + </p> + <p> + How fortunate that Shakespeare was not educated at Oxford—that the + winged god within him never knelt to the professor. How fortunate that + this giant was not captured, tied and tethered by the literary + Lilliputians of his time. + </p> + <p> + He was an idealist. He did not—like most writers of our time—take + refuge in the real, hiding a lack of genius behind a pretended love of + truth. All realities are not poetic, or dramatic, or even worth knowing. + The real sustains the same relation to the ideal that a stone does to a + statue—or that paint does to a painting. Realism degrades and + impoverishes. In no event can a realist be more than an imitator and + copyist. According to the realist's philosophy, the wax that receives and + retains an image is an artist. + </p> + <p> + Shakespeare did not rely on the stage-carpenter, or the scenic painter. He + put his scenery in his lines. There you will find mountains and rivers and + seas, valleys and cliffs, violets and clouds, and over all "the firmament + fretted with gold and fire." He cared little for plot, little for + surprise. He did not rely on stage effects, or red fire. The plays grow + before your eyes, and they come as the morning comes. Plot surprises but + once. There must be something in a play besides surprise. Plot in an + author is a kind of strategy—that is to say, a sort of cunning, and + cunning does not belong to the highest natures. + </p> + <p> + There is in Shakespeare such a wealth of thought that the plot becomes + almost immaterial—and such is this wealth that you can hardly know + the play—there is too much. After you have heard it again and again, + it seems as pathless as an untrodden forest. + </p> + <p> + He belonged to all lands. "Timon of Athens" is as Greek as any tragedy of + Eschylus. "Julius Cæsar" and "Coriolanus" are perfect Roman, and as + you read, the mighty ruins rise and the Eternal City once again becomes + the mistress of the world. No play is more Egyptian than "Antony and + Cleopatra"—the Nile runs through it, the shadows of the pyramids + fall upon it, and from its scenes the Sphinx gazes forever on the + outstretched sands. + </p> + <p> + In "Lear" is the true pagan spirit. "Romeo and Juliet" is Italian—everything + is sudden, love bursts into immediate flower, and in every scene is the + climate of the land of poetry and passion. + </p> + <p> + The reason of this is that Shakespeare dealt with elemental things, with + universal man. He knew that locality colors without changing, and that in + all surroundings the human heart is substantially the same. + </p> + <p> + Not all the poetry written before his time would make his sum—not + all that has been written since, added to all that was written before, + would equal his. + </p> + <p> + There was nothing within the range of human thought, within the horizon of + intellectual effort, that he did not touch. He knew the brain and heart of + man—the theories, customs, superstitions, hopes, fears, hatreds, + vices and virtues of the human race. + </p> + <p> + He knew the thrills and ecstasies of love, the savage joys of hatred and + revenge. He heard the hiss of envy's snakes and watched the eagles of + ambition soar. There was no hope that did not put its star above his head—no + fear he had not felt—no joy that had not shed its sunshine on his + face. He experienced the emotions of mankind. He was the intellectual + spendthrift of the world. He gave with the generosity, the extravagance, + of madness. + </p> + <p> + Read one play, and you are impressed with the idea that the wealth of the + brain of a god has been exhausted—that there are no more + comparisons, no more passions to be expressed, no more definitions, no + more philosophy, beauty, or sublimity to be put in words—and yet, + the next play opens as fresh as the dewy gates of another day. + </p> + <p> + The outstretched wings of his imagination filled the sky. He was the + intellectual crown o' the earth. + </p> + <p> + V. + </p> + <p> + THE plays of Shakespeare show so much knowledge, thought and learning, + that many people—those who imagine that universities furnish + capacity—contend that Bacon must have been the author. + </p> + <p> + We know Bacon. We know that he was a scheming politician, a courtier, a + time-server of church and king, and a corrupt judge. We know that he never + admitted the truth of the Copernican system—that he was doubtful + whether instruments were of any advantage in scientific investigation—that + he was ignorant of the higher branches of mathematics, and that, as a + matter of fact, he added but little to the knowledge of the world. When he + was more than sixty years of age he turned his attention to poetry, and + dedicated his verses to George Herbert. + </p> + <p> + If you will read these verses you will say that the author of "Lear" and + "Hamlet" did not write them. + </p> + <p> + Bacon dedicated his work on the <i>Advancement of Learning, Divine and + Human</i>, to James I., and in his dedication he stated that there had not + been, since the time of Christ, any king or monarch so learned in all + erudition, divine or human. He placed James the First before Marcus + Aurelius and all other kings and emperors since Christ, and concluded by + saying that James the First had "the power and fortune of a king, the + illumination of a priest, the learning and universality of a philosopher." + This was written of James the First, described by Macaulay as a + "stammering, slobbering, trembling coward, whose writings were deformed by + the grossest and vilest superstitions—witches being the special + objects of his fear, his hatred, and his persecution." + </p> + <p> + It seems to have been taken for granted that if Shakespeare was not the + author of the great dramas, Lord Bacon must have been. + </p> + <p> + It has been claimed that Bacon was the greatest philosopher of his time. + And yet in reading his works we find that there was in his mind a strange + mingling of foolishness and philosophy. He takes pains to tell us, and to + write it down for the benefit of posterity, that "snow is colder than + water, because it hath more spirit in it, and that quicksilver is the + coldest of all metals, because it is the fullest of spirit." + </p> + <p> + He stated that he hardly believed that you could contract air by putting + opium on top of the weather glass, and gave the following reason: + </p> + <p> + "I conceive that opium and the like make spirits fly rather by malignity + than by cold." + </p> + <p> + This great philosopher gave the following recipe for staunching blood: + </p> + <p> + "Thrust the part that bleedeth into the body of a capon, new ripped and + bleeding. This will staunch the blood. The blood, as it seemeth, sucking + and drawing up by similitude of substance the blood it meeteth with, and + so itself going back." + </p> + <p> + The philosopher also records this important fact: "Divers witches among + heathen and Christians have fed upon man's flesh to aid, as it seemeth, + their imagination with high and foul vapors." + </p> + <p> + Lord Bacon was not only a philosopher, but he was a biologist, as appears + from the following: + </p> + <p> + "As for living creatures, it is certain that their vital spirits are a + substance compounded of an airy and flamy matter, and although air and + flame being free will not mingle, yet bound in by a body that hath some + fixing, will." + </p> + <p> + Now and then the inventor of deduction reasons by analogy. He says: + </p> + <p> + "As snow and ice holpen, and their cold activated by nitre or salt, will + turn water into ice, so it may be it will turn wood or stiff clay into + stone." + </p> + <p> + Bacon seems to have been a believer in the transmutation of metals, and + solemnly gives a formula for changing silver or copper into gold. He also + believed in the transmutation of plants, and had arrived at such a height + in entomology that he informed the world that "insects have no blood." + </p> + <p> + It is claimed that he was a great observer, and as evidence of this he + recorded the wonderful fact that "tobacco cut and dried by the fire loses + weight" that "bears in the winter wax fat in sleep, though they eat + nothing" that "tortoises have no bones" that "there is a kind of stone, if + ground and put in water where cattle drink, the cows will give more milk" + that "it is hard to cure a hurt in a Frenchman's head, but easy in his + leg;" that "it is hard to cure a hurt in an Englishman's leg, but easy in + his head;" that "wounds made with brass weapons are easier to cure than + those made with iron;" that "lead will multiply and increase, as in + statues buried in the ground" and that "the rainbow touching anything + causeth a sweet smell." + </p> + <p> + Bacon seems also to have turned his attention to ornithology, and says + that "eggs laid in the full of the moon breed better birds," and that "you + can make swallows white by putting ointment on the eggs before they are + hatched." + </p> + <p> + He also informs us "that witches cannot hurt kings as easily as they can + common people" that "perfumes dry and strengthen the brain" that "any one + in the moment of triumph can be injured by another who casts an envious + eye, and the injury is greatest when the envious glance comes from the + oblique eye." + </p> + <p> + Lord Bacon also turned his attention to medicine, and he states that + "bracelets made of snakes are good for curing cramps" that "the skin of a + wolf might cure the colic, because a wolf has great digestion" that + "eating the roasted brains of hens and hares strengthens the memory" that + "if a woman about to become a mother eats a good many quinces and + considerable coriander seed, the child will be ingenious," and that "the + moss which groweth on the skull of an unburied dead man is good for + staunching blood." + </p> + <p> + He expresses doubt, however, "as to whether you can cure a wound by + putting ointment on the weapon that caused the wound, instead of on the + wound itself." + </p> + <p> + It is claimed by the advocates of the Baconian theory that their hero + stood at the top of science; and yet "it is absolutely certain that he was + ignorant of the law of the acceleration of falling bodies, although the + law had been made known and printed by Galileo thirty years before Bacon + wrote upon the subject. Neither did this great man understand the + principle of the lever. He was not acquainted with the precession of the + equinoxes, and as a matter of fact was ill-read in those branches of + learning in which, in his time, the most rapid progress had been made." + </p> + <p> + After Kepler discovered his third law, which was on the 15th of May, 1618, + Bacon was more than ever opposed to the Copernican system. This great man + was far behind his own time, not only in astronomy, but in mathematics. In + the preface to the "De-scriptio Globi Intellectualis," it is admitted + either that Bacon had never heard of the correction of the parallax, or + was unable to understand it. He complained on account of the want of some + method for shortening mathematical calculations; and yet "Napier's + Logarithms" had been printed nine years before the date of his complaint. + </p> + <p> + He attempted to form a table of specific gravities by a rude process of + his own, a process that no one has ever followed; and he did this in spite + of the fact that a far better method existed. + </p> + <p> + We have the right to compare what Bacon wrote with what it is claimed + Shakespeare produced. I call attention to one thing—to Bacon's + opinion of human love. It is this: + </p> + <p> + "The stage is more beholding to love than the life of man. As to the + stage, love is ever matter of comedies and now and then of tragedies, but + in life it doth much mischief—sometimes like a siren, sometimes like + a fury. Amongst all the great and worthy persons there is not one that + hath been transported to the mad degree of love, which shows that great + spirits and great business do keep out this weak passion." + </p> + <p> + The author of "Romeo and Juliet" never wrote that. + </p> + <p> + It seems certain that the author of the wondrous Plays was one of the + noblest of men. + </p> + <p> + Let us see what sense of honor Bacon had. + </p> + <p> + In writing commentaries on certain passages of Scripture, Lord Bacon tells + a courtier, who has committed some offence, how to get back into the + graces of his prince or king. Among other things he tells him not to + appear too cheerful, but to assume a very grave and modest face; not to + bring the matter up himself; to be extremely industrious, so that the + prince will see that it is hard to get along without him; also to get his + friends to tell the prince or king how badly he, the courtier, feels; and + then he says, all these failing, "let him contrive to transfer the fault + to others." + </p> + <p> + It is true that we know but little of Shakespeare, and consequently do not + positively know that he did not have the ability to write the Plays—but + we do know Bacon, and we know that he could not have written these Plays—consequently, + they must have been written by a comparatively unknown man—that is + to say, by a man who was known by no other writings. The fact that we do + not know Shakespeare, except through the Plays and Sonnets, makes it + possible for us to believe that he was the author. + </p> + <p> + Some people have imagined that the Plays were written by several—but + this only increases the wonder, and adds a useless burden to credulity. + </p> + <p> + Bacon published in his time all the writings that he claimed. Naturally, + he would have claimed his best. Is it possible that Bacon left the + wondrous children of his brain on the door-step of Shakespeare, and kept + the deformed ones at home? Is it possible that he fathered the failures + and deserted the perfect? + </p> + <p> + Of course, it is wonderful that so little has been found touching + Shakespeare—but is it not equally wonderful, if Bacon was the + author, that not a line has been found in all his papers, containing a + suggestion, or a hint, that he was the writer of these Plays? Is it not + wonderful that no fragment of any scene—no line—no word—has + been found? + </p> + <p> + Some have insisted that Bacon kept the authorship secret because it was + disgraceful to write Plays. This argument does not cover the Sonnets—and + besides, one who had been stripped of the robes of office for receiving + bribes as a judge, could have borne the additional disgrace of having + written "Hamlet." The fact that Bacon did not claim to be the author, + demonstrates that he was not. Shakespeare claimed to be the author, and no + one in his time or day denied the claim. This demonstrates that he was. + </p> + <p> + Bacon published his works, and said to the world: This is what I have + done. + </p> + <p> + Suppose you found in a cemetery a monument erected to John Smith, inventor + of the Smith-churn, and suppose you were told that Mr. Smith provided for + the monument in his will, and dictated the inscription—would it be + possible to convince you that Mr. Smith was also the inventor of the + locomotive and telegraph? + </p> + <p> + Bacon's best can be compared with Shakespeare's common, but Shakespeare's + best rises above Bacon's best, like a domed temple above a beggar's hut. + </p> + <p> + VI. + </p> + <p> + OF course it is admitted that there were many dramatists before and during + the time of Shakespeare—but they were only the foot hills of that + mighty peak the top of which the clouds and mists still hide. Chapman and + Marlowe, Heywood and Jonson, Webster, Beaumont and Fletcher wrote some + great lines, and in the monotony of declamation now and then is found a + strain of genuine music—but all of them together constituted only a + herald of Shakespeare. In all these Plays there is but a hint, a prophecy, + of the great drama destined to revolutionize the poetic thought of the + world. + </p> + <p> + Shakespeare was the greatest of poets. What Greece and Rome produced was + great until his time. "Lions make leopards tame." + </p> + <p> + The great poet is a great artist. He is painter and sculptor. The greatest + pictures and statues have been painted and chiseled with words. They + outlast all others. All the galleries of the world are poor and cheap + compared with the statues and pictures in Shakespeare's book. + </p> + <p> + Language is made of pictures represented by sounds. The outer world is a + dictionary of the mind, and the artist called the soul uses this + dictionary of things to express what happens in the noiseless and + invisible world of thought. First a sound represents something in the + outer world, and afterwards something in the inner, and this sound at last + is represented by a mark, and this mark stands for a picture, and every + brain is a gallery, and the artists—that is to say, the souls—exchange + pictures and statues. + </p> + <p> + All art is of the same parentage. The poet uses words—makes pictures + and statues of sounds. The sculptor expresses harmony, proportion, + passion, in marble; the composer, in music; the painter in form and color. + The dramatist expresses himself not only in words, not only paints these + pictures, but he expresses his thought in action. + </p> + <p> + Shakespeare was not only a poet, but a dramatist, and expressed the ideal, + the poetic, not only in words, but in action. There are the wit, the + humor, the pathos, the tragedy of situation, of relation. The dramatist + speaks and acts through others—his personality is lost. The poet + lives in the world of thought and feeling, and to this the dramatist adds + the world of action. He creates characters that seem to act in accordance + with their own natures and independently of him. He compresses lives into + hours, tells us the secrets of the heart, shows us the springs of action—how + desire bribes the judgment and corrupts the will—how weak the reason + is when passion pleads, and how grand it is to stand for right against the + world. + </p> + <p> + It is not enough to say fine things,—great things, dramatic things, + must be done. + </p> + <p> + Let me give you an illustration of dramatic incident accompanying the + highest form of poetic expression: + </p> + <p> + Macbeth having returned from the murder of Duncan says to his wife: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "Methought I heard a voice cry: Sleep no more, + Macbeth does murder sleep; the innocent sleep; + Sleep, that knits up the ravelled sleeve of care, + The death of each day's life, sore labor's bath, + Balm of hurt minds, great Nature's second course, + Chief nourisher in life's feast."... + + "Still it cried: Sleep no more, to all the house, + Glamis hath murdered sleep, and therefore Cawdor + Shall sleep no more—Macbeth shall sleep no more." +</pre> + <p> + She exclaims: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "Who was it that thus cried? + Why, worthy Thane, you do unbend your noble strength + To think so brain-sickly of things; get some water, + And wash this filthy witness from your hand. + Why did you bring the daggers from the place?" +</pre> + <p> + Macbeth was so overcome with horror at his own deed, that he not only + mistook his thoughts for the words of others, but was so carried away and + beyond himself that he brought with him the daggers—the evidence of + his guilt—the daggers that he should have left with the dead. This + is dramatic. + </p> + <p> + In the same play, the difference of feeling before and after the + commission of a crime is illustrated to perfection. When Macbeth is on his + way to assassinate the king, the bell strikes, and he says, or whispers: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "Hear it not, Duncan, for it is a knell." +</pre> + <p> + Afterward, when the deed has been committed, and a knocking is heard at + the gate, he cries: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "Wake Duncan with thy knocking. I would thou couldst." +</pre> + <p> + Let me give one more instance of dramatic action. When Antony speaks above + the body of Cæsar he says: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "You all do know this mantle: + I remember The first time ever Cæsar put it on— + 'Twas on a summer's evening, in his tent, + That day he overcame the Nervii: + Look! In this place ran Cassius' dagger through: + See what a rent the envious Casca made! + Through this the well-beloved Brutus stabbed, + And as he plucked his cursed steel away, + Mark how the blood of Cæsar followed it." +</pre> + <p> + VII. + </p> + <p> + THERE are men, and many of them, who are always trying to show that + somebody else chiseled the statue or painted the picture,—that the + poem is attributed to the wrong man, and that the battle was really won by + a subordinate. + </p> + <p> + Of course Shakespeare made use of the work of others—and, we might + almost say, of all others. Every writer must use the work of others. The + only question is, how the accomplishments of other minds are used, whether + as a foundation to build higher, or whether stolen to the end that the + thief may make a reputation for himself, without adding to the great + structure of literature. + </p> + <p> + Thousands of people have stolen stones from the Coliseum to make huts for + themselves. So thousands of writers have taken the thoughts of others with + which to adorn themselves. These are plagiarists. But the man who takes + the thought of another, adds to it, gives it intensity and poetic form, + throb and life,—is in the highest sense original. + </p> + <p> + Shakespeare found nearly all of his facts in the writings of others, and + was indebted to others for most of the stories of his plays. The question + is not: Who furnished the stone, or who owned the quarry, but who chiseled + the statue? + </p> + <p> + We now know all the books that Shakespeare could have read, and + consequently know many of the sources of his information. We find in + Pliny's <i>Natural History</i>, published in 1601, the following: "The sea + Pontis evermore floweth and runneth out into the Propontis; but the sea + never retireth back again with the Impontis." This was the raw material, + and out of it Shakespeare made the following: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "Like to the Pontic Sea, + Whose icy current and compulsive course + Ne'er feels retiring ebb, but keeps due on + To the Propontic and the Hellespont— + Even so my bloody thoughts, with violent pace, + Shall ne'er turn back, ne'er ebb to humble love, + Till that a capable and wide revenge Swallow them up." +</pre> + <p> + Perhaps we can give an idea of the difference between Shakespeare and + other poets, by a passage from "Lear." When Cordelia places her hand upon + her father's head and speaks of the night and of the storm, an ordinary + poet might have said: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "On such a night, a dog + Should have stood against my fire." +</pre> + <p> + A very great poet might have gone a step further and exclaimed: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "On such a night, mine enemy's dog + Should have stood against my fire." +</pre> + <p> + But Shakespeare said: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "Mine enemy's dog, though he had bit me, + Should have stood, that night, against my fire." +</pre> + <p> + Of all the poets—of all the writers—Shakespeare is the most + original. He is as original as Nature. + </p> + <p> + It may truthfully be said that "Nature wants stuff to vie strange forms + with fancy, to make another." + </p> + <p> + VIII. + </p> + <p> + THERE is in the greatest poetry a kind of extravagance that touches the + infinite, and in this Shakespeare exceeds all others. + </p> + <p> + You will remember the description given of the voyage of Paris in search + of Helen: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "The seas and winds, old wranglers, made a truce, + And did him service; he touched the ports desired, + And for an old aunt, whom the Greeks held captive, + He brought a Grecian queen whose youth and freshness + Wrinkles Apollo, and makes stale the morning." +</pre> + <p> + So, in Pericles, when the father finds his daughter, he cries out: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "O Helicanus! strike me, honored sir; + Give me a gash, put me to present pain, + Lest this great sea of joys, rushing upon me, + O'erbear the shores of my mortality." +</pre> + <p> + The greatest compliment that man has ever paid to the woman he adores is + this line: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "Eyes that do mislead the morn." +</pre> + <p> + Nothing can be conceived more perfectly poetic. In that marvelous play, + the "Midsummer Night's Dream," is one of the most extravagant things in + literature: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "Thou rememberest Since once I sat upon a promontory, + And heard a mermaid on a dolphin's back + Uttering such dulcet and harmonious breath + That the rude sea grew civil at her song, + And certain stars shot madly from their spheres + To hear the sea-maid's music." +</pre> + <p> + This is so marvelously told that it almost seems probable. + </p> + <p> + So the description of Mark Antony: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "For his bounty + There was no winter in't—an autumn t'was + That grew the more by reaping. + + His delights + Were dolphin-like—they showed his back above + The element they lived in." +</pre> + <p> + Think of the astronomical scope and amplitude of this: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "Her bed is India—there she lies a pearl." +</pre> + <p> + Is there anything more intense than these words of Cleopatra? + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "Rather on Nilus mud lay me stark naked + And let the water-flies blow me into abhorring." +</pre> + <p> + Or this of Isabella: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "The impression of keen whips I'd wear as rubies, + And strip myself to death as to a bed + That longing I've been sick for, ere I yield + My body up to shame." +</pre> + <p> + Is there an intellectual man in the world who will not agree with this? + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "Let me not live + After my flame lacks oil, to be the snuff + Of younger spirits." +</pre> + <p> + Can anything exceed the words of Troilus when parting with Cressida: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "We two, that with so many thousand sighs + Did buy each other, most poorly sell ourselves + With the rude brevity and discharge of one. + Injurious time now with a robber's haste + Crams his rich thievery up, he knows not how; + As many farewells as be stars in heaven, + With distinct breath and consigned kisses to them, + He fumbles up into a loos'e adieu, + And scants us with a single famished kiss, + Distasted with the salt of broken tears." +</pre> + <p> + Take this example, where pathos almost touches the grotesque. + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "O dear Juliet, why art thou yet so fair? + Shall I believe that unsubstantial death is amorous, + And that the lean, abhorred monster keeps thee here. + I' the dark, to be his paramour?" +</pre> + <p> + Often when reading the marvelous lines of Shakespeare, I feel that his + thoughts are "too subtle potent, tuned too sharp in sweetness, for the + capacity of my ruder powers." Sometimes I cry out, "O churl!—write + all, and leave no thoughts for those who follow after." + </p> + <p> + IX. + </p> + <p> + SHAKESPEARE was an innovator, an iconoclast. He cared nothing for the + authority of men or of schools. He violated the "unities," and cared + nothing for the models of the ancient world. + </p> + <p> + The Greeks insisted that nothing should be in a play that did not tend to + the catastrophe. They did not believe in the episode—in the sudden + contrasts of light and shade—in mingling the comic and the tragic. + The sunlight never fell upon their tears, and darkness did not overtake + their laughter. They believed that nature sympathized or was in harmony + with the events of the play. When crime was about to be committed—some + horror to be perpetrated—the light grew dim, the wind sighed, the + trees shivered, and upon all was the shadow of the coming event. + </p> + <p> + Shakespeare knew that the play had little to do with the tides and + currents of universal life—that Nature cares neither for smiles nor + tears, for life nor death, and that the sun shines as gladly on coffins as + on cradles. + </p> + <p> + The first time I visited the Place de la Concorde, where during the French + Revolution stood the guillotine, and where now stands an Egyptian obelisk—a + bird, sitting on the top, was singing with all its might.—Nature + forgets. + </p> + <p> + One of the most notable instances of the violation by Shakespeare of the + classic model, is found in the 6th scene of the I. Act of Macbeth. + </p> + <p> + When the King and Banquo approach the castle in which the King is to be + murdered that night, no shadow falls athwart the threshold. So beautiful + is the scene that the King says: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "This castle hath a pleasant seat; the air + Nimbly and sweetly recommends itself + Unto our gentle senses." +</pre> + <p> + And Banquo adds: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "This guest of summer, + The temple-haunting martlet, does approve + By his loved mansionry that the heaven's breath + Smells wooingly here; no jutty, frieze, + Buttress, nor coign of vantage, but this bird + Hath made his pendent bed and procreant cradle. + Where they most breed and haunt, I have observed + The air is delicate." +</pre> + <p> + Another notable instance is the porter scene immediately following the + murder. So, too, the dialogue with the clown who brings the asp to + Cleopatra just before the suicide, illustrates my meaning. + </p> + <p> + I know of one paragraph in the Greek drama worthy of Shakespeare. This is + in "Medea." When Medea kills her children she curses Jason, using the + ordinary Billingsgate and papal curse, but at the conclusion says: "I pray + the gods to make him virtuous, that he may the more deeply feel the pang + that I inflict." + </p> + <p> + Shakespeare dealt in lights and shadows. He was intense. He put noons and + midnights side by side. No other dramatist would have dreamed of adding to + the pathos—of increasing our appreciation of Lear's agony, by + supplementing the wail of the mad king with the mocking laughter of a + loving clown. + </p> + <p> + X. + </p> + <p> + THE ordinary dramatists—the men of talent—(and there is the + same difference between talent and genius that there is between a + stone-mason and a sculptor) create characters that become types. Types are + of necessity caricatures—actual men and women are to some extent + contradictory in their actions. Types are blown in the one direction by + the one wind—characters have pilots. + </p> + <p> + In real people, good and evil mingle. Types are all one way, or all the + other—all good, or all bad, all wise, or all foolish. + </p> + <p> + Pecksniff was a perfect type, a perfect hypocrite—and will remain a + type as long as language lives—a hypocrite that even drunkenness + could not change. Everybody understands Pecksniff, and compared with him + Tartuffe was an honest man. + </p> + <p> + Hamlet is an individual, a person, an actual being—and for that + reason there is a difference of opinion as to his motives and as to his + character. We differ about Hamlet as we do about Cæsar, or about + Shakespeare himself. + </p> + <p> + Hamlet saw the ghost of his father and heard again his fathers voice, and + yet, afterward, he speaks of "the undiscovered country from whose bourne + no traveler returns." + </p> + <p> + In this there is no contradiction. The reason outweighs the senses. If we + should see a dead man rise from his grave, we would not, the next day, + believe that we did. No one can credit a miracle until it becomes so + common that it ceases to be miraculous. + </p> + <p> + Types are puppets—controlled from without—characters act from + within. There is the same difference between characters and types that + there is between springs and water-works, between canals and rivers, + between wooden soldiers and heroes. + </p> + <p> + In most plays and in most novels the characters are so shadowy that we + have to piece them out with the imagination. + </p> + <p> + One waking in the morning sometimes sees at the foot of his bed a strange + figure—it may be of an ancient lady with cap and ruffles and with + the expression of garrulous and fussy old age—but when the light + gets stronger, the figure gradually changes and he sees a few clothes on a + chair. + </p> + <p> + The dramatist lives the lives of others, and in order to delineate + character must not only have imagination but sympathy with the character + delineated. The great dramatist thinks of a character as an entirety, as + an individual. + </p> + <p> + I once had a dream, and in this dream I was discussing a subject with + another man. It occurred to me that I was dreaming, and I then said to + myself: If this is a dream, I am doing the talking for both sides—consequently + I ought to know in advance what the other man is going to say. In my dream + I tried the experiment. I then asked the other man a question, and before + he answered made up my mind what the answer was to be. To my surprise, the + man did not say what I expected he would, and so great was my astonishment + that I awoke. + </p> + <p> + It then occurred to me that I had discovered the secret of Shakespeare. He + did, when awake, what I did when asleep—that is, he threw off a + character so perfect that it acted independently of him. + </p> + <p> + In the delineation of character Shakespeare has no rivals. He creates no + monsters. His characters do not act without reason, without motive. + </p> + <p> + Iago had his reasons. In Caliban, nature was not destroyed—and Lady + Macbeth certifies that the woman still was in her heart, by saying: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "Had he not resembled my father as he slept, I had done it." +</pre> + <p> + Shakespeare's characters act from within. They are centres of energy. They + are not pushed by unseen hands, or pulled by unseen strings. They have + objects, desires. They are persons—real, living beings. + </p> + <p> + Few dramatists succeed in getting their characters loose from the canvas—their + backs stick to the wall—they do not have free and independent action—they + have no background, no unexpressed motives—no untold desires. They + lack the complexity of the real. + </p> + <p> + Shakespeare makes the character true to itself. Christopher Sly, + surrounded by the luxuries of a lord, true to his station, calls for a pot + of the smallest ale. + </p> + <p> + Take one expression by Lady Macbeth. You remember that after the murder is + discovered—after the alarm bell is rung—she appears upon the + scene wanting to know what has happened. Macduff refuses to tell her, + saying that the slightest word would murder as it fell. At this moment + Banquo comes upon the scene and Macduff cries out to him: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "Our royal master's murdered." +</pre> + <p> + What does Lady Macbeth then say? She in fact makes a confession of guilt. + The weak point in the terrible tragedy is that Duncan was murdered in + Macbeth's castle. So when Lady Macbeth hears what they suppose is news to + her, she cries: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "What! In our house!" +</pre> + <p> + Had she been innocent, her horror of the crime would have made her forget + the place—the venue. Banquo sees through this, and sees through her. + </p> + <p> + Her expression was a light, by which he saw her guilt—and he + answers: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "Too cruel anywhere." +</pre> + <p> + No matter whether Shakespeare delineated clown or king, warrior or maiden—no + matter whether his characters are taken from the gutter or the throne—each + is a work of consummate art, and when he is unnatural, he is so splendid + that the defect is forgotten. + </p> + <p> + When Romeo is told of the death of Juliet, and thereupon makes up his mind + to die upon her grave, he gives a description of the shop where poison + could be purchased. He goes into particulars and tells of the alligators + stuffed, of the skins of ill-shaped fishes, of the beggarly account of + empty boxes, of the remnants of pack-thread, and old cakes of roses—and + while it is hardly possible to believe that under such circumstances a man + would take the trouble to make an inventory of a strange kind of + drug-store, yet the inventory is so perfect—the picture is so + marvelously drawn—that we forget to think whether it is natural or + not. + </p> + <p> + In making the frame of a great picture—of a great scene—Shakespeare + was often careless, but the picture is perfect. In making the sides of the + arch he was negligent, but when he placed the keystone, it burst into + blossom. Of course there are many lines in Shakespeare that never should + have been written. In other words, there are imperfections in his plays. + But we must remember that Shakespeare furnished the torch that enables us + to see these imperfections. + </p> + <p> + Shakespeare speaks through his characters, and we must not mistake what + the characters say, for the opinion of Shakespeare. No one can believe + that Shakespeare regarded life as "a tale told by an idiot, full of sound + and fury, signifying nothing." That was the opinion of a murderer, + surrounded by avengers, and whose wife—partner in his crimes—troubled + with thick-coming fancies—had gone down to her death. + </p> + <p> + Most actors and writers seem to suppose that the lines called "The Seven + Ages" contain Shakespeare's view of human life. Nothing could be further + from the truth. The lines were uttered by a cynic, in contempt and scorn + of the human race. + </p> + <p> + Shakespeare did not put his characters in the livery and uniform of some + weakness, peculiarity or passion. He did not use names as tags or brands. + He did not write under the picture, "This is a villain." His characters + need no suggestive names to tell us what they are—we see them and we + know them for ourselves. + </p> + <p> + It may be that in the greatest utterances of the greatest characters in + the supreme moments, we have the real thoughts, opinions and convictions + of Shakespeare. + </p> + <p> + Of all writers Shakespeare is the most impersonal. He speaks through + others, and the others seem to speak for themselves. The didactic is lost + in the dramatic. He does not use the stage as a pulpit to enforce some + maxim. He is as reticent as Nature. + </p> + <p> + He idealizes the common and transfigures all he touches—but he does + not preach. He was interested in men and things as they were. He did not + seek to change them—but to portray. He was Natures mirror—and + in that mirror Nature saw herself. + </p> + <p> + When I stood amid the great trees of California that lift their spreading + capitals against the clouds, looking like Nature's columns to support the + sky, I thought of the poetry of Shakespeare. + </p> + <p> + IX. + </p> + <p> + THAT a procession of men and women—statesmen and warriors—kings + and clowns—issued from Shakespeare's brain! What women! + </p> + <p> + <i>Isabella</i>—in whose spotless life love and reason blended into + perfect truth. + </p> + <p> + <i>Juliet</i>—within whose heart passion and purity met like white + and red within the bosom of a rose. + </p> + <p> + <i>Cordelia</i>—who chose to suffer loss, rather than show her + wealth of love with those who gilded lies in hope of gain. + </p> + <p> + <i>Hermione</i>—"tender as infancy and grace"—who bore with + perfect hope and faith the cross of shame, and who at last forgave with + all her heart. + </p> + <p> + <i>Desdemona</i>—so innocent, so perfect, her love so pure, that she + was incapable of suspecting that another could suspect, and who with dying + words sought to hide her lover's crime—and with her last faint + breath uttered a loving lie that burst into a perfumed lily between her + pallid lips. + </p> + <p> + <i>Perdita</i>—"a violet dim, and sweeter than the lids of Juno's + eyes"—"The sweetest low-born lass that ever ran on the green sward." + And + </p> + <p> + <i>Helena</i>—who said: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "I know I love in vain, strive against hope— + Yet in this captious and intenable sieve + I still pour in the waters of my love, + And lack not to lose still, + Thus, Indian-like, + Religious in mine error, I adore + The sun that looks upon his worshiper, + But knows of him no more." +</pre> + <p> + <i>Miranda</i>—who told her love as gladly as a flower gives its + bosom to the kisses of the sun. And <i>Cordelia</i>—whose kisses + cured and whose tears restored. And stainless + </p> + <p> + <i>Imogen</i>—who cried: "What is it to be false?" And here is the + description of the perfect woman: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "To feed for aye her lamp and flames of love; + To keep her constancy in plight and youth— + Outliving beauty's outward with a mind + That doth renew swifter than blood decays." +</pre> + <p> + Shakespeare has done more for woman than all the other dramatists of the + world. + </p> + <p> + For my part, I love the Clowns. I love <i>Launce</i> and his dog Crabb, + and <i>Gobbo</i>, whose conscience threw its arms around the neck of his + heart, and <i>Touchstone</i>, with his lie seven times removed; and dear + old <i>Dogberry</i>—a pretty piece of flesh, tedious as a king. And + <i>Bottom</i>, the very paramour for a sweet voice, longing to take the + part to tear a cat in; and <i>Autolycus</i>, the snapper-up of + unconsidered trifles, sleeping out the thought for the life to come. And + great <i>Sir John</i>, without conscience, and for that reason unblamed + and enjoyed—and who at the end babbles of green fields, and is + almost loved. And ancient <i>Pistol</i>, the world his oyster. And <i>Bardolph</i>, + with the flea on his blazing nose, putting beholders in mind of a damned + soul in hell. And the poor <i>Pool</i>, who followed the mad king, and + went "to bed at noon." And the clown who carried the worm of Nilus, whose + "biting was immortal." And <i>Corin</i>, the shepherd—who described + the perfect man: "I am a true laborer: I earn that I eat—get that I + wear—owe no man aught—envy no man's happiness—glad of + other men's good—content." + </p> + <p> + And mingling in this motley throng, Lear, within whose brain a tempest + raged until the depths were stirred, and the intellectual wealth of a life + was given back to memory?—and then by madness thrown to storm and + night—and when I read the living lines I feel as though I looked + upon the sea and saw it wrought by frenzied whirlwinds, until the buried + treasures and the sunken wrecks of all the years were cast upon the + shores. + </p> + <p> + And <i>Othello</i>—who like the base Indian threw a pearl away + richer than all his tribe. + </p> + <p> + And <i>Hamlet</i>—thought-entangled—hesitating between two + worlds. + </p> + <p> + And <i>Macbeth</i>—strange mingling of cruelty and conscience, + reaping the sure harvest of successful crime—"Curses not loud but + deep—mouth-honor—breath." + </p> + <p> + And <i>Brutus</i>, falling on his sword that Cæsar might be still. + </p> + <p> + And <i>Romeo</i>, dreaming of the white wonder of Juliet's hand. And <i>Ferdinand</i>, + the patient log-man for Miranda's sake. And <i>Florizel</i>, who, "for all + the sun sees, or the close earth wombs, or the profound seas hide," would + not be faithless to the low-born lass. And <i>Constance</i>, weeping for + her son, while grief "stuffs out his vacant garments with his form." + </p> + <p> + And in the midst of tragedies and tears, of love and laughter and crime, + we hear the voice of the good friar, who declares that in every human + heart, as in the smallest flower, there are encamped the opposed hosts of + good and evil—and our philosophy is interrupted by the garrulous old + nurse, whose talk is as busily useless as the babble of a stream that + hurries by a ruined mill. + </p> + <p> + From every side the characters crowd upon us—the men and women born + of Shakespeare's brain. They utter with a thousand voices the thoughts of + the "myriad-minded" man, and impress themselves upon us as deeply and + vividly as though they really lived with us. + </p> + <p> + Shakespeare alone has delineated love in every possible phase—has + ascended to the very top, and actually reached heights that no other has + imagined. I do not believe the human mind will ever produce or be in a + position to appreciate, a greater love-play than "Romeo and Juliet." It is + a symphony in which all music seems to blend. The heart bursts into + blossom, and he who reads feels the swooning intoxication of a divine + perfume. + </p> + <p> + In the alembic of Shakespeare's brain the baser metals were turned to gold—passions + became virtues—weeds became exotics from some diviner land—and + common mortals made of ordinary clay outranked the Olympian Gods. In his + brain there was the touch of chaos that suggests the infinite—that + belongs to genius. Talent is measured and mathematical—dominated by + prudence and the thought of use. Genius is tropical. The creative instinct + runs riot, delights in extravagance and waste, and overwhelms the mental + beggars of the world with uncounted gold and unnumbered gems. + </p> + <p> + Some things are immortal: The plays of Shakespeare, the marbles of the + Greeks, and the music of Wagner. + </p> + <p> + XII. + </p> + <p> + SHAKESPEARE was the greatest of philosophers. He knew the conditions of + success—of happiness—the relations that men sustain to each + other, and the duties of all. He knew the tides and currents of the heart—the + cliffs and caverns of the brain. He knew the weakness of the will, the + sophistry of desire—and + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "That pleasure and revenge have ears more deaf than + Adders to the voice of any true decision." +</pre> + <p> + He knew that the soul lives in an invisible world—that flesh is but + a mask, and that + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "There is no art to find the mind's construction + In the face." +</pre> + <p> + He knew that courage should be the servant of judgment, and that + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "When valor preys on reason it eats the sword + It fights with." +</pre> + <p> + He knew that man is never master of the event, that he is to some extent + the sport or prey of the blind forces of the world, and that + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "In the reproof of chance lies the true proof of men." +</pre> + <p> + Feeling that the past is unchangeable, and that that which must happen is + as much beyond control as though it had happened, he says: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "Let determined things to destiny + Hold unbewailed their way." +</pre> + <p> + Shakespeare was great enough to know that every human being prefers + happiness to misery, and that crimes are but mistakes. Looking in pity + upon the human race, upon the pain and poverty, the crimes and cruelties, + the limping travelers on the thorny paths, he was great and good enough to + say: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "There is no darkness but ignorance." +</pre> + <p> + In all the philosophies there is no greater line. This great truth fills + the heart with pity. + </p> + <p> + He knew that place and power do not give happiness—that the crowned + are subject as the lowest to fate and chance. + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "For within the hollow crown, + That rounds the mortal temples of a king, + Keeps death his court; and there the antick sits, + Scoffing his state, and grinning at his pomp; + Allowing him a breath, a little scene + To monarchize, be fear'd, and kill with looks; + Infusing him with self and vain conceit.— + As if this flesh, which walls about our life, + Were brass impregnable; and, humour'd thus; + Comes at the last, and with a little pin + Bores through his castle wall, and—farewell king!" +</pre> + <p> + So, too, he knew that gold could not bring joy—that death and + misfortune come alike to rich and poor, because: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "If thou art rich thou art poor; + For like an ass whose back with ingots bows + Thou bearest thy heavy riches but a journey, + And death unloads thee." +</pre> + <p> + In some of his philosophy there was a kind of scorn—a hidden meaning + that could not in his day and time have safely been expressed. You will + remember that Laertes was about to kill the king, and this king was the + murderer of his own brother, and sat upon the throne by reason of his + crime—and in the mouth of such a king Shakespeare puts these words: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "There's such divinity doth hedge a king." +</pre> + <p> + So, in Macbeth: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "How he solicits + Heaven himself best knows; but strangely visited people + All swollen and ulcerous, pitiful to the eye, + The mere despairs of surgery, he cures; + Hanging a golden stamp about their necks, + Put on with holy prayers; and 'tis spoken + To the succeeding royalty—he leaves + The healing benediction. + + With this strange virtue + He hath a heavenly gift of prophecy, + And sundry blessings hang about his throne, + That speak him full of grace." +</pre> + <p> + Shakespeare was the master of the human heart—knew all the hopes, + fears, ambitions and passions that sway the mind of man; and thus knowing, + he declared that + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "Love is not love that alters + When it alteration finds." +</pre> + <p> + This is the sublimest declaration in the literature of the world. + </p> + <p> + Shakespeare seems to give the generalization—the result—without + the process of thought. He seems always to be at the conclusion—standing + where all truths meet. + </p> + <p> + In one of the Sonnets is this fragment of a line that contains the highest + possible truth: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "Conscience is born of love." +</pre> + <p> + If man were incapable of suffering, the words right and wrong never could + have been spoken. If man were destitute of imagination, the flower of pity + never could have blossomed in his heart. + </p> + <p> + We suffer—we cause others to suffer—those that we love—and + of this fact conscience is born. + </p> + <p> + Love is the many-colored flame that makes the fireside of the heart. It is + the mingled spring and autumn—the perfect climate of the soul. + </p> + <p> + XIII. + </p> + <p> + IN the realm of comparison Shakespeare seems to have exhausted the + relations, parallels and similitudes of things, He only could have said: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "Tedious as a twice-told tale + Vexing the ears of a drowsy man." + "Duller than a great thaw. + Dry as the remainder biscuit after a voyage." +</pre> + <p> + In the words of Ulysses, spoken to Achilles, we find the most wonderful + collection of pictures and comparisons ever compressed within the same + number of lines: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "Time hath, my lord, a wallet at his back, + Wherein he puts alms for oblivion,— + A great-sized monster of ingratitudes— + Those scraps are good deeds past; which are devoured + As fast as they are made, forgot as soon + As done; perseverance, dear my lord, + Keeps honor bright: to have done is to hang + Quite out of fashion, like a rusty mail + In monumental mockery. Take the instant way; + For honor travels in a strait so narrow + Where one but goes abreast; keep then the path; + For emulation hath a thousand sons + That one by one pursue; if you give way, + Or hedge aside from the direct forthright, + Like to an entered tide, they all rush by + And leave you hindmost: + Or, like a gallant horse fallen in first rank, + Lie there for pavement to the abject rear, + O'errun and trampled on: then what they do in present, + Tho' less than yours in past, must o'ertop yours; + For time is like a fashionable host + That slightly shakes his parting guest by the hand, + And with his arms outstretched as he would fly, + Grasps in the comer: Welcome ever smiles, + And Farewell goes out sighing." +</pre> + <p> + So the words of Cleopatra, when Charmain speaks: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "Peace, peace: + Dost thou not see my baby at my breast + That sucks the nurse asleep?" +</pre> + <p> + XIV. + </p> + <p> + NOTHING is more difficult than a definition—a crystallization of + thought so perfect that it emits light. Shakespeare says of suicide: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "It is great to do that thing + That ends all other deeds, + Which shackles accident, and bolts up change." +</pre> + <p> + He defines drama to be: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "Turning the accomplishments of many years + Into an hour glass." +</pre> + <p> + Of death: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "This sensible warm motion to become a kneaded clod, + To lie in cold obstruction and to rot." +</pre> + <p> + Of memory: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "The warder of the brain." +</pre> + <p> + Of the body: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "This muddy vesture of decay." +</pre> + <p> + And he declares that + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "Our little life is rounded with a sleep." +</pre> + <p> + He speaks of Echo as: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "The babbling gossip of the air"— +</pre> + <p> + Romeo, addressing the poison that he is about to take, says: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "Come, bitter conduct, come unsavory guide, + Thou desperate pilot, now at once run on + The dashing rocks thy sea-sick, weary bark." +</pre> + <p> + He describes the world as + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "This bank and shoal of time." +</pre> + <p> + He says of rumor— + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "That it doubles, like the voice and echo." +</pre> + <p> + It would take days to call attention to the perfect definitions, + comparisons and generalizations of Shakespeare. He gave us the deeper + meanings of our words—taught us the art of speech. He was the lord + of language—master of expression and compression. + </p> + <p> + He put the greatest thoughts into the shortest words—made the poor + rich and the common royal. + </p> + <p> + Production enriched his brain. Nothing exhausted him. The moment his + attention was called to any subject—comparisons, definitions, + metaphors and generalizations filled his mind and begged for utterance. + His thoughts like bees robbed every blossom in the world, and then with + "merry march" brought the rich booty home "to the tent royal of their + emperor." + </p> + <p> + Shakespeare was the confidant of Nature. To him she opened her "infinite + book of secrecy," and in his brain were "the hatch and brood of time." + </p> + <p> + XV. + </p> + <p> + THERE is in Shakespeare the mingling of laughter and tears, humor and + pathos. Humor is the rose, wit the thorn. Wit is a crystallization, humor + an efflorescence. Wit comes from the brain, humor from the heart. Wit is + the lightning of the soul. + </p> + <p> + In Shakespeare's nature was the climate of humor. He saw and felt the + sunny side even of the saddest things. You have seen sunshine and rain at + once. So Shakespeare's tears fell oft upon his smiles. In moments of peril—on + the very darkness of death—there comes a touch of humor that falls + like a fleck of sunshine. + </p> + <p> + Gonzalo, when the ship is about to sink, having seen the boatswain, + exclaims: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "I have great comfort from this fellow; + Methinks he hath no drowning mark upon him; + His complexion is perfect gallows." +</pre> + <p> + Shakespeare is filled with the strange contrasts of grief and laughter. + While poor Hero is supposed to be dead—wrapped in the shroud of + dishonor—Dogberry and Verges unconsciously put again the wedding + wreath upon her pure brow. + </p> + <p> + The soliloquy of Launcelot—great as Hamlet's—offsets the + bitter and burning words of Shylock. + </p> + <p> + There is only time to speak of Maria in "Twelfth Night," of Autolycus in + the "Winter's Tale," of the parallel drawn by Fluellen between Alexander + of Macedon and Harry of Monmouth, or of the marvelous humor of Falstaff, + who never had the faintest thought of right or wrong—or of Mercutio, + that embodiment of wit and humor—or of the gravediggers who lamented + that "great folk should have countenance in this world to drown and hang + themselves, more than their even Christian," and who reached the + generalization that "the gallows does well because it does well to those + who do ill." + </p> + <p> + There is also an example of grim humor—an example without a parallel + in literature, so far as I know. Hamlet having killed Polonius is asked: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "Where's Polonius?" + + "At supper." + + "At supper! where?" + + "Not where he eats, but where he is eaten." +</pre> + <p> + Above all others, Shakespeare appreciated the pathos of situation. + </p> + <p> + Nothing is more pathetic than the last scene in "Lear." No one has ever + bent above his dead who did not feel the words uttered by the mad king,—words + born of a despair deeper than tears: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "Oh, that a horse, a dog, a rat hath life + And thou no breath!" +</pre> + <p> + So Iago, after he has been wounded, says: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "I bleed, sir; but not killed." +</pre> + <p> + And Othello answers from the wreck and shattered remnant of his life: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "I would have thee live; + For in my sense it is happiness to die." +</pre> + <p> + When Troilus finds Cressida has been false, he cries: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "Let it not be believed for womanhood; + Think! we had mothers." +</pre> + <p> + Ophelia, in her madness, "<i>the sweet bells jangled out o' tune,</i>" + says softly: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "I would give you some violets; + But they withered all when my father died." +</pre> + <p> + When Macbeth has reaped the harvest, the seeds of which were sown by his + murderous hand, he exclaims,—and what could be more pitiful? + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "I 'gin to be aweary of the sun." +</pre> + <p> + Richard the Second feels how small a thing it is to be, or to have been, a + king, or to receive honors before or after power is lost; and so, of those + who stood uncovered before him, he asks this piteous question: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "I live with bread, like you; feel want, + Taste grief, need friends; subjected thus, + How can you say to me I am a king?" +</pre> + <p> + Think of the salutation of Antony to the dead Cæsar: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "Pardon me, thou piece of bleeding earth." +</pre> + <p> + When Pisanio informs Imogen that he had been ordered by Posthumus to + murder her, she bares her neck and cries: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "The lamb entreats the butcher: + Where is thy knife? Thou art too slow + To do thy master's bidding when I desire it." +</pre> + <p> + Antony, as the last drops are falling from his self-inflicted wound, + utters with his dying breath to Cleopatra, this: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "I here importune death awhile, until + Of many thousand kisses the poor last + I lay upon thy lips." +</pre> + <p> + To me, the last words of Hamlet are full of pathos: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "I die, Horatio. + The potent poison quite o' er crows my spirit... + The rest is silence." +</pre> + <p> + XVI. + </p> + <p> + SOME have insisted that Shakespeare must have been a physician, for the + reason that he shows such knowledge of medicine—of the symptoms of + disease and death—was so familiar with the brain, and with insanity + in all its forms. + </p> + <p> + I do not think he was a physician. He knew too much—his + generalizations were too splendid. He had none of the prejudices of that + profession in his time. We might as well say that he was a musician, a + composer, because we find in "The Two Gentlemen of Verona" nearly every + musical term known in Shakespeare's time. + </p> + <p> + Others maintain that he was a lawyer, perfectly acquainted with the forms, + with the expressions familiar to that profession—yet there is + nothing to show that he was a lawyer, or that he knew more about law than + any intelligent man should know. + </p> + <p> + He was not a lawyer. His sense of justice was never dulled by reading + English law. + </p> + <p> + Some think that he was a botanist, because he named nearly all known + plants. Others, that he was an astronomer, a naturalist, because he gave + hints and suggestions of nearly all discoveries. + </p> + <p> + Some have thought that he must have been a sailor, for the reason that the + orders given in the opening of "The Tempest" were the best that could, + under the circumstances, have been given to save the ship. + </p> + <p> + For my part, I think there is nothing in the plays to show that he was a + lawyer, doctor, botanist or scientist. He had the observant eyes that + really see, the ears that really hear, the brain that retains all + pictures, all thoughts, logic as unerring as light,-the imagination that + supplies defects and builds the perfect from a fragment. And these + faculties, these aptitudes, working together, account for what he did. + </p> + <p> + He exceeded all the sons of men in the splendor of his imagination. To him + the whole world paid tribute, and nature poured her treasures at his feet. + In him all races lived again, and even those to be were pictured in his + brain. + </p> + <p> + He was a man of imagination—that is to say, of genius, and having + seen a leaf, and a drop of water, he could construct the forests, the + rivers, and the seas—and in his presence all the cataracts would + fall and foam, the mists rise, the clouds form and float. + </p> + <p> + If Shakespeare knew one fact, he knew its kindred and its neighbors. + Looking at a coat of mail, he instantly imagined the society, the + conditions, that produced it and what it, in turn, produced. He saw the + castle, the moat, the draw-bridge, the lady in the tower, and the knightly + lover spurring across the plain. He saw the bold baron and the rude + retainer, the trampled serf, and all the glory and the grief of feudal + life. + </p> + <p> + He lived the life of all. + </p> + <p> + He was a citizen of Athens in the days of Pericles. He listened to the + eager eloquence of the great orators, and sat upon the cliffs, and with + the tragic poet heard "the multitudinous laughter of the sea." He saw + Socrates thrust the spear of question through the shield and heart of + falsehood. He was present when the great man drank hemlock, and met the + night of death, tranquil as a star meets morning. He listened to the + peripatetic philosophers, and was unpuzzled by the sophists. He watched + Phidias as he chiseled shapeless stone to forms of love and awe. + </p> + <p> + He lived by the mysterious Nile, amid the vast and monstrous. He knew the + very thought that wrought the form and features of the Sphinx. He heard + great Memnon's morning song when marble lips were smitten by the sun. He + laid him down with the embalmed and waiting dead, and felt within their + dust the expectation of another life, mingled with cold and suffocating + doubts—the children born of long delay. + </p> + <p> + He walked the ways of mighty Rome, and saw great Cæsar with his + legions in the field. He stood with vast and motley throngs and watched + the triumphs given to victorious men, followed by uncrowned kings, the + captured hosts, and all the spoils of ruthless war. He heard the shout + that shook the Coliseum's roofless walls, when from the reeling + gladiator's hand the short sword fell, while from his bosom gushed the + stream of wasted life. + </p> + <p> + He lived the life of savage men. He trod the forests' silent depths, and + in the desperate game of life or death he matched his thought against the + instinct of the beast. + </p> + <p> + He knew all crimes and all regrets, all virtues and their rich rewards. He + was victim and victor, pursuer and pursued, outcast and king. He heard the + applause and curses of the world, and on his heart had fallen all the + nights and noons of failure and success. + </p> + <p> + He knew the unspoken thoughts, the dumb desires, the wants and ways of + beasts. He felt the crouching tiger's thrill, the terror of the ambushed + prey, and with the eagles he had shared the ecstasy of flight and poise + and swoop, and he had lain with sluggish serpents on the barren rocks + uncoiling slowly in the heat of noon. + </p> + <p> + He sat beneath the bo-tree's contemplative shade, wrapped in Buddha's + mighty thought, and dreamed all dreams that light, the alchemist, has + wrought from dust and dew, and stored within the slumbrous poppy's subtle + blood. + </p> + <p> + He knelt with awe and dread at every shrine—he offered every + sacrifice, and every prayer—felt the consolation and the shuddering + fear—mocked and worshiped all the gods—enjoyed all heavens, + and felt the pangs of every hell. + </p> + <p> + He lived all lives, and through his blood and brain there crept the shadow + and the chill of every death, and his soul, like Mazeppa, was lashed naked + to the wild horse of every fear and love and hate. + </p> + <p> + The Imagination had a stage in. Shakespeare's brain, whereon were set all + scenes that lie between the morn of laughter and the night of tears, and + where his players bodied forth the false and true, the joys and griefs, + the careless shallows and the tragic deeps of universal life. + </p> + <p> + From Shakespeare's brain there poured a Niagara of gems spanned by Fancy's + seven-hued arch. He was as many-sided as clouds are many-formed. To him + giving was hoarding—sowing was harvest—and waste itself the + source of wealth. Within his marvelous mind were the fruits of all thought + past, the seeds of all to be. As a drop of dew contains the image of the + earth and sky, so all there is of life was mirrored forth in Shakespeare's + brain. + </p> + <p> + Shakespeare was an intellectual ocean, whose waves touched all the shores + of thought; within which were all the tides and waves of destiny and will; + over which swept all the storms of fate, ambition and revenge; upon which + fell the gloom and darkness of despair and death and all the sunlight of + content and love, and within which was the inverted sky lit with the + eternal stars—an intellectual ocean—towards which all rivers + ran, and from which now the isles and continents of thought receive their + dew and rain. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link0002" id="link0002"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> + </div> + <h2> + ROBERT BURNS.* + </h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + * This lecture is printed from notes found among Colonel + Ingersoll's papers, but was not revised by him for + publication. +</pre> + <p> + A facsimile of the original manuscript as written by Colonel Ingersoll in + the Burns' cottage at Ayr, August 19, 1878. + </p> + <div class="fig" style="width:80%;"> + <img src="images/facsimile.jpg" alt="Burn's Manuscript" width="100%" /><br /> + </div> + <p> + We have met to-night to honor the memory of a poet—possibly the + next to the greatest that has ever written in our language. I would place + one above him, and only one—Shakespeare. + </p> + <p> + It may be well enough at the beginning to inquire, What is a poet? What is + poetry? + </p> + <p> + Every one has some idea of the poetic, and this idea is born of his + experience—of his education—of his surroundings. + </p> + <p> + There have been more nations than poets. + </p> + <p> + Many people suppose that poetry is a kind of art depending upon certain + rules, and that it is only necessary to find out these rules to be a poet. + But these rules have never been found. The great poet follows them + unconsciously. The great poet seems as unconscious as Nature, and the + product of the highest art seems to have been felt instead of thought. + </p> + <p> + The finest definition perhaps that has been given is this: + </p> + <p> + "As nature unconsciously produces that which appears to be the result of + consciousness, so the greatest artist consciously produces that which + appears the unconscious result." + </p> + <p> + Poetry must rest on the experience of men—the history of heart and + brain. It must sit by the fireside of the heart. It must have to do with + this world, with the place in which we live, with the men and women we + know, with their loves, their hopes, their fears and their joys. + </p> + <p> + After all, we care nothing about gods and goddesses, or folks with wings. + </p> + <p> + The cloud-compelling Jupiters, the ox-eyed Junos, the feather-heeled + Mercurys, or the Minervas that leaped full-armed from the thick skull of + some imaginary god, are nothing to us. We know nothing of their fears or + loves, and for that reason, the poetry that deals with them, no matter how + ingenious it may be, can never touch the human heart. + </p> + <p> + I was taught that Milton was a wonderful poet, and above all others + sublime. I have read Milton once. Few have read him twice. + </p> + <p> + With splendid words, with magnificent mythological imagery, he musters the + heavenly militia—puts epaulets on the shoulders of God, and + describes the Devil as an artillery officer of the highest rank. + </p> + <p> + Then he describes the battles in which immortals undertake the impossible + task of killing each other. + </p> + <p> + Take this line: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "Flying with indefatigable wings over the vast abrupt." +</pre> + <p> + This is called sublime, but what does it mean? + </p> + <p> + We have been taught that Dante was a wonderful poet. + </p> + <p> + He described with infinite minuteness the pangs and agonies endured by the + damned in the torture—dungeons of God. + </p> + <p> + The vicious twins of superstition—malignity and solemnity—struggle + for the mastery in his revengeful lines. + </p> + <p> + But there was one good thing about Dante: he had the courage, and what + might be called the religious democracy, to see a pope in hell. + </p> + <p> + That is something to be thankful for. + </p> + <p> + So, the sonnets of Petrarch are as unmeaning as the promises of + candidates. They are filled not with genuine passion, but with the + feelings that lovers are supposed to have. + </p> + <p> + Poetry cannot be written by rule; it is nota trade, or a profession. Let + the critics lay down the laws, and the true poet will violate them all. + </p> + <p> + By rule you can make skeletons, but you cannot clothe them with flesh, put + blood in their veins, thoughts in their eyes, and passions in their + hearts. + </p> + <p> + This can be done only by following the impulses of the heart, the winged + fancies of the brain—by wandering from paths and roads, keeping step + with the rhythmic ebb and flow of the throbbing blood. + </p> + <p> + In the olden time in Scotland, most of the so-called poetry was written by + pedagogues and parsons—gentlemen who found out what little they knew + of the living world by reading the dead languages—by studying + epitaphs in the cemeteries of literature. + </p> + <p> + They knew nothing of any life that they thought poetic. They kept as far + from the common people as they could. They wrote countless verses, but no + poems. They tried to put metaphysics, that is to say, Calvinism, in + poetry. + </p> + <p> + As a matter of fact, a Calvinist cannot be a poet. Calvinism takes all the + poetry out of the world. + </p> + <p> + If the existence of the Calvinistic, the Christian, hell could be + demonstrated, another poem never could be written. . + </p> + <p> + In those days they made poetry about geography, and the beauties of the + Scotch Kirk, and even about law. + </p> + <p> + The critics have always been looking for mistakes, not beauties—not + for the perfection of expression and feeling. They would object to the + lark and nightingale because they do not sing by note—to the clouds + because they are not square. + </p> + <p> + At one time it was thought that scenery, the grand in nature, made the + poet. We now know that the poet makes the scenery. Holland has produced + far more genius than the Alps. Where nature is prodigal—where the + crags tower above the clouds—man is overcome, or overawed. In + England and Scotland the hills are low, and there is nothing in the + scenery calculated to rouse poetic blood, and yet these countries have + produced the greatest literature of all time. + </p> + <p> + The truth is that poets and heroes make the scenery. The place where man + has died for man is grander than all the snow-crowned summits of the + world. + </p> + <p> + A poem is something like a mountain stream that flashes in light, then + lost in shadow, leaps with a kind of wild joy into the abyss, emerges + victorious, and winding runs amid meadows, lingers in quiet places, + holding within its breast the hills and vales and clouds—then + running by the cottage door, babbling of joy, and murmuring delight, then + sweeping on to join its old mother, the sea. + </p> + <p> + Thousands, millions of men live poems, but do not write them; but every + great poem has been lived. + </p> + <p> + I say to-night that every good and self-denying man, every one who lives + and labors for those he loves, for wife and child, is living a poem. The + loving mother rocking a cradle, singing the slumber song, lives a poem + pure and tender as the dawn; the man who bares his breast to shot and + shell lives a poem, and all the great men of the world, and all the brave + and loving women have been poets in action, whether they have written one + word or not. The poor woman of the tenement, sewing, blinded by tears, + lives a poem holier, it may be, than the fortunate can know. The pioneers—the + home builders, the heroes of toil, are all poets, and their deeds are + filled with the pathos and perfection of the highest art. + </p> + <p> + But to-night we are going to talk of a poet—one who poured out his + soul in song. How does a country become great? By producing great poets. + Why is it that Scotland, when the roll of nations is called, can stand up + and proudly answer "here"? Because Robert Burns has lived. It is Robert + Burns that put Scotland in the front rank. + </p> + <p> + On the 25th of January, 1759, Robert Burns was born. William Burns, a + gardener, his father; Agnes Brown, his mother. He was born near the little + town of Ayr, in a little cottage made of mud and thatched with straw. From + the first, poverty was his portion,—"Poverty, the half-sister of + Death." The father struggled as best he could, but at last overcome more + by misfortunes than by disease, died in 1784, at the age of 63. Robert + attended school at Alloway Mill, and had been taught a little by John + Murdock, and some by his father. That was his education—with this + exception, that whenever nature produces a genius, the old mother holds + him close to her heart and whispers secrets to his ears that others do not + know. + </p> + <p> + He had spent most of his time working on a farm, raising very poor crops, + getting deeper and deeper into debt, until finally the death of his father + left him to struggle as best he might for himself. + </p> + <p> + In the year 1759, Scotland was emerging from the darkness and gloom of + Calvinism. The attention of the people had been drawn from the other + world, or rather from the other worlds, to the affairs of this. The + commercial spirit, the interests of trade, were winning men from the + discussion of predestination and the sacred decrees of God. Mechanics and + manufacturers were undermining theology. The influence of the clergy was + gradually diminishing, and the beggarly elements of this life were + beginning to attract the attention of the Scotch. The people at that time + were mostly poor. They had made but little progress in art and science. + They had been engaged for many years fighting for their political or + theological rights, or to destroy the rights of others. They had great + energy, great natural sense, and courage without limit, and it may be well + enough to add that they were as obstinate as brave. + </p> + <p> + Several countries have had a metaphysical peasantry. It is true of parts + of Switzerland about the time of Calvin. In Holland, after the people had + suffered all the cruelties that Spain could inflict, they began to discuss + as to foreordination and free will, and upon these questions destroyed + each other. The same is true of New England, and peculiarly true of + Scotland—a metaphysical peasantry—men who lived in mud houses + thatched with straw and discussed the motives of God and the means by + which the Infinite Being was to accomplish his ends. + </p> + <p> + For many years the Scotch had been ruled by the clergy. The power of the + Scotch preacher was unlimited. It so happened that the religion of + Scotland became synonymous with patriotism, and those who were fighting + Scotland were also fighting her religion. This drew priest and people + together; and the priest naturally took advantage of the situation. They + not only determined upon the policy to be pursued by the people, but they + went into every detail of life. And in this world there has never been + established a more odious tyranny or a more odious form of government than + that of the Scotch Kirk. + </p> + <p> + A few men had made themselves famous—David Hume, Adam Smith, Doctor + Hugh Blair, he of the grave, Beattie and Ramsay, Reid and Robertson—but + the great body of the people were orthodox to the last drop of their + blood. Nothing seemed to please them like attending church, like hearing + sermons. Before Communion Sabbath they frequently met on Friday, having + two or three sermons on that day, three or four on Saturday, more if + possible on Sunday, and wound up with a kind of gospel spree on Monday. + They loved it. I think it was Heinrich Heine who said, "It is not true, it + is not true that the damned in hell are compelled to hear all the sermons + preached on earth." He says this is not true. This shows that there is + some mercy even in hell. They were infinitely interested in these + questions. + </p> + <p> + And yet, the people were social, fond of games, of outdoor sports, full of + song and story, and no folks ever passed the cup with a happier smile. + </p> + <p> + Sometimes I have thought that they were saved from the gloom of Calvinism + by the use of intoxicating liquors. It may be that John Barleycorn + redeemed the Scotch and saved them from the divine dyspepsia of the + Calvinistic creed. So, too, it may be that the Puritan was saved by rum, + and the Hollander by schnapps. Yet, in spite of the gloom of the creed, in + spite of the climate of mists and fogs, and the maniac winters, the songs + of Scotland are the sweetest and the tenderest in all the world. + </p> + <p> + Robert Burns was a peasant—a ploughman—a poet. Why is it that + millions and millions of men and women love this man? He was a Scotchman, + and all the tendrils of his heart struck deep in Scotland's soil. He + voiced the ideals of the best and greatest of his race and blood. And yet + he is as dear to the citizens of this great Republic as to Scotia's sons + and daughters. + </p> + <p> + All great poetry has a national flavor. It tastes of the soil. No matter + how great it is, how wide, how universal, the flavor of locality is never + lost. Burns made common life beautiful. He idealized the sun-burnt girls + who worked in the fields. He put honest labor above titled idleness. He + made a cottage far more poetic than a palace. He painted the simple joys + and ecstasies and raptures of sincere love. He put native sense above the + polish of schools. + </p> + <p> + We love him because he was independent, sturdy, self-poised, social, + generous, susceptible, thrilled by a look, by a touch, full of pity, + carrying the sorrows of others in his heart, even those of animals; hating + to see anybody suffer, and lamenting the death of everything—even of + trees and flowers. We love him because he was a natural democrat, and + hated tyranny in every form. + </p> + <p> + We love him because he was always on the side of the people, feeling the + throb of progress. + </p> + <p> + Burns read but little, had but few books; had but a little of what is + called education; had only an outline of history, a little of philosophy, + in its highest sense. His library consisted of the <i>Life of Hannibal</i>, + the <i>History of Wallace</i>, Ray's <i>Wisdom of God</i>, Stackhouse's <i>History + of the Bible</i>; two or three plays of Shakespeare, Ferguson's <i>Scottish + Poems</i>, Pope's <i>Homer</i>, Shenstone, McKenzie's <i>Man of Feeling</i> + and Ossian. + </p> + <p> + Burns was a man of genius. He was like a spring—something that + suggests no labor. + </p> + <p> + A spring seems to be a perpetual free gift of nature. There is no thought + of toil. The water comes whispering to the pebbles without effort. There + is no machinery, no pipes, no pumps, no engines, no water-works, nothing + that suggests expense or trouble. So a natural poet is, when compared with + the educated, with the polished, with the industrious. + </p> + <p> + Burns seems to have done everything without effort. His poems wrote + themselves. He was overflowing with sympathies, with suggestions, with + ideas, in every possible direction. There is no midnight oil. There is + nothing of the student—no suggestion of their having been re-written + or re-cast. There is in his heart a poetic April and May, and all the + poetic seeds burst into sudden life. In a moment the seed is a plant, and + the plant is in blossom, and the fruit is given to the world. + </p> + <p> + He looks at everything from a natural point of view; and he writes of the + men and women with whom he was acquainted. He cares nothing for mythology, + nothing for the legends of the Greeks and Romans. He draws but little from + history. Everything that he uses is within his reach, and he knows it from + centre to circumference. All his figures and comparisons are perfectly + natural. He does not endeavor to make angels of fine ladies. + </p> + <p> + He takes the servant girls with whom he is acquainted, the dairy maids + that he knows. He puts wings upon them and makes the very angels envious. + </p> + <p> + And yet this man, so natural, keeping his cheek so close to the breast of + nature, strangely enough thought that Pope and Churchill and Shenstone and + Thomson and Lyttelton and Beattie were great poets. + </p> + <p> + His first poem was addressed to Nellie Kilpatrick, daughter of the + blacksmith. He was in love with Ellison Begbie, offered her his heart and + was refused. She was a servant, working in a family and living on the + banks of the Cessnock. Jean Armour, his wife, was the daughter of a + tailor, and Highland Mary, a servant—a milk-maid. + </p> + <p> + He did not make women of goddesses, but he made goddesses of women. + </p> + <p> + POET OF LOVE. + </p> + <p> + Burns was the poet of love. To him woman was divine. In the light of her + eyes he stood transfigured. Love changed this peasant to a king; the plaid + became a robe of purple; the ploughman became a poet; the poor laborer an + inspired lover. + </p> + <p> + In his "Vision" his native Muse tells the story of his verse: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "When youthful Love, warm-blushing strong, + Keen-shivering shot thy nerves along, + Those accents, grateful to thy tongue, + Th' adored Name, + I taught thee how to pour in song, + To soothe thy flame." +</pre> + <p> + Ah, this light from heaven: how it has purified the heart of man! + </p> + <p> + Was there ever a sweeter song than "Bonnie Doon"? + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "Thou'lt break my heart thou bonnie bird + That sings beside thy mate, + For sae I sat and sae I sang, + And wist na o' my fate." +</pre> + <p> + or, + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "O, my luve's like a red, red rose + That's newly sprung in June; + O, my luve's like the melodie + That's sweetly play'd in tune." +</pre> + <p> + It would consume days to give the intense and tender lines—lines wet + with the heart's blood, lines that throb and sigh and weep, lines that + glow like flames, lines that seem to clasp and kiss. + </p> + <p> + But the most perfect love-poem that I know—pure the tear of + gratitude—is "To Mary in Heaven:" + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "Thou lingering star, with less'ning ray, + That lov'st to greet the early morn, + Again thou usher'st in the day + My Mary from my soul was torn. + O Mary! dear departed shade! + Where is thy place of blissful rest? + Seest thou thy lover lowly laid? + Hear'st thou the groans that rend his breast? + + "That sacred hour can I forget? + Can I forget the hallow'd grove + Where, by the winding Ayr, we met, + To live one day of parting love? + Eternity will not efface + Those records dear of transports past; + Thy image at our last embrace; + Ah! little thought we 'twas our last! + + "Ayr, gurgling, kiss'd his pebbled shore, + O'erhung with wild woods, thick'ning green; + The fragrant birch, and hawthorn hoar, + Twin'd am'rous round the raptur'd scene. + The flowers sprang wanton to be prest, + The birds sang love on ev'ry spray, + Till too, too soon, the glowing west + Proclaim'd the speed of wingèd day. + + "Still o'er these scenes my mem'ry wakes, + And fondly broods with miser care! + Time but the impression stronger makes, + As streams their channels deeper wear. + My Mary, dear departed shade! + Where is thy blissful place of rest? + Seest thou thy lover lowly laid? + Hear'st thou the groans that rend his breast?" +</pre> + <p> + Above all the daughters of luxury and wealth, above all of Scotland's + queens rises this pure and gentle girl made deathless by the love of + Robert Burns. + </p> + <p> + POET OF HOME + </p> + <p> + He was the poet of the home—of father, mother, child—of the + purest wedded love. + </p> + <p> + In the "Cotter's Saturday Night," one of the noblest and sweetest poems in + the literature of the world, is a description of the poor cotter going + from his labor to his home: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "At length his lonely cot appears in view, + Beneath the shelter of an aged tree; + Th' expectant wee-things, toddlin', stacher through + To meet their Dad, wi' flichterin' noise and glee. + + His wee bit ingle, blinkin' bonnilie, + His clean hearth-stane, his thrifty wifie's smile, + The lisping infant prattling on his knee, + Does a' his weary carking cares beguile, + And makes him quite forget his labour an' his toil." +</pre> + <p> + And in the same poem, after having described the courtship, Burns bursts + into this perfect flower: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "O happy love! where love like this is found! + O heart-felt raptures! bliss beyond compare! + I've pacèd much this weary, mortal round, + And sage experience bids me this declare: + If Heaven a draught of heavenly pleasure spare + One cordial in this melancholy vale, + 'Tis when a youthful, loving, modest pair, + In other's arms, breathe out the tender tale + Beneath the milk-white thorn that scents the ev'ning gale." +</pre> + <p> + Is there in the world a more beautiful—a more touching picture than + the old couple sitting by the ingleside with clasped hands, and the pure, + patient, loving old wife saying to the white-haired man who won her heart + when the world was young: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "John Anderson, my jo, John, + When we were first acquent; + Your locks were like the raven, + Your bonnie brow was brent; + But now your brow is beld, John, + Your locks are like the snaw; + But blessings on your frosty pow, + John Anderson, my jo. + + "John Anderson, my jo, John, + We clamb the hill thegither; + And monie a canty day, John, + We've had wi' ane anither; + Now we maun totter down, John, + But hand in hand we'll go, + And sleep thegither at the foot, + John Anderson, my jo." +</pre> + <p> + Burns taught that the love of wife and children was the highest—that + to toil for them was the noblest. + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "The sacred lowe o' weel placed love, + Luxuriantly indulge it; + But never tempt the illicit rove, + Though naething should divulge it." + + "I waine the quantum of the sin, + The hazzard o'concealing; + But och! it hardens all within, + And petrifies the feeling." + + "To make a happy fireside clime + To weans and wife, + That's the true pathos, and sublime, + Of human life." +</pre> + <p> + FRIENDSHIP. + </p> + <p> + He was the poet of friendship: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "Should auld acquaintance be forgot, + And never brought to min'? + Should auld acquaintance be forgot, + And days o' auld lang syne?" +</pre> + <p> + Wherever those who speak the English language assemble—wherever the + Anglo-Saxon people meet with clasp and smile—these words are given + to the air. + </p> + <p> + SCOTCH DRINK. + </p> + <p> + The poet of good Scotch drink, of merry meetings, of the cup that cheers, + author of the best drinking song in the world: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "O, Willie brew'd a peck o' maut, + And Rob and Allen came to see; + Three blyther hearts, that lee-lang night, + Ye wadna find in Christendie. + + Chorus. + + "We are na fou, we're no that fou, + But just a drappie in our ee; + The cock may craw, the day may daw, + And aye we'll taste the barley bree. +</pre> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "Here are we met, three merry boys, + Three merry boys, I trow, are we; + And monie a night we've merry been, + And monie mae we hope to be! + + We are na fou, &c. + + "It is the moon, I ken her horn, + That's blinkin in the lift say hie; + She shines sae bright to wyle us hame, + But by my sooth she'll wait a wee! + + We are na fou, &c. + + "Wha first shall rise to gang awa, + A cuckold, coward loun is he! + Wha last beside his chair shall fa', + He is the King amang us three! + + We are na fou, &c." +</pre> + <p> + POETS BORN, NOT MADE. + </p> + <p> + He did not think the poet could be made—that colleges could furnish + feeling, capacity, genius. He gave his opinion of these manufactured + minstrels: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "A set o' dull, conceited hashes, + Confuse their brains in college classes! + They gang in stirks, and come out asses, + Plain truth to speak; + An' syne they think to climb Parnassus + By dint o' Greek!" + + "Gie me ane spark o' Nature's fire, + That's a' the learning I desire; + Then tho' I drudge thro' dub an' mire + At pleugh or cart, + My Muse, though hamely in attire, + May touch the heart." +</pre> + <p> + BURNS, THE ARTIST. + </p> + <p> + He was an artist—a painter of pictures. + </p> + <p> + This of the brook: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "Whyles owre a linn the burnie plays, + As thro' the glen it wimpl't; + Whyles round a rocky scaur it strays; + Whyles in a wiel it dimpl't; + Whyles glitter's to the nightly rays, + Wi' bickering, dancing dazzle; + Whyles cookit underneath the braes, + Below the spreading hazel, + Unseen that night." +</pre> + <p> + Or this from Tam O'Shanter: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "But pleasures are like poppies spread, + You seize the flow'r, its bloom is shed, + Or, like the snow falls in the river, + A moment white—then melts forever; + Or, like the borealis race, + That flit ere you can point their place; + Or, like the rainbow's lovely form, + Evanishing amid the storm." +</pre> + <p> + This: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "As in the bosom of the stream + The moon-beam dwells at dewy e'en; + So, trembling, pure, was tender love, + Within the breast o' bonnie Jean." + + "The sun had clos'd the winter day, + The Curlers quat their roarin play, + An' hunger's Maukin ta'en her way + To kail-yards green, + While faithless snaws ilk step betray + Whare she had been." + + "O, sweet are Coila's haughs an' woods, + When lintwhites chant amang the buds, + And jinkin' hares, in amorous whids, + Their loves enjoy, + While thro' the braes the cushat croons + Wi' wailfu' cry!" + + "Ev'n winter bleak has charms to me + When winds rave thro' the naked tree; + Or frosts on hills of Ochiltree + Are hoary gray; + Or blinding drifts wild-furious flee, + Dark'ning the day!" +</pre> + <p> + This of the lark and daisy—the daintiest and nearest perfect in our + language: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "Alas! it's no' thy neebor sweet, + The bonnie Lark, companion meet! + Bending thee 'mang the dewy weet! + Wi' spreckl'd breast, + When upward-springing, blythe, to greet + The purpling east." +</pre> + <p> + A REAL DEMOCRAT. + </p> + <p> + He was in every fibre of his being a sincere democrat. He was a believer + in the people—in the sacred rights of man. He believed that honest + peasants were superior to titled parasites. He knew the so-called "gentrv" + of his time. + </p> + <p> + In one of his letters to Dr. Moore is this passage: "It takes a few dashes + into the world to give the young great man that proper, decent, unnoticing + disregard for the poor, insignificant, stupid devils—the mechanics + and peasantry around him—who were born in the same village." + </p> + <p> + He knew the infinitely cruel spirit of caste—a spirit that despises + the useful—the children of toil—those who bear the burdens of + the world. + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "If I'm design'd yon lordling's slave, + By nature's law design'd, + Why was an independent wish + E'er planted in my mind? + + If not, why am I subject to . + His cruelty, or scorn? + Or why has man the will and pow'r + To make his fellow mourn?" +</pre> + <p> + Against the political injustice of his time—against the artificial + distinctions among men by which the lowest were regarded as the highest—he + protested in the great poem, "A man's a man for a' that," every line of + which came like lava from his heart. + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "Is there, for honest poverty, + That hangs his head, and a' that? + The coward-slave, we pass him by, + We dare be poor for a' that! + For a' that, and a' that, + Our toils obscure, and a' that; + The rank is but the guinea stamp; + The man's the gowd for a' that." + + "What tho' on hamely fare we dine, + Wear hodden-gray, and a' that; + Gie fools their silks, and knaves their wine, + A man's a man for a' that. + For a' that, and a' that, + Their tinsel show, and a' that; + The honest man, tho' e'er sae poor, + Is king o' men for a' that." + + "Ye see yon birkie, ca'd a lord, + Wha struts, and stares, and a' that; + Tho' hundreds worship at his word, + He's but a coof for a' that; + For a' that, and a' that, + His riband, star, and a' that, + The man' o' independent mind, + He looks and laughs at a' that." + + "A prince can mak' a belted knight, + A marquis, duke, and a' that; + But an honest man's aboon his might, + Guid faith he mauna fa' that! + For a' that, and a' that, + Their dignities, and a' that, + The pith o' sense, and pride o' worth, + Are higher ranks than a' that. + + "Then let us pray that come it may, + As come it will for a' that; + That sense and worth, o'er a' the earth, + May bear the gree and a' that. + For a' that, and a' that; + It's cornin' yet for a' that + That man to man, the warld o'er, + Shall brithers be for a' that." +</pre> + <p> + No grander declaration of independence was ever uttered. It stirs the + blood like a declaration of war. It is the apotheosis of honesty, + independence, sense and worth. And it is a prophecy of that better day + when men will be brothers the world over. + </p> + <p> + HIS THEOLOGY. + </p> + <p> + Burns was superior in heart and brain to the theologians of his time. He + knew that the creed of Calvin was infinitely cruel and absurd, and he + attacked it with every weapon that his brain could forge. + </p> + <p> + He was not awed by the clergy, and he cared nothing for what was called + "authority." He insisted on thinking for himself. Sometimes he faltered, + and now and then, fearing that some friend might take offence, he would + say or write a word in favor of the Bible, and sometimes he praised the + Scriptures in words of scorn. + </p> + <p> + He laughed at the dogma of eternal pain—at hell as described by the + preacher: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "A vast, unbottom'd, boundless pit, + Fill'd fou o' lowin' brunstane, + Wha's ragin' flame an' scorchin' heat + Wad melt the hardest whun-stane! + The half asleep start up wi' fear, + An' think they hear it roarin', + When presently it does appear, + 'Twas but some neebor snorin'. + Asleep that day." +</pre> + <p> + The dear old doctrine that man is totally depraved, that morality is a + snare—a flowery path leading to perdition—excited the + indignation of Burns. He put the doctrine in verse: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "Morality, thou deadly bane, + Thy tens o' thousands thou hast slain! + Vain is his hope, whose stay and trust is + In moral mercy, truth and justice." + He understood the hypocrites of his day: + "Hypocrisy, in mercy spare it! + That holy robe, O dinna tear it! + Spare't for their sakes wha aften wear it, + The lads in black; + But your curst wit, when it comes near it, + Rives't aff their back." + + "Then orthodoxy yet may prance, + And Learning in a woody dance, + And that fell cur ca'd Common Sense, + That bites sae sair, + Be banish'd owre the seas to France; + Let him bark there." + + "They talk religion in their mouth; + They talk o' mercy, grace, an' truth, + For what? to gie their malice skouth On some puir wight, + An' hunt him down, o'er right an' ruth, + To ruin straight." + + "Doctor Mac, Doctor Mac, + Ye should stretch on a rack, + To strike evil doers wi' terror; + To join faith and sense Upon any pretence, + Was heretic damnable error, + Doctor Mac, + Was heretic damnable error." +</pre> + <p> + But the greatest, the sharpest, the deadliest, the keenest, the wittiest + thing ever said or written against Calvinism is Holy Willie's Prayer:— + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "O Thou, wha in the Heavens dost dwell, + Wha, as it pleases best thysel', + Sends ane to heaven and ten to hell, + A' for thy glory, + And no for onie guid or ill + They've done afore thee! + + "I bless and praise thy matchless might, + When thousands thou has left in night, + That I am here afore thy sight + For gifts an' grace, + A burnin' an' a shinin' light, + To a' this place. + + "What was I, or my generation, + That I should get sic exaltation? + I, wha deserve sic just damnation, + For broken laws, + Five thousand years 'fore my creation, + Thro' Adam's cause? + + "When frae my mither's womb I fell, + Thou might hae plunged me into hell, + To gnash my gums, to weep and wail, + In burnin' lake, + Where damnèd devils roar and yell, + Chained to a stake. + + "Yet I am here a chosen sample, + To show Thy grace is great and ample; + I'm here a pillar in Thy temple, + Strong as a rock, + A guide, a buckler, an example + To a' Thy flock." +</pre> + <p> + In this poem you will find the creed stated just as it is—with + fairness and accuracy—and at the same time stated so perfectly that + its absurdity fills the mind with inextinguishable laughter. + </p> + <p> + In this poem Burns nailed Calvinism to the cross, put it on the rack, + subjected it to every instrument of torture, flayed it alive, burned it at + the stake, and scattered its ashes to the winds. + </p> + <p> + In 1787 Burns wrote this curious letter to Miss Chalmers: + </p> + <p> + "I have taken tooth and nail to the Bible, and have got through the five + books of Moses and half way in Joshua. + </p> + <p> + "It is really a glorious book." + </p> + <p> + This must have been written in the spirit of Voltaire. + </p> + <p> + Think of Burns, with his loving, tender heart, half way in Joshua, + standing in blood to his knees, surrounded by the mangled bodies of old + men, women and babes, the swords of the victors dripping with innocent + blood, shouting—"This is really a glorious sight." + </p> + <p> + A letter written on the seventh of March, 1788, contains the clearest, + broadest and most philosophical statement of the religion of Burns to be + found in his works: + </p> + <p> + "An honest man has nothing to fear. If we lie down in the grave, the whole + man a piece of broken machinery, to moulder with the clods of the valley—be + it so; at least there is an end of pain and care, woes and wants. If that + part of us called Mind does survive the apparent destruction of the man, + away with old-wife prejudices and tales! + </p> + <p> + "Every age and every nation has a different set of stories; and, as the + many are always weak, of consequence they have often, perhaps always, been + deceived. + </p> + <p> + "A man conscious of having acted an honest part among his fellow + creatures, even granting that he may have been the sport at times of + passions and instincts, he goes to a great Unknown Being, who could have + had no other end in giving him existence but to make him happy; who gave + him those passions and instincts and well knows their force. + </p> + <p> + "These, my worthy friend, are my ideas. + </p> + <p> + "It becomes a man of sense to think for himself, particularly in a case + where all men are equally interested, and where, indeed, all men are + equally in the dark." + </p> + <p> + "Religious nonsense is the most nonsensical nonsense." + </p> + <p> + "Why has a religious turn of mind always a tendency to narrow and harden + the heart?" + </p> + <p> + "All my fears and cares are for this world." + </p> + <p> + We have grown tired of gods and goddesses in art. Milton's heavenly + militia excites our laughter. Light-houses have driven sirens from the + dangerous coasts. We have found that we do not depend on the imagination + for wonders—there are millions of miracles under our feet. + </p> + <p> + Nothing can be more marvelous than the common and everyday facts of life. + The phantoms have been cast aside. Men and women are enough for men and + women. In their lives is all the tragedy and all the comedy that they can + comprehend. + </p> + <p> + The painter no longer crowds his canvas with the winged and impossible—he + paints life as he sees it, people as he knows them, and in whom he is + interested. "The Angelus," the perfection of pathos, is nothing but two + peasants bending their heads in thankfulness as they hear the solemn sound + of the distant bell—two peasants, who have nothing to be thankful + for—nothing but weariness and want, nothing but the crusts that they + soften with their tears—nothing. And yet as you look at that picture + you feel that they have something besides to be thankful for—that + they have life, love, and hope—and so the distant bell makes music + in their simple hearts. + </p> + <p> + Let me give you the difference between culture and nature—between + educated talent and real genius. + </p> + <p> + A little while ago one of the great poets died. I was reading some of his + volumes and during the same period was reading a little from Robert Burns. + And the difference between these two poets struck me forcibly. + </p> + <p> + Tennyson was a piece of rare china decorated by the highest art. + </p> + <p> + Burns was made of honest, human clay, moulded by sympathy and love. + </p> + <p> + Tennyson dwelt in his fancy, for the most part, with kings and queens, + with lords and ladies, with knights and nobles. + </p> + <p> + Burns lingered by the fireside of the poor and humble, in the thatched + cottage of the peasant, with the imprisoned and despised. He loved men and + women in spite of their titles, and without regard to the outward. Through + robes and rags he saw and loved the man. + </p> + <p> + Tennyson was touched by place and power, the insignia given by chance or + birth. As he grew old he grew narrower, lost interest in the race, and + gave his heart to the class to which he had been lowered as a reward for + melodious flattery. + </p> + <p> + Burns broadened and ripened with the flight of his few years. His + sympathies widened and increased to the last. + </p> + <p> + Tennyson had the art born of intellectual taste, of the sense of mental + proportion, knowing the color of adjectives and the gradations of + emphasis. His pictures were born in his brain, exquisitely shaded by + details, carefully wrought by painful and conscious art. + </p> + <p> + Burns's brain was the servant of his heart. His melody was a rhythm taught + by love. He was touched by the miseries, the injustice, the agony of his + time. While Tennyson wrote of the past—of kings long dead, of ladies + who had been dust for many centuries, Burns melted with his love the walls + of caste—the cruel walls that divide the rich and the poor. + </p> + <p> + Tennyson celebrated the birth of royal babes, the death of the titled + useless; gave wings to degraded dust, wearing the laurels given by those + who lived upon the toil of men whom they despised. Burns poured poems from + his heart, filled with tears and sobs for the suffering poor; poems that + helped to break the chains of millions; poems that the enfranchised love + to repeat; poems that liberty loves to hear. + </p> + <p> + Tennyson was the poet of the past, of the twilight, of the sunset, of + decorous regret, of the vanished glories of barbarous times, of the age of + chivalry in which great nobles clad in steel smote to death with battle + axe and sword the unarmed peasants of the field. + </p> + <p> + Burns was the poet of the dawn, glad that the night was fading from the + east. He kept his face toward the sunrise, caring nothing for the midnight + of the past, but loved with all the depth and sincerity of his nature the + few great souls—the lustrous stars—that darkness cannot + quench. + </p> + <p> + Tennyson was surrounded with what gold can give, touched with the + selfishness of wealth. He was educated at Oxford, and had what are called + the advantages of his time, and in maturer years was somewhat swayed by + the spirit of caste, by the descendants of the ancient Pharisees, and at + last became a lord. + </p> + <p> + Burns had but little knowledge of the world. What he knew was taught him + by his sympathies. Being a genius, he absorbed the good and noble of which + he heard or dreamed, and thus he happily outgrew the smaller things with + which he came in contact, and journeyed toward the great—the wider + world, until he reached the end. + </p> + <p> + Tennyson was what is called religious. He believed in the divinity of + decorum, not falling on his face before the Eternal King, but bowing + gracefully, as all lords should, while uttering thanks for favors partly + undeserved, and thanks more fervid still for those to come. + </p> + <p> + Burns had the deepest and the tenderest feelings in his heart. The winding + stream, the flowering shrub, the shady vale—these were trysting + places where the real God met those he loved, and where his spirit + prompted thoughts and words of thankfulness and praise, took from their + hearts the dross of selfishness and hate, leaving the gold of love. + </p> + <p> + In the religion of Burns, form was nothing, creed was nothing, feeling was + everything. He had the religious climate of the soul, the April that + receives the seed, the June of blossom, and the month of harvest. + </p> + <p> + Burns was a real poet of nature. He put fields and woods in his lines. + There were principles like oaks, and there were thoughts, hints and + suggestions as shy as violets beneath the withered leaves. There were the + warmth of home, the social virtues born of equal state, that touched the + heart and softened grief; that make breaches in the cruel walls of pride; + that make the rich and poor clasp hands and feel like comrades, warm and + true. + </p> + <p> + The house in which his spirit lived was not large. It enclosed only space + enough for common needs, built near the barren land of want; but through + the open door the sunlight streamed, and from its windows all the stars + were seen, while in the garden grew the common flowers—the flowers + that all the ages through have been the messengers of honest love; and in + the fields were heard the rustling corn, and reapers songs, telling of + well-requited toil; and there were trees whose branches rose and fell and + swayed while birds filled all the air with music born of joy. He read with + tear-filled eyes the human page, and found within his breast the history + of hearts. + </p> + <p> + Tennyson's imagination lived in a palace ample, wondrous fair, with dome + and spire and galleries, where eyes of proud old pedigree grew dim with + gazing at the portraits of the worthless dead; and there were parks and + labyrinths of walks and ways and artificial lakes where sailed the "double + swans;" and there were flowers from far-off lands with strange perfume, + and men and women of the grander sort, telling of better days and nobler + deeds than men in these poor times of commerce, trade and toil have hearts + to do; and, yet, from this fair dwelling—too vast, too finely + wrought, to be a home—he uttered wondrous words, painting pictures + that will never fade, and told, with every aid of art, old tales of love + and war, sometimes beguiling men of tears, enchanting all with melody of + speech, and sometimes rousing blood and planting seeds of high resolve and + noble deeds; and sometimes thoughts were woven like tapestries in patterns + beautiful, involved and strange, where dreams and fancies interlaced like + tendrils of a vine, like harmonies that wander and return to catch the + music of the central theme, yet cold as traceries in frost wrought on + glass by winter's subtle art. + </p> + <p> + Tennyson was ingenious—Burns ingenuous. One was exclusive, and in + his exclusiveness a little disdain. The other pressed the world against + his heart. + </p> + <p> + Tennyson touched art on many sides, dealing with vast poetic themes, and + satisfied in many ways the intellectual tastes of cultured men. + </p> + <p> + Tennyson is always perfectly self-possessed. He has poetic sympathy, but + not the fire and flame. No one thinks of him as having been excited, as + being borne away by passion's storm. His pulse never rises. In artistic + calm, he turns, polishes, perfects, embroiders and beautifies. In him + there is nothing of the storm and chaos, nothing of the creative genius, + no sea wrought to fury, filling the heavens with its shattered cry. + </p> + <p> + Burns dwelt with simple things—with those that touch the heart; that + tell of joy; that spring from labor done; that lift the burdens of despair + from fainting souls; that soften hearts until the pearls of pity fall from + eyes unused to weep. + </p> + <p> + To illustrate his thought, he used the things he knew—the things + familiar to the world—not caring for the vanished things—the + legends told by artful tongues to artless ears—but clinging to the + common things of life and love and death, adorning them with countless + gems; and, over all, he placed the bow of hope. + </p> + <p> + With him the man was greater than the king, the woman than the queen. The + greatest were the noblest, and the noblest were those who loved their + fellow-men the best, the ones who filled their lives with generous deeds. + Men admire Tennyson. Men love Robert Burns. + </p> + <p> + He was a believer in God, and had confidence that this God was sitting at + the loom weaving with warp and woof of cause and effect, of fear and + fancy, pain and hope, of dream and shadows, of despair and death, mingled + with the light of love, the tapestries in which at last all souls will see + that all was perfect from the first. He believed or hoped that the spirit + of infinite goodness, soft as the autumn air, filled all of heaven's dome + with love. + </p> + <p> + Such a religion is easy to understand when it includes all races through + all times. It is consistent, if not with the highest thought, with the + deepest and the tenderest feelings of the heart. + </p> + <p> + FROM CRADLE TO COFFIN. + </p> + <p> + There is no time to follow the steps of Burns from old Alloway, by the + Bonnie Doon in the clay-built hut, where the January wind blew hansel in + on Robin—to Mt. Oliphant, with its cold and stingy soil, the hard + factor, whose letters made the children weep—working in the fields, + or tired with "The thresher's weary flinging tree," where he was thrilled, + for the first time with love's sweet pain that set his heart to music. + </p> + <p> + To Lochlea, still giving wings to thought—still working in the + unproductive fields, Lochlea where his father died, and reached the rest + that life denied. + </p> + <p> + To Mossgiel, where Burns reached the top and summit of his art and wrote + like one enrapt, inspired. Here he met and loved and gave to immortality + his Highland Mary. + </p> + <p> + To Edinburgh and fame, and back to Mauchline to Jean Armour and honor, the + noblest deed of all his life. + </p> + <p> + To Ellisland, by the winding Nith. + </p> + <p> + To Dumfries, a poor exciseman, wearing out his heart in the disgusting + details of degrading drudgery—suspected of treason because he + preferred Washington to Pitt—because he sympathized with the French + Revolution—because he was glad that the American colonies had become + a free nation. + </p> + <p> + At a banquet once, being asked to drink the health of Pitt, Burns said: "I + will give you a better toast—George Washington." A little while + after, when they wanted him to drink to the success of the English arms, + Burns said: "No; I will drink this: May their success equal the justice of + their cause." He sent three or four little cannon to the French + Convention, because he sympathized with the French Revolution, and because + of these little things, his love of liberty, of freedom and justice, at + Dumfries he was suspected of being a traitor, and, as a result of these + trivial things, as a result of that suspicion, Burns was obliged to join + the Dumfries volunteers. + </p> + <p> + How pitiful that the author of "Scots wha hae with Wallace bled," should + be thought an enemy of Scotland! + </p> + <p> + Poor Burns! Old and broken before his time—surrounded by the walking + lumps of Dumfries' clay! + </p> + <p> + To appease the anger of his fellow-citizens—to convince them that he + was a patriot, he actually joined the Dumfries volunteers,—bought + his uniform on credit—amount about seven pounds—was unable to + pay—was threatened with arrest and a jail by Matthew Penn. + </p> + <p> + These threats embittered his last hours. + </p> + <p> + A little while before his death, he said: "Do not let that awkward squad—the + Dumfries volunteers—fire over my grave." We have a true insight into + what his feelings were. But they fired. They were bound to fire or die. + </p> + <p> + The last words uttered by Robert Burns were these: "That damned scoundrel + Matthew Penn." + </p> + <p> + Burns had another art, the art of ending—of stopping at the right + place. Nothing is more difficult than this. It is hard to end a play—to + get the right kind of roof on a house. Not one story-teller in a thousand + knows just the spot where the rocket should explode. They go on talking + after the stick has fallen. + </p> + <p> + Burns wrote short poems, and why? All great poems are short. There cannot + be a long poem any more than there can be a long joke. I believe the best + example of an ending perfectly accomplished you will find in his "Vision." + </p> + <p> + There comes into his house, into that "auld clay biggin," his muse, the + spirit of a beautiful woman, and tells him what he can do, and what he + can't do, as a poet. He has a long talk with her and now the thing is how + to get her out of the house. You may think that it is an easy thing. It is + easy to get yourself into difficulty, but not to get out. + </p> + <p> + I was struck with the beautiful manner in which Burns got that angel out + of the house. + </p> + <p> + Nothing could be happier than the ending of the "Vision"—the + leave-taking of the Muse: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "And wear thou this, she solemn said, + And bound the holly round my head: + The polished leaves and berries red + Did rustling play; + And, like a passing thought she fled. + In light away." +</pre> + <p> + How that man rose above all his fellows in death! Do you know, there is + something wonderful in death. What a repose! What a piece of sculpture! + The common man dead looks royal; a genius dead, sublime. + </p> + <p> + When a few years ago I visited all the places where Burns had been, from + the little house of clay with one room where he was born, to the little + house with one room where he now sleeps, I thought of this. Yes, I visited + them all, all the places made immortal by his genius, the field where love + first touched his heart, the field where he ploughed up the home of the + Mouse. I saw the cottage where Robert and Jean first lived as man and + wife, and walked on "the banks and braes of Bonnie Doon." And when I stood + by his grave, I said: This man was a radical, a real genuine man. This man + believed in the dignity of labor, in the nobility of the useful. This man + believed in human love, in making a heaven here, in judging men by their + deeds instead of creeds and titles. This man believed in the liberty of + the soul, of thought and speech. This man believed in the sacred rights of + the individual; he sympathized with the suffering and oppressed. This man + had the genius to change suffering and toil into song, to enrich poverty, + to make a peasant feel like a prince of the blood, to fill the lives of + the lowly with love and light. This man had the genius to make robes of + glory out of squalid rags. This man had the genius to make Cleopatras, and + Sapphos and Helens out of the freckled girls of the villages and fields—and + he had the genius to make Auld Ayr, and Bonnie Doon, and Sweet Afton and + the Winding Nith murmur the name of Robert Burns forever. + </p> + <p> + This man left a legacy of glory to Scotland and the whole world; he + enriched our language, and with a generous hand scattered the gems of + thought. This man was the companion of poverty, and wept the tears of + grief, and yet he has caused millions to shed the happy tears of joy. + </p> + <p> + His heart blossomed in a thousand songs—songs for all times and all + seasons—suited to every experience of the heart—songs for the + dawn of love—for the glance and clasp and kiss of courtship—for + "favors secret, sweet and precious"—for the glow and flame, the + ecstasy and rapture of wedded life—songs of parting and despair—songs + of hope and simple joy—songs for the vanished days—songs for + birth and burial—songs for wild war's deadly blast, and songs for + gentle peace—songs for the dying and the dead—songs for labor + and content—songs for the spinning wheel, the sickle and the plow—songs + for sunshine and for storm, for laughter and for tears—songs that + will be sung as long as language lives and passion sways the heart of man. + </p> + <p> + And when I was at his birth-place, at that little clay house where he was + born, standing in that sacred place, I wrote these lines: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Though Scotland boasts a thousand names, + Of patriot, king and peer, + The noblest, grandest of them all, + Was loved and cradled here. + Here lived the gentle peasant-prince, + The loving cotter-king, + Compared with whom the greatest lord + Is but a titled thing. + + 'Tis but a cot roofed in with straw, + A hovel made of clay; + One door shuts out the snow and storm, + One window greets the day; + And yet I stand within this room, + And hold all thrones in scorn; + For here beneath this lowly thatch, + Love's sweetest bard was born. + + Within this hallowed hut I feel + Like one who clasps a shrine, + When the glad lips at last have touched + The something deemed divine. + And here the world through all the years, + As long as day returns, + The tribute of its love and tears, + Will pay to Robert Burns. +</pre> + <p> + <a name="link0003" id="link0003"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> + </div> + <h2> + ABRAHAM LINCOLN + </h2> + <h3> + I. + </h3> + <p> + ON the 12th of February, 1809, two babes were born—one in the woods + of Kentucky, amid the hardships and poverty of pioneers; one in England, + surrounded by wealth and culture. One was educated in the University of + Nature, the other at Cambridge. + </p> + <p> + One associated his name with the enfranchisement of labor, with the + emancipation of millions, with the salvation of the Republic. He is known + to us as Abraham Lincoln. + </p> + <p> + The other broke the chains of superstition and filled the world with + intellectual light, and he is known as Charles Darwin. + </p> + <p> + Nothing is grander than to break chains from the bodies of men—nothing + nobler than to destroy the phantoms of the soul. + </p> + <p> + Because of these two men the nineteenth century is illustrious. + </p> + <p> + A few men and women make a nation glorious—Shakespeare made England + immortal, Voltaire civilized and humanized France; Goethe, Schiller and + Humboldt lifted Germany into the light. Angelo, Raphael, Galileo and Bruno + crowned with fadeless laurel the Italian brow, and now the most precious + treasure of the Great Republic is the memory of Abraham Lincoln. + </p> + <p> + Every generation has its heroes, its iconoclasts, its pioneers, its + ideals. The people always have been and still are divided, at least into + classes—the many, who with their backs to the sunrise worship the + past, and the few, who keep their faces toward the dawn—the many, + who are satisfied with the world as it is; the few, who labor and suffer + for the future, for those to be, and who seek to rescue the oppressed, to + destroy the cruel distinctions of caste, and to civilize mankind. + </p> + <p> + Yet it sometimes happens that the liberator of one age becomes the + oppressor of the next. His reputation becomes so great—he is so + revered and worshiped—that his followers, in his name, attack the + hero who endeavors to take another step in advance. + </p> + <p> + The heroes of the Revolution, forgetting the justice for which they + fought, put chains upon the limbs of others, and in their names the lovers + of liberty were denounced as ingrates and traitors. + </p> + <p> + During the Revolution our fathers to justify their rebellion dug down to + the bed-rock of human rights and planted their standard there. They + declared that all men were entitled to liberty and that government derived + its power from the consent of the governed. But when victory came, the + great principles were forgotten and chains were put upon the limbs of men. + Both of the great political parties were controlled by greed and + selfishness. Both were the defenders and protectors of slavery. For nearly + three-quarters of a century these parties had control of the Republic. The + principal object of both parties was the protection of the infamous + institution. Both were eager to secure the Southern vote and both + sacrificed principle and honor upon the altar of success. + </p> + <p> + At last the Whig party died and the Republican was born. This party was + opposed to the further extension of slavery. The Democratic party of the + South wished to make the "divine institution" national—while the + Democrats of the North wanted the question decided by each territory for + itself. + </p> + <p> + Each of these parties had conservatives and extremists. The extremists of + the Democratic party were in the rear and wished to go back; the + extremists of the Republican party were in the front, and wished to go + forward. The extreme Democrat was willing to destroy the Union for the + sake of slavery, and the extreme Republican was willing to destroy the + Union for the sake of liberty. + </p> + <p> + Neither party could succeed without the votes of its extremists. + </p> + <p> + This was the condition in 1858-60. + </p> + <p> + When Lincoln was a child his parents removed from Kentucky to Indiana. A + few trees were felled—a log hut open to the south, no floor, no + window, was built—a little land plowed and here the Lincolns lived. + Here the patient, thoughtful, silent, loving mother died—died in the + wide forest as a leaf dies, leaving nothing to her son but the memory of + her love. + </p> + <p> + In a few years the family moved to Illinois. Lincoln then almost grown, + clad in skins, with no woven stitch upon his body—walking and + driving the cattle. Another farm was opened—a few acres subdued and + enough raised to keep the wolf from the door. Lincoln quit the farm—went + down the Ohio and Mississippi as a hand on a flat-boat—afterward + clerked in a country store—then in partnership with another bought + the store—failed. Nothing left but a few debts—learned the art + of surveying—made about half a living and paid something on the + debts—read law—admitted to the bar—tried a few small + cases—nominated for the Legislature and made a speech. + </p> + <p> + This speech was in favor of a tariff, not only for revenue, but to + encourage American manufacturers and to protect American workingmen. + Lincoln knew then as well as we do now, that everything, to the limits of + the possible, that Americans use should be produced by the energy, skill + and ingenuity of Americans. He knew that the more industries we had, the + greater variety of things we made, the greater would be the development of + the American brain. And he knew that great men and great women are the + best things that a nation can produce,—the finest crop a country can + possibly raise. + </p> + <p> + He knew that a nation that sells raw material will grow ignorant and poor, + while the people who manufacture will grow intelligent and rich. To dig, + to chop, to plow, requires more muscle than mind, more strength than + thought. + </p> + <p> + To invent, to manufacture, to take advantage of the forces of nature—this + requires thought, talent, genius. This develops the brain and gives wings + to the imagination. + </p> + <p> + It is better for Americans to purchase from Americans, even if the things + purchased cost more. + </p> + <p> + If we purchase a ton of steel rails from England for twenty dollars, then + we have the rails and England the money; But if we buy a ton of steel + rails from an American for twenty-five dollars, then America has both the + rails and the money. + </p> + <p> + Judging from the present universal depression and the recent elections, + Lincoln, in his first speech, stood on solid rock and was absolutely + right. Lincoln was educated in the University of Nature—educated by + cloud and star—by field and winding stream—by billowed plains + and solemn forests—by morning's birth and death of day—by + storm and night—by the ever eager Spring—by Summer's wealth of + leaf and vine and flower—the sad and transient glories of the Autumn + woods—and Winter, builder of home and fireside, and whose storms + without, create the social warmth within. + </p> + <p> + He was perfectly acquainted with the political questions of the day—heard + them discussed at taverns and country stores, at voting places and courts + and on the stump. He knew all the arguments for and against, and no man of + his time was better equipped for intellectual conflict. He knew the + average mind—the thoughts of the people, the hopes and prejudices of + his fellow-men. He had the power of accurate statement. He was logical, + candid and sincere. In addition, he had the "touch of nature that makes + the whole world kin." + </p> + <p> + In 1858 he was a candidate for the Senate against Stephen A. Douglas. + </p> + <p> + The extreme Democrats would not vote for Douglas, but the extreme + Republicans did vote for Lincoln. Lincoln occupied the middle ground, and + was the compromise candidate of his own party. He had lived for many years + in the intellectual territory of compromise—in a part of our country + settled by Northern and Southern men—where Northern and Southern + ideas met, and the ideas of the two sections were brought together and + compared. + </p> + <p> + The sympathies of Lincoln, his ties of kindred, were with the South. His + convictions, his sense of justice, and his ideals, were with the North. He + knew the horrors of slavery, and he felt the unspeakable ecstasies and + glories of freedom. He had the kindness, the gentleness, of true + greatness, and he could not have been a master; he had the manhood and + independence of true greatness, and he could not have been a slave. He was + just, and was incapable of putting a burden upon others that he himself + would not willingly bear. + </p> + <p> + He was merciful and profound, and it was not necessary for him to read the + history of the world to know that liberty and slavery could not live in + the same nation, or in the same brain. Lincoln was a statesman.. And there + is this difference between a politician and a statesman. A politician + schemes and works in every way to make the people do something for him. A + statesman wishes to do something for the people. With him place and power + are means to an end, and the end is the good of his country. + </p> + <p> + In this campaign Lincoln demonstrated three things—first, that he + was the intellectual superior of his opponent; second, that he was right; + and third, that a majority of the voters of Illinois were on his side. + </p> + <p> + II. + </p> + <p> + IN 1860 the Republic reached a crisis. The conflict between liberty and + slavery could no longer be delayed. For three-quarters of a century the + forces had been gathering for the battle. + </p> + <p> + After the Revolution, principle was sacrificed for the sake of gain. The + Constitution contradicted the Declaration. Liberty as a principle was held + in contempt. Slavery took possession of the Government. Slavery made the + laws, corrupted courts, dominated Presidents and demoralized the people. + </p> + <p> + I do not hold the South responsible for slavery any more than I do the + North. The fact is, that individuals and nations act as they must. There + is no chance. Back of every event—of every hope, prejudice, fancy + and dream—of every opinion and belief—of every vice and virtue—of + every smile and curse, is the efficient cause. The present moment is the + child, and the necessary child, of all the past. + </p> + <p> + Northern politicians wanted office, and so they defended slavery; Northern + merchants wanted to sell their goods to the South, and so they were the + enemies of freedom. The preacher wished to please the people who paid his + salary, and so he denounced the slave for not being satisfied with the + position in which the good God had placed him. + </p> + <p> + The respectable, the rich, the prosperous, the holders of and the seekers + for office, held liberty in contempt. They regarded the Constitution as + far more sacred than the rights of men. Candidates for the presidency were + applauded because they had tried to make slave States of free territory, + and the highest court solemnly and ignorantly decided that colored men and + women had no rights. Men who insisted that freedom was better than + slavery, and that mothers should not be robbed of their babes, were hated, + despised and mobbed. Mr. Douglas voiced the feelings of millions when he + declared that he did not care whether slavery was voted up or down. Upon + this question the people, a majority of them, were almost savages. Honor, + manhood, conscience, principle—all sacrificed for the sake of gain + or office. + </p> + <p> + From the heights of philosophy—standing above the contending hosts, + above the prejudices, the sentimentalities of the day—Lincoln was + great enough and brave enough and wise enough to utter these prophetic + words: + </p> + <p> + "A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this Government + cannot permanently endure half slave and half free. I do not expect the + Union to be dissolved; I do not expect the house to fall; but I do expect + it will cease to be divided. It will become all the one thing or the + other. Either the opponents of slavery will arrest the further spread of + it, and place it where the public mind shall rest in the belief that it is + in the course of ultimate extinction, or its advocates will push it + further until it becomes alike lawful in all the States, old as well as + new, North as well as South." + </p> + <p> + This declaration was the standard around which gathered the grandest + political party the world has ever seen, and this declaration made Lincoln + the leader of that vast host. + </p> + <p> + In this, the first great crisis, Lincoln uttered the victorious truth that + made him the foremost man in the Republic. + </p> + <p> + The Republican party nominated him for the presidency and the people + decided at the polls that a house divided against itself could not stand, + and that slavery had cursed soul and soil enough. + </p> + <p> + It is not a common thing to elect a really great man to fill the highest + official position. I do not say that the great Presidents have been chosen + by accident. Probably it would be better to say that they were the + favorites of a happy chance. + </p> + <p> + The average man is afraid of genius. He feels as an awkward man feels in + the presence of a sleight-of-hand performer. He admires and suspects. + Genius appears to carry too much sail—to lack prudence, has too much + courage. The ballast of dullness inspires confidence. + </p> + <p> + By a happy chance Lincoln was nominated and elected in spite of his + fitness—and the patient, gentle, just and loving man was called upon + to bear as great a burden as man has ever borne. + </p> + <p> + III. + </p> + <p> + THEN came another crisis—the crisis of Secession and Civil war. + </p> + <p> + Again Lincoln spoke the deepest feeling and the highest thought of the + Nation. In his first message he said: + </p> + <p> + "The central idea of secession is the essence of anarchy." + </p> + <p> + He also showed conclusively that the North and South, in spite of + secession, must remain face to face—that physically they could not + separate—that they must have more or less commerce, and that this + commerce must be carried on either between the two sections as friends, or + as aliens. + </p> + <p> + This situation and its consequences he pointed out to absolute perfection + in these words: + </p> + <p> + "Can aliens make treaties easier than friends can make laws? Can treaties + be more faithfully enforced between aliens than laws among friends?" + </p> + <p> + After having stated fully and fairly the philosophy of the conflict, after + having said enough to satisfy any calm and thoughtful mind, he addressed + himself to the hearts of America. Probably there are few finer passages in + literature than the close of Lincoln's inaugural address: + </p> + <p> + "I am loth to close. We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be + enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break, our bonds of + affection. The mystic chords of memory stretching from every battlefield + and patriotic grave to every loving heart and hearthstone all over this + broad land, will swell the chorus of the Union when again touched, as + surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature." + </p> + <p> + These noble, these touching, these pathetic words, were delivered in the + presence of rebellion, in the midst of spies and conspirators—surrounded + by but few friends, most of whom were unknown, and some of whom were + wavering in their fidelity—at a time when secession was arrogant and + organized, when patriotism was silent, and when, to quote the expressive + words of Lincoln himself, "Sinners were calling the righteous to + repentance." + </p> + <p> + When Lincoln became President, he was held in contempt by the South—underrated + by the North and East—not appreciated even by his cabinet—and + yet he was not only one of the wisest, but one of the shrewdest of + mankind. Knowing that he had the right to enforce the laws of the Union in + all parts of the United States, and Territories—knowing, as he did, + that the secessionists were in the wrong, he also knew that they had + sympathizers not only in the North, but in other lands. + </p> + <p> + Consequently, he felt that it was of the utmost importance that the South + should fire the first shot, should do some act that would solidify the + North, and gain for us the justification of the civilized world. + </p> + <p> + He proposed to give food to the soldiers at Sumter. He asked the advice of + all his cabinet on this question, and all, with the exception of + Montgomery Blair, answered in the negative, giving their reasons in + writing. In spite of this, Lincoln took his own course—endeavored to + send the supplies, and while thus engaged, doing his simple duty, the + South commenced actual hostilities and fired on the fort. The course + pursued by Lincoln was absolutely right, and the act of the South to a + great extent solidified the North, and gained for the Republic the + justification of a great number of people in other lands. + </p> + <p> + At that time Lincoln appreciated the scope and consequences of the + impending conflict. Above all other thoughts in his mind was this: + </p> + <p> + "This conflict will settle the question, at least for centuries to come, + whether man is capable of governing himself, and consequently is of + greater importance to the free than to the enslaved." + </p> + <p> + He knew what depended on the issue and he said: "We shall nobly save, or + meanly lose, the last, best hope of earth." + </p> + <p> + HEN came a crisis in the North. It became clearer and clearer to Lincoln's + mind, day by day, that the Rebellion was slavery, and that it was + necessary to keep the border States on the side of the Union. For this + purpose he proposed a scheme of emancipation and colonization—a + scheme by which the owners of slaves should be paid the full value of what + they called their "property." + </p> + <p> + He knew that if the border States agreed to gradual emancipation, and + received compensation for their slaves, they would be forever lost to the + Confederacy, whether secession succeeded or not. It was objected at the + time, by some, that the scheme was far too expensive; but Lincoln, wiser + than his advisers—far wiser than his enemies—demonstrated that + from an economical point of view, his course was best. + </p> + <p> + IV. + </p> + <p> + He proposed that $400 be paid for slaves, including men, women and + children. This was a large price, and yet he showed how much cheaper it + was to purchase than to carry on the war. + </p> + <p> + At that time, at the price mentioned, there were about $750,000 worth of + slaves in Delaware. The cost of carrying on the war was at least two + millions of dollars a day, and for one-third of one day's expenses, all + the slaves in Delaware could be purchased. He also showed that all the + slaves in Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky and Missouri could be bought, at + the same price, for less than the expense of carrying on the war for + eighty-seven days. + </p> + <p> + This was the wisest thing that could have been proposed, and yet such was + the madness of the South, such the indignation of the North, that the + advice was unheeded. + </p> + <p> + Again, in July, 1862, he urged on the Representatives of the border States + a scheme of gradual compensated emancipation; but the Representatives were + too deaf to hear, too blind to see. + </p> + <p> + Lincoln always hated slavery, and yet he felt the obligations and duties + of his position. In his first message he assured the South that the laws, + including the most odious of all—the law for the return of fugitive + slaves—would be enforced. The South would not hear. Afterward he + proposed to purchase the slaves of the border States, but the proposition + was hardly discussed—hardly heard. Events came thick and fast; + theories gave way to facts, and everything was left to force. + </p> + <p> + The extreme Democrat of the North was fearful that slavery might be + destroyed, that the Constitution might be broken, and that Lincoln, after + all, could not be trusted; and at the same time the radical Republican + feared that Lincoln loved the Union more than he did liberty. + </p> + <p> + The fact is, that he tried to discharge the obligations of his great + office, knowing from the first that slavery must perish. The course + pursued by Lincoln was so gentle, so kind and persistent, so wise and + logical, that millions of Northern Democrats sprang to the defence, not + only of the Union, but of his administration. Lincoln refused to be led or + hurried by Fremont or Hunter, by Greeley or Sumner. From first to last he + was the real leader, and he kept step with events. + </p> + <p> + V. + </p> + <p> + ON the 22d of July, 1862, Lincoln sent word to the members of his cabinet + that he wished to see them. It so happened that Secretary Chase was the + first to arrive. He found Lincoln reading a book. Looking up from the + page, the President said: "Chase, did you ever read this book?" "What book + is it?" asked Chase. "Artemus Ward," replied Lincoln. "Let me read you + this chapter, entitled '<i>Wax Wurx in Albany</i>.'" And so he began + reading while the other members of the cabinet one by one came in. At last + Stanton told Mr. Lincoln that he was in a great hurry, and if any business + was to be done he would like to do it at once. Whereupon Mr. Lincoln laid + down the open book, opened a drawer, took out a paper and said: + "Gentlemen, I have called you together to notify you what I have + determined to do. I want no advice. Nothing can change my mind." + </p> + <p> + He then read the Proclamation of Emancipation. Chase thought there ought + to be something about God at the close, to which Lincoln replied: "Put it + in, it won't hurt it." It was also agreed that the President would wait + for a victory in the field before giving the Proclamation to the world. + </p> + <p> + The meeting was over, the members went their way. Mr. Chase was the last + to go, and as he went through the door looked back and saw that Mr. + Lincoln had taken up the book and was again engrossed in the <i>Wax Wurx + at Albany.</i> + </p> + <p> + This was on the 22d of July, 1862. On the 22d of August of the same year—after + Lincoln wrote his celebrated letter to Horace Greeley, in which he stated + that his object was to save the Union; <i>that he would save it with + slavery if he could</i>; that if it was necessary to destroy slavery in + order to save the Union, he would; in other words, he would do what was + necessary to save the Union. + </p> + <p> + This letter disheartened, to a great degree, thousands and millions of the + friends of freedom. They felt that Mr. Lincoln had not attained the moral + height upon which they supposed he stood. And yet, when this letter was + written, the Emancipation Proclamation was in his hands, and had been for + thirty days, waiting only an opportunity to give it to the world. + </p> + <p> + Some two weeks after the letter to Greeley, Lincoln was waited on by a + committee of clergymen, and was by them informed that it was God's will + that he should issue a Proclamation of Emancipation. He replied to them, + in substance, that the day of miracles had passed. He also mildly and + kindly suggested that if it were God's will this Proclamation should be + issued, certainly God would have made known that will to him—to the + person whose duty it was to issue it. + </p> + <p> + On the 22d day of September, 1862, the most glorious date in the history + of the Republic, the Proclamation of Emancipation was issued. + </p> + <p> + Lincoln had reached the generalization of all argument upon the question + of slavery and freedom—a generalization that never has been, and + probably never will be, excelled: + </p> + <p> + "In giving freedom to the slave, we assure freedom to the free." + </p> + <p> + This is absolutely true. Liberty can be retained, can be enjoyed, only by + giving it to others. The spendthrift saves, the miser is prodigal. In the + realm of Freedom, waste is husbandry. He who puts chains upon the body of + another shackles his own soul. The moment the Proclamation was issued the + cause of the Republic became sacred. From that moment the North fought for + the human race. + </p> + <p> + From that moment the North stood under the blue and stars, the flag of + Nature, sublime and free. + </p> + <p> + In 1831, Lincoln went down the Mississippi on a flat-boat. He received the + extravagant salary of ten dollars a month. When he reached New Orleans, he + and some of his companions went about the city. + </p> + <p> + Among other places, they visited a slave market, where men and women were + being sold at auction. A young colored girl was on the block. Lincoln + heard the brutal words of the auctioneer—the savage remarks of + bidders. The scene filled his soul with indignation and horror. + </p> + <p> + Turning to his companions, he said, "Boys, if I ever get a chance to hit + slavery, by God I'll hit it hard!" + </p> + <p> + The helpless girl, unconsciously, had planted in a great heart the seeds + of the Proclamation. + </p> + <p> + Thirty-one years afterward the chance came, the oath was kept, and to four + millions of slaves, of men, women and children, was restored liberty, the + jewel of the soul. + </p> + <p> + In the history, in the fiction of the world, there is nothing more + intensely dramatic than this. + </p> + <p> + Lincoln held within his brain the grandest truths, and he held them as + unconsciously, as easily, as naturally, as a waveless pool holds within + its stainless breast a thousand stars. + </p> + <p> + In these two years we had traveled from the Ordinance of Secession to the + Proclamation of Emancipation. + </p> + <p> + VI. + </p> + <p> + WE were surrounded by enemies. Many of the so-called great in Europe and + England were against us. They hated the Republic, despised our + institutions, and sought in many ways to aid the South. + </p> + <p> + Mr. Gladstone announced that Jefferson Davis had made a nation, and that + he did not believe the restoration of the American Union by force + attainable. + </p> + <p> + From the Vatican came words of encouragement for the South. + </p> + <p> + It was declared that the North was fighting for empire and the South for + independence. + </p> + <p> + The Marquis of Salisbury said: "The people of the South are the natural + allies of England. The North keeps an opposition shop in the same + department of trade as ourselves." + </p> + <p> + Not a very elevated sentiment—but English. + </p> + <p> + Some of their statesmen declared that the subjugation of the South by the + North would be a calamity to the world. + </p> + <p> + Louis Napoleon was another enemy, and he endeavored to establish a + monarchy in Mexico, to the end that the great North might be destroyed. + But the patience, the uncommon common sense, the statesmanship of Lincoln—in + spite of foreign hate and Northern division—triumphed over all. And + now we forgive all foes. Victory makes forgiveness easy. + </p> + <p> + Lincoln was by nature a diplomat. He knew the art of sailing against the + wind. He had as much shrewdness as is consistent with honesty. He + understood, not only the rights of individuals, but of nations. In all his + correspondence with other governments he neither wrote nor sanctioned a + line which afterward was used to tie his hands. In the use of perfect + English he easily rose above all his advisers and all his fellows. + </p> + <p> + No one claims that Lincoln did all. He could have done nothing without the + generals in the field, and the generals could have done nothing without + their armies. The praise is due to all—to the private as much as to + the officer; to the lowest who did his duty, as much as to the highest. + </p> + <p> + My heart goes out to the brave private as much as to the leader of the + host. + </p> + <p> + But Lincoln stood at the centre and with infinite patience, with + consummate skill, with the genius of goodness, directed, cheered, consoled + and conquered. + </p> + <p> + VII. + </p> + <p> + SLAVERY was the cause of the war, and slavery was the perpetual + stumbling-block. As the war went on, question after question arose—questions + that could not be answered by theories. Should we hand back the slave to + his master, when the master was using his slave to destroy the Union? If + the South was right, slaves were property, and by the laws of war anything + that might be used to the advantage of the enemy might be confiscated by + us. Events did not wait for discussion. General Butler denominated the + negro as "a contraband." Congress provided that the property of the rebels + might be confiscated. + </p> + <p> + The extreme Democrats of the North regarded the slave as more sacred than + life. It was no harm to kill the master—to burn his house, to ravage + his fields—but you must not free his slave. If in war a nation has + the right to take the property of its citizens—of its friends—certainly + it has the right to take the property of those it has the right to kill. + </p> + <p> + Lincoln was wise enough to know that war is governed by the laws of war, + and that during the conflict constitutions are silent. All that he could + do he did in the interests of peace. He offered to execute every law—including + the most infamous of all—to buy the slaves in the border States—to + establish gradual, compensated emancipation; but the South would not hear. + Then he confiscated the property of rebels—treated the slaves as + contraband of war, used them to put down the Rebellion, armed them and + clothed them in the uniform of the Republic—was in favor of making + them citizens and allowing them to stand on an equality with their white + brethren under the flag of the Nation. During these years Lincoln moved + with events, and every step he took has been justified by the considerate + judgment of mankind. + </p> + <p> + VIII. + </p> + <p> + LINCOLN not only watched the war, but kept his hand on the political + pulse. In 1863 a tide set in against the administration. A Republican + meeting was to be held in Springfield, Illinois, and Lincoln wrote a + letter to be read at this convention. It was in his happiest vein. It was + a perfect defence of his administration, including the Proclamation of + Emancipation. Among other things he said: + </p> + <p> + "But the proclamation, as law, either is valid or it is not valid. If it + is not valid it needs no retraction, but if it is valid it cannot be + retracted, any more than the dead can be brought to life." + </p> + <p> + To the Northern Democrats who said they would not fight for negroes, + Lincoln replied: + </p> + <p> + "Some of them seem willing to fight for you—but no matter." + </p> + <p> + Of negro soldiers: + </p> + <p> + "But negroes, like other people, act upon motives. Why should they do + anything for us if we will do nothing for them? If they stake their lives + for us they must be prompted by the strongest motive—even the + promise of freedom. And the promise, being made, must be kept." + </p> + <p> + There is one line in this letter that will give it immortality: + </p> + <p> + "The Father of waters again goes unvexed to the sea." + </p> + <p> + This line is worthy of Shakespeare. + </p> + <p> + Another: + </p> + <p> + "Among free men there can be no successful appeal from the ballot to the + bullet." + </p> + <p> + He draws a comparison between the white men against us and the black men + for us: + </p> + <p> + "And then there will be some black men who can remember that with silent + tongue and clenched teeth and steady eye and well-poised bayonet they have + helped mankind on to this great consummation; while I fear there will be + some white ones unable to forget that with malignant heart and deceitful + speech they strove to hinder it." + </p> + <p> + Under the influence of this letter, the love of country, of the Union, and + above all, the love of liberty, took possession of the heroic North. + </p> + <p> + There was the greatest moral exaltation ever known. + </p> + <p> + The spirit of liberty took possession of the people. The masses became + sublime. + </p> + <p> + To fight for yourself is natural—to fight for others is grand; to + fight for your country is noble—to fight for the human race—for + the liberty of hand and brain—is nobler still. + </p> + <p> + As a matter of fact, the defenders of slavery had sown the seeds of their + own defeat. They dug the pit in which they fell. Clay and Webster and + thousands of others had by their eloquence made the Union almost sacred. + The Union was the very tree of life, the source and stream and sea of + liberty and law. + </p> + <p> + For the sake of slavery millions stood by the Union, for the sake of + liberty millions knelt at the altar of the Union; and this love of the + Union is what, at last, overwhelmed the Confederate hosts. + </p> + <p> + It does not seem possible that only a few years ago our Constitution, our + laws, our Courts, the Pulpit and the Press defended and upheld the + institution of slavery—that it was a crime to feed the hungry—to + give water to the lips of thirst—shelter to a woman flying from the + whip and chain! + </p> + <p> + The old flag still flies—the stars are there—the stains have + gone. + </p> + <p> + IX. + </p> + <p> + LINCOLN always saw the end. He was unmoved by the storms and currents of + the times. He advanced too rapidly for the conservative politicians, too + slowly for the radical enthusiasts. He occupied the line of safety, and + held by his personality—by the force of his great character, by his + charming candor—the masses on his side. + </p> + <p> + The soldiers thought of him as a father. + </p> + <p> + All who had lost their sons in battle felt that they had his sympathy—felt + that his face was as sad as theirs. They knew that Lincoln was actuated by + one motive, and that his energies were bent to the attainment of one end—the + salvation of the Republic. + </p> + <p> + They knew that he was kind, sincere and merciful. They knew that in his + veins there was no drop of tyrants' blood. They knew that he used his + power to protect the innocent, to save reputation and life—that he + had the brain of a philosopher—the heart of a mother. + </p> + <p> + During all the years of war, Lincoln stood the embodiment of mercy, + between discipline and death. He pitied the imprisoned and condemned. He + took the unfortunate in his arms, and was the friend even of the convict. + He knew temptation's strength—the weakness of the will—and how + in fury's sudden flame the judgment drops the scales, and passion—blind + and deaf—usurps the throne. + </p> + <p> + One day a woman, accompanied by a Senator, called on the President. The + woman was the wife of one of Mosby's men. Her husband had been captured, + tried and condemned to be shot. She came to ask for the pardon of her + husband. The President heard her story and then asked what kind of man her + husband was. "Is he intemperate, does he abuse the children and beat you?" + "No, no," said the wife, "he is a good man, a good husband, he loves me + and he loves the children, and we cannot live without him. The only + trouble is that he is a fool about politics—I live in the North, + born there, and if I get him home, he will do no more fighting for the + South." "Well," said Mr. Lincoln, after examining the papers, "I will + pardon your husband and turn him over to you for safe keeping." The poor + woman, overcome with joy, sobbed as though her heart would break. + </p> + <p> + "My dear woman," said Lincoln, "if I had known how badly it was going to + make you feel, I never would have pardoned him." "You do not understand + me," she cried between her sobs. "You do not understand me." "Yes, yes, I + do," answered the President, "and if you do not go away at once I shall be + crying with you." + </p> + <p> + On another occasion, a member of Congress, on his way to see Lincoln, + found in one of the anterooms of the White House an old white-haired man, + sobbing—his wrinkled face wet with tears. The old man told him that + for several days he had tried to see the President—that he wanted a + pardon for his son. The Congressman told the old man to come with him and + he would introduce him to Mr. Lincoln. On being introduced, the old man + said: "Mr. Lincoln, my wife sent me to you. We had three boys. They all + joined your army. One of 'em has been killed, one's a fighting now, and + one of 'em, the youngest, has been tried for deserting and he's going to + be shot day after to-morrow. He never deserted. He's wild, and he may have + drunk too much and wandered off, but he never deserted. 'Taint in the + blood. He's his mother's favorite, and if he's shot, I know she'll die." + The President, turning to his secretary, said: "Telegraph General Butler + to suspend the execution in the case of————[giving + the name] until further orders from me, and ask him to answer————." + </p> + <p> + The Congressman congratulated the old man on his success—but the old + man did not respond. He was not satisfied. "Mr. President," he began, "I + can't take that news home. It won't satisfy his mother. How do I know but + what you'll give further orders to-morrow?" "My good man," said Mr. + Lincoln, "I have to do the best I can. The generals are complaining + because I pardon so many. They say that my mercy destroys discipline. Now, + when you get home you tell his mother what you said to me about my giving + further orders, and then you tell her that I said this: 'If your son lives + until they get further orders from me, that when he does die people will + say that old Methusaleh was a baby compared to him.'" + </p> + <p> + The pardoning power is the only remnant of absolute sovereignty that a + President has. Through all the years, Lincoln will be known as Lincoln the + loving, Lincoln the merciful. + </p> + <p> + X. + </p> + <p> + LINCOLN had the keenest sense of humor, and always saw the laughable side + even of disaster. In his humor there was logic and the best of sense. No + matter how complicated the question, or how embarrassing the situation, + his humor furnished an answer and a door of escape. + </p> + <p> + Vallandigham was a friend of the South, and did what he could to sow the + seeds of failure. In his opinion everything, except rebellion, was + unconstitutional. + </p> + <p> + He was arrested, convicted by a court martial, and sentenced to + imprisonment. + </p> + <p> + There was doubt about the legality of the trial, and thousands in the + North denounced the whole proceeding as tyrannical and infamous. At the + same time millions demanded that Vallandigham should be punished. + </p> + <p> + Lincoln's humor came to the rescue. He disapproved of the findings of the + court, changed the punishment, and ordered that Mr. Vallandigham should be + sent to his friends in the South. + </p> + <p> + Those who regarded the act as unconstitutional almost forgave it for the + sake of its humor. + </p> + <p> + Horace Greeley always had the idea that he was greatly superior to + Lincoln, because he lived in a larger town, and for a long time insisted + that the people of the North and the people of the South desired peace. He + took it upon himself to lecture Lincoln. Lincoln, with that wonderful + sense of humor, united with shrewdness and profound wisdom, told Greeley + that, if the South really wanted peace, he (Lincoln) desired the same + thing, and was doing all he could to bring it about. Greeley insisted that + a commissioner should be appointed, with authority to negotiate with the + representatives of the Confederacy. This was Lincoln's opportunity. He + authorized Greeley to act as such commissioner. The great editor felt that + he was caught. For a time he hesitated, but finally went, and found that + the Southern commissioners were willing to take into consideration any + offers of peace that Lincoln might make, consistent with the independence + of the Confederacy. + </p> + <p> + The failure of Greeley was humiliating, and the position in which he was + left, absurd. + </p> + <p> + Again the humor of Lincoln had triumphed. + </p> + <p> + Lincoln, to satisfy a few fault-finders in the North, went to Grant's + headquarters and met some Confederate commissioners. He urged that it was + hardly proper for him to negotiate with the representatives of rebels in + arms—that if the South wanted peace, all they had to do was to stop + fighting. One of the commissioners cited as a precedent the fact that + Charles the First negotiated with rebels in arms. To which Lincoln replied + that Charles the First lost his head. + </p> + <p> + The conference came to nothing, as Mr. Lincoln expected. + </p> + <p> + The commissioners, one of them being Alexander H. Stephens, who, when in + good health, weighed about ninety pounds, dined with the President and + Gen. Grant. After dinner, as they were leaving, Stephens put on an English + ulster, the tails of which reached the ground, while the collar was + somewhat above the wearer's head. + </p> + <p> + As Stephens went out, Lincoln touched Grant and said: "Grant, look at + Stephens. Did you ever see as little a nubbin with as much shuck?" + </p> + <p> + Lincoln always tried to do things in the easiest way. He did not waste his + strength. He was not particular about moving along straight lines. He did + not tunnel the mountains. He was willing to go around, and reach the end + desired as a river reaches the sea. + </p> + <p> + XI. + </p> + <p> + One of the most wonderful things ever done by Lincoln was the promotion of + General Hooker. After the battle of Fredericksburg, General Burnside found + great fault with Hooker, and wished to have him removed from the Army of + the Potomac. Lincoln disapproved of Burnside's order, and gave Hooker the + command. He then wrote Hooker this memorable letter: + </p> + <p> + "I have placed you at the head of the Army of the Potomac. Of course I + have done this upon what appears to me to be sufficient reasons, and yet I + think it best for you to know that there are some things in regard to + which I am not quite satisfied with you. I believe you to be a brave and + skillful soldier—which, of course, I like. I also believe you do not + mix politics with your profession—in which you are right. You have + confidence—which is a valuable, if not an indispensable, quality. + You are ambitious, which, within reasonable bounds, does good rather than + harm; but I think that during General Burnside's command of the army you + have taken counsel of your ambition to thwart him as much as you could—in + which you did a great wrong to the country and to a most meritorious and + honorable brother officer. I have heard, in such a way as to believe it, + of your recently saying that both the army and the Government needed a + dictator. Of course it was not for this, but in spite of it, that I have + given you command. Only those generals who gain successes can set up + dictators. What I now ask of you is military successes, and I will risk + the dictatorship. The Government will support you to the utmost of its + ability, which is neither more nor less than it has done and will do for + all commanders. I much fear that the spirit which you have aided to infuse + into the army, of criticising their commander and withholding confidence + in him, will now turn upon you. I shall assist you, so far as I can, to + put it down. Neither you, nor Napoleon, if he were alive, can get any good + out of an army while such a spirit prevails in it. And now beware of + rashness. Beware of rashness, but with energy and sleepless vigilance go + forward and give us victories." + </p> + <p> + This letter has, in my judgment, no parallel. The mistaken magnanimity is + almost equal to the prophecy: + </p> + <p> + "I much fear that the spirit which you have aided to infuse into the army, + of criticising their command and withholding confidence in him, will now + turn upon you." + </p> + <p> + Chancellorsville was the fulfillment. + </p> + <p> + XII. + </p> + <p> + MR. LINCOLN was a statesman. The great stumbling-block—the great + obstruction—in Lincoln's way, and in the way of thousands, was the + old doctrine of States Rights. + </p> + <p> + This doctrine was first established to protect slavery. It was clung to to + protect the inter-State slave trade. It became sacred in connection with + the Fugitive Slave Law, and it was finally used as the corner-stone of + Secession. + </p> + <p> + This doctrine was never appealed to in defence of the right—always + in support of the wrong. For many years politicians upon both sides of + this question endeavored to express the exact relations existing between + the Federal Government and the States, and I know of no one who succeeded, + except Lincoln. In his message of 1861, delivered on July the 4th, the + definition is given, and it is perfect: + </p> + <p> + "Whatever concerns the whole should be confided to the whole—to the + General Government. Whatever concerns only the State should be left + exclusively to the State." + </p> + <p> + When that definition is realized in practice, this country becomes a + Nation. Then we shall know that the first allegiance of the citizen is not + to his State, but to the Republic, and that the first duty of the Republic + is to protect the citizen, not only when in other lands, but at home, and + that this duty cannot be discharged by delegating it to the States. + </p> + <p> + Lincoln believed in the sovereignty of the people—in the supremacy + of the Nation—in the territorial integrity of the Republic. + </p> + <p> + XIII. + </p> + <p> + A GREAT actor can be known only when he has assumed the principal + character in a great drama. Possibly the greatest actors have never + appeared, and it may be that the greatest soldiers have lived the lives of + perfect peace. Lincoln assumed the leading part in the greatest drama ever + enacted upon the stage of this continent. + </p> + <p> + His criticisms of military movements, his correspondence with his generals + and others on the conduct of the war, show that he was at all times master + of the situation—that he was a natural strategist, that he + appreciated the difficulties and advantages of every kind, and that in + "the still and mental" field of war he stood the peer of any man beneath + the flag. + </p> + <p> + Had McClellan followed his advice, he would have taken Richmond. + </p> + <p> + Had Hooker acted in accordance with his suggestions, Chancellorsville + would have been a victory for the Nation. + </p> + <p> + Lincoln's political prophecies were all fulfilled. + </p> + <p> + We know now that he not only stood at the top, but that he occupied the + centre, from first to last, and that he did this by reason of his + intelligence, his humor, his philosophy, his courage and his patriotism. + </p> + <p> + In passion's storm he stood, unmoved, patient, just and candid. In his + brain there was no cloud, and in his heart no hate. He longed to save the + South as well as North, to see the Nation one and free. + </p> + <p> + He lived until the end was known. + </p> + <p> + He lived until the Confederacy was dead—until Lee surrendered, until + Davis fled, until the doors of Libby Prison were opened, until the + Republic was supreme. + </p> + <p> + He lived until Lincoln and Liberty were united forever. + </p> + <p> + He lived to cross the desert—to reach the palms of victory—to + hear the murmured music of the welcome waves. + </p> + <p> + He lived until all loyal hearts were his—until the history of his + deeds made music in the souls of men—until he knew that on + Columbia's Calendar of worth and fame his name stood first. + </p> + <p> + He lived until there remained nothing for him to do as great as he had + done. + </p> + <p> + What he did was worth living for, worth dying for. + </p> + <p> + He lived until he stood in the midst of universal + </p> + <p> + Joy, beneath the outstretched wings of Peace—the foremost man in all + the world. + </p> + <p> + And then the horror came. Night fell on noon. The Savior of the Republic, + the breaker of chains, the liberator of millions, he who had "assured + freedom to the free," was dead. + </p> + <p> + Upon his brow Fame placed the immortal wreath, and for the first time in + the history of the world a Nation bowed and wept. + </p> + <p> + The memory of Lincoln is the strongest, tenderest tie that binds all + hearts together now, and holds all States beneath a Nation's flag. + </p> + <p> + XIV. + </p> + <p> + ABRAHAM LINCOLN—strange mingling of mirth and tears, of the tragic + and grotesque, of cap and crown, of Socrates and Democritus, of �?sop + and Marcus Aurelius, of all that is gentle and just, humorous and honest, + merciful, wise, laughable, lovable and divine, and all consecrated to the + use of man; while through all, and over all, were an overwhelming sense of + obligation, of chivalric loyalty to truth, and upon all, the shadow of the + tragic end. + </p> + <p> + Nearly all the great historic characters are impossible monsters, + disproportioned by flattery, or by calumny deformed. We know nothing of + their peculiarities, or nothing but their peculiarities. About these oaks + there clings none of the earth of humanity. + </p> + <p> + Washington is now only a steel engraving. About the real man who lived and + loved and hated and schemed, we know but little. The glass through which + we look at him is of such high magnifying power that the features are + exceedingly indistinct. + </p> + <p> + Hundreds of people are now engaged in smoothing out the lines of Lincoln's + face—forcing all features to the common mould—so that he may + be known, not as he really was, but, according to their poor standard, as + he should have been. + </p> + <p> + Lincoln was not a type. He stands alone—no ancestors, no fellows, + and no successors. + </p> + <p> + He had the advantage of living in a new country, of social equality, of + personal freedom, of seeing in the horizon of his future the perpetual + star of hope. He preserved his individuality and his self-respect. He knew + and mingled with men of every kind; and, after all, men are the best + books. He became acquainted with the ambitions and hopes of the heart, the + means used to accomplish ends, the springs of action and the seeds of + thought. He was familiar with nature, with actual things, with common + facts. He loved and appreciated the poem of the year, the drama of the + seasons. + </p> + <p> + In a new country a man must possess at least three virtues—honesty, + courage and generosity. In cultivated society, cultivation is often more + important than soil. A well-executed counterfeit passes more readily than + a blurred genuine. It is necessary only to observe the unwritten laws of + society—to be honest enough to keep out of prison, and generous + enough to subscribe in public—where the subscription can be defended + as an investment. + </p> + <p> + In a new country, character is essential; in the old, reputation is + sufficient. In the new, they find what a man really is; in the old, he + generally passes for what he resembles. People separated only by distance + are much nearer together, than those divided by the walls of caste. + </p> + <p> + It is no advantage to live in a great city, where poverty degrades and + failure brings despair. The fields are lovelier than paved streets, and + the great forests than walls of brick. Oaks and elms are more poetic than + steeples and chimneys. + </p> + <p> + In the country is the idea of home. There you see the rising and setting + sun; you become acquainted with the stars and clouds. The constellations + are your friends. You hear the rain on the roof and listen to the rhythmic + sighing of the winds. You are thrilled by the resurrection called Spring, + touched and saddened by Autumn—the grace and poetry of death. Every + field is a picture, a landscape; every landscape a poem; every flower a + tender thought, and every forest a fairy-land. In the country you preserve + your identity—your personality. There you are an aggregation of + atoms, but in the city you are only an atom of an aggregation. + </p> + <p> + In the country you keep your cheek close to the breast of Nature. You are + calmed and ennobled by the space, the amplitude and scope of earth and sky—by + the constancy of the stars. + </p> + <p> + Lincoln never finished his education. To the night of his death he was a + pupil, a learner, an inquirer, a seeker after knowledge. You have no idea + how many men are spoiled by what is called education. For the most part, + colleges are places where pebbles are polished and diamonds are dimmed. If + Shakespeare had graduated at Oxford, he might have been a quibbling + attorney, or a hypocritical parson. + </p> + <p> + Lincoln was a great lawyer. There is nothing shrewder in this world than + intelligent honesty. Perfect candor is sword and shield. + </p> + <p> + He understood the nature of man. As a lawyer he endeavored to get at the + truth, at the very heart of a case. He was not willing even to deceive + himself. No matter what his interest said, what his passion demanded, he + was great enough to find the truth and strong enough to pronounce judgment + against his own desires. + </p> + <p> + Lincoln was a many-sided man, acquainted with smiles and tears, complex in + brain, single in heart, direct as light; and his words, candid as mirrors, + gave the perfect image of his thought. He was never afraid to ask—never + too dignified to admit that he did not know. No man had keener wit, or + kinder humor. + </p> + <p> + It may be that humor is the pilot of reason. People without humor drift + unconsciously into absurdity. Humor sees the other side—stands in + the mind like a spectator, a good-natured critic, and gives its opinion + before judgment is reached. Humor goes with good nature, and good nature + is the climate of reason. In anger, reason abdicates and malice + extinguishes the torch. Such was the humor of Lincoln that he could tell + even unpleasant truths as charmingly as most men can tell the things we + wish to hear. + </p> + <p> + He was not solemn. Solemnity is a mask worn by ignorance and hypocrisy—it + is the preface, prologue, and index to the cunning or the stupid. + </p> + <p> + He was natural in his life and thought—master of the story-teller's + art, in illustration apt, in application perfect, liberal in speech, + shocking Pharisees and prudes, using any word that wit could disinfect. + </p> + <p> + He was a logician. His logic shed light. In its presence the obscure + became luminous, and the most complex and intricate political and + metaphysical knots seemed to untie themselves. Logic is the necessary + product of intelligence and sincerity. It cannot be learned. It is the + child of a clear head and a good heart. + </p> + <p> + Lincoln was candid, and with candor often deceived the deceitful. He had + intellect without arrogance, genius without pride, and religion without + cant—that is to say, without bigotry and without deceit. + </p> + <p> + He was an orator—clear, sincere, natural. He did not pretend. He did + not say what he thought others thought, but what he thought. + </p> + <p> + If you wish to be sublime you must be natural—you must keep close to + the grass. You must sit by the fireside of the heart; above the clouds it + is too cold. You must be simple in your speech; too much polish suggests + insincerity. + </p> + <p> + The great orator idealizes the real, transfigures the common, makes even + the inanimate throb and thrill, fills the gallery of the imagination with + statues and pictures perfect in form and color, brings to light the gold + hoarded by memory the miser, shows the glittering coin to the spendthrift + hope, enriches the brain, ennobles the heart, and quickens the conscience. + Between his lips words bud and blossom. + </p> + <p> + If you wish to know the difference between an orator and an elocutionist—between + what is felt and what is said—between what the heart and brain can + do together and what the brain can do alone—read Lincoln's wondrous + speech at Gettysburg, and then the oration of Edward Everett. + </p> + <p> + The speech of Lincoln will never be forgotten. It will live until + languages are dead and lips are dust. The oration of Everett will never be + read. + </p> + <p> + The elocutionists believe in the virtue of voice, the sublimity of syntax, + the majesty of long sentences, and the genius of gesture. + </p> + <p> + The orator loves the real, the simple, the natural. He places the thought + above all. He knows that the greatest ideas should be expressed in the + shortest words—that the greatest statues need the least drapery. + </p> + <p> + Lincoln was an immense personality—firm but not obstinate. Obstinacy + is egotism—firmness, heroism. He influenced others without effort, + unconsciously; and they submitted to him as men submit to nature—unconsciously. + He was severe with himself, and for that reason lenient with others. + </p> + <p> + He appeared to apologize for being kinder than his fellows. + </p> + <p> + He did merciful things as stealthily as others committed crimes. + </p> + <p> + Almost ashamed of tenderness, he said and did the noblest words and deeds + with that charming confusion, that awkwardness, that is the perfect grace + of modesty. + </p> + <p> + As a noble man, wishing to pay a small debt to a poor neighbor, + reluctantly offers a hundred-dollar bill and asks for change, fearing that + he may be suspected either of making a display of wealth or a pretence of + payment, so Lincoln hesitated to show his wealth of goodness, even to the + best he knew. + </p> + <p> + A great man stooping, not wishing to make his fellows feel that they were + small or mean. + </p> + <p> + By his candor, by his kindness, by his perfect freedom from restraint, by + saying what he thought, and saying it absolutely in his own way, he made + it not only possible, but popular, to be natural. He was the enemy of mock + solemnity, of the stupidly respectable, of the cold and formal. + </p> + <p> + He wore no official robes either on his body or his soul. He never + pretended to be more or less, or other, or different, from what he really + was. + </p> + <p> + He had the unconscious naturalness of Nature's self. + </p> + <p> + He built upon the rock. The foundation was secure and broad. The structure + was a pyramid, narrowing as it rose. Through days and nights of sorrow, + through years of grief and pain, with unswerving purpose, "with malice + towards none, with charity for all," with infinite patience, with + unclouded vision, he hoped and toiled. Stone after stone was laid, until + at last the Proclamation found its place. On that the Goddess stands. + </p> + <p> + He knew others, because perfectly acquainted with himself. He cared + nothing for place, but everything for principle; little for money, but + everything for independence. Where no principle was involved, easily + swayed—willing to go slowly, if in the right direction—sometimes + willing to stop; but he would not go back, and he would not go wrong. + </p> + <p> + He was willing to wait. He knew that the event was not waiting, and that + fate was not the fool of chance. He knew that slavery had defenders, but + no defence, and that they who attack the right must wound themselves. + </p> + <p> + He was neither tyrant nor slave. He neither knelt nor scorned. + </p> + <p> + With him, men were neither great nor small—they were right or wrong. + </p> + <p> + Through manners, clothes, titles, rags and race he saw the real—that + which is. Beyond accident, policy, compromise and war he saw the end. + </p> + <p> + He was patient as Destiny, whose undecipherable hieroglyphs were so deeply + graven on his sad and tragic face. + </p> + <p> + Nothing discloses real character like the use of power. It is easy for the + weak to be gentle. Most people can bear adversity. But if you wish to know + what a man really is, give him power. This is the supreme test. It is the + glory of Lincoln that, having almost absolute power, he never abused it, + except on the side of mercy. + </p> + <p> + Wealth could not purchase, power could not awe, this divine, this loving + man. + </p> + <p> + He knew no fear except the fear of doing wrong. Hating slavery, pitying + the master—seeking to conquer, not persons, but prejudices—he + was the embodiment of the self-denial, the courage, the hope and the + nobility of a Nation. + </p> + <p> + He spoke not to inflame, not to upbraid, but to convince. + </p> + <p> + He raised his hands, not to strike, but in benediction. + </p> + <p> + He longed to pardon. + </p> + <p> + He loved to see the pearls of joy on the cheeks of a wife whose husband he + had rescued from death. + </p> + <p> + Lincoln was the grandest figure of the fiercest civil war. He is the + gentlest memory of our world. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link0004" id="link0004"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> + </div> + <h2> + VOLTAIRE. + </h2> + <h3> + I. + </h3> + <p> + THE infidels of one age have often been the aureoled saints of the next. + </p> + <p> + The destroyers of the old are the creators of the new. + </p> + <p> + As time sweeps on the old passes away and the new in its turn becomes old. + </p> + <p> + There is in the intellectual world, as in the physical, decay and growth, + and ever by the grave of buried age stand youth and joy. + </p> + <p> + The history of intellectual progress is written in the lives of infidels. + </p> + <p> + Political rights have been preserved by traitors, the liberty of mind by + heretics. + </p> + <p> + To attack the king was treason; to dispute the priest was blasphemy. + </p> + <p> + For many centuries the sword and cross were allies. Together they attacked + the rights of man. They defended each other. + </p> + <p> + The throne and altar were twins—two vultures from the same egg. + </p> + <p> + James I. said: "No bishop, no king." He might have added: "No cross, no + crown." The king owned the bodies of men; the priest, the souls. One lived + on taxes collected by force, the other on alms collected by fear—both + robbers, both beggars. + </p> + <p> + These robbers and these beggars controlled two worlds. The king made laws, + the priest made creeds. Both obtained their authority from God, both were + the agents of the Infinite. + </p> + <p> + With bowed backs the people carried the burdens of one, and with wonder's + open mouth received the dogmas of the other. + </p> + <p> + If the people aspired to be free, they were crushed by the king, and every + priest was a Herod who slaughtered the children of the brain. + </p> + <p> + The king ruled by force, the priest by fear, and both by both. + </p> + <p> + The king said to the people: "God made you peasants, and He made me king; + He made you to labor, and me to enjoy; He made rags and hovels for you, + robes and palaces for me. He made you to obey, and me to command. Such is + the justice of God." + </p> + <p> + And the priest said: "God made you ignorant and vile; He made me holy and + wise; you are the sheep, I am the shepherd; your fleeces belong to me. If + you do not obey me here, God will punish you now and torment you forever + in another world. Such is the mercy of God." + </p> + <p> + "You must not reason. Reason is a rebel. You must not contradict—contradiction + is born of egotism; you must believe. He that hath ears to hear let him + hear." Heaven was a question of ears. + </p> + <p> + Fortunately for us, there have been traitors and there have been heretics, + blasphemers, thinkers, investigators, lovers of liberty, men of genius who + have given their lives to better the condition of their fellow-men. + </p> + <p> + It may be well enough here to ask the question: What is greatness? + </p> + <p> + A great man adds to the sum of knowledge, extends the horizon of thought, + releases souls from the Bastile of fear, crosses unknown and mysterious + seas, gives new islands and new continents to the domain of thought, new + constellations to the firmament of mind. A great man does not seek applause + or place; he seeks for truth; he seeks the road to happiness, and what he + ascertains he gives to others. + </p> + <p> + A great man throws pearls before swine, and the swine are sometimes + changed to men. If the great had always kept their pearls, vast multitudes + would be barbarians now. + </p> + <p> + A great man is a torch in the darkness, a beacon in superstition's night, + an inspiration and a prophecy. + </p> + <p> + Greatness is not the gift of majorities; it cannot be thrust upon any man; + men cannot give it to another; they can give place and power, but not + greatness. + </p> + <p> + The place does not make the man, nor the sceptre the king. Greatness is + from within. + </p> + <p> + The great men are the heroes who have freed the bodies of men; they are + the philosophers and thinkers who have given liberty to the soul; they are + the poets who have transfigured the common and filled the lives of many + millions with love and song. + </p> + <p> + They are the artists who have covered the bare walls of weary life with + the triumphs of genius. + </p> + <p> + They are the heroes who have slain the monsters of ignorance and fear, who + have outgazed the Gorgon and driven the cruel gods from their thrones. + </p> + <p> + They are the inventors, the discoverers, the great mechanics, the kings of + the useful who have civilized this world. + </p> + <p> + At the head of this heroic army, foremost of all, stands Voltaire, whose + memory we are honoring tonight. + </p> + <p> + Voltaire! a name that excites the admiration of men, the malignity of + priests. Pronounce that name in the presence of a clergyman, and you will + find that you have made a declaration of war. Pronounce that name, and + from the face of the priest the mask of meekness will fall, and from the + mouth of forgiveness will pour a Niagara of vituperation and calumny. And + yet Voltaire was the greatest man of his century, and did more to free the + human race than any other of the sons of men. + </p> + <p> + On Sunday, the 21st of November, 1694, a babe was born—a babe so + exceedingly frail that the breath hesitated about remaining, and the + parents had him baptized as soon as possible. They were anxious to save + the soul of this babe, and they knew that if death came before baptism the + child would be doomed to an eternity of pain. They knew that God despised + an unsprinkled child. The priest who, with a few drops of water, gave the + name of Francois-Marie Arouet to this babe and saved his soul—little + thought that before him, wrapped in many folds, weakly wailing, scarcely + breathing, was the one destined to tear from the white throat of Liberty + the cruel, murderous claws of the "Triumphant Beast." + </p> + <p> + When Voltaire came to this "great stage of fools," his country had been + Christianized—not civilized—for about fourteen hundred years. + For a thousand years the religion of peace and good-will had been supreme. + The laws had been given by Christian kings, and sanctioned by "wise and + holy men." Under the benign reign of universal love, every court had its + chamber of torture, and every priest relied on the thumb-screw and rack. + </p> + <p> + Such had been the success of the blessed gospel that every science was an + outcast. + </p> + <p> + To speak your honest thoughts, to teach your fellow-men, to investigate + for yourself, to seek the truth, these were all crimes, and the + "holy-mother church" pursued the criminals with sword and flame. + </p> + <p> + The believers in a God of love—an infinite father—punished + hundreds of offences with torture and death. Suspected persons were + tortured to make them confess. Convicted persons were tortured to make + them give the names of their accomplices. Under the leadership of the + church, cruelty had become the only reforming power. + </p> + <p> + In this blessed year, 1694, all authors were at the mercy of king and + priest. The most of them were cast into prisons, impoverished by fines and + costs, exiled or executed. + </p> + <p> + The little time that hangmen could snatch from professional duties was + occupied in burning books. + </p> + <p> + The courts of justice were traps, in which the innocent were caught. The + judges were almost as malicious and cruel as though they had been bishops + or saints. There was no trial by jury, and the rules of evidence allowed + the conviction of the supposed criminal by the proof of suspicion or + hearsay. + </p> + <p> + The witnesses, being liable to be tortured, generally told what the judges + wished to hear. + </p> + <p> + The supernatural and the miraculous controlled the world. Everything was + explained, but nothing was understood. The church was at the head. The + sick bought from monks little amulets of consecrated paper. They did not + send for a doctor, but for a priest, and the priest sold the diseased and + the dying these magical amulets. These little pieces of paper with the + help of some saint would cure diseases of every kind. If you would put one + in a cradle, it would keep the child from being bewitched. If you would + put one in the barn, the rats would not eat your corn. If you would keep + one in the house, evil spirits would not enter your doors, and if you + buried them in the fields, you would have good weather, the frost would be + delayed, rain would come when needed, and abundant crops would bless your + labor. The church insisted that all diseases could be cured in the name of + God, and that these cures could be effected by prayers, exorcism, by + touching bones of saints, pieces of the true cross; by being sprinkled + with holy water or with sanctified salt, or touched with magical oil. + </p> + <p> + In that day the dead saints were the best physicians; St. Valentine cured + the epilepsy; St. Gervasius was exceedingly good for rheumatism; St. + Michael for cancer; St. Judas for coughs and colds; St. Ovidius restored + the hearing; St. Sebastian was good for the bites of snakes and the stings + of poisonous insects; St. Apollonia for toothache; St. Clara for any + trouble with the eyes; and St. Hubert for hydrophobia. It was known that + doctors reduced the revenues of the church; that was enough—science + was the enemy of religion. + </p> + <p> + The church thought that the air was filled with devils; that every sinner + was a kind of tenement house inhabited by evil spirits; that angels were + on one side of men and evil spirits on the other, and that God would, when + the subscriptions and donations justified the effort, drive the evil + spirits from the field. + </p> + <p> + Satan had power over the air; consequently he controlled the frost, the + mildew, the lightning and the flood; and the principal business of the + church was with bells, and holy water, and incense, and crosses, to defeat + the machinations of that prince of the power of the air. + </p> + <p> + Great reliance was placed upon the bells; they were sprinkled with holy + water, and their clangor cleared the air of imps and fiends. And bells + also protected the people from storms and lightning. In that day the + church used to anathematize insects. Suits were commenced against rats, + and judgment rendered. Every monastery had its master magician, who sold + incense and salt and tapers and consecrated palms and relics. Every + science was regarded as an enemy; every fact held the creed of the church + in scorn. Investigators were regarded as dangerous; thinkers were + traitors, and the church exerted its vast power to prevent the + intellectual progress of man. + </p> + <p> + There was no real liberty, no real education, no real philosophy, no real + science—-nothing but credulity and superstition. The world was under + the control of Satan and the church. + </p> + <p> + The church firmly believed in the existence of witches and devils and + fiends. In this way the church had every enemy within her power. It simply + had to charge him with being a wizard, of holding communications with + devils, and the ignorant mob were ready to tear him to pieces. So + prevalent was this belief, this belief in the supernatural, that the poor + people were finally driven to make the best possible terms they could with + the spirit of evil. This frightful doctrine filled every friend with + suspicion of his friend; it made the husband denounce the wife, children + their parents, parents their children. It destroyed the amenities of + humanity; it did away with justice in courts; it broke the bond of + friendship; it filled with poison the golden cup of life; it turned earth + into a very perdition peopled with abominable, malicious and hideous + fiends. Such was the result of a belief in the supernatural; such was the + result of giving up the evidence of their own senses and relying upon + dreams, visions and fears. Such was the result of the attack upon the + human reason; such the result of depending on the imagination, on the + supernatural; such the result of living in this world for another; of + depending upon priests instead of upon ourselves. The Protestants vied + with Catholics; Luther stood side by side with the priests he had deserted + in promoting this belief in devils and fiends. To the Catholic every + Protestant was possessed by a devil; to the Protestant every Catholic was + the home of a fiend. All order, all regular succession of causes and + effects were known no more; the natural ceased to exist; the learned and + the ignorant were on a level. The priest was caught in the net he had + spread for the peasant, and Christendom became a vast madhouse, with the + insane for keepers. + </p> + <p> + When Voltaire was born the church ruled and owned France. It was a period + of almost universal corruption. The priests were mostly libertines, the + judges cruel and venal. The royal palace was a house of prostitution. The + nobles were heartless, proud, arrogant and cruel to the last degree. The + common people were treated as beasts. It took the church a thousand years + to bring about this happy condition of things. + </p> + <p> + The seeds of the Revolution unconsciously were being scattered by every + noble and by every priest. + </p> + <p> + They were germinating slowly in the hearts of the wretched; they were + being watered by the tears of agony; blows began to bear interest. There + was a faint longing for blood. Workmen, blackened by the sun, bowed by + labor, deformed by want, looked at the white throats of scornful ladies + and thought about cutting them. + </p> + <p> + In those days witnesses were cross-examined with instruments of torture; + the church was the arsenal of superstition; miracles, relics, angels and + devils were as common as lies. + </p> + <p> + In order to appreciate a great man we must know his surroundings. We must + understand the scope of the drama in which he played—the part he + acted, and we must also know his audience. + </p> + <p> + In England George I. was disporting with the "May-pole" and "Elephant," + and then George II., jealous and choleric, hating the English and their + language, making, however, an excellent image or idol before whom the + English were glad to bow—snobbery triumphant—the criminal code + getting bloodier every day—223 offences punishable with death—the + prisons filled and the scaffolds crowded—efforts on every hand to + repress the ambition of men to be men—the church relying on + superstition and ceremony to make men good—and the state dependent + on the whip, the rope and axe to make men patriotic. + </p> + <p> + In Spain the Inquisition in full control—all the instruments of + torture used to prevent the development of the mind, Spain, that had + driven out the Jews, that is to say, her talent; that had driven out the + Moors, that is to say, her taste and her industry, was still endeavoring + by all religious means to reduce the land to the imbecility of the true + faith. + </p> + <p> + In Portugal they were burning women and children for having eaten meat on + a holy day, and this to please the most merciful God. + </p> + <p> + In Italy the nation prostrate, covered with swarms of cardinals and + bishops and priests and monks and nuns and every representative of holy + sloth. The Inquisition there also—while hands that were clasped in + prayer or stretched for alms, grasped with eagerness and joy the lever of + the rack, or gathered fagots for the holy flame. + </p> + <p> + In Germany they were burning men and women charged with having made a + compact with the enemy of man. + </p> + <p> + And in our own fair land, persecuting Quakers, stealing men and women from + another shore, stealing children from their mother's breasts, and paying + labor with the cruel lash. + </p> + <p> + Superstition ruled the world! + </p> + <p> + There is but one use for law, but one excuse for government—the + preservation of liberty—to give to each man his own, to secure to + the farmer what he produces from the soil, the mechanic what he invents + and makes, to the artist what he creates, to the thinker the right to + express his thoughts. Liberty is the breath of progress. + </p> + <p> + In France, the people were the sport of a king's caprice. Everywhere was + the shadow of the Bastile. + </p> + <p> + It fell upon the sunniest field, upon the happiest home. With the king + walked the headsman; back of the throne was the chamber of torture. The + Church appealed to the rack, and Faith relied on the fagot. Science was an + outcast, and Philosophy, so-called, was the pander of superstition. + </p> + <p> + Nobles and priests were sacred. Peasants were vermin. Idleness sat at the + banquet, and Industry gathered the crumbs and the crusts. + </p> + <p> + II. THE DAYS OF YOUTH. + </p> + <p> + VOLTAIRE was of the people. In the language of that day, he had no + ancestors. His real name was Francois-Marie Arouet. His mother was + Marguerite d'Aumard. This mother died when he was seven years of age. He + had an elder brother, Armand, who was a devotee, very religious and + exceedingly disagreeable. This brother used to present offerings to the + church, hoping to make amends for the unbelief of his brother. So far as + we know, none of his ancestors were literary people. + </p> + <p> + The Arouets had never written a line. The Abbe de Chaulieu was his + godfather, and, although an abbe, was a Deist who cared nothing about + religion except in connection with his salary. Voltaire's father wanted to + make a lawyer of him, but he had no taste for law. At the age of ten he + entered the college of Louis Le Grand. This was a Jesuit school, and here + he remained for seven years, leaving at seventeen, and never attending any + other school. According to Voltaire, he learned nothing at this school but + a little Greek, a good deal of Latin and a vast amount of nonsense. + </p> + <p> + In this college of Louis Le Grand they did not teach geography, history, + mathematics or any science. This was a Catholic institution, controlled by + the Jesuits. In that day the religion was defended, was protected or + supported by the state. Behind the entire creed were the bayonet, the axe, + the wheel, the fagot and the torture chamber. + </p> + <p> + While Voltaire was attending the college of Louis Le Grand the soldiers of + the king were hunting Protestants in the mountains of Cevennes for + magistrates to hang on gibbets, to put to torture, to break on the wheel, + or to burn at the stake. + </p> + <p> + At seventeen Voltaire determined to devote his life to literature. The + father said, speaking of his two sons Armand and Francois, "I have a pair + of fools for sons, one in verse and the other in prose." + </p> + <p> + In 1713, Voltaire, in a small way, became a diplomat. He went to The Hague + attached to the French minister, and there he fell in love. The girl's + mother objected. Voltaire sent his clothes to the young lady that she + might visit him. Everything was discovered and he was dismissed. To this + girl he wrote a letter, and in it you will find the key note of Voltaire: + "Do not expose yourself to the fury of your mother. You know what she is + capable of. You have experienced it too well. Dissemble; it is your only + chance. Tell her that you have forgotten me, that you hate me; then after + telling her, love me all the more." + </p> + <p> + On account of this episode Voltaire was formally disinherited by his + father. The father procured an order of arrest and gave his son the choice + of going to prison or beyond the seas. He finally consented to become a + lawyer, and says: "I have already been a week at work in the office of a + solicitor learning the trade of a pettifogger." + </p> + <p> + About this time he competed for a prize, writing a poem on the king's + generosity in building the new choir in the Cathedral Notre Dame. He did + not win it. After being with the solicitor a little while, he hated the + law, began to write poetry and the outlines of tragedy. Great questions + were then agitating the public mind, questions that throw a flood of light + upon that epoch. + </p> + <p> + In 1552 Dr. Baius took it into his head to sustain a number of + propositions touching predestination to the prejudice of the doctrine of + free will. The Cordelian monks selected seventy-six of the propositions + and denounced them to the Pope as heretical, and from the Pope obtained + what was called a Bull. This Bull contained a doubtful passage, the + meaning of which was dependent upon the position of a comma. The friends + of Dr. Baius wrote to Rome to find where the comma ought to be placed. + Rome, busy with other matter, sent as an answer a copy of the Bull in + which the doubtful sentence was left without any comma. So the dispute + continued. + </p> + <p> + Then there was the great controversy between the Jansenists and Molinists. + Molini was a Spanish Jesuit, who sustained the doctrine of free will with + a subtlety of his own, "man's will is free, but God sees exactly how he + will use it." The Presbyterians of our country are still wrestling with + this important absurdity. + </p> + <p> + Jansenius was a French Jesuit who carried the doctrine of predestination + to the extreme, asserting that God commands things that are impossible, + and that Christ did not die for all. + </p> + <p> + In 1641 the Jesuits obtained a Bull condemning five propositions of + Jansenius. The Jansenists there upon denied that the five propositions—or + any of them—were found in the works of Jansenius. + </p> + <p> + This question of Jansenism and Molinism occupied France for about two + hundred years. + </p> + <p> + In Voltaire's time the question had finally dwindled down to whether the + five propositions condemned by the Papal Bull were in fact in the works of + Jansenius. The Jansenists proved that the five propositions were not in + his book, because a niece of Pascal had a diseased eye cured by the + application of a thorn from the crown of Christ. + </p> + <p> + The Bull Unigenitus was launched in 1713, and then all the prisons were + filled with Jansenists. This great question of predestination and free + will, of free moral agency and accountability, and being saved by the + grace of God, and damned for the glory of God, have occupied the mind of + what we call the civilized world for many centuries. All these questions + were argued pro and con through Switzerland; all of them in Holland for + centuries; in Scotland and England and New England, and millions of people + are still busy harmonizing foreordination and free will, necessity and + morality, predestination and accountability. + </p> + <p> + Louis XIV. having died, the Regent took possession, and then the prisons + were opened. The Regent called for a list of all persons then in the + prisons sent there at the will of the king. He found that, as to many + prisoners, nobody knew any cause why they had been in prison. They had + been forgotten. Many of the prisoners did not know themselves, and could + not guess why they had been arrested. One Italian had been in the Bastile + thirty-three years without ever knowing why. On his arrival in Paris, + thirty-three years before, he was arrested and sent to prison. He had + grown old. He had survived his family and friends. When the rest were + liberated he asked to remain where he was, and lived there the rest of his + life. The old prisoners were pardoned, but in a little while their places + were taken by new ones. + </p> + <p> + At this time Voltaire was not interested in the great world—knew + very little of religion or of government. He was busy writing poetry, busy + thinking of comedies and tragedies. He was full of life. All his fancies + were winged like moths. + </p> + <p> + He was charged with having written some cutting epigrams. He was exiled to + Tulle, three hundred miles away. From this place he wrote in the true vein—"I + am at a chateau, a place that would be the most agreeable in the world if + I had not been exiled to it, and where there is nothing wanting for my + perfect happiness except the liberty of leaving. It would be delicious to + remain, if I only were allowed to go." + </p> + <p> + At last the exile was allowed to return. Again he was arrested; this time + sent to the Bastile, where he remained for nearly a year. While in prison + he changed his name from Francois-Marie Arouet to Voltaire, and by that + name he has since been known. + </p> + <p> + Voltaire, as full of life as summer is full of blossoms, giving his ideas + upon all subjects at the expense of prince and king, was exiled to + England. From sunny France he took his way to the mists and fogs of + Albion. He became acquainted with the highest and the best in Britain. He + met Pope, a most wonderful verbal mechanic, a maker of artificial flowers, + very much like natural ones, except that they lack perfume and the seeds + of suggestion. He made the acquaintance of Young, who wrote the "Night + Thoughts;" Young, a fine old hypocrite with a virtuous imagination, a + gentleman who electioneered with the king's mistress that he might be made + a bishop. He became acquainted with Chesterfield—all manners, no + man; with Thomson, author of "The Seasons," who loved to see the sun rise + in bed and visit the country in town; with Swift, whose poisoned arrows + were then festering in the flesh of Mr. Bull—Swift, as wicked as he + was witty, and as heartless as he was humorous—with Swift, a dean + and a devil; with Congreve, whom Addison thought superior to Shakespeare, + and who never wrote but one great line, "The cathedral looking + tranquillity." + </p> + <p> + III. THE MORN OF MANHOOD. + </p> + <p> + VOLTAIRE began to think, to doubt, to inquire. He studied the history of + the church, of the creed. He found that the religion of his time rested on + the inspiration of the Scriptures—the infallibility of the church—the + dreams of insane hermits—the absurdities of the Fathers—the + mistakes and falsehoods of saints—the hysteria of nuns—the + cunning of priests and the stupidity of the people. He found that the + Emperor Constantine, who lifted Christianity into power, murdered his wife + Fausta and his eldest son Crispus, the same year that he convened the + Council of Nice, to decide whether Christ was a man or the Son of God. The + Council decided, in the year 325, that Christ was consubstantial with the + Father. He found that the church was indebted to a husband who + assassinated his wife—a father who murdered his son, for settling + the vexed question of the divinity of the Savior. He found that Theodosius + called a council at Constantinople in 381, by which it was decided that + the Holy Ghost proceeded from the Father—that Theodosius, the + younger, assembled a council at Ephesus in 431, that declared the Virgin + Mary to be the mother of God—that the Emperor Marcian called another + council at Chalcedon in 451, that decided that Christ had two wills—that + Pognatius called another in 680, that declared that Christ had two natures + to go with his two wills—and that in 1274, at the council of Lyons, + the important fact was found that the Holy Ghost "proceeded," not only + from the Father, but also from the Son at the same time. + </p> + <p> + So, it took about 1,300 years to find out a few things that had been + revealed by an infinite God to his infallible church. + </p> + <p> + Voltaire found that this insane creed had filled the world with cruelty + and fear. He found that vestments were more sacred than virtues—that + images and crosses—pieces of old bones and bits of wood were more + precious than the rights and lives of men, and that the keepers of these + relics were the enemies of the human race. + </p> + <p> + With all the energy of his nature—with every faculty of his mind—he + attacked this "Triumphant Beast." + </p> + <p> + Voltaire was the apostle of common sense. He knew that there could have + been no primitive or first language from which all other languages had + been formed. He knew that every language had been influenced by the + surroundings of the people. He knew that the language of snow and ice was + not the language of palm and flower. He knew also that there had been no + miracle in language. He knew that it was impossible that the story of the + Tower of Babel should be true. He knew that everything in the whole world + had been natural. He was the enemy of alchemy, not only in language but in + science. One passage from him is enough to show his philosophy in this + regard. He says; "To transmute iron into gold, two things are necessary: + first, the annihilation of the iron; second, the creation of gold." + </p> + <p> + Voltaire gave us the philosophy of history. + </p> + <p> + Voltaire was a man of humor, of good nature, of cheerfulness. He despised + with all his heart the philosophy of Calvin, the creed of the sombre, of + the severe, of the unnatural. He pitied those who needed the aid of + religion to be honest, to be cheerful. He had the courage to enjoy the + present and the philosophy to bear what the future might bring. + </p> + <p> + And yet for more than a hundred and fifty years the Christian world has + fought this man and has maligned his memory. In every Christian pulpit his + name has been pronounced with scorn, and every pulpit has been an arsenal + of slander. He is one man of whom no orthodox minister has ever told the + truth. He has been denounced equally by Catholics and Protestants. + </p> + <p> + Priests and ministers, bishops and exhorters, presiding elders and popes + have filled the world with slanders, with calumnies about Voltaire. I am + amazed that ministers will not or cannot tell the truth about an enemy of + the church. As a matter of fact, for more than one thousand years, almost + every pulpit has been a mint in which slanders have been coined. + </p> + <p> + Voltaire made up his mind to destroy the superstition of his time. + </p> + <p> + He fought with every weapon that genius could devise or use. He was the + greatest of all caricaturists, and he used this wonderful gift without + mercy. For pure crystallized wit, he had no equal. The art of flattery was + carried by him to the height of an exact science. He knew and practiced + every subterfuge. He fought the army of hypocrisy and pretence, the army + of faith and falsehood. + </p> + <p> + Voltaire was annoyed by the meaner and baser spirits of his time, by the + cringers and crawlers, by the fawners and pretenders, by those who wished + to gain the favor of priests, the patronage of nobles. Sometimes he + allowed himself to be annoyed by these wretches; sometimes he attacked + them. And, but for these attacks, long ago they would have been forgotten. + In the amber of his genius Voltaire preserved these insects, these + tarantulas, these scorpions. + </p> + <p> + It is fashionable to say that he was not profound. This is because he was + not stupid. In the presence of absurdity he laughed, and was called + irreverent. He thought God would not damn even a priest forever—this + was regarded as blasphemy. He endeavored to prevent Christians from + murdering each other, and did what he could to civilize the disciples of + Christ. Had he founded a sect, obtained control of some country, and + burned a few heretics at slow fires, he would have won the admiration, + respect and love of the Christian world. Had he only pretended to believe + all the fables of antiquity, had he mumbled Latin prayers, counted beads, + crossed himself, devoured now and then the flesh of God, and carried + fagots to the feet of Philosophy in the name of Christ, he might have been + in heaven this moment, enjoying a sight of the damned. + </p> + <p> + If he had only adopted the creed of his time—if he had asserted that + a God of infinite power and mercy had created millions and billions of + human beings to suffer eternal pain, and all for the sake of his glorious + justice—that he had given his power of attorney to a cunning and + cruel Italian Pope, authorizing him to save the soul of his mistress and + send honest wives to hell—if he had given to the nostril's of this + God the odor of burning flesh—the incense of the fagot—if he + had filled his ears with the shrieks of the tortured—the music of + the rack, he would now be known as Saint Voltaire. + </p> + <p> + For many years this restless man filled Europe with the product of his + brain. Essays, epigrams, epics, comedies, tragedies, histories, poems, + novels, representing every phase and every faculty of the human mind. At + the same time engrossed in business, full of speculation, making money + like a millionaire, busy with the gossip of courts, and even with the + scandals of priests. At the same time alive to all the discoveries of + science and the theories of philosophers, and in this Babel never + forgetting for one moment to assail the monster of superstition. + </p> + <p> + Sleeping and waking he hated the church. With the eyes of Argus he + watched, and with the arms of Briareus he struck. For sixty years he waged + continuous and unrelenting war, sometimes in the open field, sometimes + striking from the hedges of opportunity—taking care during all this + time to remain independent of all men. He was in the highest sense + successful. He lived like a prince, became one of the powers of Europe, + and in him, for the first time, literature was crowned. + </p> + <p> + It has been claimed by the Christian critics that Voltaire was irreverent; + that he examined sacred things without solemnity; that he refused to + remove his shoes in the presence of the Burning Bush; that he smiled at + the geology of Moses, the astronomical ideas of Joshua, and that the + biography of Jonah filled him with laughter. They say that these stories, + these sacred impossibilities, these inspired falsehoods, should be read + and studied with a believing mind in humbleness of spirit; that they + should be examined prayerfully, asking God at the same time to give us + strength to triumph over the conclusions of our reason. These critics + imagine that a falsehood can be old enough to be venerable, and that to + stand covered in its presence is the act of an irreverent scoffer. + Voltaire approached the mythology of the Jews precisely as he did the + mythology of the Greeks and Romans, or the mythology of the Chinese or the + Iroquois Indians. There is nothing in this world too sacred to be + investigated, to be understood. The philosopher does not hide. Secrecy is + not the friend of truth. No man should be reverent at the expense of his + reason. Nothing should be worshiped until the reason has been convinced + that it is worthy of worship. + </p> + <p> + Against all miracles, against all holy superstition, against sacred + mistakes, he shot the arrows of ridicule. + </p> + <p> + These arrows, winged by fancy, sharpened by wit, poisoned by truth, always + reached the centre. + </p> + <p> + It is claimed by many that anything, the best and holiest, can be + ridiculed. As a matter of fact, he who attempts to ridicule the truth, + ridicules himself. He becomes the food of his own laughter. + </p> + <p> + The mind of man is many-sided. Truth must be and is willing to be tested + in every way, tested by all the senses. + </p> + <p> + But in what way can the absurdity of the "real presence" be answered, + except by banter, by raillery, by ridicule, by persiflage? How are you + going to convince a man who believes that when he swallows the sacred + wafer he has eaten the entire Trinity, and that a priest drinking a drop + of wine has devoured the Infinite? How are you to reason with a man who + believes that if any of the sacred wafers are left over they should be put + in a secure place, so that mice should not eat God? + </p> + <p> + What effect will logic have upon a religious gentleman who firmly believes + that a God of infinite compassion sent two bears to tear thirty or forty + children in pieces for laughing at a bald-headed prophet? + </p> + <p> + How are such people to be answered? How can they be brought to a sense of + their absurdity? They must feel in their flesh the arrows of ridicule.. + </p> + <p> + So Voltaire has been called a mocker. + </p> + <p> + What did he mock? He mocked kings that were unjust; kings who cared + nothing for the sufferings of their subjects. He mocked the titled fools + of his day. He mocked the corruption of courts; the meanness, the tyranny + and the brutality of judges. He mocked the absurd and cruel laws, the + barbarous customs. He mocked popes and cardinals and bishops and priests, + and all the hypocrites on the earth. He mocked historians who filled their + books with lies, and philosophers who defended superstition. He mocked the + haters of liberty, the persecutors of their fellow-men. He mocked the + arrogance, the cruelty, the impudence, and the unspeakable baseness of his + time. + </p> + <p> + He has been blamed because he used the weapon of ridicule. + </p> + <p> + Hypocrisy has always hated laughter, and always will. Absurdity detests + humor, and stupidity despises wit. Voltaire was the master of ridicule. He + ridiculed the absurd, the impossible. He ridiculed the mythologies and the + miracles, the stupid lives and lies of the saints. He found pretence and + mendacity crowned by credulity. He found the ignorant many controlled by + the cunning and cruel few. He found the historian, saturated with + superstition, filling his volumes with the details of the impossible, and + he found the scientists satisfied with "they say." + </p> + <p> + Voltaire had the instinct of the probable. He knew the law of average, the + sea level; he had the idea of proportion, and so he ridiculed the mental + monstrosities and deformities—the <i>non sequiturs</i>—of his + day. Aristotle said women had more teeth than men. This was repeated again + and again by the Catholic scientists of the eighteenth century. + </p> + <p> + Voltaire counted the teeth. The rest were satisfied with "they say." + </p> + <p> + Voltaire for many years, in spite of his surroundings, in spite of almost + universal tyranny and oppression, was a believer in God and what he was + pleased to call the religion of Nature. He attacked the creed of his time + because it was dishonorable to his God. He thought of the Deity as a + father, as the fountain of justice, intelligence and mercy, and the creed + of the Catholic Church made him a monster of cruelty and stupidity. He + attacked the Bible with all the weapons at his command. He assailed its + geology, its astronomy, its ideas of justice, its laws and customs, its + absurd and useless miracles, its foolish wonders, its ignorance on all + subjects, its insane prophecies, its cruel threats and its extravagant + promises. + </p> + <p> + At the same time he praised the God of nature, the God who gives us rain + and light and food and flowers and health and happiness—who fills + the world with youth and beauty. + </p> + <p> + Attacked on every side, he fought with every weapon that wit, logic, + reason, scorn, contempt, laughter, pathos and indignation could sharpen, + form, devise or use. He often apologized, and the apology was an insult. + He often recanted, and the recantation was a thousand times worse than the + thing recanted. He took it back by giving more. In the name of eulogy he + flayed his victim. In his praise there was poison. He often advanced by + retreating, and asserted by retraction. + </p> + <p> + He did not intend to give priests the satisfaction of seeing him burn or + suffer. Upon this very point of recanting he wrote: + </p> + <p> + "They say I must retract. Very willingly. I will declare that Pascal is + always right. That if St. Luke and St. Mark contradict one another, it is + only another proof of the truth of religion to those who know how to + understand such things; and that another lovely proof of religion is that + it is unintelligible. I will even avow that all priests are gentle and + disinterested; that Jesuits are honest people; that monks are neither + proud nor given to intrigue, and that their odor is agreeable; that the + Holy Inquisition is the triumph of humanity and tolerance. In a word, I + will say all that may be desired of me, provided they leave me in repose, + and will not persecute a man who has done harm to none." + </p> + <p> + He gave the best years of his wondrous life to succor the oppressed, to + shield the defenceless, to reverse infamous decrees, to rescue the + innocent, to reform the laws of France, to do away with torture, to soften + the hearts of priests, to enlighten judges, to instruct kings, to civilize + the people, and to banish from the heart of man the love and lust of war. + </p> + <p> + You may think that I have said too much; that I have placed this man too + high. Let me tell you what Goethe, the great German, said of this man: + </p> + <p> + "If you wish depth, genius, imagination, taste, reason, sensibility, + philosophy, elevation, originality, nature, intellect, fancy, rectitude, + facility, flexibility, precision, art, abundance, variety, fertility, + warmth, magic, charm, grace, force, an eagle sweep of vision, vast + understanding, instruction rich, tone excellent, urbanity, suavity, + delicacy, correctness, purity, clearness, eloquence, harmony, brilliancy, + rapidity, gaiety, pathos, sublimity and universality, perfection indeed, + behold Voltaire." + </p> + <p> + Even Carlyle, that old Scotch terrier, with the growl of a grizzly bear, + who attacked shams, as I have sometimes thought, because he hated rivals, + was forced to admit that Voltaire gave the death stab to modern + superstition. + </p> + <p> + It is the duty of every man to destroy the superstitions of his time, and + yet there are thousands of men and women, fathers and mothers, who + repudiate with their whole hearts the creeds of superstition, and still + allow their children to be taught these lies. They allow their + imaginations to be poisoned with the dogma of eternal pain. They allow + arrogant and ignorant parsons, meek and foolish teachers, to sow the seeds + of barbarism in the minds of their children—seeds that will fill + their lives with fear and pain. Nothing can be more important to a human + being than to be free and to live without fear. + </p> + <p> + It is far better to be a mortal free man than an immortal slave. + </p> + <p> + Fathers and mothers should do their utmost to make their children free. + They should teach them to doubt, to investigate, to inquire, and every + father and mother should know that by the cradle of every child, as by the + cradle of the infant Hercules, crawls the serpent of superstition. + </p> + <p> + IV. THE SCHEME OF NATURE. + </p> + <p> + AT that time it was pretended by the believers in God that the plan, or + the scheme of nature, was not cruel; that the lower was sacrificed for the + benefit of the higher; that while life lived upon life, while animals + lived upon each other, and while man was the king or sovereign of all, + still the higher lived upon the lower. Consequently, a lower life was + sacrificed that a higher life might exist. This reasoning satisfied many. + Yet there were thousands that could not see why the lower should be + sacrificed, or why all joy should be born of pain. But, since the + construction of the microscope, since man has been allowed to look toward + the infinitely small, as well as toward the infinitely great, he finds + that our fathers were mistaken when they laid down the proposition that + only the lower life was sacrificed for the sake of the higher. + </p> + <p> + Now we find that the lives of all visible animals are liable to be, and in + countless cases are, destroyed by a far lower life; that man himself is + destroyed by the microbes, the bacilli, the infinitesimal. We find that + for the sake of preserving the yellow fever germs millions and millions + have died, and that whole nations have been decimated for the sake of the + little beast that gives us the cholera. We have also found that there are + animals, call them what you please, that live on the substance of the + human heart, others that prefer the lungs, others again so delicate in + their palate that they insist on devouring the optic nerve, and when they + have destroyed the sight of one eye have sense enough to bore through the + cartilage of the nose to attack the other. Thus we find the other side of + this proposition. At first sight the lower seemed to be sacrificed for the + sake of the higher, but on closer inspection the highest are sacrificed + for the sake of the lowest. + </p> + <p> + Voltaire was, for a long time, a believer in the optimism of Pope—"All + partial evil, universal good." This is a very fine philosophy for the + fortunate. It suits the rich. It is flattering to kings and priests. It + sounds well. It is a fine stone to throw at a beggar. It enables you to + bear with great fortitude the misfortunes of others. + </p> + <p> + It is not the philosophy for those who suffer—for industry clothed + in rags, for patriotism in prison, for honesty in want, or for virtuous + outcasts. It is a philosophy of a class, of a few, and of the few who are + fortunate; and, when misfortune overtakes them, this philosophy fades and + withers. + </p> + <p> + In 1755 came the earthquake at Lisbon. This frightful disaster became an + immense interrogation. The optimist was compelled to ask, "What was my God + doing? Why did the Universal Father crush to shapelessness thousands of + his poor children, even at the moment when they were upon their knees + returning thanks to him?" + </p> + <p> + What could be done with this horror? If earthquake there must be, why did + it not occur in some uninhabited desert, on some wide waste of sea? This + frightful fact changed the theology of Voltaire. He became convinced that + this is not the best possible of all worlds. He became convinced that evil + is evil here, now, and forever. + </p> + <p> + The Theist was silent. The earthquake denied the existence of God. + </p> + <p> + V. HIS HUMANITY. + </p> + <p> + TOULOUSE was a favored town. It was rich in relics. The people were as + ignorant as wooden images, but they had in their possession the dried + bodies of seven apostles—the bones of many of the infants slain by + Herod—part of a dress of the Virgin Mary, and lots of skulls and + skeletons of the infallible idiots known as saints. + </p> + <p> + In this city the people celebrated every year with great joy two holy + events: The expulsion of the Huguenots, and the blessed massacre of St. + Bartholomew. The citizens of Toulouse had been educated and civilized by + the church. + </p> + <p> + A few Protestants, mild because in the minority, lived among these jackals + and tigers. + </p> + <p> + One of these Protestants was Jean Calas—a small dealer in dry goods. + For forty years he had been in this business, and his character was + without a stain. He was honest, kind and agreeable. He had a wife and six + children—four sons and two daughters. One of the sons became a + Catholic. The eldest son, Marc Antoine, disliked his father's business and + studied law. He could not be allowed to practice unless he became a + Catholic. He tried to get his license by concealing that he was a + Protestant. He was discovered—grew morose. Finally he became + discouraged and committed suicide, by hanging himself one evening in his + father's store. + </p> + <p> + The bigots of Toulouse started the story that his parents had killed him + to prevent his becoming a Catholic. + </p> + <p> + On this frightful charge the father, mother, one son, a servant, and one + guest at their house, were arrested. + </p> + <p> + The dead son was considered a martyr, the church taking possession of the + body. + </p> + <p> + This happened in 1761. + </p> + <p> + There was what was called a trial. There was no evidence, not the + slightest, except hearsay. All the facts were in favor of the accused. + </p> + <p> + The united strength of the defendants could not have done the deed. + </p> + <p> + Jean Calas was doomed to torture and to death upon the wheel. This was on + the 9th of March, 1762, and the sentence was to be carried out the next + day. + </p> + <p> + On the morning of the 10th the father was taken to the torture room. The + executioner and his assistants were sworn on the cross to administer the + torture according to the judgment of the court. + </p> + <p> + They bound him by the wrists to an iron ring in the stone wall four feet + from the ground, and his feet to another ring in the floor. Then they + shortened the ropes and chains until every joint in his arms and legs was + dislocated. Then he was questioned. He declared that he was innocent. Then + the ropes were again shortened until life fluttered in the torn body; but + he remained firm. + </p> + <p> + This was called "the question ordinaire." + </p> + <p> + Again the magistrates exhorted the victim to confess, and again he + refused, saying that there was nothing to confess. + </p> + <p> + Then came "the question extraordinaire." + </p> + <p> + Into the mouth of the victim was placed a horn holding three pints of + water. In this way thirty pints of water were forced into the body of the + sufferer. The pain was beyond description, and yet Jean Calas remained + firm. + </p> + <p> + He was then carried to the scaffold in a tumbril. + </p> + <p> + He was bound to a wooden cross that lay on the scaffold. The executioner + then took a bar of iron, broke each leg and each arm in two places, + striking eleven blows in all. He was then left to die if he could. He + lived for two hours, declaring his innocence to the last. He was slow to + die, and so the executioner strangled him. Then his poor lacerated, + bleeding and broken body was chained to a stake and burned. + </p> + <p> + All this was a spectacle—a festival for the savages of Toulouse. + What would they have done if their hearts had not been softened by the + glad tidings of great joy—peace on earth and good will to men? + </p> + <p> + But this was not all. The property of the family was confiscated; the son + was released on condition that he become a Catholic; the servant if she + would enter a convent. The two daughters were consigned to a convent, and + the heart-broken widow was allowed to wander where she would. + </p> + <p> + Voltaire heard of this case. In a moment his soul was on fire. He took one + of the sons under his roof. He wrote a history of the case. He + corresponded with kings and queens, with chancellors and lawyers. If money + was needed, he advanced it. For years he filled Europe with the echoes of + the groans of Jean Calas. He succeeded. The horrible judgment was annulled—the + poor victim declared innocent and thousands of dollars raised to support + the mother and family. + </p> + <p> + This was the work of Voltaire. + </p> + <p> + THE SIRVEN FAMILY. + </p> + <p> + Sirven, a Protestant, lived in Languedoc with his wife and three + daughters. The housekeeper of the bishop wanted to make one of the + daughters a Catholic. + </p> + <p> + The law allowed the bishop to take the child of Protestants from their + parents for the sake of its soul. This little girl was so taken and placed + in a convent. She ran away and came back to her parents. Her poor little + body was covered with the marks of the convent whip. + </p> + <p> + "Suffer little children to come unto me." + </p> + <p> + The child was out of her mind—suddenly she disappeared, and a few + days after her little body was found in a well, three miles from home. + </p> + <p> + The cry was raised that her folks had murdered her to keep her from + becoming a Catholic. + </p> + <p> + This happened only a little way from the Christian City of Toulouse while + Jean Calas was in prison. The Sirvens knew that a trial would end in + conviction. They fled. In their absence they were convicted, their + property confiscated, the parents sentenced to die by the hangman, the + daughters to be under the gallows during the execution of their mother, + and then to be exiled. + </p> + <p> + The family fled in the midst of winter; the married daughter gave birth to + a child in the snows of the Alps; the mother died, and, at last reaching + Switzerland, the father found himself without means of support. + </p> + <p> + They went to Voltaire. He espoused their cause. He took care of them, gave + them the means to live, and labored to annul the sentence that had been + pronounced against them for nine long and weary years. He appealed to + kings for money, to Catharine II. of Russia, and to hundreds of others. He + was successful. He said of this case: The Sirvens were tried and condemned + in two hours in January, 1762, and now in January, 1772, after ten years + of effort, they have been restored to their rights. + </p> + <p> + This was the work of Voltaire. Why should the worshipers of God hate the + lovers of men? + </p> + <p> + THE ESPENASSE CASE. + </p> + <p> + Espenasse was a Protestant, of good estate. In 1740 he received into his + house a Protestant clergyman, to whom he gave supper and lodging. + </p> + <p> + In a country where priests repeated the parable of the "Good Samaritan," + this was a crime. + </p> + <p> + For this crime Espenasse was tried, convicted and sentenced to the galleys + for life. + </p> + <p> + When he had been imprisoned for twenty-three years his case came to the + knowledge of Voltaire, and he was, through the efforts of Voltaire, + released and restored to his family. + </p> + <p> + This was the work of Voltaire. There is not time to tell of the case of + General Lally, of the English General Byng, of the niece of Corneille, of + the Jesuit Adam, of the writers, dramatists, actors, widows and orphans + for whose benefit he gave his influence, his money and his time. But I + will tell another case: + </p> + <p> + In 1765, at the town of Abbeville, an old wooden cross on a bridge had + been mutilated—whittled with a knife—a terrible crime. Sticks, + when crossing each other, were far more sacred than flesh and blood. Two + young men were suspected—the Chevalier de la Barre and D'Etallonde. + D'Etallonde fled to Prussia and enlisted as a common soldier. + </p> + <p> + La Barre remained and stood his trial. + </p> + <p> + He was convicted without the slightest evidence, and he and D'Etallonde + were both sentenced: + </p> + <p> + <i>First</i>, to endure the torture, ordinary and extraordinary. + </p> + <p> + <i>Second</i>, to have their tongues torn out by the roots with pincers of + iron. + </p> + <p> + <i>Third</i>, to have their right hands cut off at the door of the church. + </p> + <p> + <i>Fourth</i>, to be bound to stakes by chains of iron and burned to death + by a slow fire. + </p> + <p> + "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." + </p> + <p> + Remembering this, the judges mitigated the sentence by providing that + their heads should be cut off before their bodies were given to the + flames. + </p> + <p> + The case was appealed to Paris; heard by a court composed of twenty-five + judges, learned in the law, and the judgment was confirmed. + </p> + <p> + The sentence was carried out on the first day of July, 1766. + </p> + <p> + When Voltaire heard of this judicial infamy he made up his mind to abandon + France. He wished to leave forever a country where such cruelties were + possible. + </p> + <p> + He wrote a pamphlet, giving the history of the case. + </p> + <p> + He ascertained the whereabouts of D'Etallonde, wrote in his behalf to the + King of Prussia; got him released from the army; took him to his own + house; kept him for a year and a half; saw that he was instructed in + drawing, mathematics, engineering, and had at last the happiness of seeing + him a captain of engineers in the army of Frederick the Great. + </p> + <p> + Such a man was Voltaire. He was the champion of the oppressed and the + helpless. He was the Cæsar to whom the victims of church and state + appealed. He stood for the intellect and heart of his time. + </p> + <p> + And yet for a hundred and fifty years those who love their enemies have + exhausted the vocabulary of hate, the ingenuity of malice and mendacity, + in their efforts to save their stupid creeds from the genius of Voltaire. + </p> + <p> + From a great height he surveyed the world. His horizon was large. He had + some vices—these he shared in common with priests—his virtues + were his own. + </p> + <p> + He was in favor of universal education—of the development of the + brain. The church despised him. He wished to put the knowledge of the + whole world within the reach of all. Every priest was his enemy. He wished + to drive from the gate of Eden the cherubim of superstition, so that the + children of Adam might return and eat of the fruit of the tree of + knowledge. The church opposed this because it had the fruit of the tree of + ignorance for sale. + </p> + <p> + He was one of the foremost friends of the Encyclopedia—of Diderot, + and did all in his power to give information to all. So far as principles + were concerned, he was the greatest lawyer of his time. I do not mean that + he knew the terms and decisions, but that he clearly perceived not only + what the law should be, but its application and administration. He + understood the philosophy of evidence, the difference between suspicion + and proof, between belief and knowledge, and he did more to reform the + laws of the kingdom and the abuses at courts than all the lawyers and + statesmen of his time. + </p> + <p> + At school, he read and studied the works of Cicero—the lord of + language—probably the greatest orator that has uttered speech, and + the words of the Roman remained in his brain. He became, in spite of the + spirit of caste, a believer in the equality of men. He said: + </p> + <p> + "Men are born equal." + </p> + <p> + "Let us respect virtue and merit." + </p> + <p> + "Let us have it in the heart that men are equal." He was an abolitionist—the + enemy of slavery in all its forms. He did not think that the color of one + man gave him the right to steal from another man on account of that man's + color. He was the friend of serf and peasant, and did what he could to + protect animals, wives and children from the fury of those who loved their + neighbors as themselves. + </p> + <p> + It was Voltaire who sowed the seeds of liberty in the heart and brain of + Franklin, of Jefferson and Thomas Paine. + </p> + <p> + Pufendorf had taken the ground that slavery was, in part, founded on + contract. + </p> + <p> + Voltaire said: "Show me the contract, and if it is signed by the party to + be the slave, I may believe." + </p> + <p> + He thought it absurd that God should drown the fathers, and then come and + die for the children. This is as good as the remark of Diderot: "If Christ + had the power to defend himself from the Jews and refused to use it, he + was guilty of suicide." + </p> + <p> + He had sense enough to know that the flame of the fagot does not enlighten + the mind. He hated the cruel and pitied the victims of church and state. + He was the friend of the unfortunate—the helper of the striving. He + laughed at the pomp of kings—the pretensions of priests. He was a + believer in the natural and abhorred with all his heart the miraculous and + absurd. + </p> + <p> + Voltaire was not a saint. He was educated by the Jesuits. He was never + troubled about the salvation of his soul. All the theological disputes + excited his laughter, the creeds his pity, and the conduct of bigots his + contempt. He was much better than a saint. + </p> + <p> + Most of the Christians in his day kept their religion not for every day + use but for disaster, as ships carry life boats to be used only in the + stress of storm. + </p> + <p> + Voltaire believed in the religion of humanity—of good and generous + deeds. For many centuries the church had painted virtue so ugly, sour and + cold, that vice was regarded as beautiful. Voltaire taught the beauty of + the useful, the hatefulness and hideousness of superstition. + </p> + <p> + He was not the greatest of poets, or of dramatists, but he was the + greatest man of his time, the greatest friend of freedom and the deadliest + foe of superstition. + </p> + <p> + He did more to break the chains of superstition—to drive the + phantoms of fear from the heart and brain, to destroy the authority of the + church and to give liberty to the world than any other of the sons of men. + In the highest, the holiest sense he was the most profoundly religious man + of his time. + </p> + <p> + VI. THE RETURN. + </p> + <p> + AFTER an exile of twenty-seven years, occupying during all that time a + first place in the civilized world, Voltaire returned to Paris. His + journey was a triumphal march. He was received as a conqueror. The + Academy, the Immortals, came to meet him—a compliment that had never + been paid to royalty. His tragedy of "Irene" was performed. At the theatre + he was crowned with laurel, covered with flowers; he was intoxicated with + perfume and with incense of worship. He was the supreme French poet, + standing above them all. Among the literary men of the world he stood + first—a monarch by the divine right of genius. There were three + mighty forces in France—the throne, the altar and Voltaire. + </p> + <p> + The king was the enemy of Voltaire. The court could have nothing to do + with him. The church, malign and morose, was waiting for her revenge, and + yet, such was the reputation of this man—such the hold he had upon + the people—that he became, in spite of Throne, in spite of Church, + the idol of France. + </p> + <p> + He was an old man of eighty-four. He had been surrounded with the + comforts, the luxuries of life. He was a man of great wealth, the richest + writer that the world had known. Among the literary men of the earth he + stood first. He was an intellectual king—one who had built his own + throne and had woven the purple of his own power. He was a man of genius. + The Catholic God had allowed him the appearance of success. His last years + were filled with the intoxication of flattery—of almost worship. He + stood at the summit of his age. + </p> + <p> + The priests became anxious. They began to fear that God would forget, in a + multiplicity of business, to make a terrible example of Voltaire. + </p> + <p> + Towards the last of May, 1778, it was whispered in Paris that Voltaire was + dying. Upon the fences of expectation gathered the unclean birds of + superstition, impatiently waiting for their prey. + </p> + <p> + "Two days before his death, his nephew went to seek the Curé of + Saint Sulpice and the Abbé Gautier, and brought them into his + uncle's sick chamber. 'Ah, well!' said Voltaire, 'give them my compliments + and my thanks.' The Abbé spoke some words to him, exhorting him to + patience. The curé of Saint Sulpice then came forward, having + announced himself, and asked of Voltaire, elevating his voice, if he + acknowledged the divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ. The sick man pushed + one of his hands against the curés coif, shoving him back and + cried, turning abruptly to the other side, 'Let me die in peace.' The curé + seemingly considered his person soiled and his coif dishonored by the + touch of a philosopher. He made the nurse give him a little brushing and + went out with the Abbé Gautier." + </p> + <p> + He expired, says Wagnière, on the 30th of May, 1778, at about a + quarter-past eleven at night, with the most perfect tranquillity. A few + minutes before his last breath he took the hand of Morand, his <i>valet de + chambre</i>, who was watching by him, pressed it, and said: "Adieu, my + dear Morand, I am gone." These were his last words. Like a peaceful river + with green and shaded banks, he flowed without a murmur into the waveless + sea, where life is rest. + </p> + <p> + From this death, so simple and serene, so kind, so philosophic and tender, + so natural and peaceful; from these words, so utterly destitute of cant or + dramatic touch, all the frightful pictures, all the despairing utterances, + have been drawn and made. From these materials, and from these alone, or + rather, in spite of these facts, have been constructed by priests and + clergymen and their dupes all the shameless lies about the death of this + great and wonderful man. A man, compared with whom all of his + calumniators, dead and living, were, and are, but dust and vermin. + </p> + <p> + Let us be honest. Did all the priests of Rome increase the mental wealth + of man as much as Bruno? Did all the priests of France do as great a work + for the civilization of the world as Voltaire or Diderot? Did all the + ministers of Scotland add as much to the sum of human knowledge as David + Hume? Have all the clergymen, monks, friars, ministers, priests, bishops, + cardinals and popes, from the day of Pentecost to the last election, done + as much for human liberty as Thomas Paine? + </p> + <p> + What would the world be if infidels had never been? + </p> + <p> + The infidels have been the brave and thoughtful men; the flower of all the + world; the pioneers and heralds of the blessed day of liberty and love; + the generous spirits of the unworthy past; the seers and prophets of our + race; the great chivalric souls, proud victors on the battlefields of + thought, the creditors of all the years to be. + </p> + <p> + Why should it be taken for granted that the men who devoted their lives to + the liberation of their fellow-men should have been hissed at in the hour + of death by the snakes of conscience, while men who defended slavery—practiced + polygamy—-justified the stealing of babes from the breasts of + mothers, and lashed the naked back of unpaid labor, are supposed to have + passed smilingly from earth to the embraces of the angels? Why should we + think that the brave thinkers, the investigators, the honest men, must + have left the crumbling shore of time in dread and fear, while the + instigators of the massacre of St. Bartholomew; the inventors and users of + thumb-screws, of iron boots and racks; the burners and tearers of human + flesh; the stealers, the whippers and the enslavers of men; the buyers and + beaters of maidens, mothers and babes; the founders of the Inquisition; + the makers of chains; the builders of dungeons; the calumniators of the + living; the slanderers of the dead, and even the murderers of Jesus + Christ, all died in the odor of sanctity, with white, forgiven hands + folded upon the breasts of peace, while the destroyers of prejudice, the + apostles of humanity, the soldiers of liberty, the breakers of fetters, + the creators of light, died surrounded by the fierce fiends of God? + </p> + <p> + In those days the philosophers—that is to say, the thinkers—were + not buried in holy ground. It was feared that their principles might + contaminate the ashes of the just. And they also feared that on the + morning of the resurrection they might, in a moment of confusion, slip + into heaven. Some were burned, and their ashes scattered; and the bodies + of some were thrown naked to beasts, and others buried in unholy earth. + </p> + <p> + Voltaire knew the history of Adrienne Le Couvreur, a beautiful actress, + denied burial. + </p> + <p> + After all, we do feel an interest in what is to become of our bodies. + There is a modesty that belongs to death. Upon this subject Voltaire was + infinitely sensitive. It was that he might be buried that he went through + the farce of confession, of absolution, and of the last sacrament. The + priests knew that he was not in earnest, and Voltaire knew that they would + not allow him to be buried in any of the cemeteries of Paris. + </p> + <p> + His death was kept a secret. The Abbé Mignot made arrangements for + the burial at Romilli-on-the-Seine, more than 100 miles from Paris. On + Sunday evening, on the last day of May, 1778, the body of Voltaire, clad + in a dressing gown, clothed to resemble an invalid, posed to simulate + life, was placed in a carriage; at its side, a servant, whose business it + was to keep it in position. To this carriage were attached six horses, so + that people might think a great lord was going to his estates. Another + carriage followed, in which were a grand nephew and two cousins of + Voltaire. All night they traveled, and on the following day arrived at the + courtyard of the Abbey. The necessary papers were shown, the mass was + performed in the presence of the body, and Voltaire found burial. A few + moments afterwards, the prior, who "for charity had given a little earth," + received from his bishop a menacing letter forbidding the burial of + Voltaire. It was too late. + </p> + <p> + Voltaire was dead. The foundations of State and Throne had been sapped. + The people were becoming acquainted with the real kings and with the + actual priests. Unknown men born in misery and want, men whose fathers and + mothers had been pavement for the rich, were rising toward the light, and + their shadowy faces were emerging from darkness. Labor and thought became + friends. That is, the gutter and the attic fraternized. The monsters of + the Night and the angels of the Dawn—the first thinking of revenge, + and the others dreaming of equality, liberty and fraternity. + </p> + <p> + VII. THE DEATH-BED ARGUMENT. + </p> + <p> + ALL kinds of criminals, except infidels, meet death with reasonable + serenity. As a rule, there is nothing in the death of a pirate to cast any + discredit on his profession. The murderer upon the scaffold, with a priest + on either side, smilingly exhorts the multitude to meet him in heaven. The + man who has succeeded in making his home a hell, meets death without a + quiver, provided he has never expressed any doubt as to the divinity of + Christ, or the eternal "procession" of the Holy Ghost. The king who has + waged cruel and useless war, who has filled countries with widows and + fatherless children, with the maimed and diseased, and who has succeeded + in offering to the Moloch of ambition the best and bravest of his + subjects, dies like a saint. + </p> + <p> + All the believing kings are in heaven—all the doubting philosophers + in perdition. All the persecutors sleep in peace, and the ashes of those + who burned their brothers, sleep in consecrated ground. Libraries could + hardly contain the names of the Christian wretches who have filled the + world with violence and death in defence of book and creed, and yet they + all died the death of the righteous, and no priest, no minister, describes + the agony and fear, the remorse and horror with which their guilty souls + were filled in the last moments of their lives. These men had never + doubted—they had never thought—they accepted the creed as they + did the fashion of their clothes. They were not infidels, they could not + be—they had been baptized, they had not denied the divinity of + Christ, they had partaken of the "last supper." They respected priests, + they admitted that Christ had two natures and the same number of wills; + they admitted that the Holy Ghost had "proceeded," and that, according to + the multiplication table of heaven, once one is three, and three times one + is one, and these things put pillows beneath their heads and covered them + with the drapery of peace. + </p> + <p> + They admitted that while kings and priests did nothing worse than to make + their fellows wretched, that so long as they only butchered and burnt the + innocent and helpless, God would maintain the strictest neutrality; but + when some honest man, some great and tender soul, expressed a doubt as to + the truth of the Scriptures, or prayed to the wrong God, or to the right + one by the wrong name, then the real God leaped like a wounded tiger upon + his victim, and from his quivering flesh tore his wretched soul. + </p> + <p> + There is no recorded instance where the uplifted hand of murder has been + paralyzed—no truthful account in all the literature of the world of + the innocent child being shielded by God. Thousands of crimes are being + committed every day—men are at this moment lying in wait for their + human prey—wives are whipped and crushed, driven to insanity and + death—little children begging for mercy, lifting imploring, + tear-filled eyes to the brutal faces of fathers and mothers—sweet + girls are deceived, lured and outraged, but God has no time to prevent + these things—no time to defend the good and protect the pure. He is + too busy numbering hairs and watching sparrows. He listens for blasphemy; + looks for persons who laugh at priests; examines baptismal registers; + watches professors in college who begin to doubt the geology of Moses and + the astronomy of Joshua. He does not particularly object to stealing, if + you won't swear. A great many persons have fallen dead in the act of + taking God's name in vain, but millions of men, women and children have + been stolen from their homes and used as beasts of burden, but no one + engaged in this infamy has ever been touched by the wrathful hand of God. + </p> + <p> + Now and then a man of genius, of sense, of intellectual honesty, has + appeared. Such men have denounced the superstitions of their day. They + have pitied the multitude. To see priests devour the substance of the + people—priests who made begging one of the learned professions—filled + them with loathing and contempt. These men were honest enough to tell + their thoughts, brave enough to speak the truth. Then they were denounced, + tried, tortured, killed by rack or flame. But some escaped the fury of the + fiends who love their enemies, and died naturally in their beds. It would + not do for the church to admit that they died peacefully. That would show + that religion was not essential at the last moment. Superstition gets its + power from the terror of death. It would not do to have the common people + understand that a man could deny the Bible—refuse to kiss the cross—contend + that Humanity was greater than Christ, and then die as sweetly as + Torquemada did, after pouring molten lead into the ears of an honest man; + or as calmly as Calvin after he had burned Servetus; or as peacefully as + King David after advising with his last breath one son to assassinate + another. + </p> + <p> + The church has taken great pains to show that the last moments of all + infidels (that Christians did not succeed in burning) were infinitely + wretched and despairing. It was alleged that words could not paint the + horrors that were endured by a dying infidel. Every good Christian was + expected to, and generally did, believe these accounts. They have been + told and retold in every pulpit of the world. Protestant ministers have + repeated the lies invented by Catholic priests, and Catholics, by a kind + of theological comity, have sworn to the lies told by the Protestants. + Upon this point they have always stood together, and will as long as the + same falsehood can be used by both. + </p> + <p> + Instead of doing these things, Voltaire wilfully closed his eyes to the + light of the gospel, examined the Bible for himself, advocated + intellectual liberty, struck from the brain the fetters of an arrogant + faith, assisted the weak, cried out against the torture of man, appealed + to reason, endeavored to establish universal toleration, succored the + indigent, and defended the oppressed. + </p> + <p> + He demonstrated that the origin of all religions is the same—the + same mysteries—the same miracles—the same imposture—the + same temples and ceremonies—the same kind of founders, apostles and + dupes—the same promises and threats—the same pretence of + goodness and forgiveness and the practice of the same persecution and + murder. He proved that religion made enemies—philosophy friends—and + that above the rights of Gods were the rights of man. + </p> + <p> + These were his crimes. Such a man God would not suffer to die in peace. If + allowed to meet death with a smile, others might follow his example, until + none would be left to light the holy fires of the <i>auto da fe</i>. It + would not do for so great, so successful, an enemy of the church to die + without leaving some shriek of fear, some shudder of remorse, some ghastly + prayer of chattered horror uttered by lips covered with blood and foam. + </p> + <p> + For many centuries the theologians have taught that an unbeliever—an + infidel—one who spoke or wrote against their creed, could not meet + death with composure; that in his last moments God would fill his + conscience with the serpents of remorse. + </p> + <p> + For a thousand years the clergy have manufactured the facts to fit this + theory—this infamous conception of the duty of man and the justice + of God. + </p> + <p> + The theologians have insisted that crimes against man were, and are, as + nothing compared with crimes against God. + </p> + <p> + Upon the death-bed subject the clergy grow eloquent. When describing the + shudderings and shrieks of the dying unbeliever, their eyes glitter with + delight. + </p> + <p> + It is a festival. + </p> + <p> + They are no longer men. They become hyenas. They dig open graves. They + devour the dead. + </p> + <p> + It is a banquet. + </p> + <p> + Unsatisfied still, they paint the terrors of hell. They gaze at the souls + of the infidels writhing in the coils of the worm that never dies. They + see them in flames—in oceans of fire—in gulfs of pain—in + abysses of despair. They shout with joy. They applaud. + </p> + <p> + It is an <i>auto da fe</i>, presided over by God. + </p> + <p> + VIII. THE SECOND RETURN. + </p> + <p> + FOR four hundred years the Bastile had been the outward symbol of + oppression. Within its walls the noblest had perished. It was a perpetual + threat. It was the last, and often the first, argument of king and priest. + Its dungeons, damp and rayless, its massive towers, its secret cells, its + instruments of torture, denied the existence of God. + </p> + <p> + In 1789, on the 14th of July, the people, the multitude, frenzied by + suffering, stormed and captured the Bastile. The battle-cry was "Vive + Voltaire." + </p> + <p> + In 1791 permission was given to place in the Pantheon the ashes of + Voltaire. He had been buried 110 miles from Paris. Buried by stealth, he + was to be removed by a nation. A funeral procession of a hundred miles; + every village with its flags and arches; all the people anxious to honor + the philosopher of France—the Savior of Calas—the Destroyer of + Superstition. + </p> + <p> + On reaching Paris the great procession moved along the Rue St. Antoine. + Here it paused, and for one night upon the ruins of the Bastile rested the + body of Voltaire—rested in triumph, in glory—rested on fallen + wall and broken arch, on crumbling stone still damp with tears, on rusting + chain and bar and useless bolt—above the dungeons dark and deep, + where light had faded from the lives of men and hope had died in breaking + hearts. + </p> + <p> + The conqueror resting upon the conquered.—Throned upon the Bastile, + the fallen fortress of Night, the body of Voltaire, from whose brain had + issued the Dawn. + </p> + <p> + For a moment his ashes must have felt the Promethean fire, and the old + smile must have illumined once more the face of death. + </p> + <p> + The vast multitude bowed in reverence, hushed with love and awe heard + these words uttered by a priest: "God shall be avenged." + </p> + <p> + The cry of the priest was a prophecy. Priests skulking in the shadows with + faces sinister as night, ghouls in the name of the gospel, desecrated the + grave. They carried away the ashes of Voltaire. + </p> + <p> + The tomb is empty. + </p> + <p> + God is avenged. + </p> + <p> + The world is filled with his fame. + </p> + <p> + Man has conquered. + </p> + <p> + Was there in the eighteenth century, a man wearing the vestments of the + church, the equal of Voltaire? + </p> + <p> + What cardinal, what bishop, what priest in France raised his voice for the + rights of men? What ecclesiastic, what nobleman, took the side of the + oppressed—of the peasant? Who denounced the frightful criminal code—the + torture of suspected persons? What priest pleaded for the liberty of the + citizen? What bishop pitied the victims of the rack? Is there the grave of + a priest in France on which a lover of liberty would now drop a flower or + a tear? Is there a tomb holding the ashes of a saint from which emerges + one ray of light? + </p> + <p> + If there be another life—a day of judgment, no God can afford to + torture in another world the man who abolished torture in this. If God be + the keeper of an eternal penitentiary, he should not imprison there the + men who broke the chains of slavery here. He cannot afford to make an + eternal convict of Voltaire. + </p> + <p> + Voltaire was a perfect master of the French language, knowing all its + moods, tenses and declinations, in fact and in feeling—playing upon + it as skillfully as Paganini on his violin, finding expression for every + thought and fancy, writing on the most serious subjects with the gayety of + a harlequin, plucking jests from the crumbling mouth of death, graceful as + the waving of willows, dealing in double meanings that covered the asp + with flowers and flattery—master of satire and compliment—mingling + them often in the same line, always interested himself, and therefore + interesting others—handling thoughts, questions, subjects as a + juggler does balls, keeping them in the air with perfect ease—dressing + old words in new meanings, charming, grotesque, pathetic, mingling mirth + with tears, wit and wisdom, and sometimes wickedness, logic and laughter. + With a woman's instinct knowing the sensitive nerves—just where to + touch—hating arrogance of place, the stupidity of the solemn—snatching + masks from priest and king, knowing the springs of action and ambition's + ends—perfectly familiar with the great world—the intimate of + kings and their favorites, sympathizing with the oppressed and imprisoned, + with the unfortunate and poor, hating tyranny, despising superstition, and + loving liberty with all his heart. Such was Voltaire writing "Odipus" at + seventeen, "Irene" at eighty-three, and crowding between these two + tragedies the accomplishment of a thousand lives. + </p> + <p> + From his throne at the foot of the Alps, he pointed the finger of scorn at + every hypocrite in Europe. For half a century, past rack and stake, past + dungeon and cathedral, past altar and throne, he carried with brave hands + the sacred torch of Reason, whose light at last will flood the world. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link0005" id="link0005"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> + </div> + <h2> + LIBERTY IN LITERATURE. + </h2> + <h3> + (A TESTIMONIAL TO WALT WHITMAN.) + </h3> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + * An address delivered in Philadelphia, Oct. 21, 1890. Used + by permission of the Truth Seeker Co. +</pre> + <p> + I. LET US PUT WREATHS ON THE BROWS OF THE LIVING. + </p> + <p> + IN the year 1855 the American people knew but little of books. Their + ideals, their models, were English. Young and Pollok, Addison and Watts, + were regarded as great poets. Some of the more reckless read Thomson's + "Seasons" and the poems and novels of Sir Walter Scott. A few, not quite + orthodox, delighted in the mechanical monotony of Pope, and the really + wicked—those lost to all religious shame—were worshipers of + Shakespeare. The really orthodox Protestant, untroubled by doubts, + considered Milton the greatest poet of them all. Byron and Shelley were + hardly respectable—not to be read by young persons. It was admitted + on all hands that Burns was a child of nature of whom his mother was + ashamed and proud. + </p> + <p> + In the blessed year aforesaid, candor, free and sincere speech, were under + the ban. Creeds at that time were entrenched behind statutes, prejudice, + custom, ignorance, stupidity, Puritanism and slavery; that is to say, + slavery of mind and body. + </p> + <p> + Of course it always has been, and forever will be, impossible for slavery, + or any kind or form of injustice, to produce a great poet. There are + hundreds of verse makers and writers on the side of wrong—enemies of + progress—but they are not poets, they are not men of genius. + </p> + <p> + At this time a young man—he to whom this testimonial is given—he + upon whose head have fallen the snows of more than seventy winters—this + man, born within the sound of the sea, gave to the world a book, "Leaves + of Grass." This book was, and is, the true transcript of a soul. The man + is unmasked. No drapery of hypocrisy, no pretence, no fear. The book was + as original in form as in thought. All customs were forgotten or + disregarded, all rules broken—nothing mechanical—no imitation—spontaneous, + running and winding like a river, multitudinous in its thoughts as the + waves of the sea—nothing mathematical or measured—in + everything a touch of chaos; lacking what is called form, as clouds lack + form, but not lacking the splendor of sunrise or the glory of sunset. It + was a marvelous collection and aggregation of fragments, hints, + suggestions, memories, and prophecies, weeds and flowers, clouds and + clods, sights and sounds, emotions and passions, waves, shadows and + constellations. + </p> + <p> + His book was received by many with disdain, with horror, with indignation + and protest—by the few as a marvelous, almost miraculous, message to + the world—full of thought, philosophy, poetry and music. + </p> + <p> + In the republic of mediocrity genius is dangerous. A great soul appears + and fills the world with new and marvelous harmonies. In his words is the + old Promethean flame. The heart of nature beats and throbs in his line. + The respectable prudes and pedagogues sound the alarm, and cry, or rather + screech: "Is this a book for a young person?" + </p> + <p> + A poem true to life as a Greek statue—candid as nature—fills + these barren souls with fear. + </p> + <p> + They forget that drapery about the perfect was suggested by immodesty. + </p> + <p> + The provincial prudes, and others of like mold, pretend that love is a + duty rather than a passion—a kind of self-denial—not an + over-mastering joy. They preach the gospel of pretence and pantalettes, In + the presence of sincerity, of truth, they cast down their eyes and + endeavor to feel immodest. To them, the most beautiful thing is hypocrisy + adorned with a blush. + </p> + <p> + They have no idea of an honest, pure passion, glorying in its strength—intense, + intoxicated with the beautiful, giving even to inanimate things pulse and + motion, and that transfigures, ennobles, and idealizes the object of its + adoration. + </p> + <p> + They do not walk the streets of the city of life—they explore the + sewers; they stand in the gutters and cry "Unclean!" They pretend that + beauty is a snare; that love is a Delilah; that the highway of joy is the + broad road, lined with flowers and filled with perfume, leading to the + city of eternal sorrow. + </p> + <p> + Since the year 1855 the American people have developed; they are somewhat + acquainted with the literature of the world. They have witnessed the most + tremendous of revolutions, not only upon the fields of battle, but in the + world of thought. The American citizen has concluded that it is hardly + worth while being a sovereign unless he has the right to think for + himself. + </p> + <p> + And now, from this height, with the vantage-ground of to-day, I propose to + examine this book and to state, in a general way, what Walt Whitman has + done, what he has accomplished, and the place he has won in the world of + thought. + </p> + <p> + II. THE RELIGION OF THE BODY. + </p> + <p> + WALT WHITMAN stood when he published his book, where all stand to-night, + on the perpetually moving line where history ends and prophecy begins. He + was full of life to the very tips of his fingers—brave, eager, + candid, joyous with health. He was acquainted with the past. He knew + something of song and story, of philosophy and art; much of the heroic + dead, of brave suffering, of the thoughts of men, the habits of the people—rich + as well as poor—familiar with labor, a friend of wind and wave, + touched by love and friendship, liking the open road, enjoying the fields + and paths, the crags, friend of the forest—feeling that he was free—neither + master nor slave; willing that all should know his thoughts; open as the + sky, candid as nature, and he gave his thoughts, his dreams, his + conclusions, his hopes and his mental portrait to his fellow-men. + </p> + <p> + Walt Whitman announced the gospel of the body. He confronted the people. + He denied the depravity of man. He insisted that love is not a crime; that + men and women should be proudly natural; that they need not grovel on the + earth and cover their faces for shame, He taught the dignity and glory of + the father and mother; the sacredness of maternity. + </p> + <p> + Maternity, tender and pure as the tear of pity, holy as suffering—the + crown, the flower, the ecstasy of love! + </p> + <p> + People had been taught from Bibles and from creeds that maternity was a + kind of crime; that the woman should be purified by some ceremony in some + temple built in honor of some god. This barbarism was attacked in "Leaves + of Grass." + </p> + <p> + The glory of simple life was sung; a declaration of independence was made + for each and all. + </p> + <p> + And yet this appeal to manhood and to womanhood was misunderstood. It was + denounced simply because it was in harmony with the great trend of nature. + To me, the most obscene word in our language is celibacy. + </p> + <p> + It was not the fashion for people to speak or write their thoughts. We + were flooded with the literature of hypocrisy. The writers did not + faithfully describe the worlds in which they lived. They endeavored to + make a fashionable world. They pretended that the cottage or the hut in + which they dwelt was a palace, and they called the little area in which + they threw their slops their domain, their realm, their empire. They were + ashamed of the real, of what their world actually was. They imitated; that + is to say, they told lies, and these lies filled the literature of most + lands. + </p> + <p> + Walt Whitman defended the sacredness of love, the purity of passion—the + passion that builds every home and fills the world with art and song. + </p> + <p> + They cried out: "He is a defender of passion—he is a libertine! He + lives in the mire. He lacks spirituality!" + </p> + <p> + Whoever differs with the multitude, especially with a led multitude—that + is to say, with a multitude of taggers—will find out from their + leaders that he has committed an unpardonable sin. It is a crime to travel + a road of your own, especially if you put up guide-boards for the + information of others. + </p> + <p> + Many, many centuries ago Epicurus, the greatest man of his century, and of + many centuries before and after, said: "Happiness is the only good; + happiness is the supreme end." This man was temperate, frugal, generous, + noble—and yet through all these years he has been denounced by the + hypocrites of the world as a mere eater and drinker. + </p> + <p> + It was said that Whitman had exaggerated the importance of love—that + he had made too much of this passion. Let me say that no poet—not + excepting Shakespeare—has had imagination enough to exaggerate the + importance of human love—a passion that contains all heights and all + depths—ample as space, with a sky in which glitter all + constellations, and that has within it all storms, all lightnings, all + wrecks and ruins, all griefs, all sorrows, all shadows, and all the joy + and sunshine of which the heart and brain are capable. + </p> + <p> + No writer must be measured by a word or paragraph. He is to be measured by + his work—by the tendency, not of one line, but by the tendency of + all. + </p> + <p> + Which way does the great stream tend? Is it for good or evil? Are the + motives high and noble, or low and infamous? + </p> + <p> + We cannot measure Shakespeare by a few lines, neither can we measure the + Bible by a few chapters, nor "Leaves of Grass" by a few paragraphs. In + each there are many things that I neither approve nor believe—but in + all books you will find a mingling of wisdom and foolishness, of + prophecies and mistakes—in other words, among the excellencies there + will be defects. The mine is not all gold, or all silver, or all diamonds—there + are baser metals. The trees of the forest are not all of one size. On some + of the highest there are dead and useless limbs, and there may be growing + beneath the bushes weeds, and now and then a poisonous vine. + </p> + <p> + If I were to edit the great books of the world, I might leave out some + lines and I might leave out the best. I have no right to make of my brain + a sieve and say that only that which passes through belongs to the rest of + the human race. I claim the right to choose. I give that right to all. + </p> + <p> + Walt Whitman had the courage to express his thought—the candor to + tell the truth. And here let me say it gives me joy—a kind of + perfect satisfaction—to look above the bigoted bats, the satisfied + owls and wrens and chickadees, and see the great eagle poised, circling + higher and higher, unconscious of their existence. And it gives me joy, a + kind of perfect satisfaction, to look above the petty passions and + jealousies of small and respectable people, above the considerations of + place and power and reputation, and see a brave, intrepid man. + </p> + <p> + It must be remembered that the American people had separated from the Old + World—that we had declared not only the independence of colonies, + but the independence of the individual. We had done more—we had + declared that the state could no longer be ruled by the church, and that + the church could not be ruled by the state, and that the individual could + not be ruled by the church. + </p> + <p> + These declarations were in danger of being forgotten. We needed a new + voice, sonorous, loud and clear, a new poet for America, for the new + epoch, somebody to chant the morning song of the new day. + </p> + <p> + The great man who gives a true transcript of his mind, fascinates and + instructs. Most writers suppress individuality. They wish to please the + public. They flatter the stupid and pander to the prejudice of their + readers. They write for the market, making books as other mechanics make + shoes. They have no message, they bear no torch, they are simply the + slaves of customers. + </p> + <p> + The books they manufacture are handled by "the trade;" they are regarded + as harmless. The pulpit does not object; the young person can read the + monotonous pages without a blush—or a thought. + </p> + <p> + On the title pages of these books you will find the imprint of the great + publishers; on the rest of the pages, nothing. These books might be + prescribed for insomnia. + </p> + <p> + III. + </p> + <p> + Men of talent, men of business, touch life upon few sides. They travel but + the beaten path. The creative spirit is not in them. They regard with + suspicion a poet who touches life on every side. They have little + confidence in that divine thing called sympathy, and they do not and + cannot understand the man who enters into the hopes, the aims and the + feelings of all others. + </p> + <p> + In all genius there is the touch of chaos—a little of the vagabond; + and the successful tradesman, the man who buys and sells, or manages a + bank, does not care to deal with a person who has only poems for + collaterals; they have a little fear of such people, and regard them as + the awkward countryman does a sleight-of-hand performer. + </p> + <p> + In every age in which books have been produced the governing class, the + respectable, have been opposed to the works of real genius. If what are + known as the best people could have had their way, if the pulpit had been + consulted—the provincial moralists—the works of Shakespeare + would have been suppressed. Not a line would have reached our time. And + the same may be said of every dramatist of his age. + </p> + <p> + If the Scotch Kirk could have decided, nothing would have been known of + Robert Burns. If the good people, the orthodox, could have had their say, + not one line of Voltaire would now be known. All the plates of the French + Encyclopedia would have been destroyed with the thousands that were + destroyed. Nothing would have been known of D'Alembert, Grimm, Diderot, or + any of the Titans who warred against the thrones and altars and laid the + foundation of modern literature not only, but what is of far greater + moment, universal education. + </p> + <p> + It is not too much to say that every book now held in high esteem would + have been destroyed, if those in authority could have had their will. + Every book of modern times that has a real value, that has enlarged the + intellectual horizon of mankind, that has developed the brain, that has + furnished real food for thought, can be found in the Index Expurgatorius + of the Papacy, and nearly every one has been commended to the free minds + of men by the denunciations of Protestants. + </p> + <p> + If the guardians of society, the protectors of "young persons," could have + had their way, we should have known nothing of Byron or Shelley. The + voices that thrill the world would now be silent. If authority could have + had its way, the world would have been as ignorant now as it was when our + ancestors lived in holes or hung from dead limbs by their prehensile + tails. + </p> + <p> + But we are not forced to go very far back. If Shakespeare had been + published for the first time now, those divine plays—greater than + continents and seas, greater even than the constellations of the midnight + sky—would be excluded from the mails by the decision of the present + enlightened postmaster-general. + </p> + <p> + The poets have always lived in an ideal world, and that ideal world has + always been far better than the real world. As a consequence, they have + forever roused, not simply the imagination, but the energies—the + enthusiasm of the human race. + </p> + <p> + The great poets have been on the side of the oppressed—of the + downtrodden. They have suffered with the imprisoned and the enslaved, and + whenever and wherever man has suffered for the right, wherever the hero + has been stricken down—whether on field or scaffold—some man + of genius has walked by his side, and some poet has given form and + expression, not simply to his deeds, but to his aspirations. + </p> + <p> + From the Greek and Roman world we still hear the voices of a few. The + poets, the philosophers, the artists and the orators still speak. + Countless millions have been covered by the waves of oblivion, but the few + who uttered the elemental truths, who had sympathy for the whole human + race, and who were great enough to prophesy a grander day, are as alive + to-night as when they roused, by their bodily presence, by their living + voices, by their works of art, the enthusiasm of their fellow-men. + </p> + <p> + Think of the respectable people, of the men of wealth and position, those + who dwelt in mansions, children of success, who went down to the grave + voiceless, and whose names we do not know. Think of the vast multitudes, + the endless processions, that entered the caverns of eternal night, + leaving no thought, no truth as a legacy to mankind! + </p> + <p> + The great poets have sympathized with the people. They have uttered in all + ages the human cry. Unbought by gold, unawed by power, they have lifted + high the torch that illuminates the world. + </p> + <p> + IV. + </p> + <p> + Walt Whitman is in the highest sense a believer in democracy. He knows + that there is but one excuse for government—the preservation of + liberty, to the end that man may be happy. He knows that there is but one + excuse for any institution, secular or religious—the preservation of + liberty; and that there is but one excuse for schools, lor universal + education, for the ascertainment of facts, namely, the preservation of + liberty. He resents the arrogance and cruelty of power. He has sworn never + to be tyrant or slave. He has solemnly declared: + </p> + <p> + "<i>I speak the pass-word primeval, I give the sign of democracy, By God! + I will accept nothing which all cannot have their counterpart of on the + same terms</i>." + </p> + <p> + This one declaration covers the entire ground. It is a declaration of + independence, and it is also a declaration of justice, that is to say, a + declaration of the independence of the individual, and a declaration that + all shall be free. The man who has this spirit can truthfully say: + </p> + <p> + "<i>I have taken off my hat to nothing known or unknown. I am for those + that have never been master'd.</i>" + </p> + <p> + There is in Whitman what he calls "The boundless impatience of restraint," + together with that sense of justice which compelled him to say, "Neither a + servant nor a master am I." + </p> + <p> + He was wise enough to know that giving others the same rights that he + claims for himself could not harm him, and he was great enough to say: "As + if it were not indispensable to my own rights that others possess the + same." + </p> + <p> + He felt as all should feel, that the liberty of no man is safe unless the + liberty of each is safe. + </p> + <p> + There is in our country a little of the old servile spirit, a little of + the bowing and cringing to others. Many Americans do not understand that + the officers of the government are simply the servants of the people. + Nothing is so demoralizing as the worship of place. Whitman has reminded + the people of this country that they are supreme, and he has said to them: + </p> + <p> + "<i>The President is there in the White House for you, it is not you who + are here for him, The Secretaries act in their bureaus for you, not you + here for them. Doctrines, politics and civilization exurge from you, + Sculpture and monuments and any thing inscribed anywhere are tallied in + you</i>." + </p> + <p> + He describes the ideal American citizen—the one who + </p> + <p> + "<i>Says indifferently and alike 'How are you, friend?' to the President + at his levee, And he says 'Good-day, my brother,' to Cudge that hoes in + the sugar-field</i>." + </p> + <p> + Long ago, when the politicians were wrong, when the judges were + subservient, when the pulpit was a coward, Walt Whitman shouted: + </p> + <p> + "<i>Man shall not hold property in man.</i>" + </p> + <p> + "<i>The least develop'd person on earth is just as important and sacred to + himself or herself as the most develop'd person is to himself or herself.</i>" + </p> + <p> + This is the very soul of true democracy. + </p> + <p> + Beauty is not all there is of poetry. It must contain the truth. It is not + simply an oak, rude and grand, neither is it simply a vine. It is both. + Around the oak of truth runs the vine of beauty. + </p> + <p> + Walt Whitman utters the elemental truths and is the poet of democracy. He + is also the poet of individuality. + </p> + <p> + V. INDIVIDUALITY. + </p> + <p> + IN order to protect the liberties of a nation, we must protect the + individual. A democracy is a nation of free individuals. The individuals + are not to be sacrificed to the nation. The nation exists only for the + purpose of guarding and protecting the individuality of men and women. + Walt Whitman has told us that: "The whole theory of the universe is + directed unerringly to one single individual—namely to You." + </p> + <p> + And he has also told us that the greatest city—the greatest nation—is + "where the citizen is always the head and ideal." + </p> + <p> + And that + </p> + <p> + "<i>A great city is that which has the greatest men and women, If it be a + few ragged huts it is still the greatest city in the whole world.</i>" + </p> + <p> + By this test maybe the greatest city on the continent to-night is Camden. + </p> + <p> + This poet has asked of us this question: + </p> + <p> + "<i>What do you suppose will satisfy the soul, except to walk free and own + no superior?</i>" + </p> + <p> + The man who asks this question has left no impress of his lips in the + dust, and has no dirt upon his knees. + </p> + <p> + He was great enough to say: + </p> + <p> + "<i>The soul has that measureless pride which revolts from every lesson + but its own.</i>" + </p> + <p> + He carries the idea of individuality to its utmost height: + </p> + <p> + "<i>What do you suppose I would intimate to you in a hundred ways, but + that man or woman is as good as God? And that there is no God any more + divine than Yourself?</i>" + </p> + <p> + Glorying in individuality, in the freedom of the soul, he cries out: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "O to struggle against great odds, to meet enemies undaunted! + To be entirely alone with them, to find how much one can stand! + To look strife, torture, prison, popular odium, face to face! + To mount the scaffold, to advance to the muzzles of guns with perfect nonchalance! + To be indeed a God!" +</pre> + <p> + And again: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "O the joy of a manly self-hood! + To be servile to none, to defer to none, not to any tyrant known or unknown, + + To walk with erect carriage, a step springy and elastic, + To look with calm gaze or with a flashing eye, + + To speak with full and sonorous voice out of a broad chest, + To confront with your personality all the other personalities of the earth." +</pre> + <p> + Walt Whitman is willing to stand alone. He is sufficient unto himself, and + he says: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "Henceforth I ask not good-fortune, I myself am good-fortune. + Strong and content I travel the open road." +</pre> + <p> + He is one of + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "Those that look carelessly in the faces of Presidents and Governors, + as to say 'Who are you? '" +</pre> + <p> + And not only this, but he has the courage to say: "Nothing, not God, is + greater to one than one's self." Walt Whitman is the poet of Individuality—the + defender of the rights of each for the sake of all—and his + sympathies are as wide as the world. He is the defender of the whole race. + </p> + <p> + VI. HUMANITY. + </p> + <p> + THE great poet is intensely human, infinitely sympathetic, entering into + the joys and griefs of others, bearing their burdens, knowing their + sorrows. Brain without heart is not much; they must act together. When the + respectable people of the North, the rich, the successful, were willing to + carry out the Fugitive Slave Law, Walt Whitman said: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "I am the hounded slave, I wince at the bite of the dogs, + Hell and despair are upon me, crack and again crack the marksmen, + I clutch the rails of the fence, my gore dribs, thinn'd with the ooze of my skin, + I fall on the weeds and stones, + The riders spur their unwilling horses, haul close, + Taunt my dizzy ears, and beat me violently over the head with whip-stocks. + Agonies are one of my changes of garments, + I do not ask the wounded person how he feels, + I myself become the wounded person.... + I... see myself in prison shaped like another man, + And feel the dull unintermitted pain. + For me the keepers of convicts shoulder their carbines and keep watch, + It is I let out in the morning and barr'd at night. + Not a mutineer walks handcuff'd to jail but I am handcuff'd to him and walk by his side. + Judge not as the judge judges, but as the sun falling upon a helpless thing." +</pre> + <p> + Of the very worst he had the infinite tenderness to say: "Not until the + sun excludes you will I exclude you." + </p> + <p> + In this age of greed when houses and lands and stocks and bonds outrank + human life; when gold is of more value than blood, these words should be + read by all: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "When the psalm sings instead of the singer, + When the script preaches instead of the preacher, + When the pulpit descends and goes instead of the carver that carved the supporting desk, + When I can touch the body of books by night or day, and when they touch my body back again," + When a university course convinces like a slumbering woman and child convince, + When the minted gold in the vault smiles like the night-watchman's daughter, + When warrantee deeds loaf in chairs opposite and are my friendly companions, + I intend to reach them my hand, and make as much of them as I do of men and women like you." +</pre> + <p> + VII. + </p> + <p> + The poet is also a painter, a sculptor—he, too, deals in form and + color. The great poet is of necessity a great artist. With a few words he + creates pictures, filling his canvas with living men and women—with + those who feel and speak. Have you ever read the account of the + stage-driver's funeral? Let me read it: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "Cold dash of waves at the ferry-wharf, posh and ice in the river, half-frozen mud in the streets, + A gray discouraged sky overhead, the short, last daylight of December, + A hearse and stages, the funeral of an old Broadway stage-driver, the cortege mostly drivers. + Steady the trot to the cemetery, duly rattles the death-bell, The gate is pass'd, the new-dug grave is halted at, the living alight, the hearse uncloses. + The coffin is pass'd out, lower'd and settled, the whip is laid on the coffin, the earth is swiftly shovel'd in, + The mound above is flatted with the spades—silence, + A minute—no one moves or speaks—it is done, + He is decently put away—is there anything more? + He was a good fellow, free-mouth'd, quick-temper'd, not bad-looking, + Ready with life or death for a friend, fond of women, gambled, ate hearty, drank hearty, + Had known what it was to be flush, grew low-spirited toward the last, sicken'd, was helped by a contribution, Died, aged forty-one years—and that was his funeral." +</pre> + <p> + Let me read you another description, one of a woman: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "Behold a woman! + She looks out from her quaker cap, her face is clearer and more beautiful than the sky. + She sits in an armchair under the shaded porch of the farmhouse, + The sun just shines on her old white head. + Her ample gown is of cream-hued linen, + Her grandsons raised the flax, and her granddaughters spun it with the distaff and the wheel. + The melodious character of the earth. + The finish beyond which philosophy cannot go and does not wish to go, + The justified mother of men." +</pre> + <p> + Would you hear of an old-time sea-fight? + </p> + <p> + "Would you learn who won by the light of the moon and stars? List to the + yarn, as my grandmother's father the sailor told it to me. Our foe was no + skulk in his ship I tell you, (said he,) His was the surly English pluck, + and there is no tougher or truer, and never was, and never will be; Along + the lower'd eve he came horribly raking us. We closed with him, the yards + entangled, the cannon touch'd, My captain lash'd fast with his own hands. + We had receiv'd some eighteen pound shots under the water, On our lower + gun-deck two large pieces had burst at the first fire, killing all around + and blowing up overhead. Fighting at sun-down, fighting at dark, Ten + o'clock at night, the full moon well up, our leaks on the gain, and five + feet of water reported, The master-at-arms loosing the prisoners confined + in the after-hold to give them a chance for themselves. The transit to and + from the magazine is now stopt by the sentinels, They see so many strange + faces they do not know whom to trust. + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Our frigate takes fire, + The other asks if we demand quarter? + If our colors are struck and the fighting done? + Now I laugh content, for I hear the voice of my little captain, + 'We have not struck,' he composedly cries, 'we have just begun our part of the fighting.' + Only three guns are in use, + One is directed by the captain himself against the enemy's mainmast, + Two well serv'd with grape and canister silence his musketry and clear his decks. + The tops alone second the fire of this little battery, especially the main-top, + They hold out bravely during the whole of the action. + Not a moment's cease, + The leaks gain fast on the pumps, the fire eats toward the powder-magazines. + One of the pumps has been shot away, it is generally thought we are sinking. + Serene stands the little captain, + He is not hurried, his voice is neither high nor low, + His eyes give more light to us than our battle-lanterns. + Toward twelve there in the beams of the moon the surrender to us. + Stretch'd and still lies the midnight, + Two great hulls motionless on the breast of the darkness. Our vessel riddled and slowly sinking, preparations to pass to the one we have conquer'd, + The captain on the quarter-deck coldly giving his orders through a countenance white as a sheet, + Near by the corpse of the child that serv'd in the cabin, The dead face of an old salt with long white hair and carefully curl'd whiskers, + The flames spite of all that can be done flickering aloft and below, + The husky voices of the two or three officers yet fit for duty, Formless stacks of bodies and bodies by themselves, dabs of flesh upon the masts and spars, + Cut of cordage, dangle of rigging, slight shock of the soothe of waves, + Black and impassive guns, litter of powder-parcels, strong scent, + A few large stars overhead, silent and mournful shining, Delicate sniffs of sea-breeze, smells of sedgy grass and fields by the shore, death-messages given in charge to survivors, + The hiss of the surgeon's knife, the gnawing teeth of his saw, + Wheeze, cluck, swash of falling blood, short wild scream, and long, dull, tapering groan." +</pre> + <p> + Some people say that this is not poetry—that it lacks measure and + rhyme. + </p> + <p> + VIII. WHAT IS POETRY? + </p> + <p> + THE whole world is engaged in the invisible commerce of thought. That is + to say, in the exchange of thoughts by words, symbols, sounds, colors and + forms. The motions of the silent, invisible world, where feeling glows and + thought flames—that contains all seeds of action—are made + known only by sounds and colors, forms, objects, relations, uses and + qualities, so that the visible universe is a dictionary, an aggregation of + symbols, by which and through which is carried on the invisible commerce + of thought. Each object is capable of many meanings, or of being used in + many ways to convey ideas or states of feeling or of facts that take place + in the world of the brain. + </p> + <p> + The greatest poet is the one who selects the best, the most appropriate + symbols to convey the best, the highest, the sublimest thoughts. Each man + occupies a world of his own. He is the only citizen of his world. He is + subject and sovereign, and the best he can do is to give the facts + concerning the world in which he lives to the citizens of other worlds. No + two of these worlds are alike. They are of all kinds, from the flat, + barren, and uninteresting—from the small and shriveled and worthless—to + those whose rivers and mountains and seas and constellations belittle and + cheapen the visible world. The inhabitants of these marvelous worlds have + been the singers of songs, utterers of great speech—the creators of + art. + </p> + <p> + And here lies the difference between creators and imitators: the creator + tells what passes in his own world—the imitator does not. The + imitator abdicates, and by the fact of imitation falls upon his knees. He + is like one who, hearing a traveler talk, pretends to others that he has + traveled. + </p> + <p> + In nearly all lands, the poet has been privileged. For the sake of beauty, + they have allowed him to speak, and for that reason he has told the story + of the oppressed, and has excited the indignation of honest men and even + the pity of tyrants. He, above all others, has added to the intellectual + beauty of the world. He has been the true creator of language, and has + left his impress on mankind. + </p> + <p> + What I have said is not only true of poetry—it is true of all + speech. All are compelled to use the visible world as a dictionary. Words + have been invented and are being invented, for the reason that new powers + are found in the old symbols, new qualities, relations, uses and meanings. + The growth of language is necessary on account of the development of the + human mind. The savage needs but few symbols—the civilized many—the + poet most of all. + </p> + <p> + The old idea was, however, that the poet must be a rhymer. Before printing + was known, it was said: the rhyme assists the memory. That excuse no + longer exists. + </p> + <p> + Is rhyme a necessary part of poetry? In my judgment, rhyme is a hindrance + to expression. The rhymer is compelled to wander from his subject, to say + more or less than he means, to introduce irrelevant matter that interferes + continually with the dramatic action and is a perpetual obstruction to + sincere utterance. + </p> + <p> + All poems, of necessity, must be short. The highly and purely poetic is + the sudden bursting into blossom of a great and tender thought. The + planting of the seed, the growth, the bud and flower must be rapid. The + spring must be quick and warm, the soil perfect, the sunshine and rain + enough—everything should tend to hasten, nothing to delay. In + poetry, as in wit, the crystallization must be sudden. + </p> + <p> + The greatest poems are rhythmical. While rhyme is a hindrance, rhythm + seems to be the comrade of the poetic. Rhythm has a natural foundation. + Under emotion the blood rises and falls, the muscles contract and relax, + and this action of the blood is as rhythmical as the rise and fall of the + sea. In the highest form of expression the thought should be in harmony + with this natural ebb and flow. + </p> + <p> + The highest poetic truth is expressed in rhythmical form. I have sometimes + thought that an idea selects its own words, chooses its own garments, and + that when the thought has possession, absolutely, of the speaker or + writer, he unconsciously allows the thought to clothe itself. + </p> + <p> + The great poetry of the world keeps time with the winds and the waves. + </p> + <p> + I do not mean by rhythm a recurring accent at accurately measured + intervals. Perfect time is the death of music. There should always be room + for eager haste and delicious delay, and whatever change there may be in + the rhythm or time, the action itself should suggest perfect freedom. + </p> + <p> + A word more about rhythm. I believe that certain feelings and passions—-joy, + grief, emulation, revenge, produce certain molecular movements in the + brain—that every thought is accompanied by certain physical + phenomena. Now, it may be that certain sounds, colors, and forms produce + the same molecular action in the brain that accompanies certain feelings, + and that these sounds, colors and forms produce first the molecular + movements and these in their turn reproduce the feelings, emotions and + states of mind capable of producing the same or like molecular movements. + So that what we call heroic music produces the same molecular action in + the brain—the same physical changes—that are produced by the + real feeling of heroism; that the sounds we call plaintive produce the + same molecular movement in the brain that grief, or the twilight of grief, + actually produces. There may be a rhythmical molecular movement belonging + to each state of mind, that accompanies each thought or passion, and it + may be that music, or painting, or sculpture, produces the same state of + mind or feeling that produces the music or painting or sculpture, by + producing the same molecular movements. + </p> + <p> + All arts are born of the same spirit, and express like thoughts in + different ways—that is to say, they produce like states of mind and + feeling. The sculptor, the painter, the composer, the poet, the orator, + work to the same end, with different materials. The painter expresses + through form and color and relation; the sculptor through form and + relation. The poet also paints and chisels—his words give form, + relation and color. His statues and his paintings do not crumble, neither + do they fade, nor will they as long as language endures. The composer + touches the passions, produces the very states of feeling produced by the + painter and sculptor, the poet and orator. In all these there must be + rhythm—that is to say, proportion—that is to say, harmony, + melody. + </p> + <p> + So that the greatest poet is the one who idealizes the common, who gives + new meanings to old symbols, who transfigures the ordinary things of life. + He must deal with the hopes and fears, and with the experiences of the + people. + </p> + <p> + The poetic is not the exceptional. A perfect poem is like a perfect day. + It has the undefinable charm of naturalness and ease. It must not appear + to be the result of great labor. We feel, in spite of ourselves, that man + does best that which he does easiest. + </p> + <p> + The great poet is the instrumentality, not always of his time, but of the + best of his time, and he must be in unison and accord with the ideals of + his race. The sublimer he is, the simpler he is. The thoughts of the + people must be clad in the garments of feeling—the words must be + known, apt, familiar. The height must be in the thought, in the sympathy. + </p> + <p> + In the olden time they used to have May day parties, and the prettiest + child was crowned Queen of May. Imagine an old blacksmith and his wife + looking at their little daughter clad in white and crowned with roses. + They would wonder while they looked at her, how they ever came to have so + beautiful a child. It is thus that the poet clothes the intellectual + children or ideals of the people. They must not be gemmed and garlanded + beyond the recognition of their parents. Out from all the flowers and + beauty must look the eyes of the child they know. + </p> + <p> + We have grown tired of gods and goddesses in art. Milton's heavenly + militia excites our laughter. Light-houses have driven sirens from the + dangerous coasts. We have found that we do not depend on the imagination + for wonders—there are millions of miracles under our feet. + </p> + <p> + Nothing can be more marvelous than the common and everyday facts of life. + The phantoms have been cast aside. Men and women are enough for men and + women. In their lives is all the tragedy and all the comedy that they can + comprehend. + </p> + <p> + The painter no longer crowds his canvas with the winged and impossible—he + paints life as he sees it, people as he knows them, and in whom he is + interested. "The Angelus," the perfection of pathos, is nothing but two + peasants bending their heads in thankfulness as they hear the solemn sound + of the distant bell—two peasants, who have nothing to be thankful + for, nothing but weariness and want, nothing but the crusts that they + soften with their tears—nothing. And yet as you look at that picture + you feel that they have something besides to be thankful for—that + they have life, love, and hope—and so the distant bell makes music + in their simple hearts. + </p> + <p> + IX. + </p> + <p> + The attitude of Whitman toward religion has not been understood. Toward + all forms of worship, toward all creeds, he has maintained the attitude of + absolute fairness. He does not believe that Nature has given her last + message to man. He does not believe that all has been ascertained. He + denies that any sect has written down the entire truth. He believes in + progress, and so believing he says: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "We consider Bibles and religions divine—I do not say they are not divine, + I say they have all grown out of you, and may grow out of you still, + It is not they who give the life, it is you who give the life." + + "His [the poet's] thoughts are the hymns of the praise of things, + In the dispute on God and eternity he is silent." + + "Have you thought there could be but a single supreme? + There can be any number of supremes—one does not countervail another + anymore than one eyesight countervails another." +</pre> + <p> + Upon the great questions, as to the great problems, he feels only the + serenity of a great and well-poised soul: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "No array of terms can say how much I am at peace about God and about death. + I hear and behold God in every object, yet understand God not in the least, + Nor do I understand who there can be more wonderful than myself.... + In the faces of men and women I see God, and in my own face in the glass, + I find letters from God dropt in the street, and every one is sign'd by God's name." +</pre> + <p> + The whole visible world is regarded by him as a revelation, and so is the + invisible world, and with this feeling he writes: + </p> + <p> + "Not objecting to special revelations—considering a curl of smoke or + a hair on the back of my hand just as curious as any revelation." + </p> + <p> + The creeds do not satisfy, the old mythologies are not enough; they are + too narrow at best, giving only hints and suggestions; and feeling this + lack in that which has been written and preached, Whitman says: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "Magnifying and applying come I, + Outbidding at the start the old cautious hucksters, + Taking myself the exact dimensions of Jehovah, Lithographing Kronos, + Zeus his son, and Hercules his grandson, + Buying drafts of Osiris, Isis, Belus, Brahma, Buddha, + In my portfolio placing Manito loose, Allah on a leaf, the crucifix engraved, + With Odin and the hideous-faced Mexitli, and every idol and image, + Taking them all for what they are worth, and not a cent more." +</pre> + <p> + Whitman keeps open house. He is intellectually hospitable. He extends his + hand to a new idea. He does not accept a creed because it is wrinkled and + old and has a long white beard. He knows that hypocrisy has a venerable + look, and that it relies on looks and masks, on stupidity and fear. + Neither does he reject or accept the new because it is new. He wants the + truth, and so he welcomes all until he knows just who and what they are. + </p> + <p> + X. PHILOSOPHY. + </p> + <p> + WALT WHITMAN is a philosopher. The more a man has thought, the more he has + studied, the more he has traveled intellectually, the less certain he is. + Only the very ignorant are perfectly satisfied that they know. To the + common man the great problems are easy. He has no trouble in accounting + for the universe. He can tell you the origin and destiny of man and the + why and the wherefore of things. As a rule, he is a believer in special + providence, and is egotistic enough to suppose that everything that + happens in the universe happens in reference to him. + </p> + <p> + A colony of red ants lived at the foot of the Alps. It happened one day + that an avalanche destroyed the hill; and one of the ants was heard to + remark: "Who could have taken so much trouble to destroy our home?" + </p> + <p> + Walt Whitman walked by the side of the sea "where the fierce old mother + endlessly cries for her castaways," and endeavored to think out, to fathom + the mystery of being; and he said: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "I too but signify at the utmost a little wash'd-up drift, + A few sands and dead leaves to gather, + Gather, and merge myself as part of the sands and drift. + Aware now that amid all that blab whose echoes recoil upon me + I have not once had the least idea who or what I am, + But that before all my arrogant poems the real Me stands yet untouch'd, + untold, altogether unreach'd, + Withdrawn far, mocking me with mock-congratulatory signs and bows, + With peals of distant ironical laughter at every word I have written, + Pointing in silence to these songs, and then to the sand beneath.... + I perceive I have not really understood any thing, not a single object, + and that no man ever can." +</pre> + <p> + There is in our language no profounder poem than the one entitled + "Elemental Drifts." + </p> + <p> + The effort to find the origin has ever been, and will forever be, + fruitless. Those who endeavor to find the secret of life resemble a man + looking in the mirror, who thinks that if he only could be quick enough he + could grasp the image that he sees behind the glass. + </p> + <p> + The latest word of this poet upon this subject is as follows: + </p> + <p> + "To me this life with all its realities and functions is finally a + mystery, the real something yet to be evolved, and the stamp and shape and + life here somehow giving an important, perhaps the main outline to + something further. Somehow this hangs over everything else, and stands + behind it, is inside of all facts, and the concrete and material, and the + worldly affairs of life and sense. That is the purport and meaning behind + all the other meanings of Leaves of Grass." + </p> + <p> + As a matter of fact, the questions of origin and destiny are beyond the + grasp of the human mind. We can see a certain distance; beyond that, + everything is indistinct; and beyond the indistinct is the unseen. In the + presence of these mysteries—and everything is a mystery so far as + origin, destiny, and nature are concerned—the intelligent, honest + man is compelled to say, "I do not know." + </p> + <p> + In the great midnight a few truths like stars shine on forever, and from + the brain of man come a few struggling gleams of light, a few momentary + sparks. + </p> + <p> + Some have contended that everything is spirit; others that everything is + matter; and again, others have maintained that a part is matter and a part + is spirit; some that spirit was first and matter after; others that matter + was first and spirit after; and others that matter and spirit have existed + together. + </p> + <p> + But none of these people can by any possibility tell what matter is, or + what spirit is, or what the difference is between spirit and matter. + </p> + <p> + The materialists look upon the spiritualists as substantially crazy; and + the spiritualists regard the materialists as low and groveling. These + spiritualistic people hold matter in contempt; but, after all, matter is + quite a mystery. Y ou take in your hand a little earth—a little + dust. Do you know what it is? In this dust you put a seed; the rain falls + upon it; the light strikes it; the seed grows; it bursts into blossom; it + produces fruit. + </p> + <p> + What is this dust—this womb? Do you understand it? Is there anything + in the wide universe more wonderful than this? + </p> + <p> + Take a grain of sand, reduce it to powder, take the smallest possible + particle, look at it with a microscope, contemplate its every part for + days, and it remains the citadel of a secret—an impregnable + fortress. Bring all the theologians, philosophers, and scientists in + serried ranks against it; let them attack on every side with all the arts + and arms of thought and force. The citadel does not fall. Over the + battlements floats the flag, and the victorious secret smiles at the + baffled hosts. + </p> + <p> + Walt Whitman did not and does not imagine that he has reached the limit—the + end of the road traveled by the human race. He knows that every victory + over nature is but the preparation for another battle. This truth was in + his mind when he said: "Understand me well; it is provided in the essence + of things, that from any fruition of success, no matter what, shall come + forth something to make a greater struggle necessary." + </p> + <p> + This is the generalization of all history. + </p> + <p> + XI. THE TWO POEMS. + </p> + <p> + THERE are two of these poems to which I will call special attention. The + first is entitled, "A Word Out of the Sea." + </p> + <p> + The boy, coming out of the rocked cradle, wandering over the sands and + fields, up from the mystic play of shadows, out of the patches of briers + and blackberries—from the memories of birds—from the thousand + responses of his heart—goes back to the sea and his childhood, and + sings a reminiscence. + </p> + <p> + Two guests from Alabama—two birds—build their nest, and there + were four light green eggs, spotted with brown, and the two birds sang for + joy: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "Shine! shine! shine! + Pour down your warmth, great sun! + While we bask, we two together. + Two together! + Winds blow south, or winds blow north, + Day come white, or night come black, . + Home, or rivers and mountains from home, + Singing all time, minding no time, + While we two keep together." +</pre> + <p> + In a little while one of the birds is missed and never appeared again, and + all through the summer the mate, the solitary guest, was singing of the + lost: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "Blow! blow! blow! + Blow up sea-winds along Paumanok's shore; + I wait and I wait till you blow my mate to me." +</pre> + <p> + And the boy that night, blending himself with the shadows, with bare feet, + went down to the sea, where the white arms out in the breakers were + tirelessly tossing; listening to the songs and translating the notes. + </p> + <p> + And the singing bird called loud and high for the mate, wondering what the + dusky spot was in the brown and yellow, seeing the mate whichever way he + looked, piercing the woods and the earth with his song, hoping that the + mate might hear his cry; stopping that he might not lose her answer; + waiting and then crying again: "Here I am! And this gentle call is for + you. Do not be deceived by the whistle of the wind; those are the + shadows;" and at last crying: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "O past! O happy life! O songs of joy! + In the air, in the woods, over fields, + Loved! loved! loved! loved! loved! + But my mate no more, no more with me! + We two together no more." +</pre> + <p> + And then the 'boy, understanding the song that had awakened in his breast + a thousand songs clearer and louder and more sorrowful than the birds, + knowing that the cry of unsatisfied love would never again be absent from + him; thinking then of the destiny of all, and asking of the sea the final + word, and the sea answering, delaying not and hurrying not, spoke the low + delicious word "Death!" "ever Death!" + </p> + <p> + The next poem, one that will live as long as our language, entitled: "When + Lilacs Last in the Door-yard Bloom'd," is on the death of Lincoln, + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "The sweetest, wisest soul of all my days and lands." +</pre> + <p> + One who reads this will never forget the odor of the lilac, "the lustrous + western star" and "the gray-brown bird singing in the pines and cedars." + </p> + <p> + In this poem the dramatic unities are perfectly preserved, the atmosphere + and climate in harmony with every event. + </p> + <p> + Never will he forget the solemn journey of the coffin through day and + night, with the great cloud darkening the land, nor the pomp of inlooped + flags, the processions long and winding, the flambeaus of night, the + torches' flames, the silent sea of faces, the unbared heads, the thousand + voices rising strong and solemn, the dirges, the shuddering organs, the + tolling bells—and the sprig of lilac. + </p> + <p> + And then for a moment they will hear the gray-brown bird singing in the + cedars, bashful and tender, while the lustrous star lingers in the west, + and they will remember the pictures hung on the chamber walls to adorn the + burial house—pictures of spring and farms and homes, and the gray + smoke lucid and bright, and the floods of yellow gold—of the + gorgeous indolent sinking sun—the sweet herbage under foot—the + green leaves of the trees prolific—the breast of the river with the + wind-dapple here and there, and the varied and ample land—and the + most excellent sun so calm and haughty—the violet and purple morn + with just-felt breezes—the gentle soft-born measureless light—the + miracle spreading, bathing all—the fulfill'd noon—the coming + eve delicious, and the welcome night and the stars. + </p> + <p> + And then again they will hear the song of the gray-brown bird in the + limitless dusk amid the cedars and pines. Again they will remember the + star, and again the odor of the lilac. + </p> + <p> + But most of all, the song of the bird translated and becoming the chant + for death: + </p> + <p> + A CHANT FOR DEATH. + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "Come lovely and soothing death, + Undulate round the world, serenely arriving, arriving, + In the day, in the night, to all, to each, + Sooner or later delicate death. + Prais'd be the fathomless universe, + For life and joy, and for objects and knowledge curious, + And for love, sweet love—but praise! praise! praise! + For the sure-enwinding arms of cool-enfolding death. + Dark mother always gliding near with soft feet, + Have none chanted for thee a chant of fullest welcome? + Then I chant it for thee, I glorify thee above all, + I bring thee a song that when thou must indeed come, come unfalteringly. + Approach strong deliveress, + When it is so, when thou hast taken them I joyously sing the dead, + Lost in the loving floating ocean of thee, + Laved in the flood of thy bliss, O death. + From me to thee glad serenades, + Dances for thee I propose saluting thee, adornments and 'feastings for thee, + And the sights of the open landscape and the high spread sky are fitting, + And life and the fields, and the huge and thoughtful night. + The night in silence under many a star, + The ocean shore and the husky whispering wave whose voice I know, + And the soul turning to thee O vast and well-veil'd death, + And the body gratefully nestling close to thee. + Over the tree-tops I float thee a song, + Over the rising and sinking waves, over the myriad fields and the prairies wide, + Over the dense-pack'd cities all and the teeming wharves and ways, + I float this carol with joy, with joy to thee O death." +</pre> + <p> + This poem, in memory of "the sweetest, wisest soul of all our days and + lands," and for whose sake lilac and star and bird entwined, will last as + long as the memory of Lincoln. + </p> + <p> + XII. OLD AGE. + </p> + <p> + WALT WHITMAN is not only the poet of childhood, of youth, of manhood, but, + above all, of old age. He has not been soured by slander or petrified by + prejudice; neither calumny nor flattery has made him revengeful or + arrogant. Now sitting by the fireside, in the winter of life, + </p> + <p> + "His jocund heart still beating in his breast," he is just as brave and + calm and kind as in his manhood's proudest days, when roses blossomed in + his cheeks. + </p> + <p> + He has taken life's seven steps. Now, as the gamester might say, "on + velvet," he is enjoying "old age, expanded, broad, with the haughty + breadth of the universe; old age, flowing free, with the delicious near-by + freedom of death; old age, superbly rising, welcoming the ineffable + aggregation of dying days." + </p> + <p> + He is taking the "loftiest look at last," and before he goes he utters + thanks: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "For health, the midday sun, the impalpable air—for life, mere life, + For precious ever-lingering memories, + (of you my mother dear—you, father—you, brothers, sisters, friends,) + For all my days—not those of peace alone—the days of war the same, + For gentle words, caresses, gifts from foreign lands, + For shelter, wine and meat—for sweet appreciation, + (You distant, dim unknown—or young or old—countless, unspecified, + readers belov'd, + We never met, and ne'er shall meet—and yet our souls embrace, + long, close and long;) + For beings, groups, love, deeds, words, books—for colors, forms, + For all the brave strong men—devoted, hardy men—who've forward + sprung in freedom's help, all years, all lands, + For braver, stronger, more devoted men—(a special laurel ere I go, + to life's war's chosen ones, + The cannoneers of song and thought—the great artillerists— + the foremost leaders, captains of the soul:" +</pre> + <p> + It is a great thing to preach philosophy—far greater to live it. The + highest philosophy accepts the inevitable with a smile, and greets it as + though it were desired. + </p> + <p> + To be satisfied: This is wealth—success. + </p> + <p> + The real philosopher knows that everything has happened that could have + happened—consequently he accepts. He is glad that he has lived—glad + that he has had his moment on the stage. In this spirit Whitman has + accepted life. + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "I shall go forth, + I shall traverse the States awhile, but I cannot tell whither or how long, + Perhaps soon some day or night while I am singing my v + voice will suddenly cease. + O book, O chants! must all then amount to but this? + Must we barely arrive at this beginning of us?—and yet it is enough, O soul; + O soul, we have positively appear'd—that is enough." +</pre> + <p> + Yes, Walt Whitman has appeared. He has his place upon the stage. The drama + is not ended. His voice is still heard. He is the Poet of Democracy—of + all people. He is the poet of the body and soul. He has sounded the note + of Individuality. He has given the pass-word primeval. He is the Poet of + Humanity—of Intellectual Hospitality. He has voiced the aspirations + of America—and, above all, he is the poet of Love and Death. + </p> + <p> + How grandly, how bravely he has given his thought, and how superb is his + farewell—his leave-taking: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "After the supper and talk—after the day is done, + As a friend from friends his final withdrawal prolonging, + Good-bye and Good-bye with emotional lips repeating, + (So hard for his hand to release those hands—no more will they meet, + No more for communion of sorrow and joy, of old and young, + A far-stretching journey awaits him, to return no more,) + Shunning, postponing severance—seeking to ward off the last word ever so little, + E'en at the exit-door turning—charges superfluous calling back— + e'en as he descends the steps, + Something to eke out a minute additional—shadows of nightfall deepening, + Farewells, messages lessening—dimmer the forthgoer's visage and form, + Soon to be lost for aye in the darkness—loth, O so loth to depart!" +</pre> + <p> + And is this all? Will the forthgoer be lost, and forever? Is death the + end? Over the grave bends Love sobbing, and by her side stands Hope and + whispers: + </p> + <p> + We shall meet again. Before all life is death, and after all death is + life. The falling leaf, touched with the hectic flush, that testifies of + autumn's death, is, in a subtler sense, a prophecy of spring. + </p> + <p> + Walt Whitman has dreamed great dreams, told great truths and uttered + sublime thoughts. He has held aloft the torch and bravely led the way. + </p> + <p> + As you read the marvelous book, or the person, called "Leaves of Grass," + you feel the freedom of the antique world; you hear the voices of the + morning, of the first great singers—voices elemental as those of sea + and storm. The horizon enlarges, the heavens grow ample, limitations are + forgotten—the realization of the will, the accomplishment of the + ideal, seem to be within your power. Obstructions become petty and + disappear. The chains and bars are broken, and the distinctions of caste + are lost. The soul is in the open air, under the blue and stars—the + flag of Nature. Creeds, theories and philosophies ask to be examined, + contradicted, reconstructed. Prejudices disappear, superstitions vanish + and custom abdicates. The sacred places become highways, duties and + desires clasp hands and become comrades and friends. Authority drops the + scepter, the priest the mitre, and the purple falls from kings. The + inanimate becomes articulate, the meanest and humblest things utter + speech, and the dumb and voiceless burst into song. A feeling of + independence takes possession of the soul, the body expands, the blood + flows full and free, superiors vanish, flattery is a lost art, and life + becomes rich, royal, and superb. The world becomes a personal possession, + and the oceans, the continents, and constellations belong to you. You are + in the center, everything radiates from you, and in your veins beats and + throbs the pulse of all life. You become a rover, careless and free. You + wander by the shores of all seas and hear the eternal psalm. You feel the + silence of the wide forest, and stand beneath the intertwined and + over-arching boughs, entranced with symphonies of winds and woods. You are + borne on the tides of eager and swift rivers, hear the rush and roar of + cataracts as they fall beneath the seven-hued arch, and watch the eagles + as they circling soar. You traverse gorges dark and dim, and climb the + scarred and threatening cliffs. You stand in orchards where the blossoms + fall like snow, where the birds nest and sing, and painted moths make + aimless journeys through the happy air. You live the lives of those who + till the earth, and walk amid the perfumed fields, hear the reapers' song, + and feel the breadth and scope of earth and sky. You are in the great + cities, in the midst of multitudes, of the endless processions. You are on + the wide plains—the prairies—with hunter and trapper, with + savage and pioneer, and you feel the soft grass yielding under your feet. + You sail in many ships, and breathe the free air of the sea. You travel + many roads, and countless paths. You visit palaces and prisons, hospitals + and courts; you pity kings and convicts, and your sympathy goes out to all + the suffering and insane, the oppressed and enslaved, and even to the + infamous. You hear the din of labor, all sounds of factory, field, and + forest, of all tools, instruments and machines. You become familiar with + men and women of all employments, trades and professions—with birth + and burial, with wedding feast and funeral chant. You see the cloud and + flame of war, and you enjoy the ineffable perfect days of peace. + </p> + <p> + In this one book, in these wondrous "Leaves of Grass," you find hints and + suggestions, touches and fragments, of all there is of life that lies + between the babe, whose rounded cheeks dimple beneath his mother's + laughing, loving eyes, and the old man, snow-crowned, who, with a smile, + extends his hand to death. + </p> + <p> + We have met to-night to honor ourselves by honoring the author of "Leaves + of Grass." + </p> + <p> + <a name="link0006" id="link0006"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> + </div> + <h2> + THE GREAT INFIDELS.* + </h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + * This lecture is printed from notes found among Colonel + Ingersoll's papers, but was not revised by him for + publication. +</pre> + <p> + I HAVE sometimes thought that it will not make great and splendid + character to rock children in the cradle of hypocrisy. I do not believe + that the tendency is to make men and women brave and glorious when you + tell them that there are certain ideas upon certain subjects that they + must never express; that they must go through life with a pretence as a + shield; that their neighbors will think much more of them if they will + only keep still; and that above all is a God who despises one who honestly + expresses what he believes. For my part, I believe men will be nearer + honest in business, in politics, grander in art—in everything that + is good and grand and beautiful, if they are taught from the cradle to the + coffin to tell their honest opinion. + </p> + <p> + Neither do I believe thought to be dangerous. + </p> + <p> + It is incredible that only idiots are absolutely sure of salvation. It is + incredible that the more brain you have the less your chance is. There can + be no danger in honest thought, and if the world ever advances beyond what + it is to-day, it must be led by men who express their real opinions. + </p> + <p> + We have passed midnight in the great struggle between Fact and Faith, + between Science and Superstition. The brand of intellectual inferiority is + now upon the orthodox brain. There is nothing grander than to rescue from + the leprosy of slander the reputation of a good and generous man. Nothing + can be nearer just than to benefit our benefactors. + </p> + <p> + The Infidels of one age have been the aureoled saints of the next. The + destroyers of the old are the creators of the new. The old passes away, + and the new becomes old. There is in the intellectual world, as in the + material, decay and growth, and ever by the grave of buried age stand + youth and joy. + </p> + <p> + The history of intellectual progress is written in the lives of Infidels. + Political rights have been preserved by traitors—the liberty of the + mind by heretics. To attack the king was treason—to dispute the + priest was blasphemy. The sword and cross were allies. They defended each + other. The throne and altar were twins—vultures from the same egg. + </p> + <p> + It was James I. who said: "No bishop, no king." He might have said: "No + cross, no crown." + </p> + <p> + The king owned the bodies, and the priest the souls, of men. One lived on + taxes, the other on alms. One was a robber, the other a beggar, and each + was both. + </p> + <p> + These robbers and beggars controlled two worlds. The king made laws, the + priest made creeds. With bowed backs the people received the burdens of + the one, and with wonder's open mouth the dogmas of the other. If any + aspired to be free they were crushed by the king, and every priest was a + Herod who slaughtered the children of the brain. The king ruled by force, + the priest by fear, and both by both. + </p> + <p> + The king said to the people: "God made you peasants, and he made me king. + He made rags and hovels for you, robes and palaces for me. Such is the + justice of God." And the priest said: "God made you ignorant and vile. He + made me holy and wise. If you do not obey me, God will punish you here and + torment you hereafter. Such is the mercy of God." + </p> + <p> + Infidels are intellectual discoverers. They sail the unknown seas and find + new isles and continents in the infinite realms of thought. + </p> + <p> + An Infidel is one who has found a new fact, who has an idea of his own, + and who in the mental sky has seen another star. + </p> + <p> + He is an intellectual capitalist, and for that reason excites the envy and + hatred of the theological pauper. + </p> + <p> + The Origin of god and Heaven, Of the Devil and Hell. + </p> + <p> + IN the estimation of good orthodox Christians I am a criminal, because I + am trying to take from loving mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, + husbands, wives, and lovers the consolations naturally arising from a + belief in an eternity of grief and pain. I want to tear, break, and + scatter to the winds the God that priests erected in the fields of + innocent pleasure—a God made of sticks called creeds, and of old + clothes called myths. I shall endeavor to take from the coffin its horror, + from the cradle its curse, and put out the fires of revenge kindled by an + infinite fiend. + </p> + <p> + Is it necessary that Heaven should borrow its light from the glare of + Hell? + </p> + <p> + Infinite punishment is infinite cruelty, endless injustice, immortal + meanness. To worship an eternal goaler hardens, debases, and pollutes even + the vilest soul. While there is one sad and breaking heart in the + universe, no good being can be perfectly happy. + </p> + <p> + Against the heartlessness of the Christian religion every grand and tender + soul should enter solemn protest. The God of Hell should be held in + loathing, contempt and scorn. A God who threatens eternal pain should be + hated, not loved—cursed, not worshiped. A heaven presided over by + such a God must be below the lowest hell. I want no part in any heaven in + which the saved, the ransomed and redeemed will drown with shouts of joy + the cries and sobs of hell—in which happiness will forget misery, + where the tears of the lost only increase laughter and double bliss. + </p> + <p> + The idea of hell was born of ignorance, brutality, fear, cowardice, and + revenge. This idea testifies that our remote ancestors were the lowest + beasts. Only from dens, lairs, and caves, only from mouths filled with + cruel fangs, only from hearts of fear and hatred, only from the conscience + of hunger and lust, only from the lowest and most debased could come this + most cruel, heartless and bestial of all dogmas. + </p> + <p> + Our barbarian ancestors knew but little of nature. They were too + astonished to investigate. They could not divest themselves of the idea + that everything happened with reference to them; that they caused storms + and earthquakes; that they brought the tempest and the whirlwind; that on + account of something they had done, or omitted to do, the lightning of + vengeance leaped from the darkened sky. They made up their minds that at + least two vast and powerful beings presided over this world; that one was + good and the other bad; that both of these beings wished to get control of + the souls of men; that they were relentless enemies, eternal foes; that + both welcomed recruits and hated deserters; that both demanded praise and + worship; that one offered rewards in this world, and the other in the + next. The Devil has paid cash—God buys on credit. + </p> + <p> + Man saw cruelty and mercy in nature, because he imagined that phenomena + were produced to punish or to reward him. When his poor hut was torn and + broken by the wind, he thought it a punishment. When some town or city was + swept away by flood or sea, he imagined that the crimes of the inhabitants + had been avenged. When the land was filled with plenty, when the seasons + were kind, he thought that he had pleased the tyrant of the skies. + </p> + <p> + It must be remembered that both gods and devils were supposed to be + presided over by the greatest God and the greatest Devil. The God could + give infinite rewards and could inflict infinite torments. The Devil could + assist man here; could give him wealth and place in this world, in + consideration of owning his soul hereafter. Each human soul was a prize + contended for by these deities. Of course this God and this Devil had + innumerable spirits at their command, to execute their decrees. The God + lived in heaven and the Devil in hell. Both were mon-archs and were + infinitely jealous of each other. The priests pretended to be the agents + and recruiting sergeants of this God, and they were duly authorized to + promise and threaten in his name; they had power to forgive and curse. + These priests sought to govern the world by force and fear. Believing that + men could be frightened into obedience, they magnified the tortures and + terrors of perdition. Believing also that man could in part be influenced + by the hope of reward, they magnified the joys of heaven. In other words, + they promised eternal joy and threatened everlasting pain. Most of these + priests, born of the ignorance of the time, believed what they taught. + They proved that God was good by sunlight and harvest, by health and + happiness; that he was angry, by disease and death. Man, according to this + doctrine, was led astray by the Devil, who delighted only in evil. It was + supposed that God demanded worship; that he loved to be flattered; that he + delighted in sacrifice; that nothing made him happier than to see ignorant + faith upon its knees; that above all things he hated and despised doubters + and heretics, and that he regarded all investigation as rebellion. + </p> + <p> + Now and then believers in these ideas, those who had gained great + reputation for learning and sanctity, or had enjoyed great power, wrote + books, and these books after a time were considered sacred. Most of them + were written to frighten mankind, and were filled with threatenings and + curses for unbelievers and promises for the faithful. The more frightful + the curses, the more extravagant the promises, the more sacred the books + were considered. All of the gods were cruel and vindictive, unforgiving + and relentless, and the devils were substantially the same. + </p> + <p> + It was also believed that certain things must be accepted as true, no + matter whether they were reasonable or not; that it was pleasing to God to + believe a certain creed, especially if it happened to be the creed of the + majority. Each community felt it a duty to see that the enemies of God + were converted or killed. To allow a heretic to live in peace was to + invite the wrath of God. Every public evil—every misfortune—was + accounted for by something the community had permitted or done. When + epidemics appeared, brought by ignorance and welcomed by filth, the + heretic was brought out and sacrificed to appease the vengeance of God. + From the knowledge they had—from their premises—they reasoned + well. They said, if God will inflict such frightful torments upon us here, + simply for allowing a few heretics to live, what will he do with the + heretics? Of course the heretics would be punished forever. They knew how + cruel was the barbarian king when he had the traitor in his power. They + had seen every horror that man could inflict on man. Of course a God could + do more than a king. He could punish forever. The fires he would kindle + never could be quenched. The torments he would inflict would be eternal. + They thought the amount of punishment would be measured only by the power + of God. + </p> + <p> + These ideas were not only prevalent in what are called barbarous times, + but they are received by the religious world of to-day. + </p> + <p> + No death could be conceived more horrible than that produced by flames. To + these flames they added eternity, and hell was produced. They exhausted + the idea of personal torture. + </p> + <p> + By putting intention behind what man called good, God was produced. By + putting intention behind what man called bad, the Devil was created. Leave + this "intention" out, and gods and devils fade away. + </p> + <p> + If not a human being existed the sun would continue to shine, and tempests + now and then would devastate the world; the rain would fall in pleasant + showers, and the bow of promise would adorn the cloud; violets would + spread their velvet bosoms to the sun, and the earthquake would devour; + birds would sing, and daisies bloom, and roses blush, and the volcanoes + would fill the heavens with their lurid glare; the procession of the + seasons would not be broken, and the stars would shine just as serenely as + though the world was filled with loving hearts and happy homes. But in the + olden time man thought otherwise. He imagined that he was of great + importance. Barbarians are always egotistic. They think that the stars are + watching them; that the sun shines on their account; that the rain falls + for them, and that gods and devils are really troubling themselves about + their poor and ignorant souls. + </p> + <p> + In those days men fought for their God as they did for their king. They + killed the enemies of both. For this their king would reward them here, + and their God hereafter. With them it was loyalty to destroy the disloyal. + They did not regard God as a vague "spirit," nor as an "essence" without + body or parts, but as a being, a person, an infinite man, a king, the + monarch of the universe, who had garments of glory for believers and robes + of flame for the heretic and infidel. + </p> + <p> + Do not imagine that this doctrine of hell belongs to Christianity alone. + Nearly all religions have had this dogma for a corner-stone. Upon this + burning foundation nearly all have built. Over the abyss of pain rose the + glittering dome of pleasure. This world was regarded as one of trial. Here + a God of infinite wisdom experimented with man. Between the outstretched + paws of the Infinite the mouse, man, was allowed to play. Here man had the + opportunity of hearing priests and kneeling in temples. Here he could read + and hear read the sacred books. Here he could have the example of the + pious and the counsels of the holy. Here he could build churches and + cathedrals. Here he could burn incense, fast, wear haircloth, deny himself + all the pleasures of life, confess to priests, count beads, be miserable + one day in seven, make creeds, construct instruments of torture, bow + before pictures and images, eat little square pieces of bread, sprinkle + water on the heads of babes, shut his eyes and say words to the clouds, + and slander and defame all who have the courage to despise superstition, + and the goodness to tell their honest thoughts. After death, nothing could + be done to make him better. When he should come into the presence of God, + nothing was left except to damn him. Priests might convert him here, but + God could do nothing there,—all of which shows how much more a + priest can do for a soul than its creator; how much more potent is the + example of your average Christian than that of all the angels, and how + much superior earth is to heaven for the moral development of the soul. In + heaven the Devil is not allowed to enter. There all are pure and perfect, + yet they cannot influence a soul for good. + </p> + <p> + Only here, on the earth, where the Devil is constantly active, only where + his agents attack every soul, is there the slightest hope of moral + improvement. + </p> + <p> + Strange! that a world cursed by God, filled with temptations and thick + with fiends, should be the only place where hope exists, the only place + where man can repent, the only place where reform is possible! Strange! + that heaven, filled with angels and presided over by God, is the only + place where reformation is utterly impossible! Yet these are the teachings + of all the believers in the eternity of punishment. + </p> + <p> + Masters frightened slaves with the threat of hell, and slaves got a kind + of shadowy revenge by whispering back the threat. The poor have damned the + rich and the rich the poor. The imprisoned imagined a hell for their + gaolers; the weak built this place for the strong; the arrogant for their + rivals; the vanquished for their victors; the priest for the thinker, + religion for reason, superstition for science. + </p> + <p> + All the meanness, all the revenge, all the selfishness, all the cruelty, + all the hatred, all the infamy of which the heart of man is capable, grew, + blossomed and bore fruit in this one word—Hell. + </p> + <p> + For the nourishment of this dogma cruelty was soil, ignorance was rain, + and fear was light. + </p> + <p> + Christians have placed upon the throne of the universe a God of eternal + hate. I cannot worship a being whose vengeance is boundless, whose cruelty + is shoreless, and whose malice is increased by the agonies he inflicts. + </p> + <p> + THE APPEAL TO THE CEMETERY. + </p> + <p> + WHOEVER attacks a custom or a creed, will be confronted with a list of the + names of the dead who upheld the custom, or believed the creed. He is + asked in a very triumphant and sneering way, if he knows more than all the + great and honored of the past Every defender of a creed has graven upon + his memory the names of all "great" men whose actions or words can be + tortured into evidence for his doctrine. The church is always anxious to + have some king or president certify to the moral character of Christ, the + authority of the Scriptures, and the justice of the Jewish God. Of late + years, confessions of gentlemen about to be hanged have been considered of + great value, and the scaffold is regarded as a means of grace. + </p> + <p> + All the churches of our day seek the rich. They are no longer the friends + and defenders of the poor. Poverty no longer feels at home in the house of + God. In the Temple of the Most High, garments out of fashion are + considered out of place. People now, before confessing to God what + worthless souls they have, enrich their bodies. Now words of penitence + mingle with the rustle of silk, and light thrown from diamonds adorns the + repentant tear. We are told that the rich, the fortunate, the holders of + place and office, the fashionable, the respectable, are all within the + churches. And yet all these people grow eloquent over the poverty of + Christ—boast that he was born in a manger—that the Holy Ghost + passed by all the ladies of titled wealth and fashion and selected the + wife of a poor and unknown mechanic for the Mother of God. + </p> + <p> + They admit that all the men of Jerusalem who held high positions—all + the people of wealth, influence and power—were the enemies of the + Savior and held his pretensions in contempt. They admit that he had + influence only with the poor, and that he was so utterly unknown—so + indigent in acquaintance, that it was necessary to bribe one of his + disciples to point him out to the police. They assert that he had done a + great number of miracles—had cured the sick, and raised the dead—that + he had preached to vast multitudes—had made a kind of triumphal + entry into Jerusalem—had scourged from the temple the changers of + money—had disputed with the doctors—and yet, notwithstanding + all these things, he remained in the very depths of obscurity. Surely he + and his disciples could have been met with the argument that the "great" + dead were opposed to the new religion. + </p> + <p> + The apostles, it is claimed, preached the doctrines of Christ in Rome and + Athens, and the people of those cities could have used the arguments + against Christianity that Christians now use in its support. They could + have asked the apostles if they were wiser than all the philosophers, + poets, orators, and statesmen dead—if they knew more, coming as they + did from a weak and barbarous nation, than the greatest men produced by + the highest civilization of the known world. With what scorn would the + Greeks listen to a barbarian's criticisms upon Socrates and Plato. How a + Roman would laugh to hear a vagrant Hebrew attack a mythology that had + been believed by Cato and Virgil. + </p> + <p> + Every new religion has to overcome this argument of the cemetery—this + logic of the grave. Old ideas take shelter behind a barricade of corpses + and tombstones. They have epitaphs for battle-cries, and malign the living + in the name of the dead. The moment, however, that a new religion + succeeds, it becomes the old religion and uses the same argument against a + new idea that it once so gallantly refuted. The arguments used to-day + against what they are pleased to call infidelity would have shut the mouth + of every religious reformer, from Christ to the founder of the last sect. + The general objection to the new is, that it differs somewhat from the + old, and the fact that it does differ is urged as an argument against its + truth. + </p> + <p> + Every man is forced to admit that he does not agree with all the great + men, living or dead. The average Catholic, if not a priest, as a rule will + admit that Sir Isaac Newton was in some things his superior, that + Demosthenes had the advantage of him in expressing his ideas in public, + and that as a sculptor he is far below the unknown man of whose hand and + brain was born the Venus de Milo, but he will not, on account of these + admissions, change his views upon the important question of + transubstantiation. + </p> + <p> + Most Protestants will cheerfully admit that they are inferior in brain and + genius to some men who have lived and died in the Catholic Church; that in + the matter of preaching funeral sermons they do not pretend to equal + Bossuet; that their letters are not so interesting and polished as those + of Pascal; that Torquemada excelled them in the genius of organization, + and that for planning a massacre they would not for a moment dispute the + palm with Catherine de Medici. + </p> + <p> + And yet, after all these admissions, they would insist that the Pope is an + unblushing impostor, and that the Catholic Church is a vampire fattened by + the best blood of a thousand years. + </p> + <p> + The truth is, that in favor of almost every sect, the names of some great + men can be pronounced. In almost every church there have been men whose + only weakness was their religion, and who in other directions achieved + distinction. If you call men great because they were emperors, kings, + noblemen, statesmen, millionaires—because they commanded vast armies + and wielded great influence in their day, then more names can be found to + support and prop the Church of Rome than any other Christian sect. + </p> + <p> + Is Protestantism willing to rest its claims upon the "great man" argument? + Give me the ideas, the religions, not that have been advanced and believed + by the so-called great of the past, but that will be defended and believed + by the great souls of the future. + </p> + <p> + It gives me pleasure to say that Lord Bacon was a great man; but I do not + for that reason abandon the Copernican system of astronomy, and insist + that the earth is stationary. Samuel Johnson was an excellent writer of + latinized English, but I am confident that he never saw a real ghost. + Matthew Hale was a reasonably good judge of law, but he was mistaken about + witches causing children to vomit crooked pins. John Wesley was quite a + man, in a kind of religious way, but in this country few people sympathize + with his hatred of republican government, or with his contempt for the + Revolutionary Fathers. Sir Isaac Newton, in the domain of science, was the + colossus of his time, but his commentary on the book of Revelation would + hardly excite envy, even in the breast of a Spurgeon or a Talmage. Upon + many questions, the opinions of Napoleon were of great value, and yet + about his bed, when dying, he wanted to see burning the holy candles of + Rome. John Calvin has been called a logician, and reasoned well from his + premises, but the burning of Servetus did not make murder a virtue. Luther + weakened somewhat the power of the Catholic Church, and to that extent was + a reformer, and yet Lord Brougham affirmed that his "Table Talk" was so + obscene that no respectable English publisher would soil paper with a + translation. He was a kind of religious Rabelais; and yet a man can defend + Luther in his attack upon the church without justifying his obscenity. If + every man in the Catholic Church was a good man, that would not convince + me that Ignatius Loyola ever met and conversed with the Virgin Mary. The + fact is, very few men are right in everything. Great virtues may draw + attention from defects, but they cannot sanctify them. A pebble surrounded + by diamonds remains a common stone, and a diamond surrounded by pebbles is + still a gem. No one should attempt to refute an argument by pronouncing + the name of some man, unless he is willing to adopt all the ideas and + beliefs of that man. It is better to give reasons and facts than names. An + argument should not depend for its force upon the name of its author. + Facts need no pedigree; logic has no heraldry, and the living should not + be awed by the mistakes of the dead. + </p> + <p> + The greatest men the world has produced have known but little. They had a + few facts, mingled with mistakes without number. In some departments they + towered above their fellows, while in others they fell below the common + level of mankind. + </p> + <p> + Daniel Webster had great respect for the Scriptures, but very little for + the claims of his creditors. Most men are strangely inconsistent. Two + propositions were introduced into the Confederate Congress by the same + man. One was to hoist the black flag, and the other was to prevent + carrying the mails on Sunday. George Whitefield defended the slave trade, + because it brought the negroes within the sound of the gospel, and gave + them the advantage of associating with the gentlemen who stole them. And + yet this same Whitefield believed and taught the dogma of predestination. + Volumes might be written upon the follies and imbecilities of great men. A + full rounded man—a man of sterling sense and natural logic—is + just as rare as a great painter, poet, or sculptor. If you tell your + friend that he is not a painter, that he has no genius for poetry, he will + probably admit the truth of what you say, without feeling that he has been + insulted in the least. But if you tell him that he is not a logician, that + he has but little idea of the value of a fact, that he has no real + conception of what evidence is, and that he never had an original thought + in his life, he will cut your acquaintance. Thousands of men are most + wonderful in mechanics, in trade, in certain professions, keen in + business, knowing well the men among whom they live, and yet satisfied + with religions infinitely stupid, with politics perfectly senseless, and + they will believe that wonderful things were common long ago, such things + as no amount of evidence could convince them had happened in their day. A + man may be a successful merchant, lawyer, doctor, mechanic, statesman, or + theologian without one particle of originality, and almost without the + ability to think logically upon any subject whatever. Other men display in + some directions the most marvelous intellectual power, astonish mankind + with their grasp and vigor, and at the same time, upon religious subjects + drool and drivel like David at the gates of Gath. + </p> + <p> + SACRED BOOKS. + </p> + <p> + WE have found, at last, that other nations have sacred books much older + than our own, and that these books and records were and are substantiated + by traditions and monuments, by miracles and martyrs, christs and + apostles, as well as by prophecies fulfilled. In all of these nations + differences of opinion as to the authenticity and meaning of these books + arose from time to time, precisely as they have done and still do with us, + and upon these differences were founded sects that manufactured creeds. + These sects denounced each other, and preached with the sword and + endeavored to convince with the fagot. Our theologians were greatly + astonished to find in other bibles the same stories, precepts, laws, + customs and commands that adorn and stain our own. At first they accounted + for this, by saying that these books were in part copies of the Jewish + Scriptures, mingled with barbaric myths. To such an extent did they impose + upon and insult probability, that they declared that all the morality of + the world, all laws commanding right and prohibiting wrong, all ideas + respecting the unity of a Supreme Being, were borrowed from the Jews, who + obtained them directly from God. The Christian world asserts with warmth, + not always born of candor, that the Bible is the source, origin, and + fountain of law, liberty, love, charity, and justice; that it is the + intellectual and moral sun of the world; that it alone gives happiness + here, and alone points out the way to joy hereafter; that it contains the + only revelation from the Infinite; that all others are the work of + dishonest and mistaken men. They say these things in spite of the fact + that the Jewish nation was one of the weakest and most barbaric of the + past; in spite of the fact that the civilization of Egypt and India had + commenced to wane before that of Palestine existed. To account for all the + morality contained in the sacred books of the Hindus, by saying that it + was borrowed from the wanderers in the Desert of Sinai, from the escaped + slaves of the Egyptians, taxes to the utmost the credulity of ignorance, + bigotry, and zeal. + </p> + <p> + The men who make these assertions are not superior to other men. They have + only the facts common to all, and they must admit that these facts do not + force the same conclusions upon all. They must admit that men equally + honest, equally well informed as themselves, deny their premises and + conclusions. They must admit that had they been born and educated in some + other country, they would have had a different religion, and would have + regarded with reverence and awe the books they now hold as false and + foolish. Most men are followers, and implicitly rely upon the judgment of + others. They mistake solemnity for wisdom, and regard a grave countenance + as the titlepage and preface to a most learned volume. So they are easily + imposed upon by forms, strange garments, and solemn ceremonies. And when + the teaching of parents, the customs of neighbors, and the general tongue + approve and justify a belief or creed, no matter how absurd, it is hard + even for the strongest to hold the citadel of his soul. In each country, + in defence of each religion, the same arguments would be urged. There is + the same evidence in favor of the inspiration of the Koran and Bible. Both + are substantiated in exactly the same way. It is just as wicked and + unreasonable to be a heretic in Constantinople as in New York. To deny the + claims of Christ and Mohammed is alike blasphemous. It all depends upon + where you are when you make the denial. No religion has ever fallen that + carried with it down to dumb death a solitary fact. Mistakes moulder with + the temples in which they were taught, and countless superstitions sleep + with their dead priests. + </p> + <p> + Yet Christians insist that the religions of all nations that have fallen + from wealth and power were false, with of course the solitary exception of + the Jewish, simply because the nations teaching them dropped from their + dying hands the swords of power. This argument drawn from the fate of + nations proves no more than would one based upon the history of persons. + With nations as with individuals, the struggle for life is perpetual, and + the law of the survival of the fittest applies equally to both. + </p> + <p> + It may be that the fabric of our civilization will crumbling fall to + unmeaning chaos and to formless dust, where oblivion broods and even + memory forgets. Perhaps the blind Samson of some imprisoned force, + released by thoughtless chance, may so wreck and strand the world that + man, in stress and strain of want and fear, will shudderingly crawl back + to savage and barbaric night. The time may come in which this thrilled and + throbbing earth, shorn of all life, will in its soundless orbit wheel a + barren star, on which the light will fall as fruitlessly as falls the gaze + of love upon the cold, pathetic face of death. + </p> + <p> + FEAR. + </p> + <p> + 'T'HERE is a view quite prevalent, that in some way you can prove whether + the theories defended or advanced by a man are right or not, by showing + what kind of man he was, what kind of life he lived, and what manner of + death he died. + </p> + <p> + A man entertains certain opinions; he is persecuted. He refuses to change + his mind; he is burned, and in the midst of flames cries out that he dies + without change. Hundreds then say that he has sealed his testimony with + his blood, and his doctrines must be true. + </p> + <p> + All the martyrs in the history of the world are not sufficient to + establish the correctness of an opinion. Martyrdom, as a rule, establishes + the sincerity of the martyr,—never the correctness of his thought. + Things are true or false in themselves. Truth cannot be affected by + opinions; it cannot be changed, established, or affected by martyrdom. An + error cannot be believed sincerely enough to make it a truth. + </p> + <p> + No Christian will admit that any amount of heroism displayed by a Mormon + is sufficient to prove that Joseph Smith was divinely inspired. All the + courage and culture, all the poetry and art of ancient Greece, do not even + tend to establish the truth of any myth. + </p> + <p> + The testimony of the dying concerning some other world, or in regard to + the supernatural, cannot be any better, to say the least, than that of the + living. In the early days of Christianity a serene and intrepid death was + regarded as a testimony in favor of the church. At that time Pagans were + being converted to Christianity—were throwing Jupiter away and + taking the Hebrew God instead. In the moment of death many of these + converts, without doubt, retraced their steps and died in the faith of + their ancestors. But whenever one died clinging to the cross of the new + religion, this was seized upon as an evidence of the truth of the gospel. + After a time the Christians taught that an unbeliever, one who spoke or + wrote against their doctrines, could not meet death with composure—that + the infidel in his last moments would necessarily be a prey to the serpent + of remorse. For more than a thousand years they have made the "facts" to + fit this theory. Crimes against men have been considered as nothing when + compared with a denial of the truth of the Bible, the divinity of Christ, + or the existence of God. + </p> + <p> + According to the theologians, God has always acted in this way. As long as + men did nothing except to render their fellows wretched; as long as they + only butchered and burnt the innocent and helpless, God maintained the + strictest and most heartless neutrality; but when some honest man, some + great and tender soul expressed a doubt as to the truth of the Scriptures, + or prayed to the wrong God, or to the right one by the wrong name, then + the real God leaped like a wounded tiger upon his victim, and from his + quivering flesh tore his wretched soul. + </p> + <p> + There is no recorded instance where the uplifted hand of murder has been + paralyzed—no truthful account in all the literature of the world of + the innocent being shielded by God. Thousands of crimes are committed + every day—men are this moment lying in wait for their human prey—wives + are whipped and crushed, driven to insanity and death—little + children begging for mercy, lifting imploring, tear-filled eyes to the + brutal faces of fathers and mothers—sweet girls are deceived, lured, + and outraged, but God has no time to prevent these things—no time to + defend the good and to protect the pure. He is too busy numbering hairs + and watching sparrows. + </p> + <p> + He listens for blasphemy; looks for persons who laugh at priests; examines + baptismal registers; watches professors in colleges who begin to doubt the + geology of Moses and the astronomy of Joshua. He does not particularly + object to stealing if you won't swear. A great many persons have fallen + dead in the act of taking God's name in vain, but millions of men, women, + and children have been stolen from their homes and used as beasts of + burden, but no one engaged in this infamy has ever been touched by the + wrathful hand of God. + </p> + <p> + All kinds of criminals, except infidels, meet death with reasonable + serenity. As a rule, there is nothing in the death of a pirate to cast any + discredit on his profession. The murderer upon the scaffold, with a priest + on either side, smilingly exhorts the multitude to meet him in heaven. The + man who has succeeded in making his home a hell, meets death without a + quiver, provided he has never expressed any doubt as to the divinity of + Christ, or the eternal "procession" of the Holy Ghost. The king who has + waged cruel and useless war, who has filled countries with widows and + fatherless children, with the maimed and diseased, and who has succeeded + in offering to the Moloch of ambition the best and bravest of his + subjects, dies like a saint. + </p> + <p> + The Emperor Constantine, who lifted Christianity into power, murdered his + wife Fausta, and his eldest son Crispus, the same year that he convened + the Council of Nice to decide whether Jesus Christ was a man or the Son of + God. The council decided that Christ was consubstantial with the Father. + This was in the year 325. We are thus indebted to a wife-murderer for + settling the vexed question of the divinity of the Savior. Theodosius + called a council at Constantinople in 381, and this council decided that + the Holy Ghost proceeded from the Father. Theodosius, the younger, + assembled another council at Ephesus to ascertain who the Virgin Mary + really was, and it was solemnly decided in the year 431 that she was the + Mother of God. In 451 it was decided by a council held at Chalcedon, + called together by the Emperor Marcian, that Christ had two natures—the + human and divine. In 680, in another general council, held at + Constantinople, convened by order of Pognatius, it was also decided that + Christ had two wills, and in the year 1274 it was decided at the Council + of Lyons, that the Holy Ghost proceeded not only from the Father, but from + the Son as well. Had it not been for these councils, we might have been + without a Trinity even unto this day. When we take into consideration the + fact that a belief in the Trinity is absolutely essential to salvation, + how unfortunate it was for the world that this doctrine was not + established until the year 1274. Think of the millions that dropped into + hell while these questions were being discussed. + </p> + <p> + This, however, is a digression. Let us go back to Constantine. This + Emperor, stained with every crime, is supposed to have died like a + Christian. We hear nothing of fiends leering at him in the shadows of + death. He does not see the forms of his murdered wife and son covered with + the blood he shed. From his white and shrivelled lips issued no shrieks of + terror. He does not cover his glazed eyes with thin and trembling hands to + shut out the visions of hell. His chamber is filled with the rustle of + wings—of wings waiting to bear his soul to the thrilling realms of + joy. + </p> + <p> + Against the Emperor Constantine the church has hurled no anathema. She has + accepted the story of his vision in the clouds, and his holy memory has + been guarded by priest and pope. All the persecutors sleep in peace, and + the ashes of those who burned their brothers in the name of Christ rest in + consecrated ground. Whole libraries could not contain even the names of + the wretches who have filled the world with violence and death in defence + of book and creed, and yet they all died the death of the righteous, and + no priest or minister describes the agony and fear, the remorse and + horror, with which their guilty souls were filled in the last moments of + their lives. These men had never doubted—they accepted the creed—they + were not infidels—they had not denied the divinity of Christ—they + had been baptized—they had partaken of the Last Supper—they + had respected priests—they admitted that the Holy Ghost had + "proceeded," and these things put pillows beneath their dying heads, and + covered them with the drapery of peace. + </p> + <p> + Now and then, in the history of this world, a man of genius, of sense, of + intellectual honesty has appeared. These men have denounced the + superstitions of their day. They pitied the multitude. To see priests + devour the substance of the people filled them with indignation. These men + were honest enough to tell their thoughts. Then they were denounced, + tried, condemned, executed. Some of them escaped the fury of the people + who loved their enemies, and died naturally in their beds. + </p> + <p> + It would not do for the church to admit that they died peacefully. That + would show that religion was not actually necessary in the last moment. + Religion got much of its power from the terror of death. + </p> + <p> + THE DEATH TEST. + </p> + <p> + YOU had better live well and die wicked. + </p> + <p> + You had better live well and die cursing than live badly and die praying. + </p> + <p> + It would not do to have the common people understand that a man could deny + the Bible, refuse to look at the cross, contend that Christ was only a + man, and yet die as calmly as Calvin did after he had murdered Servetus, + or as did King David after advising one son to kill another. + </p> + <p> + The church has taken great pains to show that the last moments of all + infidels (that Christians did not succeed in burning) were infinitely + wretched and despairing. It was alleged that words could not paint the + horrors that were endured by a dying infidel. Every good Christian was + expected to, and generally did, believe these accounts. They have been + told and retold in every pulpit of the world. Protestant ministers have + repeated the inventions of Catholic priests, and Catholics, by a kind of + theological comity, have sworn to the falsehoods told by Protestants. Upon + this point they have always stood together, and will as long as the same + calumny can be used by both. + </p> + <p> + Upon the death-bed subject the clergy grow eloquent. When describing the + shudderings and shrieks of the dying unbeliever, their eyes glitter with + delight. + </p> + <p> + It is a festival. + </p> + <p> + They are no longer men. They become hyenas. They dig open graves. They + devour the reputations of the dead. + </p> + <p> + It is a banquet. + </p> + <p> + Unsatisfied still, they paint the terrors of hell. They gaze at the souls + of the infidels writhing in the coils of the worm that never dies. They + see them in flames—in oceans of fire—in gulfs of pain—in + abysses of despair. They shout with joy. They applaud. + </p> + <p> + It is an <i>auto da fe</i>, presided over by God and his angels. + </p> + <p> + The men they thus describe were not atheists; they were all believers in + God, in special providence, and in the immortality of the soul. They + believed in the accountability of man—in the practice of virtue, in + justice, and liberty, but they did not believe in that collection of + follies and fables called the Bible. + </p> + <p> + In order to show that an infidel must die overwhelmed with remorse and + fear, they have generally selected from all the "unbelievers" since the + day of Christ five men—the Emperor Julian, Spinoza, Voltaire, + Diderot, David Hume, and Thomas Paine. + </p> + <p> + Hardly a minister in the United States has attempted to "answer" me + without referring to the death of one or more of these men. + </p> + <p> + In vain have these calumniators of the dead been called upon to prove + their statements. In vain have rewards been offered to any priestly + maligner to bring forward the evidence. + </p> + <p> + Let us once for all dispose of these slanders—of these pious + calumnies. + </p> + <p> + JULIAN. + </p> + <p> + THEY say that the Emperor Julian was an apostate that he was once a + Christian; that he fell from grace, and that in his last moments, throwing + some of his own blood into the air, he cried out to Jesus Christ, + "Galilean, thou hast conquered!" + </p> + <p> + It must be remembered that the Christians had persecuted and imprisoned + this very Julian; that they had exiled him; that they had threatened him + with death. Many of his relatives were murdered by the Christians. He + became emperor, and Christians conspired to take his life. The + conspirators were discovered and they were pardoned. He did what he could + to prevent the Christians from destroying each other. He held pomp and + pride and luxury in contempt, and led his army on foot, sharing the + privations of the meanest soldier. + </p> + <p> + Upon ascending the throne he published an edict proclaiming universal + religious toleration. He was then a Pagan. It is claimed by some that he + never did entirely forget his Christian education. In this I am inclined + to think there is some truth, because he revoked his edict of toleration, + and for a time was nearly as unjust as though he had been a saint. He was + emperor one year and seven months. In a battle with the Persians he was + mortally wounded. "Brought back to his tent, and feeling that he had but a + short time to live, he spent his last hours in discoursing with his + friends on the immortality of the soul. He reviewed his reign and declared + that he was satisfied with his conduct, and had neither penitence nor + remorse to express for anything that he had done." His last words were: "I + submit willingly to the eternal decrees of heaven, convinced that he who + is captivated with life, when his last hour has arrived is more weak and + pusillanimous than he who would rush to voluntary death when it is his + duty still to live." + </p> + <p> + When we remember that a Christian emperor murdered Julian's father and + most of his kindred, and that he narrowly escaped the same fate, we can + hardly blame him for having a little prejudice against a church whose + members were fierce, ignorant, and bloody—whose priests were + hypocrites, and whose bishops were assassins. If Julian had said he was a + Christian—no matter what he actually was, he would have satisfied + the church. + </p> + <p> + The story that the dying emperor acknowledged that he was conquered by the + Galilean was originated by some of the so-called Fathers of the Church, + probably by Gregory or Theodoret. They are the same wretches who said that + Julian sacrificed a woman to the moon, tearing out her entrails with his + own hands. We are also informed by these hypocrites that he endeavored to + rebuild the temple of Jerusalem, and that fire came out of the earth and + consumed the laborers employed in the sacrilegious undertaking. + </p> + <p> + I did not suppose that an intelligent man could be found in the world who + believed this childish fable, and yet in the January number for 1880, of + the <i>Princeton Review</i>, the Rev. Stuart Robinson (whoever he may be) + distinctly certifies to the truth of this story. He says: "Throughout the + entire era of the planting of the Christian Church, the gospel preached + was assailed not only by the malignant fanaticism of the Jew and the + violence of Roman statecraft, but also by the intellectual weapons of + philosophers, wits, and poets. Now Celsus denounced the new religion as + base imposture. Now Tacitus described it as but another phase of the <i>odium + generis humani. Now Julian proposed to bring into contempt the prophetic + claims of its founder by the practical test of rebuilding the Temple</i>." + Here then in the year of grace 1880 is a Presbyterian preacher, who really + believes that Julian tried to rebuild the Temple, and that God caused fire + to issue from the earth and consume the innocent workmen. + </p> + <p> + All these stories rest upon the same foundation—the mendacity of + priests. + </p> + <p> + Julian changed the religion of the Empire, and diverted the revenues of + the church. Whoever steps between a priest and his salary, will find that + he has committed every crime. No matter how often the slanders may be + refuted, they will be repeated until the last priest has lost his body and + found his wings. These falsehoods about Julian were invented some fifteen + hundred years ago, and they are repeated to-day by just as honest and just + as respectable people as those who told them at first. Whenever the church + cannot answer the arguments of an opponent, she attacks his character. She + resorts to falsehood, and in the domain of calumny she has stood for + fifteen hundred years without a rival. + </p> + <p> + The great Empire was crumbling to its fall. The literature of the world + was being destroyed by priests. The gods and goddesses were driven from + the earth and sky. The paintings were torn and defaced. The statues were + broken. The walls were left desolate, and the niches empty. Art, like + Rachel, wept for her children, and would not be comforted. The streams and + forests were deserted by the children of the imagination, and the whole + earth was barren, poor and mean. + </p> + <p> + Christian ignorance, bigotry and hatred, in blind unreasoning zeal, had + destroyed the treasures of our race. Art was abhorred, Knowledge was + despised, Reason was an outcast. The sun was blotted from the intellectual + heaven, every star extinguished, and there fell upon the world that shadow—that + midnight,—known as "The Dark Ages." + </p> + <p> + This night lasted for a thousand years. + </p> + <p> + The First Great Star—Herald of the Dawn—was Bruno. + </p> + <p> + BRUNO. + </p> + <p> + THE night of the Middle Ages lasted for a thousand years. The first star + that enriched the horizon of this universal gloom was Giordano Bruno. He + was the herald of the dawn. + </p> + <p> + He was born in 1550, was educated for a priest, became a Dominican friar. + At last his reason revolted against the doctrine of transubstantiation. He + could not believe that the entire Trinity was in a wafer, or in a swallow + of wine. He could not believe that a man could devour the Creator of the + universe by eating a piece of bread. This led him to investigate other + dogmas of the Catholic Church, and in every direction he found the same + contradictions and impossibilities supported, not by reason, but by faith. + </p> + <p> + Those who loved their enemies threatened his life. He was obliged to flee + from his native land, and he became a vagabond in nearly every nation of + Europe. He declared that he fought, not what priests believed, but what + they pretended to believe. He was driven from his native country because + of his astronomical opinions. He had lost confidence in the Bible as a + scientific work. He was in danger because he had discovered a truth. + </p> + <p> + He fled to England. He gave some lectures at Oxford. He found that + institution controlled by priests. He found that they were teaching + nothing of importance—only the impossible and the hurtful. He called + Oxford "the widow of true learning." There were in England, at that time, + two men who knew more than the rest of the world. Shakespeare was then + alive. + </p> + <p> + Bruno was driven from England. He was regarded as a dangerous man,—he + had opinions, he inquired after reasons, he expressed confidence in facts. + He fled to France. He was not allowed to remain in that country. He + discussed things—that was enough. The church said, "move on." He + went to Germany. He was not a believer—he was an investigator. The + Germans wanted believers; they regarded the whole Christian system as + settled; they wanted witnesses; they wanted men who would assert. So he + was driven from Germany. + </p> + <p> + He returned at last to his native land. He found himself without friends, + because he had been true, not only to himself, but to the human race. But + the world was false to him because he refused to crucify the Christ of his + own soul between the two thieves of hypocrisy and bigotry. He was arrested + for teaching that there are other worlds than this; that many of the stars + are suns, around which other worlds revolve; that Nature did not exhaust + all her energies on this grain of sand called the earth. He believed in a + plurality of worlds, in the rotation of this, in the heliocentric theory. + For these crimes, and for these alone, he was imprisoned for six years. He + was kept in solitary confinement. He was allowed no books, no friends, no + visitors. He was denied pen and paper. In the darkness, in the loneliness, + he had time to examine the great questions of origin, of existence, of + destiny. He put to the test what is called the goodness of God. He found + that he could neither depend upon man nor upon any deity. At last, the + Inquisition demanded him. He was tried, condemned, excommunicated and + sentenced to be burned. According to Professor Draper, he believed that + this world is animated by an intelligent soul—the cause of forms, + but not of matter; that it lives in all things, even in such as seem not + to live; that everything is ready to become organized; that matter is the + mother of forms, and then their grave; that matter and the soul of things, + together, constitute God. He was a pantheist—that is to say, an + atheist. He was a lover of Nature,—a reaction from the asceticism of + the church. He was tired of the gloom of the monastery. He loved the + fields, the woods, the streams. He said to his brother-priests: Come out + of your cells, out of your dungeons: come into the air and light. + </p> + <p> + Throw away your beads and your crosses. Gather flowers; mingle with your + fellow-men; have wives and children; scatter the seeds of joy; throw away + the thorns and nettles of your creeds; enjoy the perpetual miracle of + life. + </p> + <p> + On the sixteenth day of February, in the year of grace 1600, by "the + triumphant beast," the Church of Rome, this philosopher, this great and + splendid man, was burned. He was offered his liberty if he would recant. + There was no God to be offended by his recantation, and yet, as an apostle + of what he believed to be the truth, he refused this offer. To those who + passed the sentence upon him he said: "It is with greater fear that ye + pass this sentence upon me than I receive it." This man, greater than any + naturalist of his day; grander than the martyr of any religion, died + willingly in defence of what he believed to be the sacred truth. He was + great enough to know that real religion will not destroy the joy of life + on earth; great enough to know that investigation is not a crime—that + the really useful is not hidden in the mysteries of faith. He knew that + the Jewish records were below the level of the Greek and Roman myths; that + there is no such thing as special providence; that prayer is useless; that + liberty and necessity are the same, and that good and evil are but + relative. + </p> + <p> + He was the first real martyr,—neither frightened by perdition, nor + bribed by heaven. He was the first of all the world who died for truth + without expectation of reward. He did not anticipate a crown of glory. His + imagination had not peopled the heavens with angels waiting for his soul. + He had not been promised an eternity of joy if he stood firm, nor had he + been threatened with the fires of hell if he wavered and recanted. He + expected as his reward an eternal nothing! Death was to him an everlasting + end—nothing beyond but a sleep without a dream, a night without a + star, without a dawn—nothing but extinction, blank, utter, and + eternal. No crown, no palm, no "well done, good and faithful servant," no + shout of welcome, no song of praise, no smile of God, no kiss of Christ, + no mansion in the fair skies—not even a grave within the earth—nothing + but ashes, wind-blown and priest-scattered, mixed with earth and trampled + beneath the feet of men and beasts. + </p> + <p> + The murder of this man will never be completely and perfectly avenged + until from Rome shall be swept every vestige of priest and pope, until + over the shapeless ruin of St. Peter's, the crumbled Vatican and the + fallen cross, shall rise a monument to Bruno,—the thinker, + philosopher, philanthropist, atheist, martyr. + </p> + <p> + THE CHURCH IN THE TIME OF VOLTAIRE. + </p> + <p> + WHEN Voltaire was born, the natural was about the only thing in which the + church did not believe. The monks sold little amulets of consecrated + paper. They would cure diseases. If laid in a cradle they would prevent a + child being bewitched. So, they could be put into houses and barns to keep + devils away, or buried in a field to prevent bad weather, to delay frost, + and to insure good crops. There was a regular formulary by which they were + made, ending with a prayer, after which the amulets were sprinkled with + holy water. The church contended that its servants were the only + legitimate physicians. The priests cured in the name of the church, and in + the name of God, by exorcism, relics, water, salt, and oil. St. Valentine + cured epilepsy, St. Gervasius was good for rheumatism, St. Michael de + Sanatis for cancer, St. Judas for coughs, St. Ovidius for deafness, St. + Sebastian for poisonous bites, St. Apollonia for toothache, St. Clara for + rheum in the eye, St. Hubert for hydrophobia. Devils were driven out with + wax tapers, with incense, with holy water, by pronouncing prayers. The + church, as late as the middle of the twelfth century, prohibited good + Catholics from having anything to do with physicians. + </p> + <p> + It was believed that the devils produced storms of wind, of rain and of + fire from heaven; that the atmosphere was a battlefield between angels and + devils; that Lucifer had power to destroy fields and vineyards and + dwellings, and the principal business of the church was to protect the + people from the Devil. This was the origin of church bells. These bells + were sprinkled with holy water, and their clangor cleared the air of imps + and fiends. The bells also prevented storms and lightning. The church used + to anathematize insects. In the sixteenth century, regular suits were + commenced against rats, and judgment was rendered. Every monastery had its + master magician, who sold magic incense, salt, and tapers, consecrated + palms and relics. + </p> + <p> + Every science was regarded as an outcast, an enemy. Every fact held the + creed of the church in scorn. Investigators were enemies in disguise. + Thinkers were traitors, and the church exerted its vast power for + centuries to prevent the intellectual progress of man. There was no + liberty, no education, no philosophy, no science; nothing but credulity, + ignorance, and superstition. The world was really under the control of + Satan and his agents. The church, for the purpose of increasing her power, + exhausted every means to convince the people of the existence of witches, + devils, and fiends. In this way the church had every enemy within her + power. She simply had to charge him with being a wizard, of holding + communication with devils, and the ignorant mob were ready to tear him to + pieces. + </p> + <p> + To such an extent was this frightful course pursued, and such was the + prevalence of the belief in the supernatural, that the worship of the + devil was absolutely established. The poor people, brutalized by the + church, filled with fear of Satanic influence, finding that the church did + not protect, as a last resort began to worship the Devil. The power of the + Devil was proven by the Bible. The history of Job, the temptation of + Christ in the desert, the carrying of Christ to the top of the temple, and + hundreds of other instances, were relied upon as establishing his power; + and when people laughed about witches riding upon anointed sticks in the + air, invisible, they were reminded of a like voyage when the Devil carried + Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple. + </p> + <p> + This frightful doctrine filled every friend with suspicion of his friend. + It the husband denounce the wife, the children the parents, and the + parents the children It destroyed all the sweet relations of humanity. It + did away with justice in the courts. It destroyed the charity of religion. + It broke the bond of friendship. It filled with poison the golden cup of + life. It turned earth into a very hell, peopled with ignorant, tyrannical, + and malicious demons. + </p> + <p> + Such was the result of a few centuries of Christianity. Such was the + result of a belief in the supernatural. Such was the result of giving up + the evidence of our own senses, and relying upon dreams, visions, and + fears. Such was the result of destroying human reason, of depending upon + the supernatural, of living here for another world instead of for this, of + depending upon priests instead of upon ourselves. The Protestants vied + with the Catholics. Luther stood side by side with the priests he had + deserted, in promoting this belief in devils and fiends. To the Catholic, + every Protestant was possessed by a devil. To the Protestant, every + Catholic was the homestead of a fiend. All order, all regular succession + of causes and effects, were known no more. The natural ceased to exist. + The learned and the ignorant were on a level. The priest had been caught + in the net spread for the peasant, and Christendom was a vast madhouse, + with insane priests for keepers. + </p> + <p> + VOLTAIRE + </p> + <p> + WHEN Voltaire was born, the church ruled and owned France. It was a period + of almost universal corruption. The priests were mostly libertines. The + judges were nearly as cruel as venal. The royal palace was simply a house + of assignation. The nobles were heartless, proud, arrogant, and cruel to + the last degree. The common people were treated as beasts. It took the + church a thousand years to bring about this happy condition of things. + </p> + <p> + The seeds of the revolution unconsciously were being scattered by every + noble and by every priest. They germinated in the hearts of the helpless. + They were watered by the tears of agony. Blows began to bear interest. + There was a faint longing for blood. Workmen, blackened by the sun, bent + by labor, looked at the white throats of scornful ladies and thought about + cutting them. + </p> + <p> + In those days witnesses were cross-examined with instruments of torture. + The church was the arsenal of superstition. Miracles, relics, angels and + devils were as common as rags. Voltaire laughed at the evidences, attacked + the pretended facts, held the Bible up to ridicule, and filled Europe with + indignant protests against the cruelty, bigotry, and injustice of the + time. + </p> + <p> + He was a believer in God, and in some ingenious way excused this God for + allowing the Catholic Church to exist. He had an idea that, originally, + mankind were believers in one God, and practiced all the virtues. Of + course this was a mistake. He imagined that the church had corrupted the + human race. In this he was right. + </p> + <p> + It may be that, at one time, the church relatively stood for progress, but + when it gained power, it became an obstruction. The system of Voltaire was + contradictory. He described a being of infinite goodness, who not only + destroyed his children with pestilence and famine, but allowed them to + destroy each other. While rejecting the God of the Bible, he accepted + another God, who, to say the least, allowed the innocent to be burned for + love of him. + </p> + <p> + Voltaire hated tyranny, and loved liberty. His arguments to prove the + existence of a God were just as groundless as those of the reverend + fathers of his day to prove the divinity of Christ, or that Mary was the + mother of God. The theologians of his time maligned and feared him. He + regarded them as a spider does flies. He spread nets for them. They were + caught, and he devoured them for the amusement and benefit of the public. + He was educated by the Jesuits, and sometimes acted like one. + </p> + <p> + It is fashionable to say that he was not profound, This is because he was + not stupid. In the presence of absurdity he laughed, and was called + irreverent. He thought God would not damn even a priest forever: this was + regarded as blasphemy. He endeavored to prevent Christians from murdering + each other and did what he could to civilize the disciples of Christ. Had + he founded a sect, obtained control of some country, and burned a few + heretics at slow fires, he would have won the admiration, respect and love + of the Christian world. Had he only pretended to believe all the fables of + antiquity, had he mumbled Latin prayers, counted beads, crossed himself, + devoured the flesh of God, and carried fagots to the feet of philosophy in + the name of Christ, he might have been in heaven this moment, enjoying a + sight of the damned. + </p> + <p> + Instead of doing these things, he willfully closed his eyes to the light + of the gospel, examined the Bible for himself, advocated intellectual + liberty, struck from the brain the fetters of an arrogant faith, assisted + the weak, cried out against the torture of man, appealed to reason, + endeavored to establish universal toleration, succored the indigent, and + defended the oppressed. + </p> + <p> + These were his crimes. Such a man God would not suffer to die in peace. If + allowed to meet death with a smile, others might follow his example, until + none would be left to light the holy fires of the auto da fe. It would not + do for so great, so successful an enemy of the church, to die without + leaving some shriek of fear, some shudder of remorse, some ghastly prayer + of chattered horror, uttered by lips covered with blood and foam. + </p> + <p> + He was an old man of eighty-four. He had been surrounded with the comforts + of life; he was a man of wealth, of genius. Among the literary men of the + world he stood first. God had allowed him to have the appearance of + success. His last years were filled with the intoxication of flattery. He + stood at the summit of his age. + </p> + <p> + The priests became anxious. They began to fear that God would forget, in a + multiplicity of business, to make a terrible example of Voltaire. + </p> + <p> + Toward the last of May, 1778, it was whispered in Paris that Voltaire was + dying. Upon the fences of expectation gathered the unclean birds of + superstition, impatiently waiting for their prey. + </p> + <p> + "Two days before his death, his nephew went to seek the curé of + Saint Sulpice and the Abbé Gautier and brought them into his + uncle's sick chamber, who was informed that they were there. 'Ah, well!' + said Voltaire, 'give them my compliments and my thanks.' The Abbé + spoke some words to him, exhorting him to patience. The curé of + Saint Sulpice then came forward, having announced himself, and asked of + Voltaire, elevating his voice, if he acknowledged the divinity of our Lord + Jesus Christ. The sick man pushed one of his hands against the curé's + coif, shoving him back, and cried, turning abruptly to the other side, + 'Let me die in peace.' The curé seemingly considered his person + soiled, and his coif dishonored, by the touch of the philosopher. He made + the nurse give him a little brushing, and went out with the Abbé + Gautier." + </p> + <p> + He expired, says Wagniere, on the 30th of May, 1778, at about a quarter + past eleven at night, with the most perfect tranquillity. Ten minutes + before his last breath he took the hand of Morand, his <i>valet de chambre</i>, + who was watching by him, pressed it and said: "Adieu, my dear Morand, I am + gone." These were his last words. + </p> + <p> + From this death, so simple and serene, so natural and peaceful; from these + words so utterly destitute of cant or dramatic touch, all the frightful + pictures, all the despairing utterances, have been drawn and made. From + these materials, and from these alone, have been constructed all the + shameless lies about The death of this great and wonderful man, compared + with whom all of his calumniators, dead and living, were and are but dust + and vermin. + </p> + <p> + Voltaire was the intellectual autocrat of his time. From his throne at the + foot of the Alps he pointed the finger of scorn at every hypocrite in + Europe. He was the pioneer of his century. He was the assassin of + superstition. He left the quiver of ridicule without an arrow. Through the + shadows of faith and fable, through the darkness of myth and miracle, + through the midnight of Christianity, through the blackness of bigotry, + past cathedral and dungeon, past rack and stake, past altar and throne, he + carried, with chivalric hands, the sacred torch of reason. + </p> + <p> + DIDEROT. DOUBT IS THE FIRST STEP TOWARD TRUTH. + </p> + <p> + DIDEROT was born in 1713. His parents were in what may be called the + humbler walks of life. Like Voltaire he was educated by the Jesuits. He + had in him something of the vagabond, and was for several years almost a + beggar in Paris. He was endeavoring to live by his pen. In that day and + generation, a man without a patron, endeavoring to live by literature, was + necessarily almost a beggar. He nearly starved—frequently going for + days without food. Afterward, when he had something himself, he was as + generous as the air. No man ever was more willing to give, and no man less + willing to receive, than Diderot. + </p> + <p> + He wrote upon all conceivable subjects, that he might have bread. He even + wrote sermons, and regretted it all his life. He and D'Alembert were the + life and soul of the Encyclopaedia. With infinite enthusiasm he helped to + gather the knowledge of the world for the use of each and all. He + harvested the fields of thought, separated the grain from the straw and + chaff, and endeavored to throw away the seeds and fruit of superstition. + His motto was, "<i>Incredulity is the first step towards philosophy</i>." + </p> + <p> + He had the vices of most Christians—was nearly as immoral as the + majority of priests. His vices he shared in common, his virtues were his + own. All who knew him united in saying that he had the pity of a woman, + the generosity of a prince, the self-denial of an anchorite, the courage + of Cæsar, and the enthusiasm of a poet. He attacked with every power + of his mind the superstition of his day. He said what he thought. The + priests hated him. He was in favor of universal education—the church + despised it. He wished to put the knowledge of the whole world within + reach of the poorest. + </p> + <p> + He wished to drive from the gate of the Garden of Eden the cherubim of + superstition, so that the child of Adam might return to eat once more the + fruit of the tree of knowledge. Every Catholic was his enemy. His poor + little desk was ransacked by the police searching for manuscripts in which + something might be found that would justify the imprisonment of such a + dangerous man. Whoever, in 1750, wished to increase the knowledge of + mankind was regarded as the enemy of social order. + </p> + <p> + The intellectual superstructure of France rests upon the Encyclopaedia. + The knowledge given to the people was the impulse, the commencement, of + the revolution that left the church without an altar and the king without + a throne. Diderot thought for himself, and bravely gave his thoughts to + others. For this reason he was regarded as a criminal. He did not expect + his reward in another world. He did not do what he did to please some + imaginary God. He labored for mankind. He wished to lighten the burdens of + those who should live after him. Hear these noble words: + </p> + <p> + "The more man ascends through the past, and the more he launches into the + future, the greater he will be, and all these philosophers and ministers + and truth-telling men who have fallen victims to the stupidity of nations, + the atrocities of priests, the fury of tyrants, what consolation was left + for them in death? This: That prejudice would pass, and that posterity + would pour out the vial of ignominy upon their enemies. O Posterity! Holy + and sacred stay of the unhappy and the oppressed; thou who art just, thou + who art incorruptible, thou who findest the good man, who unmaskest the + hypocrite, who breakest down the tyrant, may thy sure faith, thy consoling + faith never, never abandon me!" Posterity is for the philosopher what the + other world is for the devotee. + </p> + <p> + Diderot took the ground that, if orthodox religion be true Christ was + guilty of suicide. Having the power to defend himself he should have used + it. + </p> + <p> + Of course it would not do for the church to allow a man to die in peace + who had added to the intellectual wealth of the world. The moment Diderot + was dead, Catholic priests began painting and recounting the horrors of + his expiring moments. They described him as overcome with remorse, as + insane with fear; and these falsehoods have been repeated by the + Protestant world, and will probably be repeated by thousands of ministers + after we are dead. The truth is, he had passed his three-score years and + ten. He had lived for seventy-one years. He had eaten his supper. He had + been conversing with his wife. He was reclining in his easy chair. His + mind was at perfect rest. He had entered, without knowing it, the twilight + of his last day. Above the horizon was the evening star, telling of sleep. + The room grew still and the stillness was lulled by the murmur of the + street. There were a few moments of perfect peace. The wife said, "He is + asleep." She enjoyed his repose, and breathed softly that he might not be + disturbed. The moments wore on, and still he slept. Lovingly, softly, at + last she touched him. Yes, he was asleep. He had become a part of the + eternal silence. + </p> + <p> + DAVID HUME. + </p> + <p> + THE worst religion of the world was the Presbyterianism of Scotland as it + existed in the beginning of the eighteenth century. The Kirk had all the + faults of the Church of Rome without a redeeming feature. The Kirk hated + music, painting, statuary, and architecture. Anything touched with + humanity—with the dimples of joy—was detested and accursed. + God was to be feared—not loved. + </p> + <p> + Life was a long battle with the Devil. Every desire was of Satan. + Happiness was a snare, and human love was wicked, weak and vain. The + Presbyterian priest of Scotland was as cruel, bigoted and heartless as the + familiar of the Inquisition. + </p> + <p> + One case will tell it all: + </p> + <p> + In the beginning of this, the nineteenth century, a boy seventeen years of + age, Thomas Aikenhead, was indicted and tried at Edinburgh for blasphemy. + He had denied the inspiration of the Bible. He had on several occasions, + when cold, jocularly wished himself in hell that he might get warm. The + poor, frightened boy recanted—begged for mercy; but he was found + guilty, hanged, thrown in a hole at the foot of the scaffold, and his + weeping mother vainly begged that his bruised and bleeding body might be + given to her. + </p> + <p> + This one case, multiplied again and again, gives you the condition of + Scotland when, on the 26th of April, 1711, David Hume was born. + </p> + <p> + David Hume was one of the few Scotchmen of his day who were not owned by + the church. He had the manliness to examine historical and religious + questions for himself, and the courage to give his conclusions to the + world. He was singularly capable of governing himself. He was a + philosopher, and lived a calm and cheerful life, unstained by an unjust + act, free from all excess, and devoted in a reasonable degree to + benefiting his fellow-men. After examining the Bible he became convinced + that it was not true. For failing to suppress his real opinion, for + failing to tell a deliberate falsehood, he brought upon himself the hatred + of the church. + </p> + <p> + Intellectual honesty is the sin against the Holy Ghost, and whether God + will forgive this sin or not his church has not, and never will. + </p> + <p> + Hume took the ground that a miracle could not be used as evidence until + the fact that it had happened was established. But how can a miracle be + established? Take any miracle recorded in the Bible, and how could it be + established now? You may say: Upon the testimony of those who wrote the + account. Who were they? No one knows. How could you prove the resurrection + of Lazarus? Or of the widow's son? How could you substantiate, today, the + ascension of Jesus Christ? In what way could you prove that the river + Jordan was divided upon being struck by the coat of a prophet? How is it + possible now to establish the fact that the fires of a furnace refused to + burn three men? Where are the witnesses? Who, upon the whole earth, has + the slightest knowledge upon this subject? + </p> + <p> + He insisted that at the bottom of all good was the useful; that human + happiness was an end worth working and living for; that origin and destiny + were alike unknown; that the best religion was to live temperately and to + deal justly with our fellow-men; that the dogma of inspiration was absurd, + and that an honest man had nothing to fear. Of course the Kirk hated him. + He laughed at the creed. + </p> + <p> + To the lot of Hume fell ease, respect, success, and honor. While many + disciples of God were the sport and prey of misfortune, he kept steadily + advancing. + </p> + <p> + Envious Christians bided their time. They waited as patiently as possible + for the horrors of death to fall upon the heart and brain of David Hume. + They knew that all the furies would be there, and that God would get his + revenge. + </p> + <p> + Adam Smith, author of the "Wealth of Nations," speaking of Hume in his + last sickness, says that in the presence of death "his cheerfulness was so + great, and his conversation and amusements ran so much in the usual + strain, that, notwithstanding all his bad symptoms, many people could not + believe he was dying. A few days before his death Hume said: 'I am dying + as fast as my enemies—if I have any—could wish, and as easily + and tranquilly as my best friends could desire.'" + </p> + <p> + Col. Edmondstoune shortly afterward wrote Hume a letter, of which the + following is an extract: + </p> + <p> + "My heart is full. I could not see you this morning. I thought it was + better for us both. You cannot die—you must live in the memory of + your friends and acquaintances; and your works will render you immortal. I + cannot conceive that it was possible for any one to dislike you, or hate + you. He must be more than savage who could be an enemy to a man with the + best head and heart and the most amiable manners." + </p> + <p> + Adam Smith happened to go into his room while he was reading the above + letter, which he immediately showed him. Smith said to Hume that he was + sensible of how much he was weakening, and that appearances were in many + respects bad; yet, that his cheerfulness was so great and the spirit of + life still seemed to be so strong in him, that he could not keep from + entertaining some hopes. + </p> + <p> + Hume answered, "When I lie down in the evening I feel myself weaker than + when I arose in the morning; and when I rise in the morning, weaker than + when I lay down in the evening. I am sensible, besides, that some of my + vital parts are affected so that I must soon die." + </p> + <p> + "Well," said Mr. Smith, "if it must be so, you have at least the + satisfaction of leaving all your friends, and the members of your + brother's family in particular, in great prosperity." + </p> + <p> + He replied that he was so sensible of his situation that when he was + reading Lucian's Dialogues of the Dead, among all the excuses which are + alleged to Charon for not entering readily into his boat, he could not + find one that fitted him. He had no house to finish; he had no daughter to + provide for; he had no enemies upon whom he wished to revenge himself; + "and I could not well," said he, "imagine what excuse I could make to + Charon in order to obtain a little delay. I have done everything of + consequence which I ever meant to do, and I could, at no time expect to + leave my relations and friends in a better situation than that in which I + am now likely to leave them; and I have, therefore, every reason to die + contented." + </p> + <p> + "Upon further consideration," said he, "I thought I might say to him, + 'Good Charon, I have been correcting my works for a new edition. Allow me + a little time that I may see how the public receives the alterations.' + 'But,' Charon would answer, 'when you have seen the effect of this, you + will be for making other alterations. There will be no end to such + excuses; so, my honest friend, please step into the boat.' 'But,' I might + still urge, 'have a little patience, good Charon; I have been endeavoring + to open the eyes of the public; if I live a few years longer, I may have + the satisfaction of seeing the downfall of some of the prevailing systems + of superstition.' And Charon would then lose all temper and decency, and + would cry out, 'You loitering rogue, that will not happen these many + hundred years. Do you fancy I will grant you a lease for so long a time? + Get into the boat this instant.'" + </p> + <p> + To the Comtesse de Boufflers, the dying man, with the perfect serenity + that springs from an honest and loving life, writes: + </p> + <p> + "I see death approach gradually without any anxiety or regret.... I salute + you with great affection and regard, for the last time." + </p> + <p> + On the 25th of August, 1776, the philosopher, the historian, the infidel, + the honest man, and a benefactor of his race, in the composure born of a + noble life, passed quietly and panglessly away. + </p> + <p> + Dr. Black wrote the following account of his death: + </p> + <p> + "Monday, 26 August, 1776. + </p> + <p> + "Dear Sir: Yesterday, about four o'clock in the afternoon, Mr. Hume + expired. The near approach of his death became evident on the evening + between Thursday and Friday, when his disease became exhaustive, and soon + weakened him so much that he could no longer rise from his bed. He + continued to the last perfectly sensible, and free from much pain or + feeling of distress. He never dropped the smallest expression of + impatience; but when he had occasion to speak to the people about him, + always did it with affection and tenderness.... When he became very weak, + it cost him an effort to speak, and he died in such happy composure of + mind that nothing could exceed it." + </p> + <p> + Dr. Cullen writes Dr. Hunter on the 17th of September, 1776, from which + the following extracts are made: + </p> + <p> + "You desire an account of Mr. Hume's last days, and I give it to you with + great pleasure.... It was truly an example <i>des grands hommes qui sont + morts en plaisantant</i>; and to me, who have been so often shocked with + the horrors of superstition, the reflection on such a death is truly + agreeable. For many weeks before his death he was very sensible of his + gradual decay; and his answer to inquiries after his health was, several + times, that he was going as fast as his enemies could wish, and as easily + as his friends could desire. He passed most of the time in his + drawing-room, admitting the visits of his friends, and with his usual + spirit conversed with them upon literature and politics and whatever else + was started. In conversation he seemed to be perfectly at ease; and to the + last abounded with that pleasantry and those curious and entertaining + anecdotes which ever distinguished him.... His senses and judgment did not + fail him to the last hour of his life. He constantly discovered a strong + sensibility of the attention and care of his friends; and midst great + uneasiness and languor never betrayed any peevishness or impatience." + (Here follows the conversation with Charon.) "These are a few particulars + which may, perhaps, appear trivial; but to me, no particulars seem trivial + which relate to so great a man. It is perhaps from trifles that we can + best distinguish the tranquilness and cheerfulness of the philosopher at a + time when the most part of mankind are under disquiet, and sometimes even + horror. I consider the sacrifice of the cock as a more certain evidence of + the tranquillity of Socrates than his discourse on immortality." + </p> + <p> + The Christians took it for granted that this serene and placid man died + filled with remorse for having given his real opinions, and proceeded to + describe, with every incident and detail of horror, the terrors of his + last moments. Brainless clergymen, incapable of understanding what Hume + had written, knowing only in a general way that he had held their creeds + in contempt, answered his arguments by maligning his character. + </p> + <p> + Christians took it for granted that he died in horror and recounted the + terrible scenes. + </p> + <p> + When the facts of his death became generally known to intelligent men, the + ministers redoubled their efforts to maintain the old calumnies, and most + of them are in this employment even unto this day. Finding it impossible + to tell enough falsehoods to hide the truth, a few of the more intelligent + among the priests admitted that Hume not only died without showing any + particular fear, but was guilty of unbecoming levity. The first charge was + that he died like a coward; the next that he did not care enough, and went + through the shadowy doors of the dread unknown with a smile upon his lips. + The dying smile of David Hume scandalized the believers in a God of love. + They felt shocked to see a man dying without fear who denied the miracles + of the Bible; who had spent a life investigating the opinions of men; in + endeavoring to prove to the world that the right way is the best way; that + happiness is a real and substantial good, and that virtue is not a + termagant with sunken cheeks and hollow eyes. + </p> + <p> + Christians hated to admit that a philosopher had died serenely without the + aid of superstition—one who had taught that man could not make God + happy by making himself miserable, and that a useful life, after all, was + the best possible religion. They imagined that death would fill such a man + with remorse and terror. He had never persecuted his fellow-men for the + honor of God, and must needs die in despair. They were mistaken. + </p> + <p> + He died as he had lived. Like a peaceful river with green and shaded banks + he passed, without a murmur, into that waveless sea where life at last is + rest. + </p> + <p> + BENEDICT SPINOZA. + </p> + <p> + ONE of the greatest thinkers was Benedict Spinoza, a Jew, born at + Amsterdam, in 1632. He studied medicine and afterward theology. He + endeavored to understand what he studied. In theology he necessarily + failed. Theology is not intended to be understood,—it is only to be + believed. It is an act, not of reason, but of faith. Spinoza put to the + rabbis so many questions, and so persistently asked for reasons, that he + became the most troublesome of students. When the rabbis found it + impossible to answer the questions, they concluded to silence the + questioner. He was tried, found guilty, and excommunicated from the + synagogue. + </p> + <p> + By the terrible curse of the Jewish religion, he was made an outcast from + every Jewish home. His father could not give him shelter. His mother could + not give him bread—could not speak to him, without becoming an + outcast herself. All the cruelty of Jehovah, all the infamy of the Old + Testament, was in this curse. In the darkness of the synagogue the rabbis + lighted their torches, and while pronouncing the curse, extinguished them + in blood, imploring God that in like manner the soul of Benedict Spinoza + might be extinguished. + </p> + <p> + Spinoza was but twenty-four years old when he found himself without + kindred, without friends, surrounded only by enemies. He uttered no + complaint. + </p> + <p> + He earned his bread with willing hands, and cheerfully divided his crust + with those still poorer than himself. + </p> + <p> + He tried to solve the problem of existence. To him, the universe was One. + The Infinite embraced the All. The All was God. According to his belief, + the universe did not commence to be. It is; from eternity it was; to + eternity it will be. + </p> + <p> + He was right. The universe is all there is, or was, or will be. It is both + subject and object, contemplator and contemplated, creator and created, + destroyer and destroyed, preserver and preserved, and hath within itself + all causes, modes, motions and effects. + </p> + <p> + In this there is hope. This is a foundation and a star. The Infinite is + the All. Without the All, the Infinite cannot be. I am something. Without + me, the Infinite cannot exist. + </p> + <p> + Spinoza was a naturalist—that is to say, a pantheist. He took the + ground that the supernatural is, and forever will be, an infinite + impossibility. His propositions are luminous as stars, and each of his + demonstrations is a Gibraltar, behind which logic sits and smiles at all + the sophistries of superstition. + </p> + <p> + Spinoza has been hated because he has not been answered. He was a real + republican. He regarded the people as the true and only source of + political power. He put the state above the church, the people above the + priest. He believed in the absolute liberty of worship, thought and + speech. In every relation of life he was just, true, gentle, patient, + modest and loving. He respected the rights of others, and endeavored to + enjoy his own, and yet he brought upon himself the hatred of the Jewish + and the Christian world. In his day, logic was blasphemy, and to think was + the unpardonable sin. The priest hated the philosopher, revelation reviled + reason, and faith was the sworn foe of every fact. + </p> + <p> + Spinoza was a philosopher, a philanthropist. He lived in a world of his + own. He avoided men. His life was an intellectual solitude. He was a + mental hermit. Only in his own brain he found the liberty he loved. And + yet the rabbis and the priests, the ignorant zealot and the cruel bigot, + feeling that this quiet, thoughtful, modest man was in some way forging + weapons to be used against the church, hated him with all their hearts. + </p> + <p> + He did not retaliate. He found excuses for their acts. Their ignorance, + their malice, their misguided and revengeful zeal excited only pity in his + breast. He injured no man. He did not live on alms. He was poor—and + yet, with the wealth of his brain, he enriched the world. On Sunday, + February 21, 1677, Spinoza, one of the greatest and subtlest of + metaphysicians—one of the noblest and purest of human beings,—at + the age of forty-four, passed tranquilly away; and notwithstanding the + curse of the synagogue under which he had lived and most lovingly labored, + death left upon his lips the smile of perfect peace. + </p> + <p> + OUR INFIDELS. + </p> + <p> + IN our country there were three infidels—Paine, Franklin and + Jefferson. The colonies were filled with superstition, the Puritans with + the spirit of persecution. Laws savage, ignorant and malignant had been + passed in every colony, for the purpose of destroying intellectual + liberty. Mental freedom was absolutely unknown. The Toleration Acts of + Maryland tolerated only Christians—not infidels, not thinkers, not + investigators. The charity of Roger Williams was not extended to those who + denied the Bible, or suspected the divinity of Christ. It was not based + upon the rights of man, but upon the rights of believers, who differed in + non-essential points. + </p> + <p> + The moment the colonies began to deny the rights of the king they + suspected the power of the priest. In digging down to find an excuse for + fighting George the Third, they unwittingly undermined the church. They + went through the Revolution together. They found that all denominations + fought equally well. They also found that persons without religion had + patriotism and courage, and were willing to die that a new nation might be + born. As a matter of fact the pulpit was not in hearty sympathy with our + fathers. Many priests were imprisoned because they would not pray for the + Continental Congress. After victory had enriched our standard, and it + became necessary to make a constitution—to establish a government—the + infidels—the men like Paine, like Jefferson, and like Franklin, saw + that the church must be left out; that a government deriving its just + powers from the consent of the governed could make no contract with a + church pretending to derive its powers from an infinite God. + </p> + <p> + By the efforts of these infidels, the name of God was left out of the + Constitution of the United States. They knew that if an infinite being was + put in, no room would be left for the people. They knew that if any church + was made the mistress of the state, that mistress, like all others, would + corrupt, weaken, and destroy. Washington wished a church established by + law in Virginia. He was prevented by Thomas Jefferson. It was only a + little while ago that people were compelled to attend church by law in the + Eastern States, and taxes were raised for the support of churches the same + as for the construction of highways and bridges. The great principle + enunciated in the Constitution has silently repealed most of these laws. + In the presence of this great instrument, the constitutions of the States + grew small and mean, and in a few years every law that puts a chain upon + the mind, except in Delaware, will be repealed, and for these our children + may thank the Infidels of 1776. + </p> + <p> + The church never has pretended that Jefferson or Franklin died in fear. + Franklin wrote no books against the fables of the ancient Jews. He thought + it useless to cast the pearls of thought before the swine of ignorance and + fear. Jefferson was a statesman. He was the father of a great party. He + gave his views in letters and to trusted friends. He was a Virginian, + author of the Declaration of Independence, founder of a university, father + of a political party, President of the United States, a statesman and + philosopher. He was too powerful for the divided churches of his day. + Paine was a foreigner, a citizen of the world. He had attacked Washington + and the Bible. He had done these things openly, and what he had said could + not be answered. His arguments were so good that his character was bad. + </p> + <p> + THOMAS PAINE + </p> + <p> + THOMAS PAINE was born in Thetford, England. He came from the common + people. At the age of thirty-seven he left England for America. He was the + first to perceive the destiny of the New World. He wrote the pamphlet + "Common Sense," and in a few months the Continental Congress declared the + colonies free and independent States—a new nation was born. Paine + having aroused the spirit of independence, gave every energy of his soul + to keep the spirit alive. He was with the army. He shared its defeats and + its glory. When the situation became desperate, he gave them "The Crisis." + It was a pillar of cloud by day and of fire by night, leading the way to + freedom, honor, and to victory. + </p> + <p> + The writings of Paine are gemmed with compact statements that carry + conviction to the dullest. Day and night he labored for America, until + there was a government of the people and for the people. At the close of + the Revolution, no one stood higher than Thomas Paine. Had he been willing + to live a hypocrite, he would have been respectable, he at least could + have died surrounded by other hypocrites, and at his death there would + have been an imposing funeral, with miles of carriages, filled with + hypocrites, and above his hypocritical dust there would have been a + hypocritical monument covered with lies. + </p> + <p> + Having done so much for man in America, he went to France. The seeds sown + by the great infidels were bearing fruit in Europe. The eighteenth century + was crowning its gray hairs with the wreath of progress. Upon his arrival + in France he was elected a member of the French Convention—in fact, + he was selected about the same time by the people of no less than four + Departments. He was one of the committee to draft a constitution for + France. In the Assembly, where nearly all were demanding the execution of + the king, he had the courage to vote against death. To vote against the + death of the king was to vote against his own life. This was the sublimity + of devotion to principle. For this he was arrested, imprisoned, and doomed + to death. While under sentence of death, while in the gloomy cell of his + prison, Thomas Paine wrote to Washington, asking him to say one word to + Robespierre in favor of the author of "Common Sense." Washington did not + reply. He wrote again. Washington, the President, paid no attention to + Thomas Paine, the prisoner. The letter was thrown into the wastebasket of + forgetfulness, and Thomas Paine remained condemned to death. Afterward he + gave his opinion of Washington at length, and I must say, that I have + never found it in my heart to greatly blame him. + </p> + <p> + Thomas Paine, having done so much for political liberty, turned his + attention to the superstitions of his age. He published "The Age of + Reason;" and from that day to this, his character has been maligned by + almost every priest in Christendom. He has been held up as the terrible + example. Every man who has expressed an honest thought, has been warningly + referred to Thomas Paine. All his services were forgotten. No kind word + fell from any pulpit. His devotion to principle, his zeal for human + rights, were no longer remembered. Paine simply took the ground that it is + a contradiction to call a thing a revelation that comes to us second-hand. + There can be no revelation beyond the first communication. All after that + is hearsay. He also showed that the prophecies of the Old Testament had no + relation whatever to Jesus Christ, and contended that Jesus Christ was + simply a man. In other words, Paine was an enlightened Unitarian. Paine + thought the Old Testament too barbarous to have been the work of an + infinitely benevolent God. He attacked the doctrine that salvation depends + upon belief. He insisted that every man has the right to think. + </p> + <p> + After the publication of these views every falsehood that malignity could + coin and malice pass was given to the world. On his return to America, + after the election to the presidency of another infidel, Thomas Jefferson, + it was not safe for him to appear in the public streets. He was in danger + of being mobbed. Under the very flag he had helped to put in heaven his + rights were not respected. Under the Constitution that he had suggested, + his life was insecure. He had helped to give liberty to more than three + millions of his fellow-citizens, and they were willing to deny it unto + him. He was deserted, ostracized, shunned, maligned, and cursed. He + enjoyed the seclusion of a leper; but he maintained through it all his + integrity. He stood by the convictions of his mind. Never for one moment + did he hesitate or waver. + </p> + <p> + He died almost alone. The moment he died Christians commenced + manufacturing horrors for his death-bed. They had his chamber filled with + devils rattling chains, and these ancient lies are annually certified to + by the respectable Christians of the present day. The truth is, he died as + he had lived. Some ministers were impolite enough to visit him against his + will. Several of them he ordered from his room. A couple of Catholic + priests, in all the meekness of hypocrisy, called that they might enjoy + the agonies of a dying friend of man. Thomas Paine, rising in his bed, the + few embers of expiring life blown into flame by the breath of indignation, + had the goodness to curse them both. His physician, who seems to have been + a meddling fool, just as the cold hand of death was touching the patriot's + heart, whispered in the dull ear of the dying man: "Do you believe, or do + you wish to believe, that Jesus Christ is the son of God?" And the reply + was: "I have no wish to believe on that subject." + </p> + <p> + These were the last remembered words of Thomas Paine. He died as serenely + as ever Christian passed away. He died in the full possession of his mind, + and on the very brink and edge of death proclaimed the doctrines of his + life. + </p> + <p> + Every Christian, every philanthropist, every believer in human liberty, + should feel under obligation to Thomas Paine for the splendid service + rendered by him in the darkest days of the American Revolution. In the + midnight of Valley Forge, "The Crisis" was the first star that glittered + in the wide horizon of despair. Every good man should remember with + gratitude the brave words spoken by Thomas Paine in the French Convention + against the death of Louis. He said: "We will kill the king, but not the + man. We will destroy monarchy, not the monarch." + </p> + <p> + Thomas Paine was a champion, in both hemispheres, of human liberty; one of + the founders and fathers of this Republic; one of the foremost men of his + age. He never wrote a word in favor of injustice. He was a despiser of + slavery. He abhorred tyranny in every form. He was, in the widest and best + sense, a friend of all his race. His head was as clear as his heart was + good, and he had the courage to speak his honest thought. + </p> + <p> + He was the first man to write these words: "The United States of America." + He proposed the present Federal Constitution. He furnished every thought + that now glitters in the Declaration of Independence. + </p> + <p> + He believed in one God and no more. He was a believer even in special + providence, and he hoped for immortality. + </p> + <p> + How can the world abhor the man who said: + </p> + <p> + "I believe in the equality of man, and that religious duties consist in + doing justice, in loving mercy, and endeavoring to make our + fellow-creatures happy."— + </p> + <p> + "It is necessary to the happiness of man that he be mentally faithful to + himself."— + </p> + <p> + "The word of God is the creation which we behold."— + </p> + <p> + "Belief in a cruel God makes a cruel man."— + </p> + <p> + "My opinion is, that those whose lives have been spent in doing good and + endeavoring to make their fellow-mortals happy, will be happy hereafter."— + </p> + <p> + "One good schoolmaster is of more use than a hundred priests."— + </p> + <p> + "I believe in one God, and no more, and I hope for happiness beyond this + life."— + </p> + <p> + "Man has no property in man"—and "The key of heaven is not in the + keeping of any sect!" + </p> + <p> + Had it not been for Thomas Paine I could not deliver this lecture here + to-night.. + </p> + <p> + It is still fashionable to calumniate this man—and yet Channing, + Theodore Parker, Longfellow, Emerson, and in fact all the liberal + Unitarians and Universalists of the world have adopted the opinions of + Thomas Paine. + </p> + <p> + Let us compare these Infidels with the Christians of their time: + </p> + <p> + Compare Julian with Constantine,—the murderer of his wife,—the + murderer of his son,—and who established Christianity with the same + sword he had wet with their blood. Compare him with all the Christian + emperors—with all the robbers and murderers and thieves—the + parricides and fratricides and matricides that ever wore the imperial + purple on the banks of the Tiber or the shores of the Bosphorus. + </p> + <p> + Let us compare Bruno with the Christians who burned him; and we will + compare Spinoza, Voltaire, Diderot, Hume, Jefferson, Paine—with the + men who it is claimed have been the visible representatives of God. + </p> + <p> + Let it be remembered that the popes have committed every crime of which + human nature is capable, and that not one of them was the friend of + intellectual liberty—that not one of them ever shed one ray of + light. + </p> + <p> + Let us compare these Infidels with the founders of sectarian churches; you + will see how narrow, how bigoted, how cruel were their founders, and how + broad, how generous, how noble, were these infidels. + </p> + <p> + Let us be honest. The great effort of the human mind is to ascertain the + order of facts by which we are surrounded—the history of things. + </p> + <p> + Who has accomplished the most in this direction—the church, or the + unbelievers? Upon one side write all that the church has discovered—every + phenomenon that has been explained by a creed, every new fact in Nature + that has been discovered by a church, and on the other side write the + discoveries of Humboldt, and the observations and demonstrations of + Darwin! + </p> + <p> + Who has made Germany famous—her priests, or her scientists? + </p> + <p> + Goethe. + </p> + <p> + Kant: That immortal man who said: "Whoever thinks that he can please God + in any way except by discharging his obligations to his fellows, is + superstitious." + </p> + <p> + And that greatest and bravest of thinkers, Ernst + </p> + <p> + Haeckel. + </p> + <p> + Humboldt. + </p> + <p> + Italy:—Mazzini. Garibaldi. + </p> + <p> + In France who are and were the friends of freedom—the Catholic + priests, or Renan? the bishops, or Gambetta?—Dupanloup, or Victor + Hugo? + </p> + <p> + Michelet—Taine—Auguste Comte. + </p> + <p> + England:—Let us compare her priests with John Stuart Mill,—Harriet + Martineau, that "free rover on the breezy common of the universe."—George + Eliot—with Huxley and Tyndall, with Holyoake and Harrison—and + above and over all—with Charles Darwin. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linkCONC" id="linkCONC"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> + </div> + <h2> + CONCLUSION. + </h2> + <p> + LET us be honest. Did all the priests of Rome increase the mental wealth + of man as much as Bruno? Did all the priests of France do as great a work + for the civilization of the world as Diderot and Voltaire? Did all the + ministers of Scotland add as much to the sum of human knowledge as David + Hume? Have all the clergymen, monks, friars, ministers, priests, bishops, + cardinals and popes, from the day of Pentecost to the last election, done + as much for human liberty as Thomas Paine?—as much for science as + Charles Darwin? + </p> + <p> + What would the world be if infidels had never been? + </p> + <p> + The infidels have been the brave and thoughtful men; the flower of all the + world; the pioneers and heralds of the blessed day of liberty and love; + the generous spirits of the unworthy past; the seers and prophets of our + race; the great chivalric souls, proud victors on the battlefields of + thought, the creditors of all the years to be. + </p> + <p> + Why should it be taken for granted that the men who devoted their lives to + the liberation of their fellow-men should have been hissed at in the hour + of death by the snakes of conscience, while men who defended slavery, + practiced polygamy, justified the stealing of babes from the breasts of + mothers, and lashed the naked back of unpaid labor are supposed to have + passed smilingly from earth to the embraces of the angels? Why should we + think that the brave thinkers, the investigators, the honest men, must + have left the crumbling shore of time in dread and fear, while the + instigators of the massacre of St. Bartholomew; the inventors and users of + thumbscrews, of iron boots and racks; the burners and tearers of human + flesh; the stealers, the whippers and the enslavers of men; the buyers and + beaters of maidens, mothers, and babes; the founders of the Inquisition; + the makers of chains; the builders of dungeons; the calumniators of the + living; the slanderers of the dead, and even the murderers of Jesus + Christ, all died in the odor of sanctity, with white, forgiven hands + folded upon the breasts of peace, while the destroyers of prejudice, the + apostles of humanity, the soldiers of liberty, the breakers of fetters, + the creators of light, died surrounded by the fierce fiends of God? + </p> + <p> + <a name="link0008" id="link0008"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> + </div> + <h2> + WHICH WAY? + </h2> + <h3> + I. + </h3> + <p> + THERE are two ways,—the natural and the supernatural. + </p> + <p> + One way is to live for the world we are in, to develop the brain by study + and investigation, to take, by invention, advantage of the forces of + nature, to the end that we may have good houses, raiment and food, to the + end that the hunger of the mind may be fed through art and science. + </p> + <p> + The other way is to live for another world that we expect, to sacrifice + this life that we have for another that we know not of. The other way is + by prayer and ceremony to obtain the assistance, the protection of some + phantom above the clouds. + </p> + <p> + One way is to think—to investigate, to observe, and follow the light + of reason. The other way is to believe, to accept, to follow, to deny the + authority of your own senses, your own reason, and bow down to those who + are impudent enough to declare that they know. + </p> + <p> + One way is to live for the benefit of your fellow-men—for your wife + and children—to make those you love happy and to shield them from + the sorrows of life. + </p> + <p> + The other way is to live for ghosts, goblins, phantoms and gods with the + hope that they will reward you in another world. + </p> + <p> + One way is to enthrone reason and rely on facts, the other to crown + credulity and live on faith. + </p> + <p> + One way is to walk by the light within—by the flame that illumines + the brain, verifying all by the senses—by touch and sight and sound. + </p> + <p> + The other way is to extinguish the sacred light and follow blindly the + steps of another. + </p> + <p> + One way is to be an honest man, giving to others your thought, standing + erect, intrepid, careless of phantoms and hells. + </p> + <p> + The other way is to cringe and crawl, to betray your nobler self, and to + deprive others of the liberty that you have not the courage to enjoy. + </p> + <p> + Do not imagine that I hate the ones who have taken the wrong side and + traveled the wrong road. + </p> + <p> + Our fathers did the best they could. They believed in the Supernatural, + and they thought that sacrifices and prayer, fasting and weeping, would + induce the Supernatural to give them sunshine, rain and harvest—long + life in this world and eternal joy in another. To them, God was an + absolute monarch, quick to take offence, sudden in anger, terrible in + punishment, jealous, hateful to his enemies, generous to his favorites. + They believed also in the existence of an evil God, almost the equal of + the other God in strength, and a little superior in cunning. Between these + two Gods was the soul of man like a mouse between two paws. + </p> + <p> + Both of these Gods inspired fear. Our fathers did not quite love God, nor + quite hate the Devil, but they were afraid of both. They really wished to + enjoy themselves with God in the next world and with the Devil in this. + They believed that the course of Nature was affected by their conduct; + that floods and storms, diseases, earthquakes and tempests were sent as + punishments, and that all good phenomena were rewards. + </p> + <p> + Everything was under the direction and control of supernatural powers. The + air, the darkness, were filled with angels and devils; witches and wizards + planned and plotted against the pious—against the true believers. + Eclipses were produced by the sins of the people, and the unusual was + regarded as the miraculous. In the good old times Christendom was an + insane asylum, and insane priests and prelates were the keepers. There was + no science. The people did not investigate—did not think. They + trembled and believed. Ignorance and superstition ruled the Christian + world. + </p> + <p> + At last a few began to observe, to make records, and to think. + </p> + <p> + It was found that eclipses came at certain intervals, and that their + coming could be foretold. This demonstrated that the actions of men had + nothing to do with eclipses. A few began to suspect that earthquakes and + storms had natural causes, and happened without the slightest reference to + mankind. + </p> + <p> + Some began to doubt the existence of evil spirits, or the interference of + good ones in the affairs of the world. Finding out something about + astronomy, the great number of the stars, the certain and continuous + motions of the planets, and the fact that many of them were vastly larger + than the earth; ascertaining something about the earth, the slow + development of forms, the growth and distribution of plants, the formation + of islands and continents, the parts played by fire, water and air through + countless centuries; the kinship of all life; fixing the earth's place in + the constellation of the sun; by experiment and research discovering a few + secrets of chemistry; by the invention of printing, and the preservation + and dissemination of facts, theories and thoughts, they were enabled to + break a few chains of superstition, to free themselves a little from the + dominion of the supernatural, and to set their faces toward the light. + Slowly the number of investigators and thinkers increased, slowly the real + facts were gathered, the sciences began to appear, the old beliefs grew a + little absurd, the supernatural retreated and ceased to interfere in the + ordinary affairs of men. + </p> + <p> + Schools were founded, children were taught, books were printed and the + thinkers increased. Day by day confidence lessened in the supernatural, + and day by day men were more and more impressed with the idea that man + must be his own protector, his own providence. From the mists and darkness + of savagery and superstition emerged the dawn of the Natural. A sense of + freedom took possession of the mind, and the soul began to dream of its + power. On every side were invention and discovery, and bolder thought. The + church began to regard the friends of science as its foes: Theologians + resorted to chain and fagot—to mutilation and torture. + </p> + <p> + The thinkers were denounced as heretics and Atheists—as the minions + of Satan and the defamers of Christ. All the ignorance, prejudice and + malice of superstition were aroused and all united for the destruction of + investigation and thought. For centuries this conflict was waged. Every + outrage was perpetrated, every crime committed by the believers in the + supernatural. But, in spite of all, the disciples of the Natural + increased, and the power of the church waned. Now the intelligence of the + world is on the side of the Natural. Still the conflict goes on—the + supernatural constantly losing, and the Natural constantly gaining. In a + few years the victory of science over superstition will be complete and + universal. + </p> + <p> + So, there have been for many centuries two philosophies of life; one in + favor of the destruction of the passions—the lessening of wants,—and + absolute reliance on some higher power; the other, in favor of the + reasonable gratification of the passions, the increase of wants, and their + supply by industry, ingenuity and invention, and the reliance of man on + his own efforts. Diogenes, Epictetus, Socrates to some extent, Buddha and + Christ, all taught the first philosophy. All despised riches and luxury, + all were the enemies of art and music, the despisers of good clothes and + good food and good homes. They were the philosophers of poverty and rags, + of huts and hovels, of ignorance and faith. They preached the glories of + another world and the miseries of this. They derided the prosperous, the + industrious, those who enjoyed life, and reserved heaven for beggars. + </p> + <p> + This philosophy is losing authority, and now most people are anxious to be + happy here in this life. Most people want food and roof and raiment—books + and pictures, luxury and leisure. They believe in developing the brain—in + making servants and slaves of the forces of Nature. + </p> + <p> + Now the intelligent men of the world have cast aside the teachings, the + philosophy of the ascetics. They no longer believe in the virtue of + fasting and self-torture. They believe that happiness is the only good, + and that the time to be happy is now—here, in this world. They no + longer believe in the rewards and punishments of the supernatural. They + believe in consequences, and that the consequences of bad actions are + evil, and the consequences of good actions are good. + </p> + <p> + They believe that man by investigation, by reason, should find out the + conditions of happiness, and then live and act in accordance with such + conditions. They do not believe that earthquakes, or tempests, or + volcanoes, or eclipses are caused by the conduct of men. They no longer + believe in the supernatural. They do not regard themselves as the serfs, + servants, or favorites of any celestial king. They feel that many evils + can be avoided by knowledge, and for that reason they believe in the + development of the brain. The schoolhouse is their church and the + university their cathedral. + </p> + <p> + So, there have been for some centuries two theories of government,—one + theological, the other secular. + </p> + <p> + The king received his power directly from God. It was the business of the + people to obey. The priests received their creeds from God and it was the + duty of the people to believe. + </p> + <p> + The theological government is growing somewhat unpopular. In England, + Parliament has taken the place of God, and in the United States, + government derives its powers from the consent of the governed. + </p> + <p> + Probably Emperor William is the only man in Germany who really believes + that God placed him on the throne and will keep him there whether the + German people are satisfied or not. Italy has retired the Catholic God + from politics, France belongs to and is governed by the French, and even + in Russia there are millions who hold the Czar and all his divine + pretensions in contempt. + </p> + <p> + The theological governments are passing away and the secular are slowly + taking their places. Man is growing greater and the Gods are becoming + vague and indistinct. These "divine" governments rest on the fear and + ignorance of the many, the cunning, the impudence and the mendacity of the + few. A secular government is born of the intelligence, the honesty and the + courage, not only of the few, but of the many. + </p> + <p> + We have found that man can govern himself without the assistance of priest + or pope, of ghost or God. We have found that religion is not self-evident, + and that to believe without evidence is not a praiseworthy action. We know + that the self-evident is the square and compass of the brain, the polar + star in the firmament of mind. And we know that no one denies the + self-evident. We also know that there is no particular goodness in + believing when the evidence is sufficient, and certainly there is' none in + saying; that you believe when the evidence is insufficient. + </p> + <p> + The believers have not all been good. Some of the worst people in the + whole world have been believers. The gentlemen who made Socrates drink + hemlock were believers. The Jews who crucified Christ were believers in + and worshipers of God. The devil believes in the Trinity, the Father, Son + and Holy Ghost, and yet it does not seem to have affected his moral + character. According to the Bible, he trembles, but he does not reform. At + last we have concluded that we have a right to examine the religion of our + fathers. + </p> + <p> + II. + </p> + <p> + ALL Christians know that all the gods, except Jehovah, were created by + man; that they were, and are, false, foolish and monstrous; that all the + heathen temples were built and all their altars erected in vain; that the + sacrifices were wasted, that the priests were hypocrites, that their + prayers were unanswered and that the poor people were deceived, robbed and + enslaved. But after all, is our God superior to the gods of the heathen? + </p> + <p> + We can ask this question now because we are prosperous, and prosperity + gives courage. If we should have a few earthquakes or a pestilence we + might fall on our knees, shut our eyes and ask the forgiveness of God for + ever having had a thought. We know that famine is the friend of faith and + that calamity is the sunshine of superstition. But as we have no + pestilence or famine, and as the crust of the earth is reasonably quiet, + we can afford to examine into the real character of our God. + </p> + <p> + It must be admitted that the use of power is an excellent test of + character. + </p> + <p> + Would a good God appeal to prejudice, the armor, fortress, sword and + shield of ignorance? to credulity, the ring in the priest-led nose of + stupidity? to fear, the capital stock of imposture, the lever of + hypocrisy? Would a good God frighten or enlighten his children? Would a + good God appeal to reason or ignorance, to justice or selfishness, to + liberty or the lash? + </p> + <p> + To our first parents in the Garden of Eden, our God said nothing about the + sacredness of love, nothing about children, nothing about education, about + justice or liberty. + </p> + <p> + After they had violated his command he became ferocious as a wild beast. + He cursed the earth and to Eve he said:—"I will greatly multiply thy + sorrow. In sorrow shalt thou bring forth children. Thy husband shall rule + over thee." + </p> + <p> + Our God made love the slave of pain, made wives serfs, and brutalized the + firesides of the world. + </p> + <p> + Our God drowned the whole world, with the exception of eight people; made + the earth one vast and shoreless sea covered with corpses. + </p> + <p> + Why did he cover the world with men, women and children knowing that he + would destroy them? + </p> + <p> + Why did he not try to reform them? Why would he create people, knowing + that they could not be reformed? + </p> + <p> + Is it possible that our God was intelligent and good? + </p> + <p> + After the flood our God selected the Jews and abandoned the rest of his + children. He paid no attention to the Hindoos, neglected the Egyptians, + ignored the Persians, forgot the Assyrians and failed to remember the + Greeks. And yet he was the father of them all. For many centuries he was + only a tribal God, protecting the few and despising the many. Our God was + ignorant, knew nothing of astronomy or geology. He did not even know the + shape of the earth, and thought the stars were only specks. + </p> + <p> + He knew nothing of disease. He thought that the blood of a bird that had + been killed over running water was good medicine. He was revengeful and + cruel, and assisted some of his children to butcher and destroy others. He + commanded them to murder men, wives and children, and to keep alive the + maidens and distribute them among his soldiers. + </p> + <p> + Our God established slavery—commanded men to buy their fellow-men, + to make merchandise of wives and babes. Our God sanctioned polygamy and + made wives the property of their husbands. Our God murdered the people for + the crimes of kings. + </p> + <p> + No man of intelligence, no one whose brain has not been poisoned by + superstition, paralyzed by fear, can read the Old Testament without being + forced to the conclusion that our God was, a wild beast. + </p> + <p> + If we must have a god, let him be merciful. Let us remember that "the + quality of mercy is not strained." Let us remember that when the sword of + Justice becomes a staff to support the weak, it bursts into blossom, and + that the perfume of that flower is the only incense, the only offering, + the only sacrifice that mercy will accept. + </p> + <p> + III. + </p> + <p> + SO, there have been two theories about the cause and cure of disease. One + is the theological, the other the scientific. + </p> + <p> + According to the theological idea, diseases were produced by evil spirits, + by devils who entered into the bodies of people. + </p> + <p> + These devils could be cast out by prophets, inspired men and priests. + </p> + <p> + While Christ was upon earth his principal business was to cast out evil + spirits. + </p> + <p> + For many centuries the priests followed his example, and during the Middle + Ages millions of devils were driven from the bodies of men. Diseases were + cured with little images of consecrated pewter, with pieces of paper, with + crosses worn about the neck—by having plaster of Paris Virgins and + clay Christs at the head of the bed, by touching the bones of dead saints, + or pieces of the true cross, or one of the nails that was driven through + the flesh of Christ, or a garment that had been worn by the Virgin Mary, + or by sprinkling the breast with holy water, or saying prayers, or + counting beads, or making the stations of the cross, or by going without + meat, or wearing haircloth, or in some way torturing the body. All + diseases were supposed to be of supernatural origin and all cures were of + the same nature. Pestilences were stopped by processions, led by priests + carrying the Host. + </p> + <p> + Nothing was known of natural causes and effects. Everything was miraculous + and mysterious. The priests were cunning and the people credulous. + </p> + <p> + Slowly another theory as to the cause and cure of disease took possession + of the mind. A few discarded the idea of devils, and took the ground that + diseases were naturally produced, and that many of them could be cured by + natural means. + </p> + <p> + At first the physician was exceedingly ignorant, but he knew more than the + priest. Slowly but surely he pushed the priest from the bedside. Some + people finally became intelligent enough to trust their bodies to the + doctors, and remained ignorant enough to leave the care of their souls + with the priests. Among civilized people the theological theory has been + cast aside, and the miraculous, the supernatural, no longer has a place in + medicine. In Catholic countries the peasants are still cured by images, + prayers, holy water and the bones of saints, but when the priests are sick + they send for a physician, and now even the Pope, God's agent, gives his + sacred body to the care of a doctor. + </p> + <p> + The scientific has triumphed to a great extent over the theological. + </p> + <p> + No intelligent person now believes that devils inhabit the bodies of men. + No intelligent person now believes that devils are trying to control the + actions of men. No intelligent person now believes that devils exist. + </p> + <p> + And yet, at the present time, in the city of New York, Catholic priests + are exhibiting a piece of one of the bones of Saint Anne, the supposed + mother of the Virgin Mary. Some of these priests may be credulous + imbeciles and some may be pious rogues. If they have any real intelligence + they must know that there is no possible way of proving that the piece of + bone ever belonged to Saint Anne. And if they have any real intelligence + they must know that even the bones of Saint Anne were substantially like + the bones of other people, made of substantially the same material, and + that the medical and miraculous qualities of all human bones must be + substantially the same. And yet these priests are obtaining from their + credulous dupes thousands and thousands of dollars for the privilege of + seeing this bone and kissing the box that contains the "sacred relic." + </p> + <p> + Archbishop Corrigan knows that no one knows who the mother of the Virgin + Mary was, that no one knows about any of the bones of this unknown mother, + knows that the whole thing is a theological fraud, knows that his priests, + or priests under his jurisdiction, are obtaining money under false + pretences. Cardinal Gibbons knows the same, but neither of these pious + gentlemen has one word to say against this shameless crime. They are + willing that priests for the benefit of the church should make merchandise + of the hopes and fears of ignorant believers; willing that fraud that + produces revenue should live and thrive. + </p> + <p> + This is the honesty of the theologian. If these gentlemen should be taken + sick they would not touch the relic. They would send for a physician. + </p> + <p> + Let me tell you a Japanese story that is exactly in point: + </p> + <p> + An old monk was in charge of a monastery that had been built above the + bones of a saint. These bones had the power to cure diseases and they were + so placed that by thrusting the arm through an orifice they could be + touched by the hand of the pilgrim. Many people, afflicted in many ways, + came and touched these bones. Many thought they had been benefited or + cured, and many in gratitude left large sums of money with the monk. One + day the old monk addressed his assistant as follows: "My dear son, + business has fallen off, and I can easily attend to all who come. You will + have to find another place. I will give you the white donkey, a little + money, and my blessing." + </p> + <p> + So the young man mounted upon the beast and went his way. In a few days + his money was gone and the white donkey died. An idea took possession of + the young man's mind. By the side of the road he buried the donkey, and + then to every passer-by held out his hands and said in solemn tones: "I + pray thee give me a little money to build a temple above the bones of the + sinless one." + </p> + <p> + Such was his success that he built the temple, and then thousands came to + touch the bones of the sinless one. The young man became rich, gave + employment to many assistants and lived in the greatest luxury. + </p> + <p> + One day he made up his mind to visit his old master. Taking with him a + large retinue of servants he started for the old home. When he reached the + place the old monk was seated by the doorway. With great astonishment he + looked at the young man and his retinue. The young man dismounted and made + himself known, and the old monk cried: "Where hast thou been? Tell me, I + pray thee, the story of thy success." + </p> + <p> + "Ah," the young man replied, "old age is stupid, but youth has thoughts. + Wait until we are alone and I will tell you all." + </p> + <p> + So that night the young man told his story, told about the death and + burial of the donkey, the begging of money to build a temple over the + bones of the sinless one, and of the sums of money he had received for the + cures the bones had wrought. + </p> + <p> + When he finished a satisfied smile crept over his pious face as he added: + "Old age is stupid, but youth has thoughts." + </p> + <p> + "Be not so fast," said the old monk, as he placed his trembling hand on + the head of his visitor, "Young man, this monastery in which your youth + was passed, in which you have seen so many miracles performed, so many + diseases cured, was built above the sacred bones of the mother of your + little jackass." + </p> + <p> + IV. + </p> + <p> + THERE are two ways of accounting for the sacred books and religions of the + world. + </p> + <p> + One is to say that the sacred books were written by inspired men, and that + our religion was revealed to us by God. + </p> + <p> + The other is to say that all books have been written by men, without any + aid from supernatural powers, and that all religions have been naturally + produced. + </p> + <p> + We find that other races and peoples have sacred books and prophets, + priests and Christs; we find too that their sacred books were written by + men who had the prejudices and peculiarities of the race to which they + belonged, and that they contain the mistakes and absurdities peculiar to + the people who produced them. + </p> + <p> + Christians are perfectly satisfied that all the so-called sacred books, + with the exception of the Old and New Testaments, were written by men, and + that the claim of inspiration is perfectly absurd. So they believe that + all religions, except Judaism and Christianity, were invented by men. The + believers in other religions take the ground that their religion was + revealed by God, and that all others, including Judaism and Christianity, + were made by men. All are right and all are wrong. When they say that + "other" religions were produced by men, they are right; when they say that + their religion was revealed by God, they are wrong. + </p> + <p> + Now we know that all tribes and nations have had some kind of religion; + that they have believed in the existence of good and evil beings, spirits + or powers, that could be softened by gifts or prayer. Now we know that at + the foundation of every religion, of all worship, is the pale and + bloodless face of fear. Now we know that all religions and all sacred + books have been naturally produced—all born of ignorance, fear and + cunning. + </p> + <p> + Now we know that the gifts, sacrifices and prayers were all in vain; that + no god received and that no god heard or answered. + </p> + <p> + A few years ago prayers decided the issue of battle, and priests, through + their influence with God, could give the victory. Now no intelligent man + expects any answer to prayer. He knows that nature pursues her course + without reference to the wishes of men, that the clouds float, the winds + blow, the rain falls and the sun shines without regard to the human race. + Yet millions are still praying, still hoping that they can gain the + protection of some god, that some being will guard them from accident and + disease. Year after year the ministers make the same petitions, pray for + the same things, and keep on in spite of the fact that nothing is + accomplished. + </p> + <p> + Whenever good men do some noble thing the clergy give their God the + credit, and when evil things are done they hold the men who did the evil + responsible, and forget to blame their God. + </p> + <p> + Praying has become a business, a profession, a trade, A minister is never + happier than when praying in public. Most of them are exceedingly familiar + with their God. Knowing that he knows everything, they tell him the needs + of the nation and the desires of the people, they advise him what to do + and when to do it. They appeal to his pride, asking him to do certain + things for his own glory. They often pray for the impossible. In the House + of Representatives in Washington I once heard a chaplain pray for what he + must have known was impossible. Without a change of countenance, without a + smile, with a face solemn as a sepulchre, he said: "I pray thee, O God, to + give Congress wisdom." It may be that ministers really think that their + prayers do good and it may be that frogs imagine that their croaking + brings spring. + </p> + <p> + The men of thought now know that all religions and all sacred books have + been made by men; that no revelation has come from any being superior to + nature; that all the prophecies were either false or made after the event; + that no miracle ever was or ever will be performed; that no God wants the + worship or the assistance of man; that no-prayer has ever coaxed one drop + of rain from the sky, one ray of light from the sun; that no prayer has + stayed the flood, or the tides of the sea, or folded the wings of the + storm; that no prayer has given water to the cracked and bleeding lips of + thirst, or food to the famishing; that no prayer has stopped the + pestilence, stilled the earthquake or quieted the volcano; that no prayer + has shielded the innocent, succored the oppressed, unlocked the dungeon's + door, broke the chains of slaves, rescued the good and noble from the + scaffold, or extinguished the fagot's flame. + </p> + <p> + The intelligent man now knows that we live in a natural world, that gods + and devils and the sons of God are all phantoms, that our religion and our + Deity are much like the religion and deities of other nations, and that + the stone god of a savage answers prayer and protects his worshipers + precisely the same, and to just the same extent, as the Father, Son and + Holy Ghost. + </p> + <p> + V. + </p> + <p> + THERE are two theories about morals. One theory is that the moral man + obeys the commands of a supposed God, without stopping to think whether + the commands are right or wrong. He believes that the will of the God is + the source and fountain of right. He thinks a thing is wrong because the + God prohibits it, not that the God prohibits it because it is wrong. This + theory calls not for thought, but for obedience. It does not appeal to + reason, but to the fear of punishment, the hope of reward. God is a king + whose will is law, and men are serfs and slaves. + </p> + <p> + Many contend that without a belief in the existence of God morality is + impossible and that virtue would perish from the earth. + </p> + <p> + This absurd theory, with its "Thus saith the Lord" has been claimed to be + independent of and superior to reason. + </p> + <p> + The other theory is that right and wrong exist in the nature of things; + that certain actions preserve or increase the happiness of man, and that + other actions cause sorrow and misery; that all those actions that cause + happiness are moral, and that all others are evil, or indifferent. Right + and wrong are not revelations from some supposed god, but have been + discovered through the experience and intelligence of man. There is + nothing miraculous or supernatural about morality. Neither has morality + anything to do with another world, or with an infinite being. It applies + to conduct here, and the effect of that conduct on ourselves and others + determines its nature. + </p> + <p> + In this world people are obliged to supply their wants by labor. Industry + is a necessity, and those who work are the natural enemies of those who + steal. + </p> + <p> + It required no revelation from God to make larceny unpopular. Human beings + naturally object to being injured, maimed, or killed, and so everywhere, + and at all times, they have tried to protect themselves. + </p> + <p> + Men did not require a revelation from God to put in their minds the + thought of self-preservation. To defend yourself when attacked is as + natural as to eat when you are hungry. + </p> + <p> + To determine the quality of an action by showing that it is in accordance + with, or contrary to the command of some supposed God, is superstition + pure and simple. To test all actions by their consequences is scientific + and in accord with reason. + </p> + <p> + According to the supernatural theory, natural consequences are not taken + into consideration. Actions are wrong because they have been prohibited + and right because they have been commanded. According to the Catholic + Church, eating meat on Friday is a sin that deserves eternal punishment. + And yet, in the nature of things, the consequences of eating meat on that + day must be exactly the same as eating meat on any other. So, all the + churches teach that unbelief is a crime, not in the nature of things, but + by reason of the will of God. + </p> + <p> + Of course this is absurd and idiotic. If there be an infinite God he + cannot make that wrong which in the nature of things is right. Neither can + he make an action good the natural consequences of which are evil. Even an + infinite God cannot change a fact. In spite of him the relation between + the diameter and circumference of a circle would remain the same. + </p> + <p> + All the relations of things to things, of forces to forces, of acts to + acts, of causes to effects in the domain of what is called matter, and in + the realm of what is called mind, are just as certain, just as + unchangeable as the relation between the diameter and circumference of a + circle. + </p> + <p> + An infinite God could not make ingratitude a virtue any easier than he + could make a square triangle. + </p> + <p> + So, the foundations of the moral and the immoral are in the nature of + things—in the necessary relation between conduct and well-being, and + an infinite God cannot change these foundations, and cannot increase or + diminish the natural consequences of actions. + </p> + <p> + In this world there is neither chance nor caprice, neither magic nor + miracle. Behind every event, every thought and dream, is the efficient, + the natural and necessary cause. + </p> + <p> + The effort to make the will of a supposed God the foundation of morality, + has filled the world with misery and crime, extinguished in millions of + minds the light of reason, and in countless ways hindered and delayed the + progress of our race. + </p> + <p> + Intelligent men now know, that if there be an infinite God, man cannot in + any way increase or decrease the happiness of such a being. They know that + man can only commit crimes against sentient beings who, to some extent at + least, are within his power, and that a crime by a finite being against an + infinite being is an infinite impossibility. + </p> + <p> + VI. + </p> + <p> + FOR many thousands of years man has believed in and sought for the + impossible. In chemistry he has searched for a universal solvent, for some + way in which to change the baser metals into gold. Even Lord Bacon was a + believer in this absurdity. Thousands of men, during many centuries, in + thousands of ways, sought to change the nature of lead and iron so that + they might be transformed to gold. They had no conception of the real + nature of things. They supposed that they had originally been created by a + kind of magic, and could by the same kind of magic be changed into + something else. They were all believers in the supernatural. So, in + mechanics, men sought for the impossible. They were believers in perpetual + motion and they tried to make machines that would through a combination of + levers furnish the force that propelled them. + </p> + <p> + Thousands of ingenious men wasted their lives in the vain effort to + produce machines that would in some wonderful way create a force. They did + not know that force is eternal, that it can neither be created nor + destroyed. They did not know that a machine having perpetual motion would + necessarily be a universe within itself, or independent of this, and in + which the force called friction would be necessarily changed, without + loss, into the force that propelled,—the machine itself causing or + creating the original force that put it in motion. And yet in spite of all + the absurdities involved, for many centuries men, regarded by their + fellows as intelligent and learned, tried to discover the great principle + of "perpetual motion." + </p> + <p> + Our ancestors studied the stars because in them they thought it possible + to learn the fate of nations, the life and destiny of the individual. + Eclipses, wandering comets, the relations of certain stars were the + forerunners or causes of prosperity or disaster, of the downfall or + upbuilding of kingdoms. Astrology was believed to be a science, and those + who studied the stars were consulted by warriors, statesmen and kings. The + account of the star that led the wise men of the East to the infant Christ + was written by a believer in astrology. It would be hard to overstate the + time and talent wasted in the study of this so-called science. The men who + believed in astrology thought that they lived in a supernatural world—a + world in which causes and effects had no necessary connection with each + other—in which all events were the result of magic and necromancy. + </p> + <p> + Even now, at the close of the nineteenth century, there are hundreds and + hundreds of men who make their living by casting the horoscopes of idiots + and imbeciles. + </p> + <p> + The "perpetual motion" of the mechanic, the universal solvent of the + chemist, the changing of lead into gold, the foretelling events by the + relations of stars were all born of the same ignorance of nature that + caused the theologian to imagine an uncaused cause as the cause of all + causes and effects. + </p> + <p> + The theologian insisted that there was something superior to nature, and + that that something was the creator and preserver of nature. + </p> + <p> + Of course there is no more evidence of the existence of that "something" + than there is of the philosopher's stone. + </p> + <p> + The mechanics who now believe in perpetual motion are insane, so are the + chemists who seek to change one metal into another, so are the honest + astrologers, and in a few more years the same can truthfully be said of + the honest theologians. + </p> + <p> + Many of our ancestors believed in the existence of and sought for the + Fountain of Perpetual Youth. They believed that an old man could stoop and + drink from this fountain and that while he drank his gray hairs would + slowly change, that the wrinkles would disappear, that his dim eyes would + brighten and grow clear, his heart throb with manhood's force and rhythm, + while in his pallid cheeks would burst into blossom the roses of health. + </p> + <p> + They were believers in the supernatural, the miraculous, and nothing + seemed more probable than the impossible. + </p> + <p> + VII. + </p> + <p> + MOST people use names in place of arguments. They are satisfied to be + disciples, followers of the illustrious dead. Each church, each party has + a list of "great men," and they throw the names of these men at each other + when discussing their dogmas and creeds. + </p> + <p> + Men prove the inspiration of the Bible, the divinity of Christ by the + admissions of soldiers, statesmen and kings. And in the same way they + establish the existence of heaven and hell. Dispute one of their dogmas + and you will instantly be told that Isaac Newton or Matthew Hale was on + the other side, and you will be asked whether you claim to be superior to + Newton or Hale. In our own country the ministers, to establish their + absurdities, quote the opinions of Webster and of other successful + politicians as though such opinions were demonstrations. + </p> + <p> + Most Protestants will cheerfully admit that they are inferior in brain and + genius to some men who have lived and died in the Catholic faith; that in + the matter of preaching funeral sermons they are not equal to Bossuet; + that their letters are not as interesting and polished as those written by + Pascal; that Torquemada excelled them in the genius of organization, and + that for planning a massacre they would not for a moment claim the palm + from Catherine de Medici, and yet after these admissions, these same + Protestants would insist that the Pope is an unblushing impostor, and the + Catholic Church a vampire. + </p> + <p> + The so-called "great men" of the world have been mistaken in many things. + Lord Bacon denied the Copernican system of astronomy and believed to the + day of his death that the sun and stars journeyed about this little earth. + Matthew Hale was a firm believer in the existence of witches and wizards. + John Wesley believed that earthquakes were caused by sin and that they + could be prevented by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ. John Calvin + regarded murder as one of the means to preserve the purity of the gospel. + Martin Luther denounced Galileo as a fool because he was opposed to the + astronomy of Moses. Webster was in favor of the Fugitive Slave Law and + held the book of Job in high esteem. He wanted votes and he knelt to the + South. He wanted votes and he flattered the church. + </p> + <p> + VIII. + </p> + <p> + VOLUMES might be written on the follies and imbecilities of "great" men. + </p> + <p> + Only a few years ago the really great men were persecuted, imprisoned or + burned. In this way the church was enabled to keep the "great" men on her + side. + </p> + <p> + As a matter of fact it is impossible to tell what the "great" men really + thought. We only know what they said. These "great" men had families to + support, they had a prejudice against prisons and objected to being + burned, and it may be that they thought one way and talked another. + </p> + <p> + The priests said to these men: "Agree with the creed, talk on our side, or + you will be persecuted to the death." Then the priests turned to the + people and cried: "Hear what the great men say." + </p> + <p> + For a few years we have had something like liberty of speech and many men + have told their thoughts. Now the theologians are not quite so apt to + appeal to names as formerly. The really great are not on their side. The + leaders of modern thought are not Christians. Now the unbelievers can + repeat names—names that stand for intellectual triumphs. Humboldt, + Helmholtz, Haeckel and Huxley, Darwin, Spencer and Tyndall and many + others, stand for investigation, discovery, for vast achievements in the + world of thought. These men were and are thinkers and they had and have + the courage to express their thoughts. They were not and are not puppets + of priests, or the trembling worshipers of ghosts. + </p> + <p> + For many years, most of the presidents of American colleges have been + engaged in the pious work of trying to prevent the intellectual + advancement of the race. To such an extent have they succeeded that none + of their students have been or are great scientists. + </p> + <p> + For the purpose of bolstering their creed the orthodox do not now repeat + the names of the living, their witnesses are in the cemetery. All the + "great" Christians are dead. + </p> + <p> + To-day we want arguments, not names, reasons, not opinions. It is + degrading to blindly follow a man, or a church. Nothing is nobler than to + be governed by reason. To be vanquished by the truth is to be a victor. + The man who follows is a slave. The man who thinks is free. + </p> + <p> + We must remember that most men have been controlled by their surroundings. + Most of the intelligent men in Turkey are followers of Mahomet. They were + rocked in the cradle of the Koran, they received their religious opinions + as they did their features—from their parents. Their opinion on the + subject of religion is of no possible value. The same may be said of the + Christians of our country. Their belief is the result, not of thought, of + investigation, but of surroundings. + </p> + <p> + All religions have been the result of ignorance, and the seeds were sown + and planted in the long night of savagery. + </p> + <p> + In the decline of the Roman power, in the times when prosperity died, when + commerce almost ceased, when the sceptre of authority fell from weak and + nerveless hands, when arts were lost and the achievements of the past + forgotten or unknown, then Christians came, and holding in contempt all + earthly things, told their fellows of another world—of joy eternal + beyond the clouds. + </p> + <p> + If learning had not been lost, if the people had been educated, if they + had known the literature of Greece and Rome, if they had been familiar + with the tragedies of �?schylus, Sophocles and Euripides, with the + philosophy of Zeno and Epicurus, with the orations of Demosthenes; if they + had known the works of art, the miracles of genius, the passions in + marble, the dreams in stone; if they had known the history of Rome; if + they had understood Lucretius, Cicero and Cæsar; if they had studied + the laws, the decisions of the Prætors; if they had known the + thoughts of all the mighty dead, there would have been no soil on which + the seeds of Christian superstition could have taken root and grown. + </p> + <p> + But the early Christians hated art, and song, and joy. They slandered and + maligned the human race, insisted that the world had been blighted by the + curse of God, that this life should be used only in making preparation for + the next, that education filled the mind with doubt, and science led the + soul from God. + </p> + <p> + IX. + </p> + <p> + THERE are two ways. One is to live for God. That has been tried, and the + result has always been the same. It was tried in Palestine many years ago + and the people who tried it were not protected by their God. They were + conquered, overwhelmed and exiled. They lost their country and were + scattered over the earth. For many centuries they expected assistance from + their God. They believed that they would be gathered together again, that + their cities and temples and altars would be rebuilt, that they would + again be the favorites of Jehovah, that with his help they would overcome + their enemies and rule the world. Century by century the hope has grown + weaker and weaker, until now it is regarded by the intelligent as a + foolish dream. + </p> + <p> + Living for God was tried in Switzerland and it ended in slavery and + torture. Every avenue that led to improvement, to progress, was closed. + Only those in authority were allowed to express their thoughts. No one + tried to increase the happiness of people in this world. Innocent pleasure + was regarded as sin, laughter was suppressed, all natural joy despised, + and love itself denounced as sin. + </p> + <p> + They amused themselves with fasting and prayer, hearing sermons, talking + about endless pain, committing to memory the genealogies in the Old + Testament, and now and then burning one of their fellow-men. + </p> + <p> + Living for God was tried in Scotland. The people became the serfs and + slaves of the blessed Kirk. The ministers became petty tyrants. They + poisoned the very springs of life. They interfered with every family, + invaded the privacy of every home, sowed the seeds of superstition and + fear, and filled the darkness with devils. They claimed to be divinely + inspired, that they delivered the messages of God, that to deny their + authority was blasphemy, and that all who refused to do their bidding + would suffer eternal pain. Under their government Scotland was a land of + sighing and sorrow, of grief and pain. The people were slaves. + </p> + <p> + Living for God was tried in New England. A government was formed in + accordance with the Old Testament. The laws, for the most part, were petty + and absurd, the penalties cruel and bloody to the last degree. Religious + liberty was regarded as a crime, as an insult to God. Persons differing in + belief from those in power, were persecuted, whipped, maimed and exiled. + People supposed to be in league with the devil were imprisoned or killed. + A theological government was established, ministers were the agents of + God, they dictated the laws and fixed the penalties. Everything was under + the supervision of the clergy. They had no pity, no mercy. With all their + hearts they hated the natural. They promised happiness in another world, + and did all they could to destroy the pleasures of this. + </p> + <p> + Their greatest consolation, their purest joy was found in their belief + that all who failed to obey their words, to wear their yoke, would suffer + infinite torture in the eternal dungeons of hell. + </p> + <p> + Living for God was tried in the Dark Ages. Thousands of scaffolds were wet + with blood, countless swords were thrust through human hearts. The flames + of fagots consumed the flesh of men, dungeons became the homes of those + who thought. In the name of God every cruelty was practiced, every crime + committed, and liberty perished from the earth. Everywhere the result has + been the same. Living for God has filled the world with blood and flame. + </p> + <p> + There is another way. Let us live for man, for this world. Let us develop + the brain and civilize the heart. Let us ascertain the conditions of + happiness and live in accordance with them. Let us do what we can for the + destruction of ignorance, poverty and crime. Let us do our best to supply + the wants of the body, to satisfy the hunger of the mind, to ascertain the + secrets of nature, to the end that we may make the invisible forces the + tireless servants of the human race, and fill the world with happy homes. + </p> + <p> + Let the gods take care of themselves. Let us live for man. Let us remember + that those who have sought for the truths of nature have never persecuted + their fellow-men. The astronomers and chemists have forged no chains, + built no dungeons. The geologists have invented no instrument of torture. + The philosophers have not demonstrated the truth of their theories by + burning their neighbors. The great infidels, the thinkers, have lived for + the good of man. + </p> + <p> + It is noble to seek for truth, to be intellectually honest, to give to + others a true transcript of your mind, a photograph of your thoughts in + honest words. + </p> + <p> + X. + </p> + <p> + HERE are two ways: The narrow way along which the selfish go in single + file, not wide enough for husband and wife to walk side by side while + children clasp their hands. The narrow road over the desert of + superstition "with here and there a traveler." The narrow grass-grown + path, filled with flints and broken glass, bordered by thistles and + thorns, where the twice-born limping walk with bleeding feet. If by this + path you see a flower, do not pick it. It is a temptation. Beneath its + leaves a serpent lies. Keep your eyes on the New Jerusalem. Do not look + back for wife or child or friend. Think only of saving your own soul. You + will be just as happy in heaven with all you love in hell. Believe, have + faith, and you will be rewarded for the goodness of another. Look neither + to the right nor left. Keep on, straight on, and you will save your + worthless, withered, selfish soul. + </p> + <p> + This is the narrow road that leads from earth to the Christian's heartless + heaven. + </p> + <p> + There is another way—the broad road. + </p> + <p> + Give me the wide and ample way, the way broad enough for us all to go + together. The broad way where the birds sing, where the sun shines and the + streams murmur. The broad way, through the fields where the flowers grow, + over the daisied slopes where sunlight, lingering, seems to sleep and + dream. + </p> + <p> + Let us go the broad way with the great world, with science and art, with + music and the drama, with all that gladdens, thrills, refines and calms. + </p> + <p> + Let us go the wide road with husband and wife, with children and friends + and with all there is of joy and love between the dawn and dusk of life's + strange day. + </p> + <p> + This world is a great orange tree filled with blossoms, with ripening and + ripened fruit, while, underneath the bending boughs, the fallen slowly + turn to dust. + </p> + <p> + Each orange is a life. Let us squeeze it dry, get all the juice there is, + so that when death comes we can say; "There is nothing left but withered + peel." + </p> + <p> + Let us travel the broad and natural way. Let us live for man. + </p> + <p> + To think of what the world has suffered from superstition, from religion, + from the worship of beast and stone and god, is almost enough to make one + insane. Think of the long, long night of ignorance and fear! Think of the + agony, the sufferings of the past, of the days that are dead! + </p> + <p> + I look. In gloomy caves I see the sacred serpents coiled, waiting for + their sacrificial prey. I see their open jaws, their restless tongues, + their glittering eyes, their cruel fangs. I see them seize and crush in + many horrid folds the helpless children given by fathers and mothers to + appease the Serpent-God. I look again. I see temples wrought of stone and + gilded with barbaric gold. I see altars red with human blood. I see the + solemn priests thrust knives in the white breasts of girls. I look again. + I see other temples and other altars, where greedy flames devour the flesh + and blood of babes. I see other temples and other priests and other altars + dripping with the blood of oxen, lambs and doves. + </p> + <p> + I look again. I see other temples and other priests and other altars on + which are sacrificed the liberties of man. I look. I see the cathedrals of + God, the huts of peasants, the robes of priests and kings, the rags of + honest men. I look again. The lovers of God are the murderers of men. I + see dungeons filled with the noblest and the best. I see exiles, + wanderers, outcasts, millions of martyrs, widows and orphans. I see the + cunning instruments of torture and hear the shrieks and sobs and moans of + millions dead. + </p> + <p> + I see the dungeon's gloom, I hear the clank of chains. I see the fagot's + flames, the scorched and blackened face, the writhing limbs. I hear the + jeers and scoffs of pious fiends. I see the victim on the rack, I hear the + tendons as they break. I see a world beneath the feet of priests, liberty + in chains, every virtue a crime, every crime a virtue, intelligence + despised, stupidity sainted, hypocrisy crowned and the white forehead of + honor wearing the brand of shame. This was. + </p> + <p> + I look again, and in the East of hope's fair sky the first pale light shed + by the herald star gives promise of another dawn. I look, and from the + ashes, blood and tears the heroes leap to bless the future and avenge the + past. I see a world at war, and in the storm and chaos of the deadly + strife thrones crumble, altars fall, chains break, creeds change. + </p> + <p> + The highest peaks are touched with holy light. The dawn has blossomed. I + look again. I see discoverers sailing across mysterious seas. I see + inventors cunningly enslave the forces of the world. I see the houses + being built for schools. Teachers, interpreters of nature, slowly take the + place of priests. Philosophers arise, thinkers give the world their wealth + of brain, and lips grow rich with words of truth. This is. + </p> + <p> + I look again, but toward the future now. The popes and priests and kings + are gone,—the altars and the thrones have mingled with the dust,—the + aristocracy of land and cloud have perished from the earth and-air, and + all the gods are dead. A new religion sheds its glory on mankind. It is + the gospel of this world, the religion of the body, of the heart and + brain, the evangel of health and joy. I see a world at peace, where labor + reaps its true reward, a world without prisons, without workhouses, + without asylums for the insane, a world on which the gibbets shadow does + not fall, a world where the poor girl, trying to win bread with the + needle, the needle that has been called "the asp for the breast of the + poor," is not driven to the desperate choice of crime or death, of suicide + or shame. I see a world without the beggar's outstretched palm, the + miser's heartless, stony stare, the piteous wail of want, the pallid face + of crime, the livid lips of lies, the cruel eyes of scorn. I see a race + without disease of flesh or brain, shapely and fair, the married harmony + of form and use, and as I look life lengthens, fear dies, joy deepens, + love intensifies. The world is free. This shall be. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link0009" id="link0009"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> + </div> + <h2> + ABOUT THE HOLY BIBLE. + </h2> + <p> + SOMEBODY ought to tell the truth about the Bible. The preachers dare not, + because they would be driven from their pulpits. Professors in colleges + dare not, because they would lose their salaries. Politicians dare not. + They would be defeated. Editors dare not. They would lose subscribers. + Merchants dare not, because they might lose customers. Men of fashion dare + not, fearing that they would lose caste. Even clerks dare not, because + they might be discharged. And so I thought I would do it myself. + </p> + <p> + There are many millions of people who believe the Bible to be the inspired + word of God—millions who think that this book is staff and guide, + counselor and consoler; that it fills the present with peace and the + future with hope—millions who believe that it is the fountain of + law, justice and mercy, and that to its wise and benign teachings the + world is indebted for its liberty, wealth and civilization—millions + who imagine that this book is a revelation from the wisdom and love of God + to the brain and heart of man—millions who regard this book as a + torch that conquers the darkness of death, and pours its radiance on + another world—a world without a tear. + </p> + <p> + They forget its ignorance and savagery, its hatred of liberty, its + religious persecution; they remember heaven, but they forget the dungeon + of eternal pain. + </p> + <p> + They forget that it imprisons the brain and corrupts the heart. They + forget that it is the enemy of intellectual freedom. Liberty is my + religion. Liberty of hand and brain—of thought and labor. + </p> + <p> + Liberty is a word hated by kings—loathed by popes. It is a word that + shatters thrones and altars—that leaves the crowned without + subjects, and the outstretched hand of superstition without alms. Liberty + is the blossom and fruit of justice—the perfume of mercy. Liberty is + the seed and soil, the air and light, the dew and rain of progress, love + and joy. + </p> + <p> + I. THE ORIGIN OF THE BIBLE. + </p> + <p> + A FEW wandering families—poor, wretched, without education, art or + power; descendants of those who had been enslaved for four hundred years; + ignorant as the inhabitants of Central Africa, had just escaped from their + masters to the desert of Sinai. + </p> + <p> + Their leader was Moses, a man who had been raised in the family of Pharaoh + and had been taught the law and mythology of Egypt. For the purpose of + controlling his followers he pretended that he was instructed and assisted + by Jehovah, the God of these wanderers. + </p> + <p> + Everything that happened was attributed to the interference of this God. + Moses declared that he met this God face to face; that on Sinai's top from + the hands of this God he had received the tables of stone on which, by the + finger of this God, the Ten Commandments had been written, and that, in + addition to this, Jehovah had made known the sacrifices and ceremonies + that were pleasing to him and the laws by which the people should be + governed. + </p> + <p> + In this way the Jewish religion and the Mosaic Code were established. + </p> + <p> + It is now claimed that this religion and these laws were and are revealed + and established for all mankind. + </p> + <p> + At that time these wanderers had no commerce with other nations, they had + no written language, they could neither read nor write. They had no means + by which they could make this revelation known to other nations, and so it + remained buried in the jargon of a few ignorant, impoverished and unknown + tribes for more than two thousand years. + </p> + <p> + Many centuries after Moses, the leader, was dead—many centuries + after all his followers had passed away—the Pentateuch was written, + the work of many writers, and to give it force and authority it was + claimed that Moses was the author. + </p> + <p> + We now know that the Pentateuch was not written by Moses. + </p> + <p> + Towns are mentioned that were not in existence when Moses lived. + </p> + <p> + Money, not coined until centuries after his death, is mentioned. + </p> + <p> + So, many of the laws were not applicable to wanderers on the desert—laws + about agriculture, about the sacrifice of oxen, sheep and doves, about the + weaving of cloth, about ornaments of gold and silver, about the + cultivation of land, about harvest, about the threshing of grain, about + houses and temples, about cities of refuge, and about many other subjects + of no possible application to a few starving wanderers over the sands and + rocks. + </p> + <p> + It is now not only admitted by intelligent and honest theologians that + Moses was not the author of the Pentateuch, but they all admit that no one + knows who the authors were, or who wrote any one of these books, or a + chapter or a line. We know that the books were not written in the same + generation; that they were not all written by one person; that they are + filled with mistakes and contradictions. + </p> + <p> + It is also admitted that Joshua did not write the book that bears his + name, because it refers to events that did not happen until long after his + death. + </p> + <p> + No one knows, or pretends to know, the author of Judges; all we know is + that it was written centuries after all the judges had ceased to exist. No + one knows the author of Ruth, nor of First and Second Samuel; all we know + is that Samuel did not write the books that bear his name. In the 25th + chapter of First Samuel is an account of Samuel's death, and in the 27th + chapter is an account of the raising of Samuel by the Witch of Endor. + </p> + <p> + No one knows the author of First and Second Kings or First and Second + Chronicles; all we know is that these books are of no value. + </p> + <p> + We know that the Psalms were not written by David. In the Psalms the + Captivity is spoken of, and that did not happen until about five hundred + years after David slept with his fathers. + </p> + <p> + We know that Solomon did not write the Proverbs or the Song; that Isaiah + was not the author of the book that bears his name; that no one knows the + author of Job, Ecclesiastes, or Esther, or of any book in the Old + Testament, with the exception of Ezra. + </p> + <p> + We know that God is not mentioned or in any way referred to in the book of + Esther. We know, too, that the book is cruel, absurd and impossible. + </p> + <p> + God is not mentioned in the Song of Solomon, the best book in the Old + Testament. + </p> + <p> + And we know that Ecclesiastes was written by an unbeliever. + </p> + <p> + We know, too, that the Jews themselves had not decided as to what books + were inspired—were authentic—until the second century after + Christ. + </p> + <p> + We know that the idea of inspiration was of slow growth, and that the + inspiration was determined by those who had certain ends to accomplish. + </p> + <p> + II. + </p> + <p> + IF it is, it should be a book that no man—no number of men—could + produce. + </p> + <p> + It should contain the perfection of philosophy. + </p> + <p> + It should perfectly accord with every fact in nature. + </p> + <p> + There should be no mistakes in astronomy, geology, or as to any subject or + science. + </p> + <p> + Its morality should be the highest, the purest. + </p> + <p> + Its laws and regulations for the control of conduct should be just, wise, + perfect, and perfectly adapted to the accomplishment of the ends desired. + </p> + <p> + It should contain nothing calculated to make man cruel, revengeful, + vindictive or infamous. + </p> + <p> + It should be filled with intelligence, justice, purity, honesty, mercy and + the spirit of liberty. + </p> + <p> + It should be opposed to strife and war, to slavery and lust, to ignorance, + credulity and superstition. + </p> + <p> + It should develop the brain and civilize the heart. + </p> + <p> + It should satisfy the heart and brain of the best and wisest. + </p> + <p> + It should be true. + </p> + <p> + Does the Old Testament satisfy this standard? + </p> + <p> + Is there anything in the Old Testament—in history, in theory, in + law, in government, in morality, in science—above and beyond the + ideas, the beliefs, the customs and prejudices of its authors and the + people among whom they lived? + </p> + <p> + Is there one ray of light from any supernatural source? + </p> + <p> + The ancient Hebrews believed that this earth was the centre of the + universe, and that the sun, moon and stars were specks in the sky. + </p> + <p> + With this the Bible agrees. + </p> + <p> + They thought the earth was flat, with four corners; that the sky, the + firmament, was solid—the floor of Jehovah's house. + </p> + <p> + The Bible teaches the same. + </p> + <p> + They imagined that the sun journeyed about the earth, and that by stopping + the sun the day could be lengthened. + </p> + <p> + The Bible agrees with this. + </p> + <p> + They believed that Adam and Eve were the first man and woman; that they + had been created but a few years before, and that they, the Hebrews, were + their direct descendants. + </p> + <p> + This the Bible teaches. + </p> + <p> + If anything is, or can be, certain, the writers of the Bible were mistaken + about creation, astronomy, geology; about the causes of phenomena, the + origin of evil and the cause of death. + </p> + <p> + Now, it must be admitted that if an Infinite Being is the author of the + Bible, he knew all sciences, all facts, and could not have made a mistake. + </p> + <p> + If, then, there are mistakes, misconceptions, false theories, ignorant + myths and blunders in the Bible, it must have been written by finite + beings; that is to say, by ignorant and mistaken men. + </p> + <p> + Nothing can be clearer than this. + </p> + <p> + For centuries the church insisted that the Bible was absolutely true; that + it contained no mistakes; that the story of creation was true; that its + astronomy and geology were in accord with the facts; that the scientists + who differed with the Old Testament were infidels and atheists. + </p> + <p> + Now this has changed. The educated Christians admit that the writers of + the Bible were not inspired as to any science. They now say that God, or + Jehovah, did not inspire the writers of his book for the purpose of + instructing the world about astronomy, geology, or any science. They now + admit that the inspired men who wrote the Old Testament knew nothing about + any science, and that they wrote about the earth and stars, the sun and + moon, in accordance with the general ignorance of the time. + </p> + <p> + It required many centuries to force the theologians to this admission. + Reluctantly, full of malice and hatred, the priests retired from the + field, leaving the victory with science. + </p> + <p> + They took another position: + </p> + <p> + They declared that the authors, or rather the writers, of the Bible were + inspired in spiritual and moral things; that Jehovah wanted to make known + to his children his will and his infinite love for his children; that + Jehovah, seeing his people wicked, ignorant and depraved, wished to make + them merciful and just, wise and spiritual, and that the Bible is inspired + in its laws, in the religion it teaches and in its ideas of government. + </p> + <p> + This is the issue now. Is the Bible any nearer right in its ideas of + justice, of mercy, of morality or of religion than in its conception of + the sciences? + </p> + <p> + Is it moral? + </p> + <p> + It upholds slavery—it sanctions polygamy. + </p> + <p> + Could a devil have done worse? + </p> + <p> + Is it merciful? + </p> + <p> + In war it raised the black flag; it commanded the destruction, the + massacre, of all—of the old, infirm, and helpless—of wives and + babes. + </p> + <p> + Were its laws inspired? + </p> + <p> + Hundreds of offences were punished with death. To pick up sticks on + Sunday, to murder your father on Monday, were equal crimes. There is in + the literature of the world no bloodier code. The law of revenge—of + retaliation—was the law of Jehovah. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a + tooth, a limb for a limb. + </p> + <p> + This is savagery—not philosophy. + </p> + <p> + Is it just and reasonable? + </p> + <p> + The Bible is opposed to religious toleration—to religious liberty. + Whoever differed with the majority was stoned to death. Investigation was + a crime. Husbands were ordered to denounce and to assist in killing their + unbelieving wives. + </p> + <p> + It is the enemy of Art. "Thou shalt make no graven image." This was the + death of Art. + </p> + <p> + Palestine never produced a painter or a sculptor. + </p> + <p> + Is the Bible civilized? + </p> + <p> + It upholds lying, larceny, robbery, murder, the selling of diseased meat + to strangers, and even the sacrifice of human beings to Jehovah. + </p> + <p> + Is it philosophical? + </p> + <p> + It teaches that the sins of a people can be transferred to an animal—to + a goat. It makes maternity an offence for which a sin offering had to be + made. + </p> + <p> + It was wicked to give birth to a boy, and twice as wicked to give birth to + a girl. + </p> + <p> + To make hair-oil like that used by the priests was an offence punishable + with death. + </p> + <p> + The blood of a bird killed over running water was regarded as medicine. + </p> + <p> + Would a civilized God daub his altars with the blood of oxen, lambs and + doves? Would he make all his priests butchers? Would he delight in the + smell of burning flesh? + </p> + <p> + III. THE TEN COMMANDMENTS + </p> + <p> + SOME Christian lawyers—some eminent and stupid judges—have + said and still say, that the Ten Commandments are the foundation of all + law. + </p> + <p> + Nothing could be more absurd. Long before these commandments were given + there were codes of laws in India and Egypt—laws against murder, + perjury, larceny, adultery and fraud. Such laws are as old as human + society; as old as the love of life; as old as industry; as the idea of + prosperity; as old as human love. + </p> + <p> + All of the Ten Commandments that are good were old; all that were new are + foolish. If Jehovah had been civilized he would have left out the + commandment about keeping the Sabbath, and in its place would have said: + "Thou shalt not enslave thy fellow-men." He would have omitted the one + about swearing, and said: "The man shall have but one wife, and the woman + but one husband." He would have left out the one about graven images, and + in its stead would have said: "Thou shalt not wage wars of extermination, + and thou shalt not unsheathe the sword except in self-defence." + </p> + <p> + If Jehovah, had been civilized, how much grander the Ten Commandments + would have been. + </p> + <p> + All that we call progress—the enfranchisement of man, of labor, the + substitution of imprisonment for death, of fine for imprisonment, the + destruction of polygamy, the establishing of free speech, of the rights of + conscience; in short, all that has tended to the development and + civilization of man; all the results of investigation, observation, + experience and free thought; all that man has accomplished for the benefit + of man since the close of the Dark Ages—has been done in spite of + the Old Testament. + </p> + <p> + Let me further illustrate the morality, the mercy, the philosophy and + goodness of the Old Testament: + </p> + <p> + THE STORY OF ACHAN. + </p> + <p> + Joshua took the City of Jericho. Before the fall of the city he declared + that all the spoil taken should be given to the Lord. + </p> + <p> + In spite of this order Achan secreted a garment, some silver and gold. + </p> + <p> + Afterward Joshua tried to take the city of Ai. He failed and many of his + soldiers were slain. + </p> + <p> + Joshua sought for the cause of his defeat and he found that Achan had + secreted a garment, two hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of gold. To + this Achan confessed. + </p> + <p> + And thereupon Joshua took Achan, his sons and his daughters, his oxen and + his sheep—stoned them all to death and burned their bodies. + </p> + <p> + There is nothing to show that the sons and Daughters had committed any + crime. Certainly, the oxen and sheep should not have been stoned to death + for the crime of their owner. This was the justice, the mercy, of Jehovah! + </p> + <p> + After Joshua had committed this crime, with the help of Jehovah he + captured the city of Ai. + </p> + <p> + THE STORY OF ELISHA. + </p> + <p> + "And he went up thence unto Bethel, and as he was going up by the way + there came forth little children out of the city and mocked him, and said + unto him, 'Go up, thou baldhead.' + </p> + <p> + "And he turned back and looked at them, and cursed them in the name of the + Lord. And there came forth two she-bears out of the wood and tore forty + and two children of them." + </p> + <p> + This was the work of the good God—the merciful Jehovah! + </p> + <p> + THE STORY OF DANIEL. + </p> + <p> + King Darius had honored and exalted Daniel, and the native princes were + jealous. So they induced the king to sign a decree to the effect that any + man who should make a petition to any god or man except to King Darius, + for thirty days, should be cast into the den of lions. + </p> + <p> + Afterward these men found that Daniel, with his face toward Jerusalem, + prayed three times a day to Jehovah. + </p> + <p> + Thereupon Daniel was cast into the den of lions; a stone was placed at the + mouth of the den and sealed with the king's seal. + </p> + <p> + The king passed a bad night. The next morning he went to the den and cried + out to Daniel. Daniel answered and told the king that God had sent his + angel and shut the mouths of the lions. + </p> + <p> + Daniel was taken out alive and well, and the king was converted and + believed in Daniel's God. + </p> + <p> + Darius, being then a believer in the true God, sent for the men who had + accused Daniel, and for their wives and their children, and cast them all + into the lions' den. + </p> + <p> + "And the lions had the mastery of them, and brake all their bones in + pieces, or ever they came at the bottom of the pit." + </p> + <p> + What had the wives and little children done? How had they offended King + Darius, the believer in Jehovah? Who protected Daniel? Jehovah! Who failed + to protect the innocent wives and children? Jehovah! + </p> + <p> + THE STORY OF JOSEPH. + </p> + <p> + Pharaoh had a dream, and this dream was interpreted by Joseph. + </p> + <p> + According to this interpretation there was to be in Egypt seven years of + plenty, followed by seven years of famine. Joseph advised Pharaoh to buy + all the surplus of the seven plentiful years and store it up against the + years of famine. + </p> + <p> + Pharaoh appointed Joseph as his minister or agent, and ordered him to buy + the grain of the plentiful years. + </p> + <p> + Then came the famine. The people came to the king for help. He told them + to go to Joseph and do as he said. + </p> + <p> + Joseph sold corn to the Egyptians until all their money was gone—until + he had it all. + </p> + <p> + When the money was gone the people said: "Give us corn and we will give + you our cattle." + </p> + <p> + Joseph let them have corn until all their cattle, their horses and their + flocks had been given to him. + </p> + <p> + Then the people said: "Give us corn and we will give you our lands." + </p> + <p> + So Joseph let them have corn until all their lands were gone. + </p> + <p> + But the famine continued, and so the poor wretches sold themselves, and + they became the servants of Pharoah. + </p> + <p> + Then Joseph gave them seed, and made an agreement with them that they + should forever give one-fifth of all they raised to Pharaoh. + </p> + <p> + Who enabled Joseph to interpret the dream of Pharaoh? Jehovah! Did he know + at the time that Joseph would use the information thus given to rob and + enslave the people of Egypt? Yes. Who produced the famine? Jehovah! + </p> + <p> + It is perfectly apparent that the Jews did not think of Jehovah as the God + of Egypt—the God of all the world. He was their God, and theirs + alone. Other nations had gods, but Jehovah was the greatest of all. He + hated other nations and other gods, and abhorred all religions except the + worship of himself. + </p> + <p> + IV. WHAT IS IT ALL WORTH? + </p> + <p> + WILL some Christian scholar tell us the value of Genesis? + </p> + <p> + We know that it is not true—that it contradicts itself. There are + two accounts of the creation in the first and second chapters. In the + first account birds and beasts were created before man. + </p> + <p> + In the second, man was created before the birds and beasts. + </p> + <p> + In the first, fowls are made out of the water. + </p> + <p> + In the second, fowls are made out of the ground. + </p> + <p> + In the first, Adam and Eve are created together. + </p> + <p> + In the second, Adam is made; then the beasts and birds, and then Eve is + created from one of Adam's ribs. + </p> + <p> + These stories are far older than the Pentateuch. + </p> + <p> + Persian: God created the world in six days, a man called Adama, a woman + called Evah, and then rested. + </p> + <p> + The Etruscan, Babylonian, Phoenician, Chaldean and the Egyptian stories + are much the same. + </p> + <p> + The Persians, Greeks, Egyptians, Chinese and + </p> + <p> + Hindus have their Garden of Eden and the Tree of Life. + </p> + <p> + So the Persians, the Babylonians, the Nubians, the people of Southern + India, all had the story of the fall of man and the subtle serpent. + </p> + <p> + The Chinese say that sin came into the world by the disobedience of woman. + And even the Tahitians tell us that man was created from the earth, and + the first woman from one of his bones. + </p> + <p> + All these stories are equally authentic and of equal value to the world, + and all the authors were equally inspired. + </p> + <p> + We know also that the story of the flood is much older than the book of + Genesis, and we know besides that it is not true. + </p> + <p> + We know that this story in Genesis was copied from the Chaldean. There you + find all about the rain, the ark, the animals, the dove that was sent out + three times, and the mountain on which the ark rested. + </p> + <p> + So the Hindus, Chinese, Parsees, Persians, Greeks, Mexicans and + Scandinavians have substantially the same story. + </p> + <p> + We also know that the account of the Tower of Babel is an ignorant and + childish fable. + </p> + <p> + What then is left in this inspired book of + </p> + <p> + Genesis? Is there a word calculated to develop the heart or brain? Is + there an elevated thought—any great principle—anything poetic—any + word that bursts into blossom? + </p> + <p> + Is there anything except a dreary and detailed statement of things that + never happened? + </p> + <p> + Is there anything in Exodus calculated to make men generous, loving and + noble? + </p> + <p> + Is it well to teach children that God tortured the innocent cattle of the + Egyptians—bruised them to death with hailstones—on account of + the sins of Pharoah? + </p> + <p> + Does it make us merciful to believe that God killed the firstborn of the + Egyptians—the firstborn of the poor and suffering people—of + the poor girl working at the mill—because of the wickedness of the + king? + </p> + <p> + Can we believe that the gods of Egypt worked miracles? Did they change + water into blood, and sticks into serpents? + </p> + <p> + In Exodus there is not one original thought or line of value. + </p> + <p> + We know, if we know anything, that this book was written by savages—savages + who believed in slavery, polygamy and wars of extermination. We know that + the story told is impossible, and that the miracles were never performed. + This book admits that there are other gods besides Jehovah. In the 17th + chapter is this verse: "Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods, + for, in the thing wherein they dealt proudly, he was above them." + </p> + <p> + So, in this blessed book is taught the duty of human sacrifice—the + sacrifice of babes. + </p> + <p> + In the 22d chapter is this command: "Thou shalt not delay to offer the + first of thy ripe fruits and of thy liquors: the first-born of thy sons + thou shalt give unto me." + </p> + <p> + Has Exodus been a help or a hindrance to the human race? + </p> + <p> + Take from Exodus the laws common to all nations, and is there anything of + value left? + </p> + <p> + Is there anything in Leviticus of importance? Is there a chapter worth + reading? What interest have we in the clothes of priests, the curtains and + candles of the tabernacle, the tongs and shovels of the altar or the + hair-oil used by the Levites? + </p> + <p> + Of what use the cruel code, the frightful punishments, the curses, the + falsehoods and the miracles of this ignorant and infamous book? + </p> + <p> + And what is there in the book of Numbers—with its sacrifices and + water of jealousy, with its shew-bread and spoons, its kids and fine + flour, its oil and candlesticks, its cucumbers, onions and manna—to + assist and instruct mankind? What interest have we in the rebellion of + Korah, the water of separation, the ashes of a red heifer, the brazen + serpent, the water that followed the people uphill and down for forty + years, and the inspired donkey of the prophet Balaam? Have these + absurdities and cruelties—these childish, savage superstitions—helped + to civilize the world? + </p> + <p> + Is there anything in Joshua—with its wars, its murders and + massacres, its swords dripping with the blood of mothers and babes, its + tortures, maimings and mutilations, its fraud and fury, its hatred and + revenge—calculated to improve the world? + </p> + <p> + Does not every chapter shock the heart of a good man? Is it a book to be + read by children? + </p> + <p> + The book of Joshua is as merciless as famine, as ferocious as the heart of + a wild beast. It is a history—a justification—a sanctification + of nearly every crime. + </p> + <p> + The book of Judges is about the same, nothing but war and bloodshed; the + horrible story of Jael and Sisera; of Gideon and his trumpets and + pitchers; of Jephtha and his daughter, whom he murdered to please Jehovah. + </p> + <p> + Here we find the story of Samson, in which a sun-god is changed to a + Hebrew giant. + </p> + <p> + Read this book of Joshua—read of the slaughter of women, of wives, + of mothers and babes—read its impossible miracles, its ruthless + crimes, and all done according to the commands of Jehovah, and tell me + whether this book is calculated to make us forgiving, generous and loving. + </p> + <p> + I admit that the history of Ruth is in some respects a beautiful and + touching story; that it is naturally told, and that her love for Naomi was + deep and pure. But in the matter of courtship we would hardly advise our + daughters to follow the example of Ruth. Still, we must remember that Ruth + was a widow. + </p> + <p> + Is there anything worth reading in the first and second books of Samuel? + Ought a prophet of God to hew a captured king in pieces? Is the story of + the ark, its capture and return of importance to us? Is it possible that + it was right, just and merciful to kill fifty thousand men because they + had looked into a box? Of what use to us are the wars of Saul and David, + the stories of Goliath and the Witch of Endor? Why should Jehovah have + killed Uzzah for putting forth his hand to steady the ark, and forgiven + David for murdering Uriah and stealing his wife? + </p> + <p> + According to "Samuel," David took a census of the people. This excited the + wrath of Jehovah, and as a punishment he allowed David to choose seven + years of famine, a flight of three months from pursuing enemies, or three + days of pestilence. David, having confidence in God, chose the three days + of pestilence; and, thereupon, God, the compassionate, on account of the + sin of David, killed seventy thousand innocent men! + </p> + <p> + Under the same circumstances, what would a devil have done? + </p> + <p> + Is there anything in First and Second Kings that suggests the idea of + inspiration? + </p> + <p> + When David is dying he tells his son Solomon to murder Joab—not to + let his hoar head go down to the grave in peace. With his last breath he + commands his son to bring down the hoar head of Shimei to the grave with + blood. Having uttered these merciful words, the good David, the man after + God's heart, slept with his fathers. + </p> + <p> + Was it necessary to inspire the man who wrote the history of the building + of the temple, the story of the visit of the Queen of Sheba, or to tell + the number of Solomon's wives? + </p> + <p> + What care we for the withering of Jereboam's hand, the prophecy of Jehu, + or the story of Elijah and the ravens? + </p> + <p> + Can we believe that Elijah brought flames from heaven, or that he went at + last to Paradise in a chariot of fire? + </p> + <p> + Can we believe in the multiplication of the widow's oil by Elisha, that an + army was smitten with blindness, or that an axe floated in the water? + </p> + <p> + Does it civilize us to read about the beheading of the seventy sons of + Ahab, the putting out of the eyes of Zedekiah and the murder of his sons? + Is there one word in First and Second Kings calculated to make men better? + </p> + <p> + First and Second Chronicles is but a re-telling of what is told in First + and Second Kings. The same old stories—a little left out, a little + added, but in no respect made better or worse. + </p> + <p> + The book of Ezra is of no importance. He tells us that Cyrus, King of + Persia, issued a proclamation for building a temple at Jerusalem, and that + he declared Jehovah to be the real and only God. + </p> + <p> + Nothing could be more absurd. Ezra tells us about the return from + captivity, the building of the temple, the dedication, a few prayers, and + this is all. This book is of no importance, of no use. + </p> + <p> + Nehemiah is about the same, only it tells of the building of the wall, the + complaints of the people about taxes, a list of those who returned from + Babylon, a catalogue of those who dwelt at Jerusalem, and the dedication + of the walls. + </p> + <p> + Not a word in Nehemiah worth reading. + </p> + <p> + Then comes the book of Esther: + </p> + <p> + In this we are told that King Ahasueras was intoxicated; that he sent for + his Queen, Vashti, to come and show herself to him and his guests. Vashti + refused to appear. + </p> + <p> + This maddened the king, and he ordered that from every province the most + beautiful girls should be brought before him that he might choose one in + place of Vashti. + </p> + <p> + Among others was brought Esther, a Jewess. She was chosen and became the + wife of the king. Then a gentleman by the name of Haman wanted to have all + the Jews killed, and the king, not knowing that Esther was of that race, + signed a decree that all the Jews should be killed. + </p> + <p> + Through the efforts of Mordecai and Esther the decree was annulled and the + Jews were saved. + </p> + <p> + Haman prepared a gallows on which to have Mordecai hanged, but the good + Esther so managed matters that Haman and his ten sons were hanged on the + gallows that Haman had built, and the Jews were allowed to murder more + than seventy-five thousand of the king's subjects. + </p> + <p> + This is the inspired story of Esther. + </p> + <p> + In the book of Job we find some elevated sentiments, some sublime and + foolish thoughts, something of the wonder and sublimity of nature, the + joys and sorrows of life; but the story is infamous. + </p> + <p> + Some of the Psalms are good, many are indifferent, and a few are infamous. + In them are mingled the vices and virtues. There are verses that elevate, + verses that degrade. There are prayers for forgiveness and revenge. In the + literature of the world there is nothing more heartless, more infamous, + than the 109th Psalm. + </p> + <p> + In the Proverbs there is much shrewdness, many pithy and prudent maxims, + many wise sayings. The same ideas are expressed in many ways—the + wisdom of economy and silence, the dangers of vanity and idleness. Some + are trivial, some are foolish, and many are wise. These proverbs are not + generous—not altruistic. Sayings to the same effect are found among + all nations. + </p> + <p> + Ecclesiastes is the most thoughtful book in the Bible. It was written by + an unbeliever—a philosopher—an agnostic. Take out the + interpolations, and it is in accordance with the thought of the nineteenth + century. In this book are found the most philosophic and poetic passages + in the Bible. + </p> + <p> + After crossing the desert of death and crime—after reading the + Pentateuch, Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings and Chronicles—it is + delightful to reach this grove of palms, called the "Song of Solomon." A + drama of love—of human love; a poem without Jehovah—a poem + born of the heart and true to the divine instincts of the soul. + </p> + <p> + "I sleep, but my heart waketh." + </p> + <p> + Isaiah is the work of several. Its swollen words, its vague imagery, its + prophecies and curses, its ravings against kings and nations, its laughter + at the wisdom of man, its hatred of joy, have not the slightest tendency + to increase the well-being of man. + </p> + <p> + In this book is recorded the absurdest of all miracles. The shadow on the + dial is turned back ten degrees, in order to satisfy Hezekiah that Jehovah + will add fifteen years to his life. + </p> + <p> + In this miracle the world, turning from west to east at the rate of more + than a thousand miles an hour, is not only stopped, but made to turn the + other way until the shadow on the dial went back ten degrees! Is there in + the whole world an intelligent man or woman who believes this impossible + falsehood? + </p> + <p> + Jeremiah contains nothing of importance—no facts of value; nothing + but fault-finding, lamentations, croakings, wailings, curses and promises; + nothing but famine and prayer, the prosperity of the wicked, the ruin of + the Jews, the captivity and return, and at last Jeremiah, the traitor, in + the stocks and in prison. + </p> + <p> + And Lamentations is simply a continuance of the ravings of the same insane + pessimist; nothing but dust and sackcloth and ashes, tears and howls, + railings and revilings. + </p> + <p> + And Ezekiel—eating manuscripts, prophesying siege and desolation, + with visions of coals of fire, and cherubim, and wheels with eyes, and the + type and figure of the boiling pot, and the resurrection of dry bones—is + of no use, of no possible value. + </p> + <p> + With Voltaire, I say that any one who admires Ezekiel should be compelled + to dine with him. + </p> + <p> + Daniel is a disordered dream—a nightmare. + </p> + <p> + What can be made of this book with its image with a golden head, with + breast and arms of silver, with belly and thighs of brass, with legs of + iron, and with feet of iron and clay; with its writing on the wall, its + den of lions, and its vision of the ram and goat? + </p> + <p> + Is there anything to be learned from Hosea and his wife? Is there anything + of use in Joel, in Amos, in Obadiah? Can we get any good from Jonah and + his gourd? Is it possible that God is the real author of Micah and Nahum, + of Habakkuk and Zephaniah, of Haggai and Malachi and Zechariah, with his + red horses, his four horns, his four carpenters, his flying roll, his + mountains of brass and the stone with four eyes? + </p> + <p> + Is there anything in these "inspired" books that has been of benefit to + man? + </p> + <p> + Have they taught us how to cultivate the earth, to build houses, to weave + cloth, to prepare food? Have they taught us to paint pictures, to chisel + statues, to build bridges, or ships, or anything of beauty or of use? Did + we get our ideas of government, of religious freedom, of the liberty of + thought, from the Old Testament? Did we get from any of these books a hint + of any science? Is there in the "sacred volume" a word, a line, that has + added to the wealth, the intelligence and the happiness of mankind? Is + there one of the books of the Old Testament as entertaining as "Robinson + Crusoe," "The Travels of Gulliver," or "Peter Wilkins and his Flying + Wife"? Did the author of Genesis know as much about nature as Humboldt, or + Darwin, or Haeckel? Is what is called the Mosaic Code as wise or as + merciful as the code of any civilized nation? Were the writers of Kings + and Chronicles as great historians, as great writers, as Gibbon and + Draper? Is Jeremiah, or Habakkuk equal to Dickens or Thackeray? Can the + authors of Job and the Psalms be compared with Shakespeare? Why should we + attribute the best to man and the worst to God? + </p> + <p> + V. WAS JEHOVAH A GOD OF LOVE? + </p> + <p> + Did these words come from the heart of love?— + </p> + <p> + "When the Lord thy God shall drive them before thee, thou shalt smite them + and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, or show + mercy unto them." + </p> + <p> + "I will heap mischief upon them. I will send mine arrows upon them; they + shall be burned with hunger and devoured with burning heat and with bitter + destruction." + </p> + <p> + "I will send the tooth of beasts upon them, with the poison of serpents of + the dust." + </p> + <p> + "The sword without, and terror within, shall destroy both the young man + and the virgin; the suckling also with the man of gray hairs." + </p> + <p> + "Let his children be fatherless and his wife a widow; let his children be + continually vagabonds and beg; let them seek their bread also out of their + desolate places; let the extortioner catch all that he hath, and let the + stranger spoil his labor; let there be none to extend mercy unto him, + neither let there be any to favor his fatherless children." + </p> + <p> + "And thou shalt eat the fruit of thine own body—the flesh of thy + sons and daughters." + </p> + <p> + "And the heaven that is over thee shall be brass, and the earth that is + under thee shall be iron." + </p> + <p> + "Cursed shalt thou be in the city, and cursed shalt thou be in the field." + </p> + <p> + "I will make my arrows drunk with blood." + </p> + <p> + "I will laugh at their calamity.". + </p> + <p> + Did these curses, these threats, come from the heart of love or from the + mouth of savagery? + </p> + <p> + Was Jehovah god or devil? + </p> + <p> + Why should we place Jehovah above all the gods? + </p> + <p> + Has man in his ignorance and fear ever imagined a greater monster? + </p> + <p> + Have the barbarians of any land, in any time, worshiped a more heartless + god? + </p> + <p> + Brahma was a thousand times nobler, and so was Osiris and Zeus and + Jupiter. So was the supreme god of the Aztecs, to whom they offered only + the perfume of flowers. The worst god of the Hindus, with his necklace of + skulls and his bracelets of living snakes, was kind and merciful compared + with Jehovah. + </p> + <p> + Compared with Marcus Aurelius, how small Jehovah seems. Compared with + Abraham Lincoln, how cruel, how contemptible, is this god. + </p> + <p> + VI. JEHOVAH'S ADMINISTRATION. + </p> + <p> + HE created the world, the hosts of heaven, a man and woman—placed + them in a garden. Then the serpent deceived them, and they were cast out + and made to earn their bread. + </p> + <p> + Jehovah had been thwarted. + </p> + <p> + Then he tried again. He went on for about sixteen hundred years trying to + civilize the people. + </p> + <p> + No schools, no churches, no Bible, no tracts—nobody taught to read + or write. No Ten Commandments. The people grew worse and worse, until the + merciful Jehovah sent the flood and drowned all the people except Noah and + his family, eight in all. + </p> + <p> + Then he started again, and changed their diet. At first Adam and Eve were + vegetarians. After the flood Jehovah said: "Every moving thing that liveth + shall be meat for you"—snakes and buzzards. + </p> + <p> + Then he failed again, and at the Tower of Babel he dispersed and scattered + the people. + </p> + <p> + Finding that he could not succeed with all the people, he thought he would + try a few, so he selected Abraham and his descendants. Again he failed, + and his chosen people were captured by the Egyptians and enslaved for four + hundred years. + </p> + <p> + Then he tried again—rescued them from Pharaoh and started for + Palestine. + </p> + <p> + Then he changed their diet, allowing them to eat only the beasts that + parted the hoof and chewed the cud. Again he failed. The people hated him, + and preferred the slavery of Egypt to the freedom of Jehovah. So he kept + them wandering until nearly all who came from Egypt had died. Then he + tried again—took them into Palestine and had them governed by + judges. + </p> + <p> + This, too, was a failure—no schools, no Bible. Then he tried kings, + and the kings were mostly idolaters. + </p> + <p> + Then the chosen people were conquered and carried into captivity by the + Babylonians. + </p> + <p> + Another failure. + </p> + <p> + Then they returned, and Jehovah tried prophets—howlers and wailers—but + the people grew worse and worse. No schools, no sciences, no arts, no + commerce. Then Jehovah took upon himself flesh, was born of a woman, and + lived among the people that he had been trying to civilize for several + thousand years. Then these people, following the law that Jehovah had + given them in the wilderness, charged this Jehovah-man—this Christ—with + blasphemy; tried, convicted and killed him. + </p> + <p> + Jehovah had failed again. + </p> + <p> + Then he deserted the Jews and turned his attention to the rest of the + world. + </p> + <p> + And now the Jews, deserted by Jehovah, persecuted by Christians, are the + most prosperous people on the earth. Again has Jehovah failed. + </p> + <p> + What an administration! + </p> + <p> + VII. THE NEW TESTAMENT. + </p> + <p> + WHO wrote the New Testament? + </p> + <p> + Christian scholars admit that they do not know. They admit that, if the + four gospels were written by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, they must have + been written in Hebrew. And yet a Hebrew manuscript of any one of these + gospels has never been found. All have been and are in Greek. So, educated + theologians admit that the Epistles, James and Jude, were written by + persons who had never seen one of the four gospels. In these Epistles—in + James and Jude—no reference is made to any of the gospels, nor to + any miracle recorded in them. + </p> + <p> + The first mention that has been found of one of our gospels was made about + one hundred and eighty years after the birth of Christ, and the four + gospels were first named and quoted from at the beginning of the third + century, about one hundred and seventy years after the death of Christ. + </p> + <p> + We now know that there were many other gospels besides our four, some of + which have been lost. + </p> + <p> + There were the gospels of Paul, of the Egyptians, of the Hebrews, of + Perfection, of Judas, of Thaddeus, of the Infancy, of Thomas, of Mary, of + Andrew, of Nicodemus, of Marcion and several others. + </p> + <p> + So there were the Acts of Pilate, of Andrew, of Mary, of Paul and Thecla + and of many others; also a book called the Shepherd of Hermas. + </p> + <p> + At first not one of all the books was considered as inspired. The Old + Testament was regarded as di vine; but the books that now constitute the + New Testament were regarded as human productions. We now know that we do + not know who wrote the four gospels. + </p> + <p> + The question is, Were the authors of these four gospels inspired? + </p> + <p> + If they were inspired, then the four gospels must be true. If they are + true, they must agree. + </p> + <p> + The four gospels do not agree. + </p> + <p> + Matthew, Mark and Luke knew nothing of the atonement, nothing of salvation + by faith. They knew only the gospel of good deeds—of charity. They + teach that if we forgive others God will forgive us. + </p> + <p> + With this the gospel of John does not agree. + </p> + <p> + In that gospel we are taught that we must believe on the Lord Jesus + Christ; that we must be born again; that we must drink the blood and eat + the flesh of Christ. In this gospel we find the doctrine of the atonement + and that Christ died for us and suffered in our place. + </p> + <p> + This gospel is utterly at variance with, the other three. If the other + three are true, the gospel of John is false. If the gospel of John was + written by an inspired man, the writers of the other three were + uninspired. From this there is no possible escape. The four cannot be + true. + </p> + <p> + It is evident that there are many interpolations in the four gospels. + </p> + <p> + For instance, in the 28th chapter of Matthew is an account to the effect + that the soldiers at the tomb of Christ were bribed to say that the + disciples of Jesus stole away his body while they, the soldiers, slept. + </p> + <p> + This is clearly an interpolation. It is a break in the narrative. + </p> + <p> + The 10th verse should be followed by the 16th. The 10th verse is as + follows: + </p> + <p> + "Then Jesus said unto them, 'Be not afraid; go tell my brethren that they + go unto Galilee and there shall they see me.'" + </p> + <p> + The 16th verse: + </p> + <p> + "Then the eleven disciples went away unto Galilee into a mountain, where + Jesus had appointed them." + </p> + <p> + The story about the soldiers contained in the 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th and + 15th verses is an interpolation—an afterthought—long after. + The 15th verse demonstrates this. + </p> + <p> + Fifteenth verse: "So they took the money and did as they were taught. And + this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day." + </p> + <p> + Certainly this account was not in the original gospel, and certainly the + 15th verse was not written by a Jew. No Jew could have written this: "And + this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day." + </p> + <p> + Mark, John and Luke never heard that the soldiers had been bribed by the + priests; or, if they had, did not think it worth while recording. So the + accounts of the Ascension of Jesus Christ in Mark and Luke are + interpolations. Matthew says nothing about the Ascension. + </p> + <p> + Certainly there never was a greater miracle, and yet Matthew, who was + present—who saw the Lord rise, ascend and disappear—did not + think it worth mentioning. + </p> + <p> + On the other hand, the last words of Christ, according to Matthew, + contradict the Ascension: "Lo I am with you always, even unto the end of + the world." John, who was present, if Christ really ascended, says not one + word on the subject. + </p> + <p> + As to the Ascension, the gospels do not agree. Mark gives the last + conversation that Christ had with his disciples, as follows: + </p> + <p> + "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He that + believeth and is baptised shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall + be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe: In my name + shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues. They shall + take up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt + them; they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover. So, then, + after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven and + sat on the right hand of God." + </p> + <p> + Is it possible that this description was written by one who witnessed this + miracle? + </p> + <p> + This miracle is described by Luke as follows: "And it came to pass while + he blessed them he was parted from them and carried up into heaven." + </p> + <p> + "Brevity is the soul of wit." + </p> + <p> + In the Acts we are told that: "When he had spoken, while they beheld, he + was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight." + </p> + <p> + Neither Luke, nor Matthew, nor John, nor the writer of the Acts, heard one + word of the conversation attributed to Christ by Mark. The fact is that + the Ascension of Christ was not claimed by his disciples. + </p> + <p> + At first Christ was a man—nothing more. Mary was his mother, Joseph + his father. The genealogy of his father, Joseph, was given to show that he + was of the blood of David. + </p> + <p> + Then the claim was made that he was the son of God, and that his mother + was a virgin, and that she remained a virgin until her death. + </p> + <p> + Then the claim was made that Christ rose from the dead and ascended bodily + to heaven. + </p> + <p> + It required many years for these absurdities to take possession of the + minds of men. + </p> + <p> + If Christ rose from the dead, why did he not appear to his enemies? Why + did he not call on Caiaphas, the high priest? Why did he not make another + triumphal entry into Jerusalem? + </p> + <p> + If he really ascended, why did he not do so in public, in the presence of + his persecutors? Why should this, the greatest of miracles, be done in + secret, in a corner? + </p> + <p> + It was a miracle that could have been seen by a vast multitude—a + miracle that could not be simulated—one that would have convinced + hundreds of thousands. + </p> + <p> + After the story of the Resurrection, the Ascension became a necessity. + They had to dispose of the body. + </p> + <p> + So there are many other interpolations in the gospels and epistles. + </p> + <p> + Again I ask: Is the New Testament true? Does anybody now believe that at + the birth of Christ there was a celestial greeting; that a star led the + Wise Men of the Bast; that Herod slew the babes of Bethlehem of two years + old and under? + </p> + <p> + The gospels are filled with accounts of miracles. Were they ever + performed? + </p> + <p> + Matthew gives the particulars of about twenty-two miracles, Mark of about + nineteen, Luke of about eighteen and John of about seven. + </p> + <p> + According to the gospels, Christ healed diseases, cast out devils, rebuked + the sea, cured the blind, fed multitudes with five loaves and two fishes, + walked on the sea, cursed a fig tree, turned water into wine and raised + the dead. + </p> + <p> + Matthew is the only one that tells about the Star and the Wise Men—the + only one that tells about the murder of babes. + </p> + <p> + John is the only one who says anything about the resurrection of Lazarus, + and Luke is the only one giving an account of the raising from the dead + the widow of Nain's son. + </p> + <p> + How is it possible to substantiate these miracles? + </p> + <p> + The Jews, among whom they were said to have been performed, did not + believe them. The diseased, the palsied, the leprous, the blind who were + cured, did not become followers of Christ. Those that were raised from the + dead were never heard of again. + </p> + <p> + Does any intelligent man believe in the existence of devils? The writer of + three of the gospels certainly did. John says nothing about Christ having + cast out devils, but Matthew, Mark and Luke give many instances. + </p> + <p> + Does any natural man now believe that Christ cast out devils? If his + disciples said he did, they were mistaken. If Christ said he did, he was + insane or an impostor. + </p> + <p> + If the accounts of casting out devils are false, then the writers were + ignorant or dishonest. If they wrote through ignorance, then they were not + inspired. If they wrote what they knew to be false, they were not + inspired. If what they wrote is untrue, whether they knew it or not, they + were not inspired. + </p> + <p> + At that time it was believed that palsy, epilepsy, deafness, insanity and + many other diseases were caused by devils; that devils took possession of + and lived in the bodies of men and women. Christ believed this, taught + this belief to others, and pretended to cure diseases by casting devils + out of the sick and insane. We know now, if we know anything, that + diseases are not caused by the presence of devils. We know, if we know + anything, that devils do not reside in the bodies of men. + </p> + <p> + If Christ said and did what the writers of the three gospels say he said + and did, then Christ was mistaken. If he was mistaken, certainly he was + not God. And if he was mistaken, certainly he was not inspired. + </p> + <p> + Is it a fact that the Devil tried to bribe Christ? + </p> + <p> + Is it a fact that the Devil carried Christ to the top of the temple and + tried to induce him to leap to the ground? + </p> + <p> + How can these miracles be established? + </p> + <p> + The principals have written nothing, Christ has written nothing, and the + Devil has remained silent. + </p> + <p> + How can we know that the Devil tried to bribe Christ? Who wrote the + account? We do not know. How did the writer get his information? We do not + know. + </p> + <p> + Somebody, some seventeen hundred years ago, said that the Devil tried to + bribe God; that the Devil carried God to the top of the temple and tried + to induce him to leap to the earth and that God was intellectually too + keen for the Devil. + </p> + <p> + This is all the evidence we have. + </p> + <p> + Is there anything in the literature of the world more perfectly idiotic? + </p> + <p> + Intelligent people no longer believe in witches, wizards, spooks and + devils, and they are perfectly satisfied that every word in the New + Testament about casting out devils is utterly false. + </p> + <p> + Can we believe that Christ raised the dead? + </p> + <p> + A widow living in Nain is following the body of her son to the tomb. + Christ halts the funeral procession and raises the young man from the dead + and gives him back to the arms of his mother. + </p> + <p> + This young man disappears. He is never heard of again. No one takes the + slightest interest in the man who returned from the realm of death. Luke + is the only one who tells the story. Maybe Matthew, Mark and John never + heard of it, or did not believe it and so failed to record it. + </p> + <p> + John says that Lazarus was raised from the dead; Matthew, Mark and Luke + say nothing about it. + </p> + <p> + It was more wonderful than the raising of the widow's son. He had not been + laid in the tomb for days. He was only on his way to the grave, but + Lazarus was actually dead. He had begun to decay. + </p> + <p> + Lazarus did not excite the least interest. No one asked him about the + other world. No one inquired of him about their dead friends. + </p> + <p> + When he died the second time no one said: "He is not afraid. He has + traveled that road twice and knows just where he is going." + </p> + <p> + We do not believe in the miracles of Mohammed, and yet they are as well + attested as this. We have no confidence in the miracles performed by + Joseph Smith, and yet the evidence is far greater, far better. + </p> + <p> + If a man should go about now pretending to raise the dead, pretending to + cast out devils, we would regard him as insane. What, then, can we say of + Christ? If we wish to save his reputation we are compelled to say that he + never pretended to raise the dead; that he never claimed to have cast out + devils. + </p> + <p> + We must take the ground that these ignorant and impossible things were + invented by zealous disciples, who sought to deify their leader. + </p> + <p> + In those ignorant days these falsehoods added to the fame of Christ. But + now they put his character in peril and belittle the authors of the + gospels. + </p> + <p> + Can we now believe that water was changed into wine? John tells of this + childish miracle, and says that the other disciples were present, yet + Matthew, Mark and Luke say nothing about it. + </p> + <p> + 'Take the miracle of the man cured by the pool of Bethseda. John says that + an angel troubled the waters of the pool of Bethseda, and that whoever got + into the pool first after the waters were troubled was healed. + </p> + <p> + Does anybody now believe that an angel went into the pool and troubled the + waters? Does anybody now think that the poor wretch who got in first was + healed? Yet the author of the gospel according to John believed and + asserted these absurdities. If he was mistaken about that he may have been + about all the miracles he records. + </p> + <p> + John is the only one who tells about this pool of Bethseda. Possibly the + other disciples did not believe the story. + </p> + <p> + How can we account for these pretended miracles? + </p> + <p> + In the days of the disciples, and for many centuries after, the world was + filled with the supernatural. Nearly everything that happened was regarded + as miraculous. God was the immediate governor of the world. If the people + were good, God sent seed time and harvest; but if they were bad he sent + flood and hail, frost and famine. If anything wonderful happened it was + exaggerated until it became a miracle. + </p> + <p> + Of the order of events—of the unbroken and the unbreakable chain of + causes and effects—the people had no knowledge and no thought. + </p> + <p> + A miracle is the badge and brand of fraud. No miracle ever was performed. + No intelligent, honest man ever pretended to perform a miracle, and never + will. + </p> + <p> + If Christ had wrought the miracles attributed to him; if he had cured the + palsied and insane; if he had given hearing to the deaf, vision to the + blind; if he had cleansed the leper with a word, and with a touch had + given life and feeling to the withered limb; if he had given pulse and + motion, warmth and thought, to cold and breathless clay; if he had + conquered death and rescued from the grave its pallid prey—no word + would have been uttered, no hand raised, except in praise and honor. In + his presence all heads would have been uncovered—all knees upon the + ground. + </p> + <p> + Is it not strange that at the trial of Christ no one was found to say a + word in his favor? No man stood forth and said: "I was a leper, and this + man cured me with a touch." No woman said: "I am the widow of Nain and + this is my son whom this man raised from the dead." + </p> + <p> + No man said: "I was blind, and this man gave me sight." + </p> + <p> + All silent + </p> + <p> + VIII. THE PHILOSOPHY OF CHRIST + </p> + <p> + MILLIONS assert that the philosophy of Christ is perfect—that he was + the wisest that ever littered speech. + </p> + <p> + Let us see: + </p> + <p> + <i>Resist not evil. If smitten on one cheek turn the other</i>. + </p> + <p> + Is there any philosophy, any wisdom in this? Christ takes from goodness, + from virtue, from the truth, the right of self-defence. Vice becomes the + master of the world, and the good become the victims of the infamous. + </p> + <p> + No man has the right to protect himself, his property, his wife and + children. Government becomes impossible, and the world is at the mercy of + criminals. Is there any absurdity beyond this? + </p> + <p> + <i>Love your enemies</i>. + </p> + <p> + Is this possible? Did any human being ever love his enemies? Did Christ + love his, when he denounced them as whited sepulchers, hypocrites and + vipers? + </p> + <p> + We cannot love those who hate us. Hatred in the hearts of others does not + breed love in ours. Not to resist evil is absurd; to love your enemies is + impossible. + </p> + <p> + <i>Take no thought for the morrow</i>. + </p> + <p> + The idea was that God would take care of us as he did of sparrows and + lilies. Is there the least sense in that belief? + </p> + <p> + Does God take care of anybody? + </p> + <p> + Can we live without taking thought for the morrow? To plow, to sow, to + cultivate, to harvest, is to take thought for the morrow. We plan and work + for the future, for our children, for the unborn generations to come. + Without this forethought there could be no progress, no civilization. The + world would go back to the caves and dens of savagery. + </p> + <p> + <i>If thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out. If thy right hand offend + thee, cut it off.</i> + </p> + <p> + Why? Because it is better that one of our members should perish than that + the whole body should be cast into hell. + </p> + <p> + Is there any wisdom in putting out your eyes or cutting off your hands? Is + it possible to extract from these extravagant sayings the smallest grain + of common sense? + </p> + <p> + <i>Swear not at all; neither by Heaven, for it is God's throne; nor by the + Earth, for it is his footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is his holy city.</i> + </p> + <p> + Here we find the astronomy and geology of Christ. Heaven is the throne of + God, the monarch; the earth is his footstool. A footstool that turns over + at the rate of a thousand miles an hour, and sweeps through space at the + rate of over a thousand miles a minute! + </p> + <p> + Where did Christ think heaven was? Why was Jerusalem a holy city? Was it + because the inhabitants were ignorant, cruel and superstitious? + </p> + <p> + <i>If any man will sue thee at the law and take away thy coat let him have + thy cloak also</i>. + </p> + <p> + Is there any philosophy, any good sense, in that commandment? Would it not + be just as sensible to say: "If a man obtains a judgment against you for + one hundred dollars, give him two hundred." + </p> + <p> + Only the insane could give or follow this advice. + </p> + <p> + <i>Think not I am come to send peace on earth. I came not to send peace, + but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, + and the daughter against her mother.</i> + </p> + <p> + If this is true, how much better it would have been had he remained away. + </p> + <p> + Is it possible that he who said, "Resist not evil," came to bring a sword? + That he who said, "Love your enemies," came to destroy the peace of the + world? + </p> + <p> + To set father against son, and daughter against father—what a + glorious mission! + </p> + <p> + He did bring a sword, and the sword was wet for a thousand years with + innocent blood. In millions of hearts he sowed the seeds of hatred and + revenge. He divided nations and families, put out the light of reason, and + petrified the hearts of men. + </p> + <p> + <i>And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or + father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, + shall receive an hundredfold, shall inherit everlasting life.</i> + </p> + <p> + According to the writer of Matthew, Christ, the compassionate, the + merciful, uttered these terrible words. Is it possible that Christ offered + the bribe of eternal joy to those who would desert their fathers, their + mothers, their wives and children? Are we to win the happiness of heaven + by deserting the ones we love? Is a home to be ruined here for the sake of + a mansion there? + </p> + <p> + And yet it is said that Christ is an example for all the world. Did he + desert his father and mother? He said, speaking to his mother: "Woman, + what have I to do with, thee?" + </p> + <p> + The Pharisees said unto Christ: "Is it lawful to pay tribute unto Cæsar?" + </p> + <p> + Christ said: "Show me the tribute money." They brought him a penny. And he + saith unto them: "Whose is the image and the superscription?" They said: + "Cæsar's." And Christ said: "Render unto Cæsar the things that + are Cæsar's." + </p> + <p> + Did Christ think that the money belonged to Cæsar because his image + and superscription were stamped upon it? Did the penny belong to Cæsar + or to the man who had earned it? Had Cæsar the right to demand it + because it was adorned with his image? + </p> + <p> + Does it appear from this conversation that Christ understood the real + nature and use of money? + </p> + <p> + Can we now say that Christ was the greatest of philosophers? + </p> + <p> + IX. IS CHRIST OUR EXAMPLE? + </p> + <p> + HE never said a word in favor of education. He never even hinted at the + existence of any science. He never uttered a word in favor of industry, + economy or of any effort to better our condition in this world. He was the + enemy of the successful, of the wealthy. Dives was sent to hell, not + because he was bad, but because he was rich. Lazarus went to heaven, not + because he was good, but because he was poor. + </p> + <p> + Christ cared nothing for painting, for sculpture, for music—nothing + for any art. He said nothing about the duties of nation to nation, of king + to subject; nothing about the rights of man; nothing about intellectual + liberty or the freedom of speech. He said nothing about the sacredness of + home; not one word for the fireside; not a word in favor of marriage, in + honor of maternity. + </p> + <p> + He never married. He wandered homeless from place to place with a few + disciples. None of them seem to have been engaged in any useful business, + and they seem to have lived on alms. . + </p> + <p> + All human ties were held in contempt; this world was sacrificed for the + next; all human effort was discouraged. God would support and protect. + </p> + <p> + At last, in the dusk of death, Christ, finding that he was mistaken, cried + out: "My God! My God! Why hast thou forsaken me?" + </p> + <p> + We have found that man must depend on himself. He must clear the land; he + must build the home; he must plow and plant; he must invent; he must work + with hand and brain; he must overcome the difficulties and obstructions; + he must conquer and enslave the forces of nature to the end that they may + do the work of the world. + </p> + <p> + X. WHY SHOULD WE PLACE CHRIST AT THE TOP AND SUMMIT OF THE HUMAN RACE? + </p> + <p> + AS he kinder, more forgiving, more self-sacrificing than Buddha? Was he + wiser, did he meet death with more perfect calmness, than Socrates? Was he + more patient, more charitable, than Epictetus? Was he a greater + philosopher, a deeper thinker, than Epicurus? In what respect was he the + superior of Zoroaster? Was he gentler than Lao-tsze, more universal than + Confucius? Were his ideas of human rights and duties superior to those of + Zeno? Did he express grander truths than Cicero? Was his mind subtler than + Spinoza's? Was his brain equal to Kepler's or Newton's? Was he grander in + death—a sublimer martyr than Bruno? Was he in intelligence, in the + force and beauty of expression, in breadth and scope of thought, in wealth + of illustration, in aptness of comparison, in knowledge of the human brain + and heart, of all passions, hopes and fears, the equal of Shakespeare, the + greatest of the human race? + </p> + <p> + If Christ was in fact God, he knew all the future. + </p> + <p> + Before Him like a panorama moved the history yet to be. He knew how his + words would be interpreted. He knew what crimes, what horrors, what + infamies, would be committed in his name. He knew that the hungry flames + of persecution would climb around the limbs of countless martyrs. He knew + that thousands and thousands of brave men and women would languish in + dungeons in darkness, filled with pain. He knew that his church would + invent and use instruments of torture; that his followers would appeal to + whip and fagot, to chain and rack. He saw the horizon of the future lurid + with the flames of the auto da fe. He knew what creeds would spring like + poisonous fungi from every text. He saw the ignorant sects waging war + against each other. He saw thousands of men, under the orders of priests, + building prisons for their fellow-men. He saw thousands of scaffolds + dripping with the best and bravest blood. He saw his followers using the + instruments of pain. He heard the groans—saw the faces white with + agony. He heard the shrieks and sobs and cries of all the moaning, + martyred multitudes. He knew that commentaries would be written on his + words with swords, to be read by the light of fagots. He knew that the + Inquisition would be born of the teachings attributed to him. + </p> + <p> + He saw the interpolations and falsehoods that hypocrisy would write and + tell. He saw all wars that would be waged, and-he knew that above these + fields of death, these dungeons, these rackings, these burnings, these + executions, for a thousand years would float the dripping banner of the + cross. + </p> + <p> + He knew that hypocrisy would be robed and crowned—that cruelty and + credulity would rule the world; knew that liberty would perish from the + earth; knew that popes and kings in his name would enslave the souls and + bodies of men; knew that they would persecute and destroy the discoverers, + thinkers and inventors; knew that his church would extinguish reason's + holy light and leave the world without a star. + </p> + <p> + He saw his disciples extinguishing the eyes of men, flaying them alive, + cutting out their tongues, searching for all the nerves of pain. + </p> + <p> + He knew that in his name his followers would trade in human flesh; that + cradles would be robbed and women's breasts unbabed for gold. + </p> + <p> + And yet he died with voiceless lips. + </p> + <p> + Why did he fail to speak? Why did he not tell his disciples, and through + them the world: "You shall not burn, imprison and torture in my name. You + shall not persecute your fellow-men." + </p> + <p> + Why did he not plainly say: "I am the Son of God," or, "I am God"? Why did + he not explain the Trinity? Why did he not tell the mode of baptism that + was pleasing to him? Why did he not write a creed? Why did he not break + the chains of slaves? Why did he not say that the Old Testament was or was + not the inspired word of God? Why did he not write the New Testament + himself? Why did he leave his words to ignorance, hypocrisy and chance? + Why did he not say something positive, definite and satisfactory about + another world? Why did he not turn the tear-stained hope of heaven into + the glad knowledge of another life? Why did he not tell us something of + the rights of man, of the liberty of hand and brain? + </p> + <p> + Why did he go dumbly to his death, leaving the world to misery and to + doubt? + </p> + <p> + I will tell you why. He was a man, and did not know. + </p> + <p> + XI. INSPIRATION + </p> + <p> + NOT before about the third century was it claimed or believed that the + books composing the New Testament were inspired. + </p> + <p> + It will be remembered that there were a great number of books of Gospels, + Epistles and Acts, and that from these the "inspired" ones were selected + by "uninspired" men. + </p> + <p> + Between the "Fathers" there were great differences of opinion as to which + books were inspired; much discussion and plenty of hatred. Many of the + books now deemed spurious were by many of the "Fathers" regarded as + divine, and some now regarded as inspired were believed to be spurious. + Many of the early Christians and some of the "Fathers" repudiated the + Gospel of John, the Epistle to the Hebrews, Jude, James, Peter, and the + Revelation of St. John. On the other hand, many of them regarded the + Gospel of the Hebrews, of the Egyptians, the Preaching ol Peter, the + Shepherd of Hermas, the Epistle of Barnabas, the Pastor of Hermas, the + Revelation of Peter, the Revelation of Paul, the Epistle of Clement, the + Gospel of Nicodemus, inspired Books, equal to the very best. + </p> + <p> + From all these books, and many others, the Christians selected the + inspired ones. + </p> + <p> + The men who did the selecting were ignorant and superstitious. They were + firm believers in the miraculous. They thought that diseases had been + cured by the aprons and handkerchiefs of the apostles, by the bones of the + dead. They believed in the fable of the Phoenix, and that the hyenas + changed their sex every year. + </p> + <p> + Were the men who through many centuries made the selections inspired? Were + they—ignorant, credulous, stupid and malicious—as well + qualified to judge of "inspiration" as the students of our time? How are + we bound by their opinion? Have we not the right to judge for ourselves? + </p> + <p> + Erasmus, one of the leaders of the Reformation, declared that the Epistle + to the Hebrews was not written by Paul, and he denied the inspiration of + Second and Third John, and also of Revelation. Luther was of the same + opinion. He declared James to be an epistle of straw, and denied the + inspiration of Revelation. Zwinglius rejected the book of Revelation, and + even Calvin denied that Paul was the author of Hebrews. + </p> + <p> + The truth is that the Protestants did not agree as to what books are + inspired until 1647, by the Assembly of Westminster. + </p> + <p> + To prove that a book is inspired you must prove the existence of God. You + must also prove that this God thinks, acts, has objects, ends and aims. + This Is somewhat difficult. + </p> + <p> + It is impossible to conceive of an infinite being. Having no conception of + an infinite being, it is impossible to tell whether all the facts we know + tend to prove or disprove the existence of such a being. + </p> + <p> + God is a guess. If the existence of God is admitted, how are we to prove + that he inspired the writers of the books of the Bible? + </p> + <p> + How can one man establish the inspiration of another? How can an inspired + man prove that he is inspired? How can he know himself that he is + inspired? There is no way to prove the fact of inspiration. The only + evidence is the word of some man who could by no possibility know anything + on the Subject. + </p> + <p> + What is inspiration? Did God use men as instruments? Did he cause them to + write his thoughts? Did he take possession of their minds and destroy + their wills? + </p> + <p> + Were these writers only partly controlled, so that their mistakes, their + ignorance and their prejudices were mingled with the wisdom of God? + </p> + <p> + How are we to separate the mistakes of man from the thoughts of God? Can + we do this without being inspired ourselves? If the original writers were + inspired, then the translators should have been, and so should be the men + who tell us what the Bible means. + </p> + <p> + How is it possible for a human being to know that he is inspired by an + infinite being? But of one thing we may be certain: An inspired book + should certainly excel all the books produced by uninspired men. It + should, above all, be true, filled with wisdom, blossoming in beauty—perfect. + </p> + <p> + Ministers wonder how I can be wicked enough to attack the Bible. + </p> + <p> + I will tell them: + </p> + <p> + This book, the Bible, has persecuted, even unto death, the wisest and the + best. This book stayed and stopped the onward movement of the human race. + This book poisoned the fountains of learning and misdirected the energies + of man. + </p> + <p> + This book is the enemy of freedom, the support of slavery. This book sowed + the seeds of hatred in families and nations, fed the flames of war, and + impoverished, the world. This book is the breastwork of kings and tyrants—the + enslaver of women and children. This book has corrupted parliaments and + courts. This book has made colleges and, universities the teachers of + error and the haters of science. This book has filled Christendom with + hateful, cruel, ignorant and warring sects. This book taught men to kill + their fellows for religion's sake. This book founded the Inquisition, + invented the instruments of torture, built the dungeons in which the good + and loving languished, forged the chains that rusted in their flesh, + erected the scaffolds whereon they died. This book piled fagots about the + feet of the just. This book drove reason from the minds of millions and + filled the asylums with the insane. + </p> + <p> + This book has caused fathers and mothers to shed the blood of their babes. + This book was the auction block on which the slave-mother stood when she + was sold from her child. This book filled the sails of the slave-trader + and made merchandise of human flesh. This book lighted the fires that, + burned "witches" and "wizards." This book filled the darkness with ghouls + and ghosts, and the bodies of men and women with devils. This book + polluted the souls of men with the infamous dogma of eternal pain. This + book made credulity the greatest of virtues, and investigation the + greatest of crimes. This book filled nations with hermits, monks and nuns—with + the pious and the useless. This book placed the ignorant and unclean saint + above the philosopher and philanthropist. This book taught man to despise + the joys of this life, that he might be happy in another—to waste + this world for the sake of the next. + </p> + <p> + I attack this book because it is the enemy of human liberty—the + greatest obstruction across the highway of human progress. + </p> + <p> + Let me ask the ministers one question: How can you be wicked enough to + defend this book? + </p> + <p> + XII. THE REAL BIBLE. + </p> + <p> + OR thousands of years men have been writing the real Bible, and it is + being written from day to day, and it will never be finished while man has + life. All the facts that we know, all the truly recorded events, all the + discoveries and inventions, all the wonderful machines whose wheels and + levers seem to think, all the poems, crystals from the brain, flowers from + the heart, all the songs of love and joy, of smiles and tears, the great + dramas of Imagination's world, the wondrous paintings, miracles of form + and color, of light and shade, the marvelous marbles that seem to live and + breathe, the secrets told by rock and star, by dust and flower, by rain + and snow, by frost and flame, by winding stream and desert sand, by + mountain range and billowed sea. + </p> + <p> + All the wisdom that lengthens and ennobles life—all that avoids or + cures disease, or conquers pain—all just and perfect laws and rules + that guide and shape our lives, all thoughts that feed the flames of love, + the music that transfigures, enraptures and enthralls, the victories of + heart and brain, the miracles that hands have wrought, the deft and + cunning hands of those who worked for wife and child, the histories of + noble deeds, of brave and useful men, of faithful loving wives, of + quenchless mother-love, of conflicts for the right, of sufferings for the + truth, of all the best that all the men and women of the world have said, + and thought and done through all the years. + </p> + <p> + These treasures of the heart and brain—these are the Sacred + Scriptures of the human race. + </p> + <div style="height: 6em;"> + <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> + <table summary="" border="3" cellpadding="4"> + <tbody> + <tr> + <td> + <big><big><a + href="http://www.gutenberg.org/files/38813/38813-h/38813-h.htm"> + TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR ALL 12 EBOOKS IN THIS SET</a></big></big> + </td> + <td></td> + </tr> + </tbody> + </table> + <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> + </div> + +<div style='display:block; margin-top:4em'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WORKS OF INGERSOLL ***</div> +<div style='text-align:left'> + +<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> +Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will +be renamed. +</div> + +<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> +Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright +law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, +so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United +States without permission and without paying copyright +royalties. 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