’Why，yes；whoshallconvictGibbonoffalsehood？ManypeoplehaveendeavouredtoconvictGibbonoffalsehood；theyhavefollowedhiminhisresearches，andhaveneverfoundhimoncetripping。Oh，heisawonderfulwriter!hispowerofcondensationisadmirable；theloreofthewholeworldistobefoundinhispages。Sometimesinasinglenotehehasgivenustheresultofthestudyofyears；or，tospeakmetaphorically，“hehasransackedathousandGulistans，andhascondensedallhisfragrantbootyintoasingledropofotto。“’
　　’ButwasnotGibbonanenemytotheChristianfaith？’
　　’Why，no；hewasratheranenemytopriestcraft，soamI；andwhenIsaythephilosophyoftheBibleisinmanyrespectsunsound，I
　　alwayswishtomakeanexceptioninfavourofthatpartofitwhichcontainsthelifeandsayingsofJesusofBethlehem，towhichI
　　mustalwaysconcedemyunqualifiedadmiration-ofJesus，mindyou；
　　forwithhisfollowersandtheirdogmasIhavenothingtodo。OfallhistoriccharactersJesusisthemostbeautifulandthemostheroic。Ihavealwaysbeenafriendtohero-worship，itistheonlyrationalone，andhasalwaysbeeninuseamongstcivilisedpeople-theworshipofspiritsissynonymouswithbarbarism-itismerefetish；thesavagesofWestAfricaareallspirit-
　　worshippers。Butthereissomethingphilosophicintheworshipoftheheroesofthehumanrace，andthetrueheroisthebenefactor。
　　Brahma，Jupiter，Bacchus，wereallbenefactors，and，therefore，entitledtotheworshipoftheirrespectivepeoples。TheCeltsworshippedHesus，whotaughtthemtoplough，ahighlyusefulart。
　　We，whohaveattainedamuchhigherstateofcivilisationthantheCeltseverdid，worshipJesus，thefirstwhoendeavouredtoteachmentobehavedecentlyanddecorouslyunderallcircumstances；whowasthefoeofvengeance，inwhichthereissomethinghighlyindecorous；whohadfirstthecouragetolifthisvoiceagainstthatviolentdogma，“aneyeforaneye“；whoshoutedconquer，butconquerwithkindness；whosaidputupthesword，aviolentunphilosophicweapon；andwhofinallydiedcalmlyanddecorouslyindefenceofhisphilosophy。HemustbeasavagewhodeniesworshiptotheheroofGolgotha。’
　　’Buthewassomethingmorethanahero；hewastheSonofGod，wasn’the？’
　　Theelderlyindividualmadenoimmediateanswer；but，afterafewmorewhiffsfromhispipe，exclaimed，’Come，fillyourglass!HowdoyouadvancewithyourtranslationofTELL’？
　　’Itisnearlyfinished；butIdonotthinkIshallproceedwithit；
　　Ibegintothinktheoriginalsomewhatdull。’
　　’Thereyouarewrong；itisthemasterpieceofSchiller，thefirstofGermanpoets。’
　　’Itmaybeso，’saidtheyouth。’But，prayexcuseme，IdonotthinkveryhighlyofGermanpoetry。IhavelatelybeenreadingShakespeare；and，whenIturnfromhimtotheGermans-eventhebestofthem-theyappearmerepigmies。YouwillpardonthelibertyIperhapstakeinsayingso。’
　　’Ilikethateveryoneshouldhaveanopinionofhisown，’saidtheelderlyindividual；’and，whatismore，declareit。Nothingdispleasesmemorethantoseepeopleassentingtoeverythingthattheyhearsaid；Iatoncecometotheconclusionthattheyareeitherhypocrites，orthereisnothinginthem。But，withrespecttoShakespeare，whomIhavenotreadforthirtyyears，ishenotrathergiventobombast，“cracklingbombast，“asIthinkIhavesaidinoneofmyessays？’
　　’Idaresayheis，’saidtheyouth；’butIcan’thelpthinkinghimthegreatestofallpoets，notevenexceptingHomer。Iwouldsoonerhavewrittenthatseriesofplays，foundedonthefortunesoftheHouseofLancaster，thantheILIADitself。TheeventsdescribedareasloftyasthosesungbyHomerinhisgreatwork，andthecharactersbroughtuponthestagestillmoreinteresting。
　　IthinkHotspurasmuchofaheroasHector，andyoungHenrymoreofamanthanAchilles；andthenthereisthefatknight，thequintessenceoffun，wit，andrascality。FalstaffisacreationbeyondthegeniusevenofHomer。’
　　’YoualmosttemptmetoreadShakespeareagain-buttheGermans？’
　　’Idon’tadmiretheGermans，’saidtheyouth，somewhatexcited。’I
　　don’tadmiretheminanypointofview。Ihaveheardmyfathersaythat，thoughgoodsharpshooters，theycan’tbemuchdependeduponassoldiers；andthatoldSergeantMeredithtoldhimthatMindenwouldneverhavebeenwonbutforthetwoEnglishregiments，whochargedtheFrenchwithfixedbayonets，andsentthemtotheright-
　　aboutindouble-quicktime。Withrespecttopoetry，settingShakespeareandtheEnglishaltogetheraside，IthinkthereisanotherGothicnation，atleast，entitledtodisputewiththemthepalm。Indeed，tomymind，thereismoregenuinepoetrycontainedintheoldDanishbookwhichIcamesostrangelyby，thanhasbeenproducedinGermanyfromtheperiodoftheNiebelungenlaytothepresent。’
　　’Ah，theKoempeViser？’saidtheelderlyindividual，breathingforthanimmensevolumeofsmoke，whichhehadbeencollectingduringthedeclamationofhisyoungcompanion。’Therearesingularthingsinthatbook，Imustconfess；andIthankyouforshowingittome，orratheryourattemptattranslation。IwasstruckwiththatballadofOrmUngarswayne，whogoesbynighttothegrave-hillofhisfathertoseekforcounsel。Andthen，again，thatstrangemelancholySwayneVonved，whoroamsabouttheworldpropoundingpeopleriddles；slayingthosewhocannotanswer，andrewardingthosewhocanwithgoldenbracelets。Wereitnotfortheviolence，Ishouldsaythatballadhasaphilosophictendency。Ithankyouformakingmeacquaintedwiththebook，andIthanktheJewMoushaformakingmeacquaintedwithyou。’
　　’ThatMoushawasastrangecustomer，’saidtheyouth，collectinghimself。
　　’HeWASastrangecustomer，’saidtheelderindividual，breathingforthagentlecloud。’Ilovetoexercisehospitalitytowanderingstrangers，especiallyforeigners；andwhenhecametothisplace，pretendingtoteachGermanandHebrew，Iaskedhimtodinner。
　　Afterthefirstdinner，heaskedmetolendhimfivepounds；IDID
　　lendhimfivepounds。Afterthefifthdinner，heaskedmetolendhimfiftypounds；IdidNOTlendhimthefiftypounds。’
　　’HewasasignorantofGermanasofHebrew，’saidtheyouth；’onwhichaccounthewassoonglad，Isuppose，totransferhispupiltosomeoneelse。’
　　’Hetoldme，’saidtheelderindividual，’thatheintendedtoleaveatownwherehedidnotfindsufficientencouragement；and，atthesametime，expressedregretatbeingobligedtoabandonacertainextraordinarypupil，forwhomhehadaparticularregard。NowI，whohavetaughtmanypeopleGermanfromthelovewhichIbeartoit，andthedesirewhichIfeelthatitshouldbegenerallydiffused，instantlysaidthatIshouldbehappytotakehispupiloffhishands，andaffordhimwhatinstructionIcouldinGerman，for，astoHebrew，Ihavenevertakenmuchinterestinit。Suchwastheoriginofouracquaintance。Youhavebeenanaptscholar。
　　Oflate，however，Ihaveseenlittleofyou-whatisthereason？’
　　Theyouthmadenoanswer。
　　’Youthink，probably，thatyouhavelearnedallIcanteachyou？
　　Well，perhapsyouareright。’
　　’Notso，notso，’saidtheyoungmaneagerly；’beforeIknewyouI
　　knewnothing，andamstillveryignorant；butoflatemyfather’shealthhasbeenverymuchbroken，andherequiresattention；hisspiritsalsohavebecomelow，which，totellyouthetruth，heattributestomymisconduct。HesaysthatIhaveimbibedallkindsofstrangenotionsanddoctrines，whichwill，inallprobability，provemyruin，bothhereandhereafter；which-which-’
　　’Ah!Iunderstand，’saidtheelder，withanothercalmwhiff。’I
　　havealwayshadakindofrespectforyourfather，forthereissomethingremarkableinhisappearance，somethingheroic，andI
　　wouldfainhavecultivatedhisacquaintance；thefeeling，however，hasnotbeenreciprocated。Imethim，theotherday，uptheroad，withhiscaneanddog，andsalutedhim；hedidnotreturnmysalutation。’
　　’Hehascertainopinionsofhisown，’saidtheyouth，’whicharewidelydifferentfromthosewhichhehasheardthatyouprofess。’
　　’Irespectamanforentertaininganopinionofhisown，’saidtheelderlyindividual。’Iholdcertainopinions；butIshouldnotrespectanindividualthemoreforadoptingthem。AllIwishforistolerance，whichImyselfendeavourtopractise。Ihavealwayslovedthetruth，andsoughtit；ifIhavenotfoundit，thegreatermymisfortune。’
　　’Areyouhappy？’saidtheyoungman。
　　’Why，no!And，betweenourselves，itisthatwhichinducesmetodoubtsometimesthetruthofmyopinions。Mylife，uponthewhole，Iconsiderafailure；onwhichaccount，Iwouldnotcounselyou，oranyone，tofollowmyexampletooclosely。Itisgettinglate，andyouhadbetterbegoing，especiallyasyourfather，yousay，isanxiousaboutyou。But，aswemaynevermeetagain，IthinktherearethreethingswhichImaysafelyventuretopressuponyou。Thefirstis，thatthedecenciesandgentlenessesshouldneverbelostsightof，asthepracticeofthedecenciesandgentlenessesisatalltimescompatiblewithindependenceofthoughtandaction。ThesecondthingwhichIwouldwishtoimpressuponyouis，thatthereisalwayssomeeyeuponus；andthatitisimpossibletokeepanythingwedofromtheworld，asitwillassuredlybedivulgedbysomebodyassoonasitishisinteresttodoso。ThethirdthingwhichIwouldwishtopressuponyou-’
　　’Yes，’saidtheyouth，eagerlybendingforward。
　　’Is-’andheretheelderlyindividuallaiddownhispipeuponthetable-’thatitwillbeaswelltogoonimprovingyourselfinGerman!’
　　CHAPTERXXIV
　　Thealehouse-keeper-Compassionfortherich-OldEnglishgentleman-Howisthis？-Madeira-TheGreekParr-Twentylanguages-Whiter’shealth-Aboutthefight-Asportinggentleman-Theflattenednose-Lendusthatpightle-Thesurlynod。