the unseen world and other essays-第26章

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With　the　truth　or　completeness　of　these　views　of　Lessing　we　are　not　here　concerned；　our　business　being　not　to　expound　our　own　opinions；　but　to　indicate　as　clearly　as　possible　Lessing's　position。　Those　who　are　familiar　with　the　general　philosophical　spirit　of　the　present　age；　as　represented　by　writers　otherwise　so　different　as　Littre　and　Sainte…Beuve；　will　best　appreciate　the　power　and　originality　of　these　speculations。　Coming　in　the　last　century；　amid　the　crudities　of　deism；　they　made　a　well…defined　epoch。　They　inaugurated　the　historical　method　of　criticism；　and　they　robbed　the　spirit　of　intolerance　of　its　only　philosophical　excuse　for　existing。　Hitherto　the　orthodox　had　been　intolerant　toward　the　philosophers　because　they　considered　them　heretics；　and　the　philosophers　had　been　intolerant　toward　the　orthodox　because　they　considered　them　fools。　To　Voltaire　it　naturally　seemed　that　a　man　who　could　believe　in　the　reality　of　miracles　must　be　what　in　French　is　expressively　termed　a　sot。　But　henceforth；　to　the　disciple　of　Lessing；　men　of　all　shade　of　opinion　were　but　the　representatives　and　exponents　of　different　phases　in　the　general　evolution　of　human　intelligence；　not　necessarily　to　be　disliked　or　despised　if　they　did　not　happen　to　represent　the　maturest　phase。

Religion；　therefore；　from　this　point　of　view；　becomes　clearly　demarcated　from　theology。　It　consists　no　longer　in　the　mental　assent　to　certain　prescribed　formulas；　but　in　the　moral　obedience　to　the　great　rule　of　life；　the　great　commandment　laid　down　and　illustrated　by　the　Founder　of　the　Christian　religion；　and　concerning　which　the　profoundest　modern　philosophy　informs　us　that　the　extent　to　which　a　society　has　learned　to　conform　to　it　is　the　test　and　gauge　of　the　progress　in　civilization　which　that　society　has　achieved。　The　command　〃to　love　one　another；〃　to　check　the　barbarous　impulses　inherited　from　the　pre…social　state；　while　giving　free　play　to　the　beneficent　impulses　needful　for　the　ultimate　attainment　of　social　equilibrium；or　as　Tennyson　phrases　it；　to　〃move　upward；　working　out　the　beast；　and　letting　the　ape　and　tiger　die；〃was；　in　Lessing's　view；　the　task　set　before　us　by　religion。　The　true　religious　feeling　was　thus；　in　his　opinion；　what　the　author　of　〃Ecce　Homo〃　has　finely　termed　〃the　enthusiasm　of　humanity。〃　And　we　shall　find　no　better　language　than　that　of　the　writer　just　mentioned；　in　which　to　describe　Lessing's　conception　of　faith：

〃He　who；　when　goodness　is　impressively　put　before　him；　exhibits　an　instinctive　loyalty　to　it；　starts　forward　to　take　its　side；　trusts　himself　to　it；　such　a　man　has　faith；　and　the　root　of　the　matter　is　in　such　a　man。　He　may　have　habits　of　vice；　but　the　loyal　and　faithful　instinct　in　him　will　place　him　above　many　that　practice　virtue。　He　may　be　rude　in　thought　and　character；　but　he　will　unconsciously　gravitate　toward　what　is　right。　Other　virtues　can　scarcely　thrive　without　a　fine　natural　organization　and　a　happy　training。　But　the　most　neglected　and　ungifted　of　men　may　make　a　beginning　with　faith。　Other　virtues　want　civilization；　a　certain　amount　of　knowledge；　a　few　books；　but　in　half…brutal　countenances　faith　will　light　up　a　glimmer　of　nobleness。　The　savage；　who　can　do　little　else；　can　wonder　and　worship　and　enthusiastically　obey。　He　who　cannot　know　what　is　right　can　know　that　some　one　else　knows；　he　who　has　no　law　may　still　have　a　master；　he　who　is　incapable　of　justice　may　be　capable　of　fidelity；　he　who　understands　little　may　have　his　sins　forgiven　because　he　loves　much。〃

Such　was　Lessing's　religion；　so　far　as　it　can　be　ascertained　from　the　fragmentary　writings　which　he　has　left　on　the　subject。　Undoubtedly　it　lacked　completeness。　The　opinions　which　we　have　here　set　down；　though　constituting　something　more　than　a　mere　theory　of　morality；　certainly　do　not　constitute　a　complete　theory　of　religion。　Our　valiant　knight　has　examined　but　one　side　of　the　shield；the　bright　side；　turned　toward　us；　whose　marvellous　inscriptions　the　human　reason　can　by　dint　of　unwearied　effort　decipher。　But　the　dark　side；　looking　out　upon　infinity；　and　covered　with　hieroglyphics　the　meaning　of　which　we　can　never　know；　he　has　quite　forgotten　to　consider。　Yet　it　is　this　side　which　genuine　religious　feeling　ever　seeks　to　contemplate。　It　is　the　consciousness　that　there　is　about　us　an　omnipresent　Power；　in　which　we　live　and　move　and　have　our　being；　eternally　manifesting　itself　throughout　the　whole　range　of　natural　phenomena；　which　has　ever　disposed　men　to　be　religious；　and　lured　them　on　in　the　vain　effort　to　construct　adequate　theological　systems。　We　may；　getting　rid　of　the　last　traces　of　fetishism；　eliminate　arbitrary　volition　as　much　as　we　will　or　can。　But　there　still　remains　the　consciousness　of　a　divine　Life　in　the　universe；　of　a　Power　which　is　beyond　and　above　our　comprehension；　whose　goings　out　and　comings　in　no　man　can　follow。　The　more　we　know；　the　more　we　reach　out　for　that　which　we　cannot　know。　And　who　can　realize　this　so　vividly　as　the　scientific　philosopher？　For　our　knowledge　being；　according　to　the　familiar　comparison；　like　a　brilliant　sphere；　the　more　we　increase　it　the　greater　becomes　the　number　of　peripheral　points　at　which　we　are　confronted　by　the　impenetrable　darkness　beyond。　I　believe　that　this　restless　yearning；vague　enough　in　the　description；　yet　recognizable　by　all　who；　communing　with　themselves　or　with　nature；　have　felt　it；this　constant　seeking　for　what　cannot　be　found；　this　persistent　knocking　at　gates　which；　when　opened；　but　reveal　others　yet　to　be　passed；　constitutes　an　element　which　no　adequate　theory　of　religion　can　overlook。　But　of　this　we　find　nothing　in　Lessing。　With　him　all　is　sunny；　serene；　and　pagan。　Not　the　dim　aisle　of　a　vast　cathedral；　but　the　symmetrical　portico　of　an　antique　temple；　is　the　worshipping…place　into　which　he　would　lead　us。

But　if　Lessing's　theology　must　be　considered　imperfect；　it　is　none　the　less　admirable　as　far　as　it　goes。　With　its　peculiar　doctrines　of　love　and　faith；　it　teaches　a　morality　far　higher　than　any　that　Puritanism　ever　dreamed　of。　And　with　its　theory　of　development　it　cuts　away　every　possible　logical　basis　for　intolerance。　It　is　this　theology　to　which　Lessing　has　given　concrete　expression　in　his　immortal　poem　of　〃Nathan。〃

The　central　idea　of　〃Nathan〃　was　suggested　to　Lessing　by　Boccaccio's　story　of　〃The　Three　Rings；〃　which　is　supposed　to　have　had　a　Jewish　origin。　Saladin；　pretending　to　be　inspired　by　a　sudden；　imperious　whim；　such　as　is　〃not　unbecoming　in　a　Sultan；〃　demands　that　Nathan　shall　answer　him　on　the　spur　of　the　moment　which　of　the　three　great　religions　then　knownJudaism；　Mohammedanism；　Christianityis　adjudged　by　reason　to　be　the　true　one。　For　a　moment　the　philosopher　is　in　a　quandary。　If　he　does　not　pronounce　in　favour　of　his　own　religion；　Judaism；　he　stultifies　himself；　but　if　he　does　not　award　the　precedence　to　Mohammedanism；　he　will　apparently　insult　his　sovereign。　With　true　Oriental　tact　he　escapes　from　the　dilemma　by　means　of　a　parable。　There　was　once　a　man；　says　Nathan；　who　possessed　a　ring　of　inestimable　value。　Not　only　was　the　stone　which　it　contained　incomparably　fine；　but　it　possessed　the　marvellous　property　of　rendering　its　owner　agreeable　both　to　God　and　to　men。　The　old　man　bequeathed　this　ring　to　that　one　of　his　sons　whom　he　loved　the　most；　and　the　son；　in　turn；　made　a　similar　disposition　of　it。　So　that；　passing　from　hand　to　hand；　the　ring　finally　came　into　the　possession　of　a　father　who　loved　his　three　sons　equally　well。　Unto　which　one　should　he　leave　it？　To　get　rid　of　the　perplexity；　he　had　two　other　rings　made　by　a　jeweller；　exactly　like　the　original；　and　to　each　of　his　three　sons　he　bequeathed　one。　Each　then　thinking　that　he　had　obtained　the　true　talisman；　they　began　violently　to　quarrel；　and　after　long　contention　agreed　to　carry　their　dispute　before　the　judge。　But　the　judge　said：　〃Quarrelsome　fellows！　You　are　all　three　of　you　cheated　cheats。　Your　three　rings　are　alike　counterfeit。　For　the　genuine　ring　is　lost；　and　to　conceal　the　loss；　your　father　had　made　these　three　substitutes。〃　At　this　unexpected　denouement　the　Sultan　breaks　out　in　exclamations　of　delight；　and　it　is　interesting　to　learn　that　when　the　play　was　brought　upon　the　stage　at　Constantinople　a　few　years　ago；　the　Turkish　audience　was　similarly　affected。　There　is　in　the　story　that　quiet；　stealthy　humour　which　is　characteristic　of　many　mediaeval　apologues；　and　in　which　Lessing　himself　loved　to　deal。　It　is　humour　of　the　kind　which　hits　the　mark；　and　reveals　the　truth。　In　a　note　upon　this　passage；　Lessing　himself　said：　〃The　opinion　of　Nathan　upon　all　positive　religions　has　for　a　long　time　been　my　own。〃　Let　him　who　has　the　genuine　ring　show　it　by　making　himself　loved　of　God　and　man。　This　is　the　central　idea　of　the　poem。　It　is　wholly　unlike　the　iconoclasm　of　the　deists；　and；　coming　in　the　eighteenth　century；　it　was　like　a　veritable　evangel。

〃Nathan〃　was　not　brought　out　until　three　years　after　Lessing's　death；　and　it　kept　possession　of　the　stage　for　but　a　short　time。　In　a　dramatic　point　of　view；　it　has　hardly　any　merits。　Whatever　plot　there　is　in　it　is　weak　and　improbable。　The　decisive　incidents　seem　to　be　brought　in　like　the　deus　ex　machina　of　the　later　Greek　drama。　There　is　no　movement；　no　action；　no　development。　The　characters　are　poetically　but　not　dramatically　conceived。　Considered　as　a　tragedy；　〃Nathan〃　would　be　weak；　considered　as　a　comedy；　it　would　be　heavy。　With　full　knowledge　of　these　circumstances；　Lessing　called　it　not　a　drama；　but　a　dramatic　poem；　and　he　might　have　called　it　still　more　accurately　a　didactic　poem；　for　the　only　feature　which　it　has　in　common　with　the　drama　is　that　the　personages　use　the　oratio　directa。

〃Nathan〃　is　a　didactic　poem：　it　is　not　a　mere　philosophic　treatise　written　in　verse；　like　the　fragments　of　Xenophanes。　Its　lessons　are　conveyed　concretely　and　not　abstractly；　and　its　characters　are　not　mere　lay　figures；　but　living　poetical　conceptions。　Considered　as　a　poem　among　classic　German　poems；　it　must　rank　next　to；　though　immeasurably　below；　Goethe's　〃Faust。〃

There　are　two　contrasted　kinds　of　genius；　the　poetical　and　the　philosophical；　or；　to　speak　yet　more　generally；　the　artistic　and　the　critical。　The　former　is　distinguished　by　a　concrete；　the　latter　by　an　abstract；　imagination。　The　former　sees　things　synthetically；　in　all　their　natural　complexity；　the　latter　pulls　things　to　pieces　analytically；　and　scrutinizes　their　relations。　The　former　sees　a　tree　in　all　its　glory；　where　the　latter　sees　an　exogen　with　a　pair　of　cotyledons。　The　former　sees　wholes；　where　the　latter　sees　aggregates。

Corresponding　with　these　two　kinds　of　genius　there　are　two　classes　of　artistic　productions。　When　the　critical　genius　writes　a　poem　or　a　novel；　he　constructs　his　plot　and　his　characters　in　conformity　to　some　prearranged　theory；　or　with　a　view　to　illustrate　some　favourite　doctrine。　When　he　paints　a　picture；　he　first　thinks　how　certain　persons　would　look　under　certain　given　circumstances；　and　paints　them　accordingly。　When　he　writes　a　piece　of　music；　he　first　decides　that　this　phrase　expresses　joy；　and　that　phrase　disappointment；　and　the　other　phrase　disgust；　and　he　composes　accordingly。　We　therefore　say　ordinarily　that　he　does　not　create；　but　only　constructs　and　combines。　It　is　far　different　with　the　artistic