登陆注册
18989900000090

第90章

Most of the remarks which we have hitherto made on the public character of Milton, apply to him only as one of a large body. We shall proceed to notice some of the peculiarities which distinguished him from his contemporaries. And, for that purpose, it is necessary to take a short survey of the parties into which the political world was at that time divided. We must premise, that our observations are intended to apply only to those who adhered, from a sincere preference, to one or to the other side.

In days of public commotion, every faction, like an Oriental army, is attended by a crowd of camp-followers, an useless and heartless rabble, who prowl round its line of march in the hope of picking up something under its protection, but desert it in the day of battle, and often join to exterminate it after a defeat. England, at the time of which we are treating, abounded with fickle and selfish politicians, who transferred their support to every government as it rose, who kissed the hand of the King in 1640, and spat in his face in 1649, who shouted with equal glee when Cromwell was inaugurated in Westminster Hall, and when he was dug up to be hanged at Tyburn, who dined on calves' heads or stuck-up oak-branches, as circumstances altered, without the slightest shame or repugnance. These we leave out of the account. We take our estimate of parties from those who really deserved to be called partisans.

We would speak first of the Puritans, the most remarkable body of men, perhaps, which the world has ever produced. The odious and ridiculous parts of their character lie on the surface. He that runs may read them; nor have there been wanting attentive and malicious observers to point them out. For many years after the Restoration, they were the theme of unmeasured invective and derision. They were exposed to the utmost licentiousness of the press and of the stage, at the time when the press and the stage were most licentious. They were not men of letters; they were, as a body, unpopular; they could not defend themselves; and the public would not take them under its protection. They were therefore abandoned, without reserve, to the tender mercies of the satirists and dramatists. The ostentatious simplicity of their dress, their sour aspect, their nasal twang, their stiff posture, their long graces, their Hebrew names, the Scriptural phrases which they introduced on every occasion, their contempt of human learning, their detestation of polite amusements, were indeed fair game for the laughers. But it is not from the laughers alone that the philosophy of history is to be learnt.

And he who approaches this subject should carefully guard against the influence of that potent ridicule which has already misled so many excellent writers.

"Ecco il fonte del riso, ed ecco il rio Che mortali perigli in so contiene:

Hor qui tener a fren nostro desio, Ed esser cauti molto a noi conviene."

Those who roused the people to resistance, who directed their measures through a long series of eventful years, who formed, out of the most unpromising materials, the finest army that Europe had ever seen, who trampled down King, Church, and Aristocracy, who, in the short intervals of domestic sedition and rebellion, made the name of England terrible to every nation on the face of the earth, were no vulgar fanatics. Most of their absurdities were mere external badges, like the signs of freemasonry, or the dresses of friars. We regret that these badges were not more attractive. We regret that a body to whose courage and talents mankind has owed inestimable obligations had not the lofty elegance which distinguished some of the adherents of Charles the First, or the easy good-breeding for which the court of Charles the Second was celebrated. But, if we must make our choice, we shall, like Bassanio in the play, turn from the specious caskets which contain only the Death's head and the Fool's head, and fix on the plain leaden chest which conceals the treasure.

The Puritans were men whose minds had derived a peculiar character from the daily contemplation of superior beings and eternal interests. Not content with acknowledging, in general terms, an overruling Providence, they habitually ascribed every event to the will of the Great Being, for whose power nothing was too vast, for whose inspection nothing was too minute. To know him, to serve him, to enjoy him, was with them the great end of existence. They rejected with contempt the ceremonious homage which other sects substituted for the pure worship of the soul.

Instead of catching occasional glimpses of the Deity through an obscuring veil, they aspired to gaze full on his intolerable brightness, and to commune with him face to face. Hence originated their contempt for terrestrial distinctions. The difference between the greatest and the meanest of mankind seemed to vanish, when compared with the boundless interval which separated the whole race from him on whom their own eyes were constantly fixed. They recognised no title to superiority but his favour; and, confident of that favour, they despised all the accomplishments and all the dignities of the world. If they were unacquainted with the works of philosophers and poets, they were deeply read in the oracles of God. If their names were not found in the registers of heralds, they were recorded in the Book of Life. If their steps were not accompanied by a splendid train of menials, legions of ministering angels had charge over them.

同类推荐
  • 斥谬

    斥谬

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 丘隅意见

    丘隅意见

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 百越先贤志

    百越先贤志

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 上清太上帝君九真中经

    上清太上帝君九真中经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 仿寓意草

    仿寓意草

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 睁眼见到鬼

    睁眼见到鬼

    你相信这个世上有鬼吗?其实鬼无处不在,只是你看不到而已,当某天你开了阴阳眼就会发现处处都有他们的影子,而此时恰好就有一只鬼在你的身边,它正伸着猩红的舌头舔着你的脸……
  • 十年救赎 生命如花

    十年救赎 生命如花

    14岁时,她不幸患上一种被称作“不死的癌症”的类风湿性关节炎,被迫辍学,瘫痪在床。18岁时,为了不连累家人,她选择割腕自杀,但死神没有收留她。经历了死亡之后,面对年轻又黑暗的人生,她暗暗发誓要打破重重枷锁,要用自己残疾的身躯寻找一片自由的天空。他通过网络求职就业,自食其力,帮家里还债,供妹妹上学,筹集医疗费,还帮助病友,和他们亲如一家……她的事迹感动了无数人。本书讲述了一个重残女孩自我救赎的心灵历程,她用十年的时间使自己的生命达到了另一个高度。
  • 桃红又是一年春

    桃红又是一年春

    这是个禁欲系腹黑美叔推倒呆萌小萝莉的故事。来历神秘的孤儿幼春,女扮男装,遭遇贵公子秀之,从最初的猜忌敌视到逐渐磨合相处融洽,秀之渐被幼春的聪慧善良吸引,却因以为幼春是男孩及唐家家规所束,欲罢不能。
  • 狰锋

    狰锋

    一张奇异的药方,将许寒带入一片奇异的境地。自此。扶摇直上,鹏程九万。狰狞满面,锋芒无双。以最凶蛮,最粗暴之手段,成就最血腥,最至高之王座。
  • 颜倾天下:冷帝的娃娃宠后(完)

    颜倾天下:冷帝的娃娃宠后(完)

    她真的不想批评那些神仙,但这样也太玩忽职守了吧?居然一边打游戏一边办公,害她穿越到这个冷酷的朝代,成了十一岁的娃娃女丞相!丞相就丞相吧,好歹也是一人之下万人之上,可为什么偏偏转眼就成了亡国丞相?而且这个娃娃生前貌似真不是个好人,亡国皇帝说她是妖孽,龙帝恨她入骨,还有一大群人想尽方法来争夺她、追杀她,不过是个十一岁的女娃娃,到底能做什么大事啊?她——张潇然,对天发誓,自己真的是个廉洁守法的好公民,马路上捡到一元钱都要教给警察叔叔管理,要说她唯一与别人有些不同的是,她能看到某些别人看不到的东西,比如——鬼。于是,这就成了这场穿越的导火索……推荐同校好友的作品:《呼吸的距离》文/缇那http://novel.hongxiu.com/a/112189/http://novel.hongxiu.com/a/119995/
  • 异界之牛头人

    异界之牛头人

    楚天穿越到异界,竟然杯具的成了一个四肢发达头脑简单的牛头人。牛头人怎么了?一样可以成为异界之王,傲视天下;一样可以泡异界美女;一样可以潇洒异界游。别说咱长得丑,这叫做气质,懂不?(新书上传,求收藏、推荐、点击。)
  • 金刚顶经观自在王如来修行法

    金刚顶经观自在王如来修行法

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 夫君的三妻四妾:贵妇难当

    夫君的三妻四妾:贵妇难当

    文案:都市女一朝穿越到古代,禀着平安度日,人不犯我,我不犯人的原则行事,奈何人算不如天算,出身上层阶级的她却势必要嫁入同为贵族之家的男子为妻,从此卷入一系列麻烦斗争当中。古代贵族哪家不是攀亲带故、三妻四妾,曲清幽没想到她也嫁了这么一个大家族,还是三大国公府之首,惟有步步为营,凭着一颗七窍玲珑心,硬是争得一席之地。古代宫廷哪有和平安定的?惟有刀光剑影,你方唱罢我登场的争斗,身为国公府的儿媳妇,哪能置身事外?曲清幽也不得不小心周旋于宫中贵妇之中。为自己,为丈夫,为家族,古代贵妇不好当,看穿越女如何当贵妇?推荐某梦的新文:《一等宫女》http://www.xxsy.net/info/394339.html推荐某梦的最新完结文《世族嫡女》:http://read.xxsy.net/info/369751.html片断一:当他笑着走近时,见她正摘下一朵粉红色的绣球花在手中把玩。于是笑道:“这是要抛给我的吗?”曲清幽原本沉在自己的思绪当中,忽然听到一声男子的声音,有几分熟悉又有几分陌生,抬起头时果见罗昊就站在她的面前,面挂笑容,衣饰随风飘扬,倒有几分君子模样。遂笑着把花抛向他,“那公子可要接着了。”他会是她今生的良人吗?片断二:穆老夫人笑道:“曲家丫头不知是走运还是不走运,偏遇着你。不过这幽姐儿确是不俗,我们定国公府就需要这样的媳妇,方能再兴旺个百来年。”“老祖母想得倒长远。”罗昊端过丫鬟手中的参茶递到老祖母的手中。“别告诉我这老婆子,你小子打的不是这个主意?”穆老夫人眯着鹰眼道,喝了一口参茶,她又开始打趣孙子:“我看那幽姐儿也不像是个容易降得住的主,真不知道你们婚后,谁能降得住谁了?”罗昊笑着道:“老祖母说的怎么好像是两军对垒似的?我的娘子可是娶来疼的,什么降不降的?”片断三:“娘子,什么是爱情?”醉酒的曲清幽歪着头看着他一脸的不解,“笨蛋,爱情都不知道?”“那娘子告诉我不就得了?”“爱情是一生一世一双人,这道门很窄,只容得下我与你两个人,闳宇,你知道吗?”她想要独占他,这是罗昊的第一想法,“娘子,你想要我永远只宠你一个人是吧?何必要绕弯子呢?”用爱情这么一个让人无法理解的词语。曲清幽这才想明白她与他原本就不是同一世界的人,她努力的融入他的世界,但他却走不进她的世界。但是这又如何?她仍会想着法儿让他慢慢地恋上她,恋上她的身,恋上她的心。
  • 心灵教练(下)

    心灵教练(下)

    心灵教练技术通过四步教练技巧(厘清目标、反映真像、迁善心态、行动计划),四种教练能力(发问、聆听、区分、回应)、NLP核心技术、教练身心语、九型人格读心术、DISC性格分析,融西方教练技术和东方智慧于一体。
  • 妃常爱钱

    妃常爱钱

    她叫肖飞珠,听似小肥猪,飞珠不是猪,疑似母老虎。如果皇帝是种马,那么王爷就是种猪,只见飞珠左脚踹种马,右脚踹种猪,完事拍拍手,补充说明:“你们算个屁,姐只喜欢钱。”皇帝不能独大,王爷不得称霸,看我们古灵精怪的贪财女怎么扑倒王爷,求圈养!