‘But truth had descended from Heaven before Jesus,’ replied Fakredeen; ‘since, as you tell me, God spoke2 to Moses on Mount Sinai, and since then to many of the prophets and the princes of Israel.’
‘Of whom Jesus was one,’ said Tancred; ‘the descendant of King David as well as the Son of God. But through this last and greatest of their princes it was ordained3 that the inspired Hebrew mind should mould and govern the world. Through Jesus God spoke to the Gentiles, and not to the tribes of Israel only. That is the great worldly difference between Jesus and his inspired predecessors4. Christianity is Judaism for the multitude, but still it is Judaism, and its development was the death-blow of the Pagan idolatry.’
‘Gentiles,’ murmured Fakredeen; ‘Gentiles! you are a Gentile, Tancred?’
‘Alas! I am,’ he answered, ‘sprung from a horde5 of Baltic pirates, who never were heard of during the greater annals of the world, a descent which I have been educated to believe was the greatest of honours. What we should have become, had not the Syro–Arabian creeds6 formed our minds, I dare not contemplate7. Probably we should have perished in mutual8 destruction. However, though rude and modern Gentiles, unknown to the Apostles, we also were in time touched with the sacred symbol, and originally endowed with an organisation9 of a high class, for our ancestors wandered from Caucasus; we have become kings and princes.’
‘What a droll10 thing is history,’ said Fakredeen. ‘Ah! if I were only acquainted with it, my education would be complete. Should you call me a Gentile?’
‘I have great doubts whether such an appellation11 could be extended to the descendants of Ishmael. I always look upon you as a member of the sacred race. It is a great thing for any man; for you it may tend to empire.’
‘Was Julius C?sar a Gentile?’
‘Unquestionably.’
‘And Iskander?’ (Alexander of Macedon.)
‘No doubt; the two most illustrious Gentiles that ever existed, and representing the two great races on the shores of the Mediterranean12, to which the apostolic views were first directed.’
‘Well, their blood, though Gentile, led to empire,’ said Fakredeen.
‘But what are their conquests to those of Jesus Christ?’ said Tancred, with great animation13. ‘Where are their dynasties? where their subjects? They were both deified: who burns incense14 to them now? Their descendants, both Greek and Roman, bow before the altars of the house of David. The house of David is worshipped at Rome itself, at every seat of great and growing empire in the world, at London, at St. Petersburg, at New York. Asia alone is faithless to the Asian; but Asia has been overrun by Turks and Tatars. For nearly five hundred years the true Oriental mind has been enthralled15. Arabia alone has remained free and faithful to the divine tradition. From its bosom16 we shall go forth17 and sweep away the moulding remnants of the Tataric system; and then, when the East has resumed its indigenous18 intelligence, when angels and prophets again mingle19 with humanity, the sacred quarter of the globe will recover its primeval and divine supremacy20; it will act upon the modern empires, and the faint-hearted faith of Europe, which is but the shadow of a shade, will become as vigorous as befits men who are in sustained communication with the Creator.’
‘But suppose,’ said Fakredeen, in a captious21 tone that was unusual with him, ‘suppose, when the Tataric system is swept away, Asia reverts22 to those beautiful divinities that we beheld23 this morning?’
More than once, since they quitted the presence of Astarte, had Fakredeen harped24 upon this idea. From that interview the companions had returned moody25 and unusually silent. Strange to say, there seemed a tacit understanding between them to converse26 little on that subject which mainly engrossed27 their minds. Their mutual remarks on Astarte were few and constrained28; a little more diffused29 upon the visit to the temple; but they chiefly kept up the conventional chat of companionship by rather commonplace observations on Keferinis and other incidents and persons comparatively of little interest and importance.
After their audience, they dined with the minister, not exactly in the manner of Downing Street, nor even with the comparative luxury of Canobia; but the meal was an incident, and therefore agreeable. A good pilaff was more acceptable than some partridges dressed with oil and honey: but all Easterns are temperate30, and travel teaches abstinence to the Franks. Neither Fakredeen nor Tancred were men who criticised a meal: bread, rice, and coffee, a bird or a fish, easily satisfied them. The Emir affected31 the Moslem32 when the minister offered him the wine of the mountains, which was harsh and rough after the delicious Vino d’Oro of Lebanon; but Tancred contrived33 to drink the health of Queen Astarte without any wry34 expression of countenance35.
‘I believe,’ said Keferinis, ‘that the English, in their island of London, drink only to women; the other natives of Franguestan chiefly pledge men; we look upon both as barbarous.’
‘At any rate, you worship the god of wine,’ remarked Tancred, who never attempted to correct the self-complacent minister. ‘I observed today the statue of Bacchus.’
‘Bacchus!’ said Keferinis, with a smile, half of inquiry36, half of commiseration37. ‘Bacchus: an English name, I apprehend38! All our gods came from the ancient Antakia before either the Turks or the English were heard of. Their real names are in every respect sacred; nor will they be uttered, even to the Ansarey, until after the divine initiation39 has been performed in the perfectly40 admirable and inexpressibly delightful41 mysteries,’ which meant, in simpler tongue, that Keferinis was entirely42 ignorant of the subject on which he was talking.
After their meal, Keferinis, proposing that in the course of the day they should fly one of the Queen’s hawks43, left them, when the conversation, of which we have given a snatch, occurred. Yet, as we have observed, they were on the whole moody and unusually silent. Fakredeen in particular was wrapped in reverie, and when he spoke, it was always in reference to the singular spectacle of the morning. His musing44 forced him to inquiry, having never before heard of the Olympian heirarchy, nor of the woods of Daphne, nor of the bright lord of the silver bow.
Why were they moody and silent?
With regard to Lord Montacute, the events of the morning might sufficiently45 account for the gravity of his demeanour, for he was naturally of a thoughtful and brooding temperament46. This unexpected introduction to Olympus was suggestive of many reflections to one so habituated to muse47 over divine influences. Nor need it be denied that the character of the Queen greatly interested him. Her mind was already attuned48 to heavenly thoughts. She already believed that she was fulfilling a sacred mission. Tancred could not be blind to the importance of such a personage as Astarte in the great drama of divine regeneration, which was constantly present to his consideration. Her conversion49 might be as weighty as ten victories. He was not insensible to the efficacy of feminine influence in the dissemination50 of religious truth, nor unaware51 how much the greatest development of the Arabian creeds, in which the Almighty52 himself deigned53 to become a personal actor, was assisted by the sacred spell of woman. It is not the Empress Hélène alone who has rivalled, or rather surpassed, the exploits of the most illustrious apostles. The three great empires of the age, France, England, and Russia, are indebted for their Christianity to female lips. We all remember the salutary influence of Clotilde and Bertha which bore the traditions of the Jordan to the Seine and the Thames: it should not be forgotten that to the fortunate alliance of Waldimir, the Duke of Moscovy, with the sister of the Greek Emperor Basil, is to be ascribed the remarkable54 circumstance, that the intellectual development of all the Russias has been conducted on Arabian principles. It was the fair Giselle, worthy55 successor of the softhearted women of Galilee, herself the sister of the Emperor Henry the Second, who opened the mind of her husband, the King of Hungary, to the deep wisdom of the Hebrews, to the laws of Moses and the precepts56 of Jesus. Poland also found an apostle and a queen in the sister of the Duke of Bohemia, and who revealed to the Sarmatian Micislas the ennobling mysteries of Sinai and of Calvary.
Sons of Israel, when you recollect57 that you created Christendom, you may pardon the Christians58 even their autos da fè!
Fakredeen Shehaab, Emir of Canobia, and lineal descendant of the standard-bearer of the Prophet, had not such faith in Arabian principles as to dream of converting the Queen of the Ansarey. Quite the reverse; the Queen of the Ansarey had converted him. From the first moment he beheld Astarte, she had exercised over him that magnetic influence of which he was peculiarly susceptible59, and by which Tancred at once attracted and controlled him. But Astarte added to this influence a power to which the Easterns in general do not very easily bow: the influence of sex. With the exception of Eva, woman had never guided the spirit or moulded the career of Fakredeen; and, in her instance, the sovereignty had been somewhat impaired60 by that acquaintance of the cradle, which has a tendency to enfeeble the ideal, though it may strengthen the affections. But Astarte rose upon him commanding and complete, a star whose gradual formation he had not watched, and whose unexpected brilliancy might therefore be more striking even than the superior splendour which he had habitually61 contemplated62. Young, beautiful, queenly, impassioned, and eloquent63, surrounded by the accessories that influence the imagination, and invested with fascinating mystery, Fakredeen, silent and enchanted64, had yielded his spirit to Astarte, even before she revealed to his unaccustomed and astonished mind the godlike forms of her antique theogony. Eva and Tancred had talked to him of gods; Astarte had shown them to him. All visible images of their boasted divinities of Sinai and of Calvary with which he was acquainted were enshrined over the altars of the convents of Lebanon. He contrasted those representations without beauty or grace, so mean, and mournful, and spiritless, or if endued65 with attributes of power, more menacing than majestic66, and morose67 rather than sublime68, with those shapes of symmetry, those visages of immortal69 beauty, serene70 yet full of sentiment, on which he had gazed that morning with a holy rapture71. The Queen had said that, besides Mount Sinai and Mount Calvary, there was also Mount Olympus. It was true; even Tancred had not challenged her assertion. And the legends of Olympus were as old as, nay72, older than, those of the convent or the mosques73.
This was no mythic fantasy of the beautiful Astarte; the fond tradition of a family, a race, even a nation. These were not the gods merely of the mountains: they had been, as they deserved to be, the gods of a great world, of great nations, and of great men. They were the gods of Alexander and of Caius Julius; they were the gods under whose divine administration Asia had been powerful, rich, luxurious74 and happy. They were the gods who had covered the coasts and plains with magnificent cities, crowded the midland ocean with golden galleys75, and filled the provinces that were now a chain of wilderness76 and desert with teeming77 and thriving millions. No wonder the Ansarey were faithful to such deities78. The marvel79 was why men should ever have deserted80 them. But man had deserted them, and man was unhappy. All, Eva, Tancred, his own consciousness, the surrounding spectacles of his life, assured him that man was unhappy, degraded, or discontented; at all events, miserable81. He was not surprised that a Syrian should be unhappy, even a Syrian prince, for he had no career; he was not surprised that the Jews were unhappy, because they were the most persecuted82 of the human race, and in all probability, very justly so, for such an exception as Eva proved nothing; but here was an Englishman, young, noble, very rich, with every advantage of nature and fortune, and he had come out to Syria to tell them that all Europe was as miserable as themselves. What if their misery83 had been caused by their deserting those divinities who had once made them so happy?
A great question; Fakredeen indulged in endless combinations while he smoked countless84 nargilehs. If religion were to cure the world, suppose they tried this ancient and once popular faith, so very popular in Syria. The Queen of the Ansarey could command five-and-twenty thousand approved warriors85, and the Emir of the Lebanon could summon a host, if not as disciplined, far more numerous. Fakredeen, in a frenzy86 of reverie, became each moment more practical. Asian supremacy, cosmopolitan87 regeneration, and theocratic88 equality, all gradually disappeared. An independent Syrian kingdom, framed and guarded by a hundred thousand sabres, rose up before him; an established Olympian religion, which the Druses, at his instigation, would embrace, and toleration for the Maronites till he could bribe89 Bishop90 Nicodemus to arrange a general conformity91, and convert his great principal from the Patriarch into the Pontiff of Antioch. The Jews might remain, provided they negotiated a loan which should consolidate92 the Olympian institutions and establish the Gentile dynasty of Fakredeen and Astarte.
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1
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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ordained
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| v.任命（某人）为牧师( ordain的过去式和过去分词 )；授予（某人）圣职；（上帝、法律等）命令；判定 | |
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predecessors
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| n.前任( predecessor的名词复数 )；前辈；（被取代的）原有事物；前身 | |
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horde
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| n.群众，一大群 | |
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creeds
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| （尤指宗教）信条，教条( creed的名词复数 ) | |
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contemplate
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| vt.盘算，计议；周密考虑；注视，凝视 | |
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8
mutual
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| adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的 | |
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organisation
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| n.组织，安排，团体，有机休 | |
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10
droll
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| adj.古怪的，好笑的 | |
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appellation
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| n.名称，称呼 | |
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Mediterranean
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| adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的 | |
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animation
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| n.活泼，兴奋，卡通片／动画片的制作 | |
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14
incense
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| v.激怒；n.香，焚香时的烟，香气 | |
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enthralled
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| 迷住，吸引住( enthrall的过去式和过去分词 )； 使感到非常愉快 | |
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bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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indigenous
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| adj.土产的，土生土长的，本地的 | |
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mingle
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| vt.使混合，使相混；vi.混合起来；相交往 | |
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supremacy
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| n.至上；至高权力 | |
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captious
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| adj.难讨好的，吹毛求疵的 | |
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reverts
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| 恢复( revert的第三人称单数 )； 重提； 回到…上； 归还 | |
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23
beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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harped
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| vi.弹竖琴（harp的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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moody
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| adj.心情不稳的，易怒的，喜怒无常的 | |
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converse
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| vi.谈话，谈天，闲聊；adv.相反的，相反 | |
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engrossed
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| adj.全神贯注的 | |
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constrained
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| adj.束缚的,节制的 | |
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diffused
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| 散布的，普及的，扩散的 | |
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temperate
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| adj.温和的，温带的，自我克制的，不过分的 | |
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affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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Moslem
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| n.回教徒，穆罕默德信徒；adj.回教徒的，回教的 | |
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contrived
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| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
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wry
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| adj.讽刺的；扭曲的 | |
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countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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commiseration
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| n.怜悯，同情 | |
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apprehend
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| vt.理解，领悟，逮捕，拘捕，忧虑 | |
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initiation
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| n.开始 | |
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40
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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41
delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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hawks
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| 鹰( hawk的名词复数 )； 鹰派人物，主战派人物 | |
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44
musing
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| n. 沉思，冥想 adj. 沉思的, 冥想的 动词muse的现在分词形式 | |
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45
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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temperament
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| n.气质，性格，性情 | |
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muse
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| n.缪斯（希腊神话中的女神），创作灵感 | |
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48
attuned
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| v.使协调( attune的过去式和过去分词 )；调音 | |
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49
conversion
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| n.转化，转换，转变 | |
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50
dissemination
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| 传播,宣传,传染(病毒) | |
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51
unaware
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| a.不知道的，未意识到的 | |
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52
almighty
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| adj.全能的，万能的；很大的，很强的 | |
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53
deigned
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| v.屈尊，俯就( deign的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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54
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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55
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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56
precepts
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| n.规诫，戒律，箴言( precept的名词复数 ) | |
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recollect
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| v.回忆，想起，记起，忆起，记得 | |
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58
Christians
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| n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 ) | |
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59
susceptible
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| adj.过敏的，敏感的；易动感情的，易受感动的 | |
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60
impaired
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| adj.受损的；出毛病的；有（身体或智力）缺陷的v.损害，削弱( impair的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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61
habitually
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| ad.习惯地，通常地 | |
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62
contemplated
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| adj. 预期的 动词contemplate的过去分词形式 | |
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eloquent
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| adj.雄辩的，口才流利的；明白显示出的 | |
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64
enchanted
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| adj. 被施魔法的，陶醉的，入迷的 动词enchant的过去式和过去分词 | |
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65
endued
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| v.授予，赋予（特性、才能等）( endue的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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66
majestic
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| adj.雄伟的，壮丽的，庄严的，威严的，崇高的 | |
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morose
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| adj.脾气坏的，不高兴的 | |
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sublime
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| adj.崇高的，伟大的；极度的，不顾后果的 | |
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69
immortal
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| adj.不朽的；永生的，不死的；神的 | |
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70
serene
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| adj. 安详的，宁静的，平静的 | |
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71
rapture
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| n.狂喜；全神贯注；着迷；v.使狂喜 | |
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72
nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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73
mosques
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| 清真寺； 伊斯兰教寺院，清真寺； 清真寺，伊斯兰教寺院( mosque的名词复数 ) | |
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74
luxurious
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| adj.精美而昂贵的；豪华的 | |
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75
galleys
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| n.平底大船，战舰( galley的名词复数 )；（船上或航空器上的）厨房 | |
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76
wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
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77
teeming
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| adj.丰富的v.充满( teem的现在分词 )；到处都是；（指水、雨等）暴降；倾注 | |
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deities
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| n.神，女神( deity的名词复数 )；神祗；神灵；神明 | |
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79
marvel
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| vi.(at)惊叹vt.感到惊异；n.令人惊异的事 | |
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deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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persecuted
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| （尤指宗教或政治信仰的）迫害(~sb. for sth.)( persecute的过去式和过去分词 )； 烦扰，困扰或骚扰某人 | |
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misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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84
countless
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| adj.无数的，多得不计其数的 | |
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85
warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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86
frenzy
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| n.疯狂，狂热，极度的激动 | |
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87
cosmopolitan
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| adj.世界性的，全世界的，四海为家的，全球的 | |
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theocratic
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| adj.神权的，神权政治的 | |
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bribe
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| n.贿赂；v.向…行贿，买通 | |
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90
bishop
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| n.主教，（国际象棋）象 | |
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conformity
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| n.一致，遵从，顺从 | |
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consolidate
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| v.使加固，使加强；(把...)联为一体，合并 | |
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