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avenge。 And the two little armies of foot…soldiersthe Persians had no
cavalrydefeat the innumerable horsemen of the Mede； take the old king；
keep him in honourable captivity； and so change； one legend says； in a
single battle； the fortunes of the whole East。
And then begins that series of conquests of which we know hardly
anything； save the fact that they were made。 The young mountaineer and
his playmates； whom he makes his generals and satraps； sweep onward
towards the West； teaching their men the art of riding； till the Persian
cavalry bees more famous than the Median had been。 They gather to
them； as a snowball gathers in rolling； the picked youth of every tribe
whom they overe。 They knit these tribes to them in loyalty and
affection by that righteousnessthat truthfulness and justicefor which
Isaiah in his grandest lyric strains has made them illustrious to all time；
which Xenophon has celebrated in like manner in that exquisite book of
histhe 〃Cyropaedia。〃 The great Lydian kingdom of CroesusAsia
Minor as we call it nowgoes down before them。 Babylon itself goes
down； after that world…famed siege which ended in Belshazzar's feast； and
when Cyrus diedstill in the prime of life； the legends seem to sayhe left
a coherent and well…organised empire； which stretched from the
Mediterranean to Hindostan。
So runs the tale； which to me； I confess； sounds probable and rational
enough。 It may not do so to you； for it has not to many learned men。
They are inclined to 〃relegate it into the region of myth；〃 in plain English；
to call old Herodotus a liar； or at least a dupe。 What means those wise
men can have at this distance of more than 2000 years； of knowing more
about the matter than Herodotus； who lived within 100 years of Cyrus； I
for myself cannot discover。 And I say this without the least wish to
disparage these hypercritical persons。 For there areand more there
ought to be； as long as lies and superstitions remain on this eartha class
of thinkers who hold in just suspicion all stories which savour of the
sensational； the romantic； even the dramatic。 They know the terrible uses
to which appeals to the fancy and the emotions have been applied； and are
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still applied to enslave the intellects； the consciences； the very bodies of
men and women。 They dread so much from experience the abuse of that
formula； that 〃a thing is so beautiful it must be true；〃 that they are inclined
to reply： 〃Rather let us say boldly； it is so beautiful that it cannot be true。
Let us mistrust； or even refuse to believe e priori； and at first sight； all
startling； sensational； even poetic tales； and accept nothing as history；
which is not as dull as the ledger of a dry…goods' store。〃 But I think that
experience； both in nature and in society； are against that ditch…water
philosophy。 The weather； being governed by laws； ought always to be
equable and normal； and yet you have whirlwinds； droughts；
thunderstorms。 The share…market； being governed by laws； ought to be
always equable and normal； and yet you have startling transactions；
startling panics； startling disclosures； and a whole sensational romance of
mercial crime and folly。 Which of us has lived to be fifty years old；
without having witnessed in private life sensation tragedies； alas！
sometimes too fearful to be told； or at least sensational romances； which
we shall take care not to tell； because we shall not be believed？ Let the
ditch…water philosophy say what it will； human life is not a ditch； but a
wild and roaring river； flooding its banks； and eating out new channels
with many a landslip。 It is a strange world； and man； a strange animal；
guided； it is true； usually by most mon…place motives； but； for that
reason； ready and glad at times to escape from them and their dulness and
baseness； to give vent； if but for a moment； in wild freedom； to that
demoniac element； which； as Goethe says； underlies his nature and all
nature； and to prefer for an hour； to the normal and respectable ditch…water；
a bottle of champagne or even a carouse on fire…water； let the
consequences be what they may。
How else shall we explain such a phenomenon as those old crusades？
Were they undertaken for any purpose； mercial or other？ Certainly not
for lightening an overburdened population。 Nay； is not the history of
your own Mormons； and their exodus into the far West； one of the most
startling instances which the world has seen for several centuries； of the
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unexpected and incalculable forces which lie hid in man？ Believe me；
man's passions； heated to igniting point； rather than his prudence cooled
down to freezing point； are the normal causes of all great human
movement。 And a truer law of social science than any that political
economists are wont to lay down； is that old DOV' E LA DONNA？ of the
Italian judge； who used to ask； as a preliminary to every case； civil or
criminal； which was brought before him； Dov' e la donna？ 〃Where is the
lady？〃 certain； like a wise old gentleman； that a woman was most probably
at the bottom of the matter。
Strangeness？ Romance？ Did any of you ever readif you have not
you should readArchbishop Whately's 〃Historic Doubts about the
Emperor Napoleon the First〃？ Therein the learned and witty Archbishop
proved； as early as 1819； by fair use of the criticism of Mr。 Hume and the
Sceptic School； that the whole history of the great Napoleon ought to be
treated by wise men as a myth and a romance； that there is little or no
evidence of his having existed at all； and that the story of his strange
successes and strange defeats was probably invented by our Government
in order to pander to the vanity of the English nation。
I will say this； which Archbishop Whately； in a late edition；
foreshadows； wittily enoughthat if one or two thousand years hence；
when the history of the late Emperor Napoleon the Third； his rise and fall；
shall e to be subjected to critical analysis by future Philistine
historians of New Zealand or Australia； it will be proved by them to be
utterly mythical； incredible； monstrousand that all the more； the more the
actual facts remain to puzzle their unimaginative brains。 What will they
make two thousand years hence； of the landing at Boulogne with the tame
eagle？ Will not that； and stranger facts still； but just as true； be relegated
to the region of myth； with the dream of Astyages； and the young and
princely herdsman playing at king over his fellow…slaves？
But enough of this。 To me these bits of romance often seem the
truest； as well as the most important portions of history。
When old Herodotus tells me how； King Astyages having guarded the
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frontier； Harpagus sent a hunter to young Cyrus with a fresh…killed hare；
telling him to open it in private； and how； sewn up in it was the letter；
telling him that the time to rebel was e； I am inclined to say； That must
be true。 It is so beneath the dignity of history； so quaint and unexpected；
that it is all the more likely NOT to have been invented。
So with that other storyHow young Cyrus； giving out that his
grandfather had made him general of the Persians； summoned them all；
each man with a sickle in his hand； into a prairie full of thorns； and bade
them clear it in one day； and how when they； like loyal men； had finished；
he bade them bathe； and next day he took them into a great meadow and
feasted them with corn and wine； and all that his father's farm would yield；
and asked them which day they liked best； and； when they answered as
was to be expected； how he opened his parable and told them； 〃Choose；
then； to work for the Persians like slaves； or to be free with me。〃
Such a tale sounds to me true。 It has the very savour of the parables
of the Old Testament； as have； surely； the dreams of the old Sultan； with
which the tale begins。 Do they not put us in mind of the dreams of
Nebuchadnezzar； in the Book of Daniel？
Such stories are actually so beautiful that they are very likely to be true。
Understand me； I only say likely； the ditch…water view of history is not all
wrong。 Its advocates are right in saying great historic changes are not
produced simply by one great person； by one remarkable event。 They
have been preparing； perhaps for centuries。 They are the result of
numberless forces； acting according to laws； which might have been
foreseen； and will be foreseen； when the science of History is more
perfectly understood。
For instance； Cyrus could not have conquered the Median Empire at a
single blow； if first that empire had not been utterly rotten； and next； if he
and his handful of Persians had not been tempered and sharpened； by long
hardihood； to the finest cutting edge。
Yes； there were all the materials for the catastrophethe cannon； the
powder； the shot。 But to say that the Persians must have conquered the
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Medes； even if Cyrus had never lived； is to say； as too many philosophers
seem to me to say； that； given cannon； powder； and shot； it will fire itself
off some day if we only leave it alone long enough。
It may be so。 But our usual experience of Nature and Fact is； that
spontaneous bustion is a rare and exceptional phenomenon； that if a
cannon is to be fired； someone must arise and pull the trigger。 And I
believe that in Society and Politics； when a great event is ready to be done；
someone must e and do itdo it； perhaps； half unwittingly； by some
single rash actlike that first fatal shot fired by an electric spark。
But to return to Cyrus and his Persians。
I know not whether the