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But to return to Cyrus and his Persians。
I know not whether the 〃Cyropaedia〃 is much read in your schools and
universities。 But it is one of the books which I should like to see； either
in a translation or its own exquisite Greek； in the hands of every young
man。 It is not all fact。 It is but a historic romance。 But it is better than
history。 It is an ideal book； like Sidney's 〃Arcadia〃 or Spenser's 〃Fairy
Queen〃the ideal self… education of an ideal hero。 And the moral of the
bookponder it well； all young men who have the chance or the hope of
exercising authority among your follow…menthe noble and most
Christian moral of that heathen book is this： that the path to solid and
beneficent influence over our fellow…men lies； not through brute force； not
through cupidity； but through the highest morality； through justice；
truthfulness； humanity； self…denial； modesty； courtesy； and all which makes
man or woman lovely in the eyes of mortals or of God。
Yes； the 〃Cyropaedia〃 is a noble book； about a noble personage。 But
I cannot forget that there are nobler words by far concerning that same
noble personage； in the magnificent series of Hebrew Lyrics； which begins
〃fort ye； fort ye； my people； saith the Lord〃in which the
inspired poet； watching the rise of Cyrus and his Puritans； and the fall of
Babylon； and the idolatries of the East； and the ing deliverance of his
own countrymen； speaks of the Persian hero in words so grand that they
have been often enough applied； and with all fitness； to one greater than
Cyrus； and than all men：
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Who raised up the righteous man from the East； And called him to
attend his steps？ Who subdued nations at his presence； And gave him
dominion over kings？ And made them like the dust before his sword； And
the driven stubble before his bow？ He pursueth them； he passeth in safety；
By a way never trodden before by his feet。 Who hath performed and made
these things； Calling the generations from the beginning？ I； Jehovah； the
first and the last； I am the same。
Behold my servant； whom I will uphold； My chosen； in whom my soul
delighteth； I will make my spirit rest upon him； And he shall publish
judgment to the nations。 He shall not cry aloud； nor clamour； Nor cause
his voice to be heard in the streets。 The bruised reed he shall not break；
And the smoking flax he shall not quench。 He shall publish justice； and
establish it。 His force shall not be abated； nor broken； Until he has firmly
seated justice in the earth； And the distant nations shall wait for his Law。
Thus saith the God； even Jehovah； Who created the heavens； and stretched
them out； Who spread abroad the earth； and its produce： I； Jehovah； have
called thee for a righteous end； And I will take hold of thy hand； and
preserve thee； And I will give thee for a covenant to the people； And for a
light to the nations； To open the eyes of the blind； To bring the captives out
of prison； And from the dungeon those who dwell in darkness。 I am
Jehovahthat is my name； And my glory will I not give to another； Nor
my praise to the graven idols。
Who saith to CyrusThou art my shepherd； And he shall fulfil all my
pleasure： Who saith to JerusalemThou shalt be built； And to the Temple
Thou shalt be founded。 Thus saith Jehovah to his anointed； To Cyrus
whom I hold fast by his right hand； That I may subdue nations under him；
And loose the loins of kings； That I may open before him the two…leaved
doors； And the gates shall not be shut； I will go before thee And bring the
mountains low。 The gates of brass will I break in sunder； And the bars of
iron hew down。 And I will give thee the treasures of darkness； And the
hoards hid deep in secret places； That thou mayest know that I am Jehovah。
I have surnamed thee； though thou knowest not me。 I am Jehovah； and
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none else； Beside me there is no God。 I will gird thee； though thou hast not
known me； That they may know from the rising of the sun； And from the
west； that there is none beside me； I am Jehovah； and none else； Forming
light and creating darkness； Forming peace； and creating evil。 I； Jehovah；
make all these。
This is the Hebrew prophet's conception of the great Puritan of the
Old World who went forth with such a mission as this； to destroy the
idols of the East； while
The isles saw that； and feared； And the ends of the earth were afraid；
They drew near； they came together； Everyone helped his neighbour； And
said to his brother； Be of good courage。
The carver encouraged the smith； He that smoothed with the hammer
Him that smote on the anvil； Saying of the solder； It is good； And fixing
the idol with nails； lest it be moved；
But all in vain； for as the poet goes on：
Bel bowed down； and Nebo stooped； Their idols were upon the cattle；
A burden to the weary beast。 They stoop； they bow down together； They
could not deliver their own charge； Themselves are gone into captivity。
And what； to return； what was the end of the great Cyrus and of his
empire？
Alas； alas！ as with all human glory； the end was not as the beginning。
We are scarce bound to believe positively the story how Cyrus made
one war too many； and was cut off in the Scythian deserts； falling before
the arrows of mere savages； and how their queen； Tomyris； poured blood
down the throat of the dead corpse； with the words； 〃Glut thyself with the
gore for which thou hast thirsted。〃 But it may be truefor Xenophon
states it expressly； and with detailthat Cyrus； from the very time of his
triumph； became an Eastern despot； a sultan or a shah； living apart from
his people in mysterious splendour； in the vast fortified palace which he
built for himself； and imitating and causing his nobles and satraps to
imitate； in all but vice and effeminacy； the very Medes whom he had
conquered。 And of this there is no doubtthat his sons and their empire
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ran rapidly through that same vicious circle of corruption to which all
despotisms are doomed； and became within 250 years； even as the Medes；
the Chaldeans； the Lydians； whom they had conquered； children no longer
of Ahura Mazda； but of Ahriman； of darkness and not of light； to be
conquered by Alexander and his Greeks even more rapidly and more
shamefully than they had conquered the East。
This is the short epic of the Persian Empire； ending； alas！ as all human
epics are wont to end； sadly； if not shamefully。
But let me ask you； Did I say too much； when I said； that to these
Persians we owe that we are here to…night？
I do not say that without them we should not have been here。 God； I
presume； when He is minded to do anything； has more than one way of
doing it。
But that we are now the last link in a chain of causes and effects which
reaches as far back as the emigration of the Persians southward from the
plateau of Pamir； we cannot doubt。
For see。 By the fall of Babylon and its empire the Jews were freed
from their captivitylarge numbers of them at leastand sent home to
their own Jerusalem。 What motives prompted Cyrus； and Darius after
him； to do that deed？
Those who like to impute the lowest motives may say； if they will； that
Daniel and the later Isaiah found it politic to worship the rising sun； and
flatter the Persian conquerors： and that Cyrus and Darius in turn were
glad to see Jerusalem rebuilt； as an impregnable frontier fortress between
them and Egypt。 Be it so； I； who wish to talk of things noble； pure；
lovely； and of good report； would rather point you once more to the
magnificent poetry of the later Isaiah which mences at the 40th
chapter of the Book of Isaiah； and say There； upon the very face of the
document； stands written the fact that the sympathy between the faithful
Persian and the faithful Jew… …the two puritans of the Old World； the two
haters of lies； idolatries； superstitions； was actually as intense as it ought to
have been； as it must have been。
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Be that as it may； the return of the Jews to Jerusalem preserved for us
the Old Testament； while it restored to them a national centre； a sacred city；
like that of Delphi to the Greeks； Rome to the Romans； Mecca to the
Muslim； loyalty to which prevented their being utterly absorbed by the
more civilised Eastern races among whom they had been scattered abroad
as colonies of captives。
Then another； and a seemingly needful link of cause and effect ensued：
Alexander of Macedon destroyed the Persian Empire； and the East became
Greek； and Alexandria； rather than Jerusalem； became the head…quarters of
Jewish learning。 But for that very cause； the Scriptures were not left
inaccessible to the mass of mankind； like the old Pehlevi liturgies of the
Zend…avesta； or the old Sanscrit Vedas； in an obsolete and hieratic tongue；
but were translated into； and continued in； the then all but world…wide
Hellenic speech； which was to the ancient world what French is to the
modern。
Then the East became Roman； without losing its Greek speech。 And
under the wide domination of that later Roman Empirewhich had
subdued and organised the whole known world； save the Parthian
descendants of those old Persians； and our old Teutonic forefathers in their
German forests and on their Scandinavian shoresthat Divine book was
carried far and wide； East and West； and South； from the heart of
Abyssinia to the mountains of Armenia； and to the isles of the ocean；
beyond Britain itself to Ireland and to the Hebrides。
And that bookso strangely coinciding with the old creed of the earlier
Persiansthat book； long misunderstood； long overlain by the dust； and
overgrown by the parasitic fungi of centuries； that book it was which sent
to these trans…Atlantic shores the founders of your great nation。 That
book gave them their instinct of Freedom； tempered by reverence for Law。
That book gave them their hatred of idolatry； and made them not only say
but act upon their own words； with these old Persians and with the Jewish
prophets alike； Sacrifice and burnt offering thou wouldst not； Then said
we； Lo； we e。 In the volume of the book it is written of us； that we
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