..
it is strange ...
And so we leave Karshish in a muse: but surely he is not far from
the Kingdom of God.
As this poem indicates the manner in which Christianity in the early
days spread from man to man, while many are amazed and many doubt,
so _Cleon_ gives us the picture of the Gospel as carried over the
world by Paul, Cleon in his own distinguished person sums up the
last word of Greek culture, in its intellectual prowess, its serene
beauty, its many-sided charm, and its total inability to save the
world. Cleon is an absolute pessimist. He is sincere; such cant as
the "choir invisible" means nothing to him, for death will turn his
splendid mind into a pinch of dust. Death is far more horrible to
poets and artists than to the ignorant, he assures the king, who had
thought just the opposite: is it not dreadful to think that after my
death people will be singing the songs that I have written, while
all that remains of me is in a little urn? He does not deceive
himself with phrases.
Pages:
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253