"It is not so with Him that all things knows, The help of heaven we count the act of men.” -"All's Well That Ends Well," Act II, Scene I. What influence did the new translation of the Bible have on Shakespeare's writings? Sixth Week, Sixth Day: Shakespeare and Immortality For I am come down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the will of him that sent me, that of all that which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should_raise it up at the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that every one that beholdeth the Son, and believeth on him, should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. John 6: 38-40. Christians today are not so interested in heaven as they used to be, but rather are interested in bringing the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. But a conception of the immortality and infinite worth of the human spirit is at the center of all Christian teaching. As Shakespeare is supposed to have understood human nature better than any other writer, it is interesting to find this same doctrine underlying all his great dramas. We all remember Hamlet's words: "To be, or not to be; that is the question: The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub; Must give us pause But that the dread of something after death, The undiscover'd country from whose bourn -"Hamlet," Act III, Scene I. Again to Horatio when he sees the ghost: I do not set my life at a pin's fee; -"Hamlet," Act I, Scene IV. When Shakespeare comes to face his own death, these words from his will are significant: "I commend my soul into the hand of God, my Creator, hoping and assuredly believing through the merits of Jesus Christ my Saviour to be made partaker of life everlasting." What are the best arguments for a belief in immortality? Sixth Week, Seventh Day: Shakespeare and Christ Jesus said therefore unto the twelve, Would ye also go away? Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we have believed and know that thou art the Holy One of God.John 6:67-69. If Shakespeare is considered by many as the greatest of men, it is interesting to know what Shakespeare thinks of the Christ. We saw yesterday how he turned in facing his own death to "Jesus Christ, my Saviour, to be made partaker of life everlasting." The words put into the mouth of his best characters confirm this attitude, where, for instance, in King Richard III, we find: "The precious image of our dear Redeemer," and again in King Henry IV: "As far as to the sepulchre of Christ, Whose soldiers now, under whose blessed cross, In those holy fields, ... Over whose acres walked those blessed feet, Charles Lamb was one of Shakespeare's greatest admirers. It is related that one day when a group of scholars were discussing the great dramatist, he remarked: “If Shakespeare were now to enter this room, we would all stand up to do him honor; but if Jesus of Nazareth were to come in, we should all fall down and kiss the hem of his garment." What does it mean to me that Shakespeare, possessing the world's greatest mind, calls Christ "Redeemer"? STUDY VII Napoleon Bonaparte—General COMMENT FOR THE WEEK Napoleon was born at Ajaccio, the Island of Corsica, on August 15, 1769, just two months after the conquest of the island by the French. His father, Charles Bonaparte, was of a noble Italian family, refugee in Corsica, while his mother belonged to one of the best old families of that warlike little island. His childhood was not marked with the prodigies with which people usually embellish the early years of great men. He says of himself, "I was only an obstinate and curious child." No one could govern him except his mother, who made him love, fear, and respect her. At the age of ten he was sent to France to the royal school at Brienne. He was a hard student, interested especially in science, and he also reveled in Plutarch's "Lives." His knowledge he applied to the "war game," in which he led the entire school. At fourteen he was admitted to the military school at Paris by special order. He shone there also, and at sixteen he was made a first lieutenant in the garrison at Valence. Happening to be in Corsica in 1792, he was given command of a battalion of the national guard against the English allies. His party was unsuccessful and he was forced to live in retirement and poverty at Marseilles for a time. In January, 1793, the French Revolution came to a head, and the Reign of Terror began. Napoleon accepted service under the new régime, and had some preliminary successes against the English invaders. In 1794 he was given command of the French republican army of Italy. He had brilliant success there, but was suspected of some connection with the younger Robespierre, so was recalled and dismissed from the service. In the insurrection of 1795 he was made the second in command of the forces of "The Convention," and won a decisive victory with only an hour's fighting. About this time he married Josephine, the widow of the Viscount Beauharnais. Immediately thereafter he took command of the army of Italy, and defeated both the Piedmontese and several armies of Austrians, each greater than his own. In 1798 he conquered Egypt for the French Republic, and invaded Palestine. Returning to France in 1799, he started a revolution against the Republic and had himself declared First Consul. He now made overtures of peace to England and Austria, the only countries with which France was still at war, but seems to have been well pleased that these were rejected, as he was thus able to pose as the friend of peace, yet have the war which he desired. His next move was one of the most spectacular of his career. He secretly had the "Army of the Reserve" gathered at Geneva in Switzerland, and with them in May, 1800, crossed the St. Bernard pass, amid incredible difficulties and hardships. Descending into the plains of Northern Italy, he found the Austrians, never suspecting the possibility of his crossing the Alps in their rear, calmly besieging the French under General Masséna in Genoa. Napoleon's natural course would have been to relieve Masséna at once, and en route to defeat as many of the scattered bands of Austrians as possible. He wished to startle the world, so instead he turned toward Milan. This was taking a gambler's chance, and the Austrians had actually defeated him on the plains of Marengo, when Desaix, one of Napoleon's generals, happened to come up with a large scouting party and turned defeat into victory. The Austrian general, not realizing Napoleon's precarious position, might still have defeated him, but, losing his head, he surrendered almost all of Northern Italy to the French. Napoleon returned to Paris full of glory and honor. He proceeded almost immediately to the conclusion of treaties of peace-that of Luneville with Germany in February, 1801, the Concordat with Rome in July of the same year, and the treaty of Amiens with England in 1802. He then with remarkable energy and ability reorganized the internal affairs of France. He founded the University of Paris, the Legion of Honor, the Bank of France; he set up the existing judicial system, and had the laws codified. As the pacifier of Europe, he had himself declared First Consul for life. But he loved the arts of war rather than those of peace, and began so aggressive a policy with England, that he forced her in 1803 |