The Vintage: A Romance of the Greek War of IndependenceBenson, E. F. (Edward Frederic)
History
The Vintage: A Romance of the Greek War of Independence
Benson, E. F. (Edward Frederic)
Greece -- History -- War of Independence, 1821-1829 -- Fiction
of their Master? Some of us, I know, would wish to endow a king to
rule over a free people, in royal obedience, for so they phrase it, to
a people's will. Is it not enough to have for our king, our Master,
our tender Friend, the King of kings? This only is the kingdom whose
citizenship I covet, for it is beyond price, and it is but a dubious
love for Him that is ours, if we give Him, as we fondly tell ourselves,
our hearts, and withhold from Him our gold and silver. Not in such
manner worshipped the kings of the East. Long was their journey, and
yet we who fight are not more footsore than they; but did they come
empty-handed to worship? Gold and frankincense and myrrh they gave,
their costliest and their best. Heart worship let us give, and lip
worship too, and let our hands be open in giving; it is in giving that
we show, poorly indeed, but in the best and only way, the sincerity of
our hearts. Ah, it is no pale spiritual kingdom only that God requires,
but the pledge of it in a glorious liberality, the fruits of His bounty
given to Him again. Let there be a splendor in our service to Him,
riches, wealth, all that is beautiful, poured out freely; it is our
duty to give--yes, and our privilege."
Petrobey and Nicholas both listened in dead silence, for they respected
the man, and they revered his office. Of the honesty and integrity of
his words, too, neither felt any question; but when in the history of
warfare had ears ever heard so impracticable a piece of rhetoric? Did
Germanos really suppose that these soldiers of theirs were risking
life, possessions, all that they had, for the sake of the heads of
the church? Already the primates had done infinite harm by their
pretentious meddling, giving themselves the airs of deposed monarchs,
for whom it was a privilege to fight, and encouraging seditious talk
among the men by hinting openly that the military leaders were in
league with the Turks, making conventions with them by which their
lives should be spared on the sacrifice of their property. Germanos
himself, as they knew, was a man of far different nature; this scheme
of his, by which half the booty should be placed unreservedly in the
hands of the heads of the church, to be used for the glory of God,
was as sunshine is to midnight compared to the vile slanderings of
his inferiors. But how would the army receive it? Was Petrobey, as
commander-in-chief, or Germanos, as head of this people of God, to go
to them, saying, "You have risked your lives, and it is your privilege
to have done so for the glory of God; risk them to-morrow and the next
day and the next day, and when the war is over, and unless you lie on
the battlefield, you creep back to your dismantled homes, account it
a privilege that you have been permitted to give to the primates and
priests the fruits of your toil"?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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