下载辰思小说免费APP
ButIshouldnotoffertheevidencefortheprosecutionandleavethedefenseunheard。Wm。C。Grimesdeposesasfollows:——"Wehadtakenshiptogoovertotheotherside。Theseawasnotmorethansixmileswide。Ofthebeautyofthescene，however，Icannotsayenough，norcanIimaginewherethosetravelerscarriedtheireyeswhohavedescribedthesceneryofthelakeastameoruninteresting。Thefirstgreatcharacteristicofitisthedeepbasininwhichitlies。Thisisfromthreetofourhundredfeetdeeponallsidesexceptatthelowerend，andthesharpslopeofthebanks，whicharealloftherichestgreen，isbrokenanddiversifiedbythewâdysandwater—courseswhichworktheirwaydownthroughthesidesofthebasin，formingdarkchasmsorlightsunnyvalleys。NearTiberiasthesebanksarerocky，andancientsepulchresopeninthem，withtheirdoorstowardthewater。Theyselectedgrandspots，asdidtheEgyptiansofold，forburialplaces，asiftheydesignedthatwhenthevoiceofGodshouldreachthesleepers，theyshouldwalkforthandopentheireyesonscenesofgloriousbeauty。Ontheeast，thewildanddesolatemountainscontrastfinelywiththedeepbluelake;andtowardthenorth，sublimeandmajestic，Hermonlooksdownonthesea，liftinghiswhitecrowntoheavenwiththeprideofahillthathasseenthedepartingfootstepsofahundredgenerations。Onthenorth—eastshoreoftheseawasasingletree，andthisistheonlytreeofanysizevisiblefromthewaterofthelake，exceptafewlonelypalmsinthecityofTiberias，andbyitssolitarypositionattractsmoreattentionthanwouldaforest。ThewholeappearanceofthesceneispreciselywhatwewouldexpectanddesirethesceneryofGenessarettobe，grandbeauty，butquietcalm。Theverymountainsarecalm。"Itisaningeniouslywrittendescription，andwellcalculatedtodeceive。
Butifthepaintandtheribbonsandtheflowersbestrippedfromit，askeletonwillbefoundbeneath。
Sostripped，thereremainsalakesixmileswideandneutralincolor;
withsteepgreenbanks，unrelievedbyshrubbery;atoneendbare，unsightlyrocks，with（almostinvisible）holesinthemofnoconsequencetothepicture;
eastward，"wildanddesolatemountains;"（low，desolatehills，heshouldhavesaid;）inthenorth，amountaincalledHermon，withsnowonit;peculiarityofthepicture，"calmness;"itsprominentfeature，onetree。
Noingenuitycouldmakesuchapicturebeautiful——toone\'sactualvision。
Iclaimtherighttocorrectmisstatements，andhavesocorrectedthecolorofthewaterintheaboverecapitulation。ThewatersofGenessaretareofanexceedinglymildblue，evenfromahighelevationandadistanceoffivemiles。Closeathand（thewitnesswassailingonthelake，）itishardlypropertocallthemblueatall，muchless"deep"blue。Iwishtostate，also，notasacorrection，butasmatterofopinion，thatMountHermonisnotastrikingorpicturesquemountainbyanymeans，beingtooneartheheightofitsimmediateneigh—borstobeso。Thatisall。Idonotobjecttothewitnessdraggingamountainforty—fivemilestohelpthesceneryunderconsideration，becauseitisentirelypropertodoit，andbesides，thepictureneedsit。
"C。W。E。，"（of"LifeintheHolyLand，"）deposesasfollows:——"AbeautifulsealiesunbosomedamongtheGalileanhills，inthemidstofthatlandoncepossessedbyZebulonandNaphtali，AsherandDan。Theazureoftheskypenetratesthedepthsofthelake，andthewatersaresweetandcool。Onthewest，stretchbroadfertileplains;onthenorththerockyshoresrisestepbystepuntilinthefardistancetowerthesnowyheightsofHermon;ontheeastthroughamistyveilareseenthehighplainsofPerea，whichstretchawayinruggedmountainsleadingthemindbyvariedpathstowardJerusalemtheHoly。Flowersbloominthisterrestrialparadise，oncebeautifulandverdantwithwavingtrees;singingbirdsenchanttheear;theturtle—dovesootheswithitssoftnote;thecrestedlarksendsupitssongtowardheaven，andthegraveandstatelystorkinspiresthemindwiththought，andleadsitontomeditationandrepose。Lifeherewasonceidyllic，charming;herewereoncenorich，nopoor，nohigh，nolow。Itwasaworldofease，simplicity，andbeauty;nowitisasceneofdesolationandmisery。"Thisisnotaningeniouspicture。ItistheworstIeversaw。Itdescribesinelaboratedetailwhatittermsa"terrestrialparadise，"andcloseswiththestartlinginformationthatthisparadiseis"asceneofdesolationandmisery。"
Ihavegiventwofair，averagespecimensofthecharacterofthetestimonyofferedbythemajorityofthewriterswhovisitthisregion。Onesays，"OfthebeautyofthesceneIcannotsayenough，"andthenproceedstocoverupwithawoofofglitteringsentencesathingwhich，whenstrippedforinspection，provestobeonlyanunobtrusivebasinofwater，somemountainousdesolation，andonetree。Theother，afteraconscientiousefforttobuildaterrestrialparadiseoutofthesamematerials，withtheadditionofa"graveandstatelystork，"spoilsitallbyblunderingupontheghastlytruthatthelast。
NearlyeverybookconcerningGalileeanditslakedescribesthesceneryasbeautiful。No——notalwayssostraightforwardasthat。Sometimestheimpressionintentionallyconveyedisthatitisbeautiful，atthesametimethattheauthoriscarefulnottosaythatitis，inplainSaxon。Butacarefulanalysisofthesedescriptionswillshowthatthematerialsofwhichtheyareformedarenotindividuallybeautifulandcannotbewroughtintocombinationsthatarebeautiful。Thevenerationandtheaffectionwhichsomeofthesemenfeltforthescenestheywerespeakingof，heatedtheirfanciesandbiasedtheirjudgment;butthepleasantfalsitiestheywrotewerefullofhonestsincerity，atanyrate。Otherswroteastheydid，becausetheyfeareditwouldbeunpopulartowriteotherwise。
Otherswerehypocritesanddeliberatelymeanttodeceive。Anyofthemwouldsayinamoment，ifasked，thatitwasalwaysrightandalwaysbesttotellthetruth。Theywouldsaythat，atanyrate，iftheydidnotperceivethedriftofthequestion。
Butwhyshouldnotthetruthbespokenofthisregion？Isthetruthharmful？Hasiteverneededtohideitsface？GodmadetheSeaofGalileeanditssurroundingsastheyare。IsittheprovinceofMr。Grimestoimproveuponthework？
Iamsure，fromthetenorofbooksIhaveread，thatmanywhohavevisitedthislandinyearsgoneby，werePresbyterians，andcameseekingevidencesinsupportoftheirparticularcreed;theyfoundaPresbyterianPalestine，andtheyhadalreadymadeuptheirmindstofindnoother，thoughpossiblytheydidnotknowit，beingblindedbytheirzeal。OtherswereBaptists，seekingBaptistevidencesandaBaptistPalestine。OtherswereCatholics，Methodists，Episcopalians，seekingevidencesindorsingtheirseveralcreeds，andaCatholic，aMethodist，anEpiscopalianPalestine。Honestasthesemen\'sintentionsmayhavebeen，theywerefullofpartialitiesandprejudices，theyenteredthecountrywiththeirverdictsalreadyprepared，andtheycouldnomorewritedispassionatelyandimpartiallyaboutitthantheycouldabouttheirownwivesandchildren。Ourpilgrimshavebroughttheirverdictswiththem。TheyhaveshownitintheirconversationeversinceweleftBeirout。Icanalmosttell，insetphrase，whattheywillsaywhentheyseeTabor，Nazareth，JerichoandJerusalem——becauseIhavethebookstheywill"smouch"theirideasfrom。Theseauthorswritepicturesandframerhapsodies，andlessermenfollowandseewiththeauthor\'seyesinsteadoftheirown，andspeakwithhistongue。WhatthepilgrimssaidatCesareaPhilippisurprisedmewithitswisdom。IfounditafterwardsinRobinson。WhattheysaidwhenGenessaretburstupontheirvision，charmedmewithitsgrace。IfinditinMr。Thompson\'s"LandandtheBook。"Theyhavespokenoften，inhappilywordedlanguagewhichnevervaried，ofhowtheymeantolaytheirwearyheadsuponastoneatBethel，asJacobdid，andclosetheirdimeyes，anddream，perchance，ofangelsdescendingoutofheavenonaladder。Itwasverypretty。ButIhaverecognizedthewearyheadandthedimeyes，finally。Theyborrowedtheidea——andthewords——andtheconstruction——andthepunctuation——fromGrimes。ThepilgrimswilltellofPalestine，whentheygethome，notasitappearedtothem，butasitappearedtoThompsonandRobinsonandGrimes——withthetintsvariedtosuiteachpilgrim\'screed。
Pilgrims，sinnersandArabsareallabed，now，andthecampisstill。
Laborinlonelinessisirksome。SinceImademylastfewnotes，Ihavebeensittingoutsidethetentforhalfanhour。NightisthetimetoseeGalilee。Genessaretundertheselustrousstarshasnothingrepulsiveaboutit。Genessaretwiththeglitteringreflectionsoftheconstellationsfleckingitssurface，almostmakesmeregretthatIeversawtherudeglareofthedayuponit。Itshistoryanditsassociationsareitschiefestcharm，inanyeyes，andthespellstheyweavearefeebleinthesearchinglightofthesun。Then，wescarcelyfeelthefetters。Ourthoughtswanderconstantlytothepracticalconcernsoflife，andrefusetodwelluponthingsthatseemvagueandunreal。Butwhenthedayisdone，eventhemostunimpressiblemustyieldtothedreamyinfluencesofthistranquilstarlight。
Theoldtraditionsoftheplacestealuponhismemoryandhaunthisreveries，andthenhisfancyclothesallsightsandsoundswiththesupernatural。
Inthelappingofthewavesuponthebeach，hehearsthedipofghostlyoars;inthesecretnoisesofthenighthehearsspiritvoices;inthesoftsweepofthebreeze，therushofinvisiblewings。Phan—tomshipsareonthesea，thedeadoftwentycenturiescomeforthfromthetombs，andinthedirgesofthenightwindthesongsofoldforgottenagesfindutteranceagain。
Inthestarlight，Galileehasnoboundariesbutthebroadcompassoftheheavens，andisatheatremeetforgreatevents;meetforthebirthofareligionabletosaveaworld;andmeetforthestatelyFigureappointedtostanduponitsstageandproclaimitshighdecrees。Butinthesunlight，onesays:Isitforthedeedswhichweredoneandthewordswhichwerespokeninthislittleacreofrocksandsandeighteencenturiesgone，thatthebellsareringingto—dayintheremoteislandsoftheseaandfarandwideovercontinentsthatclaspthecircumferenceofthehugeglobe？
Onecancomprehenditonlywhennighthashiddenallincongruitiesandcreatedatheatreproperforsograndadrama。
Chapter49
WetookanotherswimintheSeaofGalileeattwilightyes
