第23部分(第5/7 頁)

hey　lacked　wasthe　gift　that　descended　upon　the　chosen　disciples　at　Pentecost；　intongues　of　flame；　symbolising；　it　would　seem；　not　the　power　ofspeech　in　foreign　and　unknown　languages；　but　that　of　addressing　thewhole　human　brotherhood　in　the　heart's　native　language。　These　fathers；otherwise　so　apostolic；　lacked　Heaven's　last　and　rarest　attestation　oftheir　office；　the　Tongue　of　Flame。　They　would　have　vainly　sought…had　they　ever　dreamed　of　seeking…　to　express　the　highest　truthsthrough　the　humblest　medium　of　familiar　words　and　images。　Their　voicescame　down；　afar　and　indistinctly；　from　the　upper　heights　where　theyhabitually　dwelt。 Not　improbably；　it　was　to　this　latter　class　of　men　that　Mr。Dimmesdale；　by　many　of　his　traits　of　character；　naturally　belonged。　Tothe　high　mountain…peaks　of　faith　and　sanctity　he　would　have　climbed；had　not　the　tendency　been　thwarted　by　the　burden；　whatever　it　mightbe；　of　crime　or　anguish；　beneath　which　it　was　his　doom　to　totter。　Itkept　him　down；　on　a　level　with　the　lowest；　him；　the　man　of　etherealattributes；　whose　voice　the　angels　might　else　have　listened　to　andanswered！　But　this　very　burden　it　was；　that　gave　him　sympathies　sointimate　with　the　sinful　brotherhood　of　mankind；　so　that　his　heartvibrated　in　unison　with　theirs；　and　received　their　pain　into　itself；and　sent　its　own　throb　of　pain　through　a　thousand　other　hearts；　ingushes　of　sad；　persuasive　eloquence。　Oftenest　persuasive；　butsometimes　terrible！　The　people　knew　not　the　power　that　moved　themthus。　They　deemed　the　young　clergyman　a　miracle　of　holiness。　Theyfancied　him　the　mouthpiece　of　Heaven's　messages　of　wisdom；　and　rebuke；and　love。　In　their　eyes；　the　very　ground　on　which　he　trod　wassanctified。　The　virgins　of　his　church　grew　pale　around　him；　victims　ofa　passion　so　imbued　with　religious　sentiment