Lacking him, the harmony (so far
as he knows) would utterly lack the compliment of an audience: by his
own faulty instrument he must seek to interpret it, if it is to be
interpreted at all: and so, like the man at the piano, he goes on "doing
his best."
* * * * *
"God created Man in His image," says the Scripture: "and," adds Heine,
"Man made haste to return the compliment." It sounds wicked, but is one
of the truest things ever said. After all, and without vanity, it is the
best compliment Man can pay, poor fellow!--and he goes on striving to
pay it, though often enough rebuked for his zeal. "Canst _thou_,"
demands the divine Interlocutor in the _Book of Job_--
_"Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands
of Orion? Canst thou bring forth Mazaroth in his season? Or canst thou
guide Arcturus with his sons?"_
To this, fallen and arraigned man, using his best jargon, responds that
"the answer is in the negative. I never pretended to _do_ these things,
only to guess, in my small way, how they are done."
Nor is there any real irreverence in answering thus: for of course it is
not the Almighty who puts the questions, but someone audaciously
personating Him.
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