Shall the rose
Cry to the lotus "No flower thou"? the palm
Call to the cypress "I alone am fair"?
The mango spurn the melon at his foot?
"Mine is the one fruit Alla made for man."
Look how the living pulse of Alla beats
Thro' all His world. If every single star
Should shriek its claim "I only am in heaven,"
Why that were such sphere-music as the Greek
Had hardly dream'd of. There is light in all,
And light, with more or less of shade, in all
Man-modes of worship....
I hate the rancour of their castes and creeds,
I let men worship as they will, I reap
No revenue from the field of unbelief.
I cull from every faith and race the best
And bravest soul for counsellor and friend.
I loathe the very name of infidel.
I stagger at the Korân and the sword.
I shudder at the Christian and the stake.
In regard also to this tendency to religious strife the older civilisations of Europe could give help if they would, rather than hindrance as they do now, encouraging and stimulating creed jealousies. Even well-meaning and unselfish friends of the Balkans contribute often to spread evil tendencies because they take up the attitude of blind partisanship for one particular Balkan people, and refuse either to give charity to the others or chiding to their pet people.
It would be neither truthful nor good policy to attempt to maintain that the great Powers of Europe are altogether responsible for the blood torrents which are always flowing in the Balkans. But they have had a great share of the responsibility in the past; are very guilty in the present. Since gaining some knowledge of the Balkan peoples I have always nursed a hope, a very desperate hope, that the powers of Western Europe would repent of selfish ambitions at the eleventh hour, and would adopt a policy of real help to the struggling nationalities of the Near East. They are kept so miserable and yet naturally are really so amiable, those little peoples. The Bulgarians in particular I learned to regard with something of affection. Their good temper and their industry and their patience recalled Tolstoy's pen-pictures of the Russian peasants:
All of these peasants, even those who had quarrelled with him about the hay, or those whom he had injured if their intention was not to cheat him, saluted him gaily as they passed, and showed no anger for what he had done, or any remorse or even remembrance that they had tried to defraud him. All was swallowed up and forgotten in this sea of joyous, universal labour. God gave the day, God gave the strength; and the day and the strength consecrated the labour and yielded their own reward. No one dreamed of asking, Why this work, and who enjoyed the fruits of it? These questions were secondary and of no account....
Levin had often looked with interest at this life, had often been tempted to become one with the people, living their lives; but to-day the impression of what he had seen in the bearing of Vanka Parmenof towards his young wife gave him for the first time a clear and definite desire to exchange the burdensome, idle, artificial, selfish existence which he led, for the laborious, simple, pure, and delightful life of the peasantry.
The elder, who had been sitting with him, had already gone home; the neighbouring villagers were wending their way indoors; while those who lived at a distance were preparing to spend the night in the meadow, and getting ready for supper.
Levin, without being seen, still lay on the hay, looking, listening, and thinking. The peasantry, gathered on the prairie, scarcely slept throughout the short summer night. At first there were gay gossip and laughter while everybody was eating; then followed songs and jests.
All the long, laborious day had left no trace upon them, except of its happiness....
The Bulgarian peasants are indeed very close to the Russians of the south, where there has been a mixture of Tartar blood. Simple, laborious, religious, frugal, they deserve better than to be food for powder.
INDEX
- Balkan Mountains, 150
- Baltic shores, the, 16
- Banki, 153
- Black Sea, 16, 150
- Bourgas, 20, 161
- Bulair, 136
- Burgas, 150
- Chatalja, 114
- Gabrovo, 155
- Hissar, 153
- Kalofer, 155
- Karlovo, 155
- Kasilagatch, 67
- Kastoria, 67
- Kirk Kilisse, 67, 111
- Klissoura, 155
- Koprivchtitza, 155
- Kotel, 155
- Kustendji, 16
- Macedonia, 134, 145
- Maritza River, 148
- Marmora, Sea of, 19, 145
- Meritchléri, 153
- Monastir, 67
- Mustapha Pasha, 67, 108
- Salonica, 145
- Samokov, 155
- Sandjaks, 67
- Schumla, 18, 33
- Scutari, 134
- Servia, 150
- Shipka Pass, 96
- Silistra, 150
- Silivri, 114
- Sliven, 67, 153, 155
- Sofia, 22, 67, 77, 153
- Sopot, 155
- Stara Zagora, 106, 154
- Stroumitza, 67
- Struma River, 151
- Uskub, 67
THE END
Printed by R. & R. Clark, Limited, Edinburgh.
Sketch Map accompanying "Bulgaria." By Frank Fox.
Published by A. & C. Black Ltd., London.
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FRANK FOX