第一小说网

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第15部分（第4页）

transparent；　and　for　which　Nature　and　Spirit　can　bee　open　and　transparent　only　by　means　of　a

further　process；　—　a　very　lengthened　culture　of　that　Will　at　length　bee　self…conscious。

Consciousness　alone　is　clearness；　and　is　that　alone　for　which　God　（or　any　other　existence）　can　be

revealed。　In　its　true　form　—　in　absolute　universality　—　nothing　can　be　manifested　except　to

consciousness　made　percipient　of　it。　Freedom　is　nothing　but　the　recognition　and　adoption　of　such

universal　substantial　objects　as　Right　and　Law；　and　the　production　of　a　reality　that　is　accordant

with　them　—　the　State。　Nations　may　have　passed　a　long　life　before　arriving　at　this　their　destination；

and　during　this　period；　they　may　have　attained　considerable　culture　in　some　directions。　This

ante…historical　period　—　consistently　with　what　has　been　said　—　lies　out　of　our　plan；　whether　a　real

history　followed　it；　or　the　peoples　in　question　never　attained　a　political　constitution。　—　It　is　a　great

discovery　in　history　—　as　of　a　new　world　—　which　has　been　made　within　rather　more　than　the　last

twenty　years；　respecting　the　Sanskrit　and　the　connection　of　the　European　languages　with　it。　In

particular；　the　connection　of　the　German　and　Indian　peoples　has　been　demonstrated；　with　as　much

certainty　as　such　subjects　allow　of。　Even　at　the　present　time　we　know　of　peoples　which　scarcely

form　a　society；　much　less　a　State；　but　that　have　been　long　known　as　existing；　while　with　regard　to

others；　which　in　their　advanced　condition　excite　our　especial　interest；　tradition　reaches　beyond　the

record　of　the　founding　of　the　State；　and　they　experienced　many　changes　prior　to　that　epoch。　In　the

connection　just　referred　to；　between　the　languages　of　nations　so　widely　separated；　we　have　a

result　before　us；　which　proves　the　diffusion　of　those　nations　from　Asia　as　a　centre；　and　the　so

dissimilar　development　of　what　had　been　originally　related；　as　an　incontestable　fact；　not　as　an

inference　deduced　by　that　favourite　method　of　bining；　and　reasoning　from；　circumstances

grave　and　trivial；　which　has　already　enriched　and　will　continue　to　enrich　history　with　so　many

fictions　given　out　as　facts。　But　that　apparently　so　extensive　range　of　events　lies　beyond　the　pale　of

history；　in　fact　preceded　it。　In　our　language　the　term　History　unites　the　objective　with　the

subjective　side；　and　denotes　quite　as　much　the　historia　rerum　gestarum；　as　the　res　gestae

themselves；　on　the　other　hand　it　prehends　not　less　what　has　happened；　than　the　narration　of

what　has　happened。　This　union　of　the　two　meanings　we　must　regard　as　of　a　higher　order　than　mere

outward　accident；　we　must