English
ReferencewasmadetothehistoricalstoryofJonahandthewhaleintheprecedingchapter.
NowsomeNantucketersratherdistrustthishistoricalstoryofJonahandthewhale.
ButthenthereweresomescepticalGreeksandRomans,who,standingoutfromtheorthodoxpagansoftheirtimes,equallydoubtedthestoryofHerculesandthewhale,andArionandthedolphin;andyettheirdoubtingthosetraditionsdidnotmakethosetraditionsonewhitthelessfacts,forallthat.
OneoldSag-Harborwhaleman’schiefreasonforquestioningtheHebrewstorywasthis:-Hehadoneofthosequaintold-fashionedBibles,embellishedwithcurious,unscientificplates;oneofwhichrepresentedJonah’swhalewithtwospoutsinhishead-apeculiarityonlytruewithrespecttoaspeciesoftheLeviathan(theRightWhale,andthevarietiesofthatorder),concerningwhichthefishermenhavethissaying,“Apennyrollwouldchokehim”;hisswallowissoverysmall.
But,tothis,BishopJebb’santicipativeanswerisready.
Itisnotnecessary,hintstheBishop,thatweconsiderJonahastombedinthewhale’sbelly,butastemporarilylodgedinsomepartofhismouth.
AndthisseemsreasonableenoughinthegoodBishop.
Fortruly,theRightWhale’smouthwouldaccommodateacoupleofwhist-tables,andcomfortablyseatalltheplayers.
Possibly,too,Jonahmighthaveensconcedhimselfinahollowtooth;but,onsecondthoughts,theRightWhaleistoothless.
AnotherreasonwhichSag-Harbor(hewentbythatname)urgedforhiswantoffaithinthismatteroftheprophet,wassomethingobscurelyinreferencetohisincarceratedbodyandthewhale’sgastricjuices.
Butthisobjectionlikewisefallstotheground,becauseaGermanexegetistsupposesthatJonahmusthavetakenrefugeinthefloatingbodyofadeadwhale-evenastheFrenchsoldiersintheRussiancampaignturnedtheirdeadhorsesintotents,andcrawledintothem.
Besides,ithasbeendivinedbyothercontinentalcommentators,thatwhenJonahwasthrownoverboardfromtheJoppaship,hestraightwayeffectedhisescapetoanothervesselnearby,somevesselwithawhaleforafigure-head;and,Iwouldadd,possiblycalled“TheWhale,”assomecraftarenowadayschristenedthe“Shark,”the“Gull,”the“Eagle.”
NorhavetherebeenwantinglearnedexegetistswhohaveopinedthatthewhalementionedinthebookofJonahmerelymeantalife-preserver-aninflatedbagofwind-whichtheendangeredprophetswamto,andsowassavedfromawaterydoom.
PoorSag-Harbor,therefore,seemsworstedallround.
Buthehadstillanotherreasonforhiswantoffaith.
Itwasthis,ifIrememberright:JonahwasswallowedbythewhaleintheMediterraneanSea,andafterthreedays’hewasvomitedupsomewherewithinthreedays’journeyofNineveh,acityontheTigris,verymuchmorethanthreedays’journeyacrossfromthenearestpointoftheMediterraneancoast.Howisthat?
ButwastherenootherwayforthewhaletolandtheprophetwithinthatshortdistanceofNineveh?Yes.
HemighthavecarriedhimroundbythewayoftheCapeofGoodHope.
ButnottospeakofthepassagethroughthewholelengthoftheMediterranean,andanotherpassageupthePersianGulfandRedSea,suchasuppositionwouldinvolvethecompletecircumnavigationofallAfricainthreedays,nottospeakoftheTigriswaters,nearthesiteofNineveh,beingtooshallowforanywhaletoswimin.
Besides,thisideaofJonah’sweatheringtheCapeofGoodHopeatsoearlyadaywouldwrestthehonorofthediscoveryofthatgreatheadlandfromBartholomewDiaz,itsreputeddiscoverer,andsomakemodernhistoryaliar.
ButallthesefoolishargumentsofoldSag-Harboronlyevincedhisfoolishprideofreason-athingstillmorereprehensibleinhim,seeingthathehadbutlittlelearningexceptwhathehadpickedupfromthesunandthesea.
Isayitonlyshowshisfoolish,impiouspride,andabominable,devilishrebellionagainstthereverendclergy.
ForbyaPortugueseCatholicpriest,thisveryideaofJonah’sgoingtoNinevehviatheCapeofGoodHopewasadvancedasasignalmagnificationofthegeneralmiracle.Andsoitwas.
Besides,tothisday,thehighlyenlightenedTurksdevoutlybelieveinthehistoricalstoryofJonah.
Andsomethreecenturiesago,anEnglishtravellerinoldHarris’sVoyages,speaksofaTurkishMosquebuiltinhonorofJonah,inwhichMosquewasamiraculouslampthatburntwithoutanyoil.
Share this article to
FINISH