letters on literature(关于文学)-第6节
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student and a critic。
Mr。 Samuel Richardson； a man of little reading； according to Johnson；
was； I doubt； sadly put to it to understand Booth's conversations with the
author who remarked that 〃Perhaps Mr。 Pope followed the French
Translations。 I observe； indeed； he talks much in the Notes of Madame
Dacier and Monsieur Eustathius。〃 What knew Samuel of Eustathius？ I
not only can forgive Fielding his pedantry； I like it！ I like a man of
letters to be a scholar； and his little pardonable display and ostentation of
his Greek only brings him nearer to us； who have none of his genius； and
do not approach him but in his faults。 They make him more human； one
loves him for them as he loves Squire Western； with all his failings。
Delightful； immortal Squire！
It was not he； it was another Tory Squire that called out 〃Hurray for
old England！ Twenty thousand honest Frenchmen are landed in Sussex。〃
But it was Western that talked of 〃One Acton； that the Story Book says
was turned into a Hare； and his own Dogs kill'd 'un； and eat 'un。〃 And
have you forgotten the popular discussion （during the Forty…five） of the
affairs of the Nation； which； as Squire Western said； 〃all of us understand〃？
Said the Puppet…Man； 〃I don't care what Religion comes； provided the
Presbyterians are not uppermost； for they are enemies to Puppet…Shows。〃
But the Puppet… Man had no vote in 1745。 Now； to our comfort； he can
and does exercise the glorious privilege of the franchise。
There is no room in this epistle for Fielding's glorious gallery of
charactersfor Lady Bellaston； who remains a lady in her debaucheries；
and is therefore so unlike our modern representative of her class； Lady
Betty； in Miss Broughton's 〃Doctor Cupid；〃 for Square； and Thwackum；
and Trulliber； and the jealous spite of Lady Booby； and Honour； that
undying lady's maid； and Partridge； and Captain Blifil and Amelia； the fair
and kind and good！
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It is like the whole world of that old Englandthe maids of the Inn； the
parish clerk； the two sportsmen； the hosts of the taverns； the beaux； the
starveling authorsall alive； all （save the authors） full of beef and beer； a
cudgel in every fist； every man ready for a brotherly bout at fisticuffs。
What has become of it； the lusty old militant world？ What will become
of us； and why do we prefer to Fieldinga number of meritorious moderns？
Who knows？ But do not let us prefer anything to our English follower of
Cervantes； our wise； merry； learned Sancho； trudging on English roads；
like Don Quixote on the paths of Spain。
But I cannot convert you。 You will turn to some story about store…
clerks and summer visitors。 Such is his fate who argues with the fair。
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LONGFELLOW
To Walter Mainwaring； Esq。； Lothian College； Oxford。
My dear Mainwaring；You are very good to ask me to come up and
listen to a discussion； by the College Browning Society； of the minor
characters in 〃Sordello；〃 but I think it would suit me better； if you didn't
mind； to come up when the May races are on。 I am not deeply concerned
about the minor characters in 〃Sordello；〃 and have long reconciled myself
to the conviction that I must pass through this pilgrimage without hearing
Sordello's story told in an intelligible manner。 Your letter； however； set
me a…voyaging about my bookshelves； taking up a volume of poetry here
and there。
What an interesting tract might be written by any one who could
remember； and honestly describe； the impressions that the same books
have made on him at different ages！ There is Longfellow； for example。
I have not read much in him for twenty years。 I take him up to…day； and
what a flood of memories his music brings with it！ To me it is like a sad
autumn wind blowing over the woods； blowing over the empty fields；
bringing the scents of October； the song of a belated bird； and here and
there a red leaf from the tree。 There is that autumnal sense of things fair
and far behind； in his poetry； or； if it is not there； his poetry stirs it in our
forsaken lodges of the past。 Yes； it comes to one out of one's boyhood； it
breathes of a world very vaguely realizeda world of imitative sentiments
and forebodings of hours to come。 Perhaps Longfellow first woke me to
that later sense of what poetry means； which comes with early manhood。
Before； one had been content； I am still content； with Scott in his battle
pieces； with the ballads of the Border。 Longfellow had a touch of
reflection you do not find； of course； in battle poems； in a boy's favourites；
such as 〃Of Nelson and the North；〃 or 〃Ye Mariners of England。〃
His moral reflections may seem obvious now； and trite； they were
neither when one was fifteen。 To read the 〃Voices of the Night；〃 in
particularthose early piecesis to be back at school again； on a Sunday；
reading all alone on a summer's day； high in some tree； with a wide
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prospect of gardens and fields。
There is that mysterious note in the tone and measure which one first
found in Longfellow； which has since reached our ears more richly and
fully in Keats； in Coleridge； in Tennyson。 Take； for example；
〃The welcome； the thrice prayed for； the most fair； The best…beloved
Night！〃
Is not that version of Euripides exquisitedoes it not seem exquisite
still； though this is not the quality you expect chiefly from Longfellow；
though you rather look to him for honest human matter than for an
indefinable beauty of manner？
I believe it is the manner； after all； of the 〃Psalm of Life〃 that has
made it so strangely popular。 People tell us； excellent people； that it is
〃as good as a sermon；〃 that they value it for this reason； that its lesson has
strengthened the hearts of men in our difficult life。 They say so； and they
think so： but the poem is not nearly as good as a sermon； it is not even
coherent。 But it really has an original cadence of its own； with its double
rhymes； and the pleasure of this cadence has combined； with a belief that
they are being edified； to make readers out of number consider the
〃Psalms of Life〃 a masterpiece。 Youmy learned prosodist and student
of Browning and Shelleywill agree with me that it is not a masterpiece。
But I doubt if you have enough of the experience brought by years to
tolerate the opposite opinion； as your elders can。
How many other poems of Longfellow's there are that remind us of
youth； and of those kind； vanished faces which were around us when we
read 〃The Reaper and the Flowers〃！ I read again； and； as the poet says；
〃Then the forms of the departed Enter at the open door； The beloved；
the true…hearted Come to visit me once more。〃
Compare that simple strain； you lover of Theophile Gautier； with
Theo's own 〃Chateau de Souvenir〃 in 〃Emaux et Camees；〃 and confess the
truth； which poet brings the break into the reader's voice？ It is not the
dainty； accomplished Frenchman； the jeweller in words； it is the simpler
speaker of our English tongue who stirs you as a ballad moves you。 I
find one comes back to Longfellow； and to one's old self of the old years。
I don't know a poem 〃of the affections；〃 as Sir Barnes Newcome would
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have called it； that I like better than Thackeray's 〃Cane…bottomed Chair。〃
Well； 〃The Fire of Driftwood〃 a
