letters on literature(关于文学)-第8节
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
the poet writing to him in the April of 1817； from the Isle of Wight。 〃I
shall forthwith begin my 'Endymion；' which I hope I shall have got some
way with before you come； when we will read our verses in a delightful
place I have set my heart upon； near the castle。〃 Keats ends 〃your
sincere friend；〃 and a man to whom Keats was a sincere friend had some
occasion for pride。
About Reynolds's life neither time nor space permits me to say very
much； if I knew very much； which I don't。 He was the son of a master in
one of our large schools。 He went to the Bar。 He married a sister of
Thomas Hood。 He wrote； like Hood； in the London Magazine。 With
Hood for ally； he published 〃Odes and Addresses to Great People；〃 the
third edition； which I have here； is of 1826。 The late relations of the
brothers…in…law were less happy； possibly the ladies of their families
quarrelled； that is usually the way of the belligerent sex。
Reynolds died in the enjoyment of a judicial office in the Isle of Wight；
27
… Page 28…
Letters on Literature
some thirty years later than his famous friend； the author of 〃Endymion。〃
〃It is to be lamented；〃 says Lord Houghton； 〃that Mr。 Reynolds's own
remarkable verse is not better known。〃 Let us try to know it a little
better。
I have not succeeded in getting Reynolds's first volume of poems；
which was published before 〃Endymion。〃 It contained some Oriental
melodies； and won a careless good word from Byron。 The earliest work
of his I can lay my hand on is 〃The Fancy； a Selection from the Poetical
Remains of the late Peter Corcoran； of Gray's Inn； Student at Law； with a
brief memoir of his Life。〃 There is a motto from Wordsworth：
〃Frank are the sports； the stains are fugitive。〃 ｛4｝
It was the old palmy time of the Ring。 Every one knows how Byron
took lessons from Jackson the boxer； how Shelley had a fight at Eton in
which he quoted Homer； but was licked by a smaller boy； how Christopher
North whipped the professional pugilist； how Keats himself never had
enough of fighting at school； and beat the butcher afterwards。 His friend
Reynolds； also； liked a set…to with the gloves。 His imaginary character；
Peter Corcoran； is a poetical lad； who becomes possessed by a passion for
prize…fighting。 It seems odd in a poet； but 〃the stains are fugitive。〃
We would liefer see a young man rejoicing in his strength and
improving his science； than loafing about with long hair and giving
anxious thought to the colour of his necktie。 It is a disinterested
preference； as fighting was never my forte； any more than it was Artemus
Ward's。 At school I was 〃more remarkable for what I suffered than for
what I achieved。〃
Peter Corcoran 〃fought nearly as soon as he could walk；〃 wherein he
resembled Keats； and part of his character may even have been borrowed
from the author of the 〃Ode to the Nightingale。〃 Peter fell in love； wrote
poetry； witnessed a 〃mill〃 at the Fives…Court； and became the Laureate of
the Ring。 〃He has made a good set…to with Eales； Tom Belcher （the
monarch of the gloves！）； and Turner； and it is known that he has parried
the difficult and ravaging hand even of Randall himself。〃 〃The difficult
and ravaging hand〃there is a style for you！
Reynolds has himself the enthusiasm of his hero； let us remember that
28
… Page 29…
Letters on Literature
Homer； Virgil； and Theocritus have all described spirited rallies with
admiration and good taste。 From his dissipation in cider…cellars and coal…
holes； this rival of Tom and Jerry wrote a sonnet that applies well enough
to Reynolds's own career：
〃Were this a feather from an eagle's wing； And thou； my tablet white！
a marble tile Taken from ancient Jove's majestic pile … And might I dip my
feather in some spring； Adown Mount Ida threadlike wandering：… And
were my thoughts brought from some starry isle In Heaven's blue seaI
then might with a smile Write down a hymn to fame； and proudly sing！
〃But I am mortal： and I cannot write Aught that may foil the fatal
wing of Time。 Silent； I look at Fame： I cannot climb To where her
Temple isNot mine the might：… I have some glimmering of what is
sublime … But； ah！ it is a most inconstant light。〃
Keats might have written this sonnet in a melancholy mood。
〃About this time he （Peter） wrote a slang description of a fight he had
witnessed to a lady。〃 Unlucky Peter！ 〃Was ever woman in this manner
wooed？〃 The lady 〃glanced her eye over page after page in hopes of
meeting with something that was intelligible；〃 and no wonder she did not
care for a long letter 〃devoted to the subject of a mill between Belasco and
the Brummagem youth。〃 Peter was so ill… advised as to appear before her
with glorious scars； 〃two black eyes〃 in fact； and she 〃was inexorably
cruel。〃 Peter did not survive her disdain。 〃The lady still lives； and is
married〃！ It is ever thus！
Peter's published works contain an American tragedy。 Peter says he
got it from a friend； who was sending him an American copy of 〃Guy
Mannering〃 〃to present to a young lady who； strange to say； 〃read books
and wore pockets；〃 virtues unusual in the sex。 One of the songs （on the
delights of bull…baiting） contains the most vigorous lines I have ever met；
but they are too vigorous for our lax age。 The tragedy ends most tragically；
and the moral comes in 〃better late；〃 says the author； 〃than never。〃 The
other poems are all very lively； and very much out of date。 Poor Peter！
Reynolds was married by 1818； and it is impossible to guess whether
the poems of Peter Corcoran did or did not contain allusions to his own
more lucky love affair。 〃Upon my soul；〃 writes Keats； 〃I have been
29
… Page 30…
Letters on Literature
getting more and more close to you every day； ever since I knew you； and
now one of the first pleasures I look to is your happy marriage。〃
Reynolds was urging Keats to publish the 〃Pot of Basil〃 〃as an answer to
the attack made on me in Blackwood's Magazine and the Quarterly
Review。〃
Next Keats writes that he himself 〃never was in love； yet the voice and
shape of a woman has haunted me these two days。〃 On September 22；
1819； Keats sent Reynolds the 〃Ode to Autumn；〃 than which there is no
more perfect poem in the language of Shakespeare。 This was the last of
his published letters to Reynolds。 He was dying； haunted eternally by
that woman's shape and voice。
Reynolds's best…known book； if any of them can be said to be known
at all； was published under the name of John Hamilton。 It is 〃The
Garden of Florence； and Other Poems 〃 （Warren； London； 1821）。 There
is a dedicationto his young wife。
〃Thou hast entreated me to 'write no more；'〃 and he； as an elderly
〃man of twenty…four；〃 promises to obey。 〃The lily and myself henceforth
are two；〃 he says； implying that he and the lily have previously been
〃one；〃 a quaint confession from the poet of Peter Corcoran。 There is
something very pleasant in the graceful regret and obedience of this
farewell to the Muse。 He says to Mrs。 Reynolds：
〃I will not tell the world that thou hast chid My heart for worshipping
the idol Muse； That thy dark eye has given its gentle lid Tears for my
wanderings； I may not choose When thou dost speak but do as I am bid； …
And therefore to the roses and the dews； Very respectfully I make my bow；
… And turn my back upon the tulips now。〃
〃The chie
