study of the king james bible(钦印〈圣经〉研究)-第26节
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style； and certainly not with his attitude toward his fellows； but it is a
constant surprise in reading Dryden to discover how familiar he was with
the King James version。 Walter Scott insists that Dryden was at heart
serious； that 〃his indelicacy was like the forced impudence of a bashful
man。〃 That is generous judgment。 But there is this to be said： as he grows
more serious he falls more into Bible words。 If he writes a political
pamphlet he calls it 〃Absalom and Ahithophel。〃 In it he holds the men of
the day up to scorn under Bible names。 They are Zimri and Shimei； and
the like。 When he is falling into bitterest satire； his writing abounds in
these Biblical allusions which could be made only by one who was very
familiar with the Book。 Quotations cannot be abundant； of course； but
there is a great deal of this sort of thing：
〃Sinking； he left his drugget robe behind； Borne upward by a
subterranean wind； The mantle fell to the young prophet's part； With
double portion of his father's art。〃
In his Epistles there is much of the same sort。 When he writes to
Congreve he speaks of the fathers； and says：
〃Their's was the giant race before the flood。〃
Farther on he says：
〃Our builders were with want of genius curst； The second temple
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was not like the first。〃
Now Dryden may have been； as Macaulay said； an 〃illustrious
renegade；〃 but all his writing shows the influence of the language and the
ideas of the King James version。 Whenever we sing the 〃Veni Creator〃 we
sing John Dryden。
So we sing Addison in the paraphrase of Scripture； which Haydn's
music has made familiar：
〃The spacious firmament on high； With all the blue ethereal sky。〃
While Dryden yielded to his times； Addison did not； and the Spectator
became not only a literary but a moral power。 In the effort to make it so he
was thrown back on the largest moral influence of the day； the Bible； and
throughout the Spectator and through all of Addison's writing you find on
all proper occasions the Bible pressed to the front。 Here again Taine puts it
strikingly： 〃It is no small thing to make morality fashionable； Addison did
it； and it remains fashionable。〃
If we speak of singing； we may remember that we sing the hymn of
even poor little dwarfed invalid Alexander Pope。 He was born the year
Bunyan died； born at cross…purposes with the world。 He could write a
bitter satire； like the 〃Dunciad〃； he could give the world The Iliad and The
Odyssey in such English that we know them far better than in the Greek of
Homer； but in those rare moments when he was at his better self he would
write his greater poem； 〃The Messiah〃； in which the movement of
Scripture is outlined as it could be only by one who knew the English
Bible。 And when we sing
〃Rise； crowned with light； imperial Salem； rise〃
it is worth while to realize that the voice that first sung it was that of
the irritable little poet who found some of his scant comfort in the grand
words and phrases and ideas of our English Bible。
With these sixShakespeare； Milton； Bunyan； Dryden； Addison； and
Popethe course of the Jacobean literature is sufficiently measured。 There
are many lesser names； but these are the ones which made it an epoch in
literature； and these are at their best under the power of the Bible。
In the Georgian group we need to call only five great names which
have had creative influence in literature。 Ordinary culture in literature will
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include some acquaintance with each of them。 In the order of their death
they are Shelley （1829。）； Byron （1824）； Coleridge （1831）； Walter Scott
（1832）； and Wordsworth （1850）。 The last long outlived the others； but he
belongs with them； because he was born earlier than any other in the group
and did his chief work in their time and before the later group appeared。
Except Wordsworth； all these were gone before Queen Victoria came to
the throne in 1837。 Three other names could be called： Keats； Robert
Burns； and Charles Lamb。 All would illustrate what we are studying。 Keats
least of all and Burns most。 They are omitted here not because they did not
feel the influence of the English Bible； not because they do not constantly
show its influence； but because they are not so creative as the others； they
have not so influenced the current of literature。 At any rate； the five named
will represent worthily and with sufficient completeness the Georgian
period of English literature。
Nothing could reveal more clearly than this list how we are
distinguishing the Bible as literature from the Bible as an authoritative
book in morals。 One would much dislike to credit the Bible with any part
of the personal life of Shelley or Byron。 They were friends； they； were
geniuses； but they were both badly afflicted with common moral leprosy。
It is playing with morals to excuse either of them because he was a genius。
Nothing in the genius of either demanded or was served by the course of
cheap immorality which both practised。 It was not because Shelley was a
genius that he married Harriet Westbrook； then ran away with Mary
Godwin； then tried to get the two to become friends and neighbors until
his own wife committed suicide； it was not his genius that made him yield
to the influence of Emilia Viviani and write her the poem 〃Epipsychidion；〃
telling her and the world that he 〃was never attached to that great sect who
believed that each one should select out of the crowd a mistress or a
friend〃 and let the rest go。 That was not genius； that was just common
passion； and our divorce courts are full of Shelleys of that type。 So
Byron's personal immorality is not to be explained nor excused on the
ground of his genius。 It was not genius that led him so astray in England
that his wife had to divorce him； and that public opinion drove him out of
the land。 It was not his genius that sent him to visit Shelley and his
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mistress at Lake Geneva and seduce their guest； so that she bore him a
daughter； though she was never his wife。 It was not genius that made him
pick up still another companion out of several in Italy and live with her in
immoral relation。 In the name of common decency let no one stand up for
Shelley and Byron in their personal characters！ There are not two moral
laws； one for geniuses and one for common people。 Byron； at any rate；
was never deceived about himself； never blamed his genius nor his
conscience for his wrong。 These are striking lines in 〃Childe Harold；〃 in
which he disclaims all right to sympathy； because；
〃The thorns which I have reaped are of the tree I planted；they
have torn me and I bleed。 I should have known what fruit would spring
from such a tree。〃
Shelley's wife would not say that for him。 〃In all Shelley did；〃 she
says； 〃he at the time of doing it believed himself justified to his own
conscience。〃 Well； so much the worse for Shelley！ Geniuses are not the
only men who can find good reason for doing what they want to do。 One
of Shelley's critics suggests that the trouble was his introduction into
personal conduct of the imagination which he ought to have saved for his
writing。 Perhaps we might explain Byron's misconduct by reminding
ourselves of his club…foot； and applying one code of morals to men with
club…feet and another to men with normal feet。
If we speak of the influence of the Bible on these men； it must be on
their literary work； and when we find it there； it bec
