study of the king james bible(钦印〈圣经〉研究)-第27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！
their literary work； and when we find it there； it becomes peculiar mark of
its power。 They had little sense of it as moral law。 Their consciences
approved it and condemned themselves； or else their delicate literary taste
sensed it as a book of power。
This is notably true of Shelley。 When he was still a student in Oxford
he committed himself to the opinion of another writer； that 〃the mind
cannot believe in the existence of God。〃 He tries to work that out fully in
his notes on 〃Queen Mab。〃 When he was hardly yet of age he himself
wrote that 〃The genius of human happiness must tear every leaf from the
accursed Book of God； ere man can read the inscription on its heart。〃 He
once said that his highest desire was that there should be a monument to
himself somewhere in the Alps which should be only a great stone with its
85
… Page 86…
Study of the King James Bible
face smoothed and this short inscription cut in it； 〃Percy Bysshe Shelley；
Atheist。〃
It would seem that whatever Shelley drew of strength or inspiration
from the Bible would be by way of reaction； but it is not so。 However he
may have hated the 〃accursed Book of God；〃 his wife tells in her note on
〃The Revolt of Islam〃 that Shelley 〃debated whether he should devote
himself to poetry or metaphysics；〃 and； resolving on the former； he
〃educated himself for it； engaging himself in the study of the poets of
Greece； England； and Italy。 To these； may be added；〃 she goes on； 〃a
constant perusal of portions of the Old Testament； the Book of Psalms； Job；
Isaiah； and others； the sublime poetry of which filled him with delight。〃
Not only did he catch the spirit of that poetry； but its phrases haunted his
memory。 In his best prose work； which he called A Defense of Poetry；
there is an interesting revelation of the influence of his Bible reading upon
him。 Toward the end of the essay these two sentences occur： 〃It is
inconsistent with this division of our subject to cite living poets； but
posterity has done ample justice to the great names now referred to。 Their
errors have been weighed and found to have been dust in the balance； if
their sins are as scarlet； they are now white as snow； they have been
washed in the blood of the mediator and redeemer； Time。〃 There is no
more eloquent passage in the essay than the one of which this is part； and
yet it is full of allusion to this Book from which all pages must be torn！
Even in 〃Queen Mab〃 he makes Ahasuerus； the wandering Jew； recount
the Bible story in such broad outlines as could be given only by a man
who was familiar with it。 When Shelley was in Italy and the word came to
him of the massacre at Manchester； he wrote his 〃Masque of Anarchy。〃
There are few more melodious lines of his writing than those which occur
in this long poem in the section regarding freedom。 Four of those lines are
often quoted。 They are at the very heart of Shelley's best work。 Addressing
freedom； he says：
〃Thou art love： the rich have kissed Thy feet； and； like him
following Christ； Gave their substance to the free； And through the
rough world follow thee。〃
Page after page of Shelley reveals these half… conscious references to
86
… Page 87…
Study of the King James Bible
the Bible。 There were two sources from which he received his passionate
democracy。 One was the treatment he received at Eton； and later at Oxford；
the other is his frequent reading of the English Bible； even though he was
in the spirit of rebellion against much of its teaching。 In Browning's essay
on Shelley； he reaches the amazing conclusion that 〃had Shelley lived； he
would finally have ranged himself with the Christians；〃 and seeks to
justify it by showing that he was moving straight toward the positions of
Paul and of David。 Some of us may not see such rapid approach； but that
Shelley felt the drawing of God in the universe is plain enough。
The influence of the Bible is still more marked on Byron。 He spent his
childhood years at Aberdeen。 There his nurse trained him in the Bible； and；
though he did not live by it； he never lost his love for it； nor his knowledge
of it。 He tells of his own experience in this way： 〃I am a great reader of
those books ＇the Bible＇； and had read them through and through before I
was eight years old； that is to say； the Old Testament； for the New struck
me as a task； but the other as a pleasure。〃＇1＇ One of the earliest bits of his
work is a paraphrase of one of the Psalms。 His physical infirmity put him
at odds with the world； while his striking beauty drew to him a crowd of
admirers who helped to poison every spring of his genius。 Even so； he
held his love for the Bible。 While Shelley often spoke of it in contempt；
while he prided himself on his divergence from the path of its teaching；
Byron never did。 He wandered far； but he always knew it； and； though he
could hardly find terms to express his contempt for the Church； there is no
line of Byron's writing which is a slur at the Bible。 On the other hand；
much of his work reveals a passion for the beauty of it as well as its truth。
His most melodious writing is in that group of Hebrew melodies which
were written to be sung。 They demand far more than a passing knowledge
of the Bible both for their writing and their understanding。 There is a long
list of them； but no one without a knowledge of the Bible would have
known what he meant by his poem； 〃The Harp the Monarch Minstrel
Swept。〃 〃Jephtha's Daughter〃 presumes upon a knowledge of the Old
Testament story which would not come to one in a passing study of the
Bible。 〃The Song of Saul Before his Last Battle〃 and the poem headed
〃Saul〃 could not have been written； nor can they be read intelligently by
87
… Page 88…
Study of the King James Bible
any one who does not know his Bible。 Among Byron's dramas； two of
which he thought most； were； 〃Heaven and Earth〃 and 〃Cain。〃 When he
was accused of perverting the Scripture in 〃Cain；〃 he replied that he had
only taken the Scripture at its face value。 Both of the dramas are not only
built directly out of Scriptural events； but imply a far wider knowledge of
Scripture than their mere titles suggest。
＇1＇ Taine； English Literature； II。； 279。
There are striking references in many other poems； even in his almost
vile poem； 〃Don Juan。〃 The most notable instance is in the fifteenth canto；
where he is speaking of persecuted sages and these lines occur：
〃Was it not so； great Locke？ and greater Bacon？ Great Socrates？
And Thou Diviner still； Whose lot it is by men to be mistaken； And
Thy pure creed made sanction of all ill？ Redeeming worlds to be by
bigots shaken； How was Thy toil rewarded？〃
In a note on this passage Byron says： 〃As it is necessary in these times
to avoid ambiguity； I say that I mean by 'Diviner still' Christ。 If ever God
was manor man GodHe was both。 I never arraigned His creed； but the
use or abuse of it。 Mr。 Canning one day quoted Christianity to sanction
slavery； and Mr。 Wilberforce had little to say in reply。 And was Christ
crucified that black men might be scourged？ If so； He had better been born
a mulatto； to give both colors an equal chance of freedom； or at least
salvation。〃 Byron could live far from the influence of the Bible in his
personal life； but he never escaped its influence in his literary work。
Of Coleridge less needs to be said； because we think of him so much
in terms of his more meditative musings； which are often religious。 He
himself tells of long and careful rereadings of the English Bible until he
could say： In the Bible 〃there is more that finds me than I have
experienced in all other books together； the words of the Bible find me at
greater depths of my being。
