study of the king james bible(钦印〈圣经〉研究)-第28节
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experienced in all other books together； the words of the Bible find me at
greater depths of my being。〃 Of course； that would influence his writing；
and it did。 Even in the 〃Rime of the Ancient Mariner〃 much of the
phraseology is Scriptural。 When the albatross drew near；
〃As if it had been a Christian soul； We hailed it in God's name。〃
When the mariner slept he gave praise to Mary； Queen of Heaven。 He
sought the shriving of the hermit…priest。 He ends the story because he
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hears 〃the little vesper bell〃 which bids him to prayer。 When you read his
〃Hymn Before Sunrise in the Vale of Chamounix〃 you find yourself
reading the Nineteenth Psalm。 He calls on the motionless torrents and the
silent cataracts and the great Mont Blanc itself to praise God。 Coleridge
never had seen Chamounix； nor Mont Blanc； nor a glacier； but he knew his
Bible。 So he has his Christmas Carol along with all the rest。 His poem of
the Moors after the Civil War under Philip II。 is Scriptural in its
phraseology； and so is much else that he wrote。 Frankly and willingly he
yielded to its influence。 In his 〃Table Talk〃 he often refers to the value of
the Bible in the forming of literary style。 Once he said： 〃Intense study of
the Bible will keep any writer from being vulgar in point of style。〃＇1＇
＇1＇ June 14； 1830。
The very mention of Coleridge makes one think of Wordsworth。 They
had a Damon and Pythias friendship。 The Wordsworths were poor； they
had only seventy pounds a year； and they were not ashamed。 Coleridge
called them the happiest family he ever saw。 Wordsworth was not
narrowly a Christian poet； he was not always seeking to put Christian
dogma into poetry； but throughout he was expressing the Christian spirit
which he had learned from the Bible。 His poetry was one long protest
against banishing God from the universe。 It was literally true of him that
〃the meanest flower that grows can give thoughts that too often lie too
deep for tears。〃 If this were the time to be critical； one would think that too
much was sometimes made of very minute occurrences； but this tendency
to get back of the event and see how God is moving is learned best from
Scripture； where Wordsworth himself learned it。 If you read his
〃Intimations of Immortality；〃 or the 〃Ode to Duty；〃 or 〃Tintern Abbay；〃 or
even the rather labored 〃Excursion；〃 you find yourself under the Scriptural
influence。
There remains in this Georgian group the great prose master； Walter
Scott。 Mr。 Gladstone said he thought Scott the greatest of his countrymen。
John Morley suggested John Knox instead。 Mr。 Gladstone replied： 〃No；
the line must be drawn firmly between the writer and the man of action
no comparison there。〃＇1＇ He went on to say that Burns is very fine and
true； no doubt； 〃but to imagine a whole group of characters； to marshal
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them； to set them to work； and to sustain the action； I must count that the
test of highest and most diversified quality。〃 All who are fond of Scott will
realize how constantly the scenes which he is describing group themselves
around religious observances； how often men are held in check from deeds
of violence by religious conception。 Many of these scenes crystallize
around a Scriptural event。 Scott's boyhood was spent in scenes that
reminded him of the power the Scripture had。 He was drilled from his
childhood in the knowledge of its words and phrases； and while his
writing as a whole shows more of the Old Testament influence than of the
New； even in his style he is strongly under Bible influence。
＇1＇ Morley； Life of Gladstone； vol。 iii； p。 424。
The preface to Guy Mannering tells us it is built around an old story
of a father putting a lad to test under guidance of an ancient astrologer；
shutting him up in a barren room to be tempted by the Evil One； leaving
him only one safeguard； a Bible； lying on the table in the middle of the
room。 In his introduction to The Heart of Midlothian； Scott makes one of
the two men thrown into the water by the overturned coach remind the
other that they 〃cannot complain； like Cowley； that Gideon's fleece
remains dry while all around is moist； this is the reverse of the miracle。〃 A
little later a speaker describes novels as the Delilahs that seduce wise and
good men from more serious reading。 In the dramatic scene when Jeanie
Deans faces the wretched George Staunton； who has so shamed the
household； she exclaims： 〃O sir； did the Scripture never come into your
mind； 'Vengeance is mine； and I will repay it？' 〃 〃Scripture！〃 he sneers；
〃why I had not opened a Bible for five years。〃 〃Wae's me； sir；〃 said Jeanie…
…〃and a minister's son； too！〃 Anthony Foster； in Kenilworth； looks down
on poor Amy's body in the vault into which she has fallen； in response to
what she thought was Leicester's whistle； and exclaims to Varney： 〃Oh； if
there be judgment in heaven； thou hast deserved it； and will meet it！ Thou
hast destroyed her by means of her best affectionsit is the seething of the
kid in the mother's milk！〃 And when； next morning； Varney was found
dead of the secret poison and with a sneering sarcasm on his ghastly face；
Scott dismisses him with the phrase： 〃The wicked man； saith the Scripture；
hath no bonds in his death。〃
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His characters use freely the familiar Bible events and phrases。 In the
Fortunes of Nigel； a story of the very period when our King James version
was produced； Hildebrod declares that if he had his way Captain
Peppercull should hang as high as Haman ever did。 In Kenilworth； when
Leicester gives Varney his signet… ring； he says； significantly： 〃What thou
dost； do quickly。〃 Of course； Isaac； the Jew in Ivanhoe； exclaims
frequently in Old Testament terms。 He wishes the wheels of the chariots of
his enemies may be taken off； like those of the host of Pharoah； that they
may drive heavily。 He expects the Palmer's lance to be as powerful as the
rod of Moses； and so on。
Scott was writing of the period when men stayed themselves with
Scripture； and his men are all sure of God and Satan and angels and
judgment and all eternal things。 His son…in… law vouches for the old story
that when Sir Walter was on his death…bed he asked Lockhart to read him
something from the Book； and when Lockhart asked； 〃What book？〃 Scott
replied： 〃Why do you ask？ There is but one book； the Bible。〃
All this is scant justice to the Georgian group； but it may give a hint of
what the Bible meant even at that period； the period when its grip on men
was most lax in all the later English history。
It is in the Victorian age （1840…1900） that the field is most
bewildering。 It is true； as Frederick Harrison says； that 〃this Victorian age
has no Shakespeare or Milton； no Bacon or Hume； no Fielding or Scott
no supreme master in poetry； philosophy； or romance whose work is
incorporated with the thought of the world； who is destined to form an
epoch； to endure for centuries。〃＇1＇ The genius of the period is more
scientific than literary； yet we would be helpless if we had not already
eliminated from our discussion everything but the works and writers of
pure literature。 The output of books has been so tremendous that it would
be impossible to analyze the influences which have made them。 There are
in this Victorian period at least twelve great English writers who must be
known； whose work affects the current of English literature。 Many other
names would need mention in any full history or any minute study； but it
is not harsh judgment to say that the main current of literature would be
the same without them。 A fe
