style-第16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！


he　truth　of　the　old　Roman　teachers　of　rhetoric　is　here　witnessed　afresh；　to　be　a　good　orator　it　is　first　of　all　necessary　to　be　a　good　man。　　Good　style　is　the　greatest　of　revealers；　…　it　lays　bare　the　soul。　　The　soul　of　the　cheat　shuns　nothing　so　much。　　〃Always　be　ready　to　speak　your　minds〃　said　Blake；　〃and　a　base　man　will　avoid　you。〃　　But　to　insist　that　he　also　shall　speak　his　mind　is　to　go　a　step　further；　it　is　to　take　from　the　impostor　his　wooden　leg；　to　prohibit　his　lucrative　whine；　his　mumping　and　his　canting；　to　force　the　poor　silly　soul　to　stand　erect　among　its　fellows　and　declare　itself。　　His　occupation　is　gone；　and　he　does　not　love　the　censor　who　deprives　him　of　the　weapons　of　his　mendicity。

All　style　is　gesture；　the　gesture　of　the　mind　and　of　the　soul。　Mind　we　have　in　common；　inasmuch　as　the　laws　of　right　reason　are　not　different　for　different　minds。　　Therefore　clearness　and　arrangement　can　be　taught；　sheer　incompetence　in　the　art　of　expression　can　be　partly　remedied。　　But　who　shall　impose　laws　upon　the　soul？　　It　is　thus　of　common　note　that　one　may　dislike　or　even　hate　a　particular　style　while　admiring　its　facility；　its　strength；　its　skilful　adaptation　to　the　matter　set　forth。　　Milton；　a　chaster　and　more　unerring　master　of　the　art　than　Shakespeare；　reveals　no　such　lovable　personality。　　While　persons　count　for　much；　style；　the　index　to　persons；　can　never　count　for　little。　　〃Speak；〃　it　has　been　said；　〃that　I　may　know　you〃　…　voice…gesture　is　more　than　feature。　Write；　and　after　you　have　attained　to　some　control　over　the　instrument；　you　write　yourself　down　whether　you　will　or　no。　　There　is　no　vice；　however　unconscious；　no　virtue；　however　shy；　no　touch　of　meanness　or　of　generosity　in　your　character；　that　will　not　pass　on　to　the　paper。　　You　anticipate　the　Day　of　Judgment　and　furnish　the　recording　angel　with　material。　　The　Art　of　Criticism　in　literature；　so　often　decried　and　given　a　subordinate　place　among　the　arts；　is　none　other　than　the　art　of　reading　and　interpreting　these　written　evidences。　　Criticism　has　been　popularly　opposed　to　creation；　perhaps　because　the　kind　of　creation　that　it　attempts　is　rarely　achieved；　and　so　the　world　forgets　that　the　main　business　of　Criticism；　after　all；　is　not　to　legislate；　nor　to　classify；　but　to　raise　the　dead。　　Graves；　at　its　command；　have　waked　their　sleepers；　oped；　and　let　them　forth。　　It　is　by　the　creative　power　of　this　art　that　the　living　man　is　reconstructed　from　the　litter　of　blurred　and　fragmentary　paper　documents　that　he　has　left　to　posterity。





End