a study of bible-第22章

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！



We　need　not　go　into　detail　about　these　writers；　though　they　are　most　attractive。　Bryant　did　for　us　what　Wordsworth　did　for　England。　He　made　nature　seem　vocal。　〃Thanatopsis〃　is　not　a　Christian　poem　in　the　narrow　sense　of　the　word；　and　yet　it　could　hardly　have　been　written　except　under　Christian　influence。　His　own　genial；　beautiful　character　was　itself　a　tribute　to　Christian　civilization；　and　his　life；　as　critic　and　essayist；　has　left　an　impression　which　we　shall　not　soon　lose。　Professor　Richardson　thinks　that　the　three　problematical　characters　in　American　literature　are　Emerson；　Hawthorne；　and　Poe。　The　shrewdest　estimate　of　Poe　that　has　ever　been　given　us　is　in　Lowell's　Fable　for　Critics：

　〃There　comes　Poe　with　his　raven　like　Barnaby　　　　　　Rudge；　　Three…fifths　of　him　genius；　and　two…fifths　sheer　　　　　　fudge；　　Who　has　written　some　things　quite　the　best　of　　　　　　their　kind；　　But　the　heart　somehow　seems　all　squeezed　out　by　　　　　　the　mind。〃

That　says　it　exactly。　Poe　knew　many　horrible　situations；　but　he　did　not　know　the　way　out；　and　of　all　our　American　writers　laying　claim　to　place　in　the　first　class　Poe　shows　least　influence　of　the　Bible；　and　apparently　needs　it　most。

Irving　was　the　first　American　writer　who　stood　high　enough　to　be　seen　across　the　water。　Thackeray's　most　beautiful　essay　is　on　Irving　and　Macaulay；　who　died　just　one　month　apart。　In　it　he　describes　Irving　as　the　best　intermediary　between　the　nations；　telling　us　Americans　that　the　English　are　still　human；　and　assuring　the　English　that　Americans　are　already　human。　Irving　was　trained　early　and　thoroughly　in　the　Bible。　All　his　life　he　was　an　old…fashioned　Episcopalian　with　no　concern　for　new　religious　ideas　and　with　no　rough　edges　anywhere。　Charles　Dudley　Warner；　speaking　of　Irving's　moral　quality；　says：　〃I　cannot　bring　myself　to　exclude　it　from　a　literary　estimate；　even　in　the　face　of　the　current　gospel　of　art　for　art's　sake。〃＇1＇　Like　Scott；　he　〃recognized　the　abiding　value　in　literature　of　integrity；　sincerity；　purity；　charity；　faith。　These　are　beneficences；　and　Irving's　literature；　walk　around　it　and　measure　it　by　whatever　critical　instruments　you　will；　is　a　beneficent　literature。〃


＇1＇　American　Men　of　Letters　Series；　Washington　Irving；　p。　302。


Then　there　is　Emerson；　a　son　of　the　manse　and　once　a　minister　himself。　He　was；　therefore；　perfectly　familiar　with　the　English　Bible。　He　did　not　accept　it　in　all　its　religious　teaching。　Indeed；　we　have　never　had　a　more　marked　individualist　in　our　American　public　life　than　Emerson。　At　every　point　he　was　simply　himself。　There　is　very　little　quotation　in　his　writing；　very　little　visible　influence　of　any　one　else。　He　was　not　a　follower　of　Carlyle；　though　he　was　his　friend。　If　there　is　any　precedent　for　the　construction　of　his　sentences；　and　even　of　his　essays；　it　is　to　be　found　in　the　Hebrew　prophets。　As　some　one　puts　it；　〃he　uttered　sayings。〃　In　many　of　his　essays　there　is　no　particular　reason　why　the　paragraphs　should　run　one；　two；　three；　and　not　three；　two；　one；　or　two；　one；　three；　or　in　any　other　order。　But　Mr。　Emerson　was　just　himself。　It　is　yet　true　that　〃his　value　for　the　world　at　large　lies　in　the　fact　that　after　all　he　is　incurably　religious。〃　It　is　true　that　he　could　not　see　any　importance　in　forms；　or　in　ordinary　declarations　of　faith。　〃He　would　fight　no　battle　for　prelacy；　nor　for　the　Westminster　confession；　nor　for　the　Trinity；　but　as　against　atheism；　pessimism；　and　materialism；　he　was　an　ally　of　Christianity。〃　The　influence　of　the　Bible　on　Emerson　is　more　marked　in　his　spirit　than　in　anything　else。　Once　in　a　while；　as　in　that　familiar　address　at　Concord　（1873）；　you　run　across　Scripture　phrases：　〃Shall　not　they　who　receive　the　largest　streams　spread　abroad　the　healing　waters？〃　That　figure　appears　in　literature　only　in　the　Bible；　and　there　are　others　like　it　in　his　writings。


As　for　Longfellow；　he　is　shot　through　with　Scripture。　No　man　who　did　not　know　Scripture　in　more　than　a　passing　way　could　have　written　such　a　sentence　as　this：　〃There　are　times　when　the　grasshopper　is　a　burden；　and　thirsty　with　the　heat　of　labor　the　spirit　longs　for　the　waters　of　Shiloah；　that　go　softly。〃　There　are　two　strikingly　beautiful　expressions　from　Scripture。　Take　another　familiar　saying　in　the　same　essay　when　he　says　the　prospect　for　poetry　is　brightening；　since　but　a　short　time　ago　not　a　poet　〃moved　the　wing　or　opened　the　mouth　or　peeped。〃　He　did　not　run　across　that　in　general　current　writing。　He　got　that　directly　from　the　Bible。　In　his　poems　is　an　amazing　amount　of　reference　to　the　Bible。　One　would　expect　much　in　the　〃Courtship　of　Miles　Standish；〃　for　that　is　a　story　of　the　Puritans；　and　they　spoke；　naturally；　in　terms　of　the　Bible；　yet；　of　course；　they　could　not　do　it　in　Longfellow's　poem；　if　Longfellow　did　not　know　the　language　of　the　Bible　very　well。　One　might　not　expect　to　find　it　so　much　in　〃Evangeline；〃　but　it　is　there　from　beginning　to　end。　In　〃Acadia；〃　the　cock　crowed

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃With　the　self…same　　Voice　that　in　ages　of　old　had　startled　the　penitent　　　　　　Peter。〃

And；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Wild　with　the　winds　of　September；　　Wrestled　the　trees　of　the　forest；　as　Jacob　of　old　　　　　　with　the　angel。〃

Evangeline　saw　the　moon　pass

　Forth　from　the　folds　of　the　cloud；　and　one　star　　　　　　followed　her　footsteps；　　As　out　of　Abraham's　tent　young　Ishmael　　Wandered　with　Hagar。〃

There　is　a　great　deal　of　that　sort　of　thing　in　his　writing。　He　has　done　for　many　what　he　did　for　Lowell　one　day。　Discouraged　in　settling　the　form　of　a　new　edition　of　his　own　poems；　Lowell　took　up　a　volume　of　Longfellow　just　to　see　the　type；　and　presently　found　that　he　had　been　reading　two　hours。　He　wrote　Longfellow　he　could　understand　his　popularity；　saying：　〃You　sang　me　out　of　all　my　worries。〃　That　is　a　great　thing　to　do；　and　Longfellow　learned　from　the　Scripture　how　to　do　that　in　the　〃Psalm　of　Life〃　and　all　his　other　poems。

We　need　only　a　word　about　Lowell　himself。　He　was　the　son　of　a　minister；　and　so　knew　the　Bible　from　his　infancy。　He　belonged　to　the　Brahman　caste　himself；　but　a　good　deal　of　the　ruggedness　of　the　Old　Testament　got　into　his　writing。　It　is　in　〃The　Vision　of　Sir　Launfal。〃　It　is　in　his　plea　for　international　copyright　where　the　familiar　lines　occur：

　〃In　vain　we　call　old　notions　fudge；　　And　bend　our　conscience　to　our　dealing；　　The　Ten　Commandments　will　not　budge；　　And　stealing　will　continue　stealing。〃

There　is　hint　of　it　in　his　quizzical　lines　about　himself　in　the　Fable　for　Critics。　He　says　that　he　is　in　danger　of　rattling　away

　〃Until　he　is　as　old　as　Methusalem；　　At　the　head　of　the　march　to　the　last　New　Jerusalem。〃


Whittier　needs　no　words　of　ours。　His　hymns　are　part　of　our　religious　equipment。　〃Snowbound〃　and　all　the　rest　of　the　beautiful；　quiet；　Quaker…like　writing　of　this　beloved　poet　are　among　our　national　assets。　We　join　in　his　sorrow　as　he　writes　the　doom　of　Webster　and　his　fame；　and　we　do　not　wonder　that　he　chose　for　it　the　Scriptural　title　〃Ichabod。〃

Whatever　is　to　be　said　about　an　individual　here　or　there；　it　is　true　that　great　American　literature　shows　the　influence　of　the　Bible。　Like　everything　else　in　America；　it　has　been　founded　on　a　religious　purpose。　Writers　in　all　lines　have　been　trained　in　the　Bible。　If　they　feel　any　religious　influence　at　all；　it　is　the　Bible　influence。

This　has　been　a　long　journey　from　Shakespeare　to　Whittier；　and　it　leaves　untouched　the　great　field　of　present…day　writers。　Let　the　unstarred　names　wait　their　time。　Among　them　are　many　who　can　say　in　their　way　what　Hall　Caine　has　said　of　himself：　〃I　think　I　know　my　Bible　as　few　literary　men　know　it。　There　is　no　book　in　the　world　like　it；　and　the　finest　novels　ever　written　fall　far　short　in　interest　of　any　one　of　the　stories　it　tells。　Whatever　strong　situations　I　have　in　my　books　are　not　of　my　creation；　but　are　taken　from　the　Bible。　The　Deemster　is　a　story　of　the　Prodigal　Son。　The　Bondman　is　the　story　of　Esau　and　Jacob。　The　Scapegoat　is　the　story　of　Eli　and　his　sons；　but　with　Samuel　as　a　little　girl；　and　The　Manxman　is　the　story　of　David　and　Uriah。〃　Take　up　any　of　the　novels　of　the　day；　even　the　poorer　ones；　but　notably　the　better　ones；　and　see　how　uniformly　they　show　the　Scriptural　influence　in　material；　in　idea；　and　in　spirit。　What　the　literature　of　the　future　will　be　no　one　can　say。　This　much　is　as　sure　as　any　fact　in　literary　history；　that　the　English　Bible　is　part　of　the　very　fiber　of　great　literature　from　the　day　it　first　appeared　in　our　tongue　to　this　hour。



LECTURE　V

THE　KING　JAMES　VERSIONITS　INFLUENCE　ON　ENGLISH　AND　AMERICAN　HISTORY

THE　King　James　version　of　the　Bible　is　only　a　book。　What　can　a　book　do　in　history？　Well；　whatever　the　reason；　books　have　played　a　large　part　in　the　movements　of　men；　specially　of　modern　men。

They　have　markedly　influenced　the　opinion　of　men　about　the　past。　It　is　commonly　said　that　Hume's　History　of　England；　defective　as　it　is；　has　yet　〃by　its　method　revolutionized　the　writing　of　history；〃　and　that　is　true。　Nearer　our　own　time；　Carlyle's　Life　of　Cromwell　reversed　the　judgment　of　history　on　Cromwell；　gave　all　readers　of　history　a　new　conception　of　him　and　his　times　and　of　the　movement　of　which　he　was　the　life。　After　the　Restoration　none　were　so　poor　as　to　do　Cromwell　reverence　until　Carlyle's　BOOK　gave　him　anew　to　the　world。

There　are　instances　squarely　in　our　own　time　by　which　their　mighty　influence　may　be　tested。　They　are　of　books　of　almost　ephemeral　value　save　for　the　student　of　history。　As　literature　they　will　be　quickly　forgotten；　but　as　FORCES　they　must　be　reckoned　with。　There　is　Uncle　Tom's　Cabin。　It　would　be　absurd　to　say　that　it　brought　the　American　Civil　War；　or　freed　the　negroes；　or　saved　the　Union。　It　did　none　of　those　great　things。　Yet　it　is　not　at　all　absurd　to　name　it　among　the　potent　powers　in　all　three。　It　is　not　to　our　purpose　whether　it　is　true　or　not　as　a　statement　of　the　whole　fact。　Doubtless　it　was　not　true　of　the　general　and　common　circumstances　of　Southern　slavery；　but　everything　in　it　was　possible；　and　even　frequent　enough　so　that　it　could　not　be　questioned。　It　pretended　no　more。　But　its　influence　was　simply　tremendous。　In　book　form　it　became　available　in　1852；　and　within　three　years；　1855；　it　was　common　property　of　English…speaking　people。　No　other　book　ever　produced　so　extraordinary　an　effect　so　quickly　in　the　public　mind。＇1＇　It　held　up　slavery　to　judgment。　It　crystallized　the　thoughts　of　common　people。　The　work　of　those　strenuous　years　in　the　'60's　could　not　have　been　done　without　the　result　of　that　book。　It　made　history。　Come　nearer　our　own　day。　We　could　not　be　long　in　London　without　feeling　the　concern　of　the　better　people　for　conditions　in　the　East　End。　A　new　social　impulse　has　seized　them。　To　be　sure；　it　lacks　much　yet　of　success；　but　more　has　been　done　than　most　people　realize。　The　new　movement；　the　awakening　of　that　social　sense；　traces　back　to　the　book　of　Gen。　William　Booth；　In　Darkest　England　（1890）。　It　has　helped　to　change　the　life　of　a　large　part　of　London。


＇1＇　Rhodes；　History　of　the　United　States；　vol。　i；　pp。　185…303。


On　this　side；　the　new　concern　for　city　conditions　dates　from　the　book　of　a　newspaper　reporter；　Jacob　A。　Riis；　How　the　Other　Half　Lives。　It　thrust　the　Other　Half　into　such　prominence　that　it　has　never　been　possible　to　forget　it。