the unseen world and other essays-第37章

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　in　Philip　II。's　time　a　vast　portion　of　the　real　estate　of　the　country　was　held　by　the　Church　in　mortmain；　that　forty…nine　noble　families　owned　all　the　rest；　that　all　great　estates　were　held　in　tail；　and　that　the　property　of　the　aristocracy　and　the　clergy　was　completely　exempt　from　taxation。　Thus　the　accumulation　and　the　diffusion　of　capital　were　alike　prevented；　and　the　few　possessors　of　property　wasted　it　in　unproductive　expenditure。　Hence　the　fundamental　error　of　Spanish　political　economy；　that　wealth　is　represented　solely　by　the　precious　metals；　an　error　which　well　enough　explains　the　total　failure；　in　spite　of　her　magnificent　opportunities；　of　Spain's　attempts　to　colonize　the　New　World。　Such　was　the　frightful　condition　of　Spanish　society　under　Philip　II。；　and　as　if　this　state　of　things　were　not　bad　enough；　the　next　king；　Philip　III。；　at　the　instigation　of　the　clergy；　decided　to　drive　into　banishment　the　only　class　of　productive　labourers　yet　remaining　in　the　country。　In　1610；　this　stupendous　crime　and　blunderunparalleled　even　in　Spanish　historywas　perpetrated。　The　entire　Moorish　population　were　expelled　from　their　homes　and　driven　into　the　deserts　of　Africa。　For　the　awful　consequences　of　this　mad　action　no　remedy　was　possible。　No　system　of　native　industry　could　be　created　on　demand；　to　take　the　place　of　that　which　had　been　thus　wantonly　crushed　forever。　From　this　epoch　dates　the　social　ruin　of　Spain。　In　less　than　a　century　her　people　were　riotous　with　famine；　and　every　sequestered　glen　and　mountain　pathway　throughout　the　country　had　become　a　lurking…place　for　robbers。　Whoever　would　duly　realize　to　what　a　lamentable　condition　this　beautiful　peninsula　had　in　the　seventeenth　century　been　reduced；　let　him　study　the　immortal　pages　of　Lesage。　He　will　learn　afresh　the　lesson；　not　yet　sufficiently　regarded　in　the　discussion　of　social　problems；　that　the　laws　of　nature　cannot　be　violated　without　entailing　a　penalty　fearful　in　proportion　to　the　extent　of　the　violation。　But　let　him　carefully　remember　also　that　the　Spaniards　are　not　and　never　have　been　a　despicable　people。　If　Spain　has　produced　one　of　the　lowest　characters　in　history；　she　has　also　produced　one　of　the　highest。　That　man　was　every　inch　a　Spaniard　who；　maimed；　diseased；　and　poor；　broken　down　by　long　captivity；　and　harassed　by　malignant　persecution；　lived　nevertheless　a　life　of　grandeur　and　beauty　fit　to　be　a　pattern　for　coming　generations；the　author　of　a　book　which　has　had　a　wider　fame　than　any　other　in　the　whole　range　of　secular　literature；　and　which　for　delicate　humour；　exquisite　pathos；　and　deep　ethical　sentiment；　remains　to…day　without　a　peer　or　a　rival。　If　Philip　II。　was　a　Spaniard；　so；　too；　was　Cervantes。

Spain　could　not　be　free；　for　she　violated　every　condition　by　which　freedom　is　secured　to　a　people。　〃Acuteness　of　intellect；　wealth　of　imagination；　heroic　qualities　of　heart　and　hand　and　brain；　rarely　surpassed　in　any　race　and　manifested　on　a　thousand　battle…fields；　and　in　the　triumphs　of　a　magnificent　and　most　original　literature；　had　not　been　able　to　save　a　whole　nation　from　the　disasters　and　the　degradation　which　the　mere　words　Philip　II。　and　the　Holy　Inquisition　suggest　to　every　educated　mind。〃　Nor　could　Spain　possibly　become　rich；　for；　as　Mr。　Motley　continues；　〃nearly　every　law；　according　to　which　the　prosperity　of　a　country　becomes　progressive；　was　habitually　violated。〃　On　turning　to　the　Netherlands　we　find　the　most　complete　contrast；　both　in　historical　conditions　and　in　social　results；　and　the　success　of　the　Netherlands　in　their　long　struggle　becomes　easily　intelligible。　The　Dutch　and　Flemish　provinces　had　formed　a　part　of　the　renovated　Roman　Empire　of　Charles　the　Great　and　the　Othos。　Taking　advantage　of　the　perennial　contest　for　supremacy　between　the　popes　and　the　Roman　emperors；　the　constituent　baronies　and　municipalities　of　the　Empire　succeeded　in　acquiring　and　maintaining　a　practical　though　unrecognized　independence；　and　this　is　the　original　reason　why　Italy　and　Germany；　unlike　the　three　western　European　communities；　have　remained　fragmentary　until　our　own　time。　By　reason　of　the　practical　freedom　of　action　thus　secured；　the　Italian　civic　republics；　the　Hanse　towns；　and　the　cities　of　Holland　and　Flanders；　were　enabled　gradually　to　develop　a　vast　commerce。　The　outlying　position　of　the　Netherlands；　remote　from　the　imperial　authorities；　and　on　the　direct　line　of　commerce　between　Italy　and　England；　was　another　and　a　peculiar　advantage。　Throughout　the　Middle　Ages　the　Flemish　and　Dutch　cities　were　of　considerable　political　importance；　and　in　the　fifteenth　century　the　Netherland　provinces　were　the　most　highly　civilized　portion　of　Europe　north　of　the　Alps。　For　several　generations　they　had　enjoyed；　and　had　known　how　to　maintain；　civic　liberties；　and　when　Charles　and　Philip　attempted　to　fasten　upon　them　their　〃peculiar　institution；〃　the　Spanish　Inquisition；　they　were　ripe　for　political　as　well　as　theological　revolt。　Natural　laws　were　found　to　operate　on　the　Rhine　as　well　as　on　the　Tagus；　and　at　the　end　of　the　great　war　of　independence；　Holland　was　not　only　better　equipped　than　Spain　for　a　European　conflict；　but　was　rapidly　ousting　her　from　the　East　Indian　countries　which　she　had　in　vain　attempted　to　colonize。

But　if　we　were　to　take　up　all　the　interesting　and　instructive　themes　suggested　by　Mr。　Motley's　work；　we　should　never　come　to　an　end。　We　must　pass　over　the　exciting　events　narrated　in　these　last　volumes；　the　victory　of　Nieuport；　the　siege　of　Ostend；　the　marvellous　career　of　Maurice；　the　surprising　exploits　of　Spinola。　We　have　attempted　not　so　much　to　describe　Mr。　Motley's　book　as　to　indulge　in　sundry　reflections　suggested　by　the　perusal　of　it。　But　we　cannot　close　without　some　remarks　upon　a　great　man；　whose　character　Mr。　Motley　seems　to　have　somewhat　misconceived。

If　Mr。　Motley　exhibits　any　serious　fault；　it　is　perhaps　the　natural　tendency　to　TAKE　SIDES　in　the　events　which　he　is　describing；　which　sometimes　operates　as　a　drawback　to　complete　and　thoroughgoing　criticism。　With　every　intention　to　do　justice　to　the　Catholics；　Mr。　Motley　still　writes　as　a　Protestant；　viewing　all　questions　from　the　Protestant　side。　He　praises　and　condemns　like　a　very　fair…minded　Huguenot；　but　still　like　a　Huguenot。　It　is　for　this　reason　that　he　fails　to　interpret　correctly　the　very　complex　character　of　Henry　IV。；　regarding　him　as　a　sort　of　selfish　renegade　whom　he　cannot　quite　forgive　for　accepting　the　crown　of　France　at　the　hands　of　the　Pope。　Now　this　very　action　of　Henry；　in　the　eye　of　an　impartial　criticism；　must　seem　to　be　one　of　his　chief　claims　to　the　admiration　and　gratitude　of　posterity。　Henry　was　more　than　a　mere　Huguenot：　he　was　a　far…seeing　statesman。　He　saw　clearly　what　no　ruler　before　him；　save　William　the　Silent；　had　even　dimly　discerned；　that　not　Catholicism　and　not　Protestantism；　but　absolute　spiritual　freedom　was　the　true　end　to　be　aimed　at　by　a　righteous　leader　of　opinion。　It　was　as　a　Catholic　sovereign　that　he　could　be　most　useful　even　to　his　Huguenot　subjects；　and　he　shaped　his　course　accordingly。　It　was　as　an　orthodox　sovereign；　holding　his　position　by　the　general　consent　of　Europe；　that　he　could　best　subserve　the　interests　of　universal　toleration。　This　principle　he　embodied　in　his　admirable　edict　of　Nantes。　What　a　Huguenot　prince　might　have　done；　may　be　seen　from　the　shameful　way　in　which　the　French　Calvinists　abused　the　favour　which　Henryand　Richelieu　afterwardsaccorded　to　them。　Remembering　how　Calvin　himself　〃dragooned〃　Geneva；　let　us　be　thankful　for　the　fortune　which；　in　one　of　the　most　critical　periods　of　history；　raised　to　the　highest　position　in　Christendom　a　man　who　was　something　more　than　a　sectarian。

With　this　brief　criticism；　we　must　regretfully　take　leave　of　Mr。　Motley's　work。　Much　more　remains　to　be　said　about　a　historical　treatise　which　is；　on　the　whole；　the　most　valuable　and　important　one　yet　produced　by　an　American；　but　we　have　already　exceeded　our　limits。　We　trust　that　our　author　will　be　as　successful　in　the　future　as　he　has　been　in　the　past；　and　that　we　shall　soon　have　an　opportunity　of　welcoming　the　first　instalment　of　his　〃History　of　the　Thirty　Years'　War。〃

　　　　　March；　1868。



XI。　LONGFELLOW'S　DANTE。＇33＇

＇33＇　The　Divine　Comedy　of　Dante　Alighieri。　Translated　by　Henry　Wadsworth　Longfellow。　3　vols。　Boston：　Ticknor　&　Fields；　1867。

THE　task　of　a　translator　is　a　thankless　one　at　best。　Be　he　never　so　skilful　and　accurate；　be　he　never　so　amply　endowed　with　the　divine　qualifications　of　the　poet；　it　is　still　questionable　if　he　can　ever　succeed　in　saying　satisfactorily　with　new　words　that　which　has　once　been　inimitably　saidsaid　for　all　timewith　the　old　words。　Psychologically；　there　is　perhaps　nothing　more　complex　than　an　elaborate　poem。　The　sources　of　its　effect　upon　our　minds　may　be　likened　to　a　system　of　forces　which　is　in　the　highest　degree　unstable；　and　the　slightest　displacement　of　phrases；　by　disturbing　the　delicate　rhythmical　equilibrium　of　the　whole；　must　inevitably　awaken　a　jarring　sensation。〃　Matthew　Arnold　has　given　us　an　excellent　series　of　lectures　upon　translating　Homer；　in　which　he　doubtless　succeeds　in　showing　that　some　methods　of　translation　are　preferable　to　others；　but　in　which　he　proves　nothing　so　forcibly　as　that　the　simplicity　and　grace；　the　rapidity；　dignity；　and　fire；　of　Homer　are　quite　incommunicable；　save　by　the　very　words　in　which　they　first　found　expression。　And　what　is　thus　said　of　Homer　will　apply　to　Dante　with　perhaps　even　greater　force。　With　nearly　all　of　Homer's　grandeur　and　rapidity；　though　not　with　nearly　all　his　simplicity；　the　poem　of　Dante　manifests　a　peculiar　intensity　of　subjective　feeling　which　was　foreign　to　the　age　of　Homer；　as　indeed　to　all　pre…Christian　antiquity。　But　concerning　this　we　need　not　dilate；　as　it　has　often　been　duly　remarked　upon；　and　notably　by　Carlyle；　in　his　〃Lectures　on　Hero…Worship。〃　Who　that　has　once　heard　the　wail　of　unutterable　despair　sounding　in　the　line

　　　　　　　　　　〃Ahi；　dura　terra；　perche　non　t'　apristi？〃

can　rest　satisfied　with　the　interpretation

　　　　　　　　　　〃Ah；　obdurate　earth；　wherefore　didst　thou　not　open？〃

yet　this　rendering　is　literally　exact。

＇34＇　As　Dante　himself　observes；　〃E　pero　sappia　ciascuno；　che　nulla　cosa　per　legame　musaico　armonizzata　si　puo　della　sue　loquela　in　altra　trasmutare　sanza　rompere　tutta　sue　dolcezza　e　armonia。　E　questa　e　la　ragione　per　che　Omero　non　si　muto　di　greco　in　latino；　come　l'altre　scritture　che　avemo　da　loro：　e　questa　e　la　ragione　per　che　i　versi　del　Psaltero　sono　sanza　dolcezza　di　musica　e　d'armonia；　che　essi　furono　trasmutati　d'　ebreo　in　greco；　e　di　greco　in　latino；　e　nella　prima　trasmutazione　tutta　quella　dolcezza　venne　meno。〃　Convito；　I。　7；　Opere　Minori；　Tom。　III。　p。　80。　The　noble　English　version　of　the　Psalms　possesses　a　beauty　which　is　all　its　own。


A　second　obstacle；　hardly　less　formidable；　hardly　less　fatal　to　a　satisfactory　translation；　is　presented　by　the　highly　complicated　system　of　triple　rhyme　upon　which　Dante's　poem　is　constructed。　This；　which　must　ever　be　a　stumbling…block　to　the　translator；　seems　rarely　to　interfere　with　the　free　and　graceful　movement　of　the　original　work。　The　mighty　thought　of　the　master　felt　no　impediment　from　the　elaborate　artistic　panoply　which　must　needs　obstruct　and　harass　the　interpretation