letters on literature(关于文学)-第4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！
owe so much pleasure to its delicate air； that； if speech be impertinence；
silence were ingratitude。 ｛2｝
15
… Page 16…
Letters on Literature
FIELDING
To Mrs。 Goodhart； in the Upper Mississippi Valley。
Dear Madam；Many thanks for the New York newspaper you have
kindly sent me； with the statistics of book…buying in the Upper Mississippi
Valley。 Those are interesting particulars which tell one so much about
the taste of a community。
So the Rev。 E。 P。 Roe is your favourite novelist there； a thousand of his
books are sold for every two copies of the works of Henry Fielding？
This appears to me to speak but oddly for taste in the Upper Mississippi
Valley。 On Mr。 Roe's works I have no criticism to pass； for I have not
read them carefully。
But I do think your neighbours lose a great deal by neglecting Henry
Fielding。 You will tell me he is coarse （which I cannot deny）； you will
remind me of what Dr。 Johnson said； rebuking Mrs。 Hannah More。 〃I
never saw Johnson really angry with me but once；〃 writes that sainted
maiden lady。 〃I alluded to some witty passage in 'Tom Jones。'〃 He
replied： 〃I am shocked to hear you quote from so vicious a book。 I am
sorry to hear you have read it； a confession which no modest lady should
ever make。〃
You remind me of this； and that Johnson was no prude； and that his
age was tolerant。 You add that the literary taste of the Upper Mississippi
Valley is much more pure than the waters of her majestic river； and that
you only wish you knew who the two culprits were that bought books of
Fielding's。
Ah； madam； how shall I answer you？ Remember that if you have
Johnson on your side； on mine I have Mrs。 More herself； a character purer
than 〃the consecrated snow that lies on Dian's lap。〃 Again； we cannot
believe Johnson was fair to Fielding； who had made his friend； the author
of 〃Pamela；〃 very uncomfortable by his jests。 Johnson owned that he read
all 〃Amelia〃 at one sitting。 Could so worthy a man have been so
absorbed by an unworthy book？
Once more； I am not recommending Fielding to boys and girls。 〃Tom
16
… Page 17…
Letters on Literature
Jones〃 was one of the works that Lydia Languish hid under the sofa； even
Miss Languish did not care to be caught with that humorous foundling。
〃Fielding was the last of our writers who drew a man；〃 Mr。 Thackeray said；
〃and he certainly did not study from a draped model。〃
For these reasons； and because his language is often unpolished； and
because his morality （that he is always preaching） is not for 〃those that
eddy round and round；〃 I do not desire to see Fielding popular among
Miss Alcott's readers。 But no man who cares for books can neglect him；
and many women are quite manly enough； have good sense and good taste
enough； to benefit by 〃Amelia；〃 by much of 〃Tom Jones。〃 I don't say by
〃Joseph Andrews。〃 No man ever respected your sex more than Henry
Fielding。 What says his reformed rake； Mr。 Wilson； in 〃Joseph
Andrews〃？
〃To say the Truth； I do not perceive that Inferiority of Understanding
which the Levity of Rakes； the Dulness of Men of Business； and the
Austerity of the Learned would persuade us of in Women。 As for my
Wife； I declare I have found none of my own Sex capable of making juster
Observations on Life； or of delivering them more agreeably； nor do I
believe any one possessed of a faithfuller or braver Friend。〃
He has no other voice wherein to speak of a happy marriage。 Can
you find among our genteel writers of this age； a figure more beautiful；
tender； devoted； and in all good ways womanly than Sophia Western's？
〃Yes；〃 you will say； 〃but the man must have been a brute who could give
her to Tom Jones； to 'that fellow who sold himself；' as Colonel Newcome
said。〃 〃There you have me at an avail；〃 in the language of the old
romancers。 There we touch the centre of Fielding's morality； a subject ill
to discuss； a morality not for everyday preaching。
Fielding distinctly takes himself for a moralist。 He preaches as
continually as Thackeray。 And his moral is this： 〃Let a man be kind；
generous； charitable； tolerant； brave； honestand we may pardon him
vices of young blood； and the stains of adventurous living。〃 Fielding has
no mercy on a seducer。 Lovelace would have fared worse with him than
with Richardson； who； I verily believe； admired that infernal （excuse me）
coward and villain。 The case of young Nightingale； in 〃Tom Jones；〃 will
17
… Page 18…
Letters on Literature
show you what Fielding thought of such gallants。 Why； Tom himself
preaches to Nightingale。 〃Miss Nancy's Interest alone； and not yours；
ought to be your sole Consideration；〃 cried Thomas； 。 。 。 〃and the very best
and truest Honour； which is Goodness； requires it of you；〃 that is； requires
that Nightingale shall marry Miss Nancy。
How Tom Jones combined these sentiments； which were perfectly
honest； with his own astonishing lack of retenue； and with Lady Bellaston；
is just the puzzle。 We cannot very well argue about it。 I only ask you to
let Jones in his right mind partly excuse Jones in a number of very delicate
situations。 If you ask me whether Sophia had not； after her marriage； to
be as forgiving as Amelia； I fear I must admit that probably it was so。
But Dr。 Johnson himself thought little of that。
I am afraid our only way of dealing with Fielding's morality is to take
the best of it and leave the remainder alone。 Here I find that I have
unconsciously agreed with that well…known philosopher； Mr。 James
Boswell； the younger； of Auchinleck：
〃The moral tendency of Fielding's writings 。 。 。 is ever favourable to
honour and honesty； and cherishes the benevolent and generous affections。
He who is as good as Fielding would make him is an amiable member of
society； and may be led on by more regulated instructions to a higher state
of ethical perfection。〃
Let us be as good and simple as Adams； without his vanity and his
oddity； as brave and generous as Jones； without Jones's faults； and what a
world of men and women it will become！ Fielding did not paint that
unborn world； he sketched the world he knew very well。 He found that
respectable people were often perfectly blind to the duties of charity in
every sense of the word。 He found that the only man in a whole
company who pitied Joseph Andrews； when stripped and beaten by
robbers was a postilion with defects in his moral character。 In short； he
knew that respectability often practised none but the strictly self…regarding
virtues； and that poverty and recklessness did not always extinguish a
native goodness of heart。 Perhaps this discovery made him leniently
disposed to 〃characters and situations so wretchedly low and dirty； that I；〃
say the author of 〃Pamela；〃 〃could not be interested for any one of them。〃
18
… Page 19…
Letters on Literature
How amusing Richardson always was about Fielding！ How jealousy；
spite； and the confusion of mind that befogs a prig when he is not taken
seriously； do darken the eyes of the author of 〃those deplorably tedious
lamentations； 'Clarissa' and 'Sir Charles Grandison；'〃 as Horace Walpole
calls them！
Fielding asks his Muse to give him 〃humour and good humour。〃
What novelist was ever so rich in both？ Who ever laughed at mankind
with so much affection for mankind in his heart？ This love shines in
every book of his。 The poor have all his good…will； and in him an untired
advocate and friend。 What a life the poor led in the England of 1742！
There never before was such tyranny without a servile insurrection。 I
remember a dreadful passage in 〃Joseph Andrews；〃 where Lady Booby is
trying to have Fanny； Joseph's sweetheart； locked up in prison：…
〃It would do a Man good；〃 says her accomplice； Scout； 〃to see his
Worship； our Justice； commit a Fellow to Bridewell； he takes so much
pleasure in it。 And when once we ha' 'um there； we seldom hear any
more o' 'um。 He's either starved or eat up by Vermin in a Month's Time。〃
This England； with its dominant Squires； who behaved much like
robber barons on the Rhine； was the merry England Fielding tried to turn
from some of its ways。 I seriously do believe that； with all its faults； it
was a better place； with a better breed of men； than our England of to…day。
But Fielding satirized intolerable injustice。
He would be a Reformer； a didactic writer。 If we are to have nothing
but 〃Art for Art's sake；〃 that burly body of Harry Fielding's must even go
to the wall。 The first Beau Didapper of a critic that passes can shove him
aside。 He preaches like Thackeray； he writes 〃with a purpose〃 like
Dickensobsolete old authors。 His cause is judged； and into Bridewell
he goes； if l'Art pour l'Art is all the literary law and the prophets。
But Fielding cannot be kept in prison long。 His noble English； his
sonorous voice must be heard。 There is
