the spirit of place and other essays(地方的精神等)-第2章
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does not yet live who shall persuade one honest reader； against the word of
Swift； that Swift loved Stella only； with an ordinary love； and not； by a
most delicate exception； Stella and Dingley； so joined that they make the
〃she〃 and 〃her〃 of every letter。 And this shall be a paper of reparation to
Mrs。 Dingley。
No one else in literary history has been so defrauded of her honours。
In love 〃to divide is not to take away；〃 as Shelley says； and Dingley's half
of the tender things said to MD is equal to any whole； and takes nothing
from the whole of Stella's half。 But the sentimentalist has fought against
Mrs。 Dingley from the outset。 He has disliked her； shirked her；
misconceived her； and effaced her。 Sly sentimentalisthe finds her
irksome。 Through one of his most modern representatives he has but
lately called her a 〃chaperon。〃 A chaperon！
MD was not a sentimentalist。 Stella was not so； though she has been
pressed into that character； D certainly was not； and has in this respect
been spared by the chronicler； and MD together were 〃saucy charming
MD；〃 〃saucy little； pretty； dear rogues；〃 〃little monkeys mine；〃 〃little
mischievous girls；〃 〃nautinautinautidear girls；〃 〃brats；〃 〃huzzies both；〃
〃impudence and saucy…face；〃 〃saucy noses；〃 〃my dearest lives and
delights；〃 〃dear little young women；〃 〃good dallars； not crying dallars〃
（which means 〃girls〃）； 〃ten thousand times dearest MD；〃 and so forth in a
hundred repetitions。 They are； every now and then； 〃poor MD；〃 but
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obviously not because of their own complaining。 Swift called them so
because they were mortal； and he； like all great souls； lived and loved；
conscious every day of the price； which is death。
The two were joined by love； not without solemnity； though man； with
his summary and wholesale ready…made sentiment； has thus obstinately
put them asunder。 No wholesale sentiment can do otherwise than
foolishly play havoc with such a relation。 To Swift it was the most
secluded thing in the world。 〃I am weary of friends； and friendships are
all monsters； except MD's；〃 〃I ought to read these letters I write after I
have done。 But I hope it does not puzzle little Dingley to read； for I think
I mend： but methinks；〃 he adds； 〃when I write plain； I do not know how；
but we are not alone； all the world can see us。 A bad scrawl is so snug； it
looks like PMD。〃 Again： 〃I do not like women so much as I did。 MD；
you must know； are not women。〃 〃God Almighty preserve you both and
make us happy together。〃 〃I say Amen with all my heart and vitals； that
we may never be asunder ten days together while poor Presto lives。〃
〃Farewell； dearest beloved MD； and love poor； poor Presto； who has not
had one happy day since he left you； as hope saved。〃
With themwith herhe hid himself in the world； at Court； at the bar
of St。 James's coffee…house； whither he went on the Irish mail… day； and
was 〃in pain except he saw MD's little handwriting。〃 He hid with them
in the long labours of these exquisite letters every night and morning。 If
no letter came； he comforted himself with thinking that 〃he had it yet to be
happy with。〃 And the world has agreed to hide under its own manifold
and lachrymose blunders the grace and singularitythe distinctionof this
sweet romance。 〃Little； sequestered pleasure…house〃it seemed as though
〃the many could not miss it；〃 but not even the few have found it。
It is part of the scheme of the sympathetic historian that Stella should
be the victim of hope deferred； watching for letters from Swift。 But day
and night Presto complains of the scantiness of MD's little letters； he waits
upon 〃her〃 will： 〃I shall make a sort of journal； and when it is full I will
send it whether MD writes or not； and so that will be pretty。〃 〃Naughty
girls that will not write to a body！〃 〃I wish you were whipped for
forgetting to send。 Go； be far enough； negligent baggages。〃 〃You；
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Mistress Stella； shall write your share； and then comes Dingley altogether；
and then Stella a little crumb at the end； and then conclude with something
handsome and genteel； as ‘your most humble cumdumble。'〃 But Scott
and Macaulay and Thackeray are all exceedingly sorry for Stella。
Swift is most charming when he is feigning to complain of his task：
〃Here is such a stir and bustle with this little MD of ours； I must be
writing every night； O Lord； O Lord！〃 〃I must go write idle things； and
twittle twattle。〃 〃These saucy jades take up so much of my time with
writing to them in the morning。〃 Is it not a stealthy wrong done upon
Mrs。 Dingley that she should be stripped of all these ornaments to her
name and memory？ When Swift tells a woman in a letter that there he is
〃writing in bed； like a tiger；〃 she should go gay in the eyes of all
generations。
They will not let Stella go gay； because of sentiment； and they will not
let Mrs。 Dingley go gay； because of sentiment for Stella。 Marry come up！
Why did not the historians assign all the tender passages （taken very
seriously） to Stella； and let Dingley have the jokes； then？ That would
have been no ill share for Dingley。 But no； forsooth； Dingley is allowed
nothing。
There are passages； nevertheless； which can hardly be taken from her。
For now and then Swift parts his dear MD。 When he does so he
invariably drops those initials and writes 〃Stella〃 or 〃Ppt〃 for the one； and
〃D〃 or 〃Dingley〃 for the other。 There is no exception to this anywhere。
He is anxious about Stella's 〃little eyes；〃 and about her health generally；
whereas Dingley is strong。 Poor Ppt； he thinks； will not catch the 〃new
fever；〃 because she is not well； 〃but why should D escape it； pray？〃 And
Mrs。 Dingley is rebuked for her tale of a journey from Dublin to Wexford。
〃I doubt； Madam Dingley； you are apt to lie in your travels； though not so
bad as Stella； she tells thumpers。〃 Stella is often reproved for her
spelling； and Mrs。 Dingley writes much the better hand。 But she is a
puzzle…headed woman； like another。 〃What do you mean by my fourth
letter； Madam Dinglibus？ Does not Stella say you had my fifth； goody
Blunder？〃 〃Now； Mistress Dingley； are you not an impudent slut to
except a letter next packet？ Unreasonable baggage！ No； little Dingley；
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I am always in bed by twelve； and I take great care of myself。〃 〃You are
a pretending slut； indeed； with your ‘fourth' and ‘fifth' in the margin； and
your ‘journal' and everything。 O Lord； never saw the like； we shall never
have done。〃 〃I never saw such a letter； so saucy； so journalish； so
everything。〃 Swift is insistently grateful for their inquiries for his health。
He pauses seriously to thank them in the midst of his prattle。 Both
women MDare rallied on their politics： 〃I have a fancy that Ppt is a
Tory； I fancy she looks like one； and D a sort of trimmer。〃
But it is for Dingley separately that Swift endured a wild bird in his
lodgings。 His man Patrick had got one to take over to her in Ireland。
〃He keeps it in a closet； where it makes a terrible litter； but I say nothing； I
am as tame as a clout。〃
Forgotten Dingley； happy in this； has not had to endure the ignominy；
in a hundred essays； to be retrospectively offered to Swift as an unclaimed
wife； so far so good。 But two hundred years is long for her to have gone
stripped of so radiant a glory as is hers by right。 〃Better； thanks to MD's
prayers；〃 wrote the immortal man who loved her； in a private fragment of
a journal； never meant for Dingley's eyes； nor for Ppt's； nor for any human
eyes； and the rogue Stella has for two centuries stolen all the credit of
those prayers； and all the thanks of that pious benediction。
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SOLITUDE
The wild man is alone at will； and so is the man for whom civilization
has been kind。 But there are the multitudes to whom civilization has
given little but its reaction； its rebound； its chips； its refuse； its shavings；
sawdust and waste； its failures； to them solitude is a right foregone or a
luxury unattained； a right foregone； we may name it； in the case of the
nearly savage； and a luxury unattained in the case of the nearly refined。
These has the movement of the world thronged together into some blind
by…way。
Their share in the enormous solitude which is the common； unbounded；
and virtually illimitable possession of all mankind has lapsed； unclaimed。
They do not know it is theirs。 Of many of their kingdoms they are
ignorant； but of this most ignorant。 They have not guessed that they own
for every man a space inviolate； a place of unhidden liberty and of no
obscure enfranchisement。 They do not claim even the solitude of closed
corners； the narrow privacy of the lock and key； nor could they command
so much。 For the solitude that has a sky and a horizon they know not
how
