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science¡¡that¡¡can¡¡master¡¡this¡¡chemistry¡¡of¡¡the¡¡brain¡£¡¡¡¡He¡¡is¡¡too

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pertinacious£»¡¡children¡¡are¡¡the¡¡joy¡¡of¡¡the¡¡world¡¡and¡¡Victor¡¡Hugo¡¡is¡¡a

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and¡¡girls¡£¡¡¡¡Ne¡¡quid¡¡nimis£»¡¡that¡¡is¡¡the¡¡golden¡¡rule¡¡which¡¡he

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repeating¡¡himself¡¡as¡¡Professor¡¡Freeman¡£¡¡¡¡Such¡¡are¡¡the¡¡defects¡¡of¡¡so

noble¡¡a¡¡genius£»¡¡thus¡¡perverse¡¡Nature¡¡has¡¡decided¡¡that¡¡it¡¡shall¡¡be£»

Nature¡¡which¡¡makes¡¡no¡¡ruby¡¡without¡¡a¡¡flaw¡£



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poetry¡¡who¡¡would¡¡like¡¡nothing¡¡better¡¡than¡¡to¡¡make¡¡acquaintance¡¡with

his¡¡verse¡£¡¡¡¡But¡¡his¡¡verse¡¡is¡¡not¡¡so¡¡easily¡¡found¡£¡¡¡¡This¡¡poet¡¡never

writes¡¡in¡¡magazines£»¡¡his¡¡books¡¡have¡¡not¡¡appealed¡¡to¡¡the¡¡public¡¡by

any¡¡sort¡¡of¡¡advertisement£»¡¡only¡¡two¡¡or¡¡three¡¡of¡¡them¡¡have¡¡come¡¡forth

in¡¡the¡¡regular¡¡way¡£¡¡¡¡The¡¡first¡¡was¡¡¡¨Poems£»¡¡by¡¡Robert¡¡Bridges£»

Batchelor¡¡of¡¡Arts¡¡in¡¡the¡¡University¡¡of¡¡Oxford¡£¡¡¡¡Parva¡¡seges¡¡satis

est¡£¡¡¡¡London£º¡¡¡¡Pickering£»¡¡1873¡£¡¨



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printed¡¡at¡¡Mr¡£¡¡Daniel's¡¡private¡¡press¡¡in¡¡Oxford¡£¡¡¡¡In¡¡these£»¡¡as¡¡in

all¡¡Mr¡£¡¡Bridges's¡¡poems£»¡¡there¡¡is¡¡a¡¡certain¡¡austere¡¡and¡¡indifferent

beauty¡¡of¡¡diction¡¡and¡¡a¡¡memory¡¡of¡¡the¡¡old¡¡English¡¡poets£»¡¡Milton¡¡and

the¡¡earlier¡¡lyrists¡£¡¡¡¡I¡¡remember¡¡being¡¡greatly¡¡pleased¡¡with¡¡the

¡¨Elegy¡¡on¡¡a¡¡Lady¡¡whom¡¡Grief¡¡for¡¡the¡¡Death¡¡of¡¡Her¡¡Betrothed¡¡Killed¡£¡¨





¡¨Let¡¡the¡¡priests¡¡go¡¡before£»¡¡arrayed¡¡in¡¡white£»

And¡¡let¡¡the¡¡dark¡­stoled¡¡minstrels¡¡follow¡¡slow

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In¡¡his¡¡first¡¡volume¡¡Mr¡£¡¡Bridges¡¡offered¡¡a¡¡few¡¡rondeaux¡¡and¡¡triolets£»

turning¡¡his¡¡back¡¡on¡¡all¡¡these¡¡things¡¡as¡¡soon¡¡as¡¡they¡¡became¡¡popular¡£

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in¡¡their¡¡humble¡¡twittering¡¡way¡£¡¡¡¡Much¡¡more¡¡in¡¡his¡¡true¡¡vein¡¡were¡¡the

lines£»¡¡¡¨Clear¡¡and¡¡Gentle¡¡Stream£»¡¨¡¡and¡¡all¡¡the¡¡other¡¡verses¡¡in¡¡which£»

like¡¡a¡¡true¡¡Etonian£»¡¡he¡¡celebrates¡¡the¡¡beautiful¡¡Thames£º





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Country£»¡¨¡¡and¡¡the¡¡¡¨Reply¡£¡¨¡¡¡¡In¡¡these£»¡¡besides¡¡their¡¡verbal¡¡beauty

and¡¡their¡¡charming¡¡pictures£»¡¡is¡¡a¡¡manly¡¡philosophy¡¡of¡¡Life£»¡¡which

animates¡¡Mr¡£¡¡Bridges's¡¡more¡¡important¡¡pieceshis¡¡¡¨Prometheus¡¡the

Firebringer£»¡¨¡¡and¡¡his¡¡¡¨Nero£»¡¨¡¡a¡¡tragedy¡¡remarkable¡¡for¡¡the

representation¡¡of¡¡Nero¡¡himself£»¡¡the¡¡luxurious¡¡human¡¡tiger¡£¡¡¡¡From

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Bridges's¡¡blank¡¡verse£º





¡¨Nor¡¡is¡¡there¡¡any¡¡spirit¡¡on¡¡earth¡¡astir£»

Nor¡¡'neath¡¡the¡¡airy¡¡vault£»¡¡nor¡¡yet¡¡beyond

In¡¡any¡¡dweller¡¡in¡¡far¡­reaching¡¡space

Nobler¡¡or¡¡dearer¡¡than¡¡the¡¡spirit¡¡of¡¡man£º

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Mr¡£¡¡Bridges's¡¡latest¡¡book¡¡is¡¡his¡¡¡¨Eros¡¡and¡¡Psyche¡¨¡¡£¨Bell¡¡&¡¡Sons£»¡¡who

publish¡¡the¡¡¡¨Prometheus¡¨£©¡£¡¡¡¡It¡¡is¡¡the¡¡old¡¡story¡¡very¡¡closely

followed£»¡¡and¡¡beautifully¡¡retold£»¡¡with¡¡a¡¡hundred¡¡memories¡¡of¡¡ancient

poets£º¡¡¡¡Homer£»¡¡Dante£»¡¡Theocritus£»¡¡as¡¡well¡¡as¡¡of¡¡Apuleius¡£



I¡¡have¡¡named¡¡Mr¡£¡¡Bridges¡¡here¡¡because¡¡his¡¡poems¡¡are¡¡probably¡¡all¡¡but

unknown¡¡to¡¡readers¡¡well¡¡acquainted¡¡with¡¡many¡¡other¡¡English¡¡writers

of¡¡late¡¡days¡£¡¡¡¡On¡¡them£»¡¡especially¡¡on¡¡actual¡¡contemporaries¡¡or

juniors¡¡in¡¡age£»¡¡it¡¡would¡¡be¡¡almost¡¡impertinent¡¡for¡¡me¡¡to¡¡speak¡¡to

you£»¡¡but£»¡¡even¡¡at¡¡that¡¡risk£»¡¡I¡¡take¡¡the¡¡chance¡¡of¡¡directing¡¡you¡¡to

the¡¡poetry¡¡of¡¡Mr¡£¡¡Bridges¡£¡¡¡¡I¡¡owe¡¡so¡¡much¡¡pleasure¡¡to¡¡its¡¡delicate

air£»¡¡that£»¡¡if¡¡speech¡¡be¡¡impertinence£»¡¡silence¡¡were¡¡ingratitude¡£¡¡£û2£ý







FIELDING







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Dear¡¡Madam£»Many¡¡thanks¡¡for¡¡the¡¡New¡¡York¡¡newspaper¡¡you¡¡have¡¡kindly

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Valley¡£¡¡¡¡Those¡¡are¡¡interesting¡¡particulars¡¡which¡¡tell¡¡one¡¡so¡¡much

about¡¡the¡¡taste¡¡of¡¡a¡¡community¡£



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of¡¡his¡¡books¡¡are¡¡sold¡¡for¡¡every¡¡two¡¡copies¡¡of¡¡the¡¡works¡¡of¡¡Henry

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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¡£

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which¡¡no¡¡modest¡¡lady¡¡should¡¡ever¡¡make¡£¡¨



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that¡¡bought¡¡books¡¡of¡¡Fielding's¡£



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worthy¡¡a¡¡man¡¡have¡¡been¡¡so¡¡absorbed¡¡by¡¡an¡¡unworthy¡¡book£¿



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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

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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¡¨£¿



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or¡¡braver¡¡Friend¡£¡¨



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the¡¡old¡¡romancers¡£¡¡¡¡There¡¡we¡¡touch¡¡the¡¡centre¡¡of¡¡Fielding's

morality£»¡¡a¡¡subject¡¡ill¡¡to¡¡discuss£»¡¡a¡¡morality¡¡not¡¡for¡¡everyday

preaching¡£



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continually¡¡as¡¡Thackeray¡£¡¡¡¡And¡¡his¡¡moral¡¡is¡¡this£º¡¡¡¡¡¨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¡¡show¡¡you¡¡what¡¡Fielding

thought¡¡of¡¡such¡¡gallants¡£¡¡¡¡Why£»¡¡Tom¡¡himself¡¡preaches¡¡to¡¡Nightingale¡£

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that¡¡Nightingale¡¡shall¡¡marry¡¡Miss¡¡Nancy¡£



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must¡¡admit¡¡that¡¡probably¡¡it¡¡was¡¡so¡£¡¡¡¡But¡¡Dr¡£¡¡Johnson¡¡himself¡¡thought

little¡¡of¡¡that¡£



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I¡¡have¡¡unconsciously¡¡agreed¡¡with¡¡that¡¡well¡­known¡¡philosopher£»¡¡Mr¡£

James¡¡Boswell£»¡¡the¡¡younger£»¡¡of¡¡Auchinleck£º



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instructions¡¡to¡¡a¡¡higher¡¡state¡¡of¡¡ethical¡¡perfection¡£¡¨



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what¡¡a¡¡world¡¡of¡¡men¡¡and¡¡women¡¡it¡¡will¡¡become£¡¡¡¡¡Fieldi

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