letters on literature-第4章

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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。〃



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　somewhat　inexpressibly

heartening；　to　me；　in　the　style　of　Fielding。　　One　seems　to　be

carried　along；　like　a　swimmer　in　a　strong；　clear　stream；　trusting

one's　self　to　every　whirl　and　eddy；　with　a　feeling　of　safety；　of

comfort；　of　delightful　ease　in　the　motion　of　the　elastic　water。　　He

is　a　scholar；　nay　more；　as　Adams　had　his　innocent　vanity；　Fielding

has　his　innocent　pedantry。　　He　likes　to　quote　Greek　（fancy　quoting

Greek　in　a　novel　of　to…day！）　and　to　make　the　rogues　of　printers　set

it　up　correctly。　　He　likes　to　air　his　ideas　on　Homer；　to　bring　in　a

piece　of　Aristotlenot　hackneyedto　show　you　that　if　he　is　writing

about　〃characters　and　situations　so　wretchedly　low　and　dirty；〃　he　is

yet　a　student　and　a　critic。



Mr。　Samuel　Richardson；　a　man　of　little　reading；　according　to

Johnson；　was；　I　doubt；　sadly　put　to　it　to　understand　Booth's

conversations　with　the　author　who　remarked　that　〃Perhaps　Mr。　Pope

followed　the　French　Translations。　　I　observe；　indeed；　he　talks　much

in　the　Notes　of　Madame　Dacier　and　Monsieur　Eustathius。〃　　What　knew

Samuel　of　Eustathius？　　I　not　only　can　forgive　Fielding　his　pedantry；

I　like　it！　　I　like　a　man　of　letters　to　be　a　scholar；　and　his　little

pardonable　display　and　ostentation　of　his　Greek　only　brings　him

nearer　to　us；　who　have　none　of　his　genius；　and　do　not　approach　him

but　in　his　faults。　　They　make　him　more　human；　one　loves　him　for　them

as　he　loves　Squire　Western；　with　all　his　failings。　　Delightful；

immortal　Squire！



It　was　not　he；　it　was　another　Tory　Squire　that　called　out　〃Hurray

for　old　England！　　Twenty　thousand　honest　Frenchmen　are　landed　in

Sussex。〃　　But　it　was　Western　that　talked　of　〃One　Acton；　that　the

Story　Book　says　was　turned　into　a　Hare；　and　his　own　Dogs　kill'd　'un；

and　eat　'un。〃　　And　have　you　forgotten　the　popular　discussion　（during

the　Forty…five）　of　the　affairs　of　the　Nation；　which；　as　Squire

Western　said；　〃all　of　us　understand〃？　　Said　the　Puppet…Man；　〃I　don't

care　what　Religion　comes；　provided　the　Presbyterians　are　not

uppermost；　for　they　are　enemies　to　Puppet…Shows。〃　　But　the　Puppet…

Man　had　no　vote　in　1745。　　Now；　to　our　comfort；　he　can　and　does

exercise　the　glorious　privilege　of　the　franchise。



There　is　no　room　in　this　epistle　for　Fielding's　glorious　gallery　of

charactersfor　Lady　Bellaston；　who　remains　a　lady　in　her

debaucheries；　and　is　therefore　so　unlike　our　modern　representative

of　her　class；　Lady　Betty；　in　Miss　Broughton's　〃Doctor　Cupid；〃　for

Square；　and　Thwackum；　and　Trulliber；　and　the　jealous　spite　of　Lady

Booby；　and　Honour；　that　undying　lady's　maid；　and　Partridge；　and

Captain　Blifil　and　Amelia；　the　fair　and　kind　and　good！



It　is　like　the　whole　world　of　that　old　Englandthe　maids　of　the

Inn；　the　parish　clerk；　the　two　sportsmen；　the　hosts　of　the　taverns；

the　beaux；　the　starveling　authorsall　alive；　all　（save　the　authors）

full　of　beef　and　beer；　a　cudgel　in　every　fist；　every　man　ready　for　a

brotherly　bout　at　fisticuffs。　　What　has　become　of　it；　the　lusty　old

militant　world？　　What　will　become　of　us；　and　why　do　we　prefer　to

Fieldinga　number　of　meritorious　moderns？　　Who　knows？　　But　do　not

let　us　prefer　anything　to　our　English　follower　of　Cervantes；　our

wise；　merry；　learned　Sancho；　trudging　on　English　roads；　like　Don

Quixote　on　the　paths　of　Spain。



But　I　cannot　convert　you。　　You　will　turn　to　some　story　about　store…

clerks　and　summer　visitors。　　Such　is　his　fate　who　argues　with　the

fair。







LONGFELLOW







To　Walter　Mainwaring；　Esq。；　Lothian　College；　Oxford。



My　dear　Mainwaring；You　are　very　good　to　ask　me　to　come　up　and

listen　to　a　discussion；　by　the　College　Browning　Society；　of　the

minor　characters　in　〃Sordello；〃　but　I　think　it　would　suit　me　better；

if　you　didn't　mind；　to　come　up　when　the　May　races　are　on。　　I　am　not

deeply　concerned　about　the　minor　characters　in　〃Sordello；〃　and　have

long　reconciled　myself　to　the　conviction　that　I　must　pass　through

this　pilgrimage　without　hearing　Sordello's　story　told　in　an

intelligible　manner。　　Your　letter；　however；　set　me　a…voyaging　about

my　bookshelves；　taking　up　a　volume　of　poetry　here　and　there。



What　an　interesting　tract　might　be　written　by　any　one　who　could

remember；　and　honestly　describe；　the　impressions　that　the　same　books

have　made　on　him　at　different　ages！　　There　is　Longfellow；　for

example。　　I　have　not　read　much　in　him　for　twenty　years。　　I　take　him

up　to…day；　and　what　a　flood　of　memories　his　music　brings　with　it！

To　me　it　is　like　a　sad　autumn　wind　blowing　over　the　woods；　blowing

over　the　empty　fields；　bringing　the　scents　of　October；　the　song　of　a

belated　bird；　and　here　and　there　a　red　leaf　from　the　tree。　　There　is

that　autumnal　sense　of　things　fair　and　far　behind；　in　his　poetry；

or；　if　it　is　not　there；　his　poetry　stirs　it　in　our　forsaken　lodges

of　the　past。　　Yes；　it　comes　to　one　out　of　one's　boyhood；　it　breathes

of　a　world　very　vaguely　realizeda　world　of　imitative　sentiments

and　forebodings　of　hours　to　come。　　Perhaps　Longfellow　first　woke　me

to　that　later　sense　of　what　poetry　means；　which　comes　with　early

manhood。



Before；　one　had　been　content；　I　am　still　content；　with　Scott　in　his

battle　pieces；　with　the　ballads　of　the　Border。　　Longfellow　had　a

touch　of　reflection　you　do　not　find；　of　course；　in　battle　poems；　in

a　boy's　favourites；　such　as　〃Of　Nelson　and　the　North；〃　or　〃Ye

Mariners　of　England。〃



His　moral　reflections　may　seem　obvious　now；　and　trite；　they　were

neither　when　one　was　fifteen。　　To　read　the　〃Voices　of　the　Night；〃　in

particularthose　early　piecesis　to　be　back　at　school　again；　on　a

Sunday；　reading　all　alone　on　a　summer's　day；　high　in　some　tree；　with

a　wide　prospect　of　gardens　and　fields。



There　is　that　mysterious　note　in　the　tone　and　measure　which　one

first　found　in　Longfellow；　which　has　since　reached　our　ears　more

richly　and　fully　in　Keats；　in　Coleridge；　in　Tennyson。　　Take；　for

example；





〃The　welcome；　the　thrice　prayed　for；　the　most　fair；

The　best…beloved　Night！〃





Is　not　that　version　of　Euripides　exquisitedoes　it　not　seem

exquisite　still；　though　this　is　not　the　quality　you　expect　chiefly

from　Longfellow；　though　you　rather　look　to　him　for　honest　human

matter　than　for　an　indefinable　beauty　of　manner？



I　believe　it　is　the　manner；　after　all；　of　the　〃Psalm　of　Life〃　that

has　made　it　so　strangely　popular。　　People　tell　us；　excellent　people；

that　it　is　〃as　good　as　a　sermon；〃　that　they　value　it　for　this

reason；　that　its　lesson　has　strengthened　the　hearts　of　men　in　our

difficult　life。　　They　say　so；　and　they　think　so：　　but　the　poem　is

not　nearly　as　good　as　a　sermon；　it　is　not　even　coherent。　　But　it

really　has　an　original　cadence　of　its　own；　with　its　double　rhymes；

and　the　pleasure　of　this　cadence　has　combined；　with　a　belief　that

they　are　being　edified；　to　make　readers　out　of　number　consider　the

〃Psalms　of　Life〃　a　masterpiece。　　Youmy　learned　prosodist　and

student　of　Browning　and　Shelleywill　agree　with　me　that　it　is　not　a

masterpiece。　　But　I　doubt　if　you　have　enough　of　the　experience

brought　by　years　to　tolerate　the　opposite　opinion；　as　your　elders

can。



How　many　other　poems　of　Longfellow's　there　are　that　remind　us　of

youth；　and　of　those　kind；　vanished　faces　which　were　around　us　when

we　read　〃The　Reaper　and　the　Flowers〃！　　I　read　again；　and；　as　the

poet　says；





〃Then　the　forms　of　the　departed

Enter　at　the　open　door；

The　beloved；　the　true…hearted

Come　to　visit　me　once　more。〃





Compare　that　simple　strain；　you　lover　of　Theophile　Gautier；　with

Theo's　own　〃Chateau　de　Souvenir〃　in　〃Emaux　et　Camees；〃　and　confess

the　truth；　which　poet　brings　the　break　into　the　reader's　voice？　　It

is　not　the　dainty；　accomplished　Frenchman；　the　jeweller　in　words；　it

is　the　simpler　speaker　of　our　English　tongue　who　stirs　you　as　a

ballad　moves　you。　　I　find　one　comes　back　to　Longfellow；　and　to　one's

old　self　of　the　old　years。　　I　don't　know　a　poem　〃of　the　affections；〃

as　Sir　Barnes　Newcome　would　have　called　it；　that　I　like　better　than

Thackeray's　〃Cane…bottomed　Chair。〃　　Well；　〃The　Fire