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rasselas, prince of abyssinia-第6章

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issed me astonished at his  wisdom and enamoured of his goodness。
〃My credit was now so high that the merchants with whom I had  travelled applied to me for recommendations to the ladies of the  Court。  I was surprised at their confidence of solicitation and  greatly reproached them with their practices on the road。  They  heard me with cold indifference; and showed no tokens of shame or  sorrow。
〃They then urged their request with the offer of a bribe; but what  I would not do for kindness I would not do for money; and refused  them; not because they had injured me; but because I would not  enable them to injure others; for I knew they would have made use  of my credit to cheat those who should buy their wares。
〃Having resided at Agra till there was no more to be learned; I  travelled into Persia; where I saw many remains of ancient  magnificence and observed many new accommodations of life。  The  Persians are a nation eminently social; and their assemblies  afforded me daily opportunities of remarking characters and  manners; and of tracing human nature through all its variations。
〃From Persia I passed into Arabia; where I saw a nation pastoral  and warlike; who lived without any settled habitation; whose wealth  is their flocks and herds; and who have carried on through ages an  hereditary war with mankind; though they neither covet nor envy  their possessions。〃

CHAPTER X … IMLAC'S HISTORY (CONTINUED) … A DISSERTATION UPON  POETRY。

〃WHEREVER I went I found that poetry was considered as the highest  learning; and regarded with a veneration somewhat approaching to  that which man would pay to angelic nature。  And yet it fills me  with wonder that in almost all countries the most ancient poets are  considered as the best; whether it be that every other kind of  knowledge is an acquisition greatly attained; and poetry is a gift  conferred at once; or that the first poetry of every nation  surprised them as a novelty; and retained the credit by consent  which it received by accident at first; or whether; as the province  of poetry is to describe nature and passion; which are always the  same; the first writers took possession of the most striking  objects for description and the most probable occurrences for  fiction; and left nothing to those that followed them but  transcription of the same events and new combinations of the same  images。  Whatever be the reason; it is commonly observed that the  early writers are in possession of nature; and their followers of  art; that the first excel in strength and invention; and the latter  in elegance and refinement。
〃I was desirous to add my name to this illustrious fraternity。  I  read all the poets of Persia and Arabia; and was able to repeat by  memory the volumes that are suspended in the mosque of Mecca。  But  I soon found that no man was ever great by imitations。  My desire  of excellence impelled me to transfer my attention to nature and to  life。  Nature was to be my subject; and men to be my auditors。  I  could never describe what I had not seen。  I could not hope to move  those with delight or terror whose interests and opinions I did not  understand。
Being now resolved to be a poet; I saw everything with a new  purpose; my sphere of attention was suddenly magnified; no kind of  knowledge was to be overlooked。  I ranged mountains and deserts for  images and resemblances; and pictured upon my mind every tree of  the forest and flower of the valley。  I observed with equal care  the crags of the rock and the pinnacles of the palace。  Sometimes I  wandered along the mazes of the rivulet; and sometimes watched the  changes of the summer clouds。  To a poet nothing can be useless。   Whatever is beautiful and whatever is dreadful must be familiar to  his imagination; he must be conversant with all that is awfully  vast or elegantly little。  The plants of the garden; the animals of  the wood; the minerals of the earth; and meteors of the sky; must  all concur to store his mind with inexhaustible variety; for every  idea is useful for the enforcement or decoration of moral or  religious truth; and he who knows most will have most power of  diversifying his scenes and of gratifying his reader with remote  allusions and unexpected instruction。
〃All the appearances of nature I was therefore careful to study;  and every country which I have surveyed has contributed something  to my poetical powers。〃
〃In so wide a survey;〃 said the Prince; 〃you must surely have left  much unobserved。  I have lived till now within the circuit of the  mountains; and yet cannot walk abroad without the sight of  something which I had never beheld before; or never heeded。〃
〃This business of a poet;〃 said Imlac; 〃is to examine; not the  individual; but the species; to remark general properties and large  appearances。  He does not number the streaks of the tulip; or  describe the different shades of the verdure of the forest。  He is  to exhibit in his portraits of nature such prominent and striking  features as recall the original to every mind; and must neglect the  minuter discriminations; which one may have remarked and another  have neglected; for those characteristics which are alike obvious  to vigilance and carelessness。
〃But the knowledge of nature is only half the task of a poet; he  must be acquainted likewise with all the modes of life。  His  character requires that he estimate the happiness and misery of  every condition; observe the power of all the passions in all their  combinations; and trace the changes of the human mind; as they are  modified by various institutions and accidental influences of  climate or custom; from the sprightliness of infancy to the  despondence of decrepitude。  He must divest himself of the  prejudices of his age and country; he must consider right and wrong  in their abstracted and invariable state; he must disregard present  laws and opinions; and rise to general and transcendental truths;  which will always be the same。  He must; therefore; content himself  with the slow progress of his name; contemn the praise of his own  time; and commit his claims to the justice of posterity。  He must  write as the interpreter of nature and the legislator of mankind;  and consider himself as presiding over the thoughts and manners of  future generations; as a being superior to time and place。
〃His labour is not yet at an end。  He must know many languages and  many sciences; and; that his style may be worthy of his thoughts;  must by incessant practice familiarise to himself every delicacy of  speech and grace of harmony。〃

CHAPTER XI … IMLAC'S NARRATIVE (CONTINUED) … A HINT OF PILGRIMAGE。

IMLAC now felt the enthusiastic fit; and was proceeding to  aggrandise his own profession; when then Prince cried out:   〃Enough! thou hast convinced me that no human being can ever be a  poet。  Proceed with thy narration。〃
〃To be a poet;〃 said Imlac; 〃is indeed very difficult。〃
〃So difficult;〃 returned the Prince; 〃that I will at present hear  no more of his labours。  Tell me whither you went when you had seen  Persia。〃
〃From Persia;〃 said the poet; 〃I travelled through Syria; and for  three years resided in Palestine; where I conversed with great  numbers of the northern and western nations of Europe; the nations  which are now in possession of all power and all knowledge; whose  armies are irresistible; and whose fleets command the remotest  parts of the globe。  When I compared these men with the natives of  our own kingdom and those that surround us; they appeared almost  another order of beings。  In their countries it is difficult to  wish for anything that may not be obtained; a thousand arts; of  which we never heard; are continually labouring for their  convenience and pleasure; and whatever their own climate has denied  them is supplied by their commerce。〃
〃By what means;〃 said the Prince; 〃are the Europeans thus powerful?  or why; since they can so easily visit Asia and Africa for trade or  conquest; cannot the Asiatics and Africans invade their coast;  plant colonies in their ports; and give laws to their natural  princes?  The same wind that carries them back would bring us  thither。〃
〃They are more powerful; sir; than we;〃 answered Imlac; 〃because  they are wiser; know

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