a study of bible-第27章
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em of its length in the English language is Browning's 〃Saul〃； but it is only the story of David driving the evil spirit from Saul； sweeping on to the very coming of Christ。 〃The Death in the Desert〃 is the death of John； the beloved disciple。 〃Karshish； the Arab Physician〃 tells in his own way of the raising of Lazarus。 The text of 〃Caliban upon Setebos〃 is； 〃Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself。〃 The text of 〃Cleon〃 is； 〃As certain of your own poets have said。〃 In 〃Fifine at the Fair〃 the Cure expounds the experience of Jacob and his stone…pillow with better insight than some better… known expositors show。 In 〃Pippa Passes；〃 when Bluphocks； the English vagabond； is introduced； Browning seems to justify his appearance by the single foot…note： 〃He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good； and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust〃； and Mr。 Bluphocks shows himself amusingly familiar with Bible facts and phrases。 Mr。 Sludge； 〃the Medium；〃 thinks the Bible says the stars are 〃set for signs when we should shear sheep； sow corn； prune trees；〃 and describes the skeptic in the magic circle of spiritual 〃investigators〃 as the 〃guest without the wedding…garb； the doubting Thomas。〃 Some one has taken the trouble to count five hundred Biblical phrases or allusions in 〃The Ring and the Book。〃 Mrs。 Browning's 〃'Drama of Exile〃 is the woman's side of the fall of Adam and Eve。 Ruskin thought her 〃Aurora Leigh〃 the greatest poem the century had produced at that time。 It abounds in Scriptural allusions。 Browning came by all this naturally。 Raised in the Church by a father who 〃delighted to surround him with books； notably old and rare Bibles；〃 and a mother Carlyle called 〃a true type of a Scottish gentlewoman；〃 with all the skill in the Bible that that implies； he never lost his sense of the majesty of the movement of Scripture ideas and phrases。
We need spend little time in discussing the influence of the English Bible on Thomas Carlyle。 He does not often use the Scripture for his main theme； but he is constantly making Biblical allusions。 On a railway journey when I was rereading Carlyle's Historical Sketches； I found a direct Biblical reference for every five pages； and almost numberless allusions beside。
The 〃Everlasting Yea；〃 of which he says much； he gets； as you at once recognize； from the Scripture。 His 〃Heroes and Hero Worship〃 is based on an idea of heroism which he learned from the Bible。 He is an Old Testament prophet of present times； and； while he degenerated into a scold before he was through with it； he yet spoke with the thunderous voice of a true prophet； and much of the time in the language of the prophets。 Some one said once that the only real reverence Carlyle ever had was for the person of Christ。 Certainly there is no note of sneer； but of the profoundest regard for the teaching； the ideas and the history of the Scripture。
The name of Charles Dickens suggests a different atmosphere。 He is a New Testament prophet。 Where Carlyle has caught the spirit of rugged power in the Old Testament； Dickens has caught the sense of kindly love in the New Testament。 Dickens's love for the child； the fact that he could draw children as he could draw no one else and make them lovable； suggests the value to him of those frequent references which he makes to Christ setting a child in the midst of the disciples。 It is notable； too； how often Dickens uses the great Scripture phrases for his most dramatic climaxes。 There are not in literature many finer uses of Scripture than the scene in Bleak House； where the poor waif Joe is dying； and while his friend teaches him the Lord's Prayer he sees the light coming。 A Christmas season without Dickens's Christmas Carol would be incomplete； but there again is the Scripture idea pressed forward。
George Eliot surely； if any writer； was under the spell of the Scripture。 One of her critics calls her the historian of conscience。 All of her heroes and heroines know the lash of the law。 She knows very little about the New Testament； one would judge； but the one thing about which she has no doubt is certainly the reign of moral law。 If a man will not yield to its power； it will break him。 There is no such thing as breaking the moral law； there is nothing but being broken by it。 Her characters are always quoting the Bible。 They preach a great deal。 She tells that she herself wrote Dinah Morris's sermon on the green with tears in her eyes。 She meant it all。 While her own religious faith was clouded； her finest characters are never clouded in their religious faith； and she grounds their faith quite invariably on their early training in the Scripture。 It is an interesting fact that George Eliot has no principal story which has not in it a church； and a priest or a preacher； with all that they involve。
Charles Kingsley is grouped hardly fairly in this list； because he was himself a preacher； and naturally all his work would feel the power of the Book； which he chiefly studied。 Professor Masson says that 〃there is not one of his novels which has not the power of Christianity for its theme。〃 No voice was raised more effectively for the beginning of the new social era in England than his。 Alton Locke and Yeast are epoch… making books in the life of the common people of England。 Even Hypatia； which is supposed to have been written to represent entirely pagan surroundings； is full of Bible phrases and ideas。
Lord Macaulay had been held up for many a day as one of the masters of style。 Such great writing is not to be traced to any one influence。 It could not have been easy to write as Macaulay wrote。 Thackeray may have exaggerated in saying that Macaulay read twenty books to write a sentence； and traveled a hundred miles to make a description； but all his writing shows the power of taking infinite pains。 It becomes the more important； therefore； that Macaulay held the Bible in such estimate as he did。 〃In calling upon Lady Holland one day； Lord Macaulay was led to bring the attention of his fair hostess to the fact that the use of the word 'talent' to mean gifts or powers of the mind； as when we speak of men of talent； came from the use of the word in Christ's parable of the talents。 In a letter to his sister Hannah he describes the incident； and says that Lady Holland was evidently ignorant of the parable。 'I did not tell her；' he adds； 'though I might have done so； that a person who professes to be a critic in the delicacies of the English language ought to have the Bible at his fingers' ends。' 〃 That Macaulay practised his own preaching you would quickly find by referring to his essays。 Take three sentences from the Essay on Milton： 〃The principles of liberty were the scoff of every growing courtier； and the Anathema Maranatha of every fawning dean。 In every high place worship was paid to Charles and James； Belial and Moloch； and England propitiated these obscene and cruel idols with the blood of her best and brightest children。 Crime succeeded to crime； and disgrace to disgrace； until the race； accursed of God and man； was a second time driven forth to wander on the face of the earth and to be a by…word and a shaking of the head to the nations。〃 In three sentences here are six allusions to Scripture。 In that same essay； in the paragraphs on the Puritans； the allusions are a multitude。 They are not even quoted。 They are taken for granted。 In his Essay on Machiavelli； though the subject does not suggest it； he falls into Scriptural phrases over and over。 Listen to this； 〃A time was at hand when all the seven vials of the Apocalypse were to be poured forth and shaken out over those pleasant countries〃； or this； 〃All the curses pronounced of old against Tyre seemed to have fallen on Venice。 Her merchants already stood afar off lamenting for their great city〃； or this； 〃In the energetic language of the prophet； Machiavelli was mad for the sight of his eyes which he saw。〃
And if Macaulay is baffling in the abundance of material； surely John Ruskin is worse。 Carlyle's English style ran into excess of roughness； Macaulay's ran into excess of balance and delicacy。 John Ruskin's continued to be the smoothest； easiest style in our English literature。 He also was a Hebraic sp
