ponkapog papers-第18章
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a Maria。 All this was a promise of success； but not success itself。 It has been thought probable that Herrick may have secured some minor office in the chapel at Whitehall。 That would accord with his sub… sequent appointment （September； 1627；） as chaplain to the Duke of Buckingham's unfortu… nate expedition of the Isle of Rhe。 Precisely when Herrick was invested with holy orders is not ascertainable。 If one may draw an inference from his poems； the life he led meanwhile was not such as his 〃most care… ful uncle〃 would have warmly approved。 The literary clubs and coffee…houses of the day were open to a free…lance like young Herrick； some of whose blithe measures； passing in manuscript from hand to hand； had brought him faintly to light as a poet。 The Dog and the Triple Tun were not places devoted to worship； unless it were to the worship of 〃rare Ben Jonson；〃 at whose feet Herrick now sat； with the other blossoming young poets of the season。 He was a faithful disciple to the end； and addressed many loving lyrics to the master； of which not the least graceful is His Prayer to Ben Jonson：
When I a verse shall make； Know I have praid thee For old religion's sake； Saint Ben； to aide me。
Make the way smooth for me； When I； thy Herrick； Honouring thee； on my knee Offer my lyric。
Candles I'll give to thee； And a new altar； And thou； Saint Ben； shalt be Writ in my Psalter。
On September 30； 1629； Charles I。； at the recommending of the Earl of Exeter； presented Herrick with the vicarage of Dean Prior； near Totnes； in Devonshire。 Here he was destined to pass the next nineteen years of his life among surroundings not congenial。 For Herrick to be a mile away from London stone was for Herrick to be in exile。 Even with railway and tele… graphic interruptions from the outside world； the dullness of a provincial English town of to… day is something formidable。 The dullness of a sequestered English hamlet in the early part of the seventeenth century must have been appall… ing。 One is dimly conscious of a belated throb of sympathy for Robert Herrick。 Yet； however discontented or unhappy he may have been at first in that lonely vicarage； the world may con… gratulate itself on the circumstances that stranded him there； far from the distractions of the town； and with no other solace than his Muse； for there it was he wrote the greater number of the poems which were to make his fame。 It is to this acci… dental banishment to Devon that we owe the cluster of exquisite pieces descriptive of obso… lete rural manners and customsthe Christ… mas masks； the Twelfth…night mummeries； the morris…dances； and the May…day festivals。 The November following Herrick's appoint… ment to the benefice was marked by the death of his mother； who left him no heavier legacy than 〃a ringe of twenty shillings。〃 Perhaps this was an understood arrangement between them； but it is to be observed that； though Her… rick was a spendthrift in epitaphs； he wasted no funeral lines on Julian Herrick。 In the matter of verse he dealt generously with his family down to the latest nephew。 One of his most charming and touching poems is entitled To His Dying Brother； Master William Herrick； a posthumous son。 There appear to have been two brothers named William。 The younger； who died early； is supposed to be referred to here。 The story of Herrick's existence at Dean Prior is as vague and bare of detail as the rest of the narrative。 His parochial duties must have been irksome to him； and it is to be imagined that he wore his cassock lightly。 As a preparation for ecclesiastical life he forswore sack and poetry； but presently he was with the Muse again； and his farewell to sack was in a strictly Pickwickian sense。 Herrick had probably accepted the vicar… ship as he would have accepted a lieutenancy in a troop of horsewith an eye to present emol… ument and future promotion。 The promotion never came； and the emolument was nearly as scant as that of Goldsmith's parson； who con… sidered himself 〃passing rich with forty pounds a year〃a height of optimism beyond the reach of Herrick； with his expensive town wants and habits。 But fifty poundsthe salary of his beneficeand possible perquisites in the way of marriage and burial fees would enable him to live for the time being。 It was better than a possible nothing a year in London。 Herrick's religious convictions were assuredly not deeper than those of the average layman。 Various writers have taken a different view of the subject； but it is inconceivable that a clergy… man with a fitting sense of his function could have written certain of the poems which Her… rick afterward gave to the worldthose aston… ishing epigrams upon his rustic enemies； and those habitual bridal compliments which； among his personal friends； must have added a terror to matrimony。 Had he written only in that vein； the posterity which he so often invoked with pathetic confidence would not have greatly troubled itself about him。 It cannot positively be asserted that all the verses in question relate to the period of his in… cumbency； for none of his verse is dated； with the exception of the Dialogue betwixt Horace and Lydia。 The date of some of the composi… tions may be arrived at by induction。 The re… ligious pieces grouped under the title of Noble Numbers distinctly associate themselves with Dean Prior； and have little other interest。 Very few of them are 〃born of the royal blood。〃 They lack the inspiration and magic of his secu… lar poetry； and are frequently so fantastical and grotesque as to stir a suspicion touching the ab… solute soundness of Herrick's mind at all times。 The lines in which the Supreme Being is as… sured that he may read Herrick's poems with… out taking any tincture from their sinfulness might have been written in a retreat for the un… balanced。 〃For unconscious impiety；〃 remarks Mr。 Edmund Gosse； 〃this rivals the famous passage in which Robert Montgomery exhorted God to 'pause and think。'〃 Elsewhere； in an apostrophe to 〃Heaven；〃 Herrick says：
Let mercy be So kind to set me free； And I will straight Come in； or force the gate。
In any event； the poet did not purpose to be left out！ Relative to the inclusion of unworthy pieces
In Seventeenth…Century Studies。 and the general absence of arrangement in the 〃Hesperides；〃 Dr。 Grosart advances the theory that the printers exercised arbitrary authority on these points。 Dr。 Grosart assumes that Herrick kept the epigrams and personal tributes in manuscript books separate from the rest of the work； which would have made a too slender volume by itself； and on the plea of this slender… ness was induced to trust the two collections to the publisher； 〃whereupon he or some un… skilled subordinate proceeded to intermix these additions with the others。 That the poet him… self had nothing to do with the arrangement or disarrangement lies on the surface。〃 This is an amiable supposition； but merely a supposition。 Herrick personally placed the 〃copy〃 in the hands of John Williams and Francis Eglesfield； and if he were over…persuaded to allow them to print unfit verses； and to observe no method whatever in the contents of the book； the dis… credit is none the less his。 It is charitable to believe that Herrick's coarseness was not the coarseness of the man； but of the time； and that he followed the fashion malgre lui。 With re… gard to the fairy poems； they certainly should have been given in sequence； but if there are careless printers； there are also authors who are careless in the arrangement of their manuscript； a kind of task； moreover； in which Herrick was wholly unpractised； and might easily have made mistakes。 The 〃Hesperides〃 was his sole publication。 Herrick was now thirty…eight years of age。 Of his personal appearance at this time we have no description。 The portrait of him prefixed to the original edition of his works belongs to a much later moment。 Whether or not the bovine features in Marshall's engraving are a libel on the poet； it is to be regretted that oblivion has not laid its erasing finger on tha
