lay morals-第31章

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actory　　examples　of　the　author's　manner。

In　the　mere　matter　of　ingenuity；　the　metaphysical　fables　are　　the　most　remarkable；　such　as　that　of　the　windmill　who　　imagined　that　it　was　he　who　raised　the　wind；　or　that　of　the　　grocer's　balance　（'Cogito　ergo　sum'）　who　considered　himself　　endowed　with　free…will；　reason；　and　an　infallible　practical　　judgment；　until；　one　fine　day；　the　police　made　a　descent　upon　　the　shop；　and　find　the　weights　false　and　the　scales　unequal；　　and　the　whole　thing　is　broken　up　for　old　iron。　　Capital　　fables；　also；　in　the　same　ironical　spirit；　are　'Prometheus　　Unbound；'　the　tale　of　the　vainglorying　of　a　champagne…cork；　　and　'Teleology；'　where　a　nettle　justifies　the　ways　of　God　to　　nettles　while　all　goes　well　with　it；　and；　upon　a　change　of　　luck；　promptly　changes　its　divinity。

In　all　these　there　is　still　plenty　of　the　fabulous　if　you　　will；　although；　even　here；　there　may　be　two　opinions　　possible；　but　there　is　another　group；　of　an　order　of　merit　　perhaps　still　higher；　where　we　look　in　vain　for　any　such　　playful　liberties　with　Nature。　　Thus　we　have　'Conservation　of　　Force'；　where　a　musician；　thinking　of　a　certain　picture；　　improvises　in　the　twilight；　a　poet；　hearing　the　music；　goes　　home　inspired；　and　writes　a　poem；　and　then　a　painter；　under　　the　influence　of　this　poem；　paints　another　picture；　thus　　lineally　descended　from　the　first。　　This　is　fiction；　but　not　　what　we　have　been　used　to　call　fable。　　We　miss　the　incredible　　element；　the　point　of　audacity　with　which　the　fabulist　was　　wont　to　mock　at　his　readers。　　And　still　more　so　is　this　the　　case　with　others。　　'The　Horse　and　the　Fly'　states　one　of　the　　unanswerable　problems　of　life　in　quite　a　realistic　and　　straightforward　way。　　A　fly　startles　a　cab…horse；　the　coach　　is　overset；　a　newly…married　pair　within　and　the　driver；　a　man　　with　a　wife　and　family；　are　all　killed。　　The　horse　continues　　to　gallop　off　in　the　loose　traces；　and　ends　the　tragedy　by　　running　over　an　only　child；　and　there　is　some　little　pathetic　　detail　here　introduced　in　the　telling；　that　makes　the　　reader's　indignation　very　white…hot　against　some　one。　　It　　remains　to　be　seen　who　that　some　one　is　to　be：　the　fly？　　Nay；　　but　on　closer　inspection；　it　appears　that　the　fly；　actuated　　by　maternal　instinct；　was　only　seeking　a　place　for　her　eggs：　　is　maternal　instinct；　then；　'sole　author　of　these　mischiefs　　all'？　　'Who's　in　the　Right？'　one　of　the　best　fables　in　the　　book；　is　somewhat　in　the　same　vein。　　After　a　battle　has　been　　won；　a　group　of　officers　assemble　inside　a　battery；　and　　debate　together　who　should　have　the　honour　of　the　success；　　the　Prince；　the　general　staff；　the　cavalry；　the　engineer　who　　posted　the　battery　in　which　they　then　stand　talking；　are　　successively　named：　the　sergeant；　who　pointed　the　guns；　　sneers　to　himself　at　the　mention　of　the　engineer；　and；　close　　by；　the　gunner；　who　had　applied　the　match；　passes　away　with　a　　smile　of　triumph；　since　it　was　through　his　hand　that　the　　victorious　blow　had　been　dealt。　　Meanwhile；　the　cannon　claims　　the　honour　over　the　gunner；　the　cannon…ball；　who　actually　　goes　forth　on　the　dread　mission；　claims　it　over　the　cannon；　　who　remains　idly　behind；　the　powder　reminds　the　cannon…ball　　that；　but　for　him；　it　would　still　be　lying　on　the　arsenal　　floor；　and　the　match　caps　the　discussion；　powder；　cannon…　ball；　and　cannon　would　be　all　equally　vain　and　ineffectual　　without　fire。　　Just　then　there　comes　on　a　shower　of　rain；　　which　wets　the　powder　and　puts　out　the　match；　and　completes　　this　lesson　of　dependence；　by　indicating　the　negative　　conditions　which　are　as　necessary　for　any　effect；　in　their　　absence；　as　is　the　presence　of　this　great　fraternity　of　　positive　conditions；　not　any　one　of　which　can　claim　priority　　over　any　other。　　But　the　fable　does　not　end　here；　as　perhaps；　　in　all　logical　strictness；　it　should。　　It　wanders　off　into　a　　discussion　as　to　which　is　the　truer　greatness；　that　of　the　　vanquished　fire　or　that　of　the　victorious　rain。　　And　the　　speech　of　the　rain　is　charming：


'Lo；　with　my　little　drops　I　bless　again　And　beautify　the　fields　which　thou　didst　blast！　Rend；　wither；　waste；　and　ruin；　what　thou　wilt；　But　call　not　Greatness　what　the　Gods　call　Guilt。　Blossoms　and　grass　from　blood　in　battle　spilt；　And　poppied　corn；　I　bring。　'Mid　mouldering　Babels；　to　oblivion　built；　My　violets　spring。　Little　by　little　my　small　drops　have　strength　To　deck　with　green　delights　the　grateful　earth。'


And　so　forth；　not　quite　germane　（it　seems　to　me）　to　the　　matter　in　hand；　but　welcome　for　its　own　sake。

Best　of　all　are　the　fables　that　deal　more　immediately　with　　the　emotions。　　There　is；　for　instance；　that　of　'The　Two　　Travellers；'　which　is　profoundly　moving　in　conception；　　although　by　no　means　as　well　written　as　some　others。　　In　　this；　one　of　the　two；　fearfully　frost…bitten；　saves　his　life　　out　of　the　snow　at　the　cost　of　all　that　was　comely　in　his　　body；　just　as；　long　before；　the　other；　who　has　now　quietly　　resigned　himself　to　death；　had　violently　freed　himself　from　　Love　at　the　cost　of　all　that　was　finest　and　fairest　in　his　　character。　　Very　graceful　and　sweet　is　the　fable　（if　so　it　　should　be　called）　in　which　the　author　sings　the　praises　of　　that　'kindly　perspective；'　which　lets　a　wheat…stalk　near　the　　eye　cover　twenty　leagues　of　distant　country；　and　makes　the　　humble　circle　about　a　man's　hearth　more　to　him　than　all　the　　possibilities　of　the　external　world。　　The　companion　fable　to　　this　is　also　excellent。　　It　tells　us　of　a　man　who　had；　all　　his　life　through；　entertained　a　passion　for　certain　blue　　hills　on　the　far　horizon；　and　had　promised　himself　to　travel　　thither　ere　he　died；　and　become　familiar　with　these　distant　　friends。　　At　last；　in　some　political　trouble；　he　is　banished　　to　the　very　place　of　his　dreams。　　He　arrives　there　overnight；　　and；　when　he　rises　and　goes　forth　in　the　morning；　there　sure　　enough　are　the　blue　hills；　only　now　they　have　changed　places　　with　him；　and　smile　across　to　him；　distant　as　ever；　from　the　　old　home　whence　he　has　come。　　Such　a　story　might　have　been　　very　cynically　treated；　but　it　is　not　so　done；　the　whole　tone　　is　kindly　and　consolatory；　and　the　disenchanted　man　　submissively　takes　the　lesson；　and　understands　that　things　　far　away　are　to　be　loved　for　their　own　sake；　and　that　the　　unattainable　is　not　truly　unattainable；　when　we　can　make　the　　beauty　of　it　our　own。　　Indeed；　throughout　all　these　two　　volumes；　though　there　is　much　practical　scepticism；　and　much　　irony　on　abstract　questions；　this　kindly　and　consolatory　　spirit　is　never　absent。　　There　is　much　that　is　cheerful　and；　　after　a　sedate；　fireside　fashion；　hopeful。　　No　one　will　be　　discouraged　by　reading　the　book；　but　the　ground　of　all　this　　hopefulness　and　cheerfulness　remains　to　the　end　somewhat　　vague。　　It　does　not　seem　to　arise　from　any　practical　belief　　in　the　future　either　of　the　individual　or　the　race；　but　　rather　from　the　profound　personal　contentment　of　the　writer。　　　This　is；　I　suppose；　all　we　must　look　for　in　the　case。　　It　is　　as　much　as　we　can　expect；　if　the　fabulist　shall　prove　a　　shrewd　and　cheerful　fellow…wayfarer；　one　with　whom　the　world　　does　not　seem　to　have　gone　much　amiss；　but　who　has　yet　　laughingly　learned　something　of　its　evil。　　It　will　depend　　much；　of　course；　upon　our　own　character　and　circumstances；　　whether　the　encounter　will　be　agreeable　and　bracing　to　the　　spirits；　or　offend　us　as　an　ill…timed　mockery。　　But　where；　as　　here；　there　is　a　little　tincture　of　bitterness　along　with　the　　good…nature；　where　it　is　plainly　not　the　humour　of　a　man　　cheerfully　ignorant；　but　of　one　who　looks　on；　tolerant　and　　superior　and　smilingly　attentive；　upon　the　good　and　bad　of　　our　existence；　it　will　go　hardly　if　we　do　not　catch　some　　reflection　of　the　same　spirit　to　help　us　on　our　way。　　There　　is　here　no　impertinent　and　lying　proclamation　of　peace　…　none　　of　the　cheap　optimism　of　the　well…to…do；　what　we　find　here　is　　a　view　of　life　that　would　be　even　grievous；　were　it　not　　enlivened　with　this　abiding　cheerfulness；　and　ever　and　anon　　redeemed　by　a　stroke　of　pathos。

It　is　natural　enough；　I　suppose；　that　we　should　find　wanting　　in　this　book　some　of　the　intenser　qualities　of　the　author's　　work；　and　their　absence　is　made　up　for　by　much　happy　　description　after　a　quieter　fashion。