letters on literature-第13章

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punishments。



The　remains　of　ancient　funereal　art；　in　Etruria　or　Attica；　usually

show　us　the　semblances　of　the　dead　lying　at　endless　feasts；　or

receiving　sacrifices　of　food　and　wine　（as　in　Egypt）　from　their

descendants；　or；　perhaps；　welcoming　the　later　dead；　their　friends

who　have　just　rejoined　them。　　But　it　is　only　in　the　descriptions　by

Pausanias　and　others　of　certain　old　wall…paintings　that　we　hear　of

the　torments　of　the　wicked；　of　the　demons　that　torture　them　and；

above　all；　of　the　great　chief　fiend；　coloured　like　a　carrion　fly。

To　judge　from　Lucretius；　although　so　little　remains　to　us　of　this

creed；　yet　it　had　a　very　strong　hold　of　the　minds　of　people；　in　the

century　before　Christ。　　Perhaps　the　belief　was　reinforced　by　the

teaching　of　Socrates；　who；　in　the　vision　of　Er；　in　the　〃Republic；〃

brings　back；　in　a　myth；　the　old　popular　faith　in　a　Purgatorio；　if

not　in　an　Inferno。



In　the　〃Phaedo；〃　for　certain；　we　come　to　the　very　definite　account

of　a　Hell；　a　place　of　eternal　punishment；　as　well　as　of　a　Purgatory；

whence　souls　are　freed　when　their　sins　are　expiated。　　〃The　spirits

beyond　redemption；　for　the　multitude　of　their　murders　or　sacrileges；

Fate　hurls　into　Tartarus；　whence　they　never　any　more　come　forth。〃

But　souls　of　lighter　guilt　abide　a　year　in　Tartarus；　and　then　drift

out　down　the　streams　Cocytus　and　Pyriphlegethon。　　Thence　they　reach

the　marsh　of　Acheron；　but　are　not　released　until　they　have　received

the　pardon　of　the　souls　whom　in　life　they　had　injured。



All　this；　and　much　more　to　the　same　purpose　in　other　dialogues　of

Plato's；　appears　to　have　been　derived　by　Socrates　from　the　popular

unphilosophic　traditions；　from　Folk…lore　in　short；　and　to　have　been

raised　by　him　to　the　rank　of　〃pious　opinion；〃　if　not　of　dogma。　　Now；

Lucretius　represents　nothing　but　the　reaction　against　all　this　dread

of　future　doom；　whether　that　dread　was　inculcated　by　Platonic

philosophy　or　by　popular　belief。　　The　latter　must　have　been　much　the

more　powerful　and　widely　diffused。　　It　follows　that　the　Romans；　at

least；　must　have　been　haunted　by　a　constant　dread　of　judgment　to

come；　from　which；　but　for　the　testimony　of　Lucretius　and　his

manifest　sincerity；　we　might　have　believed　them　free。



Perhaps　we　may　regret　the　existence　of　this　Roman　religion；　for　it

did　its　best　to　ruin　a　great　poet。　　The　sublimity　of　the　language　of

Lucretius；　when　he　can　leave　his　attempts　at　scientific　proof；　the

closeness　of　his　observation；　his　enjoyment　of　life；　of　Nature；　and

his　power　of　painting　them；　a　certain　largeness　of　touch；　and　noble

amplitude　of　mannerthese；　with　a　burning　sincerity；　mark　him　above

all　others　that　smote　the　Latin　lyre。　　Yet　these　great　qualities　are

half…crushed　by　his　task；　by　his　attempt　to　turn　the　atomic　theory

into　verse；　by　his　unsympathetic　effort　to　destroy　all　faith　and

hope；　because　these　were　united；　in　his　mind；　with　dread　of　Styx　and

Acheron。



It　is　an　almost　intolerable　philosophy；　the　philosophy　of　eternal

sleep；　without　dreams　and　without　awakening。　　This　belief　is　wholly

divorced　from　joy；　which　inspires　all　the　best　art。　　This　negation

of　hope　has　〃close…lipped　Patience　for　its　only　friend。〃



In　vain　does　Lucretius　paint　pictures　of　life　and　Nature　so　large；

so　glowing；　so　majestic　that　they　remind　us　of　nothing　but　the　〃Fete

Champetre〃　of　Giorgione；　in　the　Louvre。　　All　that　life　is　a　thing　we

must　leave　soon；　and　forever；　and　must　be　hopelessly　lapped　in　an

eternity　of　blind　silence。　　〃I　shall　let　men　see　the　certain　end　of

all；〃　he　cries；　〃then　will　they　resist　religion；　and　the　threats　of

priests　and　prophets。〃　　But　this　〃certain　end〃　is　exactly　what

mortals　do　not　desire　to　see。　　To　this　sleep　they　prefer　even

tenebras　Orci；　vastasque　lacunas。



They　will　not　be　deprived　of　gods；　〃the　friends　of　man；　merciful

gods；　compassionate。〃　　They　will　not　turn　from　even　a　faint　hope　in

those　to　the　Lucretian　deities　in　their　endless　and　indifferent

repose　and　divine　〃delight　in　immortal　and　peaceful　life；　far；　far

away　from　us　and　ourslife　painless　and　fearless；　needing　nothing

we　can　give；　replete　with　its　own　wealth；　unmoved　by　prayer　and

promise；　untouched　by　anger。〃



Do　you　remember　that　hymn；　as　one　may　call　it；　of　Lucretius　to

Death；　to　Death　which　does　not　harm　us。　　〃For　as　we　knew　no　hurt　of

old；　in　ages　when　the　Carthaginian　thronged　against　us　in　war；　and

the　world　was　shaken　with　the　shock　of　fight；　and　dubious　hung　the

empire　over　all　things　mortal　by　sea　and　land；　even　so　careless；　so

unmoved；　shall　we　remain；　in　days　when　we　shall　no　more　exist；　when

the　bond　of　body　and　soul　that　makes　our　life　is　broken。　　Then

naught　shall　move　us；　nor　wake　a　single　sense；　not　though　earth　with

sea　be　mingled；　and　sea　with　sky。〃　　There　is　no　hell；　he　cries；　or；

like　Omar；　he　says；　〃Hell　is　the　vision　of　a　soul　on　fire。〃



Your　true　Tityus；　gnawed　by　the　vulture；　is　only　the　slave　of

passion　and　of　love；　your　true　Sisyphus　（like　Lord　Salisbury　in

Punch）　is　only　the　politician；　striving　always；　never　attaining；　the

stone　rolls　down　again　from　the　hill…crest；　and　thunders　far　along

the　plain。



Thus　his　philosophy；　which　gives　him　such　a　delightful　sense　of

freedom；　is　rejected　after　all　these　years　of　trial　by　men。　　They

feel　that　since　those　remotest　days





〃Quum　Venus　in　silvis　jungebat　corpora　amantum；〃





they　have　travelled　the　long；　the　weary　way　Lucretius　describes　to

little　avail；　if　they　may　not　keep　their　hopes　and　fears。　　Robbed　of

these　we　are　robbed　of　all；　it　serves　us　nothing　to　have　conquered

the　soil　and　fought　the　winds　and　waves；　to　have　built　cities；　and

tamed　fire；　if　the　world　is　to　be　〃dispeopled　of　its　dreams。〃

Better　were　the　old　life　we　started　from；　and　dreams　therewith；

better　the　free　days　…





〃Novitas　tum　florida　mundi

Pabula　dia　tulit；　miseris　mortablibus　ampla；〃





than　wealth　or　power；　and　neither　hope　nor　fear；　but　one　certain　end

of　all　before　the　eyes　of　all。



Thus　the　heart　of　man　has　answered；　and　will　answer　Lucretius；　the

noblest　Roman　poet；　and　the　least　beloved；　who　sought；　at　last；　by

his　own　hand；　they　say；　the　doom　that　Virgil　waited　for　in　the

season　appointed。







TO　A　YOUNG　AMERICAN　BOOK…HUNTER







To　Philip　Dodsworth；　Esq。；　New　York。



Dear　Dodsworth；Let　me　congratulate　you　on　having　joined　the　army

of　book…hunters。　　〃Everywhere　have　I　sought　peace　and　found　it

nowhere；〃　says　the　blessed　Thomas　e　Kempis；　〃save　in　a　corner　with　a

book。〃　　Whether　that　good　monk　wrote　the　〃De　Imitatione　Christi〃　or

not；　one　always　likes　him　for　his　love　of　books。　　Perhaps　he　was　the

only　book…hunter　that　ever　wrought　a　miracle。　　〃Other　signs　and

miracles　which　he　was　wont　to　tell　as　having　happened　at　the　prayer

of　an　unnamed　person；　are　believed　to　have　been　granted　to　his　own；

such　as　the　sudden　reappearance　of　a　lost　book　in　his　cell。〃　　Ah；　if

Faith；　that　moveth　mountains；　could　only　bring　back　the　books　we

have　lost；　the　books　that　have　been　borrowed　from　us！　　But　we　are　a

faithless　generation。



From　a　collector　so　much　older　and　better　experienced　in　misfortune

than　yourself；　you　ask　for　some　advice　on　the　sport　of　book…hunting。

Well；　I　will　give　it；　but　you　will　not　take　it。　　No；　you　will　hunt

wild；　like　young　pointers　before　they　are　properly　broken。



Let　me　suppose　that　you　are　〃to　middle　fortune　born；〃　and　that　you

cannot　stroll　into　the　great　book…marts　and　give　your　orders　freely

for　all　that　is　rich　and　rare。　　You　are　obliged　to　wait　and　watch　an

opportunity；　to　practise　that　maxim　of　the　Stoic's；　〃Endure　and

abstain。〃　　Then　abstain　from　rushing　at　every　volume；　however　out　of

the　line　of　your　literary　interests；　which　seems　to　be　a　bargain。

Probably　it　is　not　even　a　bargain；　it　can　seldom　be　cheap　to　you；　if

you　do　not　need　it；　and　do　not　mean　to　read　it。



Not　that　any　collector　reads　all　his　books。　　I　may　have；　and　indeed

do　possess；　an　Aldine　Ho