letters on literature-第4章

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And　let　the　dark…stoled　minstrels　follow　slow

Next　they　that　bear　her；　honoured　on　this　night；

And　then　the　maidens　in　a　double　row；

Each　singing　soft　and　low；

And　each　on　high　a　torch　upstaying：

Unto　her　lover　lead　her　forth　with　light；

With　music　and　with　singing；　and　with　praying。〃





This　is　a　stately　stanza。



In　his　first　volume　Mr。　Bridges　offered　a　few　rondeaux　and　triolets；

turning　his　back　on　all　these　things　as　soon　as　they　became　popular。

In　spite　of　their　popularity　I　have　the　audacity　to　like　them　still；

in　their　humble　twittering　way。　　Much　more　in　his　true　vein　were　the

lines；　〃Clear　and　Gentle　Stream；〃　and　all　the　other　verses　in　which；

like　a　true　Etonian；　he　celebrates　the　beautiful　Thames：





〃There　is　a　hill　beside　the　silver　Thames；

Shady　with　birch　and　beech　and　odorous　pine；

And　brilliant　under　foot　with　thousand　gems

Steeply　the　thickets　to　his　floods　decline。

Straight　trees　in　every　place

Their　thick　tops　interlace；

And　pendent　branches　trail　their　foliage　fine

Upon　his　watery　face。



*　*　*



A　reedy　island　guards　the　sacred　bower

And　hides　it　from　the　meadow；　where　in　peace

The　lazy　cows　wrench　many　a　scented　flower；

Robbing　the　golden　market　of　the　bees。

And　laden　branches　float

By　banks　of　myosote；

And　scented　flag　and　golden　fleur…de…lys

Delay　the　loitering　boat。〃





I　cannot　say　how　often　I　have　read　that　poem；　and　how　delightfully

it　carries　the　breath　of　our　River　through　the　London　smoke。　　Nor

less　welcome　are　the　two　poems　on　spring；　the　〃Invitation　to　the

Country；〃　and　the　〃Reply。〃　　In　these；　besides　their　verbal　beauty

and　their　charming　pictures；　is　a　manly　philosophy　of　Life；　which

animates　Mr。　Bridges's　more　important　pieceshis　〃Prometheus　the

Firebringer；〃　and　his　〃Nero；〃　a　tragedy　remarkable　for　the

representation　of　Nero　himself；　the　luxurious　human　tiger。　　From

〃Prometheus〃　I　make　a　short　extract；　to　show　the　quality　of　Mr。

Bridges's　blank　verse：





〃Nor　is　there　any　spirit　on　earth　astir；

Nor　'neath　the　airy　vault；　nor　yet　beyond

In　any　dweller　in　far…reaching　space

Nobler　or　dearer　than　the　spirit　of　man：

That　spirit　which　lives　in　each　and　will　not　die；

That　wooeth　beauty；　and　for　all　good　things

Urgeth　a　voice；　or　still　in　passion　sigheth；

And　where　he　loveth；　draweth　the　heart　with　him。〃





Mr。　Bridges's　latest　book　is　his　〃Eros　and　Psyche〃　（Bell　&　Sons；　who

publish　the　〃Prometheus〃）。　　It　is　the　old　story　very　closely

followed；　and　beautifully　retold；　with　a　hundred　memories　of　ancient

poets：　　Homer；　Dante；　Theocritus；　as　well　as　of　Apuleius。



I　have　named　Mr。　Bridges　here　because　his　poems　are　probably　all　but

unknown　to　readers　well　acquainted　with　many　other　English　writers

of　late　days。　　On　them；　especially　on　actual　contemporaries　or

juniors　in　age；　it　would　be　almost　impertinent　for　me　to　speak　to

you；　but；　even　at　that　risk；　I　take　the　chance　of　directing　you　to

the　poetry　of　Mr。　Bridges。　　I　owe　so　much　pleasure　to　its　delicate

air；　that；　if　speech　be　impertinence；　silence　were　ingratitude。　｛2｝







FIELDING







To　Mrs。　Goodhart；　in　the　Upper　Mississippi　Valley。



Dear　Madam；Many　thanks　for　the　New　York　newspaper　you　have　kindly

sent　me；　with　the　statistics　of　book…buying　in　the　Upper　Mississippi

Valley。　　Those　are　interesting　particulars　which　tell　one　so　much

about　the　taste　of　a　community。



So　the　Rev。　E。　P。　Roe　is　your　favourite　novelist　there；　a　thousand

of　his　books　are　sold　for　every　two　copies　of　the　works　of　Henry

Fielding？　　This　appears　to　me　to　speak　but　oddly　for　taste　in　the

Upper　Mississippi　Valley。　　On　Mr。　Roe's　works　I　have　no　criticism　to

pass；　for　I　have　not　read　them　carefully。



But　I　do　think　your　neighbours　lose　a　great　deal　by　neglecting　Henry

Fielding。　　You　will　tell　me　he　is　coarse　（which　I　cannot　deny）；　you

will　remind　me　of　what　Dr。　Johnson　said；　rebuking　Mrs。　Hannah　More。

〃I　never　saw　Johnson　really　angry　with　me　but　once；〃　writes　that

sainted　maiden　lady。　　〃I　alluded　to　some　witty　passage　in　'Tom

Jones。'〃　　He　replied：　　〃I　am　shocked　to　hear　you　quote　from　so

vicious　a　book。　　I　am　sorry　to　hear　you　have　read　it；　a　confession

which　no　modest　lady　should　ever　make。〃



You　remind　me　of　this；　and　that　Johnson　was　no　prude；　and　that　his

age　was　tolerant。　　You　add　that　the　literary　taste　of　the　Upper

Mississippi　Valley　is　much　more　pure　than　the　waters　of　her　majestic

river；　and　that　you　only　wish　you　knew　who　the　two　culprits　were

that　bought　books　of　Fielding's。



Ah；　madam；　how　shall　I　answer　you？　　Remember　that　if　you　have

Johnson　on　your　side；　on　mine　I　have　Mrs。　More　herself；　a　character

purer　than　〃the　consecrated　snow　that　lies　on　Dian's　lap。〃　　Again；

we　cannot　believe　Johnson　was　fair　to　Fielding；　who　had　made　his

friend；　the　author　of　〃Pamela；〃　very　uncomfortable　by　his　jests。

Johnson　owned　that　he　read　all　〃Amelia〃　at　one　sitting。　　Could　so

worthy　a　man　have　been　so　absorbed　by　an　unworthy　book？



Once　more；　I　am　not　recommending　Fielding　to　boys　and　girls。　　〃Tom

Jones〃　was　one　of　the　works　that　Lydia　Languish　hid　under　the　sofa；

even　Miss　Languish　did　not　care　to　be　caught　with　that　humorous

foundling。　　〃Fielding　was　the　last　of　our　writers　who　drew　a　man；〃

Mr。　Thackeray　said；　〃and　he　certainly　did　not　study　from　a　draped

model。〃



For　these　reasons；　and　because　his　language　is　often　unpolished；　and

because　his　morality　（that　he　is　always　preaching）　is　not　for　〃those

that　eddy　round　and　round；〃　I　do　not　desire　to　see　Fielding　popular

among　Miss　Alcott's　readers。　　But　no　man　who　cares　for　books　can

neglect　him；　and　many　women　are　quite　manly　enough；　have　good　sense

and　good　taste　enough；　to　benefit　by　〃Amelia；〃　by　much　of　〃Tom

Jones。〃　　I　don't　say　by　〃Joseph　Andrews。〃　　No　man　ever　respected

your　sex　more　than　Henry　Fielding。　　What　says　his　reformed　rake；　Mr。

Wilson；　in　〃Joseph　Andrews〃？



〃To　say　the　Truth；　I　do　not　perceive　that　Inferiority　of

Understanding　which　the　Levity　of　Rakes；　the　Dulness　of　Men　of

Business；　and　the　Austerity　of　the　Learned　would　persuade　us　of　in

Women。　　As　for　my　Wife；　I　declare　I　have　found　none　of　my　own　Sex

capable　of　making　juster　Observations　on　Life；　or　of　delivering　them

more　agreeably；　nor　do　I　believe　any　one　possessed　of　a　faithfuller

or　braver　Friend。〃



He　has　no　other　voice　wherein　to　speak　of　a　happy　marriage。　　Can　you

find　among　our　genteel　writers　of　this　age；　a　figure　more　beautiful；

tender；　devoted；　and　in　all　good　ways　womanly　than　Sophia　Western's？

〃Yes；〃　you　will　say；　〃but　the　man　must　have　been　a　brute　who　could

give　her　to　Tom　Jones；　to　'that　fellow　who　sold　himself；'　as　Colonel

Newcome　said。〃　　〃There　you　have　me　at　an　avail；〃　in　the　language　of

the　old　romancers。　　There　we　touch　the　centre　of　Fielding's

morality；　a　subject　ill　to　discuss；　a　morality　not　for　everyday

preaching。



Fielding　distinctly　takes　himself　for　a　moralist。　　He　preaches　as

continually　as　Thackeray。　　And　his　moral　is　this：　　〃Let　a　man　be

kind；　generous；　charitable；　tolerant；　brave；　honestand　we　may

pardon　him　vices　of　young　blood；　and　the　stains　of　adventurous

living。〃　　Fielding　has　no　mercy　on　a　seducer。　　Lovelace　would　have

fared　worse　with　him　than　with　Richardson；　who；　I　verily　believe；

admired　that　infernal　（excuse　me）　coward　and　villain。　　The　case　of

young　Nightingale；　in　〃Tom　Jones；〃　will　show　you　what　Fielding

thought　of　such　gallants。　　Why；　Tom　himself　preaches　to　Nightingale。

〃Miss　Nancy's　Interest　alone；　and　not　yours；　ought　to　be　your　sole

Consideration；〃　cried　Thomas；　。　。　。　〃and　the　very　best　and　truest

Honour；　which　is　Goodness；　requires　it　of　you；〃　that　is；　requires

that　Nightingale　shall　marry　Miss　Nancy。



How　Tom　Jones　combined　these　sentiments；　which　were　perfectly

honest；　with　his　own　astonishing　lack　of　retenue；　and　with　Lady

Bellaston；　is　just　the　puzzle。　　We　cannot　very　well　argue　about　it。

I　only　ask　you　to　let　Jones　in　his　r