memories and portraits-第31章

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was　at　least　unhappy　that　the　vestibule　should　be　so　badly　lighted；　

and　until；　in　the　seventeenth　chapter；　d'Artagnan　sets　off　to　seek　

his　friends；　I　must　confess；　the　book　goes　heavily　enough。　　But；　

from　thenceforward；　what　a　feast　is　spread！　　Monk　kidnapped；　

d'Artagnan　enriched；　Mazarin's　death；　the　ever　delectable　adventure　

of　Belle　Isle；　wherein　Aramis　outwits　d'Artagnan；　with　its　epilogue　

（vol。　v。　chap。　xxviii。）；　where　d'Artagnan　regains　the　moral　

superiority；　the　love　adventures　at　Fontainebleau；　with　St。　

Aignan's　story　of　the　dryad　and　the　business　of　de　Guiche；　de　

Wardes；　and　Manicamp；　Aramis　made　general　of　the　Jesuits；　Aramis　at　

the　bastille；　the　night　talk　in　the　forest　of　Senart；　Belle　Isle　

again；　with　the　death　of　Porthos；　and　last；　but　not　least；　the　

taming　of　d'Artagnan　the　untamable；　under　the　lash　of　the　young　

King。　　What　other　novel　has　such　epic　variety　and　nobility　of　

incident？　often；　if　you　will；　impossible；　often　of　the　order　of　an　

Arabian　story；　and　yet　all　based　in　human　nature。　　For　if　you　come　

to　that；　what　novel　has　more　human　nature？　not　studied　with　the　

microscope；　but　seen　largely；　in　plain　daylight；　with　the　natural　

eye？　　What　novel　has　more　good　sense；　and　gaiety；　and　wit；　and　

unflagging；　admirable　literary　skill？　　Good　souls；　I　suppose；　must　

sometimes　read　it　in　the　blackguard　travesty　of　a　translation。　　But　

there　is　no　style　so　untranslatable；　light　as　a　whipped　trifle；　

strong　as　silk；　wordy　like　a　village　tale；　pat　like　a　general's　

despatch；　with　every　fault；　yet　never　tedious；　with　no　merit；　yet　

inimitably　right。　　And；　once　more；　to　make　an　end　of　commendations；　

what　novel　is　inspired　with　a　more　unstained　or　a　more　wholesome　

morality？



Yes；　in　spite　of　Miss　Yonge；　who　introduced　me　to　the　name　of　

d'Artagnan　only　to　dissuade　me　from　a　nearer　knowledge　of　the　man；　

I　have　to　add　morality。　　There　is　no　quite　good　book　without　a　good　

morality；　but　the　world　is　wide；　and　so　are　morals。　　Out　of　two　

people　who　have　dipped　into　Sir　Richard　Burton's　THOUSAND　AND　ONE　

NIGHTS；　one　shall　have　been　offended　by　the　animal　details；　another　

to　whom　these　were　harmless；　perhaps　even　pleasing；　shall　yet　have　

been　shocked　in　his　turn　by　the　rascality　and　cruelty　of　all　the　

characters。　　Of　two　readers；　again；　one　shall　have　been　pained　by　

the　morality　of　a　religious　memoir；　one　by　that　of　the　VICOMTE　DE　

BRAGELONNE。　　And　the　point　is　that　neither　need　be　wrong。　　We　shall　

always　shock　each　other　both　in　life　and　art；　we　cannot　get　the　sun　

into　our　pictures；　nor　the　abstract　right　（if　there　be　such　a　

thing）　into　our　books；　enough　if；　in　the　one；　there　glimmer　some　

hint　of　the　great　light　that　blinds　us　from　heaven；　enough　if；　in　

the　other；　there　shine；　even　upon　foul　details；　a　spirit　of　

magnanimity。　　I　would　scarce　send　to　the　VICOMTE　a　reader　who　was　

in　quest　of　what　we　may　call　puritan　morality。　　The　ventripotent　

mulatto；　the　great　cater；　worker；　earner　and　waster；　the　man　of　

much　and　witty　laughter；　the　man　of　the　great　heart　and　alas！　of　

the　doubtful　honesty；　is　a　figure　not　yet　clearly　set　before　the　

world；　he　still　awaits　a　sober　and　yet　genial　portrait；　but　with　

whatever　art　that　may　be　touched；　and　whatever　indulgence；　it　will　

not　be　the　portrait　of　a　precision。　　Dumas　was　certainly　not　

thinking　of　himself；　but　of　Planchet；　when　he　put　into　the　mouth　of　

d'Artagnan's　old　servant　this　excellent　profession：　〃MONSIEUR；　

J'ETAIS　UNE　DE　CES　BONNES　PATES　D'HOMMES　QUE　DIEU　A　FAIT　POUR　

S'ANIMER　PENDANT　UN　CERTAIN　TEMPS　ET　POUR　TROUVER　BONNES　TOUTES　

CHOSES　QUI　ACCOMPAGNENT　LEUR　SEJOUR　SUR　LA　TERRE。〃　　He　was　

thinking；　as　I　say；　of　Planchet；　to　whom　the　words　are　aptly　

fitted；　but　they　were　fitted　also　to　Planchet's　creator；　and　

perhaps　this　struck　him　as　he　wrote；　for　observe　what　follows：　

〃D'ARTAGNAN　S'ASSIT　ALORS　PRES　DE　LA　FENETRE；　ET；　CETTE　PHILOSOPHIE　

DE　PLANCHET　LUI　AYANT　PARU　SOLIDE；　IL　Y　REVA。〃　　In　a　man　who　finds　

all　things　good；　you　will　scarce　expect　much　zeal　for　negative　

virtues：　the　active　alone　will　have　a　charm　for　him；　abstinence；　

however　wise；　however　kind；　will　always　seem　to　such　a　judge　

entirely　mean　and　partly　impious。　　So　with　Dumas。　　Chastity　is　not　

near　his　heart；　nor　yet；　to　his　own　sore　cost；　that　virtue　of　

frugality　which　is　the　armour　of　the　artist。　　Now；　in　the　VICOMTE；　

he　had　much　to　do　with　the　contest　of　Fouquet　and　Colbert。　　

Historic　justice　should　be　all　upon　the　side　of　Colbert；　of　

official　honesty；　and　fiscal　competence。



And　Dumas　knew　it　well：　three　times　at　least　he　shows　his　

knowledge；　once　it　is　but　flashed　upon　us　and　received　with　the　

laughter　of　Fouquet　himself；　in　the　jesting　controversy　in　the　

gardens　of　Saint　Mande；　once　it　is　touched　on　by　Aramis　in　the　

forest　of　Senart；　in　the　end；　it　is　set　before　us　clearly　in　one　

dignified　speech　of　the　triumphant　Colbert。　　But　in　Fouquet；　the　

waster；　the　lover　of　good　cheer　and　wit　and　art；　the　swift　

transactor　of　much　business；　〃L'HOMME　DE　BRUIT；　L'HOMME　DE　PLAISIR；　

L'HOMME　QUI　N'EST　QUE　PARCEQUE　LES　AUTRES　SONT；〃　Dumas　saw　

something　of　himself　and　drew　the　figure　the　more　tenderly。　　It　is　

to　me　even　touching　to　see　how　he　insists　on　Fouquet's　honour；　not　

seeing；　you　might　think；　that　unflawed　honour　is　impossible　to　

spendthrifts；　but　rather；　perhaps；　in　the　light　of　his　own　life；　

seeing　it　too　well；　and　clinging　the　more　to　what　was　left。　　Honour　

can　survive　a　wound；　it　can　live　and　thrive　without　a　member。　　The　

man　rebounds　from　his　disgrace；　he　begins　fresh　foundations　on　the　

ruins　of　the　old；　and　when　his　sword　is　broken；　he　will　do　

valiantly　with　his　dagger。　　So　it　is　with　Fouquet　in　the　book；　so　

it　was　with　Dumas　on　the　battlefield　of　life。



To　cling　to　what　is　left　of　any　damaged　quality　is　virtue　in　the　

man；　but　perhaps　to　sing　its　praises　is　scarcely　to　be　called　

morality　in　the　writer。　　And　it　is　elsewhere；　it　is　in　the　

character　of　d'Artagnan；　that　we　must　look　for　that　spirit　of　

morality；　which　is　one　of　the　chief　merits　of　the　book；　makes　one　

of　the　main　joys　of　its　perusal；　and　sets　it　high　above　more　

popular　rivals。　　Athos；　with　the　coming　of　years；　has　declined　too　

much　into　the　preacher；　and　the　preacher　of　a　sapless　creed；　but　

d'Artagnan　has　mellowed　into　a　man　so　witty；　rough；　kind　and　

upright；　that　he　takes　the　heart　by　storm。　　There　is　nothing　of　the　

copy…book　about　his　virtues；　nothing　of　the　drawing…room　in　his　

fine；　natural　civility；　he　will　sail　near　the　wind；　he　is　no　

district　visitor　…　no　Wesley　or　Robespierre；　his　conscience　is　void　

of　all　refinement　whether　for　good　or　evil；　but　the　whole　man　rings　

true　like　a　good　sovereign。　　Readers　who　have　approached　the　

VICOMTE；　not　across　country；　but　by　the　legitimate；　five…volumed　

avenue　of　the　MOUSQUETAIRES　and　VINGT　ANS　APRES；　will　not　have　

forgotten　d'Artagnan's　ungentlemanly　and　perfectly　improbable　trick　

upon　Milady。　　What　a　pleasure　it　is；　then；　what　a　reward；　and　how　

agreeable　a　lesson；　to　see　the　old　captain　humble　himself　to　the　

son　of　the　man　whom　he　had　personated！　　Here；　and　throughout；　if　I　

am　to　choose　virtues　for　myself　or　my　friends；　let　me　choose　the　

virtues　of　d'Artagnan。　　I　do　not　say　there　is　no　character　as　well　

drawn　in　Shakespeare；　I　do　say　there　is　none　that　I　love　so　wholly。　　

There　are　many　spiritual　eyes　that　seem　to　spy　upon　our　actions　…　

eyes　of　the　dead　and　the　absent；　whom　we　imagine　to　behold　us　in　

our　most　private　hours；　and　whom　we　fear　and　scruple　to　offend：　our　

witnesses　and　judges。　　And　among　these；　even　if　you　should　think　me　

childish；　I　must　count　my　d'Artagnan　…　not　d'Artagnan　of　the　

memoirs　whom　Thackeray　pretended　to　prefer　…　a　preference；　I　take　

the　freedom　of　saying；　in　which　he　stands　alone；　not　the　d'Artagnan　

of　flesh　and　blood；　but　him　of　the　ink　and　paper；　not　Nature's；　but　

Dumas's。　　And　this　is　the　particular　crown　and　triumph　of　the　

a