robert louis stevenson-第17章
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The sense of Stevenson's youthfulness seems to have struck every one who had intimacy with him。 Mr Baildon writes （p。 21 of his book）：
〃I would now give much to possess but one of Stevenson's gifts … namely； that extraordinary vividness of recollection by which he could so astonishingly recall； not only the doings； but the very thoughts and emotions of his youth。 For； often as we must have communed together； with all the shameless candour of boys； hardly any remark has stuck to me except the opinion already alluded to； which struck me … his elder by some fifteen months … as very amusing； that at sixteen 'we should be men。' HE OF ALL MORTALS； WHO WAS； IN A SENSE； ALWAYS STILL A BOY！〃
Mr Gosse tells us：
〃He had retained a great deal of the temperament of a child； and it was his philosophy to encourage it。 In his dreary passages of bed； when his illness was more than commonly heavy on him； he used to contrive little amusements for himself。 He played on the flute； or he modelled little groups and figures in clay。〃
2。 One of the qualifying elements unnoted by Mr Zangwill is simply this； that R。 L。 Stevenson never lost the strange tint imparted to his youth by the religious influences to which he was subject； and which left their impress and colour on him and all that he did。 Henley； in his striking sonnet； hit it when he wrote：
〃A deal of Ariel； just a streak of Puck； Much Antony； of Hamlet most of all； AND SOMETHING OF THE SHORTER CATECHIST。〃
SOMETHING！ he was a great deal of Shorter Catechist！ Scotch Calvinism； its metaphysic； and all the strange whims； perversities； and questionings of 〃Fate； free…will； foreknowledge absolute；〃 which it inevitably awakens； was much with him … the sense of reprobation and the gloom born of it； as well as the abounding joy in the sense of the elect … the Covenanters and their wild resolutions； the moss…troopers and their dare…devilries … Pentland Risings and fights of Rullion Green； he not only never forgot them； but they mixed themselves as in his very breath of life； and made him a great questioner。 How would I have borne myself in this or in that？ Supposing I had been there； how would it have been … the same； or different from what it was with those that were there？ His work is throughout at bottom a series of problems that almost all trace to this root； directly or indirectly。 〃There； but for the grace of God； goes John Bradford；〃 said the famous Puritan on seeing a felon led to execution； so with Stevenson。 Hence his fondness for tramps； for scamps （he even bestowed special attention and pains on Villon； the poet…scamp）； he was rather impatient with poor Thoreau； because he was a purist solitary； and had too little of vice； and； as Stevenson held； narrow in sympathy； and too self… satisfied； and bent only on self…improvement。 He held a brief for the honest villain； and leaned to him brotherly。 Even the anecdotes he most prizes have a fine look this way … a hunger for completion in achievement； even in the violation of fine humane feeling or morality； and all the time a sense of submission to God's will。 〃Doctor；〃 said the dying gravedigger in OLD MORTALITY； 〃I hae laid three hunner an' fower score in that kirkyaird； an' had it been His wull；〃 indicating Heaven； 〃I wad hae likeit weel to hae made oot the fower hunner。〃 That took Stevenson。 Listen to what Mr Edmond Gosse tells of his talk； when he found him in a private hotel in Finsbury Circus； London； ready to be put on board a steamer for America； on 21st August； 1887：
〃It was church time； and there was some talk of my witnessing his will； which I could not do because there could be found no other reputable witness； the whole crew of the hotel being at church。 'This；' he said； 'is the way in which our valuable city hotels … packed no doubt with gems and jewellery … are deserted on a Sunday morning。 Some bold piratical fellow； defying the spirit of Sabbatarianism； might make a handsome revenue by sacking the derelict hotels between the hours of ten and twelve。 One hotel a week would enable such a man to retire in course of a year。 A mask might perhaps be worn for the mere fancy of the thing； and to terrify kitchen…maids； but no real disguise would be needful。'〃
I would rather agree with Mr Chesterton than with Mr Zangwill here：
〃Stevenson's enormous capacity for joy flowed directly out of his profoundly religious temperament。 He conceived himself as an unimportant guest at one eternal and uproarious banquet； and instead of grumbling at the soup； he accepted it with careless gratitude。 。 。 。 His gaiety was neither the gaiety of the pagan； nor the gaiety of the BON VIVANT。 It was the greater gaiety of the mystic。 He could enjoy trifles because there was to him no such thing as a trifle。 He was a child who respected his dolls because they were the images of the image of God； portraits at only two removes。〃
Here； then； we have the child crossed by the dreamer and the mystic； bred of Calvinism and speculation on human fate and chance； and on the mystery of temperament and inheritance； and all that flows from these … reprobation； with its dire shadows； assured Election with its joys； etc。； etc。
3。 If such a combination is in favour of the story…teller up to a certain point； it is not favourable to the highest flights； and it is alien to dramatic presentation pure and simple。 This implies detachment from moods and characters； high as well as low； that complete justice in presentation may be done to all alike； and the one balance that obtains in life grasped and repeated with emphasis。 But towards his leading characters Stevenson is unconsciously biassed； because they are more or less shadowy projections of himself； or images through which he would reveal one or other side or aspect of his own personality。 Attwater is a confessed failure； because it； more than any other； testifies this： he is but a mouth…piece for one side or tendency in Stevenson。 If the same thing is not more decisively felt in some other cases； it is because Stevenson there showed the better art o' hidin'； and not because he was any more truly detached or dramatic。 〃Of Hamlet most of all；〃 wrote Henley in his sonnet。 The Hamlet in Stevenson … the self…questioning； egotistic； moralising Hamlet … was； and to the end remained； a something alien to bold； dramatic； creative freedom。 He is great as an artist； as a man bent on giving to all that he did the best and most distinguished form possible； but not great as a free creator of dramatic power。 〃Mother；〃 he said as a mere child； 〃I've drawed a man。 Now； will I draw his soul？〃 He was to the end all too fond to essay a picture of the soul； separate and peculiar。 All the Jekyll and Hyde and even Ballantrae conceptions came out of that … and what is more； he always mixed his own soul with the other soul； and could not help doing so。
4。 When； therefore； I find Mr Pinero； in lecturing at Edinburgh； deciding in favour of Stevenson as possessed of rare dramatic power； and wondering why he did not more effectively employ it； I can't agree with him； and this because of the presence of a certain atmosphere in the novels； alien to free play of the individualities presented。 Like Hawthorne's； like the works of our great symbolists； they are restricted by a sense of some obtaining conception； some weird metaphysical WEIRD or preconception。 This is the ground 〃Ian MacLaren〃 has for saying that 〃his kinship is not with Boccaccio and Rabelais； but with Dante and Spenser〃 … the ground for many remarks by critics to the effect that they still crave from him 〃less symbol and more individuality〃 … the ground for the Rev。 W。 J。 Dawson's remark that 〃he has a powerful and persistent sense of the spiritual forces which move behind the painted shows of life； that he writes not only as a realist but as a prophet； his meanest stage being set with eternity as a background。〃
Such expressions are fullest justification for what we have here said： it adds； and can only add； to our admiration of Stevenson； as a thinker； seer； or mystic； but the asserting sense of
