robert louis stevenson-第35章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


eral　moral　sentiment　and　instinct　for　　moral　proportion　…　an　ethnic　reward　and　punishment；　so　to　say　…　is　　all　astray；　working　outside　the　line；　and　this；　if　Mr　Pinero　will　　kindly　excuse　me；　is　the　secret　of　the　failure　of　these　plays；　and　　not　want　of　concentration；　etc。；　in　the　sense　he　meant；　or　as　he　　has　put　it。

Stevenson　rather　affected　what　he　called　〃tail…foremost　morality；〃　　a　kind　of　inversion　in　the　field　of　morals；　as　De　Quincey　mixed　it　　up　with　tail…foremost　humour　in　MURDER　AS　A　FINE　ART；　etc。；　etc。；　　but　for　all　such　perversions　as　these　the　stage　is　a　grand　test　and　　corrector；　and　such　perversions；　and　not　〃remarks　about　morals；〃　　are　most　strictly　prohibited　there。　　Perverted　subtleties　of　the　　sort　Stevenson　in　earlier　times　especially　much　affected　are　not　　only　amiss　but　ruinous　on　the　stage；　and　what　genius　itself　would　　maybe　sanction；　common…sense　must　reject　and　rigidly　cut　away。　　　Final　success　and　triumph　come　largely　by　THIS　kind　of　condensation　　and　concentration；　and　the　stern　and　severe　lopping　off　of　the　　indulgence　of　the　EGOTISTICAL　genius；　which　is　human　discipline；　　and　the　best　exponent　of　the　doctrine　of　unity　also。　　This　is　the　　straight　and　the　narrow　way　along　which　genius；　if　it　walk　but　　faithfully；　sows　as　it　goes　in　the　dramatic　pathway　all　the　flowers　　of　human　passion；　hope；　love；　terror；　and　triumph。

I　find　it　advisable；　if　not　needful；　here　to　reinforce　my　own　　impressions；　at　some　points；　by　another　quotation　from　Mr　Baildon；　　if　he　will　allow　me；　in　which　Stevenson's　dependence　in　certain　　respects　on　the　dream…faculty　is　emphasised；　and　to　it　is　traced　a　　certain　tendency　to　a　moral　callousness　or　indifference　which　is　　one　of　the　things　in　which　the　waking　Stevenson　transparently　　suffered　now　and　then　invasions　from　the　dream…Stevenson　…　the　　result；　a　kind　of　spot；　as　we　may　call　it；　on　the　eye　of　the　moral　　sense；　it　is　a　small　spot；　but　we　know　how　a　very　small　object　held　　close　before　the　eye　will　wholly　shut　out　the　most　lovely　natural　　prospects；　interposing　distressful　phantasmagoria；　due　to　the　　strained　and；　for　the　time；　morbid　condition　of　the　organ　itself。　　　So；　it　must　be　confessed；　it　is　to　a　great　extent　here。

But　listen　to　Mr　Baildon：


〃In　A　CHAPTER　ON　DREAMS；　Stevenson　confesses　his　indebtedness　to　　this　still　mysterious　agency。　　From　a　child　he　had　been　a　great　and　　vivid　dreamer；　his　dreams　often　taking　such　frightful　shape　that　he　　used　to　awake　'clinging　in　terror　to　the　bedpost。'　　Later　in　life　　his　dreams　continued　to　be　frequent　and　vivid；　but　less　terrifying　　in　character　and　more　continuous　and　systematic。　　'The　Brownies；'　　as　he　picturesquely　names　that　'sub…conscious　imagination；'　as　the　　scientist　would　call　it；　that　works　with　such　surprising　freedom　　and　ingenuity　in　our　dreams；　became；　as　it　were；　COLLABORATEURS　in　　his　work　of　authorship。　　He　declares　that　they　invented　plots　and　　even　elaborated　whole　novels；　and　that；　not　in　a　single　night　or　　single　dream；　but　continuously；　and　from　one　night　to　another；　like　　a　story　in　serial　parts。　　Long　before　this　essay　was　written　or　　published；　I　had　been　struck　by　this　phantasmal　dream…like　quality　　in　some　of　Stevenson's　works；　which　I　was　puzzled　to　account　for；　　until　I　read　this　extraordinary　explanation；　for　explanation　it　　undoubtedly　affords。　　Anything　imagined　in　a　dream　would　have　a　　tendency；　when　retold；　to　retain　something　of　its　dream…like　　character；　and　I　have　on　doubt　one　could　trace　in　many　instances　　and　distinguish　the　dreaming　and　the　waking　Stevenson；　though　in　　others　they　may　be　blended　beyond　recognition。　　The　trouble　with　　the　Brownies　or　the　dream…Stevenson　WAS　HIS　OR　THEIR　WANT　OF　MORAL　　SENSE；　so　that　they　sometimes　presented　the　waking　author　with　　plots　which　he　could　not　make　use　of。　　Of　this　Stevenson　gives　an　　instance　in　which　a　complete　story　of　marked　ingenuity　is　vetoed　　through　the　moral　impossibility　of　its　presentment　by　a　writer　so　　scrupulous　（and　in　some　directions　he　is　extremely　scrupulous）　as　　Stevenson　was。　　But　Stevenson　admits　that　his　most　famous　story；　　THE　STRANGE　CASE　OF　DR　JEKYLL　AND　MR　HYDE；　was　not　only　suggested　　by　a　dream；　but　that　some　of　the　most　important　and　most　criticised　　points；　such　as　the　matter　of　the　powder；　were　taken　direct　from　　the　dream。　　It　had　been　extremely　instructive　and　interesting　had　　he　gone　more　into　detail　and　mentioned　some　of　the　other　stories　　into　which　the　dream…element　entered　largely　and　pointed　out　its　　influence；　and　would　have　given　us　a　better　clue　than　we　have　or　　now　ever　can　have。

〃Even　in　THE　SUICIDE　CLUB　and　the　RAJAH'S　DIAMOND；　I　seem　to　feel　　strongly　the　presence　of　the　dream…Stevenson。　。　。　。　AT　CERTAIN　　POINTS　ONE　FEELS　CONSCIOUS　OF　A　CERTAIN　MORAL　CALLOUSNESS；　SUCH　AS　　MARKS　THE　DREAM　STATE；　AS　IN　THE　MURDER　OF　COLONEL　GERALDINE'S　　BROTHER；　THE　HORROR　OF　WHICH　NEVER　SEEMS　TO　COME　FULLY　HOME　TO　US。　　　But　let　no　one　suppose　these　stories　are　lacking　in　vividness　and　　in　strangely　realistic　detail；　for　this　is　of　the　very　nature　of　　dreaming　at　its　height。　。　。　。　While　the　DRAMATIS　PERSONAE　play　　their　parts　with　the　utmost　spirit　while　the　story　proceeds；　they　　do　not；　as　the　past　creations　do；　seem　to　survive　this　first　　contact　and　live　in　our　minds。　　This　is　particularly　true　of　the　　women。　　They　are　well　drawn；　and　play　the　assigned　parts　well　　enough；　but　they　do　not；　as　a　rule；　make　a　place　for　themselves　　either　in　our　hearts　or　memories。　　If　there　is　an　exception　it　is　　Elvira；　in　PROVIDENCE　AND　THE　GUITAR；　but　we　remember　her　chiefly　　by　the　one　picture　of　her　falling　asleep；　after　the　misadventures　　of　the　night；　at　the　supper…table；　with　her　head　on　her　husband's　　shoulder；　and　her　hand　locked　in　his　with　instinctive；　almost　　unconscious　tenderness。〃



CHAPTER　XXVII　…　MR　G。　MOORE；　MR　MARRIOTT　WATSON　AND　OTHERS



FROM　our　point　of　view　it　will　therefore　be　seen　that　we　could　not　　have　read　Mr　George　Moore's　wonderfully　uncritical　and　misdirected　　diatribe　against　Stevenson　in　THE　DAILY　CHRONICLE　of　24th　April　　1897；　without　amusement；　if　not　without　laughter　…　indeed；　we　　confess　we　may　here　quote　Shakespeare's　words；　we　〃laughed　so　　consumedly〃　that；　unless　for　Mr　Moore's　high　position　and　his　　assured　self…confidence；　we　should　not　trust　ourselves　to　refer　to　　it；　not　to　speak　of　writing　about　it。　　It　was　a　review　of　THE　　SECRET　ROSE　by　W。　B。　Yeats；　but　it　passed　after　one　single　touch　to　　belittling　abuse　of　Stevenson　…　an　abuse　that　was　justified　the　　more；　in　Mr　Moore's　idea；　because　Stevenson　was　dead。　　Had　he　been　　alive　he　might　have　had　something　to　say　to　it；　in　the　way；　at　　least；　of　fable　and　moral。　　And　when　towards　the　close　Mr　Moore　　again　quotes　from　Mr　Yeats；　it　is　still　〃harping　on　my　daughter〃　to　　undo　Stevenson；　as　though　a　rat　was　behind　the　arras；　as　in　HAMLET。　　　〃Stevenson；〃　says　he；　〃is　the　leader　of　these　countless　writers　who　　perceive　nothing　but　the　visible　world；〃　and　these　are　antagonistic　　to　the　great　literature；　of　which　Mr　Yeats's　SECRET　ROSE　is　a　　survival　or　a　renaissance；　a　literature　whose　watchword　should　be　　Mr　Yeats's　significant　phrase；　〃When　one　looks　into　the　darkness　　there　is　always　something　there。〃　　No　doubt　Mr　Yeats's　product　all　　along　the　line　ranks　with　the　great　literature　…　unlike　Homer；　　according　to　Mr　Moore；　he　never　nods；　though　in　the　light　of　great　　literature；　poor　Stevenson　is　always　at　his　noddings；　and　more　than　　that；　in　the　words　of　Leland's　Hans　Breitmann；　he　has　〃nodings　on。〃　　　He　is　poor；　naked；　miserable　…　a　mere　pretender　…　and　has　no　share　　in　the　makings　of　great　literature。　　Mr　Moore　has　stripped　him　to　　the　skin；　and　leaves　him　to　the　mercy　of　rain　and　storm；　like　Lear；　　though　Lear　had　a　solid　ground　to　go　on　in　self…aid；　which　　Stevenson　had　not；　he　had　daughters；　and　one　of　them　was　Cordelia；　　after　all。　　This　comes　of　painting　all　boldly　in　black　and　white：　　　Mr　Yeats　is　white；　R。　L。　Stevenson　is　black；　and　I　am　sure　neither　　one　nor　other；　because　simply　of　their　self…devotion　to　their　art；　　could　have　subscribed　heartily　to　Mr　Moore's　black　art　and　white　　art　theory。　　Mr　Yeats　is　hardly　the　truest　modern　Celtic　artist　I　　take　him　for；　if　he　can　fully　subscribe　to　all　this。

Mr　Marri