robert louis stevenson-第36章

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　the　truest　modern　Celtic　artist　I　　take　him　for；　if　he　can　fully　subscribe　to　all　this。

Mr　Marriott　Watson　has　a　little　unadvisedly；　in　my　view；　too　like　　ambition；　fallen　on　'tother　side；　and　celebrated　Stevenson　as　the　　master　of　the　horrifying。　（11）　　He　even　finds　the　EBB…TIDE；　and　　Huish；　the　cockney；　in　it　richly　illustrative　and　grand。　　〃There　　never　was　a　more　magnificent　cad　in　literature；　and　never　a　more　　foul…hearted　little　ruffian。　　His　picture　glitters　（！）　with　life；　　and　when　he　curls　up　on　the　island　beach　with　the　bullet　in　his　　body；　amid　the　flames　of　the　vitriol　he　had　intended　for　another；　　the　reader's　shudder　conveys　something　also；　even　（！）　of　regret。〃

And　well　it　may！　　Individual　taste　and　opinion　are　but　individual　　taste　and　opinion；　but　the　EBB…TIDE　and　the　cockney　I　should　be　　inclined　to　cite　as　a　specimen　of　Stevenson's　all　too　facile　make…　believe；　in　which　there　is　too　definite　a　machinery　set　agoing　for　　horrors　for　the　horrors　to　be　quite　genuine。　　The　process　is　often　　too　forced　with　Stevenson；　and　the　incidents　too　much　of　the　　manufactured　order；　for　the　triumph　of　that　simplicity　which　is　of　　inspiration　and　unassailable。　　Here　Stevenson；　alas！　all　too　often；　　PACE　Mr　Marriott　Watson；　treads　on　the　skirts　of　E。　A。　Poe；　and　　that　in　his　least　composed　and　elevated　artistic　moments。　　And　　though；　it　is　true；　that　〃genius　will　not　follow　rules　laid　down　by　　desultory　critics；〃　yet　when　it　is　averred　that　〃this　piece　of　work　　fulfils　Aristotle's　definition　of　true　tragedy；　in　accomplishing　　upon　the　reader　a　certain　purification　of　the　emotions　by　means　of　　terror　and　pity；〃　expectations　will　be　raised　in　many　of　the　new　　generation；　doomed　in　the　cases　of　the　more　sensitive　and　　discerning；　at　all　events；　not　to　be　gratified。　　There　is　a　　distinction；　very　bold　and　very　essential；　between　melodrama；　　however　carefully　worked　and　staged；　and　that　tragedy　to　which　　Aristotle　was　there　referring。　　Stevenson's　〃horrifying；〃　to　my　　mind；　too　often　touches　the　trying　borders　of　melodrama；　and　　nowhere　more　so　than　in　the　very　forced　and　unequal　EBB…TIDE；　　which；　with　its　rather　doubtful　moral　and　forced　incident　when　it　　is　good；　seems　merely　to　borrow　from　what　had　gone　before；　if　not　a　　very　little　even　from　some　of　what　came　after。　　No　service　is　done　　to　an　author　like　Stevenson　by　fatefully　praising　him　for　precisely　　the　wrong　thing。


〃Romance　attracted　Stevenson；　at　least　during　the　earlier　part　of　　his　life；　as　a　lodestone　attracts　the　magnet。　　To　romance　he　　brought　the　highest　gifts；　and　he　has　left　us　not　only　essays　of　　delicate　humour〃　（should　this　not　be　〃essays　FULL　OF〃　OR　　〃characterised　by〃？）　〃and　sensitive　imagination；　but　stories　also　　which　thrill　with　the　realities　of　life；　which　are　faithful　　pictures　of　the　times　and　tempers　he　dealt　with；　and　which；　I　　firmly　believe；　will　live　so〃　（should　it　not　be　〃as〃？）　〃long　as　our　　noble　English　language。〃


Mr　Marriott　Watson　sees　very　clearly　in　some　things；　but　　occasionally　he　misses　the　point。　　The　problem　is　here　raised　how　　two　honest；　far…seeing　critics　could　see　so　very　differently　on　so　　simple　a　subject。

Mr　Baildon　says　about　the　EBB…TIDE：


〃I　can　compare　his　next　book；　the　EBB…TIDE　（in　collaboration　with　　Osbourne）　to　little　better　than　a　mud…bath；　for　we　find　ourselves；　　as　it　were；　unrelieved　by　dredging　among　the　scum　and　dregs　of　　humanity；　the　'white　trash'　of　the　Pacific。　　Here　we　have　　Stevenson's　masterly　but　utterly　revolting　incarnation　of　the　　lowest；　vilest；　vulgarest　villainy　in　the　cockney；　Huish。　　　Stevenson's　other　villains　shock　us　by　their　cruel　and　wicked　　conduct；　but　there　is　a　kind　of　fallen　satanic　glory　about　them；　　some　shining　threads　of　possible　virtue。　　They　might　have　been　　good；　even　great　in　goodness；　but　for　the　malady　of　not　wanting。　　　But　Huish　is　a　creature　hatched　in　slime；　his　soul　has　no　true　　humanity：　　it　is　squat　and　toad…like；　and　can　only　spit　venom。　。　。　　。　He　himself　felt　a　sort　of　revulsive　after…sickness　for　the　story；　　and　calls　it　in　one　passage　of　his　VAILIMA　LETTERS　'the　ever…to…be…　execrated　EBB…TIDE'　（pp。　　178　and　184）。　。　。　。　He　repented　of　it　　like　a　debauch；　and；　as　with　some　men　after　a　debauch；　felt　cleared　　and　strengthened　instead　of　wrecked。　　So；　after　what　in　one　sense　　was　his　lowest　plunge；　Stevenson　rose　to　the　greatest　height。　　That　　is　the　tribute　to　his　virtue　and　strength　indeed；　but　it　does　not　　change　the　character　of　the　EBB…TIDE　as　'the　ever…to…be…　execrated。'〃


Mr　Baildon　truly　says　（p。　49）：


〃The　curious　point　is　that　Stevenson's　own　great　fault；　that　　tendency　to　what　has　been　called　the　'Twopence…coloured'　style；　is　　always　at　its　worst　in　books　over　which　he　collaborated。〃

〃Verax；〃　in　one　of　his　〃Occasional　Papers〃　in　the　DAILY　NEWS　on　　〃The　Average　Reader〃　has　this　passage：

〃We　should　not　object　to　a　writer　who　could　repeat　Barrie　in　A　　WINDOW　IN　THRUMS；　nor　to　one　who　would　paint　a　scene　as　Louis　　Stevenson　paints　Attwater　alone　on　his　South　Sea　island；　the　　approach　of　the　pirates　to　the　harbour；　and　their　subsequent　　reception　and　fate。　　All　these　are　surely　specimens　of　brilliant　　writing；　and　they　are　brilliant　because；　in　the　first　place；　they　　give　truth。　　The　events　described　must；　in　the　supposed　　circumstances；　and　with　the　given　characters；　have　happened　in　the　　way　stated。　　Only　in　none　of　the　specimens　have　we　a　mere　　photograph　of　the　outside　of　what　took　place。　　We　have　great　　pictures　by　genius　of　the　…　to　the　prosaic　eye　…　invisible　　realities；　as　well　as　of　the　outward　form　of　the　actions。　　We　　behold　and　are　made　to　feel　the　solemnity；　the　wildness；　the　　pathos；　the　earnestness；　the　agony；　the　pity；　the　moral　squalor；　　the　grotesque　fun；　the　delicate　and　minute　beauty；　the　natural　　loveliness　and　loneliness；　the　quiet　desperate　bravery；　or　whatever　　else　any　of　these　wonderful　pictures　disclose　to　our　view。　　Had　we　　been　lookers…on；　we；　the　average　readers；　could　not　have　seen　these　　qualities　for　ourselves。　　But　they　are　there；　and　genius　enables　us　　to　see　them。　　Genius　makes　truth　shine。

〃Is　it　not；　therefore；　probable　that　the　brilliancy　which　we　　average　readers　do　not　want；　and　only　laugh　at　when　we　get　it；　is　　something　altogether　different？　　I　think　I　know　what　it　is。　　It　is　　an　attempt　to　describe　with　words　without　thoughts；　an　effort　to　　make　readers　see　something　the　writer　has　never　seen　himself　in　his　　mind's　eye。　　He　has　no　revelation；　no　vision；　nothing　to　disclose；　　and　to　produce　an　impression　uses　words；　words；　words；　makes　daub；　　daub；　daub；　without　any　definite　purpose；　and　certainly　without　any　　real；　or　artistic；　or　definite　effect。　　To　describe；　one　must　first　　of　all　see；　and　if　we　see　anything　the　description　of　it　will；　as　　far　as　it　is　in　us；　come　as　effortless　and　natural　as　the　leaves　on　　trees；　or　as　'the　tender　greening　of　April　meadows。'　　I；　therefore；　　more　than　suspect　that　the　brilliancy　which　the　average　reader　　laughs　at　is　not　brilliancy。　　A　pot　of　flaming　red　paint　thrown　at　　a　canvas　does　not　make　a　picture。〃


Now　there　is　vision　for　outward　picture　or　separate　incident；　which　　may　exist　quite　apart　from　what　may　be　called　moral；　spiritual；　or　　even　loftily　imaginative　conception；　at　once　commanding　unity　and　　commanding　it。　　There　can　be　no　doubt　of　Stevenson's　power　in　the　　former　line　…　the　earliest　as　the　latest　of　his　works　are　witnesses　　to　it。　　THE　MASTER　OF　BALLANTRAE　abounds　in　picture　and　incident　　and　dramatic　situations　and　touches；　but　it　lacks　true　unity；　and　　the　reason　simply　is　given　by　Stevenson　himself　…　that　the　〃ending　　shames；　perhaps　degrades；　the　beginning；〃　as　it　is　in　the　EBB…TIDE；　　with　the　cockney　Huish；　〃execrable。〃　　〃We　have　great　pictures　by　　genius　of　the　…　to　the　prosaic　eye　…　invisible　realities；　as　well　　as　the　outward　form　of　the　action。〃　　True；　but　the　〃invisible　　realities〃　form　that　from　which　true　unity　is　derived；　else　their　　partial　presence　but　makes　the　whole　the　more　incomplete　and　lop…　sided；　if　not　indeed；　top…heavy；　from　light　weight　beneath；　and　it　　is　in　the　unity　derived　from　this　higher　pervading；　yet　not　too　　assertive　〃invisible　reality；〃　that　Stevenson　most　often　fails；　and　　is；　in　his　own　words；　〃exec