the spirit of place and other essays-第2章

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of　a　villager。



As　for　the　poets；　there　is　but　one　among　so　many　of　their　bells　that

seems　to　toll　with　a　spiritual　music　so　loud　as　to　be　unforgotten

when　the　mind　goes　up　a　little　higher　than　the　earth；　to　listen　in

thought　to　earth's　untethered　sounds。　　This　is　Milton's　curfew；　that

sways　across　one　of　the　greatest　of　all　the　seashores　of　poetry

〃the　wide…watered。〃







MRS。　DINGLEY







We　cannot　do　her　honour　by　her　Christian　name。　｛1｝　　All　we　have　to

call　her　by　more　tenderly　is　the　mere　D；　the　D　that　ties　her　to

Stella；　with　whom　she　made　the　two…in…one　whom　Swift　loved　〃better　a

thousand　times　than　life；　as　hope　saved。〃　　MD；　without　full　stops；

Swift　writes　it　eight　times　in　a　line　for　the　pleasure　of　writing

it。　　〃MD　sometimes　means　Stella　alone；〃　says　one　of　many　editors。

〃The　letters　were　written　nominally　to　Stella　and　Mrs。　Dingley；〃

says　another；　〃but　it　does　not　require　to　be　said　that　it　was　really

for　Stella's　sake　alone　that　they　were　penned。〃　　Not　so。　　〃MD〃　never

stands　for　Stella　alone。　　And　the　editor　does　not　yet　live　who　shall

persuade　one　honest　reader；　against　the　word　of　Swift；　that　Swift

loved　Stella　only；　with　an　ordinary　love；　and　not；　by　a　most

delicate　exception；　Stella　and　Dingley；　so　joined　that　they　make　the

〃she〃　and　〃her〃　of　every　letter。　　And　this　shall　be　a　paper　of

reparation　to　Mrs。　Dingley。



No　one　else　in　literary　history　has　been　so　defrauded　of　her

honours。　　In　love　〃to　divide　is　not　to　take　away；〃　as　Shelley　says；

and　Dingley's　half　of　the　tender　things　said　to　MD　is　equal　to　any

whole；　and　takes　nothing　from　the　whole　of　Stella's　half。　　But　the

sentimentalist　has　fought　against　Mrs。　Dingley　from　the　outset。　　He

has　disliked　her；　shirked　her；　misconceived　her；　and　effaced　her。

Sly　sentimentalisthe　finds　her　irksome。　　Through　one　of　his　most

modern　representatives　he　has　but　lately　called　her　a　〃chaperon。〃　　A

chaperon！



MD　was　not　a　sentimentalist。　　Stella　was　not　so；　though　she　has　been

pressed　into　that　character；　D　certainly　was　not；　and　has　in　this

respect　been　spared　by　the　chronicler；　and　MD　together　were　〃saucy

charming　MD；〃　〃saucy　little；　pretty；　dear　rogues；〃　〃little　monkeys

mine；〃　〃little　mischievous　girls；〃　〃nautinautinautidear　girls；〃

〃brats；〃　〃huzzies　both；〃　〃impudence　and　saucy…face；〃　〃saucy　noses；〃

〃my　dearest　lives　and　delights；〃　〃dear　little　young　women；〃　〃good

dallars；　not　crying　dallars〃　（which　means　〃girls〃）；　〃ten　thousand

times　dearest　MD；〃　and　so　forth　in　a　hundred　repetitions。　　They　are；

every　now　and　then；　〃poor　MD；〃　but　obviously　not　because　of　their

own　complaining。　　Swift　called　them　so　because　they　were　mortal；　and

he；　like　all　great　souls；　lived　and　loved；　conscious　every　day　of

the　price；　which　is　death。



The　two　were　joined　by　love；　not　without　solemnity；　though　man；　with

his　summary　and　wholesale　ready…made　sentiment；　has　thus　obstinately

put　them　asunder。　　No　wholesale　sentiment　can　do　otherwise　than

foolishly　play　havoc　with　such　a　relation。　　To　Swift　it　was　the　most

secluded　thing　in　the　world。　　〃I　am　weary　of　friends；　and

friendships　are　all　monsters；　except　MD's；〃　〃I　ought　to　read　these

letters　I　write　after　I　have　done。　　But　I　hope　it　does　not　puzzle

little　Dingley　to　read；　for　I　think　I　mend：　　but　methinks；〃　he　adds；

〃when　I　write　plain；　I　do　not　know　how；　but　we　are　not　alone；　all

the　world　can　see　us。　　A　bad　scrawl　is　so　snug；　it　looks　like　PMD。〃

Again：　　〃I　do　not　like　women　so　much　as　I　did。　　MD；　you　must　know；

are　not　women。〃　　〃God　Almighty　preserve　you　both　and　make　us　happy

together。〃　　〃I　say　Amen　with　all　my　heart　and　vitals；　that　we　may

never　be　asunder　ten　days　together　while　poor　Presto　lives。〃

〃Farewell；　dearest　beloved　MD；　and　love　poor；　poor　Presto；　who　has

not　had　one　happy　day　since　he　left　you；　as　hope　saved。〃



With　themwith　herhe　hid　himself　in　the　world；　at　Court；　at　the

bar　of　St。　James's　coffee…house；　whither　he　went　on　the　Irish　mail…

day；　and　was　〃in　pain　except　he　saw　MD's　little　handwriting。〃　　He

hid　with　them　in　the　long　labours　of　these　exquisite　letters　every

night　and　morning。　　If　no　letter　came；　he　comforted　himself　with

thinking　that　〃he　had　it　yet　to　be　happy　with。〃　　And　the　world　has

agreed　to　hide　under　its　own　manifold　and　lachrymose　blunders　the

grace　and　singularitythe　distinctionof　this　sweet　romance。

〃Little；　sequestered　pleasure…house〃it　seemed　as　though　〃the　many

could　not　miss　it；〃　but　not　even　the　few　have　found　it。



It　is　part　of　the　scheme　of　the　sympathetic　historian　that　Stella

should　be　the　victim　of　hope　deferred；　watching　for　letters　from

Swift。　　But　day　and　night　Presto　complains　of　the　scantiness　of　MD's

little　letters；　he　waits　upon　〃her〃　will：　　〃I　shall　make　a　sort　of

journal；　and　when　it　is　full　I　will　send　it　whether　MD　writes　or

not；　and　so　that　will　be　pretty。〃　　〃Naughty　girls　that　will　not

write　to　a　body！〃　　〃I　wish　you　were　whipped　for　forgetting　to　send。

Go；　be　far　enough；　negligent　baggages。〃　　〃You；　Mistress　Stella；

shall　write　your　share；　and　then　comes　Dingley　altogether；　and　then

Stella　a　little　crumb　at　the　end；　and　then　conclude　with　something

handsome　and　genteel；　as　‘your　most　humble　cumdumble。'〃　　But　Scott

and　Macaulay　and　Thackeray　are　all　exceedingly　sorry　for　Stella。



Swift　is　most　charming　when　he　is　feigning　to　complain　of　his　task：

〃Here　is　such　a　stir　and　bustle　with　this　little　MD　of　ours；　I　must

be　writing　every　night；　O　Lord；　O　Lord！〃　　〃I　must　go　write　idle

things；　and　twittle　twattle。〃　　〃These　saucy　jades　take　up　so　much　of

my　time　with　writing　to　them　in　the　morning。〃　　Is　it　not　a　stealthy

wrong　done　upon　Mrs。　Dingley　that　she　should　be　stripped　of　all

these　ornaments　to　her　name　and　memory？　　When　Swift　tells　a　woman　in

a　letter　that　there　he　is　〃writing　in　bed；　like　a　tiger；〃　she　should

go　gay　in　the　eyes　of　all　generations。



They　will　not　let　Stella　go　gay；　because　of　sentiment；　and　they　will

not　let　Mrs。　Dingley　go　gay；　because　of　sentiment　for　Stella。　　Marry

come　up！　　Why　did　not　the　historians　assign　all　the　tender　passages

（taken　very　seriously）　to　Stella；　and　let　Dingley　have　the　jokes；

then？　　That　would　have　been　no　ill　share　for　Dingley。　　But　no；

forsooth；　Dingley　is　allowed　nothing。



There　are　passages；　nevertheless；　which　can　hardly　be　taken　from

her。　　For　now　and　then　Swift　parts　his　dear　MD。　　When　he　does　so　he

invariably　drops　those　initials　and　writes　〃Stella〃　or　〃Ppt〃　for　the

one；　and　〃D〃　or　〃Dingley〃　for　the　other。　　There　is　no　exception　to

this　anywhere。　　He　is　anxious　about　Stella's　〃little　eyes；〃　and

about　her　health　generally；　whereas　Dingley　is　strong。　　Poor　Ppt；　he

thinks；　will　not　catch　the　〃new　fever；〃　because　she　is　not　well；

〃but　why　should　D　escape　it；　pray？〃　　And　Mrs。　Dingley　is　rebuked　for

her　tale　of　a　journey　from　Dublin　to　Wexford。　　〃I　doubt；　Madam

Dingley；　you　are　apt　to　lie　in　your　travels；　though　not　so　bad　as

Stella；　she　tells　thumpers。〃　　Stella　is　often　reproved　for　her

spelling；　and　Mrs。　Dingley　writes　much　the　better　hand。　　But　she　is

a　puzzle…headed　woman；　like　another。　　〃What　do　you　mean　by　my　fourth

letter；　Madam　Dinglibus？　　Does　not　Stella　say　you　had　my　fifth；

goody　Blunder？〃　　〃Now；　Mistress　Dingley；　are　you　not　an　impudent

slut　to　except　a　letter　next　packet？　　Unreasonable　baggage！　　No；

little　Dingley；　I　am　always　in　bed　by　twelve；　and　I　take　great　care

of　myself。〃　　〃You　are　a　pretending　slut；　indeed；　with　your　‘fourth'

and　‘fifth'　in　the　margin；　and　your　‘journal'　and　everything。　　O

Lord；　never　saw　the　like；　we　shall　never　have　done。〃　　〃I　never　saw

such　a　letter；　so　saucy；　so　journalish；　so　everything。〃　　Swift　is

insistently　grateful　for　their　inquiries　for　his　health。　　He　pauses

seriously　to　thank　them　in　the　midst　of　his　prattle。　　Both　women

MDare　rallied　on　their　politics：　　〃I　have　a　fancy　that　Ppt　is　a

Tory；　I　fancy　she　looks　like　one；　and　D　a　sort　of　trimmer。〃



But　it　is　for　Dingley　separately　that　Swift　endured　a　wi