study of the king james bible(钦印〈圣经〉研究)-第32章
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other that they 〃cannot complain； like Cowley； that Gideon's fleece
remains dry while all around is moist； this is the reverse of the miracle。〃 A
little later a speaker describes novels as the Delilahs that seduce wise and
good men from more serious reading。 In the dramatic scene when Jeanie
Deans faces the wretched George Staunton； who has so shamed the
household； she exclaims： 〃O sir； did the Scripture never come into your
mind； 'Vengeance is mine； and I will repay it？' 〃 〃Scripture！〃 he sneers；
〃why I had not opened a Bible for five years。〃 〃Wae's me； sir；〃 said Jeanie…
…〃and a minister's son； too！〃 Anthony Foster； in Kenilworth； looks down
on poor Amy's body in the vault into which she has fallen； in response to
what she thought was Leicester's whistle； and exclaims to Varney： 〃Oh； if
there be judgment in heaven； thou hast deserved it； and will meet it！ Thou
hast destroyed her by means of her best affectionsit is the seething of the
kid in the mother's milk！〃 And when； next morning； Varney was found
dead of the secret poison and with a sneering sarcasm on his ghastly face；
Scott dismisses him with the phrase： 〃The wicked man； saith the Scripture；
hath no bonds in his death。〃
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His characters use freely the familiar Bible events and phrases。 In the
Fortunes of Nigel； a story of the very period when our King James version
was produced； Hildebrod declares that if he had his way Captain
Peppercull should hang as high as Haman ever did。 In Kenilworth； when
Leicester gives Varney his signet… ring； he says； significantly： 〃What thou
dost； do quickly。〃 Of course； Isaac； the Jew in Ivanhoe； exclaims
frequently in Old Testament terms。 He wishes the wheels of the chariots of
his enemies may be taken off； like those of the host of Pharoah； that they
may drive heavily。 He expects the Palmer's lance to be as powerful as the
rod of Moses； and so on。
Scott was writing of the period when men stayed themselves with
Scripture； and his men are all sure of God and Satan and angels and
judgment and all eternal things。 His son…in… law vouches for the old story
that when Sir Walter was on his death…bed he asked Lockhart to read him
something from the Book； and when Lockhart asked； 〃What book？〃 Scott
replied： 〃Why do you ask？ There is but one book； the Bible。〃
All this is scant justice to the Georgian group； but it may give a hint of
what the Bible meant even at that period； the period when its grip on men
was most lax in all the later English history。
It is in the Victorian age （1840…1900） that the field is most
bewildering。 It is true； as Frederick Harrison says； that 〃this Victorian age
has no Shakespeare or Milton； no Bacon or Hume； no Fielding or Scott
no supreme master in poetry； philosophy； or romance whose work is
incorporated with the thought of the world； who is destined to form an
epoch； to endure for centuries。〃＇1＇ The genius of the period is more
scientific than literary； yet we would be helpless if we had not already
eliminated from our discussion everything but the works and writers of
pure literature。 The output of books has been so tremendous that it would
be impossible to analyze the influences which have made them。 There are
in this Victorian period at least twelve great English writers who must be
known； whose work affects the current of English literature。 Many other
names would need mention in any full history or any minute study； but it
is not harsh judgment to say that the main current of literature would be
the same without them。 A few of these lesser names will come to mind；
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and in the calling of them one realizes the influence； even on them； of the
English Bible。 Anthony Trollope wrote sixty volumes； the titles of most of
which are now popularly unknown。 He told George Eliot that it was not
brains that explained his writing so much； but rather wax which he put in
the seat of his chair； which held him down to his daily stint of work。 He
could boast； and it was worth the boasting； that he had never written a line
which a pure woman could not read without a blush。 His whole Framley
Parsonage series abounds in Bible references and allusions。 So Charlotte
Bronte is in English literature； and Jane Eyre does prove what she was
meant to prove； that a commonplace person can be made the heroine of a
novel； but on all Charlotte Bronte's work is the mark of the rectory in
which she grew up。 So Thomas Grey has left his 〃Elegy〃 and his 〃Hymn
to Adversity；〃 and some other writing which most of us have forgotten or
never knew。 Then there are Maria Edgeworth and Jane Austen。 We may
even remember that Macaulay thought Jane Austen could be compared
with Shakespeare； as； of course； she can be； since any one can be； but
neither of these good women has strongly affected the literary current。
Many others could be named； but English literature would be substantially
the same without them； and； though all might show Biblical influence；
they would not illustrate what we are trying to discover。 So we come；
without apology to the unnamed； to the twelve； without whom English
literature would be different。 This is the list in the order of the alphabet：
Matthew Arnold； Robert Browning （Mrs。 Browning being grouped as one
with him）； Carlyle； Dickens； George Eliot； Charles Kingsley； Macaulay；
Ruskin； Robert Louis Stevenson； Swinburne； Tennyson； and Thackeray。
＇1＇ Early Victorian Literature； p。 9
It is dangerous to make such a list； but it can be defended。 Literary
history would not be the same without any one of them； unless possibly
Swinburne； whose claim to place is rather by his work as critic than as
creator。 Nor is any name omitted whose introduction would change
literary history。
Benjamin Jowett thought Arnold too flippant on religious things to be
a real prophet。 At any rate； this much is true； that the books in which
Arnold dealt with the fundamentals of religion are his profoundest work。
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In his poetry the best piece of the whole is his 〃Rugby Chapel。〃 His
Religion and Dogma he himself calls an 〃essay toward a better
apprehension of the Bible。〃 All through he urges it as the one Book which
needs recovery。 〃All that the churches can say about the importance of the
Bible and its religion we concur in。〃 The book throughout is an effort to
justify his own faith in terms of the Bible。 The effort is sometimes
amusing； because it takes such a logical and verbal agility to go from one
to the other； but he is always at it。 He is afraid in his soul that England will
swing away from the Bible。 He fears it may come about through neglect of
the Bible on one hand； or through wrong teaching about it on the other。
Not in his ideas alone； but markedly in his style； Arnold has fel
