lyrical poems-第1节

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A　Selection　From　The　Lyrical　Poems　Of　Robert　Herrick

Arranged　with　introduction　by　Francis　Turner　Palgrave



PREFACE


ROBERT　HERRICK　…　Born　1591　：　Died　1674


Those　who　most　admire　the　Poet　from　whose　many　pieces　a　selection　only　is　here　offered；　will；　it　is　probable；　feel　most　strongly　（with　the　Editor）　that　excuse　is　needed　for　an　attempt　of　an　obviously　presumptuous　nature。　　The　choice　made　by　any　selector　invites　challenge：　　the　admission；　perhaps；　of　some　poems；　the　absence　of　more；　will　be　censured：Whilst　others　may　wholly　condemn　the　process；　in　virtue　of　an　argument　not　unfrequently　advanced　of　late；　that　a　writer's　judgment　on　his　own　work　is　to　be　considered　final。　　And　his　book　to　be　taken　as　he　left　it；　or　left　altogether；　a　literal　reproduction　of　the　original　text　being　occasionally　included　in　this　requirement。

If　poetry　were　composed　solely　for　her　faithful　band　of　true　lovers　and　true　students；　such　a　facsimile　as　that　last　indicated　would　have　claims　irresistible；　but　if　the　first　and　last　object　of　this；　as　of　the　other　Fine　Arts；　may　be　defined　in　language　borrowed　from　a　different　range　of　thought；　as　'the　greatest　pleasure　of　the　greatest　number；'　it　is　certain　that　less　stringent　forms　of　reproduction　are　required　and　justified。　　The　great　majority　of　readers　cannot　bring　either　leisure　or　taste；　or　information　sufficient　to　take　them　through　a　large　mass　（at　any　rate）　of　ancient　verse；　not　even　if　it　be　Spenser's　or　Milton's。　　Manners　and　modes　of　speech；　again；　have　changed；　and　much　that　was　admissible　centuries　since；　or　at　least　sought　admission；　has　now；　by　a　law　against　which　protest　is　idle；　lapsed　into　the　indecorous。　　Even　unaccustomed　forms　of　spelling　are　an　effort　to　the　eye；a　kind　of　friction；　which　diminishes　the　ease　and　enjoyment　of　the　reader。

These　hindrances　and　clogs；　of　very　diverse　nature；　cannot　be　disregarded　by　Poetry。　　In　common　with　everything　which　aims　at　human　benefit；　she　must　work　not　only　for　the　'faithful'：　　she　has　also　the　duty　of　'conversion。'　　Like　a　messenger　from　heaven；　it　is　hers　to　inspire；　to　console；　to　elevate：　　to　convert　the　world；　in　a　word；　to　herself。　　Every　rough　place　that　slackens　her　footsteps　must　be　made　smooth；　nor；　in　this　Art；　need　there　be　fear　that　the　way　will　ever　be　vulgarized　by　too　much　ease；　nor　that　she　will　be　loved　less　by　the　elect；　for　being　loved　more　widely。

Passing　from　these　general　considerations；　it　is　true　that　a　selection　framed　in　conformity　with　them；　especially　if　one　of　our　older　poets　be　concerned；　parts　with　a　certain　portion　of　the　pleasure　which　poetry　may　confer。　　A　writer　is　most　thoroughly　to　be　judged　by　the　whole　of　what　he　printed。　　A　selector　inevitably　holds　too　despotic　a　position　over　his　author。　　The　frankness　of　speech　which　we　have　abandoned　is　an　interesting　evidence　how　the　tone　of　manners　changes。　　The　poet's　own　spelling　and　punctuation　bear；　or　may　bear；　a　gleam　of　his　personality。　　But　such　last　drops　of　pleasure　are　the　reward　of　fully…formed　taste；　and　fully…formed　taste　cannot　be　reached　without　full　knowledge。　This；　we　have　noticed；　most　readers　cannot　bring。　　Hence；　despite　all　drawbacks；　an　anthology　may　have　its　place。　　A　book　which　tempts　many　to　read　a　little；　will　guide　some　to　that　more　profound　and　loving　study　of　which　the　result　is；　the　full　accomplishment　of　the　poet's　mission。

We　have；　probably；　no　poet　to　whom　the　reasons　here　advanced　to　justify　the　invidious　task　of　selection　apply　more　fully　and　forcibly　than　to　Herrick。　　Highly　as　he　is　to　be　rated　among　our　lyrists；　no　one　who　reads　through　his　fourteen　hundred　pieces　can　reasonably　doubt　that　whatever　may　have　been　the　influences；　wholly　unknown　to　us；which　determined　the　contents　of　his　volume；　severe　taste　was　not　one　of　them。　　PECAT　FORTITER：his　exquisite　directness　and　simplicity　of　speech　repeatedly　take　such　form　that　the　book　cannot　be　offered　to　a　very　large　number　of　those　readers　who　would　most　enjoy　it。　　The　spelling　is　at　once　arbitrary　and　obsolete。　　Lastly；　the　complete　reproduction　of　the　original　text；　with　explanatory　notes；　edited　by　Mr　Grosart；　supplies　materials　equally　full　and　interesting　for　those　who　may；　haply；　be　allured　by　this　little　book　to　master　one　of　our　most　attractive　poets　in　his　integrity。

In　Herrick's　single　own　edition　of　HESPERIDES　and　NOBLE　NUMBERS；　but　little　arrangement　is　traceable：　　nor　have　we　more　than　a　few　internal　signs　of　date　in　composition。　　It　would　hence　be　unwise　to　attempt　grouping　the　poems　on　a　strict　plan：　　and　the　divisions　under　which　they　are　here　ranged　must　be　regarded　rather　as　progressive　aspects　of　a　landscape　than　as　territorial　demarcations。　　Pieces　bearing　on　the　poet　as　such　are　placed　first；　then；　those　vaguely　definable　as　of　idyllic　character；　'his　girls；'　epigrams；　poems　on　natural　objects；　on　character　and　life；　lastly；　a　few　in　his　religious　vein。　　For　the　text；　although　reference　has　been　made　to　the　original　of　1647…8；　Mr　Grosart's　excellent　reprint　has　been　mainly　followed。　　And　to　that　edition　this　book　is　indebted　for　many　valuable　exegetical　notes；　kindly　placed　at　the　Editor's　disposal。　　But　for　much　fuller　elucidation　both　of　words　and　allusions；　and　of　the　persons　mentioned；　readers　are　referred　to　Mr　Grosart's　volumes；　which　（like　the　same　scholar's　'Sidney'　and　'Donne'）；　for　the　first　time　give　Herrick　a　place　among　books　not　printed　only；　but　edited。


Robert　Herrick's　personal　fate　is　in　one　point　like　Shakespeare's。　　We　know　or　seem　to　know　them　both；　through　their　works；　with　singular　intimacy。　　But　with　this　our　knowledge　substantially　ends。　　No　private　letter　of　Shakespeare；　no　record　of　his　conversation；　no　account　of　the　circumstances　in　which　his　writings　were　published；　remains：　　hardly　any　statement　how　his　greatest　contemporaries　ranked　him。　　A　group　of　Herrick's　youthful　letters　on　business　has；　indeed；　been　preserved；　of　his　life　and　studies；　of　his　reputation　during　his　own　time；　almost　nothing。　　For　whatever　facts　affectionate　diligence　could　now　gather。　　Readers　are　referred　to　Mr　Grosart's　'Introduction。'　But　if；　to　supplement　the　picture；　inevitably　imperfect；　which　this　gives；　we　turn　to　Herrick's　own　book；　we　learn　little；　biographically；　except　the　names　of　a　few　friends；that　his　general　sympathies　were　with　the　Royal　cause；and　that　he　wearied　in　Devonshire　for　London。　　So　far　as　is　known；　he　published　but　this　one　volume；　and　that；　when　not　far　from　his　sixtieth　year。　　Some　pieces　may　be　traced　in　earlier　collections；　some　few　carry　ascertainable　dates；　the　rest　lie　over　a　period　of　near　forty　years；　during　a　great　portion　of　which　we　have　no　distinct　account　where　Herrick　lived；　or　what　were　his　employments。　　We　know　that　he　shone　with　Ben　Jonson　and　the　wits　at　the　nights　and　suppers　of　those　gods　of　our　glorious　early　literature：　　we　may　fancy　him　at　Beaumanor；　or　Houghton；　with　his　uncle　and　cousins；　keeping　a　Leicestershire　Christmas　in　the　Manor…house：　　or；　again；　in　some　sweet　southern　county　with　Julia　and　Anthea；　Corinna　and　Dianeme　by　his　side　（familiar　then　by　other　names　now　never　to　be　remembered）；　sitting　merry；　but　with　just　the　sadness　of　one　who　hears　sweet　music；　in　some　meadow　among　his　favourite　flowers　of　spring…time；there；　or　'where　the　rose　lingers　latest。'　。。。。　But　'the　dream；　the　fancy；'　is　all　that　Time　has　spared　us。　　And　if　it　be　curious　that　his　contemporaries　should　have　left　so　little　record　of　this　delightful　poet　and　（as　we　should　infer　from　the　book）　genial…　hearted　man；　it　is　not　less　so　that　the　single　first　edition　should　have　satisfied　the　seventeenth　century；　and　that；　before　the　present；　notices　of　Herrick　should　be　of　the　rarest　occurrence。

The　artist's　'claim　to　exist'　is；　however；　always　far　less　to　be　looked　for　in　his　life；　than　in　his　art；　upon　the　secret　of　which　the　fullest　biography　can　tell　us　littleas　little；　perhaps；　as　criticism　can　analyse　its　charm。　　But　there　are　few　of　our　poets　who　stand　less　in　need　than　Herrick　of　commentaries　of　this　description；in　which　too　often　we　find　little　more　than　a　dull　or　florid　prose　version　of　what　the　author　has　given　us　admirably　in　verse。　　Apart　from　obsolete　words　or　allusions；　Herrick　is　the　best　commentator　upon　Herrick。　　A　few　lines　only　need　therefore　here　be　added；　aiming　rather　to　set　forth　his　place　in　the　sequence　of　English　poets；　and　especially　in　regard　to　those　near　his　own　time；　than　to　point　out　in　detail　beauties　which　he　unveils　in　his　own　way；　and　so　most　durably　and　delightfully。

When　our　Muses；　silent　or　sick　for　a　century　and　more　after　Chaucer's　death；　during　the　years　of　war　and　revolution；　reappeared；　they　brought　with　them　foreign　modes　of　art；　ancient　and　contemporary；　in　the　forms　of　which　they　began　to　set　to　music　the　new　material　which　the　age　supplied。　　At　the　very　outset；　indeed；　the　moralizing　philosophy　which　has　characterized　the　English　from　the　beginning　of　our　national　history；　appears　in　the　writers　of　the　troubled　times　lying　between　the　last　regnal　years　of　Henry　VIII　and　the　first　of　his　great　daughter。　　But　with　the　happier　hopes　of　Elizabeth's　accession；　poetry　was　once　more　distinctly　followed；　not　only　as　a　means　of　conveying　thought；　but　as　a　Fine　A