the miscellaneous writings and speeches-1-第13节
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delineate accurately 〃all monstrous； all prodigious things；〃to utter what might to others appear 〃unutterable；〃to relate with the air of truth what fables had never feigned；to embody what fear had never conceived。 And I will frankly confess that the vague sublimity of Milton affects me less than these reviled details of Dante。 We read Milton； and we know that we are reading a great poet。 When we read Dante； the poet vanishes。 We are listening to the man who has returned from 〃the valley of the dolorous abyss；〃 （〃Lavalle d'abisso doloroso。〃Inferno； cantoiv。）we seem to see the dilated eye of horror； to hear the shuddering accents with which he tells his fearful tale。 Considered in this light； the narratives are exactly what they should be；definite in themselves； but suggesting to the mind ideas of awful and indefinite wonder。 They are made up of the images of the earth：… …they are told in the language of the earth。Yet the whole effect is； beyond expression； wild and unearthly。 The fact is； that supernatural beings； as long as they are considered merely with reference to their own nature； excite our feelings very feebly。 It is when the great gulf which separates them from us is passed； when we suspect some strange and undefinable relation between the laws of the visible and the invisible world； that they rouse； perhaps； the strongest emotions of which our nature is capable。 How many children； and how many men； are afraid of ghosts； who are not afraid of God！ And this； because； though they entertain a much stronger conviction of the existence of a Deity than of the reality of apparitions； they have no apprehension that he will manifest himself to them in any sensible manner。 While this is the case； to describe superhuman beings in the language； and to attribute to them the actions； of humanity may be grotesque； unphilosophical； inconsistent； but it will be the only mode of working upon the feelings of men； and； therefore； the only mode suited for poetry。 Shakspeare understood this well； as he understood everything that belonged to his art。 Who does not sympathise with the rapture of Ariel； flying after sunset on the wings of the bat； or sucking in the cups of flowers with the bee？ Who does not shudder at the caldron of Macbeth？ Where is the philosopher who is not moved when he thinks of the strange connection between the infernal spirits and 〃the sow's blood that hath eaten her nine farrow？〃 But this difficult task of representing supernatural beings to our minds； in a manner which shall be neither unintelligible to our intellects nor wholly inconsistent with our ideas of their nature； has never been so well performed as by Dante。 I will refer to three instances； which are； perhaps； the most striking：… …the description of the transformations of the serpents and the robbers； in the twenty…fifth canto of the Inferno；the passage concerning Nimrod； in the thirty…first canto of the same part； and the magnificent procession in the twenty…ninth canto of the Purgatorio。
The metaphors and comparisons of Dante harmonise admirably with that air of strong reality of which I have spoken。 They have a very peculiar character。 He is perhaps the only poet whose writings would become much less intelligible if all illustrations of this sort were expunged。 His similes are frequently rather those of a traveller than of a poet。 He employs them not to display his ingenuity by fanciful analogies；not to delight the reader by affording him a distant and passing glimpse of beautiful images remote from the path in which he is proceeding； but to give an exact idea of the objects which he is describing； by comparing them with others generally known。 The boiling pitch in Malebolge was like that in the Venetian arsenal：the mound on which he travelled along the banks of Phlegethon was like that between Ghent and Bruges； but not so large：the cavities where the Simoniacal prelates are confined resemble the Fonts in the Church of John at Florence。 Every reader of Dante will recall many other illustrations of this description； which add to the appearance of sincerity and earnestness from which the narrative derives so much of its interest。
Many of his comparisons； again； are intended to give an exact idea of his feelings under particular circumstances。 The delicate shades of grief； of fear； of anger； are rarely discriminated with sufficient accuracy in the language of the most refined nations。 A rude dialect never abounds in nice distinctions of this kind。 Dante therefore employs the most accurate and infinitely the most poetical mode of marking the precise state of his mind。 Every person who has experienced the bewildering effect of sudden bad tidings；the stupefaction；the vague doubt of the truth of our own perceptions which they produce；will understand the following simile：〃I was as he is who dreameth his own harm；who； dreaming； wishes that it may be all a dream； so that he desires that which is as though it were not。〃 This is only one out of a hundred equally striking and expressive similitudes。 The comparisons of Homer and Milton are magnificent digressions。 It scarcely injures their effect to detach them from the work。 Those of Dante are very different。 They derive their beauty from the context； and reflect beauty upon it。 His embroidery cannot be taken out without spoiling the whole web。 I cannot dismiss this part of the subject without advising every person who can muster sufficient Italian to read the simile of the sheep； in the third canto of the Purgatorio。 I think it the most perfect passage of the kind in the world； the most imaginative； the most picturesque； and the most sweetly expressed。
No person can have attended to the Divine Comedy without observing how little impression the forms of the external world appear to have made on the mind of Dante。 His temper and his situation had led him to fix his observation almost exclusively on human nature。 The exquisite opening of the eighth* canto of the Purgatorio affords a strong instance of this。 （I cannot help observing that Gray's imitation of that noble line
〃Che paia 'lgiorna pianger che si muore；〃
is one of the most striking instances of injudicious plagiarism with which I am acquainted。 Dante did not put this strong personification at the beginning of his description。 The imagination of the reader is so well prepared for it by the previous lines； that it appears perfectly natural and pathetic。 Placed as Gray has placed it； neither preceded nor followed by anything that harmonises with it； it becomes a frigid conceit。 Woe to the unskilful rider who ventures on the horses of Achilles！）
He leaves to others the earth； the ocean； and the sky。 His business is with man。 To other writers； evening may be the season of dews and stars and radiant clouds。 To Dante it is the hour of fond recollection and passionate devotion；the hour which melts the heart of the mariner and kindles the love of the pilgrim；the hour when the toll of the bell seems to mourn for another day which is gone and will return no more。
The feeling of the present age has taken a direction diametrically opposite。 The magnificence of the physical world； and its influence upon the human mind； have been the favourite themes of our most eminent poets。 The herd of bluestocking ladies and sonneteering gentlemen seem to consider a strong sensibility to the 〃splendour of the grass； the glory of the flower；〃 as an ingredient absolutely indispensable in the formation of a poetical mind。 They treat with contempt all writers who are unfortunately
nec ponere lucum Artifices； nec rus saturum laudare。
The orthodox poetical creed is more Catholic。 The noblest earthly object of the contemplation of man is man himself。 The universe； and all its fair and glorious forms； are indeed included in the wide empire of the imagination； but she has placed her home and her sanctuary amidst the inexhaustible varieties and the impenetrable mysteries of the mind。
In tutte parti impera； e quivi regge； Quivi e la sua cittade； e l'alto seggio。 （Inferno； canto i。）
Othello is perhaps the greatest work in the world。 From what does it derive its power？ From the clouds？ From the ocean？ From the mountains？ Or from love strong as death； and jealousy cruel as the grave？ What is it that we go forth to see in Hamlet？ Is it a reed shaken with the wind？ A small celandine？ A bed of daffodils？ Or is it to contemplate a mighty and wayward mind laid bare before us to the inmost recesses？ It may perhaps be doubted whether the lakes and the hills are better fitted for the education of a poet than the dusky streets of a huge capital。 Indeed who is not tired to death with pure description of scenery？ Is it not the fact； that external objects never strongly excite our feelings but when they are contemplated in reference to man； as illustrating his destiny； or as influencing his character？ The most beautiful object in the world； it will be allowed； is a beautiful woman。 But who that can analyse his feelings is not sensible that she owes her fascination less to grace of outline and delicacy of colour； than to a thousand associations which； often unperceived by ourselves； connect those qualities with the source of our existenc
