letters on literature(关于文学)-第17节
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head； seen two fathers and two mothers murdered before your eyes； and
two of your lovers flogged at two autos…da…fe； I don't fancy that you can
have the advantage of me。 Besides； I was born a baroness of seventy…two
quarterings； and I have been a cook。〃 But the daughter of a Pope had；
indeed； been still more unlucky； as she proved； than Cunegonde； and the
old lady was not a little proud of it。
But can you call this true： 〃There is nobody but is ashamed of having
loved when once he loves no longer〃？ If it be true at all； I don't think the
love was much worth having or giving。 If one really loves once； one can
never be ashamed of it； for we never cease to love。 However； this is the
very high water of sentiment； you will say； but I blush no more for it than
M。 le Duc de Rochefoucauld for his own opinion。 Perhaps I am thinking
of that kind of love about which he says： 〃True love is like ghosts； which
everybody talks about and few have seen。〃 〃Many be the thyrsus…bearers；
few the Mystics；〃 as the Greek proverb runs。 〃Many are called； few are
chosen。〃
As to friendship being 〃a reciprocity of interests；〃 the saying is but one
of those which Rochefoucauld's vanity imposed on his wit。 Very witty it is
not； and it is emphatically untrue。 〃Old men console themselves by
giving good advice for being no longer able to set bad examples。〃
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Capital； but the poor old men are often good examples of the results of not
taking their own good advice。 〃Many an ingrate is less to blame than his
benefactor。〃 One might add； at least I will； 〃Every man who looks for
gratitude deserves to get none of it。〃 〃To say that one never flirtsis
flirting。〃 I rather like the old translator's version of 〃Il y a de bons
mariages； mais il n'y en a point de delicieux〃〃Marriage is sometimes
convenient； but never delightful。〃
How true is this of authors with a brief popularity： 〃Il y a des gens
qui ressemblent aux vaudevilles； qu'on ne chante qu'un certain temps。〃
Again； 〃to be in haste to repay a kindness is a sort of ingratitude；〃 and a
rather insulting sort too。 〃Almost everybody likes to repay small favours；
many people can be grateful for favours not too weighty； but for favours
truly great there is scarce anything but ingratitude。〃 They must have
been small favours that Wordsworth had conferred when 〃the gratitude of
men had oftener left him mourning。〃 Indeed； the very pettiness of the aid
we can generally render each other； makes gratitude the touching thing it
is。 So much is repaid for so little； and few can ever have the chance of
incurring the thanklessness that Rochefoucauld found all but universal。
〃Lovers and ladies never bore each other； because they never speak of
anything but themselves。〃 Do husbands and wives often bore each other
for the same reason？ Who said： 〃To know all is to forgive all〃？ It is
rather like 〃On pardonne tant que l'on aime〃〃As long as we love we can
forgive；〃 a comfortable saying； and these are rare in Rochefoucauld。
〃Women do not quite know what flirts they are〃 is also； let us hope； not
incorrect。 The maxim that 〃There is a love so excessive that it kills
jealousy〃 is only a corollary from 〃as long as we love； we forgive。〃 You
remember the classical example； Manon Lescaut and the Chevalier des
Grieux； not an honourable precedent。
〃The accent of our own country dwells in our hearts as well as on our
tongues。〃 Ah！ never may I lose the Border accent！ 〃Love's Miracle！
To cure a coquette。〃 〃Most honest women are tired of their task；〃 says
this unbeliever。 And the others？ Are they never aweary？ The Duke is
his own best critic after all； when he says： 〃The greatest fault of a
penetrating wit is going beyond the mark。〃 Beyond the mark he frequently
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goes； but not when he says that we come as fresh hands to each new epoch
of life； and often want experience for all our years。 How hard it was to
begin to be middle…aged！ Shall we find old age easier if ever we come to
its threshold？ Perhaps； and Death perhaps the easiest of all。 Nor let me
forget； it will be long before you have occasion to remember； that
〃vivacity which grows with age is not far from folly。〃
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OF VERS DE SOCIETE
To Mr。 Gifted Hopkins。
My Dear Hopkins；The verses which you have sent me； with a request
〃to get published in some magazine；〃 I now return to you。 If you are
anxious that they should be published； send them to an editor yourself。 If
he likes them he will accept them from you。 If he does not like them；
why should he like them because they are forwarded by me？ His only
motive would be an aversion to disobliging a confrere； and why should I
put him in such an unpleasant position？
But this is a very boorish way of thanking you for the premiere
representation of your little poem。 〃To Delia in Girton〃 you call it；
〃recommending her to avoid the Muses； and seek the society of the Graces
and Loves。〃 An old…fashioned preamble； and of the lengthiest； and how
do you go on？ …
Golden hair is fairy gold； Fairy gold that cannot stay； Turns to leaflets
green and cold； At the ending of the day！ Laurel…leaves the Muses may
Twine about your golden head。 Will the crown reward you； say； When the
fairy gold is fled？
Daphne was a maid unwise … Shun the laurel； seek the rose； Azure；
lovely in the skies； Shines less gracious in the hose！
Don't you think； dear Hopkins； that this allusion to bas…bleus； if not
indelicate； is a little rococo； and out of date？ Editors will think so； I fear。
Besides； I don't like 〃Fairy gold that cannot stay。〃 If Fairy Gold were a
horse； it would be all very well to write that it 〃cannot stay。〃 'Tis the
style of the stable； unsuited to songs of the salon。
This is a very difficult kind of verse that you are essaying； you whom
the laurels of Mr。 Locker do not suffer to sleep for envy。 You kindly ask
my opinion on vers de societe in general。 Well； I think them a very
difficult sort of thing to write well； as one may infer from this； that the
ancients； our masters； could hardly write them at all。 In Greek poetry of
the great ages I only remember one piece which can be called a modelthe
AEolic verses that Theocritus wrote to accompany the gift of the ivory
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distaff。 It was a present； you remember； to the wife of his friend Nicias；
the physician of Miletus。 The Greeks of that age kept their women in
almost Oriental reserve。 One may doubt whether Nicias would have
liked it if Theocritus had sent； instead of a distaff； a fan or a jewel。 But
there is safety in a spinning instrument； and all the compliments to the
lady； 〃the dainty…ankled Theugenis；〃 turn on her skill； and industry； and
housewifery。 So Louis XIV。； no mean authority； called this piece of vers
de societe 〃a model of honourable gallantry。〃
I have just looked all through Pomtow's pretty little pocket volumes of
the minor Greek poets； and found nothing more of the nature of the lighter
verse than this of Alcman's＇Greek text which cannot be reproduced＇。
Do you remember the pretty paraphrase of it in 〃Love in Idleness〃？
〃Maidens with voices like honey for sweetness that breathe desire；
Would that I were a sea bird with wings
