beacon lights of history-iii-2-第9节

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rarity　of　his　gifts；　his　great　attainments；　elegant　manners；　and

refined　tastes　which　made　him　the　companion　of　the　great；　since　at

that　time　only　princes　and　nobles　and　ecclesiastical　dignitaries

could　appreciate　his　genius　or　enjoy　his　writings。



Although　Chaucer　had　written　several　poems　which　were　admired　in

his　day；　and　made　translations　from　the　French；　among　which　was　the

〃Roman　de　la　Rose；〃　the　most　popular　poem　of　the　Middle　Ages；a

poem　which　represented　the　difficulties　attendant　on　the　passion　of

love；　under　the　emblem　of　a　rose　which　had　to　be　plucked　amid

thorns；yet　his　best　works　were　written　in　the　leisure　of

declining　years。



The　occupation　of　the　poet　during　the　last　twelve　years　of　his　life

was　in　writing　his　〃Canterbury　Tales；〃　on　which　his　fame　chiefly

rests；　written　not　for　money；　but　because　he　was　impelled　to　write

it；　as　all　true　poets　write　and　all　great　artists　paint；ex

animo；because　they　cannot　help　writing　and　painting；　as　the

solace　and　enjoyment　of　life。　　For　his　day　these　tales　were　a　great

work　of　art；　evidently　written　with　great　care。　　They　are　also

stamped　with　the　inspiration　of　genius；　although　the　stories

themselves　were　copied　in　the　main　from　the　French　and　Italian；

even　as　the　French　and　Italians　copied　from　Oriental　writers；　whose

works　were　translated　into　the　languages　of　Europe　so　that　the

romances　of　the　Middle　Ages　were　originally　produced　in　India；

Persia；　and　Arabia。　　Absolute　creation　is　very　rare。　　Even

Shakspeare；　the　most　original　of　poets；　was　indebted　to　French　and

Italian　writers　for　the　plots　of　many　of　his　best　dramas。　　Who　can

tell　the　remote　sources　of　human　invention；　who　knows　the　then

popular　songs　which　Homer　probably　incorporated　in　his　epics；　who

can　trace　the　fountains　of　those　streams　which　have　fertilized　the

literary　world？and　hence；　how　shallow　the　criticism　which　would

detract　from　literary　genius　because　it　is　indebted；　more　or　less；

to　the　men　who　have　lived　ages　ago。　　It　is　the　way　of　putting

things　which　constitutes　the　merit　of　men　of　genius。　　What　has

Voltaire　or　Hume　or　Froude　told　the　world；　essentially；　that　it　did

not　know　before？　　Read；　for　instance；　half…a…dozen　historians　on

Joan　of　Arc：　they　all　relate　substantially　the　same　facts。　　Genius

and　originality　are　seen　in　the　reflections　and　deductions　and

grand　sentiments　prompted　by　the　narrative。　　Let　half…a…dozen

distinguished　and　learned　theologians　write　sermons　on　Abraham　or

Moses　or　David：　they　will　all　be　different；　yet　the　main　facts　will

be　common　to　all。



The　〃Canterbury　Tales〃　are　great　creations；　from　the　humor；　the

wit；　the　naturalness；　the　vividness　of　description；　and　the　beauty

of　the　sentiments　displayed　in　them；　although　sullied　by　occasional

vulgarities　and　impurities；　which；　however；　in　all　their　coarseness

do　not　corrupt　the　mind。　　Byron　complained　of　their　coarseness；　but

Byron's　poetry　is　far　more　demoralizing。　　The　age　was　coarse；　not

the　mind　of　the　author。　　And　after　five　hundred　years；　with　all　the

obscurity　of　language　and　obsolete　modes　of　spelling；　they　still

give　pleasure　to　the　true　lovers　of　poetry　when　they　have　once

mastered　the　language；　which　is　not；　after　all；　very　difficult。　　It

is　true　that　most　people　prefer　to　read　the　great　masters　of

poetry；　in　later　times；　but　the　〃Canterbury　Tales〃　are　interesting

and　instructive　to　those　who　study　the　history　of　language　and

literature。　　They　are　links　in　the　civilization　of　England。　　They

paint　the　age　more　vividly　and　accurately　than　any　known　history。

The　men　and　women　of　the　fourteenth　century；　of　all　ranks；　stand

out　to　us　in　fresh　and　living　colors。　　We　see　them　in　their　dress；

their　feasts；　their　dwellings；　their　language；　their　habits；　and

their　manners。　　Amid　all　the　changes　in　human　thought　and　in　social

institutions　the　characters　appeal　to　our　common　humanity；

essentially　the　same　under　all　human　conditions。　　The　men　and　women

of　the　fourteenth　century　love　and　hate；　eat　and　drink；　laugh　and

talk；　as　they　do　in　the　nineteenth。　　They　delight；　as　we　do；　in　the

varieties　of　dress；　of　parade；　and　luxurious　feasts。　　Although　the

form　of　these　has　changed；　they　are　alive　to　the　same　sentiments

which　move　us。　　They　like　fun　and　jokes　and　amusement　as　much　as

we。　　They　abhor　the　same　class　of　defects　which　disgust　us；

hypocrisies；　shams；　lies。　　The　inner　circle　of　their　friendship　is

the　same　as　ours　to…day；　based　on　sincerity　and　admiration。　　There

is　the　same　infinite　variety　in　character；　and　yet　the　same

uniformity。　　The　human　heart　beats　to　the　same　sentiments　that　it

does　under　all　civilizations　and　conditions　of　life。　　No　people　can

live　without　friendship　and　sympathy　and　love；　and　these　are

ultimate　sentiments　of　the　soul；　which　are　as　eternal　as　the　ideas

of　Plato。　　Why　do　the　Psalms　of　David。　　written　for　an　Oriental

people　four　thousand　years　ago；　excite　the　same　emotions　in　the

minds　of　the　people　of　England　or　France　or　America　that　they　did

among　the　Jews？　　It　is　because　they　appeal　to　our　common　humanity；

which　never　changes；the　same　to…day　as　it　was　in　the　beginning；

and　will　be　to　the　end。　　It　is　only　form　and　fashion　which　change；

men　remain　the　same。　　The　men　and　women　of　the　Bible　talked　nearly

the　same　as　we　do；　and　seem　to　have　had　as　great　light　on　the

primal　principles　of　wisdom　and　truth　and　virtue。　　Who　can　improve

on　the　sagacity　and　worldly　wisdom　of　the　Proverbs　of　Solomon？

They　have　a　perennial　freshness；　and　appeal　to　universal

experience。　　It　is　this　fidelity　to　nature　which　is　one　of　the

great　charms　of　Shakspeare。　　We　quote　his　brief　sayings　as

expressive　of　what　we　feel　and　know　of　the　certitudes　of　our　moral

and　intellectual　life。　　They　will　last　forever；　under　every　variety

of　government；　of　social　institutions；　of　races；　and　of　languages。

And　they　will　last　because　these　every…day　sentiments　are　put　in

such　pithy；　compressed；　unique；　and　novel　form；　like　the　Proverbs

of　Solomon　or　the　sayings　of　Epictetus。　　All　nations　and　ages　alike

recognize　the　moral　wisdom　in　the　sayings　of　those　immortal　sages

whose　writings　have　delighted　and　enlightened　the　world；　because

they　appeal　to　consciousness　or　experience。



Now　it　must　be　confessed　that　the　Poetry　of　Chaucer　does　not　abound

in　the　moral　wisdom　and　spiritual　insight　and　profound　reflections

on　the　great　mysteries　of　human　life　which　stand　out　so

conspicuously　in　the　writings　of　Dante；　Shakspeare；　Milton；　Goethe；

and　other　first…class　poets。　　He　does　not　describe　the　inner　life；

but　the　outward　habits　and　condition　of　the　people　of　his　times。

He　is　not　serious　enough；　nor　learned　enough；　to　enter　upon　the

discussion　of　those　high　themes　which　agitated　the　schools　and

universities；　as　Dante　did　one　hundred　years　before。　　He　tells　us

how　monks　and　friars　lived；　not　how　they　dreamed　and　speculated。

Nor　are　his　sarcasms　scorching　and　bitter；　but　rather　humorous　and

laughable。　　He　shows　himself　to　be　a　genial　and　loving　companion；

not　an　austere　teacher　of　disagreeable　truths。　　He　is　not　solemn

and　intense；　like　Dante；　he　does　not　give　wings　to　his　fancy；　like

Spenser；　he　has　not　the　divine　insight　of　Shakspeare；　he　is　not

learned；　like　Milton；　he　is　not　sarcastic；　like　Pope；　he　does　not

rouse　the　passions；　like　Byron；　he　is　not　meditative；　like

Wordsworth；but　he　paints　nature　with　great　accuracy　and　delicacy；

as　also　the　men　and　women　of　his　age；　as　they　appeared　in　their

outward　life。　　He　describes　the　passion　of　love　with　great

tenderness　and　simplicity。　　In　all　his　poems；　love　is　his　greatest

theme；which　he　bases；　not　on　physical　charms；　but　the　moral

beauty　of　the　soul。　　In　his　earlier　life　he　does　not　seem　to　have

done　full　justice　to　women；　whom　he　ridicules；　but　does　not

despise；　in　whom　he　indeed　sees　the　graces　of　chivalry；　but　not　the

intellectual　attraction　of　cultivated　life。　　But　later　in　life；

when　his　experiences　are　broader　and　more　profound；　he　makes　amends

for　his　former　mistakes。　　In　his　〃Legend　of　Good　Women；〃　which　he

wrote　at　the　command　of　Anne　of　Bohemia；　wife　of　Richard　II。；　he

eulogizes　the　sex　and　paints　the　most　exalted　sentiments　of　the

heart。　　He　not　only　had　great　vividness　in　the　description　of　his

characters；　but　doubtless　great　dramatic　talent；　which　his　age　did

not　call　out。　　His　descriptions　of　nature　are　very　fresh　and

beautiful；　indicating　a　great　love　of　nature；flowers；　trees；

birds；　lawns；　gardens；　waterfalls；　falcons；　dogs；　horses；　with　whom

he　almost　talked。　　He　had　a　great　sense　of　the　ridiculous；　hence

his　humor　and　fun　and　droll　descriptions；　which　will　ever　interest

because　they　are　so　fresh　and　vivid。　　And　as　a　poet　he　continually

improved　as　he　advanced　in　life。　　His　last　works　are　his　best；

showing　the　care　and　labor　he　bestowed；　as　well　as　his　fidelity　to

nature。　　I　am　amazed；　considering　his　time；　that　he　was　so　great　an

artist　without　having　a　knowledge　of　the　principles