a study of bible-第19节
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It may aid in the limiting of the field to accept what Dean Stanley said in another connection： 〃By literature； I mean those great works that rise above professional or commonplace uses and take possession of the mind of a whole nation or a whole age。〃＇1＇ This is one of the matters which we all understand until we begin to define it； we know what we mean until some one asks us。
＇1＇ Thoughts that Breathe。
The literature of which we are thinking in this narrower sense is in the sphere of art rather than in the sphere of distinct achievement。 De Quincey's division is familiar： the literature of knowledge； and the literature of power。 The function of the first is to teach； the function of the second is to move。 Professor Dowden points out that between the two lies a third field； the literature of criticism。 It seeks both to teach and to move。 Our concern is chiefly with De Quincey's second fieldthe literature of power。 In the first field； the literature of knowledge； must lie all history； with Hume and Gibbon； all science； with Darwin and Fiske； all philosophy； with Spencer and William James； all political writing； with Voltaire and Webster。 Near that same field must lie many of those essays in criticism of which Professor Dowden speaks。 This which we omit； this literature of knowledge； is powerful literature； though its main purpose is not to move； but to teach。 We are only reducing our field so that we can survey it。 For our uses just now we shall find pure literature taking the three standard forms： the poem； the essay； and the story。 It is the influence of the English Bible on this large field of literature which we are to observe。
Just for safety's sake； accept another narrowing of the field。 The effect of the Bible and its religious teaching； on the writer himself is a separate study； and is for the most part left out of consideration。 It sounds correct when Milton says： 〃He who would not be frustrate of his Power to write well ought himself to be a true poem。〃 But there is Milton himself to deal with； irreproachable in morals； there are yet the unhappy years of his young wife to trouble us； and there were his daughters； who were not at peace with him； and whom after their service in his blindness he yet stigmatizes in his will as 〃undutiful children。〃 Then； if you think of Shelley or Byron； you are troubled by their lives； or even Carlyle； the very master of the Victorian eraone would not like to scan his life according to the laws of true poetry。 Then there is Coleridge； falling a prey to opium until； as years came； conscience and will seemed to go。 Only a very ardent Scot will feel that he can defend Robert Burns at all points； and we would be strange Americans if we felt that Edgar Allen Poe was a model of propriety。 That is a large and interesting field； but the Bible seems even to gain power as a book…making book when it lays hold on the book…making proclivities of men who are not prepared to yield to its personal power。 They may get away from it as religion； they do not get away from it as literature。
The first and most notable fact regarding the influence of the Bible on English literature is the remarkable extent of that influence。 It is literally everywhere。 If every Bible in any considerable city were destroyed； the Book could be restored in all its essential parts from the quotations on the shelves of the city public library。 There are works； covering almost all the great literary writers； devoted especially to showing how much the Bible has influenced them。
The literary effect of the King James version at first was less than its social effect； but in that very fact lies a striking literary influence。 For a long time it formed virtually the whole literature which was readily accessible to ordinary Englishmen。 We get our phrases from a thousand books。 The common talk of an intelligent man shows the effect of many authors upon his thinking。 Our fathers got their phrases from one great book。 Their writing and their speaking show the effect of that book。
It is a study by itself； and yet it is true that world literature is； as Professor Moulton puts it； the autobiography of civilization。 〃A national literature is a reflection of the national history。〃 Books as books reflect their authors。 As literature they reflect the public opinion which gives them indorsement。 When； therefore； public opinion： keeps alive a certain group of books； there is testimony not simply to those books； but to the public opinion which has preserved them。 The history of popular estimates of literature is itself most interesting。 On the other hand； some writers have been amusingly overestimated。 No doubt Edward Fitzgerald； who gave us the 〃Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam〃 did some other desirable work； but Professor Moulton quotes this paragraph from a popular life of Fitzgerald； published in Dublin： 〃Not Greece of old in her palmiest daysthe Greece of Homer and Demosthenes； of Eschylus； Euripides； and Sophocles； of Pericles； Leonidas； and Alcibiades； of Socrates； Plato； and Aristotle； of Solon and Lycurgus； of Apelles and Praxitelesnot even this Greece； prolific as she was in sages and heroes； can boast such a lengthy bead…roll as Ireland can of names immortal in history！〃 But 〃this was for Irish consumption。〃 And popular opinion and even critical opinion has sometimes gone far astray in its destructive tendency。 There were authoritative critics who declared that Wordsworth； Shelley； and Coleridge wrote 〃unintelligible nonsense。〃 George Meredith's style； especially in his poetry； was counted so bad that itwas not worth reading。 We are all near enough the Browning epoch to recall how the obscurity of his style impressed some and oppressed others。 Alfred Austin； in 1869； said that 〃Mr。 Tennyson has no sound pretensions to be called a great poet。〃 Contemporary public opinion is seldom a final gauge of strength for a piece of literature。 It takes the test of time。 How many books we have seen come on the stage and then pass off again！ Yet the books that have stayed on the stage have been kept there by public opinion expressing itself in the long run。 The social influence of the King James version； creating a public taste for certain types of literature； tended to produce them at once。
English literature in these three hundred years has found in the Bible three influential elements： style； language； and material。
First； the style of the King James version has influenced English literature markedly。 Professor Gardiner opens one of his essays with the dictum that 〃in all study of English literature； if there be any one axiom which may be accepted without question； it is that the ultimate standard of English prose style is set by the King James version of the Bible。〃＇1＇ You almost measure the strength of writing by its agreement with the predominant traits of this version。 Carlyle's weakest works are those that lose the honest simplicity of its style in a forced turgidity and affected roughness。 His Heroes and Hero Worship or his French Revolution shows his distinctive style； and yet shows the influence of this simpler style； while his Frederick the Great is almost impossible because he has given full play to his broken and disconnected sentences。 On the other hand； Macaulay fails us most in his striving for effect； making nice balance of sentences； straining his 〃either…or；〃 or his 〃while…one…was…doing…this…the…other…was… doing…that。〃 Then his sentences grow involved； and his paragraphs lengthen； and he swings away from the style of the King James version。 〃One can say that if any writing departs very far from the characteristics of the English Bible it is not good English writing。〃
＇1＇ Atlantic Monthly； May； 1900； p。 684。
The second element which English literature finds in the Bible is its LANGUAGE。 The words of the Bible are the familiar ones of the English tongue； and have been kept familiar by the use of the Bible。 The result is that 〃the path of literature lies parallel to that of religion。 They are old and dear companions； brethren indeed of one blood； not always agreeing； to be sure； squabbling rather in true brotherly fashion now and then； occasionally falling out very seriously and bitterly； but still interdependent and necessary to each other。〃＇1＇ Years ago a writer remarked that every student of English literature； or of English speech； finds three works or subjects referred to； or quoted from； more frequently than others。 These are the Bible； tales of Greek and Roman mythology； and Aesop's Fables。 Of these three； certainly the Bible furnishes the largest number of references。 There is reason for that。 A writer wants an audience。 Very few men can claim to be independent of the public for which they write。 There is nothing the public will be more apt to understand and appreciate quickly than a passing reference to the English Bible。 So it comes about that when Dickens is describing the injustice of the Murdstones to little David Copperfield； he can put the whole matter before us in a parenthesis： 〃Though there was One once who set a child in the midst of the disciples。〃 Dickens knew that his readers would at once catch the meaning of that reference； and would feel the contrast between the scene he was describing and that
