don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第107节

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write　a　book　of　chivalry　in　which　all　the　points　I　have　mentioned　were
to　be　observed；　and　if　I　must　own　the　truth　I　have　more　than　a　hundred
sheets　written；　and　to　try　if　it　came　up　to　my　own　opinion　of　it；　I
showed　them　to　persons　who　were　fond　of　this　kind　of　reading；　to
learned　and　intelligent　men　as　well　as　to　ignorant　people　who　cared
for　nothing　but　the　pleasure　of　listening　to　nonsense；　and　from　all
I　obtained　flattering　approval；　nevertheless　I　proceeded　no　farther
with　it；　as　well　because　it　seemed　to　me　an　occupation　inconsistent
with　my　profession；　as　because　I　perceived　that　the　fools　are　more
numerous　than　the　wise；　and；　though　it　is　better　to　be　praised　by
the　wise　few　than　applauded　by　the　foolish　many；　I　have　no　mind　to
submit　myself　to　the　stupid　judgment　of　the　silly　public；　to　whom
the　reading　of　such　books　falls　for　the　most　part。
　　〃But　what　most　of　all　made　me　hold　my　hand　and　even　abandon　all　idea
of　finishing　it　was　an　argument　I　put　to　myself　taken　from　the　plays
that　are　acted　now…a…days；　which　was　in　this　wise：　if　those　that　are
now　in　vogue；　as　well　those　that　are　pure　invention　as　those　founded
on　history；　are；　all　or　most　of　them；　downright　nonsense　and　things
that　have　neither　head　nor　tail；　and　yet　the　public　listens　to　them
with　delight；　and　regards　and　cries　them　up　as　perfection　when　they
are　so　far　from　it；　and　if　the　authors　who　write　them；　and　the　players
who　act　them；　say　that　this　is　what　they　must　be；　for　the　public　wants
this　and　will　have　nothing　else；　and　that　those　that　go　by　rule　and
work　out　a　plot　according　to　the　laws　of　art　will　only　find　some
half…dozen　intelligent　people　to　understand　them；　while　all　the　rest
remain　blind　to　the　merit　of　their　composition；　and　that　for
themselves　it　is　better　to　get　bread　from　the　many　than　praise　from
the　few；　then　my　book　will　fare　the　same　way；　after　I　have　burnt　off
my　eyebrows　in　trying　to　observe　the　principles　I　have　spoken　of；
and　I　shall　be　'the　tailor　of　the　corner。'　And　though　I　have　sometimes
endeavoured　to　convince　actors　that　they　are　mistaken　in　this　notion
they　have　adopted；　and　that　they　would　attract　more　people；　and　get
more　credit；　by　producing　plays　in　accordance　with　the　rules　of　art；
than　by　absurd　ones；　they　are　so　thoroughly　wedded　to　their　own
opinion　that　no　argument　or　evidence　can　wean　them　from　it。
　　〃I　remember　saying　one　day　to　one　of　these　obstinate　fellows；
'Tell　me；　do　you　not　recollect　that　a　few　years　ago；　there　were
three　tragedies　acted　in　Spain；　written　by　a　famous　poet　of　these
kingdoms；　which　were　such　that　they　filled　all　who　heard　them　with
admiration；　delight；　and　interest；　the　ignorant　as　well　as　the　wise；
the　masses　as　well　as　the　higher　orders；　and　brought　in　more　money
to　the　performers；　these　three　alone；　than　thirty　of　the　best　that
have　been　since　produced？'
　　〃'No　doubt；'　replied　the　actor　in　question；　'you　mean　the
〃Isabella；〃　the　〃Phyllis；〃　and　the　〃Alexandra。〃'
　　〃'Those　are　the　ones　I　mean；'　said　I；　'and　see　if　they　did　not
observe　the　principles　of　art；　and　if；　by　observing　them；　they
failed　to　show　their　superiority　and　please　all　the　world；　so　that　the
fault　does　not　lie　with　the　public　that　insists　upon　nonsense；　but
with　those　who　don't　know　how　to　produce　something　else。　〃The
Ingratitude　Revenged〃　was　not　nonsense；　nor　was　there　any　in　〃The
Numantia；〃　nor　any　to　be　found　in　〃The　Merchant　Lover；〃　nor　yet　in
〃The　Friendly　Fair　Foe；〃　nor　in　some　others　that　have　been　written
by　certain　gifted　poets；　to　their　own　fame　and　renown；　and　to　the
profit　of　those　that　brought　them　out；'　some　further　remarks　I　added
to　these；　with　which；　I　think；　I　left　him　rather　dumbfoundered；　but
not　so　satisfied　or　convinced　that　I　could　disabuse　him　of　his　error。〃
　　〃You　have　touched　upon　a　subject；　senor　canon；〃　observed　the
curate　here；　〃that　has　awakened　an　old　enmity　I　have　against　the　plays
in　vogue　at　the　present　day；　quite　as　strong　as　that　which　I　bear　to
the　books　of　chivalry；　for　while　the　drama；　according　to　Tully；　should
be　the　mirror　of　human　life；　the　model　of　manners；　and　the　image　of
the　truth；　those　which　are　presented　now…a…days　are　mirrors　of
nonsense；　models　of　folly；　and　images　of　lewdness。　For　what　greater
nonsense　can　there　be　in　connection　with　what　we　are　now　discussing
than　for　an　infant　to　appear　in　swaddling　clothes　in　the　first　scene
of　the　first　act；　and　in　the　second　a　grown…up　bearded　man？　Or　what
greater　absurdity　can　there　be　than　putting　before　us　an　old　man　as
a　swashbuckler；　a　young　man　as　a　poltroon；　a　lackey　using　fine
language；　a　page　giving　sage　advice；　a　king　plying　as　a　porter；　a
princess　who　is　a　kitchen…maid？　And　then　what　shall　I　say　of　their
attention　to　the　time　in　which　the　action　they　represent　may　or　can
take　place；　save　that　I　have　seen　a　play　where　the　first　act　began
in　Europe；　the　second　in　Asia；　the　third　finished　in　Africa；　and　no
doubt；　had　it　been　in　four　acts；　the　fourth　would　have　ended　in
America；　and　so　it　would　have　been　laid　in　all　four　quarters　of　the
globe？　And　if　truth　to　life　is　the　main　thing　the　drama　should　keep　in
view；　how　is　it　possible　for　any　average　understanding　to　be　satisfied
when　the　action　is　supposed　to　pass　in　the　time　of　King　Pepin　or
Charlemagne；　and　the　principal　personage　in　it　they　represent　to　be
the　Emperor　Heraclius　who　entered　Jerusalem　with　the　cross　and　won　the
Holy　Sepulchre；　like　Godfrey　of　Bouillon；　there　being　years
innumerable　between　the　one　and　the　other？　or；　if　the　play　is　based　on
fiction　and　historical　facts　are　introduced；　or　bits　of　what
occurred　to　different　people　and　at　different　times　mixed　up　with
it；　all；　not　only　without　any　semblance　of　probability；　but　with
obvious　errors　that　from　every　point　of　view　are　inexcusable？　And
the　worst　of　it　is；　there　are　ignorant　people　who　say　that　this　is
perfection；　and　that　anything　beyond　this　is　affected　refinement。
And　then　if　we　turn　to　sacred　dramas…　what　miracles　they　invent　in
them！　What　apocryphal；　ill…devised　incidents；　attributing　to　one　saint
the　miracles　of　another！　And　even　in　secular　plays　they　venture　to
introduce　miracles　without　any　reason　or　object　except　that　they　think
some　such　miracle；　or　transformation　as　they　call　it；　will　come　in
well　to　astonish　stupid　people　and　draw　them　to　the　play。　All　this
tends　to　the　prejudice　of　the　truth　and　the　corruption　of　history；　nay
more；　to　the　reproach　of　the　wits　of　Spain；　for　foreigners　who
scrupulously　observe　the　laws　of　the　drama　look　upon　us　as　barbarous
and　ignorant；　when　they　see　the　absurdity　and　nonsense　of　the　plays　we
produce。　Nor　will　it　be　a　sufficient　excuse　to　say　that　the　chief
object　well…ordered　governments　have　in　view　when　they　permit　plays　to
be　performed　in　public　is　to　entertain　the　people　with　some　harmless
amusement　occasionally；　and　keep　it　from　those　evil　humours　which
idleness　is　apt　to　engender；　and　that；　as　this　may　be　attained　by
any　sort　of　play；　good　or　bad；　there　is　no　need　to　lay　down　laws；　or
bind　those　who　write　or　act　them　to　make　them　as　they　ought　to　be
made；　since；　as　I　say；　the　object　sought　for　may　be　secured　by　any
sort。　To　this　I　would　reply　that　the　same　end　would　be；　beyond　all
comparison；　better　attained　by　means　of　good　plays　than　by　those
that　are　not　so；　for　after　listening　to　an　artistic　and　properly
constructed　play；　the　hearer　will　come　away　enlivened　by　the　jests；
instructed　by　the　serious　parts；　full　of　admiration　at　the
incidents；　his　wits　sharpened　by　the　arguments；　warned　by　the
tricks；　all　the　wiser　for　the　examples；　inflamed　against　vice；　and
in　love　with　virtue；　for　in　all　these　ways　a　good　play　will
stimulate　the　mind　of　the　hearer　be　he　ever　so　boorish　or　dull；　and　of
all　impossibilities　the　greatest　is　that　a　play　endowed　with　all　these
qualities　will　not　entertain；　satisfy；　and　please　much　more　than　one
wanting　in　them；　like　the　greater　number　of　those　which　are　commonly
acted　now…a…days。　Nor　are　the　poets　who　write　them　to　be　blamed　for
this；　for　some　there　are　among　them　who　are　perfectly　well　aware　of
their　faults；　and　know　what　they　ought　to　do；　but　as　plays　have　become
a　salable　commodity；　they　say；　and　with　truth；　that　the　actors　will
not　buy　them　unless　they　are　after　this　fashion；　and　so　the　poet　tries
to　adapt　himself　to　the　requirements　of　the　actor　who　is　to　pay　him
for　his　work。　And　that　this　is　the　truth　may　be　seen　by　the
countless　plays　that　a　most　fertile　wit　of　these　kingdoms　has　written；
with　so　much　brilliancy；　so　much　grace　and　gaiety；　such　polished
versification；　such　choice　language；　such　profound　reflections；　and　in
a　word；　so　rich　in　eloquence　and　elevation　of　style；　that　he　has
filled　the　world　with　his　fame；　and　yet；　in　consequence　of　his
desire　to　suit　the　taste　of　the　actors；　they　have　not　all；　as　some
of　them　have；　come　as　near　perfection　as　they　ought。　Others　write
plays　with　such　heedlessness　that；　after　they　have　been　acted；　the
actors　have　to　fly　and　abscond；　afraid　of　being　punished；　as　they
often　have　been；　for　having　acted　something　offensive　to　some　king
or　other；　or　insulting　to　some　noble　family。　All　which　evils；　and　many
more　that　I　say　nothing　of；　would　be　removed　if