letters on literature-第12节

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Acheron。



It　is　an　almost　intolerable　philosophy；　the　philosophy　of　eternal

sleep；　without　dreams　and　without　awakening。　　This　belief　is　wholly

divorced　from　joy；　which　inspires　all　the　best　art。　　This　negation

of　hope　has　〃close…lipped　Patience　for　its　only　friend。〃



In　vain　does　Lucretius　paint　pictures　of　life　and　Nature　so　large；

so　glowing；　so　majestic　that　they　remind　us　of　nothing　but　the　〃Fete

Champetre〃　of　Giorgione；　in　the　Louvre。　　All　that　life　is　a　thing　we

must　leave　soon；　and　forever；　and　must　be　hopelessly　lapped　in　an

eternity　of　blind　silence。　　〃I　shall　let　men　see　the　certain　end　of

all；〃　he　cries；　〃then　will　they　resist　religion；　and　the　threats　of

priests　and　prophets。〃　　But　this　〃certain　end〃　is　exactly　what

mortals　do　not　desire　to　see。　　To　this　sleep　they　prefer　even

tenebras　Orci；　vastasque　lacunas。



They　will　not　be　deprived　of　gods；　〃the　friends　of　man；　merciful

gods；　compassionate。〃　　They　will　not　turn　from　even　a　faint　hope　in

those　to　the　Lucretian　deities　in　their　endless　and　indifferent

repose　and　divine　〃delight　in　immortal　and　peaceful　life；　far；　far

away　from　us　and　ourslife　painless　and　fearless；　needing　nothing

we　can　give；　replete　with　its　own　wealth；　unmoved　by　prayer　and

promise；　untouched　by　anger。〃



Do　you　remember　that　hymn；　as　one　may　call　it；　of　Lucretius　to

Death；　to　Death　which　does　not　harm　us。　　〃For　as　we　knew　no　hurt　of

old；　in　ages　when　the　Carthaginian　thronged　against　us　in　war；　and

the　world　was　shaken　with　the　shock　of　fight；　and　dubious　hung　the

empire　over　all　things　mortal　by　sea　and　land；　even　so　careless；　so

unmoved；　shall　we　remain；　in　days　when　we　shall　no　more　exist；　when

the　bond　of　body　and　soul　that　makes　our　life　is　broken。　　Then

naught　shall　move　us；　nor　wake　a　single　sense；　not　though　earth　with

sea　be　mingled；　and　sea　with　sky。〃　　There　is　no　hell；　he　cries；　or；

like　Omar；　he　says；　〃Hell　is　the　vision　of　a　soul　on　fire。〃



Your　true　Tityus；　gnawed　by　the　vulture；　is　only　the　slave　of

passion　and　of　love；　your　true　Sisyphus　（like　Lord　Salisbury　in

Punch）　is　only　the　politician；　striving　always；　never　attaining；　the

stone　rolls　down　again　from　the　hill…crest；　and　thunders　far　along

the　plain。



Thus　his　philosophy；　which　gives　him　such　a　delightful　sense　of

freedom；　is　rejected　after　all　these　years　of　trial　by　men。　　They

feel　that　since　those　remotest　days





〃Quum　Venus　in　silvis　jungebat　corpora　amantum；〃





they　have　travelled　the　long；　the　weary　way　Lucretius　describes　to

little　avail；　if　they　may　not　keep　their　hopes　and　fears。　　Robbed　of

these　we　are　robbed　of　all；　it　serves　us　nothing　to　have　conquered

the　soil　and　fought　the　winds　and　waves；　to　have　built　cities；　and

tamed　fire；　if　the　world　is　to　be　〃dispeopled　of　its　dreams。〃

Better　were　the　old　life　we　started　from；　and　dreams　therewith；

better　the　free　days　…





〃Novitas　tum　florida　mundi

Pabula　dia　tulit；　miseris　mortablibus　ampla；〃





than　wealth　or　power；　and　neither　hope　nor　fear；　but　one　certain　end

of　all　before　the　eyes　of　all。



Thus　the　heart　of　man　has　answered；　and　will　answer　Lucretius；　the

noblest　Roman　poet；　and　the　least　beloved；　who　sought；　at　last；　by

his　own　hand；　they　say；　the　doom　that　Virgil　waited　for　in　the

season　appointed。







TO　A　YOUNG　AMERICAN　BOOK…HUNTER







To　Philip　Dodsworth；　Esq。；　New　York。



Dear　Dodsworth；Let　me　congratulate　you　on　having　joined　the　army

of　book…hunters。　　〃Everywhere　have　I　sought　peace　and　found　it

nowhere；〃　says　the　blessed　Thomas　e　Kempis；　〃save　in　a　corner　with　a

book。〃　　Whether　that　good　monk　wrote　the　〃De　Imitatione　Christi〃　or

not；　one　always　likes　him　for　his　love　of　books。　　Perhaps　he　was　the

only　book…hunter　that　ever　wrought　a　miracle。　　〃Other　signs　and

miracles　which　he　was　wont　to　tell　as　having　happened　at　the　prayer

of　an　unnamed　person；　are　believed　to　have　been　granted　to　his　own；

such　as　the　sudden　reappearance　of　a　lost　book　in　his　cell。〃　　Ah；　if

Faith；　that　moveth　mountains；　could　only　bring　back　the　books　we

have　lost；　the　books　that　have　been　borrowed　from　us！　　But　we　are　a

faithless　generation。



From　a　collector　so　much　older　and　better　experienced　in　misfortune

than　yourself；　you　ask　for　some　advice　on　the　sport　of　book…hunting。

Well；　I　will　give　it；　but　you　will　not　take　it。　　No；　you　will　hunt

wild；　like　young　pointers　before　they　are　properly　broken。



Let　me　suppose　that　you　are　〃to　middle　fortune　born；〃　and　that　you

cannot　stroll　into　the　great　book…marts　and　give　your　orders　freely

for　all　that　is　rich　and　rare。　　You　are　obliged　to　wait　and　watch　an

opportunity；　to　practise　that　maxim　of　the　Stoic's；　〃Endure　and

abstain。〃　　Then　abstain　from　rushing　at　every　volume；　however　out　of

the　line　of　your　literary　interests；　which　seems　to　be　a　bargain。

Probably　it　is　not　even　a　bargain；　it　can　seldom　be　cheap　to　you；　if

you　do　not　need　it；　and　do　not　mean　to　read　it。



Not　that　any　collector　reads　all　his　books。　　I　may　have；　and　indeed

do　possess；　an　Aldine　Homer　and　Caliergus　his　Theocritus；　but　I

prefer　to　study　the　authors　in　a　cheap　German　edition。　　The　old

editions　we　buy　mainly　for　their　beauty；　and　the　sentiment　of　their

antiquity　and　their　associations。



But　I　don't　take　my　own　advice。　　The　shelves　are　crowded　with　books

quite　out　of　my　linea　whole　small　library　of　tomes　on　the　pastime

of　curling；　and　I　don't　curl；　and　〃God's　Revenge　against　Murther；〃

though　（so　far）　I　am　not　an　assassin。　　Probably　it　was　for　love　of

Sir　Walter　Scott；　and　his　mention　of　this　truculent　treatise；　that　I

purchased　it。　　The　full　title　of　it　is　〃The　Triumphs　of　God's

Revenge　against　the　Crying　and　Execrable　Sinne　of　（willful　and

premeditated）　Murther。〃　　Or　rather　there　is　nearly　a　column　more　of

title；　which　I　spare　you。　　But　the　pictures　are　so　bad　as　to　be

nearly　worth　the　price。　　Do　not　waste　your　money；　like　your　foolish

adviser；　on　books　like　that；　or　on　〃Les　Sept　Visions　de　Don

Francisco　de　Quevedo；〃　published　at　Cologne；　in　1682。



Why　in　the　world　did　I　purchase　this；　with　the　title…page　showing

Quevedo　asleep；　and　all　his　seven　visions　floating　round　him　in

little　circles　like　soap…bubbles？　　Probably　because　the　book　was

published　by　Clement　Malassis；　and　perhaps　he　was　a　forefather　of

that　whimsical　Frenchman；　Poulet　Malassis；　who　published　for

Banville；　and　Baudelaire；　and　Charles　Asselineau。　　It　was　a　bad

reason。　　More　likely　the　mere　cheapness　attracted　me。



Curiosity；　not　cheapness；　assuredly；　betrayed　me　into　another

purchase。　　If　I　want　to　read　〃The　Pilgrim's　Progress；〃　of　course　I

read　it　in　John　Bunyan's　good　English。　　Then　why　must　I　ruin　myself

to　acquire　〃Voyage　d'un　Chrestien　vers　l'Eternite。　　Ecrit　en

Anglois；　par　Monsieur　Bunjan；　F。M。；　en　Bedtfort；　et　nouvellement

traduit　en　Francois。　　Avec　Figures。　　A　Amsterdam；　chez　Jean　Boekholt

Libraire　pres　de　la　Bourse；　1685〃？　　I　suppose　this　is　the　oldest

French　version　of　the　famed　allegory。　　Do　you　know　an　older？　　Bunyan

was　still　living　and；　indeed；　had　just　published　the　second　part　of

the　book；　about　Christian's　wife　and　children；　and　the　deplorable

young　woman　whose　name　was　Dull。



As　the　little　volume；　the　Elzevir　size；　is　bound　in　blue　morocco；　by

Cuzin；　I　hope　it　is　not　wholly　a　foolish　bargain；　but　what　do　I

want；　after　all；　with　a　French　〃Pilgrim's　Progress〃？　　These　are　the

errors　a　man　is　always　making　who　does　not　collect　books　with

system；　with　a　conscience　and　an　aim。



Do　have　a　specially。　　Make　a　collection　of　works　on　few　subjects；

well　chosen。　　And　what　subjects　shall　they　be？　　That　depends　on

taste。　　Probably　it　is　well　to　avoid　the　latest　fashion。　　For

example；　the　illustrated　French　books　of　the　eighteenth　century　are；

at　this　moment；　en　hausse。　　There　is　a　〃boom〃　in　them。　　Fifty　years

ago　Brunet；　the　author　of　the　great　〃Manuel；〃　sneered　at　them。　　But；

in　his；　〃Library　Companion；〃　Dr。　Dibdin；　admitted　their　merit。　　The

illustrations　by　Gravelot；　Moreau；　Marillier；　and　the　rest；　are

certainly　delicate；　graceful；　full　of　character；　stamped　with　style。

But　only　the　proofs　before　letters　are　very　much　valued；　and　for

these　wild　prices　are　given　by　competitive　millionaires。　　You　cannot

compete　with　them。



It　is　better　wholly　to　turn　the　back　on　these　books　and　on　any

others　at　the　height　of　the　fashion；　unless　you　meet　them　for

fourpence　on　a　stall。　　Even　then　should　a　gentleman　take　advantage

of　a　poor　bookseller's　ignorance？　　I　don't　know。　　I　never　fell　into

the　temptation；　because　I　never　was　tempted。　　Bargains；　real

bargains；　are　so　rare　that　you　may　hunt　for　a　lifetime　and　never

meet　one。



The　best　plan　for　a　man　who　has　to　see　that　his　collection　is　worth

what　it　cost　him；　is　probably　to　confine　one's　self　to　a　single

line；　say；　in　your　case；　first　editions　of　new　English；　French；　and

American　books　that　are　likely　to　rise　in　value。　　I　would　try；　were

I　you；　to