letters on literature-第14节

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tardy　apish　nation〃　took　thirty…three　years　in　finding　them　out　and

appropriating　them。　　This；　too；　is　good：　　〃If　we　were　faultless；　we

would　observe　with　less　pleasure　the　faults　of　others。〃　　Indeed；　to

observe　these　with　pleasure　is　not　the　least　of　our　faults。　　Again；

〃We　are　never　so　happy；　nor　so　wretched；　as　we　suppose。〃　　It　is　our

vanity；　perhaps；　that　makes　us　think　ourselves　miserrimi。



Do　you　rememberno；　you　don'tthat　meeting　in　〃Candide〃　of　the

unfortunate　Cunegonde　and　the　still　more　unfortunate　old　lady　who

was　the　daughter　of　a　Pope？　　〃You　lament　your　fate；〃　said　the　old

lady；　〃alas；　you　have　known　no　such　sorrows　as　mine！〃　　〃What！　my

good　woman！〃　says　Cunegonde。　　〃Unless　you　have　been　maltreated　by

two　Bulgarians；　received　two　stabs　from　a　knife；　had　two　of　your

castles　burned　over　your　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。〃　　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　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。〃







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　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　that　could　never　tire；

Over　the　foam…flowers　flying；　with　halcyons　ever　on　wing；

Keeping　a　careless　heart；　a　sea…blue　bird　of　the　spring。〃





It　does　not　quite　give　the　sense　Alcman　intended；　the　lament　for　his

limbs　weary　with　old　agewith　old　age　sadder　for　the　sight　of　the

honey…voiced　girls。



The　Greeks　had　not　the　kind　of　society　that　is　the　home　of　〃Society

Verses；〃　where；　as　Mr。　Locker　says；　〃a　boudoir　decorum　is；　or　ought

always　to　be；　preserved；　where　sentiment　never　surges　into　passion；

and　where　humour　never　overflows　into　boisterous　merriment。〃　　Honest

women　were　estranged　from　their　mirth　and　their　melancholy。



The　Romans　were　little　more　fortunate。　　You　cannot　expect　the　genius

of　Catullus　not　to　〃surge　into　passion；〃　even　in　his　hours　of　gayer

song；　composed　when





Multum　lusimus　in　meis　tabellis；