study of the king james bible(钦印〈圣经〉研究)-第24节
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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
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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 simple scene。 Take any of the great books of literature and black
out the phrases which manifestly come directly from the English Bible；
and you would mark them beyond recovery。
＇1＇ Chapman； English Literature in Account with Religion。
But English literature has found more of its material in the Bible than
anything else。 It has looked there for its characters； its illustrations； its
subject…matter。 We shall see； as we consider individual writers； how many
of their titles and complete works are suggested by the Bible。 It is
interesting to see how one idea of the Scripture will appear and reappear
among many writers。 Take one illustration。 The Faust story is an effort to
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make concrete one verse of Scripture： 〃What shall it profit a man if he
shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul？〃 Professor Moulton
reminds us that the Faust legend appeared first in the Middle Ages。 In
early English； Marlowe has it； Calderon put it into Spanish； the most
familiar form of it is Goethe's； while Philip Bailey has called his account
of it Festus。 In each of those forms the same idea occurs。 A man sells his
soul to the devil for the gaining of what is to him the world。 That is one of
a good many ideas which the Bible has given to literature。 The prodigal
son has been another prolific source of literary writing。 The guiding star is
another。 Others will readily come to mind。
With that simple background let our minds move down the course of
literary history。 Style； language； materialwe will easily think how much
of each the Bible has given to all our great writers if their names are only
mentioned。 There are four groups of these writers。
1。 The Jacobean； who wrote when and just after our version was made。
2。 The Georgian； who graced the reigns of the kings whose name the
period bears。
3。 The Victorian。
4。 The American。
There is an attractive fifth group comprising our present…day workers
in the realm of pure literature； but we must omit them and give our
attention to names that are starred。
It is familiar that in the time of Elizabeth； 〃England became a nest of
singing birds。〃 In the fifty years after the first English theater was erected；
the middle of Elizabeth's reign； fifty dramatic poets appeared； many of the
first order。 Some were distinctly irreligious； as were many of the people
whose lives they touched。 Such men as Ford； Marlowe； Massinger；
Webster； Beaumont； and Fletcher stand like a chorus around Shakespeare
and Ben Jonson as leaders。 As Taine puts it： 〃They sing the same piece
together； and at times the chorus is equal to the solo； but only at times。〃＇1＇
Cultured people to…day know the names of most of these writers； but not
much else； and it does not heavily serve our argument to say that they felt
the Puritan influence； but they all did feel it either directly or by reaction。
＇1＇ History of English Literature； chap。 iii。
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Edmund Spenser and his friend； Sir Philip Sidney； had closed their
work before the King James version appeared； yet the Faerie Queene in its
religious theory is Puritan to the core； and Sidney is best remembered by
his paraphrases of Scripture。 The influence of both was even greater in the
Jacobean than in their own period。
It is hardly fair even to note the Elizabethan Shakespeare as under the
influence of the King James version。 The Bible influenced him markedly；
but it was the Genevan version prepared during the exile of the scholars
under Bloody Mary； or the Bishops' Bible prepared under Elizabeth。 Those
versions were familiar as household facts to him。 〃No writer has
assimilated the thoughts and reproduced the words of Holy Scripture more
copiously than Shakespeare。〃 Dr。 Furnivall says that 〃he is saturated with
the Bible story；〃 and a century ago Capel Lloft said quaintly that
Shakespeare 〃had deeply imbibed the Scriptures
