study of the king james bible(钦印〈圣经〉研究)-第32节
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
as he has gotten farther from it； and loyalty to it has strengthened any one
of them。
Turn now to the American group of writers。 If we except theological
writers with Jonathan Edwards； Horace Bushnell； Henry Ward Beecher；
and their like； and political writers with Jefferson； Webster； and their like；
the list need not be a long one。 Only one writer in our narrower sense of
literature must be named in the earlier dayBenjamin Franklin。 In the
period before the Civil War must be named Edgar Allan Poe （died 1849）
and Washington Irving （died 1859）。 The Civil War group is the large one；
and its names are those of the later group as well。 Let them be alphabetical；
for convenience： William Cullen Bryant； poet and critic； George William
Curtis； essayist and editor； Emerson； our noblest name in the sphere of
pure essay literature； Hawthorne； the novelist of conscience； as Socrates
was its philosopher； Oliver Wendell Holmes； whose 〃two chief hatreds
were orthodoxy in religion and heterodoxy in medicine〃； James Russell
Lowell； essayist and poet； apt to live by his essays rather than by his
poetry； Longfellow； whose 〃Psalm of Life〃 and 〃Hiawatha〃 have lived
through as much parody and ridicule as any two bits of literature extant；
and have lived because they are predestined to live； Thoreau； whose
Walden may show； as Lowell said； how much can be done on little capital；
but which has the real literary tang to it； and Whittier； whose poetry is
sung the world around。
That makes only twelve names from Franklin to Whittier。 Others could
be included； but they are not so great as these。 No one of these could be
taken out of our literature without affecting it and； in some degree at least；
changing the current of it。 This is not to forget Bret Harte nor Samuel L。
Clemens。 But each is dependent for his survival on a taste for a certain
101
… Page 102…
Study of the King James Bible
kind of humor； not delicate like Irving's and Holmes's； but strong and
sudden and a bit sharp。 If we should forget the 〃Luck of Roaring Camp；〃
〃Truthful James；〃 and the 〃Heathen Chinee；〃 we would also forget Bret
Harte。 We are not apt to forget Tom Sawyer； nor perhaps The Innocents
Abroad； but we are forgetting much else of Mark Twain。 Whitman is not
named。 His claims are familiar； but in spite of his admirers he seems so
charged with a sensuous egotism that he is not apt to be a formative
influence in literary history。 It is still interesting； however； to remember
how frequently he reveals his reading of Scripture。
Fortunately； all these writers are so near； and their work is so familiar；
that details regarding them are not needed。 Two or three general words can
be said。 In the first place； observe the high moral tone of all these first…
grade writers； and； indeed； of the others who may be spoken of as in
second rank。 There is not a meretricious or humiliating book in the whole
collection。 There is not one book which has lived in American literature
which has the tone of Fielding's Tom Jones。 Whether it is that the Puritan
strain continues in us or not； it is true that the American literary public has
not taken happily to stories that would bring a blush in public reading。
Professor Richardson； of Dartmouth； gives some clue to the reason of that。
He says that 〃since 1870 or 1880 in America there has been a marked
increase of strength of theistic and spiritual belief and argument among
scientific men； students of philosophy； religious 'radicals；' and others。〃 He
adds that while much contemporary American literature and thought is
outside the accepted orthodox lines； yet 〃it is not hostile to Christianity； to
the principles of its Founder it is for the most part sincerely attached。 On
the other hand； materialism has scarcely any hold upon it。〃 Then follows a
very notable sentence which is sustained by the facts： 〃Not an American
book of the first class has ever been written by an atheist or denier of
immortality。〃 That sentence need not offend an admirer of Walt Whitman；
for he 〃accepts both theism and the doctrine of the future life。〃 American
thought has remained loyal to the great Trinity； God； Freedom； and
Immortality。 So it comes about that while there are a number of these
writers who could be put under the ban of the strongly orthodox in religion；
every one of them shows the effect of early training in religion and in the
102
… Page 103…
Study of the King James Bible
Scripture。＇1＇
＇1＇ This is fully worked out in Professor Richardson's American
Literature； with ample illustration and argument。
Another thing to be said is that America has a unique history among
great nations in that it has never been affected by any great religious
influence except that which has issued from the Scriptures。 No religion has
ever been influential in America except Christianity。 For many years there
have been sporadic and spasmodic efforts to extend the influence of
Buddhism or other Indian cults。 They have never been successful； because
the American spirit is practical； and not meditative。 We are not an
introspective people。 We do not look within ourselves for our religion。
Whatever moral and religious influence our literature shows gets back first
or last to our Scriptures。 The point of view of nature that is taken by our
writers like Bryant and Thoreau is that of the Nineteenth Psalm。 Moreover；
we have been strongly under the English influence。 Irving insisted that we
ought to be； that we were a young nation； that we ought frankly to follow
the leadership of more experienced writers。 Longfellow thought we had
gone too far that way； and that our poets； at least； ought to be more
independent； ought to write in the spirit of America and not of traditional
poetry。 Whether we ought to have yielded to it or not； it is true that English
influence has told very strongly upon us； and the writers who have
influenced our writers most have been those whom we have named as
being themselves under the Bible influence。
We need not go into detail about these writers； though they are most
attractive。 Bryant did for us what Wordsworth did for England。 He made
nature seem vocal。 〃Thanatopsis〃 is not a Christian poem in the narrow
sense of the word； and yet it could hardly have been written except under
Christian influence。 His own genial； beautiful character was itself a tribute
to Christian civilization； and his life； as critic and essayist； has left an
impression which we shall not soon lose。 Professor Richardson thinks that
the three problematical characters in American literature are Emerson；
Hawthorne； and Poe。 The shrewdest estimate of Poe that has ever been
given us is in Lowell's Fable for Critics：
〃There comes Poe with his raven like Barnaby Rudge；
103
… Page 104…
Study of the King James Bible
Three…fifths of him genius； and two…fifths sheer fudge； Who has
written some things quite the best of their kind； But the heart
somehow seems all squeezed out by the mind。〃
That says it exactly。 Poe knew many horrible situations； but he did not
know the way out； and of all our American writers laying claim to place in
the first class Poe shows least influence of the Bible； and apparently needs
it most。
Irving was the first American writer who stood high enough to be seen
across the water。 Thackeray's most beautiful essay is on Irving and
Macaulay； who died just one month apart。 In it he describes Irving as the
best intermediary between the nations； telling us Americans that the
English are still human； and assuring the English that Americans
