the flower of the mind(脑之花)-第5节
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THE PULLEY
An editor is greatly tempted to mend a word in these exquisite verses。
George Herbert was maladroit in using the word 〃rest〃 in two senses。
〃Peace〃 is not quite so characteristic a word； but it ought to take the place
of 〃rest〃 in the last line of the second stanza； so then the first line of the
last stanza would not have this rather distressing ambiguity。 The poem is
otherwise perfect beyond description。
MISERY
George Herbert's work is so perfectly a box where thoughts
〃compacted lie；〃 that no one is moved； in reading his rich poetry； to detach
a line； so fine and so significant are its neighbours； nevertheless； it may be
well to stop the reader at such a lovely passage as this …
〃He was a garden in a Paradise。〃
THE ROSE
There is nothing else of Waller's fine enough to be admitted here； and
even this； though unquestionably a beautiful poem； elastic in words and
fresh in feeling； despite its wearied argument； is of the third…class。
Greatness seems generally； in the arts； to be of two kinds； and the third
rank is less than great。 The wearied argument of The Rose is the almost
squalid plea of all the poets； from Ronsard to Herrick： 〃Time is short； they
make the better bargain who make haste to love。〃 This thrifty business and
essentially cold impatience wastime out of mindunknown to the truer
love； it is larger； illiberal； untender； and without all dignity。 The poets were
wrong to give their verses the message of so sorry a warning。 There is
only one thing that persuades you to forgive the paltry plea of the poet that
time is briefand that is the charming reflex glimpse it gives of her to
whom the rose and the verse were sent； and who had not thought that time
was brief。
L'ALLEGRO
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The sock represents the stage； in L'Allegro； for comedy； and the
buskin； in Il Penseroso； for tragedy。 Milton seems to think the comic
drama in England needs no apology； but he hesitates at the tragic。 The poet
of King Lear is named for his sweetness and his wood…notes wild。
IL PENSEROSO
It is too late to protest against Milton's display of weak Italian。
Pensieroso is； of course； what he should have written。
LYCIDAS
Most of the allusions in Lycidas need no explaining to readers of
poetry。 The geography is that of the western coasts from furthest north to
Cornwall。 Deva is the Dee； 〃the great vision〃 means the apparition of the
Archangel； St。 Michael； at St。 Michael's Mount； Namancos and Bayona
face the mount from the continental coast； Bellerus stands for Belerium；
the Land's End。
Arethusa and MinciusSicilian and Italian streamsrepresent the
pastoral poetry of Theocritus and Virgil。
ON A PRAYER…BOOK
〃Fair and flagrant things〃Crashaw's own phrasemight serve for a
brilliant and fantastic praise and protest in description of his own verses。
In the last century； despite the opinion of a few； and despite the fact that
Pope took possession of Crashaw's line …
〃Obedient slumbers that can wake and weep；〃
and for some time of the present century； the critics had a wintry word
to blame him with。 They said of George Herbert； of Lovelace； of Crashaw；
and of other light hearts of the seventeenth century not so much that their
inspiration was in bad taste； as that no reader of taste could suffer them。 A
better opinion on that company of poets is that they had a taste
extraordinarily liberal； generous； and elastic； but not essentially lax： taste
that gave now and then too much room to play； but anon closed with the
purest and exactest laws of temperance and measure。 The extravagance of
Crashaw is a far more lawful thing than the extravagance of Addison；
whom some believe to have committed none； moreover； Pope and all the
politer poets nursed something they were pleased to call a 〃rage；〃 and this
expatiated （to use another word of their own） beyond all bounds。 Of sheer
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voluntary extremes it is not in the seventeenth century conceit that we
should seek examples； but in an eighteenth century 〃rage。〃 A 〃noble rage；〃
properly provoked； could be backed to write more trash than fancy ever
tempted the half…incredulous sweet poet of the older time to run upon。 He
was fancy's child； and the bard of the eighteenth century was the child of
common sense with straws in his hairvainly arranged there。 The
eighteenth century was never content with a moderate mind； it invented
〃rage〃； it matched rage with a flagrant diction mingled of Latin words and
simple English words made vacant and ridiculous； and these were the
worst； it was resolved to be behind no century in passionnay； to show the
way； to fire the nations。 Addison taught himself； as his hero taught the
battle； 〃where to rage〃； and in the later years of the same literary age；
Johnson summoned the lapsed and absent fury； with no kind of misgiving
as to the resulting verse。 Take such a phrase as 〃the madded land〃； there；
indeed； is a word coined by the noble rage as the last century evoked it。
〃The madded land〃 is a phrase intended to prove that the law…giver of taste；
Johnson himself； could lodge the fury in his breast when opportunity
occurred。 〃And dubious title shakes the madded land。〃 It would be hard to
find anything； even in Addison； more flagrant and less fair。
Take The Weeper of Crashawhis most flagrant poem。 Its follies are
all sweet…humoured； they smile。 Its beauties are a quick and abundant
shower。 The delicate phrases are so mingled with the flagrant that it is
difficult to quote them without rousing that general sense of humour of
which any one may make a boast； and I am therefore shy even of citing
the 〃brisk cherub〃 who has early sipped the Saint's tear： 〃Then to his
music；〃 in Crashaw's divinely simple phrase； and his singing 〃tastes of this
breakfast all day long。〃 Sorrow is a queen； he cries to the Weeper； and
when sorrow would be seen in state； 〃then is she drest by none but thee。〃
Then you come upon the fancy； 〃Fountain and garden in one face。〃 All
places； times； and objects are 〃Thy tears' sweet opportunity。〃 If these
charming passages lurk in his worst poems； the reader of this anthology
will not be able to count them in his best。 In the Epiphany Hymn the
heavens have found means
'To disinherit the sun's rise； Delicately to displace The day； and plant it
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fairer in thy face。〃
To the Morning： Satisfaction for Sleep； is； all through； luminous。 It
would be difficult to find； even in the orient poetry of that time； more
daylight or more spirit。 True； an Elizabethan would not have had poetry so
rich as in Love's Horoscope； but yet an Elizabethan would have had it no
fresher。 The Hymn to St。 Teresa has the brevities which this poet
reproached with his longueurs masters so well。 He tells how the Spanish
girl； six years old； set out in search of death： 〃She's for the Moors and
Martyrdom。 Sweet； not so fast！〃 Of many contemporary songs in pursuit
of a fugitive Cupid； Crashaw's Cupid's Cryer： out of the Greek； is the most
dainty。 But if readers should be a little vexed with the poet's light heart and
perpetual pleasure； with the late ripeness of his sweetness； here； for their
satisfaction； is a passage capable of the great age that had lately closed
when Crashaw wrote。 It is in his summons to nature and art：
〃Come； and come strong； To the conspiracy of our spacious song！〃
I have been obliged to take courage to alter the reading of the
seventeenth and nineteenth lines of the Prayer…Book； so as to make them
intelligible； they had been obviously misprinted。 I have also found it
necessary to
