the unseen world and other essays-第37节
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inal autograph of this letter was to be seen in a library in Normandy！ M。 Berthoud wrote again； denying its existence； and offered a million francs to any one who would produce the said letter。〃
From this we may learn two lessons； the first being that utterly baseless but plausible stories may arise in queer ways。 In the above case； the most far…fetched hypothesis to account for the origin of the legend could hardly have been as apparently improbable as the reality。 Secondly； we may learn that if a myth once gets into the popular mind； it is next to impossible to get it out again。 In the Castle of Heidelberg there is a portrait of De Caus； and a folio volume of his works； accompanied by a note； in which this letter of Marion Delorme is unsuspectingly cited as genuine。 And only three years ago； at a public banquet at Limoges； a well…known French Senator and man of letters made a speech； in which he retailed the story of the madhouse for the edification of his hearers。 Truly a popular error has as many lives as a cat； it comes walking in long after you have imagined it effectually strangled。
In conclusion； we may remark that Mr。 Delepierre does very scant justice to many of the interesting questions which he discusses。 It is to be regretted that he has not thought it worth while to argue his points more thoroughly； and that he has not been more careful in making statements of fact。 He sometimes makes strange blunders； the worst of which； perhaps； is contained in his article on Petrarch and Laura。 He thinks Laura was merely a poetical allegory； and such was the case； he goes on to say； 〃with Dante himself； whose Beatrice was a child who died at nine years of age。〃 Dante's Beatrice died on the 9th of June； 1290； at the age of twenty…four； having been the wife of Simone dei Bardi rather more than three years。
October； 1868。
IX。 THE FAMINE OF 1770 IN BENGAL。＇30＇
＇30＇ The Annals of Rural Bengal。 By W。 W。 Hunter。 Vol。 I。 The Ethnical Frontier of Lower Bengal； with the Ancient Principalities of Beerbhoom and Bishenpore。 Second Edition。 New York： Leypoldt and Holt。 1868。 8vo。； pp。 xvi。； 475。
No intelligent reader can advance fifty pages in this volume without becoming aware that he has got hold of a very remarkable book。 Mr。 Hunter's style； to begin with； is such as is written only by men of large calibre and high culture。 No words are wasted。 The narrative flows calmly and powerfully along； like a geometrical demonstration； omitting nothing which is significant； admitting nothing which is irrelevant； glowing with all the warmth of rich imagination and sympathetic genius； yet never allowing any overt manifestation of feeling； ever concealing the author's personality beneath the unswerving exposition of the subject…matter。 That highest art； which conceals art； Mr。 Hunter appears to have learned well。 With him； the curtain is the picture。
Such a style as this would suffice to make any book interesting； in spite of the remoteness of the subject。 But the 〃Annals of Rural Bengal〃 do not concern us so remotely as one might at first imagine。 The phenomena of the moral and industrial growth or stagnation of a highly…endowed people must ever possess the interest of fascination for those who take heed of the maxim that 〃history is philosophy teaching by example。〃 National prosperity depends upon circumstances sufficiently general to make the experience of one country of great value to another； though ignorant Bourbon dynasties and Rump Congresses refuse to learn the lesson。 It is of the intimate every…day life of rural Bengal that Mr。 Hunter treats。 He does not； like old historians； try our patience with a bead…roll of names that have earned no just title to remembrance； or dazzle us with a bountiful display of 〃barbaric pearls and gold；〃 or lead us in the gondolas of Buddhist kings down sacred rivers； amid 〃a summer fanned with spice〃； but he describes the labours and the sufferings； the mishaps and the good fortune； of thirty millions of people； who； however dusky may be their hue； tanned by the tropical suns of fifty centuries； are nevertheless members of the imperial Aryan race； descended from the cool highlands eastward of the Caspian； where； long before the beginning of recorded history； their ancestors and those of the Anglo…American were indistinguishably united in the same primitive community。
The narrative portion of the present volume is concerned mainly with the social and economical disorganization wrought by the great famine of 1770； and with the attempts of the English government to remedy the same。 The remainder of the book is occupied with inquiries into the ethnic character of the population of Bengal； and particularly with an exposition of the peculiarities of the language； religion； customs； and institutions of the Santals； or hill…tribes of Beerbhoom。 A few remarks on the first of these topics may not be uninteresting。
Throughout the entire course of recorded European history； from the remote times of which the Homeric poems preserve the dim tradition down to the present moment； there has occurred no calamity at once so sudden and of such appalling magnitude as the famine which in the spring and summer of 1770 nearly exterminated the ancient civilization of Bengal。 It presents that aspect of preternatural vastness which characterizes the continent of Asia and all that concerns it。 The Black Death of the fourteenth century was； perhaps； the most fearful visitation which has ever afflicted the Western world。 But in the concentrated misery which it occasioned the Bengal famine surpassed it； even as the Himalayas dwarf by comparison the highest peaks of Switzerland。 It is； moreover； the key to the history of Bengal during the next forty years； and as such； merits； from an economical point of view； closer attention than it has hitherto received。
Lower Bengal gathers in three harvests each year； in the spring； in the early autumn； and in December； the last being the great rice…crop； the harvest on which the sustenance of the people depends。 Through the year 1769 there was great scarcity； owing to the partial failure of the crops of 1768； but the spring rains appeared to promise relief； and in spite of the warning appeals of provincial officers； the government was slow to take alarm； and continued rigorously to enforce the land…tax。 But in September the rains suddenly ceased。 Throughout the autumn there ruled a parching drought； and the rice…fields； according to the description of a native superintendent of Bishenpore； 〃became like fields of dried straw。〃 Nevertheless； the government at Calcutta madewith one lamentable exception； hereafter to be noticedno legislative attempt to meet the consequences of this dangerous condition of things。 The administration of local affairs was still； at that date； intrusted to native officials。 The whole internal regulation was in the hands of the famous Muhamad Reza Ehan。 Hindu or Mussulman assessors pried into every barn and shrewdly estimated the probable dimensions of the crops on every field； and the courts； as well as the police； were still in native hands。 〃These men；〃 says our author； 〃knew the country； its capabilities； its average yield； and its average requirements； with an accuracy that the most painstaking English official can seldom hope to attain to。 They had a strong interest in representing things to be worse than they were； for the more intense the scarcity； the greater the merit in collecting the land…tax。 Every consultation is filled with their apprehensions and highly…coloured accounts of the public distress； but it does not appear that the conviction entered the minds of the Council during the previous winter months； that the question was not so much one of revenue as of depopulation。〃 In fact； the local officers had cried 〃Wolf！〃 too often。 Government was slow to believe them； and announced that nothing better could be expected than the adoption of a generous policy toward those landholders whom the loss of harvest had rendered unable to pay their land…tax。 But very few indulgences were granted； and the tax was not diminished； but on the contrary was； in the month of April； 1770； increased by ten per cent for the following year。 The character of the Bengali people must also be taken into the account in explaining this strange action on the part of the government。
〃From the first appearance of Lower Bengal in history； its inhabitants have been reticent； self…contained； distrustful of foreign observation； in a degree without parallel among other equally civilized nations。 The cause of this taciturnity will afterwards be clearly explained； but no one who is acquainted either with the past experiences or the present condition of the people can be ignorant of its results。 Local officials may write alarming reports； but their apprehensions seem to be contradicted by the apparent quiet that prevails。 Outward； palpable proofs of suffering are often wholly wanting； and even when； as in 1770； such proofs abound； there is generally no lack of evidence on the other side。 The Bengali bears existence with a composure that neither accident nor chance can ruffle。 He becomes silently rich or uncomplainingly poor。 The emotional part of his nature is in strict subje
