the unseen world and other essays-第50节

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hat　old…fashioned　thinking　and　behaviour　was　in　its　way　just　as　natural　and　sensible　as　that　which　is　now　new…fashioned。　It　does　not　flippantly　sneer　at　an　ancient　custom　because　we　no　longer　cherish　it；　but　with　an　enlightened　regard　for　everything　human；　it　inquires　into　its　origin；　traces　its　effects；　and　endeavours　to　explain　its　decay。　It　is　slow　to　characterize　Mohammed　as　an　impostor；　because　it　has　come　to　feel　that　Arabia　in　the　seventh　century　is　one　thing　and　Europe　in　the　nineteenth　another。　It　is　scrupulous　about　branding　Caesar　as　an　usurper；　because　it　has　discovered　that　what　Mr。　Mill　calls　republican　liberty　and　what　Cicero　called　republican　liberty　are　widely　different　notions。　It　does　not　tell　us　to　bow　down　before　Lucretius　and　Virgil　as　unapproachable　models；　while　lamenting　our　own　hopeless　inferiority；　nor　does　it　tell　us　to　set　them　down　as　half…skilled　apprentices；　while　congratulating　ourselves　on　our　own　comfortable　superiority；　but　it　tells　us　to　study　them　as　the　exponents　of　an　age　forever　gone；　from　which　we　have　still　many　lessons　to　learn；　though　we　no　longer　think　as　it　thought　or　feel　as　it　felt。　The　eighteenth　century；　as　represented　by　the　characteristic　passage　from　Voltaire；　cited　by　Mr。　Longfellow；　failed　utterly　to　understand　Dante。　To　the　minds　of　Voltaire　and　his　contemporaries　the　great　mediaeval　poet　was　little　else　than　a　Titanic　monstrosity；a　maniac；　whose　ravings　found　rhythmical　expression；　his　poem　a　grotesque　medley；　wherein　a　few　beautiful　verses　were　buried　under　the　weight　of　whole　cantos　of　nonsensical　scholastic　quibbling。　This　view；　somewhat　softened；　we　find　also　in　Leigh　Hunt；　whose　whole　account　of　Dante　is　an　excellent　specimen　of　this　sort　of　criticism。　Mr。　Hunt's　fine　moral　nature　was　shocked　and　horrified　by　the　terrible　punishments　described　in　the　〃Inferno。〃　He　did　not　duly　consider　that　in　Dante's　time　these　fearful　things　were　an　indispensable　part　of　every　man's　theory　of　the　world；　and；　blinded　by　his　kindly　prejudices；　he　does　not　seem　to　have　perceived　that　Dante；　in　accepting　eternal　torments　as　part　and　parcel　of　the　system　of　nature；　was　nevertheless；　in　describing　them；　inspired　with　that　ineffable　tenderness　of　pity　which；　in　the　episodes　of　Francesca　and　of　Brunetto　Latini；　has　melted　the　hearts　of　men　in　past　times；　and　will　continue　to　do　so　in　times　to　come。　〃Infinite　pity；　yet　infinite　rigour　of　law！　It　is　so　Nature　is　made：　it　is　so　Dante　discerned　that　she　was　made。〃＇57＇　This　remark　of　the　great　seer　of　our　time　is　what　the　eighteenth　century　could　in　no　wise　comprehend。　The　men　of　that　day　failed　to　appreciate　Dante；　just　as　they　were　oppressed　or　disgusted　at　the　sight　of　Gothic　architecture；　just　as　they　pronounced　the　scholastic　philosophy　an　unmeaning　jargon；　just　as　they　considered　mediaeval　Christianity　a　gigantic　system　of　charlatanry；　and　were　wont　unreservedly　to　characterize　the　Papacy　as　a　blighting　despotism。　In　our　time　cultivated　men　think　differently。　We　have　learned　that　the　interminable　hair…splitting　of　Aquinas　and　Abelard　has　added　precision　to　modern　thinking。＇58＇　We　do　not　curse　Gregory　VII。　and　Innocent　III。　as　enemies　of　the　human　race；　but　revere　them　as　benefactors。　We　can　spare　a　morsel　of　hearty　admiration　for　Becket；　however　strongly　we　may　sympathize　with　the　stalwart　king　who　did　penance　for　his　foul　murder；　and　we　can　appreciate　Dante's　poor　opinion　of　Philip　the　Fair　no　less　than　his　denunciation　of　Boniface　VIII。　The　contemplation　of　Gothic　architecture；　as　we　stand　entranced　in　the　sublime　cathedrals　of　York　or　Rouen；　awakens　in　our　breasts　a　genuine　response　to　the　mighty　aspirations　which　thus　became　incarnate　in　enduring　stone。　And　the　poem　of　Dantewhich　has　been　well　likened　to　a　great　cathedralwe　reverently　accept；　with　all　its　quaint　carvings　and　hieroglyphic　symbols；　as　the　authentic　utterance　of　feelings　which　still　exist；　though　they　no　longer　choose　the　same　form　of　expression。

＇57＇　Carlyle；　Heroes　and　Hero…Worship；　p。　84。

＇58＇　See　my　Outlines　of　Cosmic　Philosophy；　Vol。　I。　p。　123。


A　century　ago；　therefore；　a　translation　of　Dante　such　as　Mr。　Longfellow's　would　have　been　impossible。　The　criticism　of　that　time　was　in　no　mood　for　realistic　reproductions　of　the　antique。　It　either　superciliously　neglected　the　antique；　or　else　dressed　it　up　to　suit　its　own　notions　of　propriety。　It　was　not　like　a　seven…league　boot　which　could　fit　everybody；　but　it　was　like　a　Procrustes…bed　which　everybody　must　be　made　to　fit。　Its　great　exponent　was　not　a　Sainte…Beuve；　but　a　Boileau。　Its　typical　sample　of　a　reproduction　of　the　antique　was　Pope's　translation　of　the　Iliad。　That　book；　we　presume；　everybody　has　read；　and　many　of　those　who　have　read　it　know　that；　though　an　excellent　and　spirited　poem；　it　is　no　more　Homer　than　the　age　of　Queen　Anne　was　the　age　of　Peisistratos。　Of　the　translations　of　Dante　made　during　this　period；　the　chief　was　unquestionably　Mr。　Cary's。＇59＇　For　a　man　born　and　brought　up　in　the　most　unpoetical　of　centuries；　Mr。　Cary　certainly　made　a　very　good　poem；　though　not　so　good　as　Pope's。　But　it　fell　far　short　of　being　a　reproduction　of　Dante。　The　eighteenth…century　note　rings　out　loudly　on　every　page　of　it。　Like　much　other　poetry　of　the　time；　it　is　laboured　and　artificial。　Its　sentences　are　often　involved　and　occasionally　obscure。　Take；　for　instance；　Canto　IV。　25…36　of　the　〃Paradiso〃：

＇59＇　This　work　comes　at　the　end　of　the　eighteenth…century　period；　as　Pope's　translation　of　Homer　comes　at　the　beginning。

　　　　　〃These　are　the　questions　which　they　will　　　　　　　Urge　equally；　and　therefore　I　the　first　　　　　　　Of　that　will　treat　which　hath　the　more　of　gall。　　　　　　　Of　seraphim　he　who　is　most　enskied；　　　　　　　Moses；　and　Samuel；　and　either　John；　　　　　　　Choose　which　thou　wilt；　nor　even　Mary's　self；　　　　　　　Have　not　in　any　other　heaven　their　seats；　　　　　　　Than　have　those　spirits　which　so　late　thou　saw'st；　　　　　　　Nor　more　or　fewer　years　exist；　but　all　　　　　　　Make　the　first　circle　beauteous；　diversely　　　　　　　Partaking　of　sweet　life；　as　more　or　less　　　　　　　Afflation　of　eternal　bliss　pervades　them。〃


Here　Mr。　Cary　not　only　fails　to　catch　Dante's　grand　style；　he　does　not　even　write　a　style　at　all。　It　is　too　constrained　and　awkward　to　be　dignified；　and　dignity　is　an　indispensable　element　of　style。　Without　dignity　we　may　write　clearly；　or　nervously；　or　racily；　but　we　have　not　attained　to　a　style。　This　is　the　second　shortcoming　of　Mr。　Cary's　translation。　Like　Pope's；　it　fails　to　catch　the　grand　style　of　its　original。　Unlike　Pope's；　it　frequently　fails　to　exhibit　any　style。

It　is　hardly　necessary　to　spend　much　time　in　proving　that　Mr。　Longfellow's　version　is　far　superior　to　Mr。　Cary's。　It　is　usually　easy　and　flowing；　and　save　in　the　occasional　use　of　violent　inversions；　always　dignified。　Sometimes；　as　in　the　episode　of　Ugolino；　it　even　rises　to　something　like　the　grandeur　of　the　original：

　　　　　〃When　he　had　said　this；　with　his　eyes　distorted；　　　　　　　The　wretched　skull　resumed　he　with　his　teeth；　　　　　　　Which；　as　a　dog's；　upon　the　bone　were　strong。〃＇60＇

＇60＇　〃Quand'　ebbe　detto　cio；　eon　gli　occhi　torti　　　Riprese　il　teschio　misero　coi　denti；　　　Che　furo　all'　osso；　come　d'un　can；　forti。〃　　　　Inferno；　XXXIII。　76。


That　is　in　the　grand　style；　and　so　is　the　following；　which　describes　those　sinners　locked　in　the　frozen　lake　below　Malebolge：

　　　　　〃Weeping　itself　there　does　not　let　them　weep；　　　　　　　And　grief　that　finds　a　barrier　in　the　eyes　　　　　　　Turns　itself　inward　to　increase　the　anguish。＇61＇

＇61＇　〃Lo　pianto　stesso　li　pianger　non　lascia；　　　E　il　duol；　che　trova　in　sugli　occhi　rintoppo；　　　Si　volve　in　entro　a　far　crescer　l'　ambascia。〃　　Inferno；　XXXIII。　94。


And　the　exclamation　of　one　of　these　poor　〃wretches　of　the　frozen　crust〃　is　an　exclamation　that　Shakespeare　might　have　written：

　　　　　〃Lift　from　mine　eyes　the　rigid　veils；　that　I　　　　　　　May　vent　the　sorrow　which　impregns　my　heart。〃＇62＇

＇62＇　〃Levatemi　dal　viso　i　duri　veli；　　　Si　ch'　io　sfoghi　il　dolor　che　il　cor　m'　impregna。〃　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Ib。　112。


There　is　nothing　in　Mr。　Cary's　translation　which　can　stand　a　comparison　with　that。　The　eighteenth　century　could　not　translate　like　that。　For　here　at　last　we　have　a　real　reproduction　of　the　antique。　In　the　Shakespearian　ring　of　these　lines　we　recognize　the　authentic　rendering　of　the　tones　of　the　only　man　since　the　Christian　era　who　could　speak　like　Shakespeare。

In　this　way　Mr。　Longfellow's　translation　is；　to　an　eminent　degree；　realistic。　It　is　a　work　conceived　and　executed　in　entire　accordance　with　the　spirit　of　our　time。　Mr。　Longfellow　has　set　about　making　a　reconstructive　translation；　and　he　has　succeeded　in　the　attempt。　In　view　of　what　he　has　done；　no　one　can　ever　wish　to　see　the　old　methods　of　Pope　and　Cary　again　resorted　to。　It　is　only　where　he　fails　to　be　truly　realistic　that　he　comes　short　of　success。　And；　as　already　hinted；　it　is　oftenest　through　sheer　excess　of　LITERALISM　that　he　ceases　to　be　realistic；　and　departs　from　the　spirit　of　his　author　instead　of　coming　nearer　to　it。　In　the　〃Paradiso；〃　Canto　X。　1…6；　his　method　leads　him　into　awkwardness：

　　　　　〃Looking　into　His　Son　with　all　the　love　　　　　　　Which　each　of　them　eternally　breathes　forth；　　　　　　　The　primal　and　unutterable　Power　　　　　　　Whate'er　before　the　mind　o