the spirit of place and other essays-第9节

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Wishes；〃　follows；　without　violence　and　perhaps　without　wilful

misappreciation。　　The　poet　Milton　fathered；　legitimately　enough；　an

unpoetic　posterity。　　Milton；　therefore；　who　might　have　kept　an　age；

and　many　a　succeeding　age；　on　the　heights　of　poetry　by　lines　like

these　…





Who　sing　and　singing　in　their　glory　move　…





by　this；　and　by　many　and　many　another　so　divineMilton　justified

also　the　cold　excesses　of　his　posterity　by　the　example　of　more　than

one　group　of　blank　verse　lines　in　his　greatest　poem。　　Manifestly　the

sanction　is　a　matter　of　choice；　and　depends　upon　the　age：　　the　age

of　Crabbe　found　in　Milton　such　ancestry　as　it　was　fit　for。



Crabbe；　then；　was　not　a　poet　of　poetry。　　But　he　came　into　possession

of　a　metrical　form　charged　by　secondary　poets　with　a　contented

second…class　dignity　that　bears　constant　reference；　in　the　way　of

respect　rather　than　of　imitation；　to　the　state　and　nobility　of　Pope

at　his　bestthe　couplet。　　The　weak　yet　rigid　〃poetry〃　that　fell　to

his　lot　owed　all　the　decorum　it　possessed　to　the　mechanical　defences

and　propsthe　exclusions　especiallyof　this　manner　of

versification。　　The　grievous　thing　was　that；　being　moved　to　write

simply　of　simple　things；　he　had　no　more　supple　English　for　his

purpose。　　His　effort　to　disengage　the　phraselong　committed　to

convention　and　to　an　exposed　artificedid　but　prove　how　surely　the

ancient　vitality　was　gone。



His　preface　to　〃The　Borough；　a　Poem；〃　should　be　duly　read　before　the

〃poem〃　itself；　for　the　prose　has　a　propriety　all　its　own。

Everything　is　conceived　with　the　most　perfect　moderation；　and　then

presented　in　a　form　of　reasoning　that　leaves　you　no　possible　ground

of　remonstrance。　　In　proposing　his　subject　Crabbe　seems　to　make　an

unanswerable　apology　with　a　composure　that　is　almost　sweet。　　For

instance；　at　some　length　and　with　some　nobility　he　anticipates　a

probable　conjecture　that　his　work　was　done　〃without　due　examination

and　revisal；〃　and　he　meets　the　conjectured　criticism　thus：　　〃Now；

readers　are；　I　believe；　disposed　to　treat　with　more　than　common

severity　those　writers　who　have　been　led　into　presumption　by　the

approbation　bestowed　upon　their　diffidence；　and　into　idleness　and

unconcern　by　the　praises　given　to　their　attention。〃　　It　would　not　be

possible　to　say　a　smaller　thing　with　greater　dignity　and　gentleness。

It　is　worth　while　to　quote　this　prose　of　a　〃poet〃　who　lived　between

the　centuries；　if　only　in　order　to　suggest　the　chastening　thought；

〃It　is　a　pity　that　no　one；　however　little　he　may　have　to　say；　says

it　now　in　this　form！〃　　The　little；　so　long　as　it　is　reasonable；　is

so　well　suited　in　this　antithesis　and　logic。　　Is　there　no　hope　that

journalism　will　ever　take　again　these　graces　of　unanswerable

argument？　　No：　　they　would　no　longer　wear　the　peculiar　aspect　of

adult　innocence　that　was　Crabbe's。







A　COUNTERCHANGE







〃Il　s'est　trompe　de　defunte。〃　　The　writer　of　this　phrase　had　his

sense　of　that　portly　manner　of　French；　and　his　burlesque　is　fine；

butthe　paradox　must　be　riskedbecause　he　was　French　he　was　not

able　to　possess　all　its　grotesque　mediocrity　to　the　full；　that　is

reserved　for　the　English　reader。　　The　words　are　in　the　mouth　of　a

widower　who；　approaching　his　wife's　tomb；　perceives　there　another

〃monsieur。〃　　〃Monsieur；〃　again；　the　French　reader　is　deprived　of　the

value　of　this　word；　too；　in　its　place；　it　says　little　or　nothing　to

him；　whereas　the　Englishman；　who　has　no　word　of　the　precise

bourgeois　significance　that　it　sometimes　bears；　but　who　must　use　one

of　two　English　words　of　different　allusionman　or　I　gentleman

knows　the　exact　value　of　its　commonplace。　　The　serious　Parisian；

then；　sees　〃un　autre　monsieur；〃　as　it　proves　anon；　there　had　been　a

divorce　in　the　history　of　the　lady；　but　the　later　widower　is　not　yet

aware　of　this；　and　explains　to　himself　the　presence　of　〃un　monsieur〃

in　his　own　place　by　that　weighty　phrase；　〃Il　s'est　trompe　de

defunte。〃



The　strange　effect　of　a　thing　so　charged　with　allusion　and　with

national　character　is　to　cause　an　English　reader　to　pity　the　mocking

author　who　was　debarred　by　his　own　language　from　possessing　the

whole　of　his　own　comedy。　　It　is；　in　fact；　by　contrast　with　his

English　that　an　Englishman　does　possess　it。　　Your　official；　your

professional　Parisian　has　a　vocabulary　of　enormous；　unrivalled

mediocrity。　　When　the　novelist　perceives　this　he　does　not　perceive

it　all；　because　some　of　the　words　are　the　only　words　in　use。　　Take

an　author　at　his　serious　moments；　when　he　is　not　at　all　occupied

with　the　comedy　of　phrases；　and　he　now　and　then　touches　a　word　that

has　its　burlesque　by　mere　contrast　with　English。　　〃L'Histoire　d'un

Crime；〃　of　Victor　Hugo；　has　so　many　of　these　touches　as　to　be；　by　a

kind　of　reflex　action；　a　very　school　of　English。　　The　whole　incident

of　the　omnibus　in　that　grave　work　has　unconscious　international

comedy。　　The　Deputies　seated　in　the　interior　of　the　omnibus　had

been；　it　will　be　remembered；　shut　out　of　their　Chamber　by　the

perpetrator　of　the　Coup　d'Etat；　but　each　had　his　official　scarf。

Scarfpish！〃l'echarpe！〃　　〃Ceindre　l'echarpe〃there　is　no　real

English　equivalent。　　Civic　responsibility　never　was　otherwise

adequately　expressed。　　An　indignant　deputy　passed　his　scarf　through

the　window　of　the　omnibus；　as　an　appeal　to　the　public；　〃et　l'agita。〃

It　is　a　pity　that　the　French　reader；　having　no　simpler　word；　is　not

in　a　position　to　understand　the　slight　burlesque。　　Nay；　the　mere

word　〃public；〃　spoken　with　this　peculiar　French　good　faith；　has　for

us　I　know　not　what　untransferable　gravity。



There　is；　in　short；　a　general　international　counterchange。　　It　is

altogether　in　accordance　with　our　actual　state　of　civilization；　with

its　extremely　〃specialized〃　manner　of　industry；　that　one　people

should　make　a　phrase；　and　another　should　have　and　enjoy　it。　　And；　in

fact；　there　are　certain　French　authors　to　whom　should　be　secured　the

use　of　the　literary　German　whereof　Germans；　and　German　women　in

particular；　ought　with　all　severity　to　be　deprived。　　For　Germans

often　tell　you　of　words　in　their　own　tongue　that　are　untranslatable；

and　accordingly　they　should　not　be　translated；　but　given　over　in

their　own　conditions；　unaltered；　into　safer　hands。　　There　would　be　a

clearing　of　the　outlines　of　German　ideas；　a　better　order　in　the

phrase；　the　possessors　of　an　alien　word；　with　the　thought　it

secures；　would　find　also　their　advantage。



So　with　French　humour。　　It　is　expressly　and　signally　for　English

ears。　　It　is　so　even　in　the　commonest　farce。　　The　unfortunate

householder；　for　example；　who　is　persuaded　to　keep　walking　in　the

conservatory　〃pour　retablir　la　circulation；〃　and　the　other　who

describes　himself　〃sous…chef　de　bureau　dans　l'enregistrement；〃　and

he　who　proposes　to　〃faire　hommage〃　of　a　doubtful　turbot　to　the

neighbouring　〃employe　de　l'octroi〃these　and　all　their　like　speak

commonplaces　so　usual　as　to　lose　in　their　own　country　the　perfection

of　their　dulness。　　We　only；　who　have　the　alternative　of　plainer　and

fresher　words；　understand　it。　　It　is　not　the　least　of　the　advantages

of　our　own　dual　English　that　we　become　sensible　of　the　mockery　of

certain　phrases　that　in　France　have　lost　half　their　ridicule；

uncontrasted。



Take　again　the　common　rhetoric　that　has　fixed　itself　in　conversation

in　all　Latin　languagesrhetoric　that　has　ceased　to　have　allusions；

either　majestic　or　comic。　　To　the　ear　somewhat　unused　to　French　this

proffers　a　frequent　comedy　that　the　well…accustomed　ear；　even　of　an

Englishman；　no　longer　detects。　　A　guard　on　a　French　railway；　who

advised　two　travellers　to　take　a　certain　train　for　fear　they　should

be　obliged　to　〃vegeter〃　for　a　whole　hour　in　the　waiting…room　of　such

or　such　a　station　seemed　to　the　less　practised　tourist　to　be　a　fresh

kind　of　unexpected　humourist。



One　of　the　phrases　always　used　in　the　business　of　charities　and

subscriptions　in　France　has　more　than　the　intentional　comedy　of　the

farce…writer；　one　of　the　most　absurd　of　his　personages；　wearying　his

visitors　in　the　country　with　a　perpetual　game　of　bowls；　says　to

them：　　〃Nous　jouons　cinquante　centimesles　benefices　seront　verses

integralement　e　la　souscription　qui　est　ouverte　e　la　commune　pour　la

construction　de　notre　maison　d'ecole。〃



〃Fletrir；〃　again。　　Nothing　could　be　more　rhetorical　than　this

perfectly　common　word　of　controversy。　　The　comic　dramatist　is　well

aware　of　the　spent　violence　of　this　phrase；　with　which　every　serious

Frenchman　will　reply　to　opponents；　especially　in　public　matters。

But　not　even　the　comic　dramatist　is　aware　of　the　last　state　of

refuse　commonplace　that　a　word　of　this　kind　represents。　　Refuse

rhetoric；　by　the　way；　rather　than　Emerson's　〃fossil　poetry；〃　would

seem　to　be　the　right　name　for　human　language　as　some　of　the

processes　of　the　several　recent　centuries　have　left　it。



The　French　comedy；　then；　is　fairly　stuffed　with　thin…S　for　an

Englishman。　　They　are　not　all；　it　is　tru