letters on literature-第14部分

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near　the　ideal。



Of　course　it　is　true　that　many　of　Martial's　lyrics　would　be　thought

disgusting　in　any　well…regulated　convict　establishment。　　His

gallantry　is　rarely　〃honourable。〃　　Scaliger　used　to　burn　a　copy　of

Martial；　once　a　year；　on　the　altar　of　Catullus；　who　himself　was　far

from　prudish。　　But　Martial；　somehow；　kept　his　heart　undepraved；　and

his　taste　in　books　was　excellent。　　How　often　he　writes　verses　for

the　bibliophile；　delighting　in　the　details　of　purple　and　gold；　the

illustrations　and　ornaments　for　his　new　volume！　　These　pieces　are

for　the　fewfor　amateurs；　but　we　may　all　be　touched　by　his　grief

for　the　little　lass；　Erotion。　　He　commends　her　in　Hades　to　his　own

father　and　mother　gone　before　him；　that　the　child　may　not　be

frightened　in　the　dark；　friendless　among　the　shades





〃Parvula　ne　nigras　horrescat　Erotion　umbras

Oraque　Tartarei　prodigiosa　canis。〃





There　is　a　kind　of　playfulness　in　the　sorrow；　and　the　pity　of　a　man

for　a　child；　pity　that　shows　itself　in　a　smile。　　I　try　to　render

that　other　inscription　for　the　tomb　of　little　Erotion：





Here　lies　the　body　of　the　little　maid

Erotion；

From　her　sixth　winter's　snows　her　eager　shade

Hath　fleeted　on！

Whoe'er　thou　be　that　after　me　shalt　sway

My　scanty　farm；

To　her　slight　shade　the　yearly　offering　pay；

Sosafe　from　harm　…

Shall　thou　and　thine　revere　the　kindly　Lar；

And　this　alone

Be；　through　thy　brief　dominion；　near　or　far；

A　mournful　stone！





Certainly　he　had　a　heart；　this　foul…mouthed　Martial；　who　claimed　for

the　study　of　his　book　no　serious　hours；　but　moments　of　mirth；　when

men　are　glad　with　wine；　〃in　the　reign　of　the　Rose：〃　｛9｝





〃Haec　hora　est　tua；　cum　furit　Lyaeus；

Cum　regnat　rosa；　cum　madent　capilli；

Tunc　mevel　rigidi　legant　Catones。〃



But　enough　of　the　poets　of　old；　another　day　we　may　turn　to　Carew　and

Suckling；　Praed　and　Locker；　poets　of　our　own　speech；　lighter　lyrists

of　our　own　time。　｛10｝







ON　VERS　DE　SOCIETE







To　Mr。　Gifted　Hopkins。



Dear　Gifted；If　you　will　permit　me　to　use　your　Christian；　and

prophetic；　namewe　improved　the　occasion　lately　with　the　writers　of

light　verse　in　ancient　times。　　We　decided　that　the　ancients　were　not

great　in　verses　of　society；　because　they　had；　properly　speaking；　no

society　to　write　verses　for。　　Women　did　not　live　in　the　Christian

freedom　and　social　equality　with　men；　either　in　Greece　or　Romeat

least　not　〃modest　women；〃　as　Mr。　Harry　Foker　calls　them　in

〃Pendennis。〃　　About　the　others　there　is　plenty　of　pretty　verse　in

the　Anthology。　　What　you　need　for　verses　of　society　is　a　period　in

which　the　social　equality　is　recognized；　and　in　which　people　are

peaceable　enough　and　comfortable　enough　to　〃play　with　light　loves　in

the　portal〃　of　the　Temple　of　Hymen；　without　any　very　definite

intentions；　on　either　part；　of　going　inside　and　getting　married。



Perhaps　we　should　not　expect　vers　de　societe　from　the　Crusaders；　who

were　not　peaceable；　and　who　were　very　earnest　indeed；　in　love　or

war。　　But　as　soon　as　you　get　a　Court；　and　Court　life；　in　France；

even　though　the　times　were　warlike；　then　ladies　are　lauded　in　artful

strains；　and　the　lyre　is　struck　leviore　plectro。　　Charles　d'Orleans；

that　captive　and　captivating　prince；　wrote　thousands　of　rondeaux；

even　before　his　time　a　gallant　company　of　gentlemen　composed　the

Livre　des　Cent　Ballades；　one　hundred　ballades；　practically

unreadable　by　modern　men。　　Then　came　Clement　Marot；　with　his　gay　and

rather　empty　fluency；　and　Ronsard；　with　his　mythological

compliments；　his　sonnets；　decked　with　roses；　and　led　like　lambs　to

the　altar　of　Helen　or　Cassandra。　　A　few；　here　and　there；　of　his

pieces　are　lighter；　more　pleasant；　and；　in　a　quiet　way；　immortal；

such　as　the　verses　to　his　〃fair　flower　of　Anjou；〃　a　beauty　of

fifteen。　　So　they　ran　on；　in　France；　till　Voiture's　time；　and

Sarrazin's　with　his　merry　ballade　of　an　elopement；　and　Corneille's

proud　and　graceful　stanzas　to　Marquise　de　Gorla。



But　verses　in　the　English　tongue　are　more　worthy　of　our　attention。

Mr。　Locker　begins　his　collection　of　them；　Lyra　Elegantiarum　（no

longer　a　very　rare　book　in　England）；　as　far　back　as　Skelton's　age；

and　as　Thomas　Wyat's；　and　Sidney's；　but　those　things；　the　lighter

lyrics　of　that　day；　are　rather　songs　than　poems；　and　probably　were

all　meant　to　be　sung　to　the　virginals　by　our　musical　ancestors。



〃Drink　to　me　only　with　thine　eyes；〃　says　the　great　Ben　Jonson；　or

sings　it　rather。　　The　words；　that　he　versified　out　of　the　Greek

prose　of　Philostratus；　cannot　be　thought　of　without　the　tune。　　It　is

the　same　with　Carew's　〃He　that　loves　a　rosy　cheek；〃　or　with　〃Roses；

their　sharp　spines　being　gone。〃　　The　lighter　poetry　of　Carew's　day

is　all　powdered　with　gold　dust；　like　the　court　ladies'　hair；　and　is

crowned　and　diapered　with　roses；　and　heavy　with　fabulous　scents　from

the　Arabian　phoenix's　nest。　　Little　Cupids　flutter　and　twitter　here

and　there　among　the　boughs；　as　in　that　feast　of　Adonis　which

Ptolemy's　sister　gave　in　Alexandria；　or　as　in　Eisen's　vignettes　for

Dorat's　Baisers：





〃Ask　me　no　more　whither　do　stray

The　golden　atoms　of　the　day；

For　in　pure　love　did　Heaven　prepare

These　powders　to　enrich　your　hair。〃





It　would　be　affectation；　Gifted；　if　you　rhymed　in　that　fashion　for

the　lady　of　your　love；　and　presented　her；　as　it　were；　with　cosmical

cosmetics；　and　compliments　drawn　from　the　starry　spaces　and　deserts；

from　skies；　phoenixes；　and　angels。　　But　it　was　a　natural　and　pretty

way　of　writing　when　Thomas　Carew　was　young。　　I　prefer　Herrick　the

inexhaustible　in　dainties；　Herrick；　that　parson…pagan；　with　the　soul

of　a　Greek　of　the　Anthology；　and　a　cure　of　souls　（Heaven　help　them！）

in　Devonshire。　　His　Julia　is　the　least　mortal　of　these　〃daughters　of

dreams　and　of　stories；〃　whom　poets　celebrate；　she　has　a　certain

opulence　of　flesh　and　blood；　a　cheek　like　a　damask　rose；　and　〃rich

eyes；〃　like　Keats's　lady；　no　vaporous　Beatrice；　she；　but　a　handsome

English　wench；　with





〃A　cuff　neglectful　and　thereby

Ribbons　to　flow　confusedly；

A　winning　wave；　deserving　note

In　the　tempestuous　petticoat。〃





Then　Suckling　strikes　up　a　reckless　military　air；　a　warrior　he　is

who　has　seen　many　a　siege　of　heartshearts　that　capitulated；　or

held　out　like　Troy…town；　and　the　impatient　assailant　whistles：





〃Quit；　quit；　for　shame：　　this　will　not　move；

This　cannot　take　her。

If　of　herself　she　will　not　love；

Nothing　can　make　her　…

The　devil　take　her。〃





So　he　rides　away；　curling　his　moustache；　hiding　his　defeat　in　a　big

inimitable　swagger。　　It　is　a　pleasanter　piece　in　which　Suckling；

after　a　long　leaguer　of　a　lady's　heart；　finds　that　Captain　honour　is

governor　of　the　place；　and　surrender　hopeless。　　So　he　departs　with　a

salute：





〃March；　march　（quoth　I）；　the　word　straight　give；

Let's　lose　no　time　but　leave　her：

That　giant　upon　air　will　live；

And　hold　it　out　for　ever。〃





Lovelace　is　even　a　better　type　in　his　rare　good　things　of　the

military　amorist　and　poet。　　What　apology　of　Lauzun's；　or　Bussy

Rabutin's　for　faithlessness　could　equal　this？　…





〃Why　dost　thou　say　I　am　forsworn；

Since　thine　I　vowed　to　be？

Lady；　it　is　already　morn；

It　was　last　night　I　swore　to　thee

That　fond　impossibility。〃





Has　〃In　Memoriam〃　nobler　numbers　than　the　poem；　from　exile；　to

Lucasta？　…





〃Our　Faith　and　troth

All　time　and　space　controls；

Above　the　highest　sphere　we　meet；

Unseen；　unknown；　and　greet　as　angels　greet。〃





How　comes　it　that　in　the　fierce　fighting　days　the　soldiers　were　so

tuneful；　and　such　scholars？　　In　the　first　edition　of　Lovelace's

〃Lucasta〃　there　is　a　flock　of　recommendatory　verses；　English；　Latin；

even　Greek；　by　the　gallant　Colonel's　mess…mates　and　comrades。　　What

guardsman　now　writes　like　Lovelace；　and　how　many　of　his　friends

could　applaud　him　in　Greek？　　You；　my　Gifted；　are　happily　of　a

pacific　disposition；　and　tune　a　gentle　lyre。　　Is　it　not　lucky　for

swains　like　you　that　the　soldiers　have　quite　forsworn　sonneting？

When　a　man　was　a　rake；　a　poet；　a　warrior；　all　in　one；　what　chance

had　a　peaceful　minor　poet　like　you　or　me；　Gifted；　against　his

charms？　　Sedley；　when　sober；　must　have　been　an　invincible　rival

invincible；　above　all；　when　he　pretended　constancy：





〃Why　then　should　I　seek　further　store；

And　still　make　love　anew？

When　change　itself　can　give　no　more

'Tis　easy　to　be　true。〃





How　infinitely　more　delightful；　musical；　and　captivating　are　those

Cavalier　singerstheir　numbers　flowing　fair；　like　their　scented

lovelocksthan　the　prudish　society　poets　of　Pope's　day。　　〃The　Rape

of　the　Lock〃　is　very　witty；　but　through　it　all　don't　you　mark　the

sneer　of　the　contemptuous；　unmanly　little　wit；　the　crooked　dandy？

He　jibes　among　his　compliments；　and　I　do　not　wonder　that　Mistress

Arabella　Fermor　was　not　conciliated　by　his　long…drawn　cleverness　and

polished　lines。　　I　prefer　Sackville's　verses　〃written　at　sea　the

night　before　an　engagement〃：





〃To　all　you　ladies　now　on　land

We　men　at　sea　indite。〃





They　are　all　alike；　the　wits　of　Queen　Anne；　and　even　Matt　Prior；

when　he　writes　of　ladies　occasionally；　writes　down　to　them；　or　at

least　glances　up　very　saucily　from　his　position　on　his　knees。　　But

Prior　is　the　best　of　them；　and　the　most　candid：





〃I　court　others　in　versebut　I　love　thee　in　prose；

And　they　have　my　whimsies；　but　thou　hast　my　heart。〃





Yes；　Prior　is　probably　the　greatest　of　all　who　dally　with　the　light

lyre　which　thrills　to　the　wings　of　fleeting　Lovesthe　greatest

English　writer　of　vers　de　societe；　the　most　gay；　frank；　good…

humoured；　tuneful　and　engaging。



Landor　is　great；　too；　but　in　another　kind；　the　bees　that　hummed　over

Plato's　cradle　have　left　their　honey　on　his　lips；　none　but　Landor；

or　a　Greek；　could　have　written　this　on　Catullus：





〃Tell　me　not　what　too　well　I　know

About　the　Bard　of　Sirmio　…