letters on literature-第6部分

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than　if　he　had　given　us　a　new　〃Vita　Nuova。〃



What　an　immense　long　way　I　have　wandered　from　〃Sordello；〃　my　dear

Mainwaring；　but　when　a　man　turns　to　his　books；　his　thoughts；　like

those　of　a　boy；　〃are　long；　long　thoughts。〃　　I　have　not　written　on

Longfellow's　sonnets；　for　even　you；　impeccable　sonneteer；　admit　that

you　admire　them　as　much　as　I　do。







A　FRIEND　OF　KEATS







To　Thomas　Egerton；　Esq。；　Lothian　College；　Oxford。



Dear　Egerton；Yes；　as　you　say；　Mr。　Sidney　Colvin's　new　〃Life　of

Keats〃　｛3｝　has　only　one　fault；　it's　too　short。　　Perhaps；　also；　it　is

almost　too　studiously　free　from　enthusiasm。　　But　when　one　considers

how　Keats　（like　Shelley）　has　been　gushed　about；　and　how　easy　it　is

to　gush　about　Keats；　one　can　only　thank　Mr。　Colvin　for　his　example

of　reserve。　　What　a　good　fellow　Keats　was！　　How　really　manly　and；　in

the　best　sense；　moral　he　seems；　when　one　compares　his　life　and　his

letters　with　the　vagaries　of　contemporary　poets　who　lived　longer

than　he；　though　they；　too；　died　young；　and　who　left　more　work；

though　not　better；　never　so　good；　perhaps；　as　Keats's　best。



However；　it　was　not　of　Keats　that　I　wished　to　write；　but　of　his

friend；　John　Hamilton　Reynolds。　　Noscitur　a　sociisa　man　is　known

by　the　company　he　keeps。　　Reynolds；　I　think；　must　have　been

excellent　company；　if　we　may　judge　him　by　his　writings。　　He　comes

into　Lord　Houghton's　〃Life　and　Letters　of　Keats〃　very　early　（vol。　i。

p。　30）。　　We　find　the　poet　writing　to　him　in　the　April　of　1817；　from

the　Isle　of　Wight。　　〃I　shall　forthwith　begin　my　'Endymion；'　which　I

hope　I　shall　have　got　some　way　with　before　you　come；　when　we　will

read　our　verses　in　a　delightful　place　I　have　set　my　heart　upon；　near

the　castle。〃　　Keats　ends　〃your　sincere　friend；〃　and　a　man　to　whom

Keats　was　a　sincere　friend　had　some　occasion　for　pride。



About　Reynolds's　life　neither　time　nor　space　permits　me　to　say　very

much；　if　I　knew　very　much；　which　I　don't。　　He　was　the　son　of　a

master　in　one　of　our　large　schools。　　He　went　to　the　Bar。　　He　married

a　sister　of　Thomas　Hood。　　He　wrote；　like　Hood；　in　the　London

Magazine。　　With　Hood　for　ally；　he　published　〃Odes　and　Addresses　to

Great　People；〃　the　third　edition；　which　I　have　here；　is　of　1826。

The　late　relations　of　the　brothers…in…law　were　less　happy；　possibly

the　ladies　of　their　families　quarrelled；　that　is　usually　the　way　of

the　belligerent　sex。



Reynolds　died　in　the　enjoyment　of　a　judicial　office　in　the　Isle　of

Wight；　some　thirty　years　later　than　his　famous　friend；　the　author　of

〃Endymion。〃　　〃It　is　to　be　lamented；〃　says　Lord　Houghton；　〃that　Mr。

Reynolds's　own　remarkable　verse　is　not　better　known。〃　　Let　us　try　to

know　it　a　little　better。



I　have　not　succeeded　in　getting　Reynolds's　first　volume　of　poems；

which　was　published　before　〃Endymion。〃　　It　contained　some　Oriental

melodies；　and　won　a　careless　good　word　from　Byron。　　The　earliest

work　of　his　I　can　lay　my　hand　on　is　〃The　Fancy；　a　Selection　from　the

Poetical　Remains　of　the　late　Peter　Corcoran；　of　Gray's　Inn；　Student

at　Law；　with　a　brief　memoir　of　his　Life。〃　　There　is　a　motto　from

Wordsworth：





〃Frank　are　the　sports；　the　stains　are　fugitive。〃　　｛4｝





It　was　the　old　palmy　time　of　the　Ring。　　Every　one　knows　how　Byron

took　lessons　from　Jackson　the　boxer；　how　Shelley　had　a　fight　at　Eton

in　which　he　quoted　Homer；　but　was　licked　by　a　smaller　boy；　how

Christopher　North　whipped　the　professional　pugilist；　how　Keats

himself　never　had　enough　of　fighting　at　school；　and　beat　the　butcher

afterwards。　　His　friend　Reynolds；　also；　liked　a　set…to　with　the

gloves。　　His　imaginary　character；　Peter　Corcoran；　is　a　poetical　lad；

who　becomes　possessed　by　a　passion　for　prize…fighting。　　It　seems　odd

in　a　poet；　but　〃the　stains　are　fugitive。〃



We　would　liefer　see　a　young　man　rejoicing　in　his　strength　and

improving　his　science；　than　loafing　about　with　long　hair　and　giving

anxious　thought　to　the　colour　of　his　necktie。　　It　is　a　disinterested

preference；　as　fighting　was　never　my　forte；　any　more　than　it　was

Artemus　Ward's。　　At　school　I　was　〃more　remarkable　for　what　I

suffered　than　for　what　I　achieved。〃



Peter　Corcoran　〃fought　nearly　as　soon　as　he　could　walk；〃　wherein　he

resembled　Keats；　and　part　of　his　character　may　even　have　been

borrowed　from　the　author　of　the　〃Ode　to　the　Nightingale。〃　　Peter

fell　in　love；　wrote　poetry；　witnessed　a　〃mill〃　at　the　Fives…Court；

and　became　the　Laureate　of　the　Ring。　　〃He　has　made　a　good　set…to

with　Eales；　Tom　Belcher　（the　monarch　of　the　gloves！）；　and　Turner；

and　it　is　known　that　he　has　parried　the　difficult　and　ravaging　hand

even　of　Randall　himself。〃　　〃The　difficult　and　ravaging　hand〃there

is　a　style　for　you！



Reynolds　has　himself　the　enthusiasm　of　his　hero；　let　us　remember

that　Homer；　Virgil；　and　Theocritus　have　all　described　spirited

rallies　with　admiration　and　good　taste。　　From　his　dissipation　in

cider…cellars　and　coal…holes；　this　rival　of　Tom　and　Jerry　wrote　a

sonnet　that　applies　well　enough　to　Reynolds's　own　career：





〃Were　this　a　feather　from　an　eagle's　wing；

And　thou；　my　tablet　white！　a　marble　tile

Taken　from　ancient　Jove's　majestic　pile　…

And　might　I　dip　my　feather　in　some　spring；

Adown　Mount　Ida　threadlike　wandering：…

And　were　my　thoughts　brought　from　some　starry　isle

In　Heaven's　blue　seaI　then　might　with　a　smile

Write　down　a　hymn　to　fame；　and　proudly　sing！



〃But　I　am　mortal：　　and　I　cannot　write

Aught　that　may　foil　the　fatal　wing　of　Time。

Silent；　I　look　at　Fame：　　I　cannot　climb

To　where　her　Temple　isNot　mine　the　might：…

I　have　some　glimmering　of　what　is　sublime　…

But；　ah！　it　is　a　most　inconstant　light。〃





Keats　might　have　written　this　sonnet　in　a　melancholy　mood。



〃About　this　time　he　（Peter）　wrote　a　slang　description　of　a　fight　he

had　witnessed　to　a　lady。〃　　Unlucky　Peter！　　〃Was　ever　woman　in　this

manner　wooed？〃　　The　lady　〃glanced　her　eye　over　page　after　page　in

hopes　of　meeting　with　something　that　was　intelligible；〃　and　no

wonder　she　did　not　care　for　a　long　letter　〃devoted　to　the　subject　of

a　mill　between　Belasco　and　the　Brummagem　youth。〃　　Peter　was　so　ill…

advised　as　to　appear　before　her　with　glorious　scars；　〃two　black

eyes〃　in　fact；　and　she　〃was　inexorably　cruel。〃　　Peter　did　not

survive　her　disdain。　　〃The　lady　still　lives；　and　is　married〃！　　It　is

ever　thus！



Peter's　published　works　contain　an　American　tragedy。　　Peter　says　he

got　it　from　a　friend；　who　was　sending　him　an　American　copy　of　〃Guy

Mannering〃　〃to　present　to　a　young　lady　who；　strange　to　say；　〃read

books　and　wore　pockets；〃　virtues　unusual　in　the　sex。　　One　of　the

songs　（on　the　delights　of　bull…baiting）　contains　the　most　vigorous

lines　I　have　ever　met；　but　they　are　too　vigorous　for　our　lax　age。

The　tragedy　ends　most　tragically；　and　the　moral　comes　in　〃better

late；〃　says　the　author；　〃than　never。〃　　The　other　poems　are　all　very

lively；　and　very　much　out　of　date。　　Poor　Peter！



Reynolds　was　married　by　1818；　and　it　is　impossible　to　guess　whether

the　poems　of　Peter　Corcoran　did　or　did　not　contain　allusions　to　his

own　more　lucky　love　affair。　　〃Upon　my　soul；〃　writes　Keats；　〃I　have

been　getting　more　and　more　close　to　you　every　day；　ever　since　I　knew

you；　and　now　one　of　the　first　pleasures　I　look　to　is　your　happy

marriage。〃　　Reynolds　was　urging　Keats　to　publish　the　〃Pot　of　Basil〃

〃as　an　answer　to　the　attack　made　on　me　in　Blackwood's　Magazine　and

the　Quarterly　Review。〃



Next　Keats　writes　that　he　himself　〃never　was　in　love；　yet　the　voice

and　shape　of　a　woman　has　haunted　me　these　two　days。〃　　On　September

22；　1819；　Keats　sent　Reynolds　the　〃Ode　to　Autumn；〃　than　which　there

is　no　more　perfect　poem　in　the　language　of　Shakespeare。　　This　was

the　last　of　his　published　letters　to　Reynolds。　　He　was　dying；

haunted　eternally　by　that　woman's　shape　and　voice。



Reynolds's　best…known　book；　if　any　of　them　can　be　said　to　be　known

at　all；　was　published　under　the　name　of　John　Hamilton。　　It　is　〃The

Garden　of　Florence；　and　Other　Poems　〃　（Warren；　London；　1821）。　　There

is　a　dedicationto　his　young　wife。



〃Thou　hast　entreated　me　to　'write　no　more；'〃　and　he；　as　an　elderly

〃man　of　twenty…four；〃　promises　to　obey。　　〃The　lily　and　myself

henceforth　are　two；〃　he　says；　implying　that　he　and　the　lily　have

previously　been　〃one；〃　a　quaint　confession　from　the　poet　of　Peter

Corcoran。　　There　is　something　very　pleasant　in　the　graceful　regret

and　obedience　of　this　farewell　to　the　Muse。　　He　says　to　Mrs。

Reynolds：





〃I　will　not　tell　the　world　that　thou　hast　chid

My　heart　for　worshipping　the　idol　Muse；

That　thy　dark　eye　has　given　its　gentle　lid

Tears　for　my　wanderings；　I　may　not　choose

When　thou　dost　speak　but　do　as　I　am　bid；　…

And　therefore　to　the　roses　and　the　dews；

Very　respectfully　I　make　my　bow；　…

And　turn　my　back　upon　the　tulips　now。〃





〃The　chief　poems　in　the　collection；　taken　from　Boccaccio；　were　to

have　been　associated　with　tales　from　the　same　source；　intended　to

have　been　written　by　a　friend；　but　illness　on　his　part　and

distracting　engagements　on　mine；　prevented　us　from　accomplishing　our

plan　at　the　time；　and　Death　now；　to　my　deep　sorrow；　has　frustrated

it　for　ever！〃



I　cannot　but　quote　what　follows；　the　tribute　to　Keats's　kindness；　to

the　most　endearing　quality　our　nature　possesses；　the　quality　that

was　Scott's　in　such　a　winning　degree；　that　was　so　marked　in　Moliere；



〃He；　who　is　gone；　was　one　of　the　very　kindest　friends　I　ever

possessed；　and　yet　he　was　not　kinder；　perhaps；　to　me　than　to　others。

His　intense　mind　and　powerful　feeling　would；　I　truly　believe；　have

done　the　world　some　service　had　his　life　been　sparedbut　he　was　of

too　sensitive　a　natureand　thus　he　was　destroyed！　　One　story　he

completed；　and　that　is　to　me　now　the　most　pathetic　poem　in

existence。〃



It　was　〃Isabella；　or　the　Pot　of　Basil。〃



The　〃Garden　of　Florence〃　is　written　in　the　couplets　of　〃Endymion；〃

and　is　a　beautiful　version　of　the　tale　once　more　retold