letters on literature-第9部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



where　he　should　find　a　deer　whereof　one　glance　would　cure　him　of　his

malady。　　The　shepherds　are　happy；　laughing　people；　who　half　mock

Nicolette；　and　quite　mock　Aucassin；　when　he　comes　that　way。　　But　at

first　they　took　Nicolette　for　a　fee；　such　a　beauty　shone　so　brightly

from　her；　and　lit　up　all　the　forest。　　Aucassin　they　banter；　and

indeed　the　free　talk　of　the　peasants　to　their　lord's　son　in　that

feudal　age　sounds　curiously；　and　may　well　make　us　reconsider　our

notions　of　early　feudalism。



But　Aucassin　learns　at　least　that　Nicolette　is　in　the　wood；　and　he

rides　at　adventure　after　her；　till　the　thorns　have　ruined　his　silken

surcoat；　and　the　blood；　dripping　from　his　torn　body；　makes　a　visible

track　in　the　grass。　　So；　as　he　wept；　he　met　a　monstrous　man　of　the

wood；　that　asked　him　why　he　lamented。　　And　he　said　he　was　sorrowing

for　a　lily…white　hound　that　he　had　lost。　　Then　the　wild　man　mocked

him；　and　told　his　own　tale。　　He　was　in　that　estate　which　Achilles；

among　the　ghosts；　preferred　to　all　the　kingship　of　the　dead　outworn。

He　was　hind　and　hireling　to　a　villein；　and　he　had　lost　one　of　the

villein's　oxen。　　For　that　he　dared　not　go　into　the　town；　where　a

prison　awaited　him。　　Moreover；　they　had　dragged　the　very　bed　from

under　his　old　mother；　to　pay　the　price　of　the　ox；　and　she　lay　on

straw；　and　at　that　the　woodman　wept。



A　curious　touch；　is　it　not；　of　pity　for　the　people？　　The　old　poet　is

serious　for　one　moment。　　〃Compare；〃　he　says；　〃the　sorrows　of

sentiment；　of　ladies　and　lovers；　praised　in　song；　with　the　sorrows

of　the　poor；　with　troubles　that　are　real　and　not　of　the　heart！〃

Even　Aucassin　the　lovelorn　feels　it；　and　gives　the　hind　money　to　pay

for　his　ox；　and　so　riding　on　comes　to　a　lodge　that　Nicolette　has

built　with　blossoms　and　boughs。　　And　Aucassin　crept　in　and　looked

through　a　gap　in　the　fragrant　walls　of　the　lodge；　and　saw　the　stars

in　heaven；　and　one　that　was　brighter　than　the　rest。



Does　one　not　feel　it；　the　cool　of　that　old　summer　night；　the　sweet

smell　of　broken　boughs　and　trodden　grass　and　deep　dew；　and　the

shining　of　the　star？





〃Star　that　I　from　far　behold

That　the　moon　draws　to　her　fold；

Nicolette　with　thee　doth　dwell；

My　sweet　love　with　locks　of　gold；〃





sings　Aucassin。　　〃And　when　Nicolette　heard　Aucassin；　right　so　came

she　unto　him；　and　passed　within　the　lodge；　and　cast　her　arms　about

his　neck　and　kissed　and　embraced　him：





〃Fair　sweet　friend；　welcome　be　thou！〃

〃And　thou；　fair　sweet　love；　be　thou　welcome！〃





There　the　story　should　end；　in　a　dream　of　a　summer's　night。　　But　the

old　minstrel　did　not　end　it　so；　or　some　one　has　continued　his　work

with　a　heavier　hand。　　Aucassin　rides；　he　cares　not　whither；　if　he

has　but　his　love　with　him。　　And　they　come　to　a　fantastic　land　of

burlesque；　such　as　Pantagruel's　crew　touched　at　many　a　time。　　And

Nicolette　is　taken　by　Carthaginian　pirates；　and　proves　to　be

daughter　to　the　King　of　Carthage；　and　leaves　his　court　and　comes　to

Beaucaire　in　the　disguise　of　a　ministrel；　and　〃journeys　end　in

lovers'　meeting。〃



That　is　all　the　tale；　with　its　gaps；　its　careless　passages；　its

adventures　that　do　not　interest　the　poet。　　He　only　cares　for　youth；

love；　spring；　flowers；　and　the　song　of　the　birds；　the　rest；　except

the　passage　about　the　hind；　is　mere　〃business〃　done　casually；

because　the　audience　expects　broad　jests；　hard　blows；　misadventures；

recognitions。　　What　lives　is　the　touch　of　poetry；　of　longing；　of

tender　heart；　of　humorous　resignation。　　It　lives；　and　always　must

live；　〃while　the　nature　of　man　is　the　same。〃　　The　poet　hopes　his

tale　will　gladden　sad　men。　　This　service　it　did　for　M。　Bida；　he

says；　in　the　dreadful　year　of　1870…71；　when　he　translated

〃Aucassin。〃　　This；　too；　it　has　done　for　me　in　days　not　delightful。

｛6｝







PLOTINUS　（A。D。　200…262）







To　the　Lady　Violet　Lebas。



Dear　Lady　Violet；You　are　discursive　and　desultory　enough；　as　a

reader；　to　have　pleased　even　the　late　Lord　Iddesleigh。　　It　was

〃Aucassin　and　Nicolette〃　only　a　month　ago；　and　to…day　you　have　been

reading　Lord　Lytton's　〃Strange　Story；〃　I　am　sure；　for　you　want

information　about　Plotinus！　　He　was　born　（about　A。D。　200）　in　Wolf…

town　（Lycopolis）；　in　Egypt；　the　town；　you　know；　where　the　natives

might　not　eat　wolves；　poor　fellows；　just　as　the　people　of　Thebes

might　not　eat　sheep。　　Probably　this　prohibition　caused　Plotinus　no

regret；　for　he　was　a　consistent　vegetarian。



However；　we　are　advancing　too　rapidly；　and　we　must　discuss　Plotinus

more　in　order。　　His　name　is　very　dear　to　mystic　novelists；　like　the

author　of　〃Zanoni。〃　　They　always　describe　their　favourite　hero　as

〃deep　in　Plotinus　or　Iamblichus；〃　and　I　venture　to　think　that　nearly

represents　the　depth　of　their　own　explorations。　　We　do　not　know

exactly　when　Plotinus　was　born。　　Like　many　ladies　he　used　to　wrap　up

his　age　in　a　mystery；　observing　that　these　petty　details　about　the

body　（a　mere　husk　of　flesh　binding　the　soul）　were　of　no　importance。

He　was　not　weaned　till　he　was　eight　years　old；　a　singular

circumstance。　　Having　a　turn　for　philosophy；　he　attended　the　schools

of　Alexandria；　concerning　which　Kingsley's　〃Hypatia〃　is　the　most

accessible　authority。



All　these　anecdotes；　I　should　have　said；　we　learn　from　Porphyry；　the

Tyrian；　who　was　a　kind　of　Boswell　to　Plotinus。　　The　philosopher

himself　often　reminds　me　of　Dr。　Johnson；　especially　as　Dr。　Johnson

is　described　by　Mr。　Carlyle。　　Just　as　the　good　doctor　was　a　sound

Churchman　in　the　beginning　of　the　age　of　new　ideas；　so　Plotinus　was

a　sound　pagan　in　the　beginning　of　the　triumph　of　Christianity。



Like　Johnson；　Plotinus　was　lazy　and　energetic　and　short…sighted。　　He

wrote　a　very　large　number　of　treatises；　but　he　never　took　the

trouble　to　read　through　them　when　once　they　were　written；　because

his　eyes　were　weak。　　He　was　superstitious；　like　Dr。　Johnson；　yet　he

had　lucid　intervals　of　common　sense；　when　he　laughed　at　the

superstitions　of　his　disciples。　　Like　Dr。　Johnson；　he　was　always

begirt　by　disciples；　men　and　women；　Bozzys　and　Thrales。　　He　was　so

full　of　honour　and　charity；　that　his　house　was　crowded　with　persons

in　need　of　help　and　friendly　care。　　Though　he　lived　so　much　in　the

clouds　and　among　philosophical　abstractions；　he　was　an　excellent　man

of　business。　　Though　a　philosopher　he　was　pious；　and　was　courageous；

dreading　the　plague　no　more　than　the　good　doctor　dreaded　the　tempest

that　fell　on　him　when　he　was　voyaging　to　Coll。



You　will　admit　that　the　parallel　is　pretty　close　for　an　historical

parallel；　despite　the　differences　between　the　ascetic　of　Wolf…town

and　the　sage　of　Bolt　Court；　hard　by　Fleet　Street！



To　return　to　the　education　of　Plotinus。　　He　was　twenty…eight　when　he

went　up　to　the　University　of　Alexandria。　　For　eleven　years　he

diligently　attended　the　lectures　of　Ammonius。　　Then　he　went　on　the

Emperor　Gordian's　expedition　to　the　East；　hoping　to　learn　the

philosophy　of　the　Hindus。　　The　Upanishads　would　have　puzzled

Plotinus；　had　he　reached　India；　but　he　never　did。　　Gordian's　army

was　defeated　in　Mesopotamia；　no　〃blessed　word〃　to　Gordian；　and

Plotinus　hardly　escaped　with　his　life。　　He　must　have　felt　like

Stendhal　on　the　retreat　from　Moscow。



From　Syria　his　friend　and　disciple　Amelius　led　him　to　Rome；　and

here；　as　novelists　say；　〃a　curious　thing　happened。〃　　There　was　in

Rome　an　Egyptian　priest；　who　offered　to　raise　up　the　Demon；　or

Guardian　Angel；　of　Plotinus　in　visible　form。　　But　there　was　only　one

pure　spot　in　all　Rome；　so　said　the　priest；　and　this　spot　was　the

Temple　of　Isis。　　Here　the　seance　was　held；　and　no　demon　appeared；

but　a　regular　God　of　one　of　the　first　circles。　　So　terrified　was　an

onlooker　that　he　crushed　to　death　the　living　birds　which　he　held　in

his　hands　for　some　ritual　or　magical　purpose。



It　was　a　curious　scene；　a　cosmopolitan　confusion　of　Egypt；　Rome；

Isis；　table…turning；　the　late　Mr。　Home；　religion；　and　mummery；　while

Christian　hymns　of　the　early　Church　were　being　sung；　perhaps　in　the

garrets　around；　outside　the　Temple　of　Isis。　　The　discovery　that　he

had　a　god　for　his　guardian　angel　gave　Plotinus　plenty　of　confidence

in　dealing　with　rival　philosophers。　　For　example；　Alexandrinus

Olympius；　another　mystic；　tried　magical　arts　against　Plotinus。　　But

Alexandrinus；　suddenly　doubling　up　during　lecture　with　unaffected

agony；　cried；　〃Great　virtue　hath　the　soul　of　Plotinus；　for　my　spells

have　returned　against　myself。〃　　As　for　Plotinus；　he　remarked　among

his　disciples；　〃Now　the　body　of　Alexandrinus　is　collapsing　like　an

empty　purse。〃



How　diverting　it　would　be；　Lady　Violet；　if　our　modern

controversialists　had　those　accomplishments；　and　if　Mr。　Max　Muller

could；　literally；　〃double　up〃　Professor　Whitney；　or　if　any　one　could

cause　Peppmuller　to　collapse　with　his　queer　Homeric　theory！

Plotinus　had　many　such　arts。　　A　piece　of　jewellery　was　stolen　from

one　of　his　protegees；　a　lady；　and　he　detected　the　thief；　a　servant；

by　a　glance。　　After　being　flogged　within　an　inch　of　his　life；　the

servant　（perhaps　to　save　the　remaining　inch）　confessed　all。



Once　when　Porphyry　was　at　a　distance；　and　was　meditating　suicide；

Plotinus　appeared　at　his　side；　saying；　〃This　that　thou　schemest

cometh　not　of　the　pure　intellect；　but　of　black　humours；〃　and　so　sent

Porphyry　for　change　of　air　to　Sicily。　　This　was　thoroughly　good

advice；　but　during　the　absence　of　the　disciple　the　master　died。



Porphyry　did　not　see　the　great　snake　that　glided　into　the　wall　when

Plotinus　expired；　he　only　heard　of　the　circumstance。　　Plotinus's

last　words　were：　　〃I　am　striving　to　release　that　which　is　divine

within　us；　and　to　merge　it　in　the　universally　divine。〃　　It　is　a

strange　mixture　of　philosophy　and　savage　survival。　　The　Zulus　still

believe　that　the　souls　of　the　dead　reappear；　like　the　soul　of

Plotinus；　in　the　form　of　serpents。



Plotinus　wrote　against　the　paganizing　Christians；　or　Gnostics。　　Like

all　great　men；　he　was