a study of bible-第15部分

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　to　be　making　fun　of　himself　or　of　other　people；　and　if　he　is　dead　in　earnest　he　has　the　wrong　style　to　make　great　literature　or　literature　that　will　live　long。

It　is　that　earnestness　and　greatness　of　theme　which　puts　the　tang　into　the　English　of　the　Bible。　Coleridge　says　that　〃after　reading　Isaiah　or　the　Epistle　to　the　Hebrews；　Homer　and　Virgil　are　disgustingly　tame；　Milton　himself　barely　tolerable。〃　It　need　not　be　put　quite　so　strongly　as　that；　but　there　is　large　warrant　of　fact　in　that　expression。

Go　a　little　farther　in　thought　of　the　literary　characteristics　of　the　Bible。　Notice　the　variety　of　the　forms　involved。　Recall　Professor　Moulton's　four　cardinal　points　in　literature；　all　of　it　taking　one　of　these　forms：　either　description；　when　a　scene　is　given　in　the　words　of　the　author；　as　when　Milton　and　Homer　describe　scenes　without　pretending　to　give　the　words　of　the　actors　throughout；　or；　secondly；　presentation；　when　a　scene　is　given　in　the　words　of　those　who　took　part　in　it；　and　the　author　does　not　appear；　as；　of　course；　in　the　plays　of　Shakespeare；　when　he　never　appears；　but　where　all　his　sentiments　are　put　in　the　words　of　others。　As　between　those　two；　the　Bible　is　predominantly　a　book　of　description；　the　authors　for　the　most　part　doing　the　speaking；　though　there　is；　of　course；　an　element　of　presentation。　Professor　Moulton　goes　on　with　the　two　other　phases　of　literary　form：　prose；　moving　in　the　region　limited　by　facts；　as　history　and　philosophy　deal　only　with　what　actually　has　existence；　and　poetry；　which　by　its　Greek　origin　means　creative　literature。　He　reminds　us　that；　however　literature　starts；　these　are　the　points　toward　which　it　moves；　the　paths　it　takes。　All　four　of　them　appear　in　the　literature　of　the　English　Bible。　You　have　more　of　prose　and　less　of　poetry；　but　the　poetry　is　there；　not　in　the　sense　of　rhyme；　but　in　the　sense　of　real　creative　literature。

A　more　natural　way　of　considering　the　literature　has　been　followed　by　Professor　Gardiner。　He　finds　four　elements　in　the　literature　of　the　Bible：　its　narrative；　its　poetry；　its　philosophizing；　and　its　prophecy。　It　is　not　necessary　for　our　purpose　to　go　into　details　about　that。　We　shall　have　all　we　need　when　we　realize　that；　small　as　the　volume　of　the　book　is；　it　yet　does　cover　all　these　types　of　literature。　Its　difference　from　other　books　is　that　it　deals　with　all　of　its　subjects　so　compactly。

It　will　accent　this　fact　of　its　variety　if　we　note　the　musical　element　in　the　literature　of　the　Bible。　It　comes　in　part　from　the　form　which　marks　the　original　Hebrew　poetry。　It　has　become　familiar　to　say　that　it　is　not　of　the　rhyming　kind。　Rather　it　is　marked　by　the　balancing　of　phrases　or　of　ideas；　so　that　it　runs　in　couplets　or　in　triplets　throughout。　In　the　Psalms　there　is　always　a　balance　of　clauses。　They　are　sometimes　adversative；　sometimes　they　are　simply　cumulative。　Take　several　instances　from　the　119th　Psalm；　each　a　complete　stanza　of　Hebrew　poetry；　（verse　15）　〃I　will　meditate　in　thy　precepts；　and　have　respect　unto　thy　ways〃；　or　this　（verse　23）；　〃Princes　also　did　sit　and　speak　against　me：　but　thy　servant　did　meditate　in　thy　statutes〃；　or　this　（verse　45）；　〃And　I　will　walk　at　liberty：　for　I　seek　thy　precepts〃；　（verse　51；）　〃The　proud　have　had　me　greatly　in　derision：　yet　have　I　not　inclined　from　thy　law。〃　Each　presents　a　parallel　or　a　contrast　of　ideas。　That　is　the　characteristic　mark　of　Hebrew　poetry。　It　results　in　a　kind　of　rhythm　of　the　English　which　makes　it　very　easy　to　set　to　music。　Some　of　it　can　be　sung；　though　for　some　of　it　only　the　thunder　is　the　right　accompaniment。　But　it　is　not　simply　in　the　balance　of　phrases　that　the　musical　element　appears。　Sometimes　it　is　in　a　natural　but　rhythmic　consecution　of　ideas。　The　35th　chapter　of　Isaiah；　for　example；　is　not　poetic　in　the　Hebrew；　yet　it　is　remarkably　musical　in　the　English。　Read　it　aloud　from　our　familiar　version：


〃The　wilderness　and　the　solitary　place　shall　be　glad　for　them；　and　the　desert　shall　rejoice；　and　blossom　as　the　rose。　It　shall　blossom　abundantly；　and　rejoice　even　with　joy　and　singing；　the　glory　of　Lebanon　shall　be　given　unto　it；　the　excellency　of　Carmel　and　Sharon；　they　shall　see　the　glory　of　the　Lord；　and　the　excellency　of　our　God。　Strengthen　ye　the　weak　hands；　and　confirm　the　feeble　knees。　Say　to　them　that　are　of　a　fearful　heart；　Be　strong；　fear　not：　behold；　your　God　will　come　with　vengeance；　even　God　with　a　recompense；　He　will　come　and　save　you。　Then　the　eyes　of　the　blind　shall　be　opened；　and　the　ears　of　the　deaf　shall　be　unstopped。　Then　shall　the　lame　man　leap　as　a　hart；　and　the　tongue　of　the　dumb　sing：　for　in　the　wilderness　shall　waters　break　out；　and　streams　in　the　desert。　And　the　parched　ground　shall　become　a　pool；　and　the　thirsty　land　springs　of　water：　in　the　habitation　of　dragons；　where　each　lay；　shall　be　grass　with　reeds　and　rushes。　And　a　highway　shall　be　there；　and　a　way；　and　it　shall　be　called　The　way　of　holiness；　the　unclean　shall　not　pass　over　it；　but　it　shall　be　for　those：　the　wayfaring　men；　though　fools；　shall　not　err　therein。　No　lion　shall　be　there；　nor　any　ravenous　beast　shall　go　up　thereon；　it　shall　not　be　found　there；　but　the　redeemed　shall　walk　there：　and　the　ransomed　of　the　Lord　shall　return；　and　come　to　Zion　with　songs　and　everlasting　joy　upon　their　heads；　they　shall　obtain　joy　and　gladness；　and　sorrow　and　sighing　shall　flee　away。〃


That　can　be　set　to　music　as　it　stands。　You　catch　the　same　form　in　the　familiar　13th　chapter　of　I　Corinthians；　the　chapter　on　Charity。　It　could　be　almost　sung　throughout。　This　musical　element　is　in　sharp　contrast　with　much　else　in　the　Scripture；　where　necessity　does　not　permit　that　literary　form。　For　example；　in　the　Epistle　to　the　Hebrews；　which　is　argumentative　throughout；　there　is　no　part　except　its　quotations　which　has　ever　been　set　to　music　for　uses　in　Christian　worship。　It　is　rugged　and　protracted　in　its　form；　and　has　no　musical　element　about　it。　The　contrast　within　the　Scripture　of　the　musical　and　the　unmusical　is　a　very　marked　one。

Add　to　the　thought　of　the　earnestness　and　variety　of　the　Scripture　a　word　about　the　simplicity　of　its　literary　expression。　There　is　nothing　meretricious　in　its　style。　There　is　no　effort　to　say　a　thing　finely。　The　translators　have　avoided　all　temptation　to　grow　dramatic　in　reproducing　the　original。　Contrast　the　actual　English　Bible　with　the　narratives　or　other　literary　works　that　have　been　built　up　out　of　it。　Read　all　that　the　Bible　tells　about　the　loss　of　Paradise；　and　then　read　Milton's　〃Paradise　Lost。〃　Nearly　all　of　the　conceptions　of　Milton's　greatest　poem　are　built　up　from　brief　Scripture　references。　But　Milton　becomes　subtle　in　his　analysis　of　motives；　he　enlarges　greatly　on　events。　Scripture　never　does　that。　It　gives　us　very　few　analyses　of　motive　from　first　to　last。　That　is　not　the　method　nor　the　purpose　of　Scripture。　It　tells　the　story　in　terms　that　move　on　the　middle　level　of　speech　and　the　middle　level　of　understanding；　while　Milton　labors　with　it；　complicates　it；　entangling　it　with　countless

details　which　are　to　the　Scripture　unimportant。　It　goes　straight　to　the　simple　and　fundamental　elements　in　the　account。　Take　a　more　modern　illustration。　Probably　the　finest　poem　of　its　length　in　the　English　language　is　Browning's　〃Saul。〃　It　is　built　out　of　one　incident　and　a　single　expression　in　the　Bible　story　of　Saul　and　David。　The　incident　is　David's　being　called　from　his　sheep　to　play　his　harp　and　to　sing　before　Saul　in　the　fits　of　gloom　which　overcome　him；　the　expression　is　the　single　saying　that　David　loved　Saul。　Taking　that　incident　and　that　expression；　Browning　writes　a　beautiful　poem　with　many　decorative　details；　with　keen　analysis　of　motive；　with　long　accounts　of　the　way　David　felt　when　he　rendered　his　service；　and　how　his　heart　leaped　or　sang。　Imagine　finding　Browning's　familiar　phrases　in　Scripture：　〃The　lilies　we　twine　round　the　harp…chords；　lest　they　snap　neath　the　stress　of　the　noontide　those　sunbeams　like　swords〃；　〃Oh；　the　wild　joy　of　living！〃　〃Spring's　arrowy　summons；〃　going　〃straight　to　the　aim。〃　That　is　very　well　for　Browning；　but　it　is　not　the　Scripture　way；　it　is　too　complicated。　All　that　the　Bible　says　can　be　said　anywhere；　Browning's　〃Saul〃　could　not　possibly　be　reproduced　in　other　languages。　It　would　need　a　glossary　or　a　commentary　to　make　it　intelligible。　It　is　beautiful　English；　and　great　because　it　has　taken　a　great　idea　and　clothed　it　in　worthy　expression。　But　the　simplicity　of　the　Bible　narrative　appears　in　sharp　contrast　with　it。　In　my　childhood　my　father　used　to　tell　of　a　man　who　preached　on　the　creation；　and　with　great　detail　and　much　elaboration　and　decoration　told　the　story　of　creation　as　it　is　suggested　in　the　first　chapter　of　Genesis。　When　it　was　over　he　asked　an　old　listener　what　he　thought　of　his　effort；　and　the　only　comment　was；　〃You　can't　beat　Moses！〃　Well；　it　would　be　difficult　to　surpass　these　Bible　writers　in　simplicity；　in　going　straight　to　the　point；　and　making　that　plain　and　leaving　it。　Where　the　Bible　takes　a　hundred　words　to　tell　the　whole　story　Browning　takes　several　hundred　lines　to　tell　it。

The　simplicity　of　the　Bible　is　largely　because　there　is　so　little　abstract　reasoning　in　it。　Having　few　or　no　abstract　ideas；　it　does　not　need　abstract　words。　Rather；　it　groups　its　whole　movement　around　characters。　Three　eminent　literary　men　were　once　asked　to　select　the　best　reviews　of　a　novel　which　had　just　appeared。　One　of　the　three　statements　which　they　rated　highest　said　of　the　book　that　it　〃achieves　the　true　purpose　of　a　novel；　which　is　to　make　comprehensible　the　philosophy　of　life　of　a　whole　community　or　race　of　men　by　showing　us　how　that　philosophy　accords　with　the　impulses　and　yearnings　of　typical　individuals。〃　Few　phrases　could　be　more　foreign　to　Bible　phrases　than　those。　But　there　is　valuable　suggestion　in　it　for　more　than　the　literature　of　the　novel。　That　is　exactly　what　the　Scripture　does。　Its　reasoning　is　kept　concrete　by　the　fact　that　it　is　dealing　with　characters　more　than　movements；　and　so　it　can　speak　in　concrete　words。　That　always　makes　for　simplicity。

There　are　two　elements　common　to　the　history　of　literature　about　which　a　special　word　is　deserved。　I　mean　the　dramatic　and　the　oratorical　elements。　The　difference　between　the　dramatic　and　the　oratorical