study of the king james bible(钦印〈圣经〉研究)-第27部分
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Bible on Thomas Carlyle。 He does not often use the Scripture for his main
theme； but he is constantly making Biblical allusions。 On a railway
journey when I was rereading Carlyle's Historical Sketches； I found a
direct Biblical reference for every five pages； and almost numberless
allusions beside。
The 〃Everlasting Yea；〃 of which he says much； he gets； as you at once
recognize； from the Scripture。 His 〃Heroes and Hero Worship〃 is based on
an idea of heroism which he learned from the Bible。 He is an Old
Testament prophet of present times； and； while he degenerated into a scold
before he was through with it； he yet spoke with the thunderous voice of a
true prophet； and much of the time in the language of the prophets。 Some
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one said once that the only real reverence Carlyle ever had was for the
person of Christ。 Certainly there is no note of sneer； but of the profoundest
regard for the teaching； the ideas and the history of the Scripture。
The name of Charles Dickens suggests a different atmosphere。 He is a
New Testament prophet。 Where Carlyle has caught the spirit of rugged
power in the Old Testament； Dickens has caught the sense of kindly love
in the New Testament。 Dickens's love for the child； the fact that he could
draw children as he could draw no one else and make them lovable；
suggests the value to him of those frequent references which he makes to
Christ setting a child in the midst of the disciples。 It is notable； too； how
often Dickens uses the great Scripture phrases for his most dramatic
climaxes。 There are not in literature many finer uses of Scripture than the
scene in Bleak House； where the poor waif Joe is dying； and while his
friend teaches him the Lord's Prayer he sees the light coming。 A Christmas
season without Dickens's Christmas Carol would be incomplete； but there
again is the Scripture idea pressed forward。
George Eliot surely； if any writer； was under the spell of the Scripture。
One of her critics calls her the historian of conscience。 All of her heroes
and heroines know the lash of the law。 She knows very little about the
New Testament； one would judge； but the one thing about which she has
no doubt is certainly the reign of moral law。 If a man will not yield to its
power； it will break him。 There is no such thing as breaking the moral law；
there is nothing but being broken by it。 Her characters are always quoting
the Bible。 They preach a great deal。 She tells that she herself wrote Dinah
Morris's sermon on the green with tears in her eyes。 She meant it all。
While her own religious faith was clouded； her finest characters are never
clouded in their religious faith； and she grounds their faith quite invariably
on their early training in the Scripture。 It is an interesting fact that George
Eliot has no principal story which has not in it a church； and a priest or a
preacher； with all that they involve。
Charles Kingsley is grouped hardly fairly in this list； because he was
himself a preacher； and naturally all his work would feel the power of the
Book； which he chiefly studied。 Professor Masson says that 〃there is not
one of his novels which has not the power of Christianity for its theme。〃
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No voice was raised more effectively for the beginning of the new social
era in England than his。 Alton Locke and Yeast are epoch… making books
in the life of the common people of England。 Even Hypatia； which is
supposed to have been written to represent entirely pagan surroundings； is
full of Bible phrases and ideas。
Lord Macaulay had been held up for many a day as one of the masters
of style。 Such great writing is not to be traced to any one influence。 It
could not have been easy to write as Macaulay wrote。 Thackeray may
have exaggerated in saying that Macaulay read twenty books to write a
sentence； and traveled a hundred miles to make a description； but all his
writing shows the power of taking infinite pains。 It becomes the more
important； therefore； that Macaulay held the Bible in such estimate as he
did。 〃In calling upon Lady Holland one day； Lord Macaulay was led to
bring the attention of his fair hostess to the fact that the use of the word
'talent' to mean gifts or powers of the mind； as when we speak of men of
talent； came from the use of the word in Christ's parable of the talents。 In a
letter to his sister Hannah he describes the incident； and says that Lady
Holland was evidently ignorant of the parable。 'I did not tell her；' he adds；
'though I might have done so； that a person who professes to be a critic in
the delicacies of the English language ought to have the Bible at his
fingers' ends。' 〃 That Macaulay practised his own preaching you would
quickly find by referring to his essays。 Take three sentences from the
Essay on Milton： 〃The principles of liberty were the scoff of every
growing courtier； and the Anathema Maranatha of every fawning dean。 In
every high place worship was paid to Charles and James； Belial and
Moloch； and England propitiated these obscene and cruel idols with the
blood of her best and brightest children。 Crime succeeded to crime； and
disgrace to disgrace； until the race； accursed of God and man； was a
second time driven forth to wander on the face of the earth and to be a by…
word and a shaking of the head to the nations。〃 In three sentences here are
six allusions to Scripture。 In that same essay； in the paragraphs on the
Puritans； the allusions are a multitude。 They are not even quoted。 They are
taken for granted。 In his Essay on Machiavelli； though the subject does not
suggest it； he falls into Scriptural phrases over and over。 Listen to this； 〃A
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time was at hand when all the seven vials of the Apocalypse were to be
poured forth and shaken out over those pleasant countries〃； or this； 〃All
the curses pronounced of old against Tyre seemed to have fallen on Venice。
Her merchants already stood afar off lamenting for their great city〃； or this；
〃In the energetic language of the prophet； Machiavelli was mad for the
sight of his eyes which he saw。〃
And if Macaulay is baffling in the abundance of material； surely John
Ruskin is worse。 Carlyle's English style ran into excess of roughness；
Macaulay's ran into excess of balance and delicacy。 John Ruskin's
continued to be the smoothest； easiest style in our English literature。 He
also was a Hebraic spirit； but of the gentler type。 Mr。 Chapman calls him
the Elisha to Carlyle's； Elijah； a capital comparison。＇1＇ Ruskin is one of
the few writers who have told us what formed their style。 In the first
chapter of Praeterita he pays tribute to his mother。 He himself chose to
read Walter Scott and Pope's Homer； but he says： 〃My mother forced me
by steady daily toil to learn long chapters of the Bible by heart； as well as
to read it； every syllable aloud； hard names and all； from Genesis to the
Apocalypse about once a year； and to that discipline patient； accurate；
and resoluteI owe not only a knowledge of the Book which I find
occasionally serviceable； but much of my general power of taking pains
and the best part of my taste in literature。〃 He thinks reading Scott might
have led to other novels of a poorer sort。 Reading Pope might have led to
Johnson's or Gibbon's English； but 〃it was impossible to write entirely
superficial and formal English〃 while he knew 〃by heart the thirty… second
of Deuteronomy； the fifteenth of I Corinthians； the One hundred and
nineteenth Psalm； or the Sermon on the Mount。〃 In the second chapter of
Praeterita he is even more explicit。 〃I have next with deeper gratitude to
chronicle what I owed to my mother for the resolute persistent lessons
which so exercised me in the Scripture； as to make every word of them
familiar in my ear as habitual music； yet in that familiarity reverenced as
transcending all thought and ordering all conduct。〃 He tells how his
mother drilled him。 As soon as he could read she began a course of Bible
work with him。 They read alternate verses from the Genesis to the
Revelation； names and all。 Daily he had to commit verses of the Scripture。
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He hated the One hundred and nineteenth Psalm most； but he lived to
cherish it most。 In his old Bible he found the list of twenty…six chapters
taught by his mother。
＇1＇ English Literature in Account with Religion。
Not only
