letters to dead authors-第14部分

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or　of　Leyden；　have　blushed　at　the　names　of　Majuba；　The　Soudan；　Maiwand；　and　many　others　that　recall　political　cowardice　or　military　incapacity！　　On　the　other　hand；　who　but　you　could　have　sung　the　dirge　of　Gordon；　or　wedded　with　immortal　verse　the　names　of　Hamilton　（who　fell　with　Cavagnari）；　of　the　two　Stewarts；　of　many　another　clansman；　brave　among　the　bravest！　　Only　he　who　told　how


The　stubborn　spearmen　still　made　good　Their　dark　impenetrable　wood


could　have　fitly　rhymed　a　score　of　feats　of　arms　in　which；　as　at　M'Neill's　Zareba　and　at　Abu　Klea；


Groom　fought　like　noble；　squire　like　knight；　As　fearlessly　and　well。


Ah；　Sir；　the　hearts　of　the　rulers　may　wax　faint；　and　the　voting　classes　may　forget　that　they　are　Britons；　but　when　it　comes　to　blows　our　fighting　men　might　cry；　with　Leyden；


My　name　is　little　Jock　Elliot；　And　wha　daur　meddle　wi'　me！


Much　is　changed；　in　the　countryside　as　well　as　in　the　country；　but　much　remains。　　The　little　towns　of　your　time　are　populous　and　excessively　black　with　the　smoke　of　factoriesnot；　I　fear；　at　present　very　flourishing。　　In　Galashiels　you　still　see　the　little　change…house　and　the　cluster　of　cottages　round　the　Laird's　lodge；　like　the　clachan　of　Tully　Veolan。　　But　these　plain　remnants　of　the　old　Scotch　towns　are　almost　buried　in　a　multitude　of　〃smoky　dwarf　houses〃a　living　poet；　Mr。　Matthew　Arnold；　has　found　the　fitting　phrase　for　these　dwellings；　once　for　all。　　All　over　the　Forest　the　waters　are　dirty　and　poisoned：　　I　think　they　are　filthiest　below　Hawick；　but　this　may　be　mere　local　prejudice　in　a　Selkirk　man。　　To　keep　them　clean　costs　money；　and；　though　improvements　are　often　promised；　I　cannot　see　much　changefor　the　better。　　Abbotsford；　luckily；　is　above　Galashiels；　and　only　receives　the　dirt　and　dyes　of　Selkirk；　Peebles；　Walkerburn；　and　Innerleithen。　　On　the　other　hand；　your　ill…omened　later　dwelling；　〃the　unhappy　palace　of　your　race；〃　is　overlooked　by　villas　that　prick　a　cockney　ear　among　their　larches；　hotels　of　the　future。　　Ah；　Sir；　Scotland　is　a　strange　place。　　Whisky　is　exiled　from　some　of　our　caravanserais；　and　they　have　banished　Sir　John　Barleycorn。　　It　seems　as　if　the　views　of　the　excellent　critic　（who　wrote　your　life　lately；　and　said　you　had　left　no　descendants；　le　pauvre　homme！）　were　beginning　to　prevail。　　This　pious　biographer　was　greatly　shocked　by　that　capital　story　about　the　keg　of　whisky　that　arrived　at　the　Liddesdale　farmer's　during　family　prayers。　　Your　Toryism　also　was　an　offence　to　him。

Among　these　vicissitudes　of　things　and　the　overthrow　of　customs；　let　us　be　thankful　that；　beyond　the　reach　of　the　manufacturers；　the　Border　country　remains　as　kind　and　homely　as　ever。　　I　looked　at　Ashiestiel　some　days　ago：　　the　house　seemed　just　as　it　may　have　been　when　you　left　it　for　Abbotsford；　only　there　was　a　lawn…tennis　net　on　the　lawn；　the　hill　on　the　opposite　bank　of　the　Tweed　was　covered　to　the　crest　with　turnips；　and　the　burn　did　not　sing　below　the　little　bridge；　for　in　this　arid　summer　the　burn　was　dry。　　But　there　was　still　a　grilse　that　rose　to　a　big　March　brown　in　the　shrunken　stream　below　Elibank。　　This　may　not　interest　you；　who　styled　yourself


No　fisher；　But　a　well…wisher　To　the　game！


Still；　as　when　you　were　thinking　over　Marmion；　a　man　might　have　〃grand　gallops　among　the　hills〃those　grave　wastes　of　heather　and　bent　that　sever　all　the　watercourses　and　roll　their　sheep…covered　pastures　from　Dollar　Law　to　White　Combe；　and　from　White　Combe　to　the　Three　Brethren　Cairn　and　the　Windburg　and　Skelf…hill　Pen。　　Yes；　Teviotdale　is　pleasant　still；　and　there　is　not　a　drop　of　dye　in　the　water；　purior　electro；　of　Yarrow。　　St。　Mary's　Loch　lies　beneath　me；　smitten　with　wind　and　rainthe　St。　Mary's　of　North　and　of　the　Shepherd。　　Only　the　trout；　that　see　a　myriad　of　artificial　flies；　are　shyer　than　of　yore。　　The　Shepherd　could　no　longer　fill　a　cart　up　Meggat　with　trout　so　much　of　a　size　that　the　country　people　took　them　for　herrings。

The　grave　of　Piers　Cockburn　is　still　not　desecrated：　　hard　by　it　lies；　within　a　little　wood；　and　beneath　that　slab　of　old　sandstone；　and　the　graven　letters；　and　the　sword　and　shield；　sleep　〃Piers　Cockburn　and　Marjory　his　wife。〃　　Not　a　hundred　yards　off　was　the　castle…door　where　they　hanged　him；　this　is　the　tomb　of　the　ballad；　and　the　lady　that　buried　him　rests　now　with　her　wild　lord。


Oh；　wat　ye　no　my　heart　was　sair；　When　I　happit　the　mouls　on　his　yellow　hair；　Oh；　wat　ye　no　my　heart　was　wae；　When　I　turned　about　and　went　my　way！　｛7｝


Here　too　hearts　have　broken；　and　there　is　a　sacredness　in　the　shadow　and　beneath　these　clustering　berries　of　the　rowan…trees。　　That　sacredness；　that　reverent　memory　of　our　old　land；　it　is　always　and　inextricably　blended　with　our　memories；　with　our　thoughts；　with　our　love　of　you。　　Scotchmen；　methinks；　who　owe　so　much　to　you；　owe　you　most　for　the　example　you　gave　of　the　beauty　of　a　life　of　honour；　showing　them　what；　by　heaven's　blessing；　a　Scotchman　still　might　be。

Words；　empty　and　unavailingfor　what　words　of　ours　can　speak　our　thoughts　or　interpret　our　affections！　　From　you　first；　as　we　followed　the　deer　with　King　James；　or　rode　with　William　of　Deloraine　on　his　midnight　errand；　did　we　learn　what　Poetry　means　and　all　the　happiness　that　is　in　the　gift　of　song。　　This　and　more　than　may　be　told　you　gave　us；　that　are　not　forgetful；　not　ungrateful；　though　our　praise　be　unequal　to　our　gratitude。　　Fungor　inani　munere！



LETTERTo　Eusebius　of　Caesarea　（Concerning　the　gods　of　the　heathen）



Touching　the　Gods　of　the　Heathen；　most　reverend　Father；　thou　art　not　ignorant　that　even　now；　as　in　the　time　of　thy　probation　on　earth；　there　is　great　dissension。　　That　these　feigned　Deities　and　idols；　the　work　of　men's　hands；　are　no　longer　worshipped　thou　knowest；　neither　do　men　eat　meat　offered　to　idols。　　Even　as　spake　that　last　Oracle　which　murmured　forth；　the　latest　and　the　only　true　voice　from　Delphi；　even　so　〃the　fair…wrought　court　divine　hath　fallen；　no　more　hath　Phoebus　his　home；　no　more　his　laurel…bough；　nor　the　singing　well　of　water；　nay；　the　sweet…voiced　water　is　silent。〃　　The　fane　is　ruinous；　and　the　images　of　men's　idolatry　are　dust。

Nevertheless；　most　worshipful；　men　do　still　dispute　about　the　beginnings　of　those　sinful　Gods：　　such　as　Zeus；　Athene；　and　Dionysus：　　and　marvel　how　first　they　won　their　dominion　over　the　souls　of　the　foolish　peoples。　　Now；　concerning　these　things　there　is　not　one　belief；　but　many；　howbeit；　there　are　two　main　kinds　of　opinion。　　One　sect　of　philosophers　believesas　thyself；　with　heavenly　learning；　didst　not　vainly　persuadethat　the　Gods　were　the　inventions　of　wild　and　bestial　folk；　who；　long　before　cities　were　builded　or　life　was　honourably　ordained；　fashioned　forth　evil　spirits　in　their　own　savage　likeness；　ay；　or　in　the　likeness　of　the　very　beasts　that　perish。　　To　this　judgment；　as　it　is　set　forth　in　thy　Book　of　the　Preparation　for　the　Gospel；　I；　humble　as　I　am；　do　give　my　consent。　　But　on　the　other　side　are　many　and　learned　men；　chiefly　of　the　tribes　of　the　Alemanni；　who　have　almost　conquered　the　whole　inhabited　world。　　These；　being　unwilling　to　suppose　that　the　Hellenes　were　in　bondage　to　superstitions　handed　down　from　times　of　utter　darkness　and　a　bestial　life；　do　chiefly　hold　with　the　heathen　philosophers；　even　with　the　writers　whom　thou；　most　venerable；　didst　confound　with　thy　wisdom　and　chasten　with　the　scourge　of　small　cords　of　thy　wit。

Thus；　like　the　heathen；　our　doctors　and　teachers　maintain　that　the　gods　of　the　nations　were；　in　the　beginning；　such　pure　natural　creatures　as　the　blue　sky；　the　sun；　the　air；　the　bright　dawn；　and　the　fire；　but；　as　time　went　on；　men；　forgetting　the　meaning　of　their　own　speech　and　no　longer　understanding　the　tongue　of　their　own　fathers；　were　misled　and　beguiled　into　fashioning　all　those　lamentable　tales：　　as　that　Zeus；　for　love　of　mortal　women；　took　the　shape　of　a　bull；　a　ram；　a　serpent；　an　ant；　an　eagle；　and　sinned　in　such　wise　as　it　is　a　shame　even　to　speak　of。

Behold；　then；　most　worshipful；　how　these　doctors　and　learned　men　argue；　even　like　the　philosophers　of　the　heathen　whom　thou　didst　confound。　　For　they　declare　the　gods　to　have　been　natural　elements；　sun　and　sky　and　storm；　even　as　did　thy　opponents；　and；　like　them；　as　thou　saidst；　〃they　are　nowise　at　one　with　each　other　in　their　explanations。〃　　For　of　old　some　boasted　that　Hera　was　the　Air；　and　some　that　she　signified　the　love　of　woman　and　man；　and　some　that　she　was　the　waters　above　the　Earth；　and　others　that　she　was　the　Earth　beneath　the　waters；　and　yet　others　that　she　was　the　Night；　for　that　Night　is　the　shadow　of　Earth：　　as　if；　forsooth；　the　men　who　first　worshipped　Hera　had　understanding　of　these　things！　　And　when　Hera　and　Zeus　quarrel　unseemly　（as　Homer　declareth）；　this　meant　（said　the　learned　in　thy　days）　no　more　than　the　strife　and　confusion　of　the　elements；　and　was　not　in　the　beginning　an　idle　slanderous　tale。

To　all　which；　most　worshipful；　thou　didst　answer　wisely：　　saying　that　Hera　could　not　be　both　night；　and　earth；　and　water；　and　air；　and　the　love　of　sexes；　and　the　confusion　of　the　elements；　but　that　all　these　opinions　were　vain　dreams；　and　the　guesses　of　the　learned。　And　whythou　saidsteven　if　the　Gods　were　pure　natural　creatures；　are　such　foul　things　told　of　them　in　the　Mysteries　as　it　is　not　fitting　for　me　to　declare。　　〃These　wanderings；　and　drinkings；　and　loves；　and　seductions；　that　would　be　shameful　in　men；　why；〃　thou　saidst；　〃were　they　attributed　to　the　natural　elements；　and　wherefore　did　the　Gods　constantly　show　themselves；　like　the　sorcerers　called　werewolves；　in　the　shape　of　the　perishable　beasts？〃　　But；　mainly；　thou　didst　argue　that；　till　the　philosophers　of　the　heathen　were　agreed　among　themselves；　not　all　contradicting　each　the　other；　they　had　no　semblance　of　a　sure　foundation　for　their　doctrine。

To　all　this　and　more；　most　worshipful　Father；　I　know　not　what　the　heathen　answered　thee。　　But；　in　our　time；　the　learned　men　who　stand　to　it　that　the　heathen　Gods　were　in　the　beginning　the　pure　elements；　and　that　the　nations；　forgetting　their　first　love　and　the　significance　of　their　own　speech；　became　confused　and　were　betrayed　into　foul　stories　about　the　pure　Godsthese　learned　men；　I　say；　agree　no　whit　among　themselves。　　Nay；　they　differ　one　from　anothe