letters to dead authors-第15部分

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pure　Godsthese　learned　men；　I　say；　agree　no　whit　among　themselves。　　Nay；　they　differ　one　from　another；　not　less　than　did　Plutarch　and　Porphyry　and　Theagenes；　and　the　rest　whom　thou　didst　laugh　to　scorn。　　Bear　with　me；　Father；　while　I　tell　thee　how　the　new　Plutarchs　and　Porphyrys　do　contend　among　themselves；　and　yet　these　differences　of　theirs　they　call　〃Science〃！

Consider　the　goddess　Athene；　who　sprang　armed　from　the　head　of　Zeus；　even　asamong　the　fables　of　the　poor　heathen　folk　of　seas　thou　never　knewestgoddesses　are　fabled　to　leap　out　from　the　armpits　or　feet　of　their　fathers。　　Thou　must　know　that　what　Plato；　in　the　〃Cratylus；〃　made　Socrates　say　in　jest；　the　learned　among　us　practise　in　sad　earnest。　　For；　when　they　wish　to　explain　the　nature　of　any　God；　they　first　examine　his　name；　and　torment　the　letters　thereof；　arranging　and　altering　them　according　to　their　will；　and　flying　off　to　the　speech　of　the　Indians　and　Medes　and　Chaldeans；　and　other　Barbarians；　if　Greek　will　not　serve　their　turn。　　How　saith　Socrates？　〃I　bethink　me　of　a　very　new　and　ingenious　idea　that　occurs　to　me；　and；　if　I　do　not　mind；　I　shall　be　wiser　than　I　should　be　by　to…　morrow's　dawn。　　My　notion　is　that　we　may　put　in　and　pull　out　letters　at　pleasure　and　alter　the　accents。〃

Even　so　do　the　learnednot　at　pleasure；　maybe；　but　according　to　certain　fixed　laws　（so　they　declare）；　yet　none　the　more　do　they　agree　among　themselves。　　And　I　deny　not　that　they　discover　many　things　true　and　good　to　be　known；　but；　as　touching　the　names　of　the　Gods；　their　learning；　as　it　standeth；　is　confusion。　　Look；　then；　at　the　goddess　Athene：　　taking　one　example　out　of　hundreds。　　We　have　dwelling　in　our　coasts　Muellerus；　the　most　erudite　of　the　doctors　of　the　Alemanni；　and　the　most　golden…mouthed。　　Concerning　Athene；　he　saith　that　her　name　is　none　other　than；　in　the　ancient　tongue　of　the　Brachmanae；　Ahana；　which；　being　interpreted；　means　the　Dawn。　　〃And　that　the　morning　light；〃　saith　he；　〃offers　the　best　starting…point　for　the　later　growth　of　Athene　has　been　proved；　I　believe；　beyond　the　reach　of　doubt　or　even　cavil。〃　｛8｝

Yet　this　same　doctor　candidly　lets　us　know　that　another　of　his　nation；　the　witty　Benfeius；　hath　devised　another　sense　and　origin　of　Athene；　taken　from　the　speech　of　the　old　Medes。　　But　Muellerus　declares　to　us　that　whosoever　shall　examine　the　contention　of　Benfeius　〃will　be　bound；　in　common　honesty；　to　confess　that　it　is　untenable。〃　　This；　Father；　is　〃one　for　Benfeius；〃　as　the　saying　goes。　　And　as　Muellerus　holds　that　these　matters　〃admit　of　almost　mathematical　precision；〃　it　would　seem　that　Benfeius　is　but　a　Dummkopf；　as　the　Alemanni　say；　in　their　own　language；　when　they　would　be　pleasant　among　themselves。

Now；　wouldst　thou　credit　it？　despite　the　mathematical　plainness　of　the　facts；　other　Alemanni　agree　neither　with　Muellerus；　nor　yet　with　Benfeius；　and　will　neither　hear　that　Athene　was　the　Dawn；　nor　yet　that　she　is　〃the　feminine　of　the　Zend　Thraetana　athwyana。〃　　Lo；　you！　how　Prellerus　goes　about　to　show　that　her　name　is　drawn　not　from　Ahana　and　the　old　Brachmanae；　nor　athwyana　and　the　old　Medes；　but　from　〃the　root　＇Greek　text＇；　whence　＇Greek　text＇；　the　air；　or　＇Greek　text＇；　whence　＇Greek　text＇；　a　flower。〃　　Yea；　and　Prellerus　will　have　it　that　no　man　knows　the　verity　of　this　matter。　　None　the　less　he　is　very　bold；　and　will　none　of　the　Dawn；　but　holds　to　it　that　Athene　was；　from　the　first；　〃the　clear　pure　height　of　the　Air；　which　is　exceeding　pure　in　Attica。〃

Now；　Father；　as　if　all　this　were　not　enough；　comes　one　Roscherus　in；　with　a　mighty　great　volume　on　the　Gods；　and　Furtwaenglerus；　among　others；　for　his　ally。　　And　these　doctors　will　neither　with　Rueckertus　and　Hermannus；　take　Athene　for　〃wisdom　in　person；〃　nor　with　Welckerus　and　Prellerus；　for　〃the　goddess　of　air；〃　nor　even；　with　Muellerus　and　mathematical　certainty；　for　〃the　Morning…Red：〃　but　they　say　that　Athene　is　the　〃black　thunder…cloud；　and　the　lightning　that　leapeth　therefrom〃！　　I　make　no　doubt　that　other　Alemanni　are　of　other　minds：　　quot　Alemanni　tot　sententiae。

Yea；　as　thou　saidst　of　the　learned　heathen；　＇Greek　text＇。　　Yet　these　disputes　of　theirs　they　call　〃Science〃！　　But　if　any　man　says　to　the　learned：　　〃Best　of　men；　you　are　erudite；　and　laborious　and　witty；　but；　till　you　are　more　of　the　same　mind；　your　opinions　cannot　be　styled　knowledge。　　Nay；　they　are　at　present　of　no　avail　whereon　to　found　any　doctrine　concerning　the　Gods〃that　man　is　railed　at　for　his　〃mean〃　and　〃weak〃　arguments。

Was　it　thus；　Father；　that　the　heathen　railed　against　thee？　　But　I　must　still　believe；　with　thee；　that　these　evil　tales　of　the　Gods　were　invented　〃when　man's　life　was　yet　brutish　and　wandering〃　（as　is　the　life　of　many　tribes　that　even　now　tell　like　tales）；　and　were　maintained　in　honour　by　the　later　Greeks　〃because　none　dared　alter　the　ancient　beliefs　of　his　ancestors。〃　　Farewell；　Father；　and　all　good　be　with　thee；　wishes　thy　well…wisher　and　thy　disciple。



LETTERTo　Percy　Bysshe　Shelley



Sir；In　your　lifetime　on　earth　you　were　not　more　than　commonly　curious　as　to　what　was　said　by　〃the　herd　of　mankind；〃　if　I　may　quote　your　own　phrase。　　It　was　that　of　one　who　loved　his　fellow…men；　but　did　not　in　his　less　enthusiastic　moments　overestimate　their　virtues　and　their　discretion。　　Removed　so　far　away　from　our　hubbub；　and　that　world　where；　as　you　say；　we　〃pursue　our　serious　folly　as　of　old；〃　you　are；　one　may　guess；　but　moderately　concerned　about　the　fate　of　your　writings　and　your　reputation。　　As　to　the　first；　you　have　somewhere　said；　in　one　of　your　letters；　that　the　final　judgment　on　your　merits　as　a　poet　is　in　the　hands　of　posterity；　and　that　you　fear　the　verdict　will　be　〃Guilty；〃　and　the　sentence　〃Death。〃　　Such　apprehensions　cannot　have　been　fixed　or　frequent　in　the　mind　of　one　whose　genius　burned　always　with　a　clearer　and　steadier　flame　to　the　last。　　The　jury　of　which　you　spoke　has　met：　　a　mixed　jury　and　a　merciful。　　The　verdict　is　〃Well　done；〃　and　the　sentence　Immortality　of　Fame。　　There　have　been；　there　are；　dissenters；　yet　probably　they　will　be　less　and　less　heard　as　the　years　go　on。

One　judge；　or　juryman；　has　made　up　his　mind　that　prose　was　your　true　province；　and　that　your　letters　will　out…live　your　lays。　　I　know　not　whether　it　was　the　same　or　an　equally　well…inspired　critic；　who　spoke　of　your　most　perfect　lyrics　（so　Beau　Brummell　spoke　of　his　ill…tied　cravats）　as　〃a　gallery　of　your　failures。〃　　But　the　general　voice　does　not　echo　these　utterances　of　a　too　subtle　intellect。　　At　a　famous　University　（not　your　own）　once　existed　a　band　of　men　known　as　〃The　Trinity　Sniffers。〃　　Perhaps　the　spirit　of　the　sniffer　may　still　inspire　some　of　the　jurors　who　from　time　to　time　make　themselves　heard　in　your　case。　　The　〃Quarterly　Review；〃　I　fear；　is　still　unreconciled。　　It　regards　your　attempts　as　tainted　by　the　spirit　of　〃The　Liberal　Movement　in　English　Literature；〃　and　it　is　impossible；　alas！　to　maintain　with　any　success　that　you　were　a　Throne　and　Altar　Tory。　　At　Oxford　you　are　forgiven；　and　the　old　rooms　where　you　let　the　oysters　burn　（was　not　your　founder；　King　Alfred；　once　guilty　of　similar　negligence？）　are　now　shown　to　pious　pilgrims。

But　Conservatives；　'tis　rumoured；　are　still　averse　to　your　opinions；　and　are　believed　to　prefer　to　yours　the　works　of　the　Reverend　Mr。　Keble；　and；　indeed；　of　the　clergy　in　general。　　But；　in　spite　of　all　this；　your　poems；　like　the　affections　of　the　true　lovers　in　Theocritus；　are　yet　〃in　the　mouths　of　all；　and　chiefly　on　the　lips　of　the　young。〃　　It　is　in　your　lyrics　that　you　live；　and　I　do　not　mean　that　every　one　could　pass　an　examination　in　the　plot　of　〃Prometheus　Unbound。〃　　Talking　of　this　piece；　by　the　way；　a　Cambridge　critic　finds　that　it　reveals　in　you　a　hankering　after　life　in　a　cavedoubtless　an　unconsciously　inherited　memory　from　cave…　man。　　Speaking　of　cave…man　reminds　me　that　you　once　spoke　of　deserting　song　for　prose；　and　of　producing　a　history　of　the　moral；　intellectual；　and　political　elements　in　human　society；　which；　we　now　agree；　began；　as　Asia　would　fain　have　ended；　in　a　cave。

Fortunately　you　gave　us　〃Adonais〃　and　〃Hellas〃　instead　of　this　treatise；　and　we　have　now　successfully　written　the　natural　history　of　Man　for　ourselves。　　Science　tells　us　that　before　becoming　a　cave…　dweller　he　was　a　Brute；　Experience　daily　proclaims　that　he　constantly　reverts　to　his　original　condition。　　L'homme　est　un　mechant　animal；　in　spite　of　your　boyish　efforts　to　add　pretty　girls　〃to　the　list　of　the　good；　the　disinterested；　and　the　free。〃

Ah；　not　in　the　wastes　of　Speculation；　nor　the　sterile　din　of　Politics；　were　〃the　haunts　meet　for　thee。〃　　Watching　the　yellow　bees　in　the　ivy　bloom；　and　the　reflected　pine　forest　in　the　water…pools；　watching　the　sunset　as　it　faded；　and　the　dawn　as　it　fired；　and　weaving　all　fair　and　fleeting　things　into　a　tissue　where　light　and　music　were　at　one；　that　was　the　task　of　Shelley！　　〃To　ask　you　for　anything　human；〃　you　said；　〃was　like　asking　for　a　leg　of　mutton　at　a　gin…shop。〃　　Nay；　rather；　like　asking　Apollo　and　Hebe；　in　the　Olympian　abodes；　to　give　us　beef　for　ambrosia；　and　port　for　nectar。　Each　poet　gives　what　he　has；　and　what　he　can　offer；　you　spread　before　us　fairy　bread；　and　enchanted　wine；　and　shall　we　turn　away；　with　a　sneer；　because；　out　of　all　the　multitudes　of　singers；　one　is　spiritual　and　strange；　one　has　seen　Artemis　unveiled？　　One；　like　Anchises；　has　been　beloved　of　the　Goddess；　and　his　eyes；　when　he　looks　on　the　common　world　of　common　men；　are；　like　the　eyes　of　Anchises；　blind　with　excess　of　light。　　Let　Shelley　sing　of　what　he　saw；　what　none　saw　but　Shelley！

Notwithstanding　the　popularity　of　your　poems　（the　most　romantic　of　things　didactic）；　our　world　is　no　better　than　the　world　you　knew。　This　will　disappoint　you；　who　had　〃a　passion　for　reforming　it。〃　Kings　and　priests　are　very　much　where　you　left　them。　　True；　we　have　a　poet　who　assails　them；　at　large；　frequently　and　fearlessly；　yet　Mr。　Swinburne　has　never；　like　〃kind　Hunt；〃　been　in　prison；　nor　do　we　fear　for　him　a　charge　of　treason。　　Moreover；　chemical　science　has　discovered　new　and　ingenious　ways　of　destroying　principalities　and　powers。　　You　would　be　interested　in　the　methods；　but　your　peaceful　Revolutionism；　which　disdained　physical　force；　would　regret　their　application。

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