letters to dead authors-第3部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


ens　of　Anjou。　　Surely　no　rumour　reaches　thee；　in　that　happy　place　of　reconciled　affections；　no　rumour　of　the　rudeness　of　Time；　the　despite　of　men；　and　the　change　which　stole　from　thy　locks；　so　early　grey；　the　crown　of　laurels　and　of　thine　own　roses。　　How　different　from　thy　choice　of　a　sepulchre　have　been　the　fortunes　of　thy　tomb！


I　will　that　none　should　break　The　marble　for　my　sake；　Wishful　to　make　more　fair　My　sepulchre！


So　didst　thou　sing；　or　so　thy　sweet　numbers　run　in　my　rude　English。　Wearied　of　Courts　and　of　priories；　thou　didst　desire　a　grave　beside　thine　own　Loire；　not　remote　from


The　caves；　the　founts　that　fall　From　the　high　mountain　wall；　That　fall　and　flash　and　fleet；　With　silver　feet。

Only　a　laurel　tree　Shall　guard　the　grave　of　me；　Only　Apollo's　bough　Shall　shade　me　now！


Far　other　has　been　thy　sepulchre：　　not　in　the　free　air；　among　the　field　flowers；　but　in　thy　priory　of　Saint　Cosme；　with　marble　for　a　monument；　and　no　green　grass　to　cover　thee。　　Restless　wert　thou　in　thy　life；　thy　dust　was　not　to　be　restful　in　thy　death。　　The　Huguenots；　ces　nouveaux　Chretiens　qui　la　France　ont　pillee；　destroyed　thy　tomb；　and　the　warning　of　the　later　monument；


ABI；　NEFASTE；　QUAM　CALCUS　HUMU《　SACRA　EST；


has　not　scared　away　malicious　men。　　The　storm　that　passed　over　France　a　hundred　years　ago；　more　terrible　than　the　religious　wars　that　thou　didst　weep　for；　has　swept　the　column　from　the　tomb。　　The　marble　was　broken　by　violent　hands；　and　the　shattered　sepulchre　of　the　Prince　of　Poets　gained　a　dusty　hospitality　from　the　museum　of　a　country　town。　　Better　had　been　the　laurel　of　thy　desire；　the　creeping　vine；　and　the　ivy　tree。

Scarce　more　fortunate；　for　long；　than　thy　monument　was　thy　memory。　Thou　hast　not　encountered；　Master；　in　the　Paradise　of　Poets；　Messieurs　Malherbe；　De　Balzac；　and　Boileau　Boileau　who　spoke　of　thee　as　Ce　poete　orgueilleux　trebuche　de　si　haut！

These　gallant　gentlemen；　I　make　no　doubt；　are　happy　after　their　own　fashion；　backbiting　each　other　and　thee　in　the　Paradise　of　Critics。　In　their　time　they　wrought　thee　much　evil；　grumbling　that　thou　wrotest　in　Greek　and　Latin　（of　which　tongues　certain　of　them　had　but　little　skill）；　and　blaming　thy　many　lyric　melodies　and　the　free　flow　of　thy　lines。　　What　said　M。　de　Balzac　to　M。　Chapelain？　　〃M。　de　Malherbe；　M。　de　Grasse；　and　yourself　must　be　very　little　poets；　if　Ronsard　be　a　great　one。〃　　Time　has　brought　in　his　revenges；　and　Messieurs　Chapelain　and　De　Grasse　are　as　well　forgotten　as　thou　art　well　remembered。　　Men　could　not　always　be　deaf　to　thy　sweet　old　songs；　nor　blind　to　the　beauty　of　thy　roses　and　thy　loves。　　When　they　took　the　wax　out　of　their　ears　that　M。　Boileau　had　given　them　lest　they　should　hear　the　singing　of　thy　Sirens；　then　they　were　deaf　no　longer；　then　they　heard　the　old　deaf　poet　singing　and　made　answer　to　his　lays。　　Hast　thou　not　heard　these　sounds？　have　they　not　reached　thee；　the　voices　and　the　lyres　of　Theophile　Gautier　and　Alfred　de　Musset？　　Methinks　thou　hast　marked　them；　and　been　glad　that　the　old　notes　were　ringing　again　and　the　old　French　lyric　measures　tripping　to　thine　ancient　harmonies；　echoing　and　replying　to　the　Muses　of　Horace　and　Catullus。　　Returning　to　Nature；　poets　returned　to　thee。　　Thy　monument　has　perished；　but　not　thy　music；　and　the　Prince　of　Poets　has　returned　to　his　own　again　in　a　glorious　Restoration。

Through　the　dust　and　smoke　of　ages；　and　through　the　centuries　of　wars　we　strain　our　eyes　and　try　to　gain　a　glimpse　of　thee；　Master；　in　thy　good　days；　when　the　Muses　walked　with　thee。　　We　seem　to　mark　thee　wandering　silent　through　some　little　village；　or　dreaming　in　the　woods；　or　loitering　among　thy　lonely　places；　or　in　gardens　where　the　roses　blossom　among　wilder　flowers；　or　on　river　banks　where　the　whispering　poplars　and　sighing　reeds　make　answer　to　the　murmur　of　the　waters。　　Such　a　picture　hast　thou　drawn　of　thyself　in　the　summer　afternoons。


Je　m'en　vais　pourmener　tantost　parmy　la　plaine；　Tantost　en　un　village；　et　tantost　en　un　bois；　Et　tantost　par　les　lieux　solitaires　et　cois。　J'aime　fort　les　jardins　qui　sentent　le　sauvage；　J'aime　le　flot　de　l'eau　qui　gazouille　au　rivage。


Still；　methinks；　there　was　a　book　in　the　hand　of　the　grave　and　learned　poet；　still　thou　wouldst　carry　thy　Horace；　thy　Catullus；　thy　Theocritus；　through　the　gem…like　weather　of　the　Renouveau；　when　the　woods　were　enamelled　with　flowers；　and　the　young　Spring　was　lodged；　like　a　wandering　prince；　in　his　great　palaces　hung　with　green：


Orgueilleux　de　ses　fleurs；　enfle　de　sa　jeunesse；　Loge　comme　un　grand　Prince　en　ses　vertes　maisons！


Thou　sawest；　in　these　woods　by　Loire　side；　the　fair　shapes　of　old　religion；　Fauns；　Nymphs；　and　Satyrs；　and　heard'st　in　the　nightingale's　music　the　plaint　of　Philomel。　　The　ancient　poets　came　back　in　the　train　of　thyself　and　of　the　Spring；　and　learning　was　scarce　less　dear　to　thee　than　love；　and　thy　ladies　seemed　fairer　for　the　names　they　borrowed　from　the　beauties　of　forgotten　days；　Helen　and　Cassandra。　　How　sweetly　didst　thou　sing　to　them　thine　old　morality；　and　how　gravely　didst　thou　teach　the　lesson　of　the　Roses！　Well　didst　thou　know　it；　well　didst　thou　love　the　Rose；　since　thy　nurse；　carrying　thee；　an　infant；　to　the　holy　font；　let　fall　on　thee　the　sacred　water　brimmed　with　floating　blossoms　of　the　Rose！


Mignonne；　allons　voir　si　la　Rose；　Qui　ce　matin　avoit　desclose　Sa　robe　de　pourpre　au　soleil；　A　point　perdu　ceste　vespree　Les　plis　de　sa　robe　pourpree；　Et　son　teint　au　votre　pareil。


And　again；


La　belle　Rose　du　Printemps；　Aubert；　admoneste　les　hommes　Passer　joyeusement　le　temps；　Et　pendant　que　jeunes　nous　sommes；　Esbattre　la　fleur　de　nos　ans。


In　the　same　mood；　looking　far　down　the　future；　thou　sangest　of　thy　lady's　age；　the　most　sad；　the　most　beautiful　of　thy　sad　and　beautiful　lays；　for　if　thy　bees　gathered　much　honey　'twas　somewhat　bitter　to　taste；　like　that　of　the　Sardinian　yews。　　How　clearly　we　see　the　great　hall；　the　grey　lady　spinning　and　humming　among　her　drowsy　maids；　and　how　they　waken　at　the　word；　and　she　sees　her　spring　in　their　eyes；　and　they　forecast　their　winter　in　her　face；　when　she　murmurs　〃'Twas　Ronsard　sang　of　me。〃

Winter；　and　summer；　and　spring；　how　swiftly　they　pass；　and　how　early　time　brought　thee　his　sorrows；　and　grief　cast　her　dust　upon　thy　head。


Adieu　ma　Lyre；　adieu　fillettes；　Jadis　mes　douces　amourettes；　Adieu；　je　sens　venir　ma　fin；　Nul　passetemps　de　ma　jeunesse　Ne　m'accompagne　en　la　vieillesse；　Que　le　feu；　le　lict　et　le　vin。


Wine；　and　a　soft　bed；　and　a　bright　fire：　　to　this　trinity　of　poor　pleasures　we　come　soon；　if；　indeed；　wine　be　left　to　us。　　Poetry　herself　deserts　us；　is　it　not　said　that　Bacchus　never　forgives　a　renegade？　and　most　of　us　turn　recreants　to　Bacchus。　　Even　the　bright　fire；　I　fear；　was　not　always　there　to　warm　thine　old　blood；　Master；　or；　if　fire　there　were；　the　wood　was　not　bought　with　thy　book…　seller's　money。　　When　autumn　was　drawing　in　during　thine　early　old　age；　in　1584；　didst　thou　not　write　that　thou　hadst　never　received　a　sou　at　the　hands　of　all　the　publishers　who　vended　thy　books？　　And　as　thou　wert　about　putting　forth　thy　folio　edition　of　1584；　thou　didst　pray　Buon；　the　bookseller；　to　give　thee　sixty　crowns　to　buy　wood　withal；　and　make　thee　a　bright　fire　in　winter　weather；　and　comfort　thine　old　age　with　thy　friend　Gallandius。　　And　if　Buon　will　not　pay；　then　to　try　the　other　booksellers；　〃that　wish　to　take　everything　and　give　nothing。〃

Was　it　knowledge　of　this　passage；　Master；　or　ignorance　of　everything　else；　that　made　certain　of　the　common　steadfast　dunces　of　our　days　speak　of　thee　as　if　thou　hadst　been　a　starveling；　neglected　poetaster；　jealous　forsooth　of　Maitre　Francoys　Rabelais？　　See　how　ignorantly　M。　Fleury　writes；　who　teaches　French　literature　withal　to　them　of　Muscovy；　and　hath　indited　a　Life　of　Rabelais。　　〃Rabelais　etait　revetu　d'un　emploi　honorable；　Ronsard　etait　traite　en　subalterne；〃　quoth　this　wondrous　professor。　　What！　　Pierre　de　Ronsard；　a　gentleman　of　a　noble　house；　holding　the　revenue　of　many　abbeys；　the　friend　of　Mary　Stuart；　of　the　Duc　d'Orleans；　of　Charles　IX。；　HE　is　traite　en　subalterne；　and　is　jealous　of　a　frocked　or　unfrocked　manant　like　Maitre　Francoys！　　And　then　this　amazing　Fleury　falls　foul　of　thine　epitaph　on　Maitre　Francoys　and　cries；　〃Ronsard　a　voulu　faire　des　vers　mechants；　il　n'a　fait　que　de　mechants　vers。〃　More　truly　saith　M。　Sainte…Beuve；　〃If　the　good　Rabelais　had　returned　to　Meudon　on　the　day　when　this　epitaph　was　made　over　the　wine；　he　would；　methinks；　have　laughed　heartily。〃　　But　what　shall　be　said　of　a　Professor　like　the　egregious　M。　Fleury；　who　holds　that　Ronsard　was　despised　at　Court？　　Was　there　a　party　at　tennis　when　the　king　would　not　fain　have　had　thee　on　his　side；　declaring　that　he　ever　won　when　Ronsard　was　his　partner？　　Did　he　not　give　thee　benefices；　and　many　priories；　and　call　thee　his　father　in　Apollo；　and　even；　so　they　say；　bid　thee　sit　down　beside　him　on　his　throne？　　Away；　ye　scandalous　folk；　who　tell　us　that　there　was　strife　between　the　Prince　of　Poets　and　the　King　of　Mirth。　　Naught　have　ye　by　way　of　proof　of　your　slander　but　the　talk　of　Jean　Bernier；　a　scurrilous；　starveling　apothecary；　who　put　forth　his　fables　in　1697；　a　century　and　a　half　after　Maitre　Francoys　died。　　Bayle　quoted　this　fellow　in　a　note；　and　ye　all　steal　the　tattle　one　from　another　in　your　dull　manner；　and　know　not　whence　it　comes；　nor　even　that　Bayle　would　none　of　it　and　mocked　its　author。　　With　so　little　knowledge　is　history　written；　and　thus　doth　each　chattering　brook　of　a　〃Life〃　swell　with　its　tribute　〃that　great　Mississippi　of　falsehood；〃　Biography。



LETTERTo　Herodotus



To　Herodotus　of　Halicarnassus；　greeting。Concerning　the　matters　set　forth　in　your　histories；　and　the　tales　you　tell　about　both　Greeks　and　Barbarians；　whether　they　be　true；　or　whether　they　be　false；　men　dispute　not　little　but　a　great　deal。　　Wherefore　I；　being　concerned　to　know　the　verity；　did　set　forth　to　make　search　in　every　manner；　and　came　in　my　quest　even　unto　the　ends　of　the　earth。　　For　there　is　an　island　of　the　Cimmerians　beyond　the　Straits　of　Heracles；　some　three　days'　voyage　to　a　ship　that　hath　a　fair　following　wind　in　her　sails；　and　there　it　is　said　that　men　know　many　things　from　of　old：　thither；　then；　I　came　in　my　inq