letters to dead authors-第5部分

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then　it　is　no　pleasure　to　refrain。〃

Drinking　of　this　wine；　or　nectar；　Herodotus；　I　pledge　you；　and　pour　forth　some　deal　on　the　ground；　to　Herodotus　of　Halicarnassus；　in　the　House　of　Hades。

And　I　wish　you　farewell；　and　good　be　with　you。　　Whether　the　priest　spoke　truly；　or　not　truly；　even　so　may　such　good　things　betide　you　as　befall　dead　men。



LETTEREpistle　to　Mr。　Alexander　Pope



From　mortal　Gratitude；　decide；　my　Pope；　Have　Wits　Immortal　more　to　fear　or　hope？　Wits　toil　and　travail　round　the　Plant　of　Fame；　Their　Works　its　Garden；　and　its　Growth　their　Aim；　Then　Commentators；　in　unwieldy　Dance；　Break　down　the　Barriers　of　the　trim　Pleasance；　Pursue　the　Poet；　like　Actaeon's　Hounds；　Beyond　the　fences　of　his　Garden　Grounds；　Rend　from　the　singing　Robes　each　borrowed　Gem；　Rend　from　the　laurel'd　Brows　the　Diadem；　And；　if　one　Rag　of　Character　they　spare；　Comes　the　Biographer；　and　strips　it　bare！

Such；　Pope；　has　been　thy　Fortune；　such　thy　Doom。　Swift　the　Ghouls　gathered　at　the　Poet's　Tomb；　With　Dust　of　Notes　to　clog　each　lordly　Line；　Warburton；　Warton；　Croker；　Bowles；　combine！　Collecting　Cackle；　Johnson　condescends　To　INTERVIEW　the　Drudges　of　your　Friends。　Thus　though　your　Courthope　holds　your　merits　high；　And　still　proclaims　your　Poems　POETRY；　Biographers；　un…Boswell…like；　have　sneered；　And　Dunces　edit　him　whom　Dunces　feared！

They　say；　〃what　say　they？〃　　Not　in　vain　You　ask；　To　tell　you　what　they　say；　behold　my　Task！　〃Methinks　already　I　your　Tears　survey〃　As　I　repeat　〃the　horrid　Things　they　say。〃　｛2｝

Comes　El…n　first：　　I　fancy　you'll　agree　Not　frenzied　Dennis　smote　so　fell　as　he；　For　El…n's　Introduction；　crabbed　and　dry；　Like　Churchill's　Cudgel's　｛3｝　marked　with　LIE；　and　LIE！

〃Too　dull　to　know　what　his　own　System　meant；　Pope　yet　was　skilled　new　Treasons　to　invent；　A　Snake　that　puffed　himself　and　stung　his　Friends；　Few　Lied　so　frequent；　for　such　little　Ends；

His　mind；　like　Flesh　inflamed；　｛4｝　was　raw　and　sore；　And　still；　the　more　he　writhed；　he　stung　the　more！　Oft　in　a　Quarrel；　never　in　the　Right；　His　Spirit　sank　when　he　was　called　to　fight。　Pope；　in　the　Darkness　mining　like　a　Mole；　Forged　on　Himself；　as　from　Himself　he　stole；　And　what　for　Caryll　once　he　feigned　to　feel；　Transferred；　in　Letters　never　sent；　to　Steele！　Still　he　denied　the　Letters　he　had　writ；　And　still　mistook　Indecency　for　Wit。　His　very　Grammar；　so　De　Quincey　cries；　〃Detains　the　Reader；　and　at　times　defies！'〃

Fierce　El…n　thus：　　no　Line　escapes　his　Rage；　And　furious　Foot…notes　growl　'neath　every　Page：　See　St…ph…n　next　take　up　the　woful　Tale；　Prolong　the　Preaching；　and　protract　the　Wail！　〃Some　forage　Falsehoods　from　the　North　and　South；　But　Pope；　poor　D…l；　lied　from　Hand　to　Mouth；　｛5｝　Affected；　hypocritical；　and　vain；　A　Book　in　Breeches；　and　a　Fop　in　Grain；　A　Fox　that　found　not　the　high　Clusters　sour；　The　Fanfaron　of　Vice　beyond　his　power；　Pope　yet　possessed〃（the　Praise　will　make　you　start）　…　〃Mean；　morbid；　vain；　he　yet　possessed　a　Heart！　And　still　we　marvel　at　the　Man；　and　still　Admire　his　Finish；　and　applaud　his　Skill：　Though；　as　that　fabled　Barque；　a　phantom　Form；　Eternal　strains；　nor　rounds　the　Cape　of　Storm；　Even　so　Pope　strove；　nor　ever　crossed　the　Line　That　from　the　Noble　separates　the　Fine！〃

The　Learned　thus；　and　who　can　quite　reply；　Reverse　the　Judgment；　and　Retort　the　Lie？　You　reap；　in　armed　Hates　that　haunt　your　Name；　Reap　what　you　sowed；　the　Dragon's　Teeth　of　Fame：　You　could　not　write；　and　from　unenvious　Time　Expect　the　Wreath　that　crowns　the　lofty　Rhyme；　You　still　must　fight；　retreat；　attack；　defend；　And　oft；　to　snatch　a　Laurel；　lose　a　Friend！

The　Pity　of　it！　　And　the　changing　Taste　Of　changing　Time　leaves　half　your　Work　a　Waste！　My　Childhood　fled　your　Couplet's　clarion　tone；　And　sought　for　Homer　in　the　Prose　of　Bohn。　Still　through　the　Dust　of　that　dim　Prose　appears　The　Flight　of　Arrows　and　the　Sheen　of　Spears；　Still　we　may　trace　what　Hearts　heroic　feel；　And　hear　the　Bronze　that　hurtles　on　the　Steel！　But；　ah；　your　Iliad　seems　a　half…pretence；　Where　Wits；　not　Heroes；　prove　their　Skill　in　Fence；　And　great　Achilles'　Eloquence　doth　show　As　if　no　Centaur　trained　him；　but　Boileau！

Again；　your　Verse　is　orderly；and　more；　…　〃The　Waves　behind　impel　the　Waves　before；〃　Monotonously　musical　they　glide；　Till　Couplet　unto　Couplet　hath　replied。　But　turn　to　Homer！　　How　his　Verses　sweep！　Surge　answers　Surge　and　Deep　doth　call　on　Deep；　This　Line　in　Foam　and　Thunder　issues　forth；　Spurred　by　the　West　or　smitten　by　the　North；　Sombre　in　all　its　sullen　Deeps；　and　all　Clear　at　the　Crest；　and　foaming　to　the　Fall；　The　next　with　silver　Murmur　dies　away；　Like　Tides　that　falter　to　Calypso's　Bay！

Thus　Time；　with　sordid　Alchemy　and　dread；　Turns　half　the　Glory　of　your　Gold　to　Lead；　Thus　Time；at　Ronsard's　wreath　that　vainly　bit；　…　Has　marred　the　Poet　to　preserve　the　Wit；　Who　almost　left　on　Addison　a　stain；　Whose　Knife　cut　cleanest　with　a　poisoned　pain；　…　Yet　Thou　（strange　Fate　that　clings　to　all　of　Thine！）　When　most　a　Wit　dost　most　a　Poet　shine。　In　Poetry　thy　Dunciad　expires；　When　Wit　has　shot　〃her　momentary　Fires。〃　'Tis　Tragedy　that　watches　by　the　Bed　〃Where　tawdry　Yellow　strove　with　dirty　Red；〃　And　Men；　remembering　all；　can　scarce　deny　To　lay　the　Laurel　where　thine　Ashes　lie！



LETTERTo　Lucian　of　Samosata



In　what　bower；　oh　Lucian；　of　your　rediscovered　Islands　Fortunate　are　you　now　reclining；　the　delight　of　the　fair；　the　learned；　the　witty；　and　the　brave？　　In　that　clear　and　tranquil　climate；　whose　air　breathes　of　〃violet　and　lily；　myrtle；　and　the　flower　of　the　vine；〃


Where　the　daisies　are　rose…scented；　And　the　Rose　herself　has　got　Perfume　which　on　earth　is　not；


among　the　music　of　all　birds；　and　the　wind…blown　notes　of　flutes　hanging　on　the　trees；　methinks　that　your　laughter　sounds　most　silvery　sweet；　and　that　Helen　and　fair　Charmides　are　still　of　your　company。　　Master　of　mirth；　and　Soul　the　best　contented　of　all　that　have　seen　the　world's　ways　clearly；　most　clear…sighted　of　all　that　have　made　tranquillity　their　bride；　what　other　laughers　dwell　with　you；　where　the　crystal　and　fragrant　waters　wander　round　the　shining　palaces　and　the　temples　of　amethyst？

Heine　surely　is　with　you；　if；　indeed；　it　was　not　one　Syrian　soul　that　dwelt　among　alien　men；　Germans　and　Romans；　in　the　bodily　tabernacles　of　Heine　and　of　Lucian。　　But　he　was　fallen　on　evil　times　and　evil　tongues；　while　Lucian；　as　witty　as　he；　as　bitter　in　mockery；　as　happily　dowered　with　the　magic　of　words；　lived　long　and　happily　and　honoured；　imprisoned　in　no　〃mattress…grave。〃　　Without　Rabelais；　without　Voltaire；　without　Heine；　you　would　find；　methinks；　even　the　joys　of　your　Happy　Islands　lacking　in　zest；　and；　unless　Plato　came　by　your　way；　none　of　the　ancients　could　meet　you　in　the　lists　of　sportive　dialogue。

There；　among　the　vines　that　bear　twelve　times　in　the　year；　more　excellent　than　all　the　vineyards　of　Touraine；　while　the　song…birds　bring　you　flowers　from　vales　enchanted；　and　the　shapes　of　the　Blessed　come　and　go；　beautiful　in　wind…woven　raiment　of　sunset　hues；　there；　in　a　land　that　knows　not　age；　nor　winter；　midnight；　nor　autumn；　nor　noon；　where　the　silver　twilight　of　summer…dawn　is　perennial；　where　youth　does　not　wax　spectre…pale　and　die；　there；　my　Lucian；　you　are　crowned　the　Prince　of　the　Paradise　of　Mirth。

Who　would　bring　you；　if　he　had　the　power；　from　the　banquet　where　Homer　sings：　　Homer；　who；　in　mockery　of　commentators；　past　and　to　come；　German　and　Greek；　informed　you　that　he　was　by　birth　a　Babylonian？　　Yet；　if　you；　who　first　wrote　Dialogues　of　the　Dead；　could　hear　the　prayer　of　an　epistle　wafted　to　〃lands　indiscoverable　in　the　unheard…of　West；〃　you　might　visit　once　more　a　world　so　worthy　of　such　a　mocker；　so　like　the　world　you　knew　so　well　of　old。

Ah；　Lucian；　we　have　need　of　you；　of　your　sense　and　of　your　mockery！　Here；　where　faith　is　sick　and　superstition　is　waking　afresh；　where　gods　come　rarely；　and　spectres　appear　at　five　shillings　an　interview；　where　science　is　popular；　and　philosophy　cries　aloud　in　the　market…place；　and　clamour　does　duty　for　government；　and　Thais　and　Lais　are　names　of　powerhere；　Lucian；　is　room　and　scope　for　you。　　Can　I　not　imagine　a　new　〃Auction　of　Philosophers；〃　and　what　wealth　might　be　made　by　him　who　bought　these　popular　sages　and　lecturers　at　his　estimate；　and　vended　them　at　their　own？

HERMES：　　Whom　shall　we　put　first　up　to　auction？

ZEUS：　　That　German　in　spectacles；　he　seems　a　highly　respectable　man。

HERMES：　　Ho；　Pessimist；　come　down　and　let　the　public　view　you。

ZEUS：　　Go　on；　put　him　up　and　have　done　with　him。

HERMES：　　Who　bids　for　the　Life　Miserable；　for　extreme；　complete；　perfect；　unredeemable　perdition？　　What　offers　for　the　universal　extinction　of　the　species；　and　the　collapse　of　the　Conscious？

A　PURCHASER：　　He　does　not　look　at　all　a　bad　lot。　　May　one　put　him　through　his　paces？

HERMES：　　Certainly；　try　your　luck。

PURCHASER：　　What　is　your　name？

PESSIMIST：　　Hartmann。

PURCHASER：　　What　can　you　teach　me？

PESSIMIST：　　That　Life　is　not　worth　Living。

PURCHASER：　　Wonderful　　Most　edifying！　　How　much　for　this　lot？

HERMES：　　Two　hundred　pounds。

PURCHASER：　　I　will　write　you　a　cheque　for　the　money。　　Come　home；　Pessimist；　and　begin　your　lessons　without　more　ado。

HERMES：　　Attention！　　Here　is　a　magnificent　articlethe　Positive　Life；　the　Scientific　Life；　the　Enthusiastic　Life。　　Who　bids　for　a　possible　place　in　the　Calendar　of　the　Future？

PURCHASER：　　What　does　he　call　himself？　he　has　a　very　French　air。

HERMES：　　Put　your　own　questions。

PURCHASER：　　What's　your　pedigree；　my　Philosopher；　and　previous　performances？

POSITIVIST：　　I　am　by　Rousseau　out　of　Catholicism；　with　a　strain　of　the　Evolution　blood。

PURCHASER：　　What　do　you　believe　in？

POSITIVIST：　　In　Man；　with　a　large　M。

PURCHASER：　　Not　in　individual　Man？

POSITIVIST：　　By　no　means；　not　even　always　in　Mr。　Gladstone。　　All　men；　all　Churches；　all　parties；　all　philosophies；　and　even　the　other　sect　of　our　own　Church；　are　perpetually　in　the　wrong。　　Buy　me；　and　listen　to　me；　and　you　will　always　be　in　the　right。

PURCHASER：　　And；　after　this　life；　what　have　you　to　offer　me？

POSITIVIST：　　A　distinguished　position　in　the　Choir　Invisible；　but　not；　of　course；　conscious　immortality。

PURCHASER：　　Take　him　away；　and　put　up　another　lot。

Then　the　Hegelian；　wi