the spirit of place and other essays-第7部分

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ears。　　But　it　seems　that　the　grosser　and　saner　freedom　of　the　happy

beggar　is　still　the　subject　of　a　Spanish　song。



That　song　is　gay；　not　defiant　it　is　not　an　outlaw's　or　a　robber's；

it　is　not　a　song　of　violence　or　fear。　　It　is　the　random　trolling

note　of　a　man　who　owes　his　liberty　to　no　disorder；　failure；　or　ill…

fortune；　but　takes　it　by　choice　from　the　voluntary　world；　enjoys　it

at　the　hand　of　unreluctant　charity；　who　twits　the　world　with　its　own

choice　of　bonds；　but　has　not　broken　his　own　by　force。　　It　seems；

therefore；　the　song　of　an　indomitable　liberty　of　movement；　light

enough　for　the　puffs　of　a　zephyr　chance。







THE　LADIES　OF　THE　IDYLL







Little　Primrose　dames　of　the　English　classic；　the　wife　and　daughters

of　the　Vicar　of　Wakefield　have　no　claim　whatever　to　this　name　of

lady。　　It　is　given　to　them　in　this　page　because　Goldsmith　himself

gave　it　to　them　in　the　yet　undepreciated　state　of　the　word；　and　for

the　better　reason　that　he　obviously　intended　them　to　be　the　equals

of　the　men　to　whom　he　marries　them；　those　men　being；　with　all　their

faults；　gentlemen。　　Goldsmith；　in　a　word；　meant　them　to　be　ladies；

of　country　breeding；　but　certainly　fit　for　membership　of　that　large

class　of　various　fortune　within　which　the　name　makes　a　sufficient

equality。



He；　their　author；　thought　them　sufficient。　　Having　amused　himself

ingeniously　throughout　the　story　with　their　nameless　vulgarities；　he

finally　hurries　them　into　so　much　sentiment　as　may　excuse　the

convention　of　heroes　in　love。　　He　plays　with　their　coarseness　like　a

perfectly　pleased　and　clever　showman；　and　then　piously　and　happily

shuts　up　his　couplesthe　gentle　Dr。　Primrose　with　his　abominable

Deborah；　the　excellent　Mr。　Burchell　with　the　paltry　Sophia；　Olivia

but　no；　Olivia　is　not　so　certainly　happy　ever　after；　she　has　a

captured　husband　ready　for　her　in　a　state　of　ignominy；　but　she　has

also　a　forgotten　farmer　somewhere　in　the　backgroundthe　unhappy　man

whom；　with　her　father's　permission；　this　sorry　heroine　had　promised

to　marry　in　order　that　his　wooing　might　pluck　forward　the　lagging

suit　of　the　squire。



Olivia；　then；　plays　her　common　trick　upon　the　harmless　Williams；　her

father　conniving；　with　a　provision　that　he　urges　with　some

demonstration　of　virtue：　　she　shall　consent　to　make　the　farmer　happy

if　the　proposal　of　the　squire　be　not　after　all　forthcoming。　　But　it

is　so　evident　her　author　knew　no　better；　that　this　matter　may　pass。

It　involves　a　point　of　honour；　of　which　no　oneneither　the　maker　of

the　book　nor　anyone　he　madeis　aware。　　What　is　better　worth

considering　is　the　fact　that　Goldsmith　was　completely　aware　of　the

unredeemed　vulgarity　of　the　ladies　of　the　Idyll；　and　cheerfully　took

it　for　granted　as　the　thing　to　be　expected　from　the　mother…in…law　of

a　country　gentleman　and　the　daughters　of　a　scholar。　　The　education

of　women　had　sunk　into　a　degradation　never　reached　before；　inasmuch

as　it　was　degraded　in　relation　to　that　of　men。　　It　would　matter

little　indeed　that　Mrs。　Primrose　〃could　read　any　English　book

without　much　spelling〃　if　her　husband　and　son　were　as　definitely

limited　to　journeyman's　field…labour　as　she　was　to　the　pickling　and

the　gooseberry　wine。　　Any　of　those　industries　is　a　better　and　more

liberal　business　than　unselect　reading；　for　instance；　or　than

unselect　writing。　　Therefore　let　me　not　be　misunderstood　to　complain

too　indiscriminately　of　that　century　or　of　an　unlettered　state。

What　is　really　unhandsome　is　the　new；　slovenly；　and　corrupt

inequality　whereinto　the　century　had　fallen。



That　the　mother　of　daughters　and　sons　should　be　fatuous；　a　village

worldling；　suspicious；　ambitious；　ill…bred；　ignorant；　gross；

insolent；　foul…mouthed；　pushing；　importunate；　and　a　fool；　seems

natural；　almost　innocently　natural；　in　Goldsmith's　story；　the

squalid　Mrs。　Primrose　is　all　this。　　He　is　still　able；　through　his

Vicar；　in　the　most　charmingly　humorous　passage　in　the　book；　to

praise　her　for　her　〃prudence；　economy；　and　obedience。〃　　Her　other；

more　disgusting；　characteristics　give　her　husband　an　occasion　for

rebuking　her　as　〃Woman！〃　　This　is　done；　for　example；　when；　despite

her　obedience；　she　refuses　to　receive　that　unlucky　schemer；　her　own

daughter；　returned　in　ruins；　without　insulting　her　by　the　sallies　of

a　kitchen　sarcasm。



She　plots　with　her　daughters　the　most　disastrous　fortune　hunt。　　She

has　given　them　a　teaching　so　effectual　that　the　Vicar　has　no　fear

lest　the　paltry　Sophia　should　lose　her　heart　to　the　good；　the

sensible　Burchell；　who　had　saved　her　life；　for　he　has　no　fortune。

Mrs。　Primrose　begins　grotesquely；　with　her　tedious　histories　of　the

dishes　at　dinner；　and　she　ends　upon　the　last　page；　anxious；　amid　the

general　happiness；　in　regard　to　securing　the　head　of　the　table。

Upon　these　feminine　humours　the　author　sheds　his　Vicar's　indulgent

smile。　　What　a　smile　for　a　self…respecting　husband　to　be　pricked　to

smile！　　A　householder　would　wince；　one　would　think；　at　having

opportunity　to　bestow　its　tolerance　upon　his　cook。



Between　these　two　housewifely　appearances；　Mrs。　Primrose　potters

through　the　book；　plotsalways　squalidly；　talks　the　worst　kinds　of

folly；　takes　the　lead；　with　a　loud　laugh；　in　insulting　a　former

friend；　crushes　her　repentant　daughter　with　reproaches　that　show

envy　rather　than　indignation；　and　kisses　that　daughter　with

congratulation　upon　hearing　that　she　had；　unconsciously　and

unintentionally；　contracted　a　valid　marriage　（with　a　rogue）；　spoils

and　makes　common　and　unclean　everything　she　touches；　has　but　two

really　gentle　and　tender　moments　all　through　the　story；　and　sets；

once　for　all；　the　example　in　literature　of　the　woman　we　find

thenceforth；　in　Thackeray；　in　Douglas　Jerrold；　in　Dickens；　and　un

peu　partout。



Hardly　less　unspiritual；　in　spite　of　their　conventional　romance　of

youth　and　beauty；　are　the　daughters　of　the　squalid　one。　　The　author；

in　making　them　simple；　has　not　abstained　from　making　them　cunning。

Their　vanities　are　well　enough；　but　these　women　are　not　only　vain；

they　are　so　envious　as　to　refuse　admiration　to　a　sister…in…lawone

who　is　their　rival　in　no　way　except　in　so　much　as　she　is　a

contemporary　beauty。　　〃Miss　Arabella　Wilmot；〃　says　the　pious　father

and　vicar；　〃was　allowed　by　all　（except　my　two　daughters）　to　be

completely　pretty。〃



They　have　been　left　by　their　father　in　such　brutal　ignorance　as　to

be　instantly　deceived　into　laughing　at　bad　manners　in　error　for

humour。　　They　have　no　pretty　or　sensitive　instincts。　　〃The　jests　of

the　rich；〃　says　the　Vicar；　referring　to　his　own　young　daughters　as

audience；　〃are　ever　successful。〃　　Olivia；　when　the　squire　played　off

a　dullish　joke；　〃mistook　it　for　humour。　　She　thought　him；　therefore；

a　very　fine　gentleman。〃　　The　powders　and　patches　for　the　country

church；　the　ride　thither　on　Blackberry；　in　so　strange　a　procession；

the　face…wash；　the　dreams　and　omens；　are　all　good　gentle　comedy；　we

are　completely　convinced　of　the　tedium　of　Mrs。　Primrose's　dreams；

which　she　told　every　morning。　　But　there　are　other　points　of　comedy

that　ought　not　to　precede　an　author's　appeal　to　the　kind　of

sentiment　about　to　be　touched　by　the　tragic　scenes　of　The　Vicar　of

Wakefield。



In　odd　sidling　ways　Goldsmith　bethinks　himself　to　give　his　principal

heroine　a　shadow　of　the　virtues　he　has　not　bestowed　upon　her。　　When

the　unhappy　Williams；　above…mentioned；　has　been　used　in　vain　by

Olivia；　and　the　squire　has　not　declared　himself；　and　she　is　on　the

point　of　keeping　her　word　to　Williams　by　marrying　him；　the　Vicar

creates　a　situation　out　of　it　all　that　takes　the　reader　roundly　by

surprise：　　〃I　frequently　applauded　her　resolution　in　preferring

happiness　to　ostentation。〃　　The　good　Goldsmith！　　Here　is　Olivia

perfectly　frank　with　her　father　as　to　her　exceedingly　sincere

preference　for　ostentation；　and　as　to　her　stratagem　to　try　to　obtain

it　at　the　expense　of　honour　and　of　neighbour　Williams；　her　mind　is

as　well　known　to　her　father　as　her　father's　mind　is　known　to　Oliver

Goldsmith；　and　as　Oliver　Goldsmith's；　Dr。　Primrose's；　and　Olivia's

minds　are　known　to　the　reader。　　And　in　spite　of　all；　your　Goldsmith

and　your　Vicar　turn　you　this　phrase　to　your　very　face。　　You　hardly

know　which　way　to　look；　it　is　so　disconcerting。



Seeing　that　Olivia　（with　her　chance…recovered　virtue）　and　Sophia　may

both　be　expected　to　grow　into　the　kind　of　matronhood　represented　by

their　mother；　it　needs　all　the　conditions　of　fiction　to　surround　the

close　of　their　love…affairs　with　the　least　semblance　of　dignity。

Nor；　in　fact；　can　it　be　said　that　the　final　winning　of　Sophia　is　an

incident　that　errs　by　too　much　dignity。　　The　scene　is　that　in　which

Burchell；　revealed　as　Sir　William　Thornhill；　feigns　to　offer　her　in

marriage　to　the　good…natured　rogue；　Jenkinson；　fellow　prisoner　with

her　father；　in　order　that；　on　her　indignant　and　distressed　refusal；

he　may　surprise　her　agreeably　by　crying；　〃What？　　Not　have　him？　　If

that　be　the　case；　I　think　I　must　have　you　myself。〃　　Even　for　an

avowedly　eccentric　master　of　whims；　this　is　playing　with　forbidden

ironies。　　True；　he　catches　her　to　his　breast　with　ardour；　and　calls

her　〃sensible。〃　　〃Such　sense　and　such　heavenly　beauty；〃　finally

exclaims　the　happy　man。　　Let　us　make　him　a　present　of　the　heavenly

beauty。　　It　is　the　only　thing　not　disproved；　not　dispraised；　not

disgraced；　by　a　candid　study　of　the　Ladies　of　the　Idyll。







A　DERIVATION







By　what　obscure　cause；　through　what　ill…directed　industry；　and　under

the　constraint　of　what　disabling　hands；　had　the　language　of　English

poetry　grown；　for　an　age；　so　rigid　that　a　natural　writer　at　the　end

of　the　eighteenth　century　had　much　ado　to　tell　a　simple　story　in

sufficient　verse？　　All　the　vital　exercise　of　the　seventeenth　century

had　left　the　language　buoyant；　it　was　as　elastic　as　deep　and　mobile

waters；　then　followed　the　grip　of　that　incapacitating　later　style。

Much　later；　English　has　been　so