ponkapog papers-第14部分

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I

A　LITTLE　over　three　hundred　years　ago　England　had　given　to　her　a　poet　of　the　very　rarest　lyrical　quality；　but　she　did　not　dis…　cover　the　fact　for　more　than　a　hundred　and　fifty　years　afterward。　　The　poet　himself　was　aware　of　the　fact　at　once；　and　stated　it；　perhaps　not　too　modestly；　in　countless　quatrains　and　couplets；　which　were　not　read；　or；　if　read；　were　not　much　regarded　at　the　moment。　　It　has　al…　ways　been　an　incredulous　world　in　this　matter。　So　many　poets　have　announced　their　arrival；　and　not　arrived！　　　　　　Robert　Herrick　was　descended　in　a　direct　line　from　an　ancient　family　in　Lincolnshire；　the　Eyricks；　a　mentionable　representative　of　which　was　John　Eyrick　of　Leicester；　the　poet's　grand…　father；　admitted　freeman　in　1535；　and　afterward　twice　made　mayor　of　the　town。　　John　Eyrick　or　Heyrickehe　spelled　his　name　recklessly　had　five　sons；　the　second　of　which　sought　a　career　in　London；　where　he　became　a　gold…　smith；　and　in　December；　1582；　married　Julian　Stone；　spinster；　of　Bedfordshire；　a　sister　to　Anne；　Lady　Soame；　the　wife　of　Sir　Stephen　Soame。　　One　of　the　many　children　of　this　mar…　riage　was　Robert　Herrick。　　　　　　It　is　the　common　misfortune　of　the　poet's　biographers；　though　it　was　the　poet's　own　great　good　fortune；　that　the　personal　interviewer　was　an　unknown　quantity　at　the　period　when　Her…　rick　played　his　part　on　the　stage　of　life。　　Of　that　performance；　in　its　intimate　aspects；　we　have　only　the　slightest　record。　　　　　　Robert　Herrick　was　born　in　Wood　street；　Cheapside；　London；　in　1591；　and　baptized　at　St。　Vedast's；　Foster　Lane；　on　August　24　of　that　year。　　He　had　several　brothers　and　sisters；　with　whom　we　shall　not　concern　ourselves。　　It　would　be　idle　to　add　the　little　we　know　about　these　persons　to　the　little　we　know　about　Herrick　himself。　　He　is　a　sufficient　problem　without　dragging　in　the　rest　of　the　family。　　　　　　When　the　future　lyrist　was　fifteen　months　old　his　father；　Nicholas　Herrick；　made　his　will；　and　immediately　fell　out　of　an　upper　win…　dow。　　Whether　or　not　this　fall　was　an　intended　sequence　to　the　will；　the　high　almoner；　Dr。　Fletcher；　Bishop　of　Bristol；　promptly　put　in　his　claim　to　the　estate；　〃all　goods　and　chattels　of　suicides〃　becoming　his　by　law。　　The　cir…　cumstances　were　suspicious；　though　not　conclu…　sive；　and　the　good　bishop；　after　long　litigation；　consented　to　refer　the　case　to　arbitrators；　who　awarded　him　two　hundred　and　twenty　pounds；　thus　leaving　the　question　at　issuewhether　or　not　Herrick's　death　had　been　his　own　premedi…　tated　actstill　wrapped　in　its　original　mystery。　This　singular　law；　which　had　the　possible　effect　of　inducing　high　almoners　to　encourage　suicide　among　well…to…do　persons　of　the　lower　and　middle　classes；　was　afterward　rescinded。　　　　　　Nicholas　Herrick　did　not　leave　his　household　destitute；　for　his　estate　amounted　to　five　thousand　pounds；　that　is　to　say；　twenty…five　thousand　pounds　in　to…day's　money；　but　there　were　many　mouths　to　feed。　　The　poet's　two　uncles；　Robert　Herrick　and　William　Herrick　of　Beaumanor；　the　latter　subsequently　knighted　　for　his　useful…　ness　as　jeweller　and　money…lender　to　James　I。；　were　appointed　guardians　to　the　children。　　　　　　Young　Robert　appears　to　have　attended　school　in　Westminster　until　his　fifteenth　year；　when　he　was　apprenticed　to　Sir　William；　who　had　learned　the　gentle　art　of　goldsmith　from　his　nephew's　father。　　Though　Robert's　indentures

　　　　　　Dr。　Grosart；　in　his　interesting　and　valuable　Memorial…Intro…　duction　to　Herrick's　poems；　quotes　this　curious　item　from　Win…　wood's　Manorials　of　Affairs　of　State：　〃On　Easter　Tuesday　＇1605＇；　one　Mr。　William　Herrick；　a　goldsmith　in　Cheapside；　was　Knighted　for　making　a　Hole　in　the　great　Diamond　the　King　cloth　wear。　　The　party　little　expected　the　honour；　but　he　did　his　work　so　well　as　won　the　King　to　an　extraordinary　liking　of　it。〃　bound　him　for　ten　years；　Sir　William　is　sup…　posed　to　have　offered　no　remonstrance　when　he　was　asked；　long　before　that　term　expired；　to　cancel　the　engagement　and　allow　Robert　to　enter　Cambridge；　which　he　did　as　fellow…commoner　at　St。　John's　College。　　At　the　end　of　two　years　he　transferred　himself　to　Trinity　Hall；　with　a　view　to　economy　and　the　pursuit　of　the　law　the　two　frequently　go　together。　　He　received　his　degree　of　B。　A。　in　1617；　and　his　M。　A。　in　1620；　having　relinquished　the　law　for　the　arts。　　　　　　During　this　time　he　was　assumed　to　be　in　receipt　of　a　quarterly　allowance　of　ten　pounds　a　not　illiberal　provision；　the　pound　being　then　five　times　its　present　value；　but　as　the　payments　were　eccentric；　the　master　of　arts　was　in　recur…　rent　distress。　　If　this　money　came　from　his　own　share　of　his　father's　estate；　as　seems　likely；　Herrick　had　cause　for　complaint；　if　otherwise；　the　pith　is　taken　out　of　his　grievance。　　　　　　The　Iliad　of　his　financial　woes　at　this　juncture　is　told　in　a　few　chance…preserved　letters　written　to　his　〃most　careful　uncle；〃　as　he　calls　that　evidently　thrifty　person。　　In　one　of　these　mono…　tonous　and　dreary　epistles；　which　are　signed　〃R。　Hearick；〃　the　writer　says：　〃The　essence　of　my　writing　is　（as　heretofore）　to　entreat　you　to　paye　for　my　use　to　Mr。　Arthour　Johnson；　bookseller；　in　Paule's　Churchyarde；　the　ordi…　narie　sume　of　tenn　pounds；　and　that　with　as　much　sceleritie　as　you　maye。〃　　He　also　indulges　in　the　natural　wish　that　his　college　bills　〃had　leaden　wings　and　tortice　feet。〃　　This　was　in　1617。　　The　young　man's　patrimony；　whatever　it　may　have　been；　had　dwindled；　and　he　con…　fesses　to　〃many　a　throe　and　pinches　of　the　purse。〃　　For　the　moment；　at　least；　his　prospects　were　not　flattering。　　　　　　Robert　Herrick's　means　of　livelihood；　when　in　1620　he　quitted　the　university　and　went　up　to　London；　are　conjectural。　　It　is　clear　that　he　was　not　without　some　resources；　since　he　did　not　starve　to　death　on　his　wits　before　he　discovered　a　patron　in　the　Earl　of　Pembroke。　　In　the　court　circle　Herrick　also　unearthed　humbler；　but　per…　haps　not　less　useful；　allies　in　the　persons　of　Edward　Norgate；　clerk　of　the　signet；　and　Master　John　Crofts；　cup…bearer　to　the　king。　　Through　the　two　New　Year　anthems；　honored　by　the　music　of　Henry　Lawes；　his　Majesty's　organist　at　Westminster；　it　is　more　than　possible　that　Herrick　was　brought　to　the　personal　notice　of　Charles　and　Henrietta　Maria。　　All　this　was　a　promise　of　success；　but　not　success　itself。　　It　has　been　thought　probable　that　Herrick　may　have　secured　some　minor　office　in　the　chapel　at　Whitehall。　　That　would　accord　with　his　sub…　sequent　appointment　（September；　1627；）　as　chaplain　to　the　Duke　of　Buckingham's　unfortu…　nate　expedition　of　the　Isle　of　Rhe。　　　　　　Precisely　when　Herrick　was　invested　with　holy　orders　is　not　ascertainable。　　If　one　may　draw　an　inference　from　his　poems；　the　life　he　led　meanwhile　was　not　such　as　his　〃most　care…　ful　uncle〃　would　have　warmly　approved。　　The　literary　clubs　and　coffee…houses　of　the　day　were　open　to　a　free…lance　like　young　Herrick；　some　of　whose　blithe　measures；　passing　in　manuscript　from　hand　to　hand；　had　brought　him　faintly　to　light　as　a　poet。　　The　Dog　and　the　Triple　Tun　were　not　places　devoted　to　worship；　unless　it　were　to　the　worship　of　〃rare　Ben　Jonson；〃　at　whose　feet　Herrick　now　sat；　with　the　other　blossoming　young　poets　of　the　season。　　He　was　a　faithful　disciple　to　the　end；　and　addressed　many　loving　lyrics　to　the　master；　of　which　not　the　least　graceful　is　His　Prayer　to　Ben　Jonson：

　　　　　When　I　a　verse　shall　make；　　　　　　Know　I　have　praid　thee　　　　　　For　old　religion's　sake；　　　　　　Saint　Ben；　to　aide　me。

　　　　　Make　the　way　smooth　for　me；　　　　　　When　I；　thy　Herrick；　　　　　　Honouring　thee；　on　my　knee　　　　　　Offer　my　lyric。

　　　　　Candles　I'll　give　to　thee；　　　　　　And　a　new　altar；　　　　　　And　thou；　Saint　Ben；　shalt　be　　　　　　Writ　in　my　Psalter。


　　　　　On　September　30；　1629；　Charles　I。；　at　the　recommending　of　the　Earl　of　Exeter；　presented　Herrick　with　the　vicarage　of　Dean　Prior；　near　Totnes；　in　Devonshire。　　Here　he　was　destined　to　pass　the　next　nineteen　years　of　his　life　among　surroundings　not　congenial。　　For　Herrick　to　be　a　mile　away　from　London　stone　was　for　Herrick　to　be　in　exile。　　Even　with　railway　and　tele…　graphic　interruptions　from　the　outside　world；　the　dullness　of　a　provincial　English　town　of　to…　day　is　something　formidable。　　The　dullness　of　a　sequestered　English　hamlet　in　the　early　part　of　the　seventeenth　century　must　have　been　appall…　ing。　　One　is　dimly　conscious　of　a　belated　throb　of　sympathy　for　Robert　Herrick。　　Yet；　however　discontented　or　unhappy　he　may　have　been　at　first　in　that　lonely　vicarage；　the　world　may　con…　gratulate　itself　on　the　circumstances　that　stranded　him　there；　far　from　the　distractions　of　the　town；　and　with　no　other　solace　than　his　Muse；　for　there　it　was　he　wrote　the　greater　number　of　the　poems　which　were　to　make　his　fame。　　It　is　to　this　acci…　dental　banishment　to　Devon　that　we　owe　the　cluster　of　exquisite　pieces　descriptive　of　obso…　lete　rural　manners　and　customsthe　Christ…　mas　masks；　the　Twelfth…night　mummeries；　the　morris…dances；　and　the　May…day　festivals。　　　　　　The　November　following　Herrick's　appoint…　ment　to　the　benefice　was　marked　by　the　death　of　his　mother；　who　left　him　no　heavier　legacy　than　〃a　ringe　of　twenty　shillings。〃　　Perhaps　this　was　an　understood　arrangement　between　them；　but　it　is　to　be　observed　that；　though　Her…　rick　was　a　spendthrift　in　epitaphs；　he　wasted　no　funeral　lines　on　Julian　Herrick。　　In　the　matter　of　verse　he　dealt　generously　with　his　family　down　to　the　latest　nephew。　　One　of　his　most　charming　and　touching　poems　is　entitled　To　His　Dying　Brother；　Master　William　Herrick；　a　posthumous　son。　　There　appear　to　have　been　two　brothers　named　William。　　The　younger；　who　died　early；　is　supposed　to　be　referred　to　here。　　　　　　The　story　of　Herrick's　existence　at　Dean　Prior　is　as　vague　and　bare　of　detail　as　the　rest　of　the　narrative。　　His　parochial　duties　must　have　been　irksome　to　him；　and　it　is　to　be　imagined　that　he　wore　his　cassock　lightly。　　As　a　preparation　for　ecclesiastical　life　he　forswore　sack　and　poetry；　but　presently　he　was　with　the　Muse　again；　and　his　farewell　to　sack　was　in　a　strictly　Pickwickian　sense。　　Herrick　had　probably　accepted　the　vicar…　ship　as　he　would　have　accepted　a　lieutenancy　in　a　troop　of　horsewith　an　eye　to　present　emol…　ument　and　future　promotion。　　The　promotion　never　came；　and　the　emolument　was　nearly　as　scant　as　that　of　Goldsmith's　parson；　who　con…　sidered