an essay on comedy-第10部分

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is　at　least　a　fair　and　pleasing　spectacle　to　the　Comic　Muse。　　But

the　society　named　polite　is　volatile　in　its　adorations；　and　to…

morrow　will　be　petting　a　bronzed　soldier；　or　a　black　African；　or　a

prince；　or　a　spiritualist：　　ideas　cannot　take　root　in　its　ever…

shifting　soil。　　It　is　besides　addicted　in　self…defence　to　gabble

exclusively　of　the　affairs　of　its　rapidly　revolving　world；　as

children　on　a　whirligoround　bestow　their　attention　on　the　wooden

horse　or　cradle　ahead　of　them；　to　escape　from　giddiness　and　preserve

a　notion　of　identity。　　The　professor　is　better　out　of　a　circle　that

often　confounds　by　lionizing；　sometimes　annoys　by　abandoning；　and

always　confuses。　　The　school　that　teaches　gently　what　peril　there　is

lest　a　cultivated　head　should　still　be　coxcomb's；　and　the　collisions

which　may　befall　high…soaring　minds；　empty　or　full；　is　more　to　be

recommended　than　the　sphere　of　incessant　motion　supplying　it　with

material。



Lands　where　the　Comic　spirit　is　obscure　overhead　are　rank　with　raw

crops　of　matter。　　The　traveller　accustomed　to　smooth　highways　and

people　not　covered　with　burrs　and　prickles　is　amazed；　amid　so　much

that　is　fair　and　cherishable；　to　come　upon　such　curious　barbarism。

An　Englishman　paid　a　visit　of　admiration　to　a　professor　in　the　Land

of　Culture；　and　was　introduced　by　him　to　another　distinguished

professor；　to　whom　he　took　so　cordially　as　to　walk　out　with　him

alone　one　afternoon。　　The　first　professor；　an　erudite　entirely

worthy　of　the　sentiment　of　scholarly　esteem　prompting　the　visit；

behaved　（if　we　exclude　the　dagger）　with　the　vindictive　jealousy　of

an　injured　Spanish　beauty。　　After　a　short　prelude　of　gloom　and

obscure　explosions；　he　discharged　upon　his　faithless　admirer　the

bolts　of　passionate　logic　familiar　to　the　ears　of　flighty

caballeros：　'Either　I　am　a　fit　object　of　your　admiration；　or　I　am

not。　　Of　these　things　oneeither　you　are　competent　to　judge；　in

which　case　I　stand　condemned　by　you；　or　you　are　incompetent；　and

therefore　impertinent；　and　you　may　betake　yourself　to　your　country

again；　hypocrite！'　　The　admirer　was　for　persuading　the　wounded

scholar　that　it　is　given　to　us　to　be　able　to　admire　two　professors

at　a　time。　　He　was　driven　forth。



Perhaps　this　might　have　occurred　in　any　country；　and　a　comedy　of　The

Pedant；　discovering　the　greedy　humanity　within　the　dusty　scholar；

would　not　bring　it　home　to　one　in　particular。　　I　am　mindful　that　it

was　in　Germany；　when　I　observe　that　the　Germans　have　gone　through　no

comic　training　to　warn　them　of　the　sly；　wise　emanation　eyeing　them

from　aloft；　nor　much　of　satirical。　　Heinrich　Heine　has　not　been

enough　to　cause　them　to　smart　and　meditate。　　Nationally；　as　well　as

individually；　when　they　are　excited　they　are　in　danger　of　the

grotesque；　as　when；　for　instance；　they　decline　to　listen　to

evidence；　and　raise　a　national　outcry　because　one　of　German　blood

has　been　convicted　of　crime　in　a　foreign　country。　　They　are　acute

critics；　yet　they　still　wield　clubs　in　controversy。　　Compare　them　in

this　respect　with　the　people　schooled　in　La　Bruyere；　La　Fontaine；

Moliere；　with　the　people　who　have　the　figures　of　a　Trissotin　and　a

Vadius　before　them　for　a　comic　warning　of　the　personal　vanities　of

the　caressed　professor。　　It　is　more　than　difference　of　race。　　It　is

the　difference　of　traditions；　temper；　and　style；　which　comes　of

schooling。



The　French　controversialist　is　a　polished　swordsman；　to　be　dreaded

in　his　graces　and　courtesies。　　The　German　is　Orson；　or　the　mob；　or　a

marching　army；　in　defence　of　a　good　case　or　a　bada　big　or　a

little。　　His　irony　is　a　missile　of　terrific　tonnage：　　sarcasm　he

emits　like　a　blast　from　a　dragon's　mouth。　　He　must　and　will　be

Titan。　　He　stamps　his　foe　underfoot；　and　is　astonished　that　the

creature　is　not　dead；　but　stinging；　for；　in　truth；　the　Titan　is

contending；　by　comparison；　with　a　god。



When　the　Germans　lie　on　their　arms；　looking　across　the　Alsatian

frontier　at　the　crowds　of　Frenchmen　rushing　to　applaud　L'ami　Fritz

at　the　Theatre　Francais；　looking　and　considering　the　meaning　of　that

applause；　which　is　grimly　comic　in　its　political　response　to　the

domestic　moral　of　the　playwhen　the　Germans　watch　and　are　silent；

their　force　of　character　tells。　　They　are　kings　in　music；　we　may　say

princes　in　poetry；　good　speculators　in　philosophy；　and　our　leaders

in　scholarship。　　That　so　gifted　a　race；　possessed　moreover　of　the

stern　good　sense　which　collects　the　waters　of　laughter　to　make　the

wells；　should　show　at　a　disadvantage；　I　hold　for　a　proof；

instructive　to　us；　that　the　discipline　of　the　comic　spirit　is

needful　to　their　growth。　　We　see　what　they　can　reach　to　in　that

great　figure　of　modern　manhood；　Goethe。　　They　are　a　growing　people；

they　are　conversable　as　well；　and　when　their　men；　as　in　France；　and

at　intervals　at　Berlin　tea…tables；　consent　to　talk　on　equal　terms

with　their　women；　and　to　listen　to　them；　their　growth　will　be

accelerated　and　be　shapelier。　　Comedy；　or　in　any　form　the　Comic

spirit；　will　then　come　to　them　to　cut　some　figures　out　of　the　block；

show　them　the　mirror；　enliven　and　irradiate　the　social　intelligence。



Modern　French　comedy　is　commendable　for　the　directness　of　the　study

of　actual　life；　as　far　as　that；　which　is　but　the　early　step　in　such

a　scholarship；　can　be　of　service　in　composing　and　colouring　the

picture。　　A　consequence　of　this　crude；　though　well…meant；　realism　is

the　collision　of　the　writers　in　their　scenes　and　incidents；　and　in

their　characters。　　The　Muse　of　most　of　them　is　an　Aventuriere。　　She

is　clever；　and　a　certain　diversion　exists　in　the　united　scheme　for

confounding　her。　　The　object　of　this　person　is　to　reinstate　herself

in　the　decorous　world；　and　either；　having　accomplished　this　purpose

through　deceit；　she　has　a　nostalgie　de　la　boue；　that　eventually

casts　her　back　into　it；　or　she　is　exposed　in　her　course　of　deception

when　she　is　about　to　gain　her　end。　　A　very　good；　innocent　young　man

is　her　victim；　or　a　very　astute；　goodish　young　man　obstructs　her

path。　　This　latter　is　enabled　to　be　the　champion　of　the　decorous

world　by　knowing　the　indecorous　well。　　He　has　assisted　in　the

progress　of　Aventurieres　downward；　he　will　not　help　them　to　ascend。

The　world　is　with　him；　and　certainly　it　is　not　much　of　an　ascension

they　aspire　to；　but　what　sort　of　a　figure　is　he？　　The　triumph　of　a

candid　realism　is　to　show　him　no　hero。　　You　are　to　admire　him　（for

it　must　be　supposed　that　realism　pretends　to　waken　some　admiration）

as　a　credibly　living　young　man；　no　better；　only　a　little　firmer　and

shrewder；　than　the　rest。　　If；　however；　you　think　at　all；　after　the

curtain　has　fallen；　you　are　likely　to　think　that　the　Aventurieres

have　a　case　to　plead　against　him。　　True；　and　the　author　has　not　said

anything　to　the　contrary；　he　has　but　painted　from　the　life；　he

leaves　his　audience　to　the　reflections　of　unphilosophic　minds　upon

life；　from　the　specimen　he　has　presented　in　the　bright　and　narrow

circle　of　a　spy…glass。



I　do　not　know　that　the　fly　in　amber　is　of　any　particular　use；　but

the　Comic　idea　enclosed　in　a　comedy　makes　it　more　generally

perceptible　and　portable；　and　that　is　an　advantage。　　There　is　a

benefit　to　men　in　taking　the　lessons　of　Comedy　in　congregations；　for

it　enlivens　the　wits；　and　to　writers　it　is　beneficial；　for　they　must

have　a　clear　scheme；　and　even　if　they　have　no　idea　to　present；　they

must　prove　that　they　have　made　the　public　sit　to　them　before　the

sitting　to　see　the　picture。　　And　writing　for　the　stage　would　be　a

corrective　of　a　too…incrusted　scholarly　style；　into　which　some　great

ones　fall　at　times。　　It　keeps　minor　writers　to　a　definite　plan；　and

to　English。　　Many　of　them　now　swelling　a　plethoric　market；　in　the

composition　of　novels；　in　pun…manufactories　and　in　journalism；

attached　to　the　machinery　forcing　perishable　matter　on　a　public　that

swallows　voraciously　and　groans；　might；　with　encouragement；　be

attending　to　the　study　of　art　in　literature。　　Our　critics　appear　to

be　fascinated　by　the　quaintness　of　our　public；　as　the　world　is　when

our　beast…garden　has　a　new　importation　of　magnitude；　and　the

creatures　appetite　is　reverently　consulted。　　They　stipulate　for　a

writer's　popularity　before　they　will　do　much　more　than　take　the

position　of　umpires　to　record　his　failure　or　success。　　Now　the　pig

supplies　the　most　popular　of　dishes；　but　it　is　not　accounted　the

most　honoured　of　animals；　unless　it　be　by　the　cottager。　　Our　public

might　surely　be　led　to　try　other；　perhaps　finer；　meat。　　It　has　good

taste　in　song。　　It　might　be　taught　as　justly；　on　the　whole；　and　the

sooner　when　the　cottager's　view　of　the　feast　shall　cease　to　be　the

humble　one　of　our　literary　critics；　to　extend　this　capacity　for

delicate　choosing　in　the　direction　of　the　matter　arousing　laughter。







Footnotes：



｛1｝　　A　lecture　delivered　at　the　London　Institution；　February　1st；

1877。



｛2｝　　Realism　in　the　writing　is　carried　to　such　a　pitch　in　THE　OLD

BACHELOR；　that　husband　and　wife　use　imbecile　connubial　epithets　to

one　another。



｛3｝　　Tallemant　des　Reaux；　in　his　rough　portrait　of　the　Duke；　shows

the　foundation　of　the　character　of　Alceste。



｛4｝　　See　Tom　Jones；　book　viii。　chapter　I；　for　Fielding's　opinion　of

our　Comedy。　　But　he　puts　it　simply；　not　as　an　exercise　in　the　quasi…

philosophical　bathetic。



｛5｝　　Femmes　Savantes：



BELISE：　　Veux…tu　toute　la　vie　offenser　la　grammaire？



MARTINE：　　Qui　parle　d'offenser　grand'mere　ni　grand…pere？'



The　pun　is　delivered　in　all　sincerity；　from　the　mouth　of　a　rustic。



｛6｝　　Maskwell　seems　to　have　been　carved　on　the　model　of　Iago；　as　by

the　hand　of　an　enterprising　urchin。　　He　apostrophizes　his

'invention'　repeatedly。　　'Thanks；　my　invention。'　　He　hits　on　an

invention；　to　say：　　'Was　it　my　brain　or　Providence？　no　matter

which。'　　It　is　no　matter　which；　but　it　was　not　his　brain。



｛7｝　　Imaginary　Conversations：　　Alfieri　and　the　Jew　Salomon。



｛8｝　　Terence　did　not　plea