an essay on comedy-第2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！



wafting　it　as　far　as　it　would　go；　bewails　the　extinction　of　our

artificial　Comedy；　like　a　poet　sighing　over　the　vanished　splendour

of　Cleopatra's　Nile…barge；　and　the　sedateness　of　his　plea　for　a

cause　condemned　even　in　his　time　to　the　penitentiary；　is　a　novel

effect　of　the　ludicrous。　　When　the　realism　of　those　'fictitious

half…believed　personages；'　as　he　calls　them；　had　ceased　to　strike；

they　were　objectionable　company；　uncaressable　as　puppets。　　Their

artifices　are　staringly　naked；　and　have　now　the　effect　of　a　painted

face　viewed；　after　warm　hours　of　dancing；　in　the　morning　light。　　How

could　the　Lurewells　and　the　Plyants　ever　have　been　praised　for

ingenuity　in　wickedness？　　Critics；　apparently　sober；　and　of　high

reputation；　held　up　their　shallow　knaveries　for　the　world　to　admire。

These　Lurewells；　Plyants；　Pinchwifes；　Fondlewifes；　Miss　Prue；　Peggy；

Hoyden；　all　of　them　save　charming　Milamant；　are　dead　as　last　year's

clothes　in　a　fashionable　fine　lady's　wardrobe；　and　it　must　be　an

exceptionably　abandoned　Abigail　of　our　period　that　would　look　on

them　with　the　wish　to　appear　in　their　likeness。　　Whether　the　puppet

show　of　Punch　and　Judy　inspires　our　street…urchins　to　have　instant

recourse　to　their　fists　in　a　dispute；　after　the　fashion　of　every　one

of　the　actors　in　that　public　entertainment　who　gets　possession　of

the　cudgel；　is　open　to　question：　　it　has　been　hinted；　and　angry

moralists　have　traced　the　national　taste　for　tales　of　crime　to　the

smell　of　blood　in　our　nursery…songs。　　It　will　at　any　rate　hardly　be

questioned　that　it　is　unwholesome　for　men　and　women　to　see

themselves　as　they　are；　if　they　are　no　better　than　they　should　be：

and　they　will　not；　when　they　have　improved　in　manners；　care　much　to

see　themselves　as　they　once　were。　　That　comes　of　realism　in　the

Comic　art；　and　it　is　not　public　caprice；　but　the　consequence　of　a

bettering　state。　｛2｝　　The　same　of　an　immoral　may　be　said　of

realistic　exhibitions　of　a　vulgar　society。



The　French　make　a　critical　distinction　in　ce　qui　remue　from　ce　qui

emeutthat　which　agitates　from　that　which　touches　with　emotion。　　In

the　realistic　comedy　it　is　an　incessant　remuageno　calm；　merely

bustling　figures；　and　no　thought。　　Excepting　Congreve's　Way　of　the

World；　which　failed　on　the　stage；　there　was　nothing　to　keep　our

comedy　alive　on　its　merits；　neither；　with　all　its　realism；　true

portraiture；　nor　much　quotable　fun；　nor　idea；　neither　salt　nor　soul。



The　French　have　a　school　of　stately　comedy　to　which　they　can　fly　for

renovation　whenever　they　have　fallen　away　from　it；　and　their　having

such　a　school　is　mainly　the　reason　why；　as　John　Stuart　Mill　pointed

out；　they　know　men　and　women　more　accurately　than　we　do。　　Moliere

followed　the　Horatian　precept；　to　observe　the　manners　of　his　age　and

give　his　characters　the　colour　befitting　them　at　the　time。　　He　did

not　paint　in　raw　realism。　　He　seized　his　characters　firmly　for　the

central　purpose　of　the　play；　stamped　them　in　the　idea；　and　by

slightly　raising　and　softening　the　object　of　study　（as　in　the　case

of　the　ex…Huguenot；　Duke　de　Montausier；　｛3｝　for　the　study　of　the

Misanthrope；　and；　according　to　St。　Simon；　the　Abbe　Roquette　for

Tartuffe）；　generalized　upon　it　so　as　to　make　it　permanently　human。

Concede　that　it　is　natural　for　human　creatures　to　live　in　society；

and　Alceste　is　an　imperishable　mark　of　one；　though　he　is　drawn　in

light　outline；　without　any　forcible　human　colouring。　　Our　English

school　has　not　clearly　imagined　society；　and　of　the　mind　hovering

above　congregated　men　and　women；　it　has　imagined　nothing。　　The

critics　who　praise　it　for　its　downrightness；　and　for　bringing　the

situations　home　to　us；　as　they　admiringly　say；　cannot　but　disapprove

of　Moliere's　comedy；　which　appeals　to　the　individual　mind　to

perceive　and　participate　in　the　social。　　We　have　splendid　tragedies；

we　have　the　most　beautiful　of　poetic　plays；　and　we　have　literary

comedies　passingly　pleasant　to　read；　and　occasionally　to　see　acted。

By　literary　comedies；　I　mean　comedies　of　classic　inspiration；　drawn

chiefly　from　Menander　and　the　Greek　New　Comedy　through　Terence；　or

else　comedies　of　the　poet's　personal　conception；　that　have　had　no

model　in　life；　and　are　humorous　exaggerations；　happy　or　otherwise。

These　are　the　comedies　of　Ben　Jonson；　Massinger；　and　Fletcher。

Massinger's　Justice　Greedy　we　can　all　of　us　refer　to　a　type；　'with

fat　capon　lined'　that　has　been　and　will　be；　and　he　would　be　comic；

as　Panurge　is　comic；　but　only　a　Rabelais　could　set　him　moving　with

real　animation。　　Probably　Justice　Greedy　would　be　comic　to　the

audience　of　a　country　booth　and　to　some　of　our　friends。　　If　we　have

lost　our　youthful　relish　for　the　presentation　of　characters　put

together　to　fit　a　type；　we　find　it　hard　to　put　together　the

mechanism　of　a　civil　smile　at　his　enumeration　of　his　dishes。

Something　of　the　same　is　to　be　said　of　Bobadil；　swearing　'by　the

foot　of　Pharaoh'；　with　a　reservation；　for　he　is　made　to　move　faster；

and　to　act。　　The　comic　of　Jonson　is　a　scholar's　excogitation　of　the

comic；　that　of　Massinger　a　moralist's。



Shakespeare　is　a　well…spring　of　characters　which　are　saturated　with

the　comic　spirit；　with　more　of　what　we　will　call　blood…life　than　is

to　be　found　anywhere　out　of　Shakespeare；　and　they　are　of　this　world；

but　they　are　of　the　world　enlarged　to　our　embrace　by　imagination；

and　by　great　poetic　imagination。　　They　are；　as　it　wereI　put　it　to

suit　my　present　comparisoncreatures　of　the　woods　and　wilds；　not　in

walled　towns；　not　grouped　and　toned　to　pursue　a　comic　exhibition　of

the　narrower　world　of　society。　　Jaques；　Falstaff　and　his　regiment；

the　varied　troop　of　Clowns；　Malvolio；　Sir　Hugh　Evans　and　Fluellen

marvellous　Welshmen！Benedict　and　Beatrice；　Dogberry；　and　the　rest；

are　subjects　of　a　special　study　in　the　poetically　comic。



His　Comedy　of　incredible　imbroglio　belongs　to　the　literary　section。

One　may　conceive　that　there　was　a　natural　resemblance　between　him

and　Menander；　both　in　the　scheme　and　style　of　his　lighter　plays。

Had　Shakespeare　lived　in　a　later　and　less　emotional；　less　heroical

period　of　our　history；　he　might　have　turned　to　the　painting　of

manners　as　well　as　humanity。　　Euripides　would　probably；　in　the　time

of　Menander；　when　Athens　was　enslaved　but　prosperous；　have　lent　his

hand　to　the　composition　of　romantic　comedy。　　He　certainly　inspired

that　fine　genius。



Politically　it　is　accounted　a　misfortune　for　France　that　her　nobles

thronged　to　the　Court　of　Louis　Quatorze。　　It　was　a　boon　to　the　comic

poet。　　He　had　that　lively　quicksilver　world　of　the　animalcule

passions；　the　huge　pretensions；　the　placid　absurdities；　under　his

eyes　in　full　activity；　vociferous　quacks　and　snapping　dupes；

hypocrites；　posturers；　extravagants；　pedants；　rose…pink　ladies　and

mad　grammarians；　sonneteering　marquises；　high…flying　mistresses；

plain…minded　maids；　inter…threading　as　in　a　loom；　noisy　as　at　a

fair。　　A　simply　bourgeois　circle　will　not　furnish　it；　for　the　middle

class　must　have　the　brilliant；　flippant；　independent　upper　for　a

spur　and　a　pattern；　otherwise　it　is　likely　to　be　inwardly　dull　as

well　as　outwardly　correct。　　Yet；　though　the　King　was　benevolent

toward　Moliere；　it　is　not　to　the　French　Court　that　we　are　indebted

for　his　unrivalled　studies　of　mankind　in　society。　　For　the　amusement

of　the　Court　the　ballets　and　farces　were　written；　which　are　dearer

to　the　rabble　upper；　as　to　the　rabble　lower；　class　than　intellectual

comedy。　　The　French　bourgeoisie　of　Paris　were　sufficiently　quick…

witted　and　enlightened　by　education　to　welcome　great　works　like　Le

Tartuffe；　Les　Femmes　Savantes；　and　Le　Misanthrope；　works　that　were

perilous　ventures　on　the　popular　intelligence；　big　vessels　to　launch

on　streams　running　to　shallows。　　The　Tartuffe　hove　into　view　as　an

enemy's　vessel；　it　offended；　not　Dieu　mais　les　devots；　as　the　Prince

de　Conde　explained　the　cabal　raised　against　it　to　the　King。



The　Femmes　Savantes　is　a　capital　instance　of　the　uses　of　comedy　in

teaching　the　world　to　understand　what　ails　it。　　The　farce　of　the

Precieuses　ridiculed　and　put　a　stop　to　the　monstrous　romantic　jargon

made　popular　by　certain　famous　novels。　　The　comedy　of　the　Femmes

Savantes　exposed　the　later　and　less　apparent　but　more　finely　comic

absurdity　of　an　excessive　purism　in　grammar　and　diction；　and　the

tendency　to　be　idiotic　in　precision。　　The　French　had　felt　the　burden

of　this　new　nonsense；　but　they　had　to　see　the　comedy　several　times

before　they　were　consoled　in　their　suffering　by　seeing　the　cause　of

it　exposed。



The　Misanthrope　was　yet　more　frigidly　received。　　Moliere　thought　it

dead。　　'I　cannot　improve　on　it；　and　assuredly　never　shall；'　he　said。

It　is　one　of　the　French　titles　to　honour　that　this　quintessential

comedy　of　the　opposition　of　Alceste　and　Celimene　was　ultimately

understood　and　applauded。　　In　all　countries　the　middle　class

presents　the　public　which；　fighting　the　world；　and　with　a　good

footing　in　the　fight；　knows　the　world　best。　　It　may　be　the　most

selfish；　but　that　is　a　question　leading　us　into　sophistries。

Cultivated　men　and　women；　who　do　not　skim　the　cream　of　life；　and　are

attached　to　the　duties；　yet　escape　the　harsher　blows；　make　acute　and

balanced　observers。　　Moliere　is　their　poet。



Of　this　class　in　England；　a　large　body；　neither　Puritan　nor

Bacchanalian；　have　a　sentimental　objection　to　face　the　study　of　the

actual　world。　　They　take　up　disdain　of　it；　when　its　truths　appear

humiliating：　　when　the　facts　are　not　immediately　forced　on　them；

they　take　up　the　pride　of　incredulity。　　They　live　in　a　hazy

atmosphere　that　they　suppose　an　ideal　one。　　Humorous　writing　they

will　endure；　perhaps　approve；　if　it　mingles　with　pathos　to　shake　and

elevate　the　feelings。　　They　approve　of　Satire；　because；　like　the

beak　of　the　vulture；　it　smells　of　carrion；　which　they　are　not。　　But

of　Comedy　they　have　a　shivering　dread；　for　Comedy　enfolds　them　with

the　wretched　host　of　the　world；　huddles　them　with　us　all