an essay on comedy-第4部分

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He　drives　the　poor　hack　word；　'fool；'　as　cruelly　to　the　market　for

wit　as　any　of　his　competitors。　　Here　is　an　example；　that　has　been

held　up　for　eulogy：





WITWOUD：　　He　has　brought　me　a　letter　from　the　fool　my　brother；　etc。

etc。



MIRABEL：　　A　fool；　and　your　brother；　Witwoud？



WITWOUD：　　Ay；　ay；　my　half…brother。　　My　half…brother　he　is；　no

nearer；　upon　my　honour。



MIRABEL：　　Then　'tis　possible　he　may　be　but　half　a　fool。





By　evident　preparation。　　This　is　a　sort　of　wit　one　remembers　to　have

heard　at　school；　of　a　brilliant　outsider；　perhaps　to　have　been

guilty　of　oneself；　a　trifle　later。　　It　was；　no　doubt；　a　blaze　of

intellectual　fireworks　to　the　bumpkin　squire；　who　came　to　London　to

go　to　the　theatre　and　learn　manners。



Where　Congreve　excels　all　his　English　rivals　is　in　his　literary

force；　and　a　succinctness　of　style　peculiar　to　him。　　He　had　correct

judgement；　a　correct　ear；　readiness　of　illustration　within　a　narrow

range；　in　snapshots　of　the　obvious　at　the　obvious；　and　copious

language。　　He　hits　the　mean　of　a　fine　style　and　a　natural　in

dialogue。　　He　is　at　once　precise　and　voluble。　　If　you　have　ever

thought　upon　style　you　will　acknowledge　it　to　be　a　signal

accomplishment。　　In　this　he　is　a　classic；　and　is　worthy　of　treading

a　measure　with　Moliere。　　The　Way　of　the　World　may　be　read　out

currently　at　a　first　glance；　so　sure　are　the　accents　of　the　emphatic

meaning　to　strike　the　eye；　perforce　of　the　crispness　and　cunning

polish　of　the　sentences。　　You　have　not　to　look　over　them　before　you

confide　yourself　to　him；　he　will　carry　you　safe。　　Sheridan　imitated；

but　was　far　from　surpassing　him。　　The　flow　of　boudoir　Billingsgate

in　Lady　Wishfort　is　unmatched　for　the　vigour　and　pointedness　of　the

tongue。　　It　spins　along　with　a　final　ring；　like　the　voice　of　Nature

in　a　fury；　and　is；　indeed；　racy　eloquence　of　the　elevated　fishwife。



Millamant　is　an　admirable；　almost　a　lovable　heroine。　　It　is　a　piece

of　genius　in　a　writer　to　make　a　woman's　manner　of　speech　portray

her。　　You　feel　sensible　of　her　presence　in　every　line　of　her

speaking。　　The　stipulations　with　her　lover　in　view　of　marriage；　her

fine　lady's　delicacy；　and　fine　lady's　easy　evasions　of　indelicacy；

coquettish　airs；　and　playing　with　irresolution；　which　in　a　common

maid　would　be　bashfulness；　until　she　submits　to　'dwindle　into　a

wife；'　as　she　says；　form　a　picture　that　lives　in　the　frame；　and　is

in　harmony　with　Mirabel's　description　of　her：





'Here　she　comes；　i'　faith；　full　sail；　with　her　fan　spread；　and　her

streamers　out；　and　a　shoal　of　fools　for　tenders。'





And；　after　an　interview：





'Think　of　you！　　To　think　of　a　whirlwind；　though　'twere　in　a

whirlwind；　were　a　case　of　more　steady　contemplation；　a　very

tranquillity　of　mind　and　mansion。'





There　is　a　picturesqueness；　as　of　Millamant　and　no　other；　in　her

voice；　when　she　is　encouraged　to　take　Mirabel　by　Mrs。　Fainall；　who

is　'sure　she　has　a　mind　to　him'：





MILLAMANT：　　Are　you？　　I　think　I　haveand　the　horrid　man　looks　as　if

he　thought　so　too；　etc。　etc。





One　hears　the　tones；　and　sees　the　sketch　and　colour　of　the　whole

scene　in　reading　it。



Celimene　is　behind　Millamant　in　vividness。　　An　air　of　bewitching

whimsicality　hovers　over　the　graces　of　this　Comic　heroine；　like　the

lively　conversational　play　of　a　beautiful　mouth。



But　in　wit　she　is　no　rival　of　Celimene。　　What　she　utters　adds　to　her

personal　witchery；　and　is　not　further　memorable。　　She　is　a　flashing

portrait；　and　a　type　of　the　superior　ladies　who　do　not　think；　not　of

those　who　do。　　In　representing　a　class；　therefore；　it　is　a　lower

class；　in　the　proportion　that　one　of　Gainsborough's　full…length

aristocratic　women　is　below　the　permanent　impressiveness　of　a　fair

Venetian　head。



Millamant　side　by　side　with　Celimene　is　an　example　of　how　far　the

realistic　painting　of　a　character　can　be　carried　to　win　our　favour；

and　of　where　it　falls　short。　　Celimene　is　a　woman's　mind　in

movement；　armed　with　an　ungovernable　wit；　with　perspicacious　clear

eyes　for　the　world；　and　a　very　distinct　knowledge　that　she　belongs

to　the　world；　and　is　most　at　home　in　it。　　She　is　attracted　to

Alceste　by　her　esteem　for　his　honesty；　she　cannot　avoid　seeing　where

the　good　sense　of　the　man　is　diseased。



Rousseau；　in　his　letter　to　D'Alembert　on　the　subject　of　the

Misanthrope；　discusses　the　character　of　Alceste；　as　though　Moliere

had　put　him　forth　for　an　absolute　example　of　misanthropy；　whereas

Alceste　is　only　a　misanthrope　of　the　circle　he　finds　himself　placed

in：　　he　has　a　touching　faith　in　the　virtue　residing　in　the　country；

and　a　critical　love　of　sweet　simpleness。　　Nor　is　he　the　principal

person　of　the　comedy　to　which　he　gives　a　name。　　He　is　only　passively

comic。　　Celimene　is　the　active　spirit。　　While　he　is　denouncing　and

railing；　the　trial　is　imposed　upon　her　to　make　the　best　of　him；　and

control　herself；　as　much　as　a　witty　woman；　eagerly　courted；　can　do。

By　appreciating　him　she　practically　confesses　her　faultiness；　and

she　is　better　disposed　to　meet　him　half　。way　than　he　is　to　bend　an

inch：　　only　she　is　une　ame　de　vingt　ans；　the　world　is　pleasant；　and

if　the　gilded　flies　of　the　Court　are　silly；　uncompromising　fanatics

have　their　ridiculous　features　as　well。　　Can　she　abandon　the　life

they　make　agreeable　to　her；　for　a　man　who　will　not　be　guided　by　the

common　sense　of　his　class；　and　who　insists　on　plunging　into　one

extremeequal　to　suicide　in　her　eyesto　avoid　another？　　That　is

the　comic　question　of　the　Misanthrope。　　Why　will　he　not　continue　to

mix　with　the　world　smoothly；　appeased　by　the　flattery　of　her　secret

and　really　sincere　preference　of　him；　and　taking　his　revenge　in

satire　of　it；　as　she　does　from　her　own　not　very　lofty　standard；　and

will　by　and　by　do　from　his　more　exalted　one？



Celimene　is　worldliness：　　Alceste　is　unworldliness。　　It　does　not

quite　imply　unselfishness；　and　that　is　perceived　by　her　shrewd　head。

Still　he　is　a　very　uncommon　figure　in　her　circle；　and　she　esteems

him；　l'homme　aux　rubans　verts；　'who　sometimes　diverts　but　more　often

horribly　vexes　her；'　as　she　can　say　of　him　when　her　satirical　tongue

is　on　the　run。　　Unhappily　the　soul　of　truth　in　him；　which　wins　her

esteem；　refuses　to　be　tamed；　or　silent；　or　unsuspicious；　and　is　the

perpetual　obstacle　to　their　good　accord。　　He　is　that　melancholy

person；　the　critic　of　everybody　save　himself；　intensely　sensitive　to

the　faults　of　others；　wounded　by　them；　in　love　with　his　own

indubitable　honesty；　and　with　his　ideal　of　the　simpler　form　of　life

befitting　it：　　qualities　which　constitute　the　satirist。　　He　is　a

Jean　Jacques　of　the　Court。　　His　proposal　to　Celimene　when　he　pardons

her；　that　she　should　follow　him　in　flying　humankind；　and　his　frenzy

of　detestation　of　her　at　her　refusal；　are　thoroughly　in　the　mood　of

Jean　Jacques。　　He　is　an　impracticable　creature　of　a　priceless

virtue；　but　Celimene　may　feel　that　to　fly　with　him　to　the　desert：

that　is　from　the　Court　to　the　country





'Ou　d'etre　homme　d'honneur　on　ait　la　liberte；'





she　is　likely　to　find　herself　the　companion　of　a　starving　satirist；

like　that　poor　princess　who　ran　away　with　the　waiting…man；　and　when

both　were　hungry　in　the　forest；　was　ordered　to　give　him　flesh。　　She

is　a　fieffee　coquette；　rejoicing　in　her　wit　and　her　attractions；　and

distinguished　by　her　inclination　for　Alceste　in　the　midst　of　her

many　other　lovers；　only　she　finds　it　hard　to　cut　them　offwhat

woman　with　a　train　does　not？and　when　the　exposure　of　her　naughty

wit　has　laid　her　under　their　rebuke；　she　will　do　the　utmost　she　can：

she　will　give　her　hand　to　honesty；　but　she　cannot　quite　abandon

worldliness。　　She　would　be　unwise　if　she　did。



The　fable　is　thin。　　Our　pungent　contrivers　of　plots　would　see　no

indication　of　life　in　the　outlines。　　The　life　of　the　comedy　is　in

the　idea。　　As　with　the　singing　of　the　sky…lark　out　of　sight；　you

must　love　the　bird　to　be　attentive　to　the　song；　so　in　this　highest

flight　of　the　Comic　Muse；　you　must　love　pure　Comedy　warmly　to

understand　the　Misanthrope：　　you　must　be　receptive　of　the　idea　of

Comedy。　　And　to　love　Comedy　you　must　know　the　real　world；　and　know

men　and　women　well　enough　not　to　expect　too　much　of　them；　though　you

may　still　hope　for　good。



Menander　wrote　a　comedy　called　Misogynes；　said　to　have　been　the　most

celebrated　of　his　works。　　This　misogynist　is　a　married　man；

according　to　the　fragment　surviving；　and　is　a　hater　of　women　through

hatred　of　his　wife。　　He　generalizes　upon　them　from　the　example　of

this　lamentable　adjunct　of　his　fortunes；　and　seems　to　have　got　the

worst　of　it　in　the　contest　with　her；　which　is　like　the　issue　in

reality；　in　the　polite　world。　　He　seems　also　to　have　deserved　it；

which　may　be　as　true　to　the　copy。　　But　we　are　unable　to　say　whether

the　wife　was　a　good　voice　of　her　sex：　　or　how　far　Menander　in　this

instance　raised　the　idea　of　woman　from　the　mire　it　was　plunged　into

by　the　comic　poets；　or　rather　satiric　dramatists；　of　the　middle

period　of　Greek　Comedy　preceding　him　and　the　New　Comedy；　who　devoted

their　wit　chiefly　to　the　abuse；　and　for　a　diversity；　to　the　eulogy

of　extra…mural　ladies　of　conspicuous　fame。　　Menander　idealized　them

without　purposely　elevating。　　He　satirized　a　certain　Thais；　and　his

Thais　of　the　Eunuchus　of　Terence　is　neither　professionally

attractive　nor　repulsive；　his　picture　of　the　two　Andrians；　Chrysis

and　her　sister；　is　nowhere　to　be　matched　for　tenderness。　　But　the

condition　of　honest　women　in　his　day　did　not　permit　of　the　freedom

of　action　and　fencing　dialectic　of　a　Celimene；　and　consequently　it

is　below　our　mark　of　pure　Comedy。



Sainte…Beuve　conjures　up　the　ghost　of　Menander；　saying：　　For　the

love　of　me　love　Terence。　　It　is　through　love　of　Terence　that　moderns

are　able　to　love　Menander；　and　what　is　preserved　of　Terence　has　not

apparently　given　us　the　best　of　the　friend　of　Epicurus。　　＇Greek　text

which　cannot　be　reproduced＇