an essay on comedy-第5部分

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

which　cannot　be　reproduced＇　the　lover　taken　in　horror；　and　＇Greek

text＇　the　damsel　shorn　of　her　locks；　have　a　promising　sound　for

scenes　of　jealousy　and　a　too　masterful　display　of　lordly　authority；

leading　to　regrets；　of　the　kind　known　to　intemperate　men　who

imagined　they　were　fighting　with　the　weaker；　as　the　fragments

indicate。



Of　the　six　comedies　of　Terence；　four　are　derived　from　Menander；　two；

the　Hecyra　and　the　Phormio；　from　Apollodorus。　　These　two　are

inferior　in　comic　action　and　the　peculiar　sweetness　of　Menander　to

the　Andria；　the　Adelphi；　the　Heautontimorumenus；　and　the　Eunuchus：

but　Phormio　is　a　more　dashing　and　amusing　convivial　parasite　than

the　Gnatho　of　the　last…named　comedy。　　There　were　numerous　rivals　of

whom　we　know　next　to　nothingexcept　by　the　quotations　of　Athenaeus

and　Plutarch；　and　the　Greek　grammarians　who　cited　them　to　support　a

dictumin　this　as　in　the　preceding　periods　of　comedy　in　Athens；　for

Menander's　plays　are　counted　by　many　scores；　and　they　were　crowned

by　the　prize　only　eight　times。　　The　favourite　poet　with　critics；　in

Greece　as　in　Rome；　was　Menander；　and　if　some　of　his　rivals　here　and

there　surpassed　him　in　comic　force；　and　out…stripped　him　in

competition　by　an　appositeness　to　the　occasion　that　had　previously

in　the　same　way　deprived　the　genius　of　Aristophanes　of　its　due

reward　in　Clouds　and　Birds；　his　position　as　chief　of　the　comic　poets

of　his　age　was　unchallenged。　　Plutarch　very　unnecessarily　drags

Aristophanes　into　a　comparison　with　him；　to　the　confusion　of　the

older　poet。　　Their　aims；　the　matter　they　dealt　in；　and　the　times；

were　quite　dissimilar。　　But　it　is　no　wonder　that　Plutarch；　writing

when　Athenian　beauty　of　style　was　the　delight　of　his　patrons；　should

rank　Menander　at　the　highest。　　In　what　degree　of　faithfulness

Terence　copied　Menander；　whether；　as　he　states　of　the　passage　in　the

Adelphi　taken　from　Diphilus；　verbum　de　verbo　in　the　lovelier　scenes…

…　the　description　of　the　last　words　of　the　dying　Andrian；　and　of　her

funeral；　for　instanceremains　conjectural。　　For　us　Terence　shares

with　his　master　the　praise　of　an　amenity　that　is　like　Elysian

speech；　equable　and　ever　gracious；　like　the　face　of　the　Andrian's

young　sister：





'Adeo　modesto；　adeo　venusto；　ut　nihil　supra。'





The　celebrated　'flens　quam　familiariter；'　of　which　the　closest

rendering　grounds　hopelessly　on　harsh　prose；　to　express　the

sorrowful　confidingness　of　a　young　girl　who　has　lost　her　sister　and

dearest　friend；　and　has　but　her　lover　left　to　her；　'she　turned　and

flung　herself　on　his　bosom；　weeping　as　though　at　home　there'：　　this

our　instinct　tells　us　must　be　Greek；　though　hardly　finer　in　Greek。

Certain　lines　of　Terence；　compared　with　the　original　fragments；　show

that　he　embellished　them；　but　his　taste　was　too　exquisite　for　him　to

do　other　than　devote　his　genius　to　the　honest　translation　of　such

pieces　as　the　above。　　Menander；　then；　with　him；　through　the　affinity

of　sympathy；　Terence；　and　Shakespeare　and　Moliere　have　this

beautiful　translucency　of　language：　　and　the　study　of　the　comic

poets　might　be　recommended；　if　for　that　only。



A　singular　ill　fate　befell　the　writings　of　Menander。　　What　we　have

of　him　in　Terence　was　chosen　probably　to　please　the　cultivated

Romans；　｛8｝　and　is　a　romantic　play　with　a　comic　intrigue；　obtained

in　two　instances；　the　Andria　and　the　Eunuchus；　by　rolling　a　couple

of　his　originals　into　one。　　The　titles　of　certain　of　the　lost　plays

indicate　the　comic　illumining　character；　a　Self…pitier；　a　Self…

chastiser；　an　Ill…tempered　man；　a　Superstitious；　an　Incredulous；

etc。；　point　to　suggestive　domestic　themes。



Terence　forwarded　manuscript　translations　from　Greece；　that　suffered

shipwreck；　he；　who　could　have　restored　the　treasure；　died　on　the　way

home。　　The　zealots　of　Byzantium　completed　the　work　of　destruction。

So　we　have　the　four　comedies　of　Terence；　numbering　six　of　Menander；

with　a　few　sketches　of　plotsone　of　them；　the　Thesaurus；　introduces

a　miser；　whom　we　should　have　liked　to　contrast　with　Harpagonand　a

multitude　of　small　fragments　of　a　sententious　cast；　fitted　for

quotation。　　Enough　remains　to　make　his　greatness　felt。



Without　undervaluing　other　writers　of　Comedy；　I　think　it　may　be　said

that　Menander　and　Moliere　stand　alone　specially　as　comic　poets　of

the　feelings　and　the　idea。　　In　each　of　them　there　is　a　conception　of

the　Comic　that　refines　even　to　pain；　as　in　the　Menedemus　of　the

Heautontimorumenus；　and　in　the　Misanthrope。　　Menander　and　Moliere

have　given　the　principal　types　to　Comedy　hitherto。　　The　Micio　and

Demea　of　the　Adelphi；　with　their　opposing　views　of　the　proper

management　of　youth；　are　still　alive；　the　Sganarelles　and　Arnolphes

of　the　Ecole　des　Maris　and　the　Ecole　des　Femmes；　are　not　all　buried。

Tartuffe　is　the　father　of　the　hypocrites；　Orgon　of　the　dupes；

Thraso；　of　the　braggadocios；　Alceste　of　the　'Manlys'；　Davus　and

Syrus　of　the　intriguing　valets；　the　Scapins　and　Figaros。　　Ladies

that　soar　in　the　realms　of　Rose…Pink；　whose　language　wears　the

nodding　plumes　of　intellectual　conceit；　are　traceable　to　Philaminte

and　Belise　of　the　Femmes　Savantes：　　and　the　mordant　witty　women　have

the　tongue　of　Celimene。　　The　reason　is；　that　these　two　poets

idealized　upon　life：　　the　foundation　of　their　types　is　real　and　in

the　quick；　but　they　painted　with　spiritual　strength；　which　is　the

solid　in　Art。



The　idealistic　conceptions　of　Comedy　gives　breadth　and　opportunities

of　daring　to　Comic　genius；　and　helps　to　solve　the　difficulties　it

creates。　　How；　for　example；　shall　an　audience　be　assured　that　an

evident　and　monstrous　dupe　is　actually　deceived　without　being　an

absolute　fool？　　In　Le　Tartuffe　the　note　of　high　Comedy　strikes　when

Orgon　on　his　return　home　hears　of　his　idol's　excellent　appetite。

'Le　pauvre　homme！'　he　exclaims。　　He　is　told　that　the　wife　of　his

bosom　has　been　unwell。　　'Et　Tartuffe？'　he　asks；　impatient　to　hear

him　spoken　of；　his　mind　suffused　with　the　thought　of　Tartuffe；　crazy

with　tenderness；　and　again　he　croons；　'Le　pauvre　homme！'　　It　is　the

mother's　cry　of　pitying　delight　at　a　nurse's　recital　of　the　feats　in

young　animal　gluttony　of　her　cherished　infant。　　After　this

masterstroke　of　the　Comic；　you　not　only　put　faith　in　Orgon's　roseate

prepossession；　you　share　it　with　him　by　comic　sympathy；　and　can

listen　with　no　more　than　a　tremble　of　the　laughing　muscles　to　the

instance　he　gives　of　the　sublime　humanity　of　Tartuffe：





'Un　rien　presque　suffit　pour　le　scandaliser；

Jusque…le；　qu'il　se　vint　l'autre　jour　accuser

D'avoir　pris　une　puce　en　faisant　sa　priere；

Et　de　l'avoir　tuee　avec　trop　de　colere。'





And　to　have　killed　it　too　wrathfully！　　Translating　Moliere　is　like

humming　an　air　one　has　heard　performed　by　an　accomplished　violinist

of　the　pure　tones　without　flourish。



Orgon；　awakening　to　find　another　dupe　in　Madame　Pernelle；

incredulous　of　the　revelations　which　have　at　last　opened　his　own

besotted　eyes；　is　a　scene　of　the　double　Comic；　vivified　by　the　spell

previously　cast　on　the　mind。　　There　we　feel　the　power　of　the　poet's

creation；　and　in　the　sharp　light　of　that　sudden　turn　the　humanity　is

livelier　than　any　realistic　work　can　make　it。



Italian　Comedy　gives　many　hints　for　a　Tartuffe；　but　they　may　be

found　in　Boccaccio；　as　well　as　in　Machiavelli's　Mandragola。　　The

Frate　Timoteo　of　this　piece　is　only　a　very　oily　friar；　compliantly

assisting　an　intrigue　with　ecclesiastical　sophisms　（to　use　the

mildest　word）　for　payment。　　Frate　Timoteo　has　a　fine　Italian

priestly　pose。



DONNA：　　Credete　voi；　che'l　Turco　passi　questo　anno　in　Italia？



F。　TIM。：　　Se　voi　non　fate　orazione；　si。



Priestly　arrogance　and　unctuousness；　and　trickeries　and　casuistries；

cannot　be　painted　without　our　discovering　a　likeness　in　the　long

Italian　gallery。　　Goldoni　sketched　the　Venetian　manners　of　the

decadence　of　the　Republic　with　a　French　pencil；　and　was　an　Italian

Scribe　in　style。



The　Spanish　stage　is　richer　in　such　Comedies　as　that　which　furnished

the　idea　of　the　Menteur　to　Corneille。　　But　you　must　force　yourself

to　believe　that　this　liar　is　not　forcing　his　vein　when　he　piles　lie

upon　lie。　　There　is　no　preceding　touch　to　win　the　mind　to　credulity。

Spanish　Comedy　is　generally　in　sharp　outline；　as　of　skeletons；　in

quick　movement；　as　of　marionnettes。　　The　Comedy　might　be　performed

by　a　troop　of　the　corps　de　ballet；　and　in　the　recollection　of　the

reading　it　resolves　to　an　animated　shuffle　of　feet。　　It　is；　in　fact；

something　other　than　the　true　idea　of　Comedy。　　Where　the　sexes　are

separated；　men　and　women　grow；　as　the　Portuguese　call　it；　affaimados

of　one　another；　famine…stricken；　and　all　the　tragic　elements　are　on

the　stage。　　Don　Juan　is　a　comic　character　that　sends　souls　flying：

nor　does　the　humour　of　the　breaking　of　a　dozen　women's　hearts

conciliate　the　Comic　Muse　with　the　drawing　of　blood。



German　attempts　at　Comedy　remind　one　vividly　of　Heine's　image　of　his

country　in　the　dancing　of　Atta　Troll。　　Lessing　tried　his　hand　at　it；

with　a　sobering　effect　upon　readers。　　The　intention　to　produce　the

reverse　effect　is　just　visible；　and　therein；　like　the　portly　graces

of　the　poor　old　Pyrenean　Bear　poising　and　twirling　on　his　right

hind…leg　and　his　left；　consists　the　fun。　　Jean　Paul　Richter　gives

the　best　edition　of　the　German　Comic　in　the　contrast　of　Siebenkas

with　his　Lenette。　　A　light　of　the　Comic　is　in　Goethe；　enough　to

complete　the　splendid　figure　of　the　man；　but　no　more。



The　German　literary　laugh；　like　the　timed　awakenings　of　their

Barbarossa　in　the　hollows　of　the　Untersberg；　is　infrequent；　and

rather　monstrousnever　a　laugh　of　men　and　women　in　concert。　　It

comes　of　unrefined　abstract　fancy；　grotesque　or　grim；　or　gross；　like

the　peculiar　humours　of　their　little　earthmen。　　Spiritual　laughter

they　have　not　yet　attained　to：　　sentimentalism　waylays　them　in　the

flight。　　Here　an