the unseen world and other essays-第30章
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oclaimed that the English were liars； his sister being safely housed in Metz？
In the mere interests of historical criticism； we have said all that we could in behalf of Mr。 Delepierre's hypothesis。 But as to the facts upon which it rests； we may remark； in the first place； that the surname Arc or 〃Bow〃 was not uncommon in those days； while the Christian name Jeanne was and now is the very commonest of French names。 There might have been a hundred Jeanne d'Arcs； all definable as pucelle or maid； just as we say 〃spinster〃： we even read of one in the time of the Revolution。 We have； therefore； no doubt that Robert des Hermoises married a Jeanne d'Arc； who may also have been a maid of Orleans； but this does not prove her to have been the historic Jeanne。 Secondly； as to the covering of the face； we may mention the fact； hitherto withheld； that it was by no means an uncommon circumstance： the victims of the Spanish Inquisition were usually led to the stake with veiled faces。 Thirdly； the phrase 〃jusques a son absentement〃 is hopelessly ambiguous； and may as well refer to Pierre du Lis himself as to his sister。
These brief considerations seem to knock away all the main props of Mr。 Delepierre's hypothesis； save that furnished by the apparent testimony of Jeanne's brothers； given at second hand in the Metz archives。 And those who are familiar with the phenomena of mediaeval delusions will be unwilling to draw too hasty an inference from this alone。 From the Emperor Nero to Don Sebastian of Portugal； there have been many instances of the supposed reappearance of persons generally believed to be dead。 For my own part； therefore； I am by no means inclined to adopt the hypothesis of Jeanne's survival； although I have endeavoured to give it tangible shape and plausible consistency。 But the fact that so much can be said in behalf of a theory running counter not only to universal tradition； but also to such a vast body of contemporaneous testimony； should teach us to be circumspect in holding our opinions； and charitable in our treatment of those who dissent from them。 For those who can discover in the historian Renan and the critic Strauss nothing but the malevolence of incredulity； the case of Jeanne d'Arc； duly contemplated； may serve as a wholesome lesson。
We have devoted so much space to this problem； by far the most considerable of those treated in Mr。 Delepierre's book； that we have hardly room for any of the others。 But a false legend concerning Solomon de Caus； the supposed original inventor of the steam…engine； is so instructive that we must give a brief account of it。
In 1834 〃there appeared in the Musee des Familles a letter from the celebrated Marion Delorme； supposed to have been written on the 3d February； 1641； to her lover Cinq…Mars。〃 In this letter it is stated that De Caus came four years ago ＇1637＇ from Normandy； to inform the King concerning a marvellous invention which he had made； being nothing less than the application of steam to the propulsion of carriages。 〃The Cardinal ＇Richelieu＇ dismissed this fool without giving him a hearing。〃 But De Caus； nowise discouraged； followed close upon the autocrat's heels wherever he went； and so teased him； that the Cardinal； out of patience； sent him off to a madhouse； where he passed the remainder of his days behind a grated window； proclaiming his invention to the passengers in the street； and calling upon them to release him。 Marion gives a graphic account of her visit； accompanied by the famous Lord Worcester； to the asylum at Bicetre； where they saw De Caus at his window； and Worcester； in whose mind the conception of the steam…engine was already taking shape； informed her that the raving prisoner was not a madman； but a genius。 A great stir was made by this letter。 The anecdote was copied into standard works； and represented in engravings。 Yet it was a complete hoax。 De Caus was not only never confined in a madhouse； but he was architect to Louis XIII。 up to the time of his death； in 1630； just eleven years BEFORE Marion Delorme was said to have seen him at his grated window！
〃On tracing this hoax to its source；〃 says Mr。 Delepierre； 〃we find that M。 Henri Berthoud； a literary man of some repute； and a constant contributor to the Musee des Familles； confesses that the letter attributed to Marion was in fact written by himself。 The editor of this journal had requested Gavarni to furnish him with a drawing for a tale in which a madman was introduced looking through the bars of his cell。 The drawing was executed and engraved； but arrived too late； and the tale； which could not wait； appeared without the illustration。 However； as the wood…engraving was effective； and； moreover； was paid for； the editor was unwilling that it should be useless。 Berthoud was； therefore； commissioned to look for a subject and to invent a story to which the engraving might be applied。 Strangely enough； the world refused to believe in M。 Berthoud's confession； so great a hold had the anecdote taken on the public mind； and a Paris newspaper went so far even as to declare that the original autograph of this letter was to be seen in a library in Normandy！ M。 Berthoud wrote again； denying its existence； and offered a million francs to any one who would produce the said letter。〃
From this we may learn two lessons； the first being that utterly baseless but plausible stories may arise in queer ways。 In the above case； the most far…fetched hypothesis to account for the origin of the legend could hardly have been as apparently improbable as the reality。 Secondly； we may learn that if a myth once gets into the popular mind； it is next to impossible to get it out again。 In the Castle of Heidelberg there is a portrait of De Caus； and a folio volume of his works； accompanied by a note； in which this letter of Marion Delorme is unsuspectingly cited as genuine。 And only three years ago； at a public banquet at Limoges； a well…known French Senator and man of letters made a speech； in which he retailed the story of the madhouse for the edification of his hearers。 Truly a popular error has as many lives as a cat； it comes walking in long after you have imagined it effectually strangled。
In conclusion； we may remark that Mr。 Delepierre does very scant justice to many of the interesting questions which he discusses。 It is to be regretted that he has not thought it worth while to argue his points more thoroughly； and that he has not been more careful in making statements of fact。 He sometimes makes strange blunders； the worst of which； perhaps； is contained in his article on Petrarch and Laura。 He thinks Laura was merely a poetical allegory； and such was the case； he goes on to say； 〃with Dante himself； whose Beatrice was a child who died at nine years of age。〃 Dante's Beatrice died on the 9th of June； 1290； at the age of twenty…four； having been the wife of Simone dei Bardi rather more than three years。
October； 1868。
IX。 THE FAMINE OF 1770 IN BENGAL。＇30＇
＇30＇ The Annals of Rural Bengal。 By W。 W。 Hunter。 Vol。 I。 The Ethnical Frontier of Lower Bengal； with the Ancient Principalities of Beerbhoom and Bishenpore。 Second Edition。 New York： Leypoldt and Holt。 1868。 8vo。； pp。 xvi。； 475。
No intelligent reader can advance fifty pages in this volume without becoming aware that he has got hold of a very remarkable book。 Mr。 Hunter's style； to begin with； is such as is written only by men of large calibre and high culture。 No words are wasted。 The narrative flows calmly and powerfully along； like a geometrical demonstration； omitting nothing which is significant； admitting nothing which is irrelevant； glowing with all the warmth of rich imagination and sympathetic genius； yet never allowing any overt manifestation of feeling； ever concealing the author's personality beneath the unswerving exposition of the subject…matter。 That highest art； which conceals art； Mr。 Hunter appears to have learned well。 With him； the curtain is the picture。
Such a style as this would suffice to make any book interesting； in spite of the remoteness of the subject。 But the 〃Annals of Rural Bengal〃 do not concern us so remotely as one might at first imagine。 The phenomena of the moral and industrial growth or stagnation of a highly…endowed people must ever possess the interest of fascination for those who take heed of the maxim that 〃history is philosophy teaching by example。〃 National prosperity depends upon circumstances sufficiently general to make the experience of one country of great value to another； though ignorant Bourbon dynasties and Rump Congresses refuse to learn the lesson。 It is of the intimate every…day life of rural Bengal that Mr。 Hunter treats。 He does not； like old historians； try our patience with a bead…roll of names that have earned no just title to remembrance； or dazzle us with a bountiful display of 〃barbaric pearls and gold；〃 or lead us in the gondolas of Buddhist kings down sacred rivers； amid 〃a summer fanned with spice〃； but he describes the labours and the sufferings； the mishaps and the good fortune； of thirty millions of people； who； however dusky may be their hue； tanned by the tropical suns of fifty centuries； are nevertheless members of the imperial Aryan race； descended from the cool highlands eastward of the Caspian； where； long before the beginning of recorded history； their ancestors and those of the Anglo…American were indistinguishably united in the same primitive community。
The narrative portion of the present volume is concerned mainly with the social and economical disorganization wrought by the great famine of 1770； and with the attempts of the English government to remedy the same。 The remainder of the book is occupied with inquiries into the ethnic character of the population of Bengal； and particularly with an exposition of the peculiarities of the language； religion； customs； and institutions of the Santals； or hill…tribes of Beerbhoom。 A few remarks on the first of these topics may not be uninteresting。
Throughout the entire course of recorded European history； from the remote times of which the Homeric poems preserve the dim tradition down to the present moment； there has occurred no calamity at once so sudden and of such appalling magnitude as the famine which in the spring and summer of 1770 nearly exterminated the ancient civilization of Bengal。 It presents that aspect of preternatural vastness which characterizes the continent of Asia and all that concerns it。 The Black Death of the fourteenth century was； perhaps； the most fearful visitation which has ever afflicted the Western world。 But in the concentrated misery which it occasioned the Bengal famine surpassed it； even as the Himalayas dwarf by comparison the highest peaks of Switzerland。 It is； moreover； the key to the history of Bengal during the next forty years； and as such； merits； from an economical point of view； closer attention than it has hitherto received。
Lower Bengal gathers in three harvests each year； in the spring； in the early autumn； and in December； the last being the great rice…crop； the harvest on which the sustenance of the people depends。 Through the year 1769 there was great scarcity； owing to the partial failure of the crops of 1768； but the spring rains appeared to promise relief； and in
