the spirit of place and other essays(地方的精神等)-第10章
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spent violence of this phrase； with which every serious Frenchman will
reply to opponents； especially in public matters。 But not even the comic
dramatist is aware of the last state of refuse commonplace that a word of
this kind represents。 Refuse rhetoric； by the way； rather than Emerson's
〃fossil poetry；〃 would seem to be the right name for human language as
some of the processes of the several recent centuries have left it。
The French comedy； then； is fairly stuffed with thin…S for an
Englishman。 They are not all； it is true； so finely comic as 〃Il s'est
trompe de defunte。〃 In the report of that dull； incomparable sentence
there is enough humour； and subtle enough； for both the maker and the
reader； for the author who perceives the comedy as well as custom will
permit； and for the reader who takes it with the freshness of a stranger。
But if not so keen as this； the current word of French comedy is of the
same quality of language。 When of the fourteen couples to be married by
the mayor； for instance； the deaf clerk has shuffled two； a looker…on
pronounces： 〃Il s'est empetre dans les futurs。〃 But for a reader who has
a full sense of the several languages that exist in English at the service of
the several ways of human life； there is； from the mere terminology of
official France； high or lowdaily Francea gratuitous and uncovenanted
smile to be had。 With this the wit of the report of French literature has
not little to do。 Nor is it in itself； perhaps； reasonably comic； but the
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slightest irony of circumstance makes it so。 A very little of the mockery
of conditions brings out all the latent absurdity of the 〃sixieme et septieme
arron… dissements；〃 in the twinkling of an eye。 So is it with the mere
〃domicile；〃 with the aid of but a little of the burlesque of life； the suit at
law to 〃reintegrer le domicile conjugal〃 becomes as grotesque as a phrase
can make it。 Even 〃e domicile〃 merelythe word of every shopmanis；
in the unconscious mouths of the speakers； always awaiting the lightest
touch of farce； if only an Englishman hears it； so is the advice of the police
that you shall 〃circuler〃 in the street； so is the request； posted up； that you
shall not； in the churches。
So are the serious and ordinary phrases； 〃maison nuptiale；〃 〃maison
mortuaire；〃 and the still more serious 〃repos dominical；〃 〃oraison
dominicale。〃 There is no majesty in such words。 The unsuspicious
gravity with which they are spoken broadcast is not to be wondered at； the
language offering no relief of contrast； and what is much to the credit of
the comic sensibility of literature is the fact that； through this general
unconsciousness； the ridicule of a thousand authors of comedy perceives
the fun； and singles out the familiar thing； and compels that most elaborate
dulness to amuse us。 US； above all； by virtue of the custom of counter…
change here set forth。
Who shall say whether； by operation of the same exchange； the
English poets that so persist in France may not reveal something within
the English languageone would be somewhat loth to think so… …reserved
to the French reader peculiarly？ Byron to the multitude； Edgar Poe to the
select？ Then would some of the mysteries of French reading of English
be explained otherwise than by the plainer explanation that has hitherto
satisfied our haughty curiosity。 The taste for rhetoric seemed to account
for Byron； and the desire of the rhetorician to claim a taste for poetry
seemed to account for Poe。 But； after all； PATATRAS！ Who can say？
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RAIN
Not excepting the falling starsfor they are far less suddenthere is
nothing in nature that so outstrips our unready eyes as the familiar rain。
The rods that thinly stripe our landscape； long shafts from the clouds； if
we had but agility to make the arrowy downward journey with them by the
glancing of our eyes； would be infinitely separate； units； an innumerable
flight of single things； and the simple movement of intricate points。
The long stroke of the raindrop； which is the drop and its path at once；
being our impression of a shower； shows us how certainly our impression
is the effect of the lagging； and not of the haste； of our senses。 What we
are apt to call our quick impression is rather our sensibly tardy； unprepared；
surprised； outrun； lightly bewildered sense of things that flash and fall；
wink； and are overpast and renewed； while the gentle eyes of man hesitate
and mingle the beginning with the close。 These inexpert eyes； delicately
baffled； detain for an instant the image that puzzles them； and so dally
with the bright progress of a meteor； and part slowly from the slender
course of the already fallen raindrop； whose moments are not theirs。
There seems to be such a difference of instants as invests all swift
movement with mystery in man's eyes； and causes the past； a moment old；
to be written； vanishing； upon the skies。
The visible world is etched and engraved with the signs and records of
our halting apprehension； and the pause between the distant woodman's
stroke with the axe and its sound upon our ears is repeated in the
impressions of our clinging sight。 The round wheel dazzles it； and the
stroke of the bird's wing shakes it off like a captivity evaded。
Everywhere the natural haste is impatient of these timid senses； and their
perception； outrun by the shower； shaken by the light； denied by the
shadow； eluded by the distance； makes the lingering picture that is all our
art。 One of the most constant causes of all the mystery and beauty of that
art is surely not that we see by flashes； but that nature flashes on our
meditative eyes。 There is no need for the impressionist to make haste；
nor would haste avail him； for mobile nature doubles upon him； and plays
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with his delays the exquisite game of visibility。
Momently visible in a shower； invisible within the earth； the
ministration of water is so manifest in the coming rain…cloud that the
husbandman is allowed to see the rain of his own land； yet unclaimed in
the arms of the rainy wind。 It is an eager lien that he binds the shower
withal； and the grasp of his anxiety is on the coming cloud。 His sense of
property takes aim and reckons distance and speed； and even as he shoots
a little ahead of the equally uncertain ground…game； he knows
approximately how to hit the cloud of his possession。 So much is the
rain bound to the earth that； unable to compel it； man has yet found a way；
by lying in wait； to put his price upon it。 The exhaustible cloud
〃outweeps its rain；〃 and only the inexhaustible sun seems to repeat and to
enforce his cumulative fires upon every span of ground； innumerable。
The rain is wasted upon the sea； but only by a fantasy can the sun's waste
be made a reproach to the ocean； the desert； or the sealed…up street。
Rossetti's 〃vain virtues〃 are the virtues of the rain； falling unfruitfully。
Baby of the cloud； rain is carried long enough within that troubled
breast to make all the multitude of days unlike each other。 Rain； as the
end of the cloud； divides light and withholds it； in its flight warning away
the sun； and in its final fall dismissing shadow。 It is a threat and a
reconciliation； it removes mountains compared with which the Alps are
hillocks； and makes a childlike peace between opposed heights and
battlements of heaven。
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THE LETTERS OF MARCELINE
VALMORE
〃Prends garde e moi； ma fille； et couvre moi bien！〃 Marceline
Desbordes…Valmore； writing from France to her daughter Ondine； who
was delicate and chilly in London in 1841； has the same solicitous；
journeying fancy as was expressed by two other women； both also
Frenchwomen； and both articulate in tenderness。 Eugenie de Guerin； that
queen of sisters； had preceded her with her own complaint； 〃I have a pain
in my brother's side〃； and in another age Mme。 de Sevigne had suffered； in
the course of long posts and through infrequent lettersa protraction of
conjectured painwithin the frame of her absent daughter。 She phrased
her plight in much the same words； confessing the uncancelled union with
her child that had effaced for her the boundaries of her personal life。
Is not what we call a lifethe personal lifea separation from the
universal life； a seclusion； a division； a cleft； a wound？ For these women；
such a severance was in part healed； made whole； closed up； and cured。
Life was restored between two at a time of human… kind。 Did these three
women guess that their sufferings of sympathy with their children were
indeed the signs of a new and universal healththe prophecy of human
unity？
The sign might have bee
