lay morals-第22章

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ned　　without　exciting　merriment；　and　when　even　the　intimation　of　　his　death　bids　fair　to　carry　laughter　into　many　a　home。

So　much　for　people　who　are　badly　named。　　Now　for　people　who　　are　TOO　well　named；　who　go　top…heavy　from　the　font；　who　are　　baptized　into　a　false　position；　and　find　themselves　beginning　　life　eclipsed　under　the　fame　of　some　of　the　great　ones　of　the　　past。　　A　man；　for　instance；　called　William　Shakespeare　could　　never　dare　to　write　plays。　　He　is　thrown　into　too　humbling　an　　apposition　with　the　author　of　HAMLET。　　Its　own　name　coming　　after　is　such　an　anti…climax。　　'The　plays　of　William　　Shakespeare'？　says　the　reader　…　'O　no！　　The　plays　of　William　　Shakespeare　Cockerill；'　and　he　throws　the　book　aside。　　In　　wise　pursuance　of　such　views；　Mr。　John　Milton　Hengler；　who　　not　long　since　delighted　us　in　this　favoured　town；　has　never　　attempted　to　write　an　epic；　but　has　chosen　a　new　path；　and　　has　excelled　upon　the　tight…rope。　　A　marked　example　of　　triumph　over　this　is　the　case　of　Mr。　Dante　Gabriel　Rossetti。　　　On　the　face　of　the　matter；　I　should　have　advised　him　to　　imitate　the　pleasing　modesty　of　the　last…named　gentleman；　and　　confine　his　ambition　to　the　sawdust。　　But　Mr。　Rossetti　has　　triumphed。　　He　has　even　dared　to　translate　from　his　mighty　　name…father；　and　the　voice　of　fame　supports　him　in　his　　boldness。

Dear　readers；　one　might　write　a　year　upon　this　matter。　　A　　lifetime　of　comparison　and　research　could　scarce　suffice　for　　its　elucidation。　　So　here；　if　it　please　you；　we　shall　let　it　　rest。　　Slight　as　these　notes　have　been；　I　would　that　the　　great　founder　of　the　system　had　been　alive　to　see　them。　　How　　he　had　warmed　and　brightened；　how　his　persuasive　eloquence　　would　have　fallen　on　the　ears　of　Toby；　and　what　a　letter　of　　praise　and　sympathy　would　not　the　editor　have　received　before　　the　month　was　out！　　Alas；　the　thing　was　not　to　be。　　Walter　　Shandy　died　and　was　duly　buried；　while　yet　his　theory　lay　　forgotten　and　neglected　by　his　fellow…countrymen。　　But；　　reader；　the　day　will　come；　I　hope；　when　a　paternal　government　　will　stamp　out；　as　seeds　of　national　weakness；　all　depressing　　patronymics；　and　when　godfathers　and　godmothers　will　soberly　　and　earnestly　debate　the　interest　of　the　nameless　one；　and　　not　rush　blindfold　to　the　christening。　　In　these　days　there　　shall　be　written　a　'Godfather's　Assistant；'　in　shape　of　a　　dictionary　of　names；　with　their　concomitant　virtues　and　　vices；　and　this　book　shall　be　scattered　broadcast　through　the　　land；　and　shall　be　on　the　table　of　every　one　eligible　for　　godfathership；　until　such　a　thing　as　a　vicious　or　untoward　　appellation　shall　have　ceased　from　off　the　face　of　the　earth。



CRITICISMS　CHAPTER　I　…　LORD　LYTTON'S　'FABLES　IN　SONG'



IT　seems　as　if　Lord　Lytton；　in　this　new　book　of　his；　had　　found　the　form　most　natural　to　his　talent。　　In　some　ways；　　indeed；　it　may　be　held　inferior　to　CHRONICLES　AND　CHARACTERS；　　we　look　in　vain　for　anything　like　the　terrible　intensity　of　　the　night…scene　in　IRENE；　or　for　any　such　passages　of　massive　　and　memorable　writing　as　appeared；　here　and　there；　in　the　　earlier　work；　and　made　it　not　altogether　unworthy　of　its　　model；　Hugo's　LEGEND　OF　THE　AGES。　　But　it　becomes　evident；　on　　the　most　hasty　retrospect；　that　this　earlier　work　was　a　step　　on　the　way　towards　the　later。　　It　seems　as　if　the　author　had　　been　feeling　about　for　his　definite　medium；　and　was　already；　　in　the　language　of　the　child's　game；　growing　hot。　　There　are　　many　pieces　in　CHRONICLES　AND　CHARACTERS　that　might　be　　detached　from　their　original　setting；　and　embodied；　as　they　　stand；　among　the　FABLES　IN　SONG。

For　the　term　Fable　is　not　very　easy　to　define　rigorously。　　In　　the　most　typical　form　some　moral　precept　is　set　forth　by　　means　of　a　conception　purely　fantastic；　and　usually　somewhat　　trivial　into　the　bargain；　there　is　something　playful　about　　it；　that　will　not　support　a　very　exacting　criticism；　and　the　　lesson　must　be　apprehended　by　the　fancy　at　half　a　hint。　　Such　　is　the　great　mass　of　the　old　stories　of　wise　animals　or　　foolish　men　that　have　amused　our　childhood。　　But　we　should　　expect　the　fable；　in　company　with　other　and　more　important　　literary　forms；　to　be　more　and　more　loosely；　or　at　least　　largely；　comprehended　as　time　went　on；　and　so　to　degenerate　　in　conception　from　this　original　type。　　That　depended　for　　much　of　its　piquancy　on　the　very　fact　that　it　was　fantastic：　　the　point　of　the　thing　lay　in　a　sort　of　humorous　　inappropriateness；　and　it　is　natural　enough　that　pleasantry　　of　this　description　should　become　less　common；　as　men　learn　　to　suspect　some　serious　analogy　underneath。　　Thus　a　comical　　story　of　an　ape　touches　us　quite　differently　after　the　　proposition　of　Mr。　Darwin's　theory。　　Moreover；　there　lay；　　perhaps；　at　the　bottom　of　this　primitive　sort　of　fable；　a　　humanity；　a　tenderness　of　rough　truths；　so　that　at　the　end　of　　some　story；　in　which　vice　or　folly　had　met　with　its　destined　　punishment；　the　fabulist　might　be　able　to　assure　his　　auditors；　as　we　have　often　to　assure　tearful　children　on　the　　like　occasions；　that　they　may　dry　their　eyes；　for　none　of　it　　was　true。

But　this　benefit　of　fiction　becomes　lost　with　more　　sophisticated　hearers　and　authors：　a　man　is　no　longer　the　　dupe　of　his　own　artifice；　and　cannot　deal　playfully　with　　truths　that　are　a　matter　of　bitter　concern　to　him　in　his　　life。　　And　hence；　in　the　progressive　centralisation　of　modern　　thought；　we　should　expect　the　old　form　of　fable　to　fall　　gradually　into　desuetude；　and　be　gradually　succeeded　by　　another；　which　is　a　fable　in　all　points　except　that　it　is　not　　altogether　fabulous。　　And　this　new　form；　such　as　we　should　　expect；　and　such　as　we　do　indeed　find；　still　presents　the　　essential　character　of　brevity；　as　in　any　other　fable　also；　　there　is；　underlying　and　animating　the　brief　action；　a　moral　　idea；　and　as　in　any　other　fable；　the　object　is　to　bring　this　　home　to　the　reader　through　the　intellect　rather　than　through　　the　feelings；　so　that；　without　being　very　deeply　moved　or　　interested　by　the　characters　of　the　piece；　we　should　　recognise　vividly　the　hinges　on　which　the　little　plot　　revolves。　　But　the　fabulist　now　seeks　analogies　where　before　　he　merely　sought　humorous　situations。　　There　will　be　now　a　　logical　nexus　between　the　moral　expressed　and　the　machinery　　employed　to　express　it。　　The　machinery；　in　fact；　as　this　　change　is　developed；　becomes　less　and　less　fabulous。　　We　find　　ourselves　in　presence　of　quite　a　serious；　if　quite　a　　miniature　division　of　creative　literature；　and　sometimes　we　　have　the　lesson　embodied　in　a　sober；　everyday　narration；　as　　in　the　parables　of　the　New　Testament；　and　sometimes　merely　　the　statement　or；　at　most；　the　collocation　of　significant　　facts　in　life；　the　reader　being　left　to　resolve　for　himself　　the　vague；　troublesome；　and　not　yet　definitely　moral　　sentiment　which　has　been　thus　created。　　And　step　by　step　with　　the　development　of　this　change；　yet　another　is　developed：　the　　moral　tends　to　become　more　indeterminate　and　large。　　It　　ceases　to　be　possible　to　append　it；　in　a　tag；　to　the　bottom　　of　the　piece；　as　one　might　write　the　name　below　a　caricature；　　and　the　fable　begins　to　take　rank　with　all　other　forms　of　　creative　literature；　as　something　too　ambitious；　in　spite　of　　its　miniature　dimensions；　to　be　resumed　in　any　succinct　　formula　without　the　loss　of　all　that　is　deepest　and　most　　suggestive　in　it。

Now　it　is　in　this　widest　sense　that　Lord　Lytton　understands　　the　term；　there　are　examples　in　his　two　pleasant　volumes　of　　all　the　forms　already　mentioned；　and　even　of　another　which　　can　only　be　admitted　among　fables　by　the　utmost　possible　　leniency　of　construction。　　'Composure；'　'Et　Caetera；'　and　　several　more；　are　merely　similes　poetically　elaborated。　　So；　　too；　is　the　pathetic　story　of　the　grandfather　and　grandchild：　　the　child；　having　treasured　away　an　icicle　and　forgotten　it　　for　ten　minutes；　comes　back　to　find　it　already　nearly　melted；　　and　no　longer　beautiful：　at　the　same　time；　the　grandfather　　has　just　remembered　and　taken　out　a　bundle　of　love…letters；　　which　he　too　had　stored　away　in　years　gone　by；　and　then　long　　neglected；　and；　behold！　the　letters　are　as　faded　and　　sorrowfully　disappointing　as　the　icicle。　　This　is　merely　a　　simile　poetically　worked　out；　and　yet　it　is　in　such　as　these；　　and　some　others；　to　be　mentioned　further　on；　that　the　author　　seems　at　his　best。　　Wherever　he　has　really　written　after　the　　old　model；　there　is　something　to　be　deprecated：　in　spite　of　　all　the　spirit　and　freshness；　in　spite　of　his　happy　　assumption　of　that　cheerful　acceptation　of　things　as　they　　are；　which；　rightly　or　wrongly；　we　come　to　attribute　to　the　　ideal　fabulist；　there　is　ever　a　sense　as　of　something　a　　little　out　of　place。　　A　form　of　literature　so　very　innocent　　and　primitive　looks　a　little　over…written　in　Lord　Lytton's　　conscious　and　highly…coloured　style。　　It　may　be　bad　taste；　　but　sometimes　we　should　prefer　a　few　sentences　of　plain　prose　　narration；　and　a　little　Bewick　by　way　of　tail…piece。　　So　that　　it　is　not　among　those　fables　that　conform　most　nearly　to　the　　old　model；　but　one　had　nearly　said　among　those　that　most　　widely　differ　from　it；　that　we　find　the　most　satisfactory　　examples　of　the　author's　manner。

In　the　mere　matter　of　ingenuity；　the　metaphysical　fables　are　　the　most　remarkable；　such　as　that　of　the　windmill　who　　imagined　that　it　was　he　who　raised　the　wind；　or　that　of　the　　grocer's　balance　（'Cogito　ergo　sum'）　who　considered　himself　　endowed　with　free…will；　reason；　and　an　infallible　practical　　judgment；　until；　one　fine　day；　the　police　made　a　descent　upon　　the　shop；　and　find　the　weights　false　and　the　scales　unequal；　　and　the　whole　thing　is　broken　up　for　old　iron。　　Capital　　fables；　also；　in　the　same　ironical　spirit；　are　'Prometheus　　Unbound；'　the　tale　of　the　vainglorying　of　a　champagne…cork；　　and　'Teleology；'　where　a　nettle　justifies　the　ways　of　God　to　　nettles　while　all　goes　well　with　it；　and；　upon　a　change　of　　luck；　promptly　changes　its　divinity。

In　all　these　there　is　still　plenty　of　the　fabulous　if　you　　will；　although；　even　here；　there　may　be　two　opinions　　possible；　but　there　is　another　group；　of　an　order　of　merit　　perhaps　still　higher；　where　we　look　in　vain　for　any　such　　playful　liberties　with　Nature。　　Thus　we　have　'Conservation　of　　Force'；　where　a　musician；　thinking　of　a　certain　picture；　　improvises　in　the　twilight；　a　poet；　hearing　the　music；　goes　　home　inspired；　and　writes　a　poem；　and　then　a　painter；　under　　the　influence　of　this　poem；　paints　another　picture；　thus　　lineally　descended　from　the　first。　　This　is　fiction；　but　not　　what　we　have　been　used　to　call　fable。　　We　miss　the　incredible　　element；　the　point　of　audacity　with　which　the　fabulist　was　　wont　to　mock　at　his　readers。　　And　still　more　so　is　this　the　　case　with　others。　　'The　Horse　and　the　Fly'　states　one　of　the　　unanswerable　problems　of　life　in　quite　a　realistic　and　　straightforward　way。　　A　fly　startles　a　cab…horse；　the　coach　　is　overset；　a　newly…married　pair　within　and　the　driver；　a　man　　with　a　wife　and　family；　are　all　killed。　　The　horse　continues　　to　gallop　off　in　the　loose　traces；　and　ends　the　tragedy　by　　running　over　an　only　child；　and　there　is　some　little　pathetic　　detail　here　introduced　in　the　telling；　that　makes　the　　reader's　indignation　very　white…hot　against　some　one。　　It　　remains　to　be　seen　w