study of the king james bible(钦印〈圣经〉研究)-第21章
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his more religious essays； his heavy argument is that there should be no
religion permitted in England which is not drawn directly from the Bible；
which； therefore； he urges must be common property for all the people。
There is a curious bit of evidence that the men of his own time did not
realize his power as a poet。 In Pierre Bayle's critical survey of the
literature of the time； he calls Milton 〃the famous apologist for the
execution of Charles I。；〃 who 〃meddled in poetry and several of whose
poems saw the light during his life or after his death！〃 For all that； Milton
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was only working on toward his real power； and his power was to be
shown in his service to religion。 His three great poems； in the order of
their value； are； of course； 〃Paradise Lost；〃 〃Samson Agonistes；〃 and
〃Paradise Regained。〃 Whoever knows anything of Milton knows these
three and knows they are Scriptural from first to last in phrase； in allusion；
and； in part at least； in idea。 There is not time for extended illustration。
One instance may stand for all； which shall illustrate how Milton's mind
was like a garden where the seeds of Scripture came to flower and fruit。
He will take one phrase from the Bible and let it grow to a page in
〃Paradise Lost。〃 Here is an illustration which comes readily to hand。 In the
Genesis it is said that 〃the spirit of God moved on the face of the waters。〃
The verb suggests the idea of brooding。 There is only one other possible
reference （Psalm xxiv： 9。） which is included in this statement which
Milton makes out of that brief word in the Genesis：
〃On the watery calm His broadening wings the
Spirit of God outspread； And vital virtue infused； and vital warmth
Throughout the fluid mass； but downward purged The black tartareous
cold infernal dregs； Adverse to life； then formed； then con…globed；
Like things to like； the rest to several place Disparted； and between spun
out the air And earth self…balanced on her center swung。〃
＇1＇ Strong； The Theology of the Poets。
Any one familiar with Milton will recognize that as a typical instance
of the way in which a seed idea from the Scripture comes to flower and
fruit in him。 The result is that more people have their ideas about heaven
and hell from Milton than from the Bible； though they do not know it。
It seems hardly fair to use John Bunyan （1628…1688） as an illustration
of the influence of the English Bible on literature； because his chief work
is composed so largely in the language of Scripture。 Pilgrim's Progress is
the most widely read book in the English language after the Bible。 Its
phrases； its names； its matter are either directly or indirectly taken from
the Bible。 It has given us a long list of phrases which are part of our
literary and religious capital。 Thackeray took the motto of one of his best…
known books from the Bible； but the title； Vanity Fair； comes from
Pilgrim's Progress。 When a discouraged man says he is 〃in the slough of
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despond；〃 he quotes Bunyan； and when a popular evangelist tells the
people that the burden of sin will roll away if they look at the cross；
〃according to the Bible；〃 he ought to say according to Bunyan。 But all this
was only the outcome of the familiarity of Bunyan with the Scripture。 It
was almost all he did know in a literary way。 Macaulay says that 〃he knew
no language but the English as it was spoken by the common people； he
had studied no great model of composition； with the exception of our
noble translation of the Bible。 But of that his knowledge was such that he
might have been called a living concordance。〃＇1＇
＇1＇ History of England； vol。 III。； p。 220。
After these threeShakespeare； Milton； and Bunyanthere appeared
another three； very much their inferiors and having much less influence on
literary history。 I mean Dryden； Addison； and Pope。 It is not necessary to
credit the Scripture with much of Dryden's spirit； nor with much of his
style； and certainly not with his attitude toward his fellows； but it is a
constant surprise in reading Dryden to discover how familiar he was with
the King James version。 Walter Scott insists that Dryden was at heart
serious； that 〃his indelicacy was like the forced impudence of a bashful
man。〃 That is generous judgment。 But there is this to be said： as he grows
more serious he falls more into Bible words。 If he writes a political
pamphlet he calls it 〃Absalom and Ahithophel。〃 In it he holds the men of
the day up to scorn under Bible names。 They are Zimri and Shimei； and
the like。 When he is falling into bitterest satire； his writing abounds in
these Biblical allusions which could be made only by one who was very
familiar with the Book。 Quotations cannot be abundant； of course； but
there is a great deal of this sort of thing：
〃Sinking； he left his drugget robe behind； Borne upward by a
subterranean wind； The mantle fell to the young prophet's part； With
double portion of his father's art。〃
In his Epistles there is much of the same sort。 When he writes to
Congreve he speaks of the fathers； and says：
〃Their's was the giant race before the flood。〃
Farther on he says：
〃Our builders were with want of genius curst； The second temple
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was not like the first。〃
Now Dryden may have been； as Macaulay said； an 〃illustrious
renegade；〃 but all his writing shows the influence of the language and the
ideas of the King James version。 Whenever we sing the 〃Veni Creator〃 we
sing John Dryden。
So we sing Addison in the paraphrase of Scripture； which Haydn's
music has made familiar：
〃The spacious firmament on high； With all the blue ethereal sky。〃
While Dryden yielded to his times； Addison did not； and the Spectator
became not only a literary but a moral power。 In the effort to make it so he
was thrown back on the largest moral influence of the day； the Bible； and
throughout the Spectator and through all of Addison's writing you find on
all proper occasions the Bible pressed to the front。 Here again Taine puts it
strikingly： 〃It is no small thing to make morality fashionable； Addison did
it； and it remains fashionable。〃
If we speak of singing； we may remember that we sing the hymn of
even poor little dwarfed invalid Alexander Pope。 He was born the year
Bunyan died； born at cross…purposes with the world。 He could write a
bitter satire； like the 〃Dunciad〃； he could give the world The Iliad and The
Odyssey in such English that we know them far better than in the Greek of
Homer； but in those rare moments when he was at his better self he would
write his greater poem； 〃The Messiah〃； in which the movement of
Scripture is outlined as it could be only by one who knew the English
Bible。 And when we sing
〃Rise； crowned with light； imperial Salem； rise〃
it is worth while to realize that the voice that first sung it was that of
the irritable little poet who found some of his scant comfort in the grand
words and phrases and ideas of our English Bible。
With these sixShakespeare； Milton； Bunyan； Dryden； Addison； and
Popethe course of the Jacobean literature is sufficiently measured。 There
are many lesser names； but these are the ones which made it an epoch in
literature； and these are at their best under the power of the Bible。
In the Georgian group we need to call only five great names which
have had creative influence in literature。 Ordinary culture in literature will
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include some acquaintance with each of them。 In the order of their death
they are Shelley （1829。）； Byron （1824）； Coleridge （1831）； Walter Scott
（1832）； and Wordsworth （1850）。 The last long outlived the others； but he
belongs with them； because he was born earlier than any other in the group
and did his chief work in their time and before the later group appeared。
Except Wordsworth； all these were gone before Queen Victoria came to
the throne in 1837。 Three other names could be called： Keats； Robert
Burns； and Charles Lamb。 All would illustrate what we are studying。 Keats
least of all and Burns most。 They are omitted here not because they did not
feel the influence of the English Bible； not because they do not constantly
show its influence； but because they are not so creative as the others； they
have not so influenced the current of literature。 At any rate； the five named
will represent worthily and with sufficient completeness the Georgian
period of English literature。
Nothing could reveal more clearly than this list how we are
distinguishing the Bible as literature from the Bible as an authoritative
book in morals。 One would much dislike to credit the Bible with any part
of the personal life of Shelley or Byron。 They were friends； they； were
geniuses； but they were both badly afflicted with common moral leprosy。
It is playing with morals to excuse either of them because he was a genius。
Nothing in the genius of either demanded or was served by the course of
cheap immorality which both practised。 It was not because Shelley was a
genius that he married Harriet
