ThereismoretruthinalineofTennyson’sabout"Thepraiseofthosewelove，Dearertotrueyoungheartsthantheirownpraise。"

Iventuretothinkweneednotbeyoungtoprefertohearthepraiseofothersratherthanourown。Itisnotembarrassinginthefirstplace，asallpraiseofourselvesmustbe。Idoubtifanymanorwomancanflattersodiscreetlyasnottomakeusuncomfortable。

Besides，ifourownperformancesbelauded，weareuneasyastowhetherthehonourisdeserved。Anartisthasusuallyhisowndoubtsabouthisowndoings，orratherhehashisowncertainties。

Aboutourfriends’workweneedhavenosuchmisgivings。Andourself—loveismoredelicatelycaressedbythesuccessofourfriendsthanbyourown。Itisstillself—love，butitisfiltered，sotospeak，throughouraffectionforanother。

Whatarehumanmotives，accordingtoRochefoucauld？Temperament，vanity，fear，indolence，self—love，andagrainofnaturalperversity，whichsomehowdelightsinevilforitself。Heneglectsthatotherelement，agrainofnaturalworth，whichsomehowdelightsingoodforitself。Thistaste，Ithink，isquiteasinnate，andasactiveinus，asthatothertasteforevilwhichcausestheretobesomethingnotwhollydispleasinginthemisfortunesofourfriends。

Thereisastorywhichalwaysappearstomeatouchingproofofthisgrainofgoodness，asinvoluntary，asfatalasitsopposite。IdonotrememberinwhatbookoftravelsIfoundthistraitofnativeexcellence。TheblackfellowsofAustraliaareveryfondofsugar，andnowonder，ifitbetruethatithasonthemanintoxicatingeffect。Well，acertainblackfellowhadasmallparcelofbrownsugarwhichwaspilferedfromhislairinthecamp。Hedetectedthethief，whowascondemnedtobepunishedaccordingtotriballaw；

thatistosay，theinjuredmanwasallowedtohaveawhackathisenemy’sheadwithawaddy，ashortclubofheavyhardwood。Thewhackwasdulygiven，andthentheblackwhohadsufferedthelossthrewdownhisclub，burstintotears，embracedthethiefanddisplayedeverysignofalivelyregretforhisrevenge。

ThatseemstomeanexampleofthehumantouchthatRochefoucauldneverallowsfor，thenaturalgoodness，pity，kindness，whichcanassertitselfincontemptoftheloveofself，andtheloveofrevenge。Thisisthattrueclemencywhichisarealvirtue，andnot"thechildofVanity，Fear，Indolence，orofallthreetogether。"

Norisitsotruethat"wehaveallfortitudeenoughtoendurethemisfortunesofothers。"Everybodyhaswitnessedanother’sgriefthatcameasnearhimashisown。

Howmuchmoretrue，andhowgreatlypoeticalisthatfamousmaxim：

"DeathandtheSunaretwothingsnottobelookedonwithasteadyeye。"ThisversionisfromtheearliestEnglishtranslationof1698。TheMaximeswerefirstpublishedinParisin1665。{8}"Ourtardyapishnation"tookthirty—threeyearsinfindingthemoutandappropriatingthem。This，too，isgood："Ifwewerefaultless，wewouldobservewithlesspleasurethefaultsofothers。"Indeed，toobservethesewithpleasureisnottheleastofourfaults。Again，"Weareneversohappy，norsowretched，aswesuppose。"Itisourvanity，perhaps，thatmakesusthinkourselvesmiserrimi。

Doyouremember——no，youdon’t——thatmeetingin"Candide"oftheunfortunateCunegondeandthestillmoreunfortunateoldladywhowasthedaughterofaPope？"Youlamentyourfate，"saidtheoldlady；"alas，youhaveknownnosuchsorrowsasmine!""What!mygoodwoman!"saysCunegonde。"UnlessyouhavebeenmaltreatedbytwoBulgarians，receivedtwostabsfromaknife，hadtwoofyourcastlesburnedoveryourhead，seentwofathersandtwomothersmurderedbeforeyoureyes，andtwoofyourloversfloggedattwoautos—da—fe，Idon’tfancythatyoucanhavetheadvantageofme。

Besides，Iwasbornabaronessofseventy—twoquarterings，andI

havebeenacook。"ButthedaughterofaPopehad，indeed，beenstillmoreunlucky，assheproved，thanCunegonde；andtheoldladywasnotalittleproudofit。

Butcanyoucallthistrue："Thereisnobodybutisashamedofhavinglovedwhenoncehelovesnolonger"？Ifitbetrueatall，I

don’tthinkthelovewasmuchworthhavingorgiving。Ifonereallylovesonce，onecanneverbeashamedofit；forweneverceasetolove。However，thisistheveryhighwaterofsentiment，youwillsay；butIblushnomoreforitthanM。leDucdeRochefoucauldforhisownopinion。PerhapsIamthinkingofthatkindofloveaboutwhichhesays："Trueloveislikeghosts；whicheverybodytalksaboutandfewhaveseen。""Manybethethyrsus—bearers，fewtheMystics，"astheGreekproverbruns。"Manyarecalled，fewarechosen。"

Astofriendshipbeing"areciprocityofinterests，"thesayingisbutoneofthosewhichRochefoucauld’svanityimposedonhiswit。

Verywittyitisnot，anditisemphaticallyuntrue。"Oldmenconsolethemselvesbygivinggoodadviceforbeingnolongerabletosetbadexamples。"Capital；butthepooroldmenareoftengoodexamplesoftheresultsofnottakingtheirowngoodadvice。"Manyaningrateislesstoblamethanhisbenefactor。"Onemightadd，atleastIwill，"Everymanwholooksforgratitudedeservestogetnoneofit。""Tosaythatoneneverflirts——isflirting。"Iratherliketheoldtranslator’sversionof"Ilyadebonsmariages；maisiln’yenapointdedelicieux"——"Marriageissometimesconvenient，butneverdelightful。"

Howtrueisthisofauthorswithabriefpopularity："Ilyadesgensquiressemblentauxvaudevilles，qu’onnechantequ’uncertaintemps。"Again，"tobeinhastetorepayakindnessisasortofingratitude，"andaratherinsultingsorttoo。"Almosteverybodylikestorepaysmallfavours；manypeoplecanbegratefulforfavoursnottooweighty，butforfavourstrulygreatthereisscarceanythingbutingratitude。"TheymusthavebeensmallfavoursthatWordsworthhadconferredwhen"thegratitudeofmenhadoftenerlefthimmourning。"Indeed，theverypettinessoftheaidwecangenerallyrendereachother，makesgratitudethetouchingthingitis。Somuchisrepaidforsolittle，andfewcaneverhavethechanceofincurringthethanklessnessthatRochefoucauldfoundallbutuniversal。

"Loversandladiesneverboreeachother，becausetheyneverspeakofanythingbutthemselves。"Dohusbandsandwivesoftenboreeachotherforthesamereason？Whosaid："Toknowallistoforgiveall"？Itisratherlike"Onpardonnetantquel’onaime"——"Aslongaswelovewecanforgive，"acomfortablesaying，andthesearerareinRochefoucauld。"Womendonotquiteknowwhatflirtstheyare"isalso，letushope，notincorrect。Themaximthat"Thereisalovesoexcessivethatitkillsjealousy"isonlyacorollaryfrom"aslongaswelove，weforgive。"Youremembertheclassicalexample，ManonLescautandtheChevalierdesGrieux；notanhonourableprecedent。

"Theaccentofourowncountrydwellsinourheartsaswellasonourtongues。"Ah!nevermayIlosetheBorderaccent!"Love’sMiracle!Tocureacoquette。""Mosthonestwomenaretiredoftheirtask，"saysthisunbeliever。Andtheothers？Aretheyneveraweary？TheDukeishisownbestcriticafterall，whenhesays：

"Thegreatestfaultofapenetratingwitisgoingbeyondthemark。"

Beyondthemarkhefrequentlygoes，butnotwhenhesaysthatwecomeasfreshhandstoeachnewepochoflife，andoftenwantexperienceforallouryears。Howharditwastobegintobemiddle—aged!Shallwefindoldageeasierifeverwecometoitsthreshold？Perhaps，andDeathperhapstheeasiestofall。Norletmeforget，itwillbelongbeforeyouhaveoccasiontoremember，that"vivacitywhichgrowswithageisnotfarfromfolly。"

OFVERSDESOCIETE

ToMr。GiftedHopkins。

MyDearHopkins，——Theverseswhichyouhavesentme，witharequest"togetpublishedinsomemagazine，"Inowreturntoyou。Ifyouareanxiousthattheyshouldbepublished，sendthemtoaneditoryourself。Ifhelikesthemhewillacceptthemfromyou。Ifhedoesnotlikethem，whyshouldhelikethembecausetheyareforwardedbyme？Hisonlymotivewouldbeanaversiontodisobligingaconfrere，andwhyshouldIputhiminsuchanunpleasantposition？

Butthisisaveryboorishwayofthankingyouforthepremiererepresentationofyourlittlepoem。"ToDeliainGirton"youcallit，"recommendinghertoavoidtheMuses，andseekthesocietyoftheGracesandLoves。"Anold—fashionedpreamble，andofthelengthiest，andhowdoyougoon？—

Goldenhairisfairygold，Fairygoldthatcannotstay，Turnstoleafletsgreenandcold，Attheendingoftheday!

Laurel—leavestheMusesmayTwineaboutyourgoldenhead。

Willthecrownrewardyou，say，Whenthefairygoldisfled？

Daphnewasamaidunwise—

Shunthelaurel，seektherose；

Azure，lovelyintheskies，Shineslessgraciousinthehose!

Don’tyouthink，dearHopkins，thatthisallusiontobas—bleus，ifnotindelicate，isalittlerococo，andoutofdate？Editorswillthinkso，Ifear。Besides，Idon’tlike"Fairygoldthatcannotstay。"IfFairyGoldwereahorse，itwouldbeallverywelltowritethatit"cannotstay。"’Tisthestyleofthestable，unsuitedtosongsofthesalon。

Thisisaverydifficultkindofversethatyouareessaying，youwhomthelaurelsofMr。Lockerdonotsuffertosleepforenvy。Youkindlyaskmyopiniononversdesocieteingeneral。Well，Ithinkthemaverydifficultsortofthingtowritewell，asonemayinferfromthis，thattheancients，ourmasters，couldhardlywritethematall。InGreekpoetryofthegreatagesIonlyrememberonepiecewhichcanbecalledamodel——theAEolicversesthatTheocrituswrotetoaccompanythegiftoftheivorydistaff。Itwasapresent，youremember，tothewifeofhisfriendNicias，thephysicianofMiletus。TheGreeksofthatagekepttheirwomeninalmostOrientalreserve。OnemaydoubtwhetherNiciaswouldhavelikeditifTheocritushadsent，insteadofadistaff，afanorajewel。Butthereissafetyinaspinninginstrument，andallthecomplimentstothelady，"thedainty—ankledTheugenis，"turnonherskill，andindustry，andhousewifery。SoLouisXIV。，nomeanauthority，calledthispieceofversdesociete"amodelofhonourablegallantry。"

IhavejustlookedallthroughPomtow’sprettylittlepocketvolumesoftheminorGreekpoets，andfoundnothingmoreofthenatureofthelighterversethanthisofAlcman’s——[Greektextwhichcannotbereproduced]。Doyouremembertheprettyparaphraseofitin"LoveinIdleness"？

"Maidenswithvoiceslikehoneyforsweetnessthatbreathedesire，WouldthatIwereaseabirdwithwingsthatcouldnevertire，Overthefoam—flowersflying，withhalcyonseveronwing，Keepingacarelessheart，asea—bluebirdofthespring。"

ItdoesnotquitegivethesenseAlcmanintended，thelamentforhislimbswearywitholdage——witholdagesadderforthesightofthehoney—voicedgirls。

TheGreekshadnotthekindofsocietythatisthehomeof"SocietyVerses，"where，asMr。Lockersays，"aboudoirdecorumis，oroughtalwaystobe，preserved，wheresentimentneversurgesintopassion，andwherehumourneveroverflowsintoboisterousmerriment。"Honestwomenwereestrangedfromtheirmirthandtheirmelancholy。

TheRomanswerelittlemorefortunate。YoucannotexpectthegeniusofCatullusnotto"surgeintopassion，"eveninhishoursofgayersong，composedwhenMultumlusimusinmeistabellis，Utconveneratessedelicatos，Scribensversiculosuterquenostrum。

ThusthelighterpiecesofCatullus，likethededicationofhisbook，areaddressedtomen，hisfriends，andthustheyscarcelycomeintothecategoryofwhatwecall"SocietyVerses。"GiventhecharacterofRomansociety，perhapswemightsaythatplentyofthiskindofversewaswrittenbyHoraceandbyMartial。ThefamousodetoPyrrhadoesnotexceedthedecorumofaRomanboudoir，and，asfaraslovewasconcerned，itdoesnotseemtohavebeeninthenatureofHoraceto"surgeintopassion。"Sohisbestsongsinthiskindareaddressedtomen，withwhomhedrinksalittle，andtalksofpoliticsandliteratureagreatdeal，andmusesovertheshortnessoflife，andthezestthatsnow—cladSoractegivestothewintryfire。

PerhapstheodetoLeuconoe，whichMr。AustinDobsonhasrenderedsoprettilyinavillanelle，maycomewithinthescopeofthisMuse，forithasaplayfulnessmingledwithitsmelancholy，asadnessinitsplay。Perhaps，too，ifHoraceistobedoneintoverse，theseoldFrenchformsseemasfitvehiclesasanyforLatinpoetrythatwaswrittenintheexoticmeasuresofGreece。ThereisaforeigngraceandalittletechnicaldifficultyovercomeintheEnglishballadeandvillanelle，asintheHoratiansapphicsandalcaics。I

wouldnotsaysomuch，onmyownresponsibility，nortrespasssofaronthedomainofscholarship，butthisopinionwascommunicatedtomebyalearnedprofessorofLatin。Ithink，too，thatsomeofthelyricmeasuresoftheoldFrenchPleiad，ofRonsardandDuBellay，wouldbewellweddedwiththeverseofHorace。Butperhapsnotranslatorwilleverpleaseanyonebuthimself，andofHoraceeverymanmustbehisowntranslator。

ItmaybethatOvidnowandthencomesneartowritingversdesociete，onlyhenevertroubleshimselfforamomentaboutthe"decorumoftheboudoir。"Doyourememberthelinesontheringwhichhegavehislady？Theyaretheoriginandpatternofalltheverseswrittenbyloversonthatprettymetempsychosiswhichshallmakethemslippers，orfans，orgirdles，likeWaller’s，andlikethatwhichbound"thedainty，daintywaist"oftheMiller’sDaughter。

"RingthatshaltbindthefingerfairOfmysweetmaid，thouartnotrare；

ThouhastnotanypriceaboveThetokenofherpoet’slove；

Herfingermay’stthoumateassheIsmatedeverywisewithme!"

Andthepoetgoeson，aspoetswill，towishhewerethisfavoured，thisfortunatejewel：

"InvainIwish!So，ring，depart，Andsay’withmethouhasthisheart’!"

OncemoreOvid’sversesonhiscatholicaffectionforallladies，thebrownandtheblonde，theshortandthetall，mayhavesuggestedCowley’shumorousconfession，"TheChronicle"：

"Margaritafirstpossessed，IfIrememberwell，mybreast，Margarita，firstofall；"

andthenfollowsalistaslongasLeporello’s。

WhatdisqualifiesOvidasawriterofversdesocieteisnotsomuchhislackof"decorum"asthemonotonoussingsongofhiseternalelegiacs。Thelightestoflightthings，thepoetofsociety，shouldpossessmorevariedstrains；likeHorace，Martial，Thackeray，notlikeOvidand（hereisaheresy）Praed。InimitablywellasPraeddoeshistrickofantithesis，Istillfeelthatitisatrick，andthatmostrhymerscouldfollowhiminameremechanicart。ButherethejudgmentofMr。Lockerwouldbeopposedtothismodestopinion，andtherewouldbeoppositionagainwhereMr。LockercallsDr。O。W。

Holmes"perhapsthebestlivingwriterofthisspeciesofverse。"

Butherewearestrayingamongthemodernsbeforeexhaustingtheancients，ofwhomIfancythatMartial，athisbest，approachesmostneartheideal。

OfcourseitistruethatmanyofMartial’slyricswouldbethoughtdisgustinginanywell—regulatedconvictestablishment。Hisgallantryisrarely"honourable。"ScaligerusedtoburnacopyofMartial，onceayear，onthealtarofCatullus，whohimselfwasfarfromprudish。ButMartial，somehow，kepthisheartundepraved，andhistasteinbookswasexcellent。Howoftenhewritesversesforthebibliophile，delightinginthedetailsofpurpleandgold，theillustrationsandornamentsforhisnewvolume!Thesepiecesareforthefew——foramateurs，butwemayallbetouchedbyhisgriefforthelittlelass，Erotion。HecommendsherinHadestohisownfatherandmothergonebeforehim，thatthechildmaynotbefrightenedinthedark，friendlessamongtheshades"ParvulanenigrashorrescatErotionumbrasOraqueTartareiprodigiosacanis。"

Thereisakindofplayfulnessinthesorrow，andthepityofamanforachild；pitythatshowsitselfinasmile。ItrytorenderthatotherinscriptionforthetomboflittleErotion：

HereliesthebodyofthelittlemaidErotion；

Fromhersixthwinter’ssnowshereagershadeHathfleetedon!

Whoe’erthoubethataftermeshaltswayMyscantyfarm，Toherslightshadetheyearlyofferingpay，So——safefromharm—

ShallthouandthinereverethekindlyLar，AndthisaloneBe，throughthybriefdominion，nearorfar，Amournfulstone!

Certainlyhehadaheart，thisfoul—mouthedMartial，whoclaimedforthestudyofhisbooknoserioushours，butmomentsofmirth，whenmenaregladwithwine，"inthereignoftheRose："{9}

"Haechoraesttua，cumfuritLyaeus，Cumregnatrosa，cummadentcapilli；

TuncmevelrigidilegantCatones。"

Butenoughofthepoetsofold；anotherdaywemayturntoCarewandSuckling，PraedandLocker，poetsofourownspeech，lighterlyristsofourowntime。{10}

ONVERSDESOCIETE

ToMr。GiftedHopkins。

DearGifted，——IfyouwillpermitmetouseyourChristian，andprophetic，name——weimprovedtheoccasionlatelywiththewritersoflightverseinancienttimes。Wedecidedthattheancientswerenotgreatinversesofsociety，becausetheyhad，properlyspeaking，nosocietytowriteversesfor。WomendidnotliveintheChristianfreedomandsocialequalitywithmen，eitherinGreeceorRome——atleastnot"modestwomen，"asMr。HarryFokercallsthemin"Pendennis。"AbouttheothersthereisplentyofprettyverseintheAnthology。Whatyouneedforversesofsocietyisaperiodinwhichthesocialequalityisrecognized，andinwhichpeoplearepeaceableenoughandcomfortableenoughto"playwithlightlovesintheportal"oftheTempleofHymen，withoutanyverydefiniteintentions，oneitherpart，ofgoinginsideandgettingmarried。

PerhapsweshouldnotexpectversdesocietefromtheCrusaders，whowerenotpeaceable，andwhowereveryearnestindeed，inloveorwar。ButassoonasyougetaCourt，andCourtlife，inFrance，eventhoughthetimeswerewarlike，thenladiesarelaudedinartfulstrains，andthelyreisstrucklevioreplectro。Charlesd’Orleans，thatcaptiveandcaptivatingprince，wrotethousandsofrondeaux；

evenbeforehistimeagallantcompanyofgentlemencomposedtheLivredesCentBallades，onehundredballades，practicallyunreadablebymodernmen。ThencameClementMarot，withhisgayandratheremptyfluency，andRonsard，withhismythologicalcompliments，hissonnets，deckedwithroses，andledlikelambstothealtarofHelenorCassandra。Afew，hereandthere，ofhispiecesarelighter，morepleasant，and，inaquietway，immortal，suchastheversestohis"fairflowerofAnjou，"abeautyoffifteen。Sotheyranon，inFrance，tillVoiture’stime，andSarrazin’swithhismerryballadeofanelopement，andCorneille’sproudandgracefulstanzastoMarquisedeGorla。

ButversesintheEnglishtonguearemoreworthyofourattention。

Mr。Lockerbeginshiscollectionofthem，LyraElegantiarum（nolongeraveryrarebookinEngland），asfarbackasSkelton’sage，andasThomasWyat’s，andSidney’s；butthosethings，thelighterlyricsofthatday，arerathersongsthanpoems，andprobablywereallmeanttobesungtothevirginalsbyourmusicalancestors。

"Drinktomeonlywiththineeyes，"saysthegreatBenJonson，orsingsitrather。Thewords，thatheversifiedoutoftheGreekproseofPhilostratus，cannotbethoughtofwithoutthetune。ItisthesamewithCarew’s"Hethatlovesarosycheek，"orwith"Roses，theirsharpspinesbeinggone。"ThelighterpoetryofCarew’sdayisallpowderedwithgolddust，likethecourtladies’hair，andiscrownedanddiaperedwithroses，andheavywithfabulousscentsfromtheArabianphoenix’snest。LittleCupidsflutterandtwitterhereandthereamongtheboughs，asinthatfeastofAdoniswhichPtolemy’ssistergaveinAlexandria，orasinEisen’svignettesforDorat’sBaisers：

"AskmenomorewhitherdostrayThegoldenatomsoftheday；

ForinpurelovedidHeavenprepareThesepowderstoenrichyourhair。"

Itwouldbeaffectation，Gifted，ifyourhymedinthatfashionfortheladyofyourlove，andpresentedher，asitwere，withcosmicalcosmetics，andcomplimentsdrawnfromthestarryspacesanddeserts，fromskies，phoenixes，andangels。ButitwasanaturalandprettywayofwritingwhenThomasCarewwasyoung。IpreferHerricktheinexhaustibleindainties；Herrick，thatparson—pagan，withthesoulofaGreekoftheAnthology，andacureofsouls（Heavenhelpthem!）

inDevonshire。HisJuliaistheleastmortalofthese"daughtersofdreamsandofstories，"whompoetscelebrate；shehasacertainopulenceoffleshandblood，acheeklikeadamaskrose，and"richeyes，"likeKeats’slady；novaporousBeatrice，she；butahandsomeEnglishwench，with"AcuffneglectfulandtherebyRibbonstoflowconfusedly；

Awinningwave，deservingnoteInthetempestuouspetticoat。"

ThenSucklingstrikesuparecklessmilitaryair；awarriorheiswhohasseenmanyasiegeofhearts——heartsthatcapitulated，orheldoutlikeTroy—town，andtheimpatientassailantwhistles：

"Quit，quit，forshame：thiswillnotmove，Thiscannottakeher。

Ifofherselfshewillnotlove，Nothingcanmakeher—

Thedeviltakeher。"

Soheridesaway，curlinghismoustache，hidinghisdefeatinabiginimitableswagger。ItisapleasanterpieceinwhichSuckling，afteralongleaguerofalady’sheart，findsthatCaptainhonourisgovernoroftheplace，andsurrenderhopeless。Sohedepartswithasalute：

"March，march（quothI），thewordstraightgive，Let’slosenotimebutleaveher：

Thatgiantuponairwilllive，Andholditoutforever。"

Lovelaceisevenabettertypeinhisraregoodthingsofthemilitaryamoristandpoet。WhatapologyofLauzun’s，orBussyRabutin’sforfaithlessnesscouldequalthis？—

"WhydostthousayIamforsworn，SincethineIvowedtobe？

Lady，itisalreadymorn；

ItwaslastnightIsworetotheeThatfondimpossibility。"

Has"InMemoriam"noblernumbersthanthepoem，fromexile，toLucasta？—

"OurFaithandtrothAlltimeandspacecontrols，Abovethehighestspherewemeet，Unseen，unknown，andgreetasangelsgreet。"

Howcomesitthatinthefiercefightingdaysthesoldiersweresotuneful，andsuchscholars？InthefirsteditionofLovelace’s"Lucasta"thereisaflockofrecommendatoryverses，English，Latin，evenGreek，bythegallantColonel’smess—matesandcomrades。WhatguardsmannowwriteslikeLovelace，andhowmanyofhisfriendscouldapplaudhiminGreek？You，myGifted，arehappilyofapacificdisposition，andtuneagentlelyre。Isitnotluckyforswainslikeyouthatthesoldiershavequiteforswornsonneting？

Whenamanwasarake，apoet，awarrior，allinone，whatchancehadapeacefulminorpoetlikeyouorme，Gifted，againsthischarms？Sedley，whensober，musthavebeenaninvinciblerival——

invincible，aboveall，whenhepretendedconstancy：

"WhythenshouldIseekfurtherstore，Andstillmakeloveanew？

Whenchangeitselfcangivenomore’Tiseasytobetrue。"

Howinfinitelymoredelightful，musical，andcaptivatingarethoseCavaliersingers——theirnumbersflowingfair，liketheirscentedlovelocks——thantheprudishsocietypoetsofPope’sday。"TheRapeoftheLock"isverywitty，butthroughitalldon’tyoumarkthesneerofthecontemptuous，unmanlylittlewit，thecrookeddandy？

Hejibesamonghiscompliments；andIdonotwonderthatMistressArabellaFermorwasnotconciliatedbyhislong—drawnclevernessandpolishedlines。IpreferSackville’sverses"writtenatseathenightbeforeanengagement"：

"ToallyouladiesnowonlandWemenatseaindite。"

Theyareallalike，thewitsofQueenAnne；andevenMattPrior，whenhewritesofladiesoccasionally，writesdowntothem，oratleastglancesupverysaucilyfromhispositiononhisknees。ButPrioristhebestofthem，andthemostcandid：

"Icourtothersinverse——butIlovetheeinprose；

Andtheyhavemywhimsies，butthouhastmyheart。"

Yes，PriorisprobablythegreatestofallwhodallywiththelightlyrewhichthrillstothewingsoffleetingLoves——thegreatestEnglishwriterofversdesociete；themostgay，frank，good—

humoured，tunefulandengaging。

Landorisgreat，too，butinanotherkind；thebeesthathummedoverPlato’scradlehavelefttheirhoneyonhislips；nonebutLandor，oraGreek，couldhavewrittenthisonCatullus：

"TellmenotwhattoowellIknowAbouttheBardofSirmio—

Yes，inThalia’ssonSuchstainsthereareaswhenaGraceSprinklesanother’slaughingfaceWithnectar，andrunson!"

ThatispoetrydeservingofaplaceamongtherarestthingsintheAnthology。ItisasorrowtomethatIcannotquiteplacePraedwithPriorinmyaffections。Withallhisgaietyandwit，heweariesoneatlastwiththatclever，punningantithesis。Idon’twanttoknowhow"CaptainHazardwinsabet，OrBeaulieuspoilsacurry"—

andIpreferhissombre"RedFisherman，"theideaofwhichisborrowed，wittinglyorunwittingly，fromLucian。

Thackeray，toocarelessinhismeasures，yetcomesnearerPriorinbreadthofhumourandinunaffectedtenderness。Whocanequalthatsong，"OnceyoucometoFortyYear，"orthelinesontheVeniceLove—lamp，orthe"Cane—bottomedChair"？OflivingEnglishwritersofverseinthe"familiarstyle，"asCowperhasit，IpreferMr。

Lockerwhenheistenderandnotuntouchedwithmelancholy，asin"ThePortraitofaLady，"andMr。AustinDobson，whenheisnotflirting，butinearnest，asinthe"SongofFourSeasons"and"TheDeadLetter。"Hehasingenuity，pathos，masteryofhisart，and，thoughtheleastpedanticofpoets，is"convenientlylearned。"

OfcontemporaryAmericans，ifImaybefrank，IprefertheverseofMr。BretHarte，versewithsomanytunesandturns，ascomicasthe"HeathenChinee，"astenderasthelayoftheshipwithitscrewofchildrenthatslippeditsmooringsinthefog。TomeitseemsthatMr。BretHarte’spoemshavenever（atleastinthiscountry）beensufficientlyesteemed。Mr。Lowellhaswritten（"TheBiglowPapers"

apart）butlittleinthisvein。Mr。WendellHolmes，yourdelightfulgodfather，Gifted，haswrittenmuchwithperhapssomelossfromtheveryquantity。Alittleofversdesociete，mydearGifted，goesalongway，asyouwillthink，ifeveryousitdownsteadilytoreadrightthroughanycollectionofpoemsinthismanner。Sodonotaddtoorapidlytoyourownstore；letthembe"few，butroses"allofthem。

ONBOOKSABOUTREDMEN

ToRichardWilby，Esq。，EtonCollege，Windsor。

MyDearDick，——Itisverygoodofyou，amongyourseverestudiesatEton，towritetoyourUncle。Iamextremelypleasedtohearthatyourfootballisappreciatedinthehighestcircles，andshallbehappytohaveasgoodanaccountofyourskillinmakingLatinverses。

Iamgladyoulike"She，"Mr。RiderHaggard’sbookwhichIsentyou。

Itis"somethinglike，"asyousay，andIquiteagreewithyou，bothinbeinginlovewiththeheroine，andinthinkingthatshepreachesrathertoomuch。But，then，asshewasovertwothousandyearsold，andhadlivedformostofthattimeamongcannibals，whodidnotunderstandher，onemayexcuseherfor"jawing，"asyousay，agooddeal，whenshemetwhitemen。Youwanttoknowif"She"isatruestory。Ofcourseitis!

Butyouhaveread"She，"andyouhavereadallCooper’s，andMarryat’s，andMr。Stevenson’sbooks，and"TomSawyer，"and"HuckleberryFinn，"severaltimes。SohaveI，andamquitereadytobeginagain。But，tomymind，booksabout"RedIndians"havealwaysseemedmuchthemostinteresting。Atyourage，Iremember，Iboughtatomahawk，and，aswehadalsolotsofspearsandboomerangsfromAustralia，thepoultryusedtohaveratheraroughtimeofit。

Inevercoulddoverymuchwithaboomerang；butIcouldthrowaspeartoahair’sbreadth，asmanyachickenhadoccasiontodiscover。WhenyougohomeforChristmasIhopeyouwillrememberthatallthiswasverywrong，andthatyouwillconsiderwearecivilizedpeople，notMohicans，norPawnees。Ialsomadeastonepipe，likeHiawatha’s，butInevercoulddrillaholeinthestem，soitdidnot"draw"likeacivilizedpipe。

Bywayofanawfulwarningtoyouonthisscore，andalso，asyousayyouwantatruebookaboutRedIndians，letmerecommendtoyouthebestbookaboutthemIevercameacross。Itiscalled"A

NarrativeoftheCaptivityandAdventuresofJohnTanner，duringThirtyYears’ResidenceamongtheIndians，"anditwaspublishedatNewYorkbyMessrs。Carvill，in1830。

IfIwereanAmericanpublisher，insteadofaBritishauthor（howI

wishIwas!）I’dpublish"JohnTanner"again，orperhapscutagooddealout，andmakeaboy’sbookofit。Youarenotlikelytogetittobuy，butMr。Steevens，theAmericanbookseller，hasfoundmeacopy。IfIlendyouit，willyoubekindenoughtoillustrateitonseparatesheetsofpaper，andnotmakedrawingsonthepagesofthebook？Thiswill，inthelongrun，bemoresatisfactorytoyourself，asyouwillbeabletokeepyourpictures；forIwant"JohnTanner"

backagain：anddon’tlendhimtoyourfag—master。

Tannerwasbornabout1780；helivedinKentucky。Don’tyouwishyouhadlivedinKentuckyinColonelBoone’stime？TheShawneeswereroamingabouttheneighbourhoodwhenTannerwasalittleboy。

Hisunclescalpedoneofthem。ThismadebadfeelingbetweentheTannersandtheShawnees；butJohn，likeanyboyofspirit，wishednevertolearnlessons，andwantedtobeanIndianbrave。Hesoonhadmoreofbeingabravethanheliked；butheneverlearnedanymorelessons，andcouldnotevenreadorwrite。

OnedayJohn’sfathertoldhimnottoleavethehouse，becausefromthemovementsofthehorses，heknewthatIndianswereinthewoods。

SoJohnseizedthefirstchanceandnippedout，andrantoawalnuttreeinoneofthefields，wherehebeganfillinghisstrawhatwithwalnuts。AtthatverymomenthewascaughtbytwoIndians，whospilledthenuts，puthishatonhishead，andboltedwithhim。Oneoftheoldwomenofthetribehadlostherson，andwantedtoadoptaboy，andsotheyadoptedJohnnyTanner。Theyranwithhimtillhewasoutofbreath，tilltheyreachedtheOhio，wheretheythrewhimintoacanoe，paddledacross，andsetoffrunningagain。

Intendays’hardmarchingtheyreachedthecamp，anditwasworsethangoingtoanewschool，foralltheIndianskickedJohnTannerabout，and"theirdance，"hesays，"wasbriskandcheerful，afterthemannerofthescalpdance!"CheerfulforJohn!Hehadtoliebetweenthefireandthedoorofthelodge，andeveryonewhopassedgavehimakick。Oneoldmanwasparticularlycruel。WhenTannerwasgrownup，hecamebacktothatneighbourhood，andthefirstthingheaskedwas，"WhereisManito—o—geezhik？"

"Dead，twomonthssince。"

"Itiswellthatheisdead，"saidJohnTanner。Butanoldfemalechief，Net—ko—kua，adoptedhim，andnowitbegantobefun。Forhewassenttoshootgameforthefamily。Couldanythingbemoredelightful？Hisfirstshotwasatpigeons，withapistol。ThepistolknockeddownTanner；butitalsoknockeddownthepigeon。Hethencaughtmartins——andmeasles，whichwaslessentertaining。EvenIndianshavemeasles!Butevenhuntingisnotaltogetherfun，whenyoustartwithnobreakfastandhavenochanceofsupperunlessyoukillgame。

TheotherRedIndianbooks，especiallythecheapones，don’ttellyouthatveryoftentheIndiansaremorethanhalf—starved。Thensomeonebuildsamagiclodge，andpraystotheGreatSpirit。

Tanneroftendidthis，andhewouldthendreamhowtheGreatSpiritappearedtohimasabeautifulyoungman，andtoldhimwherehewouldfindgame，andprophesiedothereventsinhislife。ItiscurioustoseeawhitemantakingtotheIndianreligion，andhavingexactlythesamesortofvisionsastheirredconvertsdescribedtotheJesuitfathersnearlytwohundredyearsbefore。

TannersawsomeIndianghosts，too，whenhegrewup。OnthebankoftheLittleSaskawjewuntherewasacapitalcamping—placewheretheIndiansnevercamped。ItwascalledJebingneezh—o—shin—naut——"theplaceoftwoDeadMen。"TwoIndiansofthesametotemhadkilledeachotherthere。Now，theirtotemwasthatwhichTannerbore，thetotemofhisadoptedIndianmother。Thestorywasthatifanymancampedthere，theghostswouldcomeoutoftheirgraves；andthatwasjustwhathappened。Tannermadetheexperiment；hecampedandfellasleep。"VerysoonIsawthetwodeadmencomeandsitdownbymyfireoppositeme。Igotupandsatoppositethembythefire，andinthispositionIawoke。"Perhapshefellasleepagain，forhenowsawthetwodeadmen，whosatoppositetohim，andlaughedandpokedfunandsticksathim。Hecouldneitherspeaknorrunaway。

Oneofthemshowedhimahorseonahill，andsaid，"There，mybrother，isahorseIgiveyoutorideonyourjourneyhome，andonyourwayyoucancallandleavethehorse，andspendanothernightwithus。"So，nextmorning，hefoundthehorseandrodeit，buthedidnotspendanothernightwiththeghostsofhisowntotem。Hehadseenenoughofthem。

ThoughTannerbelievedinhisowndreamsoftheGreatSpirit，hedidnotbelieveinthoseofhisIndianmother。Hethoughtsheusedtoprowlaboutinthedaytime，findtracksofabearordeer，watchwheretheywentto，andthensaythebeast’slairhadbeenrevealedtoherinadream。ButTanner’sownvisionswere"honestInjun。"

Once，inahardwinter，Tannerplayedatrickontheoldwoman。Allthefoodtheyhadwasaquartoffrozenbears’grease，keptinakettlewithaskinfastenedoverit。ButTannercaughtarabbitaliveandpoppedhimundertheskin。Sowhentheoldwomanwentforthebears’greaseinthemorning，andfounditalive，shewasnotalittlealarmed。

ButdoesnotthenotionoflivingonfrozenpomatumrathertakethegiltoffthedelightofbeinganIndian？Theoldwomanwasasbraveandresoluteasaman，butinonedayshesoldahundredandtwentybeaverskinsandmanybuffalorobesforrum。ShealwaysentertainedalltheneighbouringIndiansaslongastherumlasted，andTannerhadanarrowescapeofgrowingupadrunkard。HebecamesuchasavagethatwhenanIndiangirlcarelesslyallowedhiswigwamtobeburned，hestrippedherofherblanketandturnedheroutforthenightinthesnow。

SoTannergrewupinspiteofhungeranddrink。Once，whenstarving，andwithoutbullets，hemetabuckmoose。Ifhekilledthemoosehewouldbesaved，ifhedidnothewoulddie。Sohetookthescrewsoutofthelockofhisrifle，loadedwiththeminplaceofbullets，tiedthelockonwithstring，fired，andkilledthemoose。

Tannerwasworriedintomarryingayoungsquaw（atleasthesayshediditbecausethegirlwantedit），andthisledtoallhissorrows—

—thisandaquarrelwithamedicine—man。Themedicine—manaccusedhimofbeingawizard，andhiswifegotanotherIndiantoshoothim。

Tannerwasfarfromsurgeons，andheactuallyhackedoutthebullethimselfwithanoldrazor。AnotherwoundedIndianonceamputatedhisownarm。TheancientSpartanscouldnothavebeenpluckier。

TheIndianshadothervirtuesaswellaspluck。Theywerehonestandsohospitable，beforetheyknewwhitemen’sways，thattheywouldgivepoorstrangersnewmocassinsandnewbuffalocloaks。

Willitboreyou，mydearDick，ifItellyouofanoldIndian’sdeath？Itseemsaprettyandtouchingstory。OldPe—shau—bawasafriendofTanner。Onedayhefellviolentlyill。HesentforTannerandsaidtohim："IrememberbeforeIcametoliveinthisworld，IwaswiththeGreatSpiritabove。Isawmanygoodanddesirablethings，andamongothersabeautifulwoman。AndtheGreatSpiritsaid：’Pe—shau—ba，doyoulovethewoman？’ItoldhimI

did。Thenhesaid，’Godownandspendafewwintersonearth。Youcannotstaylong，andyoumustremembertobealwayskindandgoodtomychildrenwhomyouseebelow。’SoIcamedown，butIhaveneverforgottenwhatwassaidtome。

"Ihavealwaysstoodinthesmokebetweenthetwobandswhenmypeoplefoughtwiththeirenemies……InowhearthesamevoicethattalkedtomebeforeIcameintotheworld。IttellsmeIcanremainherenolonger。"Hethenwalkedout，lookedatthesun，thesky，thelake，andthedistanthills；thencamein，laydowncomposedlyinhisplace，andinafewminutesceasedtobreathe。

IfwewouldhardlycaretolivelikeIndians，afterall（andTannertiredofitandcameback，anoldman，totheStates），wemightdesiretodielikePe—shau—ba，if，likehim，wehadbeen"goodandkindtoGod’schildrenwhomwemeetbelow。"SohereisaChristmasmoralforyou，outofaRedIndianbook，andIwishyouamerryChristmasandahappyNewYear。

APPENDIXI

Reynolds’sPeterBell。

WhenthearticleonJohnHamiltonReynolds（"AFriendofKeats"）waswritten，Ihadnotseenhis"PeterBell"（TaylorandHessey，London，1888）。This"LyricalBallad"isdescribedinaletterofKeats’spublishedbyMr。SidneyColvininMacmillan’sMagazine，August，1888。ThepointofReynolds’sjokewastoproduceaparodybeforetheoriginal。ReynoldswasannoyedbywhatHoodcalled"TheBettyFoybles"ofWordsworth，andbythedemeanourofapoetwhowasserious，notonlyinseason，butoutofseason。Moreover，Wordsworthhaddamned"aprettypieceofheathenism"byKeats，withpraisewhichwasfaintevenfromWordsworthtoacontemporary。Inthecircumstances，asWordsworthwasnotyetakindofsolemnshade，whomweseehauntingthehills，andhearchantingtheswansongofthedyingEngland，perhapsReynolds’sparodyscarceneedsexcuse。

Mr。Aingercallsit"insolent，"meaningthatithasanunkindtoneofpersonalattack。Thatis，unluckily，true，buttomyselftheparodyappearsremarkablyfunny，andquiteworthyof"thesneeringbrothers，thevileSmiths，"asLambcallstheauthorsof"RejectedAddresses。"LambwrotetotellWordsworththathedidnotseethefunoftheparody——perhapsitisaswellthatweshouldfailtoseethefunofjestsbrokenonourfriends。ButwillanyWordsworthiandenyto—daythehumourofthis？—

"Heisrurallyrelated；

PeterBellhathcountrycousins，（Hehadonceaworthymother），BellsandPetersbythedozens，ButPeterBellhehathnobrothers，Notabrotherownethhe，PeterBellhehathnobrother；

Hismotherhadnootherson，Noothersone’ercalledher’mother，’

PeterBellhathbrothernone。"

AsKeatssaysinareviewhewroteforTheExaminer，"thereisapestilenthumourintherhymes，andaninveteratecadenceinsomeofthestanzasthatmustbelamented。"InhisreviewKeatstriedtohurtneitherside，buthisheartwaswithReynolds；"itwouldbejustaswelltotrounceLordByroninthesamemanner。"

PeoplestillmakeanoutcryoverthetrouncingofKeats。Itwasbludgeonlydone，butonlypartofagame，akindofhorseplayatwhichmostmenoflettersoftheagewereplaying。Whobutregretsthat，inhis"LifeofKeats，"Mr。ColvinshouldspeakasifSirWalterScotthad，perhaps，aguiltyknowledgeofthereviewofKeatsinBlackwood!Thereisbutatittleofpublishedevidencetothetruthofatheoryinitselfutterlydetestable，and，toeveryonewhounderstandsthecharacterofScott，whollybeyondpossibilityofbelief。EvenifLockhartwasthereviewer，andifScottcametoknowit，wasScottresponsibleforwhatLockhartdidin1819or1820，theverytimewhenMrs。ShelleythoughthewasdefendingShelleyinBlackwood（wherehehadpraisedherFrankenstein），andwhenshespokeofSirWalteras"theonlyliberalmaninthefaction"？UnluckilyKeatsdied，andhisdeathwasabsurdlyattributedtoapairofreviewswhichmayhaveirritatedhim，andwhichwerecoarse，andcruelevenforthatperiodofrobustreviewing。ButKeatsknewverywellthevalueofthesecritiques，andprobablyresentedthemnotmuchmorethanafootballplayerresentsbeing"hacked"inthecourseofthegame。HewasverywillingtoseeByronandWordsworth"trounced，"andasreadyasPeterCorcoraninhisfriend’spoemto"takepunishment"himself。

ThecharacterofKeatswasplucky，andhisestimateofhisowngeniuswasperfectlysane。Heknewthathewasinthethickofaliterary"scrimmage，"andhewasnotthemantoflinchortorepineattheconsequences。

APPENDIXII

PortraitsofVirgilandLucretius。

IntheLetteronVirgilsomeremarksaremadeonabustofthepoet。

Itiswhollyfanciful。OuronlyvestigesofaportraitofVirgilareintwoMSS。；thebetterofthetwoisintheVatican。Thedesignrepresentsayouth，withdarkhairandapleasantface，seatedreading。Adeskisbesidehim，andacaseformanuscript，inshapelikeaband—box。（SeeVisconti，"Icon。Rom。"i。179，plate13。）MartialtellsusthatportraitsofVirgilwereilluminatedoncopiesofhis"AEneid。"TheVaticanMS。isofthetwelfthcentury。

Buteveryonewhohasfollowedthefortunesofbooksknowsthatakindoftraditionoftenpreservestheillustrations，whicharecopiedandrecopiedwithoutmaterialchange。（SeeMr。Jacobs’s"FablesofBidpai，"Nutt，1888。）ThustheVaticanMS。maypreserveatleastashadowofVirgil。

IftherebeanyportraitofLucretius，itisaprofileonasard，publishedbyMr。Munroinhisfamouseditionofthepoet。ThelettersLVCRareinscribedonthestone，andappeartobecontemporarywiththegem。This，atleast，istheopinionofMr。A。

S。Murray，ofthelateMr。C。W。King，Braun，andMuller。Ontheotherhand，Bernouilli（"Rom。Icon。"i。247）regardsthis，andapparentlymostotherRomangemswithinscriptions，as"apocryphal。"

Thering，whichwasintheNottcollection，isnowinmypossession。

IfLucretiusweretheratherpedanticandsharp—nosedRomanofthegem，hiswifehadlittlereasonforthejealousywhichtooksodeplorableaform。ColdthisLucretiusmayhavebeen，volatile——

never!{11}

Footnotes：

{1}ThiswaswrittenduringthelifetimeofMr。ArnoldandMr。

Browning。

{2}Sincethiswaswritten，Mr。Bridgeshasmadehislyricsaccessiblein"ShorterPoems。"（G。BellandSons：1890）

{3}Macmillans。

{4}Reynoldswas，perhaps，alittleirreverent。HeanticipatedWordsworth’s"PeterBell"byaprematureparody，"PeterBelltheFirst。"

{5}AppendixonReynolds’s"PeterBell。"

{6}"AucassinandNicolette"hasnowbeenedited，annotated，andequippedwithatranslationbyMr。F。W。Bourdillon（KeganPaul&

Trench，1887）。

{7}Edinburgh，1862。

{8}TheElzevirpiracywasratherearlier。

{9}Pindar，perhaps，inoneofhisfragments，suggestedthatprettyCumregnatRosa。

{10}Seenextletter。

{11}Mr。Munrocallsthestone"ablackagate，"anddoesnotmentionitsprovenance。Theengravinginhisbookdoesnojusticetotheportrait。ThereisanothergemrepresentingLucretiusintheVatican：ofolditbelongedtoLeoX。Thetwogemsareinallrespectssimilar。Asealwiththishead，oroneverylikeit，belongedtoEvelyn，thefriendofMr。Pepys。

【推荐阅读】幽幽深宫，醒来一梦似千年，重生于下堂妃身躯中的她，将如何手刃仇人? 点击阅读