the rhythm of life and other essays(生命的旋律)-第14部分
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experience； so much disillusion； so much deception。 To achieve that tone
in its fulness it is necessary to take for one's own the praeterita （say） of
Alfred de Musset and of the men who helped himnot to live butto have
lived； it is necessary to have lived much more than any man lives； and to
make a common hoard of erotic remembrances with all kinds of poets。
As the Franciscans wear each other's old habits； and one Friar goes
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about darned because of another's rending； so the poet of a certain order
grows cynical for the sake of many poets' old loves。 Not otherwise will
the resultant verse succeed in implying so muchor rather so many； in the
feminine plural。 The man of very sensitive individuality might hesitate at
the adoption。 The Franciscan is understood to have a fastidiousness and
to overcome it。 But these poets so triumph over their repugnance that it
does not appear。 And yet； if choice were； one might wish rather to make
use of one's fellowmen's old shoes than put their old secrets to use； and
dress one's art in a motley of past passions。 Moreover； to utilise the
mental experience of many is inevitably to use their verse and phrase。
For the rest； all the traits of this love…poetry are familiar enough。 One of
them is the absence of the word of promise and pledge； the loss of the
earliest and simplest of the impulses of love： which is the vow。 'Till
death！' 'For ever！' are cries too simple and too natural to be commonplace；
and in their denial there is the least tolerable of banalitiesthat of other
men's disillusions。
Perfect personal distinctness of Experience would be in literature a
delicate Innocence。 Not a passage of cheapness； of greed； of assumption；
of sloth； or of any such sins in the work of him whose love…poetry were
thus true； and whose pudeur of personality thus simple and inviolate。
This is the private man； in other words the gentleman； who will neither
love nor remember in public。
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PENULTIMATE CARICATURE
There has been no denunciation； and perhaps even no recognition； of a
certain social immorality in the caricature of the mid…century and earlier。
Literary and pictorial alike； it had for its notice the vulgarising of the
married woman。 No one now would read Douglas Jerrold for pleasure；
but it is worth while to turn up that humourist's serial； Mrs。 Caudle's
Curtain Lectures； which were presumably considered good comic reading
in the Punch of that time； and to make acquaintance with a certain ideal of
the grotesque。 Obviously to make a serious comment on anything which
others consider or have considered humorous is to put one's…self at a
disadvantage。 He who sees the joke holds himself somewhat the superior
of the man who would see it； such as it is； if he thought it worth his
eyesight。 The last…named has to bear the least tolerable of modern
reproaches； but he need not always care。 Now to turn over Douglas
Jerrold's monologues is to find that people in the mid…century took their
mirth principally from the life of the arriere boutique。 On that shabby
stage was enacted the comedy of literature。 Therefore we must take
something of the vulgarity of Jerrold as a circumstance of the social ranks
wherein he delighted。 But the essential vulgarity is that of the woman。
There is in some old Punch volume a drawing by Leechwhom one is
weary of hearing named the gentle； the refinedwhere the work of the
artist has vied with the spirit of the letter…press。 Douglas Jerrold treats of
the woman's jealousy； Leech of her stays。 They lie on a chair by the bed；
beyond description gross。 And page by page the woman is derided； with
an unfailing enjoyment of her foolish ugliness of person； of manners； and
of language。 In that time there was； moreover； one great humourist； he
bore his part willingly in vulgarising the woman； and the part that fell to
him was the vulgarising of the act of maternity。 Woman spiteful； woman
suing man at the law for evading her fatuous companionship； woman
incoherent； woman abandoned without restraint to violence and temper；
woman feigning sensibilityin none of these ignominies is woman so
common； foul； and foolish for Dickens as she is in child… bearing。
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I named Leech but now。 He was； in all things essential； Dickens's
contemporary。 And accordingly the married woman and her child are
humiliated by his pencil； not grossly； but commonly。 For him she is
moderately and dully ridiculous。 What delights him as humorous is that
her husbandhimself wearisome enough to die ofis weary of her； finds
the time long； and tries to escape her。 It amuses him that she should
furtively spend money over her own dowdiness； to the annoyance of her
husband； and that her husband should have no desire to adorn her； and that
her mother should be intolerable。 It pleases him that her baby； with
enormous cheeks and a hideous rosette in its hata burlesque baby
should be a grotesque object of her love； for that too makes subtly for her
abasement。 Charles Keene； again another contemporary； though he
lived into a later and different time。 He saw little else than common
forms of human ignominy indignities of civic physique； of stupid
prosperity； of dress； of bearing。 He transmits these things in greater
proportion than he found themwhether for love of the humour of them；
or by a kind of inverted disgust that is as eager as delightone is not sure
which is the impulse。 The grossness of the vulgarities is rendered with a
completeness that goes far to convince us of a certain sensitiveness of
apprehension in the designer； and then again we get convinced that real
apprehensionreal apprehensivenesswould not have insisted upon such
things； could not have lived with them through almost a whole career。
There is one drawing in the Punch of years ago； in which Charles Keene
achieved the nastiest thing possible to even the invention of that day。 A
drunken citizen； in the usual broadcloth； has gone to bed； fully dressed；
with his boots on and his umbrella open； and the joke lies in the surprise
awaiting； when she awakes； the wife asleep at his side in a night…cap。
Every one who knows Keene's work can imagine how the huge well…fed
figure was drawn； and how the coat wrinkled across the back； and how the
bourgeois whiskers were indicated。 This obscene drawing is matched by
many equally odious。 Abject domesticity； ignominies of married life； of
middle…age； of money…making； the old common jape against the mother…
in…law； ill…dressed men with whiskyill…dressed women with tempers；
everything that is underbred and decivilised； abominable weddings： in
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one drawing a bridegroom with shambling sidelong legs asks his bride if
she is nervous； she is a widow； and she answers； 'No； never was。' In all
these things there is very little humour。 Where Keene achieved fun was
in the figures of his schoolboys。 The hint of tenderness which in really
fine work could never be absent from a man's thought of a child or from
his touch of one； however frolic or rowdy the subject in hand； is absolutely
lacking in Keene's designs； nevertheless； we acknowledge that here is
humour。 It is also in some of his clerical figures when they are not
caricatures； and certainly in 'Robert；' the City waiter of Punch。 But so
irresistible is the derision of the woman that all Charles Keene's persistent
sense of vulgarity is intent centrally upon her。 Never for any grace gone
astray is she bantered； never for the social extravagances； for prattle； or for
beloved dress； but always for her jealousy； and for the repulsive person of
the man upon whom she spies and in whom she vindicates her ignoble
rights。 If this is the shopkeeper the possession of whom is her boast； what
then is she？
This great immorality； centring in the irreproachable days of the
Exhibition of 1851； or thereaboutsthe pleasure in this particular form of
human disgracehas passed； leaving one trace only： the habit by which
some men reproach a sill
