robert louis stevenson- 第15部分

〃That　women　did　not　cut　any　figure　in　his　books　springs　from　this　　same　interest　in　the　elemental。　　Women　are　not　born；　but　made。　　　They　are　a　social　product　of　infinite　complexity　and　delicacy。　　For　　a　like　reason　Stevenson　was　no　interpreter　of　the　modern。。。。　A　　child　to　the　end；　always　playing　at　'make…believe；'　dying　young；　as　　those　whom　the　gods　love；　and；　as　he　would　have　died　had　he　　achieved　his　centenary；　he　was　the　natural　exponent　in　literature　　of　the　child。〃


But　there　were　subtly　qualifying　elements　beyond　what　Mr　Zangwill　　here　recognises　and　reinforces。　　That　is　just　about　as　correct　and　　true　as　this　other　deliverance：


〃His　Scotch　romances　have　been　as　over…praised　by　the　zealous　　Scotsmen　who　cry　'genius'　at　the　sight　of　a　kilt；　and　who　lose　　their　heads　at　a　waft　from　the　heather；　as　his　other　books　have　　been　under…praised。　　The　best　of　all；　THE　MASTER　OF　BALLANTRAE；　　ends　in　a　bog；　and　where　the　author　aspires　to　exceptional　subtlety　　of　character…drawing　he　befogs　us　or　himself　altogether。　　We　are　so　　long　weighing　the　brothers　Ballantrae　in　the　balance；　watching　it　　incline　now　this　way；　now　that；　scrupulously　removing　a　particle　of　　our　sympathy　from　the　one　brother　to　the　other；　to　restore　it　again　　in　the　next　chapter；　that　we　end　with　a　conception　of　them　as　　confusing　as　Mr　Gilbert's　conception　of　Hamlet；　who　was　idiotically　　sane　with　lucid　intervals　of　lunacy。〃


If　Stevenson　was；　as　Mr　Zangwill　holds；　〃the　child　to　the　end；〃　and　　the　child　only；　then　if　we　may　not　say　what　Carlyle　said　of　De　　Quincey：　　〃ECCOVI；　that　child　has　been　in　hell；〃　we　may　say；　　〃ECCOVI；　that　child　has　been　in　unchildlike　haunts；　and　can't　　forget　the　memory　of　them。〃　　In　a　sense　every　romancer　is　a　child　…　　such　was　Ludwig　Tieck；　such　was　Scott；　such　was　James　Hogg；　the　　Ettrick　Shepherd。　　But　each　is　something　more　…　he　has　been　touched　　with　the　wand　of　a　fairy；　and　knows；　at　least；　some　of　Elfin　Land　　as　well　as　of　childhood's　home。

The　sense　of　Stevenson's　youthfulness　seems　to　have　struck　every　　one　who　had　intimacy　with　him。　　Mr　Baildon　writes　（p。　21　of　his　　book）：


〃I　would　now　give　much　to　possess　but　one　of　Stevenson's　gifts　…　　namely；　that　extraordinary　vividness　of　recollection　by　which　he　　could　so　astonishingly　recall；　not　only　the　doings；　but　the　very　　thoughts　and　emotions　of　his　youth。　　For；　often　as　we　must　have　　communed　together；　with　all　the　shameless　candour　of　boys；　hardly　　any　remark　has　stuck　to　me　except　the　opinion　already　alluded　to；　　which　struck　me　…　his　elder　by　some　fifteen　months　…　as　very　　amusing；　that　at　sixteen　'we　should　be　men。'　　HE　OF　ALL　MORTALS；　　WHO　WAS；　IN　A　SENSE；　ALWAYS　STILL　A　BOY！〃


Mr　Gosse　tells　us：


〃He　had　retained　a　great　deal　of　the　temperament　of　a　child；　and　it　　was　his　philosophy　to　encourage　it。　　In　his　dreary　passages　of　bed；　　when　his　illness　was　more　than　commonly　heavy　on　him；　he　used　to　　contrive　little　amusements　for　himself。　　He　played　on　the　flute；　or　　he　modelled　little　groups　and　figures　in　clay。〃


2。　One　of　the　qualifying　elements　unnoted　by　Mr　Zangwill　is　simply　　this；　that　R。　L。　Stevenson　never　lost　the　strange　tint　imparted　to　　his　youth　by　the　religious　influences　to　which　he　was　subject；　and　　which　left　their　impress　and　colour　on　him　and　all　that　he　did。　　　Henley；　in　his　striking　sonnet；　hit　it　when　he　wrote：


〃A　deal　of　Ariel；　just　a　streak　of　Puck；　Much　Antony；　of　Hamlet　most　of　all；　AND　SOMETHING　OF　THE　SHORTER　CATECHIST。〃


SOMETHING！　he　was　a　great　deal　of　Shorter　Catechist！　　Scotch　　Calvinism；　its　metaphysic；　and　all　the　strange　whims；　perversities；　　and　questionings　of　〃Fate；　free…will；　foreknowledge　absolute；〃　　which　it　inevitably　awakens；　was　much　with　him　…　the　sense　of　　reprobation　and　the　gloom　born　of　it；　as　well　as　the　abounding　joy　　in　the　sense　of　the　elect　…　the　Covenanters　and　their　wild　　resolutions；　the　moss…troopers　and　their　dare…devilries　…　Pentland　　Risings　and　fights　of　Rullion　Green；　he　not　only　never　forgot　them；　　but　they　mixed　themselves　as　in　his　very　breath　of　life；　and　made　　him　a　great　questioner。　　How　would　I　have　borne　myself　in　this　or　　in　that？　　Supposing　I　had　been　there；　how　would　it　have　been　…　the　　same；　or　different　from　what　it　was　with　those　that　were　there？　　　His　work　is　throughout　at　bottom　a　series　of　problems　that　almost　　all　trace　to　this　root；　directly　or　indirectly。　　〃There；　but　for　　the　grace　of　God；　goes　John　Bradford；〃　said　the　famous　Puritan　on　　seeing　a　felon　led　to　execution；　so　with　Stevenson。　　Hence　his　　fondness　for　tramps；　for　scamps　（he　even　bestowed　special　attention　　and　pains　on　Villon；　the　poet…scamp）；　he　was　rather　impatient　with　　poor　Thoreau；　because　he　was　a　purist　solitary；　and　had　too　little　　of　vice；　and；　as　Stevenson　held；　narrow　in　sympathy；　and　too　self…　satisfied；　and　bent　only　on　self…improvement。　　He　held　a　brief　for　　the　honest　villain；　and　leaned　to　him　brotherly。　　Even　the　　anecdotes　he　most　prizes　have　a　fine　look　this　way　…　a　hunger　for　　completion　in　achievement；　even　in　the　violation　of　fine　humane　　feeling　or　morality；　and　all　the　time　a　sense　of　submission　to　　God's　will。　　〃Doctor；〃　said　the　dying　gravedigger　in　OLD　MORTALITY；　　〃I　hae　laid　three　hunner　an'　fower　score　in　that　kirkyaird；　an'　had　　it　been　His　wull；〃　indicating　Heaven；　〃I　wad　hae　likeit　weel　to　hae　　made　oot　the　fower　hunner。〃　　That　took　Stevenson。　　Listen　to　what　　Mr　Edmond　Gosse　tells　of　his　talk；　when　he　found　him　in　a　private　　hotel　in　Finsbury　Circus；　London；　ready　to　be　put　on　board　a　　steamer　for　America；　on　21st　August；　1887：


〃It　was　church　time；　and　there　was　some　talk　of　my　witnessing　his　　will；　which　I　could　not　do　because　there　could　be　found　no　other　　reputable　witness；　the　whole　crew　of　the　hotel　being　at　church。　　　'This；'　he　said；　'is　the　way　in　which　our　valuable　city　hotels　…　　packed　no　doubt　with　gems　and　jewellery　…　are　deserted　on　a　Sunday　　morning。　　Some　bold　piratical　fellow；　defying　the　spirit　of　　Sabbatarianism；　might　make　a　handsome　revenue　by　sacking　the　　derelict　hotels　between　the　hours　of　ten　and　twelve。　　One　hotel　a　　week　would　enable　such　a　man　to　retire　in　course　of　a　year。　　A　mask　　might　perhaps　be　worn　for　the　mere　fancy　of　the　thing；　and　to　　terrify　kitchen…maids；　but　no　real　disguise　would　be　needful。'〃


I　would　rather　agree　with　Mr　Chesterton　than　with　Mr　Zangwill　here：


〃Stevenson's　enormous　capacity　for　joy　flowed　directly　out　of　his　　profoundly　religious　temperament。　　He　conceived　himself　as　an　　unimportant　guest　at　one　eternal　and　uproarious　banquet；　and　　instead　of　grumbling　at　the　soup；　he　accepted　it　with　careless　　gratitude。　。　。　。　His　gaiety　was　neither　the　gaiety　of　the　pagan；　　nor　the　gaiety　of　the　BON　VIVANT。　　It　was　the　greater　gaiety　of　the　　mystic。　　He　could　enjoy　trifles　because　there　was　to　him　no　such　　thing　as　a　trifle。　　He　was　a　child　who　respected　his　dolls　because　　they　were　the　images　of　the　image　of　God；　portraits　at　only　two　　removes。〃


Here；　then；　we　have　the　child　crossed　by　the　dreamer　and　the　　mystic；　bred　of　Calvinism　and　speculation　on　human　fate　and　chance；　　and　on　the　mystery　of　temperament　and　inheritance；　and　all　that　　flows　from　these　…　reprobation；　with　its　dire　shadows；　assured　　Election　with　its　joys；　etc。；　etc。

3。　If　such　a　combination　is　in　favour　of　the　story…teller　up　to　a　　certain　point；　it　is　not　favourable　to　the　highest　flights；　and　it　　is　alien　to　dramatic　presentation　pure　and　simple。　　This　implies　　detachment　from　moods　and　characters；　high　as　well　as　low；　that　　complete　justice　in　presentation　may　be　done　to　all　alike；　and　the　　one　balance　that　obtains　in　life　grasped　and　repeated　with　　emphasis。　　But　towards　his　leading　characters　Stevenson　is　　unconsciously　biassed；　because　they　are　more　or　less　shadowy　　projections　of　himself；　or　images　through　which　he　would　reveal　one　　or　other　side　or　aspect　of　his　own　personality。　　Attwater　is　a　　confessed　failure；　because　it；　more　than　any　other；　testifies　this：　　　he　is　but　a　mouth…piece　for　one　side　or　tendency　in　Stevenson。　　If　　the　same　thing　is　not　more　decisively　felt　in　some　other　cases；　it　　is　because　Stevenson　there　showed　the　better　art　o'　hidin'；　and　not　　because　he　was　any　more　truly　detached　or　dramatic。　　〃Of　Hamlet　　most　of　all；〃　wrote　Henley　in　his　sonnet。　　The　Hamlet　in　Stevenson　　…　the　self…questioning；　egotistic；　moralising　Hamlet　…　was；　and　to　　the　end　remained；　a　something　alien　to　bold；　dramatic；　creative　　freedom。　　He　is　great　as　an　artist；　as　a　man　bent　on　giving　to　all　　that　he　did　the　best　and　most　distinguished　form　possible；　but　not　　great　as　a　free　creator　of　dramatic　power。　　〃Mother；〃　he　said　as　a　　mere　child；　〃I've　drawed　a　man。　　Now；　will　I　draw　his　soul？〃　　He　　was　to　the　end　all　too　fond　to　essay　a　picture　of　the　soul；　　separate　and　peculiar。　　All　the　Jekyll　and　Hyde　and　even　Ballantrae　　conceptions　came　out　of　that　…　and　what　is　more；　he　always　mixed　　his　own　soul　with　the　other　soul；　and　could　not　help　doing　so。

4。　When；　therefore；　I　find　Mr　Pinero；　in　lecturing　at　Edinburgh；　　deciding　in　favour　of　Stevenson　as　possessed　of　rare　dramatic　　power；　and　wondering　why　he　did　not　more　effectively　employ　it；　I　　can't　agree　with　him；　and　this　because　of　the　presence　of　a　certain　　atmosphere　in