study of the king james bible(钦印〈圣经〉研究)-第26章
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No great orator of the day would fail us of material； and the great political
papers and orations of the past would only widen the field。 Yet while some
of this political and historical writing is recognized as literature； most of it
can be left out of our thought just now。
It may aid in the limiting of the field to accept what Dean Stanley said
in another connection： 〃By literature； I mean those great works that rise
above professional or commonplace uses and take possession of the mind
of a whole nation or a whole age。〃＇1＇ This is one of the matters which we
all understand until we begin to define it； we know what we mean until
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some one asks us。
＇1＇ Thoughts that Breathe。
The literature of which we are thinking in this narrower sense is in
the sphere of art rather than in the sphere of distinct achievement。 De
Quincey's division is familiar： the literature of knowledge； and the
literature of power。 The function of the first is to teach； the function of the
second is to move。 Professor Dowden points out that between the two lies
a third field； the literature of criticism。 It seeks both to teach and to move。
Our concern is chiefly with De Quincey's second fieldthe literature of
power。 In the first field； the literature of knowledge； must lie all history；
with Hume and Gibbon； all science； with Darwin and Fiske； all philosophy；
with Spencer and William James； all political writing； with Voltaire and
Webster。 Near that same field must lie many of those essays in criticism of
which Professor Dowden speaks。 This which we omit； this literature of
knowledge； is powerful literature； though its main purpose is not to move；
but to teach。 We are only reducing our field so that we can survey it。 For
our uses just now we shall find pure literature taking the three standard
forms： the poem； the essay； and the story。 It is the influence of the English
Bible on this large field of literature which we are to observe。
Just for safety's sake； accept another narrowing of the field。 The effect
of the Bible and its religious teaching； on the writer himself is a separate
study； and is for the most part left out of consideration。 It sounds correct
when Milton says： 〃He who would not be frustrate of his Power to write
well ought himself to be a true poem。〃 But there is Milton himself to deal
with； irreproachable in morals； there are yet the unhappy years of his
young wife to trouble us； and there were his daughters； who were not at
peace with him； and whom after their service in his blindness he yet
stigmatizes in his will as 〃undutiful children。〃 Then； if you think of
Shelley or Byron； you are troubled by their lives； or even Carlyle； the very
master of the Victorian eraone would not like to scan his life according
to the laws of true poetry。 Then there is Coleridge； falling a prey to opium
until； as years came； conscience and will seemed to go。 Only a very ardent
Scot will feel that he can defend Robert Burns at all points； and we would
be strange Americans if we felt that Edgar Allen Poe was a model of
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propriety。 That is a large and interesting field； but the Bible seems even to
gain power as a book…making book when it lays hold on the book…making
proclivities of men who are not prepared to yield to its personal power。
They may get away from it as religion； they do not get away from it as
literature。
The first and most notable fact regarding the influence of the Bible on
English literature is the remarkable extent of that influence。 It is literally
everywhere。 If every Bible in any considerable city were destroyed； the
Book could be restored in all its essential parts from the quotations on the
shelves of the city public library。 There are works； covering almost all the
great literary writers； devoted especially to showing how much the Bible
has influenced them。
The literary effect of the King James version at first was less than its
social effect； but in that very fact lies a striking literary influence。 For a
long time it formed virtually the whole literature which was readily
accessible to ordinary Englishmen。 We get our phrases from a thousand
books。 The common talk of an intelligent man shows the effect of many
authors upon his thinking。 Our fathers got their phrases from one great
book。 Their writing and their speaking show the effect of that book。
It is a study by itself； and yet it is true that world literature is； as
Professor Moulton puts it； the autobiography of civilization。 〃A national
literature is a reflection of the national history。〃 Books as books reflect
their authors。 As literature they reflect the public opinion which gives
them indorsement。 When； therefore； public opinion： keeps alive a certain
group of books； there is testimony not simply to those books； but to the
public opinion which has preserved them。 The history of popular estimates
of literature is itself most interesting。 On the other hand； some writers have
been amusingly overestimated。 No doubt Edward Fitzgerald； who gave us
the 〃Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam〃 did some other desirable work； but
Professor Moulton quotes this paragraph from a popular life of Fitzgerald；
published in Dublin： 〃Not Greece of old in her palmiest daysthe Greece
of Homer and Demosthenes； of Eschylus； Euripides； and Sophocles； of
Pericles； Leonidas； and Alcibiades； of Socrates； Plato； and Aristotle； of
Solon and Lycurgus； of Apelles and Praxitelesnot even this Greece；
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prolific as she was in sages and heroes； can boast such a lengthy bead…roll
as Ireland can of names immortal in history！〃 But 〃this was for Irish
consumption。〃 And popular opinion and even critical opinion has
sometimes gone far astray in its destructive tendency。 There were
authoritative critics who declared that Wordsworth； Shelley； and Coleridge
wrote 〃unintelligible nonsense。〃 George Meredith's style； especially in his
poetry； was counted so bad that itwas not worth reading。 We are all near
enough the Browning epoch to recall how the obscurity of his style
impressed some and oppressed others。 Alfred Austin； in 1869； said that
〃Mr。 Tennyson has no sound pretensions to be called a great poet。〃
Contemporary public opinion is seldom a final gauge of strength for a
piece of literature。 It takes the test of time。 How many books we have seen
come on the stage and then pass off again！ Yet the books that have stayed
on the stage have been kept there by public opinion expressing itself in the
long run。 The social influence of the King James version； creating a public
taste for certain types of literature； tended to produce them at once。
English literature in these three hundred years has found in the Bible
three influential elements： style； language； and material。
First； the style of the King James version
