study of the king james bible(钦印〈圣经〉研究)-第31章
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were written to be sung。 They demand far more than a passing knowledge
of the Bible both for their writing and their understanding。 There is a long
list of them； but no one without a knowledge of the Bible would have
known what he meant by his poem； 〃The Harp the Monarch Minstrel
Swept。〃 〃Jephtha's Daughter〃 presumes upon a knowledge of the Old
Testament story which would not come to one in a passing study of the
Bible。 〃The Song of Saul Before his Last Battle〃 and the poem headed
〃Saul〃 could not have been written； nor can they be read intelligently by
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any one who does not know his Bible。 Among Byron's dramas； two of
which he thought most； were； 〃Heaven and Earth〃 and 〃Cain。〃 When he
was accused of perverting the Scripture in 〃Cain；〃 he replied that he had
only taken the Scripture at its face value。 Both of the dramas are not only
built directly out of Scriptural events； but imply a far wider knowledge of
Scripture than their mere titles suggest。
＇1＇ Taine； English Literature； II。； 279。
There are striking references in many other poems； even in his almost
vile poem； 〃Don Juan。〃 The most notable instance is in the fifteenth canto；
where he is speaking of persecuted sages and these lines occur：
〃Was it not so； great Locke？ and greater Bacon？ Great Socrates？
And Thou Diviner still； Whose lot it is by men to be mistaken； And
Thy pure creed made sanction of all ill？ Redeeming worlds to be by
bigots shaken； How was Thy toil rewarded？〃
In a note on this passage Byron says： 〃As it is necessary in these times
to avoid ambiguity； I say that I mean by 'Diviner still' Christ。 If ever God
was manor man GodHe was both。 I never arraigned His creed； but the
use or abuse of it。 Mr。 Canning one day quoted Christianity to sanction
slavery； and Mr。 Wilberforce had little to say in reply。 And was Christ
crucified that black men might be scourged？ If so； He had better been born
a mulatto； to give both colors an equal chance of freedom； or at least
salvation。〃 Byron could live far from the influence of the Bible in his
personal life； but he never escaped its influence in his literary work。
Of Coleridge less needs to be said； because we think of him so much
in terms of his more meditative musings； which are often religious。 He
himself tells of long and careful rereadings of the English Bible until he
could say： In the Bible 〃there is more that finds me than I have
experienced in all other books together； the words of the Bible find me at
greater depths of my being。〃 Of course； that would influence his writing；
and it did。 Even in the 〃Rime of the Ancient Mariner〃 much of the
phraseology is Scriptural。 When the albatross drew near；
〃As if it had been a Christian soul； We hailed it in God's name。〃
When the mariner slept he gave praise to Mary； Queen of Heaven。 He
sought the shriving of the hermit…priest。 He ends the story because he
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hears 〃the little vesper bell〃 which bids him to prayer。 When you read his
〃Hymn Before Sunrise in the Vale of Chamounix〃 you find yourself
reading the Nineteenth Psalm。 He calls on the motionless torrents and the
silent cataracts and the great Mont Blanc itself to praise God。 Coleridge
never had seen Chamounix； nor Mont Blanc； nor a glacier； but he knew his
Bible。 So he has his Christmas Carol along with all the rest。 His poem of
the Moors after the Civil War under Philip II。 is Scriptural in its
phraseology； and so is much else that he wrote。 Frankly and willingly he
yielded to its influence。 In his 〃Table Talk〃 he often refers to the value of
the Bible in the forming of literary style。 Once he said： 〃Intense study of
the Bible will keep any writer from being vulgar in point of style。〃＇1＇
＇1＇ June 14； 1830。
The very mention of Coleridge makes one think of Wordsworth。 They
had a Damon and Pythias friendship。 The Wordsworths were poor； they
had only seventy pounds a year； and they were not ashamed。 Coleridge
called them the happiest family he ever saw。 Wordsworth was not
narrowly a Christian poet； he was not always seeking to put Christian
dogma into poetry； but throughout he was expressing the Christian spirit
which he had learned from the Bible。 His poetry was one long protest
against banishing God from the universe。 It was literally true of him that
〃the meanest flower that grows can give thoughts that too often lie too
deep for tears。〃 If this were the time to be critical； one would think that too
much was sometimes made of very minute occurrences； but this tendency
to get back of the event and see how God is moving is learned best from
Scripture； where Wordsworth himself learned it。 If you read his
〃Intimations of Immortality；〃 or the 〃Ode to Duty；〃 or 〃Tintern Abbay；〃 or
even the rather labored 〃Excursion；〃 you find yourself under the Scriptural
influence。
There remains in this Georgian group the great prose master； Walter
Scott。 Mr。 Gladstone said he thought Scott the greatest of his countrymen。
John Morley suggested John Knox instead。 Mr。 Gladstone replied： 〃No；
the line must be drawn firmly between the writer and the man of action
no comparison there。〃＇1＇ He went on to say that Burns is very fine and
true； no doubt； 〃but to imagine a whole group of characters； to marshal
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them； to set them to work； and to sustain the action； I must count that the
test of highest and most diversified quality。〃 All who are fond of Scott will
realize how constantly the scenes which he is describing group themselves
around religious observances； how often men are held in check from deeds
of violence by religious conception。 Many of these scenes crystallize
around a Scriptural event。 Scott's boyhood was spent in scenes that
reminded him of the power the Scripture had。 He was drilled from his
childhood in the knowledge of its words and phrases； and while his
writing as a whole shows more of the Old Testament influence than of the
New； even in his style he is strongly under Bible influence。
＇1＇ Morley； Life of Gladstone； vol。 iii； p。 424。
The preface to Guy Mannering tells us it is built around an old story
of a father putting a lad to test under guidance of an ancient astrologer；
shutting him up in a barren room to be tempted by the Evil One； leaving
him only one safeguard； a Bible； lying on the table in the middle of the
room。 In his introduction to The Heart of Midlothian； Scott makes one of
the two men thrown into the water by the overturned coach remind the
other that they 〃cannot complain； like Cowley； that Gideon's fleece
remains dry while all around is moist； this is the r
