study of the king james bible(钦印〈圣经〉研究)-第34章
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era in England than his。 Alton Locke and Yeast are epoch… making books
in the life of the common people of England。 Even Hypatia； which is
supposed to have been written to represent entirely pagan surroundings； is
full of Bible phrases and ideas。
Lord Macaulay had been held up for many a day as one of the masters
of style。 Such great writing is not to be traced to any one influence。 It
could not have been easy to write as Macaulay wrote。 Thackeray may
have exaggerated in saying that Macaulay read twenty books to write a
sentence； and traveled a hundred miles to make a description； but all his
writing shows the power of taking infinite pains。 It becomes the more
important； therefore； that Macaulay held the Bible in such estimate as he
did。 〃In calling upon Lady Holland one day； Lord Macaulay was led to
bring the attention of his fair hostess to the fact that the use of the word
'talent' to mean gifts or powers of the mind； as when we speak of men of
talent； came from the use of the word in Christ's parable of the talents。 In a
letter to his sister Hannah he describes the incident； and says that Lady
Holland was evidently ignorant of the parable。 'I did not tell her；' he adds；
'though I might have done so； that a person who professes to be a critic in
the delicacies of the English language ought to have the Bible at his
fingers' ends。' 〃 That Macaulay practised his own preaching you would
quickly find by referring to his essays。 Take three sentences from the
Essay on Milton： 〃The principles of liberty were the scoff of every
growing courtier； and the Anathema Maranatha of every fawning dean。 In
every high place worship was paid to Charles and James； Belial and
Moloch； and England propitiated these obscene and cruel idols with the
blood of her best and brightest children。 Crime succeeded to crime； and
disgrace to disgrace； until the race； accursed of God and man； was a
second time driven forth to wander on the face of the earth and to be a by…
word and a shaking of the head to the nations。〃 In three sentences here are
six allusions to Scripture。 In that same essay； in the paragraphs on the
Puritans； the allusions are a multitude。 They are not even quoted。 They are
taken for granted。 In his Essay on Machiavelli； though the subject does not
suggest it； he falls into Scriptural phrases over and over。 Listen to this； 〃A
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time was at hand when all the seven vials of the Apocalypse were to be
poured forth and shaken out over those pleasant countries〃； or this； 〃All
the curses pronounced of old against Tyre seemed to have fallen on Venice。
Her merchants already stood afar off lamenting for their great city〃； or this；
〃In the energetic language of the prophet； Machiavelli was mad for the
sight of his eyes which he saw。〃
And if Macaulay is baffling in the abundance of material； surely John
Ruskin is worse。 Carlyle's English style ran into excess of roughness；
Macaulay's ran into excess of balance and delicacy。 John Ruskin's
continued to be the smoothest； easiest style in our English literature。 He
also was a Hebraic spirit； but of the gentler type。 Mr。 Chapman calls him
the Elisha to Carlyle's； Elijah； a capital comparison。＇1＇ Ruskin is one of
the few writers who have told us what formed their style。 In the first
chapter of Praeterita he pays tribute to his mother。 He himself chose to
read Walter Scott and Pope's Homer； but he says： 〃My mother forced me
by steady daily toil to learn long chapters of the Bible by heart； as well as
to read it； every syllable aloud； hard names and all； from Genesis to the
Apocalypse about once a year； and to that discipline patient； accurate；
and resoluteI owe not only a knowledge of the Book which I find
occasionally serviceable； but much of my general power of taking pains
and the best part of my taste in literature。〃 He thinks reading Scott might
have led to other novels of a poorer sort。 Reading Pope might have led to
Johnson's or Gibbon's English； but 〃it was impossible to write entirely
superficial and formal English〃 while he knew 〃by heart the thirty… second
of Deuteronomy； the fifteenth of I Corinthians； the One hundred and
nineteenth Psalm； or the Sermon on the Mount。〃 In the second chapter of
Praeterita he is even more explicit。 〃I have next with deeper gratitude to
chronicle what I owed to my mother for the resolute persistent lessons
which so exercised me in the Scripture； as to make every word of them
familiar in my ear as habitual music； yet in that familiarity reverenced as
transcending all thought and ordering all conduct。〃 He tells how his
mother drilled him。 As soon as he could read she began a course of Bible
work with him。 They read alternate verses from the Genesis to the
Revelation； names and all。 Daily he had to commit verses of the Scripture。
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He hated the One hundred and nineteenth Psalm most； but he lived to
cherish it most。 In his old Bible he found the list of twenty…six chapters
taught by his mother。
＇1＇ English Literature in Account with Religion。
Not only was Ruskin well trained in the Bible； but he was a great
teacher of it。 In his preface to the Crown of Wild Olives he answers his
critics by saying he has used the Book for some forty years。 〃My endeavor
has been uniformly to make men read it more deeply than they do； trust it；
not in their own favorite verses only； but in the sum of it all； treat it not as
a fetish or a talisman which they are to be saved by daily repetition of； but
as a Captain's order； to be held and obeyed at their peril。〃 In the
introduction to the Seven Lamps of Architecture he urges that we are in no
danger of too much use of the Bible。 〃We use it most reverently when
most habitually。〃 Many of Ruskin's most striking titles come straight out
of the Scripture。 Crown of Wild Olives； Seven Lamps； Unto this Lastall
these are suggested by the Bible。
It is almost superfluous to speak of Robert Louis Stevenson。 John
Kelman has written a whole book on the religion of Stevenson； and it is
available for all readers。 He was raised by Cummy； his nurse； whose
library was chiefly the Bible； the shorter catechism； and the Life of Robert
Murray McCheyne。 He said that the fifty…eighth chapter of Isaiah was his
special chapter； because it so repudiated cant and demanded a self…denying
beneficence。 He loved Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress； but 〃the Bible most
stood him in hand。〃 Every great story or essay shows its influence。 He was
not critical with it； he did not understand it； he did not interpret it fairly；
but he felt it。 His Dr。 Jekyll and Mr。 Hyde is only his way of putting into
modern speech Paul's old distinction between the two men who abide in
each of us。 They told him he ought not to work in Samoa； and he replied
that he could not
