登陆注册
5184700000018

第18章 LITERATURE:THE ATHENAEUM

Of all forms of public life,in the Talking Era,it was clear that only one completely suited Sterling,--the anarchic,nomadic,entirely aerial and unconditional one,called Literature.To this all his tendencies,and fine gifts positive and negative,were evidently pointing;and here,after such brief attempting or thoughts to attempt at other posts,he already in this same year arrives.As many do,and ever more must do,in these our years and times.This is the chaotic haven of so many frustrate activities;where all manner of good gifts go up in far-seen smoke or conflagration;and whole fleets,that might have been war-fleets to conquer kingdoms,are _consumed_(too truly,often),amid "fame"enough,and the admiring shouts of the vulgar,which is always fond to see fire going on.The true Canaan and Mount Zion of a Talking Era must ever be Literature:the extraneous,miscellaneous,self-elected,indescribable _Parliamentum_,or Talking Apparatus,which talks by books and printed papers.

A literary Newspaper called _The Athenaeum_,the same which still subsists,had been founded in those years by Mr.Buckingham;James Silk Buckingham,who has since continued notable under various figures.Mr.Buckingham's _Athenaeum_had not as yet got into a flourishing condition;and he was willing to sell the copyright of it for a consideration.Perhaps Sterling and old Cambridge friends of his had been already writing for it.At all events,Sterling,who had already privately begun writing a Novel,and was clearly looking towards Literature,perceived that his gifted Cambridge friend,Frederic Maurice,was now also at large in a somewhat similar situation;and that here was an opening for both of them,and for other gifted friends.The copyright was purchased for I know not what sum,nor with whose money,but guess it may have been Sterling's,and no great sum;--and so,under free auspices,themselves their own captains,Maurice and he spread sail for this new voyage of adventure into all the world.It was about the end of 1828that readers of periodical literature,and quidnuncs in those departments,began to report the appearance,in a Paper called the _Athenaeum,of_writings showing a superior brilliancy,and height of aim;one or perhaps two slight specimens of which came into my own hands,in my remote corner,about that time,and were duly recognized by me,while the authors were still far off and hidden behind deep veils.

Some of Sterling's best Papers from the _Athenaeum_have been published by Archdeacon Hare:first-fruits by a young man of twenty-two;crude,imperfect,yet singularly beautiful and attractive;which will still testify what high literary promise lay in him.The ruddiest glow of young enthusiasm,of noble incipient spiritual manhood reigns over them;once more a divine Universe unveiling itself in gloom and splendor,in auroral firelight and many-tinted shadow,full of hope and full of awe,to a young melodious pious heart just arrived upon it.Often enough the delineation has a certain flowing completeness,not to be expected from so young an artist;here and there is a decided felicity of insight;everywhere the point of view adopted is a high and noble one,and the result worked out a result to be sympathized with,and accepted so far as it will go.Good reading still,those Papers,for the less-furnished mind,--thrice-excellent reading compared with what is usually going.For the rest,a grand melancholy is the prevailing impression they leave;--partly as if,while the surface was so blooming and opulent,the heart of them was still vacant,sad and cold.Here is a beautiful mirage,in the dry wilderness;but you cannot quench your thirst there!The writer's heart is indeed still too vacant,except of beautiful shadows and reflexes and resonances;and is far from joyful,though it wears commonly a smile.

In some of the Greek delineations (_The Lycian Painter_,for example),we have already noticed a strange opulence of splendor,characterizable as half-legitimate,half-meretricious,--a splendor hovering between the raffaelesque and the japannish.What other things Sterling wrote there,I never knew;nor would he in any mood,in those later days,have told you,had you asked.This period of his life he always rather accounted,as the Arabs do the idolatrous times before Mahomet's advent,the "period of darkness."

同类推荐
  • 家传女科经验摘奇

    家传女科经验摘奇

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 艇斋小集

    艇斋小集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 外储说左上

    外储说左上

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 蜀王本纪

    蜀王本纪

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • On the First Principles of Government

    On the First Principles of Government

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 继承了一个帝国

    继承了一个帝国

    开局一座小村庄,缓缓的接收一个帝国的遗产,最终整压一方,东守,西征开创一个庞大的军事帝国!
  • 冷月如刀

    冷月如刀

    冷月如刀砍落花,落花笑我太卑贱……一见如故,再见陌路……曾经的恋人,曾经的你,昔日和你一起看过的风景,都已成泡影……相识、相知、相爱、相恨,到最后都不过是一场黄粱梦……
  • 江湖豪侠传之剑领天下

    江湖豪侠传之剑领天下

    北宋初年,天下初定,百废待兴,然民间习武之风正盛,从武职业者不计其数,这样的局面已经维持了三十多年。这注定是一个伟大的时代,而我便是这伟大时代里渺小的一份子,看我宋圆宝怎样闯出一片不一样的天地!
  • 奇零集:郁达夫作品精选

    奇零集:郁达夫作品精选

    本书是感悟文学大师经典,本套丛书选文广泛、丰富,且把阅读文学与掌握知识结合起来,既能增进广大读者阅读经典文学的乐趣,又能使我们体悟人生的智慧和生活哲理。本套图书格调高雅,知识丰富,具有极强的可读性、权威性和系统性,非常适合广大读者阅读和收藏,也非常适合各级图书馆装备陈列。
  • 系统培养游戏

    系统培养游戏

    苏远穿越了,但是被关了小黑屋。获得了系统,功能却是给人发系统的。系统派,主神空间,轮回公司,还有其他各个派系在各个世界搞风搞雨。苏远只能暂时躲在小黑屋里默默做着准备……
  • 天才源自刻意练习:通向成功的高效学习法

    天才源自刻意练习:通向成功的高效学习法

    《天才源自刻意练习:通向成功的高效学习法》揭示了杰出成就者的秘密,总结了刻意练习的6大特征,以及3种模式:音乐模式、国际象棋模式、体育模式,还特别介绍了一些通过刻意练习而获得成就的人物。如果你想成为沃伦·巴菲特、杰克·韦尔奇、莫扎特、温斯顿·丘吉尔这样的人,就必须坚持不懈地刻意练习,学会如何对结果进行分析,如何从失败中吸取教训。只要按照科学的方法进行练习,每个人都有可能获得成功,而不是仅仅取决于你的智商或者是情商。科尔文提出刻意练习的成功法则不仅适用于科学、音乐、艺术、商业领域,就是谈判、理财等技能,也同样可以依此方法来获得,帮助你脱离无效学习,突破自我极限,迈向人生更高阶位。
  • 人本欲生经

    人本欲生经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 宝带桥

    宝带桥

    “中国古代科技史话”在深入挖掘和整理中华优秀传统文化成果的同时,结合社会发展,注入了时代精神。书中优美生动的文字、简明通俗的语言、图文并茂的形式,把中国文化中的物态文化、制度文化、行为文化、精神文化等知识要点全面展示给读者。
  • 南柯扰梦

    南柯扰梦

    软萌高梦,温雅南柯。一个狡诈腹黑少女,一个安静温雅少年!扇南柯,他温柔绅士很安静。高梦,她软萌撒娇时是猫,刁蛮霸道时是妖。她本想瞧瞧自家高老师上课时是什么样子,骗一少年说手疼,却不曾想被少年拨弄了心弦。她拆穿他暗恋她,他惊慌失措到逃离现场,一个在爱中偷偷试探小心翼翼,一个在被爱中张牙舞爪肆无忌惮······
  • 凤策天下,毒医逆天嫡小姐

    凤策天下,毒医逆天嫡小姐

    她是罪臣之女,被送入有着“魔狱”之称的皇宫,成为最卑贱的女奴。在这般嗜血之地,生存不易,步步踏血,斩荆披棘,才终获一线生机!他是她幽默风趣的难得知己,两人一见如故。是她在冰冷皇宫内的唯一温暖。而他却又是人称最阴狠手辣的四皇子,如同死神般的存在,为达目的不择手段!她以为遇上他是这辈子的温暖,而当真实身份揭露,却面临家仇与情愫的两难。那么究竟哪个才是真正的他?生存艰难,世人冷漠。九州百川,茫茫人海,却无她真正立足之地?