登陆注册
5406800000263

第263章 LEIGH HUNT(5)

The morality of the Country Wife and the Old Bachelor is the morality, not, as Mr.Charles Lamb maintains, of an unreal world, but of a world which is a great deal too real.It is the morality, not of a chaotic people, but of low town-rakes, and of those ladies whom the newspapers call "dashing Cyprians."And the question is simply this, whether a man of genius who constantly and systematically endeavours to make this sort of character attractive, by uniting it with beauty, grace, dignity, spirit, a high social position, popularity, literature, wit, taste, knowledge of the world, brilliant success in every undertaking, does or does not make an ill use of his powers.We own that we are unable to understand how this question can be answered in any way but one.

It must, indeed, be acknowledged, in justice to the writers of whom we have spoken thus severely, that they were to a great extent the creatures of their age, And if it be asked why that age encouraged immorality which no other age would have tolerated, we have no hesitation in answering that this, great depravation of the national taste was the effect of the prevalence of Puritanism under the Commonwealth.

To punish public outrages on morals and religion is unquestionably within the competence of rulers.But when a government, not content with requiring decency, requires sanctity, it oversteps the bounds which mark its proper functions.And it may be laid down as a universal rule that a government which attempts more than it ought will perform less.Alawgiver who, in order to protect distressed borrowers, limits the rate of interest, either makes it impossible for the objects of his care to borrow at all, or places them at the mercy of the worst class of usurers.A lawgiver who, from tenderness for labouring men, fixes the hours of their work and the amount of their wages, is certain to make them far more wretched than he found them.And so a government which, not content with repressing scandalous excesses, demands from its subjects fervent and austere piety, will soon discover that, while attempting to render an impossible service to the cause of virtue, it has in truth only promoted vice.

For what are the means by which a government can effect its ends?

Two only, reward and punishment; powerful means, indeed, for influencing the exterior act, but altogether impotent for the purpose of touching the heart.A public functionary who is told that he will be promoted if he is a devout Catholic, and turned out of his place if he is not, will probably go to mass every morning, exclude meat from his table on Fridays, shrive himself regularly, and perhaps let his superiors know that he wears a hair shirt next his skin.Under a Puritan government, a person who is apprised that piety is essential to thriving in the world will be strict in the observance of the Sunday, or, as he will call it, Sabbath, and will avoid a theatre as if it were plague-stricken.Such a show of religion as this the hope of gain and the fear of loss will produce, at a week's notice, in any abundance which a government may require.But under this show, sensuality, ambition, avarice, and hatred retain unimpaired power, and the seeming convert has only added to the vices of a man of the world all the still darker vices which are engendered by the constant practice of dissimulation.The truth cannot be long concealed.The public discovers that the grave persons who are proposed to it as patterns are more utterly destitute of moral principle and of moral sensibility than avowed libertines.

It sees that these Pharisees are farther removed from real goodness than publicans and harlots.And, as usual, it rushes to the extreme opposite to that which it quits.It considers a high religious profession as a sure mark of meanness and depravity.On the very first day on which the restraint of fear is taken away, and on which men can venture to say what they think, a frightful peal of blasphemy and ribaldry proclaims that the short-sighted policy which aimed at making a nation of saints has made a nation of scoffers.

It was thus in France about the beginning of the eighteenth century.Lewis the Fourteenth in his old age became religious: he determined that his subjects should be religious too: he shrugged his shoulders and knitted his brows if he observed at his levee or near his dinner-table any gentleman who neglected the duties enjoined by the Church, and rewarded piety with blue ribands, invitations to Marli, governments, pensions, and regiments.

Forthwith Versailles became, in everything but dress, a convent.

The pulpits and confessionals were surrounded by swords and embroidery.The Marshals of France were much in prayer; and there was hardly one among the Dukes and Peers who did not carry good little books in his pocket, fast during Lent, and communicate at Easter.Madame de Maintenon, who had a great share in the blessed work, boasted that devotion had become quite the fashion.Afashion indeed it was; and like a fashion it passed away.No sooner had the old king been carried to St.Denis than the whole Court unmasked.Every man hastened to indemnify himself, by the excess of licentiousness and impudence, for years of mortification.The same persons who, a few months before, with meek voices and demure looks, had consulted divines about the state of their souls, now surrounded the midnight table where, amidst the bounding of champagne corks, a drunken prince, enthroned between Dubois and Madame de Parabere, hiccoughed out atheistical arguments and obscene jests.The early part of the reign of Lewis the Fourteenth had been a time of licence; but the most dissolute men of that generation would have blushed at the orgies of the Regency.

同类推荐
  • 普济本事方续集

    普济本事方续集

    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。
  • 无依道人录

    无依道人录

    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。
  • 稚川真人校证术

    稚川真人校证术

    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。
  • 大鹤山人词话

    大鹤山人词话

    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。
  • 太上虚皇保生神咒经

    太上虚皇保生神咒经

    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。
热门推荐
  • 嫡女归之弃天下

    嫡女归之弃天下

    前世,她为了父亲的死而刻意忽略了同样爱她的妈妈。这一世,她来到一个陌生的世界,陌生的亲人,还有……陌生的他。她是醉仙居的公子非羽,是南阳国的清华公主,是夏木国丞相的嫡女。欧阳玄影说,她给了他野心,是她说得到天下就可以得到所有想要的东西,可他……得到了天下,却得不到她。何安归说,智者千虑终有一失,他谋尽天下却谋不得她的心,或许她就是他命定的那一失。陌上尘说,他爱她,会在她身后等她厌倦人世烦扰、暮然回首时,他会在原处浅浅一笑,带她一同离开。他们都有话说,可偏偏……她心中那个人无话可说,那个人……只愿给她所有她想要的。林家嫡女归来,搅动江山平和。
  • 复仇公主的王子殿下

    复仇公主的王子殿下

    她受不了继母和妹妹的折磨,离家出走。十年后,她拥有了世界上遥不可及的地位,坐上了女王的宝座,还是人人恭谨的公主殿下。为了报仇,她去了灵翼贵族学院,遇到了人人称赞的王子殿下。一开始,他们都看彼此不顺眼,互相使坏对付对方。后来,他们又想在一切。别人想阻碍?没门!
  • 青春的我们已不在

    青春的我们已不在

    没有谁是完美的,但在自己的眼中永远都是最好的,只是时光匆匆,又有谁会在意那不经意的一句话,喜欢……还是不要轻易说出口好一些,不然……心也会万劫不复的。
  • 进阶游戏系统

    进阶游戏系统

    召唤游戏人物,召唤建筑。从人到神,从我的空间到我的世界。ps:烂尾了。。。勿入。。。
  • 国学全知道

    国学全知道

    “国学”是个宽泛的名词,但是不论你如何分类,都会把儒家与道家列为重点。我们的国家,历史悠久,文化灿烂,不输于任何一个民族。今天,随着国势的上升,我们自然要大力弘扬国学,向世界推介国学。成为文化大国才是真正的强国。在经济全球化背景下,作为一个中国人,我们不能不了解国学。一个人如果对本民族的文化都知之甚少,语焉不详,那岂不汗颜?《国学全知道》这部书,内容极其广泛,伦理道德,礼仪民俗、经史子集,琴棋书画,无所不包,是一部提升国学修养、丰富知识储备的理想读本!
  • 爱你是我最甜的时光

    爱你是我最甜的时光

    慕心尘觉得自己真是倒霉,四年前被老公无情赶出家门,现在又被这个和前老公长得一模一样的小叔子接回家给她已逝的老公守寡,好吧,她认命……只是这好像跟她想像中有些不一样,不凄凉,不无助,还有个极品帅男人对她从头到脚的照顾。夜里男人霸道欺身而上,强势入侵。“不要,你不能这么无耻,我要改嫁。”“想改嫁,下辈子吧。”两本红本本甩在她面前,她目瞪口呆,她什么时候和他结婚了。男人再次霸气压倒:“你说我无耻,那你不是把全天下所有的男人都骂进去了……”
  • 女总裁的神级佣兵

    女总裁的神级佣兵

    激情和热血是本书的主旋律!他,身世成迷,被国家所弃。她,美艳聪绝,却红颜多舛。令人闻风丧胆的一代‘杀神’回归都市,成为天才美女总裁的贴身佣兵,是命运的安排,还是人为的设计?陈奇成为挥手搅动都市风云,轻松纵横四方无敌的强人。
  • 玉玲珑

    玉玲珑

    她只是堡里的一名普通的花匠。可他却说她就是当年那个背叛了他的人。她只想好好地侍弄花草,养大孩子,再给娘亲养老送终。他却不放过她,他的那些女人们同样也不放过她。她真的是当年的那个她?还只是一个不幸的替身?
  • 破局者

    破局者

    当年的自私与懦弱意会惹来杀身之祸,在见义勇为与明哲保身之间我们应该如何选择?每一宗罪案都是一个迷局,而谁又是那个破解迷局的人……
  • 禅林宝训

    禅林宝训

    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。