登陆注册
5406800000279

第279章 THE LIFE AND WRITINGS OF ADDISON(1)

(July 1843)

The Life of Joseph Addison.BY LUCY AIKIN.2 vols.8vo.London:

1843.

SOME reviewers are of opinion that a lady who dares to publish a book renounces by that act the franchises appertaining to her sex, and can claim no exemption from the utmost rigour of critical procedure.From that opinion we dissent.We admit, indeed, that in a country which boasts of many female writers, eminently qualified by their talents and acquirements to influence the public mind, it would be of most pernicious consequence that inaccurate history or unsound philosophy should be suffered to pass uncensured, merely because the offender chanced to be a lady.But we conceive that, on such occasions, a critic would do well to imitate the courteous Knight who found himself compelled by duty to keep the lists against Bradamante.

He, we are told, defended successfully the cause of which he was the champion; but, before the fight began, exchanged Balisarda for a less deadly sword, of which he carefully blunted the point and edge.[Orlando Furioso, xiv.68.]

Nor are the immunities of sex the only immunities which Miss Aikin may rightfully plead.Several of her works, and especially the very pleasing Memoirs of the Reign of James the First have fully entitled her to the privileges enjoyed by good writers.One of those privileges we hold to be this, that such writers, when, either from the unlucky choice of a subject, or from the indolence too often produced by success, they happen to fail, shall not be subjected to the severe discipline which it is sometimes necessary to inflict upon dunces and impostors, but shall merely be reminded by a gentle touch, like that which the Laputan flapper roused his dreaming lord, that it is high time to wake.

Our readers will probably infer from what we have said that Miss Aikin's book has disappointed us.The truth is, that she is not well acquainted with her subject.No person who is not familiar with the political and literary history of England during the reigns of William the Third, of Anne, and of George the First, can possibly write a good life of Addison.

Now, we mean no reproach to Miss Aikin, and many will think that we pay her a compliment, when we say that her studies have taken a different direction.She is better acquainted with Shakspeare and Raleigh, than with Congreve and Prior; and is far more at home among the ruffs and peaked beards of Theobalds than among the Steenkirks and flowing periwigs which surrounded Queen Anne's tea-table at Hampton.She seems to have written about the Elizabethan age, because she had read much about it; she seems, on the other hand, to have read a little about the age of Addison, because she had determined to write about it.The consequence is that she has had to describe men and things without having either a correct or a vivid idea of them, and that she has often fallen into errors of a very serious kind.The reputation which Miss Aikin has justly earned stands so high, and the charm of Addison's letters is so great, that a second edition of this work may probably be required.If so, we hope that every paragraph will be revised, and that every date and fact about which there can be the smallest doubt will be carefully verified.

To Addison himself we are bound by a sentiment as much like affection as any sentiment can be which is inspired by one who has been sleeping a hundred and twenty years in Westminster Abbey.We trust, however, that this feeling will not betray us into that abject idolatry which we have often had occasion to reprehend in others, and which seldom fails to make both the idolater and the idol ridiculous.A man of genius and virtue is but a man.All his powers cannot be equally developed; nor can we expect from him perfect self-knowledge.We need not, therefore, hesitate to admit that Addison has left us some compositions which do not rise above mediocrity, some heroic poems hardly equal to Parnell's, some criticism as superficial as Dr.Blair's, and a tragedy not very much better than Dr.Johnson's.It is praise enough to say of a writer that, in a high department of literature, in which many eminent writers have distinguished themselves, he has had no equal; and this may with strict justice be said of Addison.

As a man, he may not have deserved the adoration which he received from those who, bewitched by his fascinating society, and indebted for all the comforts of life to his generous and delicate friendship, worshipped him nightly, in his favourite temple at Button's.But, after full inquiry and impartial reflection, we have long been convinced that he deserved as much love and esteem as can be justly claimed by any of our infirm and erring race.Some blemishes may undoubtedly be detected in his character; but the more carefully it is examined, the more will it appear, to use the phrase of the old anatomists, sound in the noble parts, free from all taint of perfidy, of cowardice, of cruelty, of ingratitude, of envy.Men may easily be named, in whom some particular good disposition has been more conspicuous than in Addison.But the just harmony of qualities, the exact temper between the stern and the humane virtues, the habitual observance of every law, not only of moral rectitude, but of moral grace and dignity, distinguish him from all men who have been tried by equally strong temptations, and about whose conduct we possess equally full information.

同类推荐
  • A Far Country

    A Far Country

    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。
  • 黄帝内经素问

    黄帝内经素问

    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。
  • 阿毗达磨俱舍论

    阿毗达磨俱舍论

    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。
  • 羽林恩召观御书王太

    羽林恩召观御书王太

    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。
  • 淡水厅志

    淡水厅志

    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
  • 轻重乙

    轻重乙

    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。
  • 三国人物攻略:亦正亦邪看曹操

    三国人物攻略:亦正亦邪看曹操

    曹操,一个被反复提及的名字。人们喜欢用忠绝关云长、智绝诸葛亮这两个骨灰级大众偶像来和他PK;以此显示他没有关羽真诚厚道,没有孔明料事如神。以他之短比人之长,对于曹爷来说,非常不公平。作者笔下的曹操到底是怎样的呢?
  • 男神黑化日常

    男神黑化日常

    每个世界,明冷都是女扮男装的大反派,她的工作任务就是针对男主,打压男主,欺负他,蹂躏他,伺机干掉他…一句话简介:反派和男主相爱相杀的那些年。要黑化的是我,男主你干嘛?
  • 女炮灰的忠犬

    女炮灰的忠犬

    比穿成女配更悲催的,恐怕是发现自己被利用完就赐死的命运了。逆天改命什么的臣妾做不到啊。果然自己是个炮灰命么……咦,等等……你这刺客哪里来的?什么?你说你是……作者?【情节虚构,请勿模仿】
  • 在后台的后台

    在后台的后台

    《在后台的后台》收入了韩少功的主要作品,占发表总量的七八成左右。借此次结集出版机会,作者对其中部分作品做了修订。我投入文学写作已三十年。回顾身后这些零散足迹,不免常有惶愧之感。以我当年浓厚的理科兴趣和自学成果,当一个工程师或医生大概是顺理成章的人生前景。如果不是“文革”造成的命运抛掷,我是不大可能滑入写作这条路的。我自以为缺乏为文的禀赋,也不大相信文学的神力,拿起笔来不过是别无选择,应运而为,不过是心存某种积郁和隐痛,难舍某种长念和深愿,便口无遮拦地不平则鸣。
  • 坠落千年之寻辰

    坠落千年之寻辰

    坠落深渊的少女,撞上腹黑帝家双生子,从此乱了江湖,惊了朝堂……风起云涌后,往事如烟散了,你我是否还能重回那幽幽竹林小苑
  • 山上有个鬼第一卷山

    山上有个鬼第一卷山

    大人物有大人物的传说,小人物也有小人物的故事……山卷——忘魂篇—好啊,我们私奔吧,我带你去远方,带你去看最美丽的风景……鬼将军篇—你可以抛弃你的慈悲,抛弃你的软弱……因为战场上不需要那些东西,战场上只需要活下去……金翅魔王篇—王座之上,除了孤独,只剩寂寥……黑帝篇—黑色的帝王,掉落了凡尘北羽篇—北方有佳人,黑背白肚剪刀尾玉玄篇—那三个拿砍柴刀劈出来的奇丑无比的字……蛇舞篇—江湖有多远?江湖在……你我之间道史篇—历史都是由活着的人写的不是吗?红妆—总有一天你也会遇到那个命中注定的人,你会为他穿上嫁衣,你们幸福快乐,也许还会给你们的孩子讲讲从前有座山,山上有个鬼的故事……繁世卷鬼卷前传——陌
  • 贾平凹纪事

    贾平凹纪事

    作者眼见为实的一手资料,给你一个不一样的贾平凹!侧重于二十世纪九十年代十年间贾平凹主要经历和重大事件的记述,浓墨于有关贾平凹创作的《废都》《白夜》《高老庄》等主要作品创作、争鸣、出版、遭禁,以及贾氏的生活片段,三毛在去世前最后一封信就是写给贾平凹的……
  • 执著就是成功

    执著就是成功

    执著是一种生命不息、奋斗不止的英雄本色。执著是一种面对艰辛困苦而不放弃的人生态度。执著的人是敢于在逆境中与命运抗争的奋斗者、拓荒者、献身者。成功最终属于在失败中坚持、在困境中思考、在挑战中执著的勇士。让我们为执著喝彩吧!为执著喝彩,就是为奋斗着的生命喝彩!
  • 海洋:直通大海的深处

    海洋:直通大海的深处

    当我们看见浩瀚无边的海洋时,也许会禁不住思考:在很久很久以前,海洋是怎样形成的呢?大约在46亿年前,宇宙中不断出现一些大大小小的星云团块。它们一边绕太阳旋转,一边自转。它们在运动过程中,彼此之间不断地碰撞,有些团块结合在了一起,由小变大,逐渐形成原始的地球。