登陆注册
5422300000050

第50章 SMOLLETT(5)

"Yes, spite of thine insulting foe, My sympathising verse shall flow."The "Tears" are better than the "Ode to Blue-Eyed Ann," probably Mrs. Smollett. But the courageous author of "The Tears of Scotland," had manifestly broken with patrons. He also broke with Rich, the manager at Covent Garden, for whom he had written an opera libretto. He had failed as doctor, and as dramatist; nor, as satirist, had he succeeded. Yet he managed to wear wig and sword, and to be seen in good men's company. Perhaps his wife's little fortune supported him, till, in 1748, he produced "Roderick Random." It is certain that we never find Smollett in the deep distresses of Dr. Johnson and Goldsmith. Novels were now in vogue;"Pamela" was recent, "Joseph Andrews" was yet more recent, "Clarissa Harlowe" had just appeared, and Fielding was publishing "Tom Jones." Smollett, too, tried his hand, and, at last, he succeeded.

His ideas of the novel are offered in his preface. The Novel, for him, is a department of Satire; "the most entertaining and universally improving." To Smollett, "Roderick Random" seemed an "improving" work! Ou le didacticisme va t'il se nicher? Romance, he declares, "arose in ignorance, vanity, and superstition," and declined into "the ludicrous and unnatural." Then Cervantes "converted romance to purposes far more useful and entertaining, by making it assume the sock, and point out the follies of ordinary life." Romance was to revive again some twenty years after its funeral oration was thus delivered. As for Smollett himself, he professedly "follows the plan" of Le Sage, in "Gil Blas" (a plan as old as Petronius Arbiter, and the "Golden Ass" of Apuleius); but he gives more place to "compassion," so as not to interfere with "generous indignation, which ought to animate the reader against the sordid and vicious disposition of the world." As a contrast to sordid vice, we are to admire "modest merit" in that exemplary orphan, Mr. Random. This gentleman is a North Briton, because only in North Britain can a poor orphan get such an education as Roderick's "birth and character require," and for other reasons.

Now, as for Roderick, the schoolmaster "gave himself no concern about the progress I made," but, "should endeavour, with God's help, to prevent my future improvement." It must have been at Glasgow University, then, that Roderick learned "Greek very well, and was pretty far advanced in the mathematics," and here he must have used his genius for the belles lettres, in the interest of his "amorous complexion," by "lampooning the rivals" of the young ladies who admired him.

Such are the happy beginnings, accompanied by practical jokes, of this interesting model. Smollett's heroes, one conceives, were intended to be fine, though not faultless young fellows; men, not plaster images; brave, generous, free-living, but, as Roderick finds once, when examining his conscience, pure from serious stains on that important faculty. To us these heroes often appear no better than ruffians; Peregrine Pickle, for example, rather excels the infamy of Ferdinand, Count Fathom, in certain respects; though Ferdinand is professedly "often the object of our detestation and abhorrence," and is left in a very bad, but, as "Humphrey Clinker"shows, in by no means a hopeless way. Yet, throughout, Smollett regarded himself as a moralist, a writer of improving tendencies;one who "lashed the vices of the age." He was by no means wholly mistaken, but we should probably wrong the eighteenth century if we accepted all Smollett's censures as entirely deserved. The vices which he lashed are those which he detected, or fancied that he detected, in people who regarded a modest and meritorious Scottish orphan with base indifference. Unluckily the greater part of mankind was guilty of this crime, and consequently was capable of everything.

Enough has probably been said about the utterly distasteful figure of Smollett's hero. In Chapter LX. we find him living on the resources of Strap, then losing all Strap's money at play, and then "I bilk my taylor." That is, Roderick orders several suits of new clothes, and sells them for what they will fetch. Meanwhile Strap can live honestly anywhere, while he has his ten fingers. Roderick rescues himself from poverty by engaging, with his uncle, in the slave trade. We are apt to consider this commerce infamous. But, in 1763, the Evangelical director who helped to make Cowper "a castaway," wrote, as to the slaver's profession: "It is, indeed, accounted a genteel employment, and is usually very profitable, though to me it did not prove so, the Lord seeing that a large increase of wealth could not be good for me." The reverend gentleman had, doubtless, often sung -"Time for us to go, Time for us to go, And when we'd got the hatches down, 'Twas time for us to go!"Roderick, apart from "black ivory," is aided by his uncle and his long lost father. The base world, in the persons of Strap, Thompson, the uncle, Mr. Sagely, and other people, treats him infinitely better than he deserves. His very love (as always in Smollett) is only an animal appetite, vigorously insisted upon by the author. By a natural reaction, Scott, much as he admired Smollett, introduced his own blameless heroes, and even Thackeray could only hint at the defects of youth, in "Esmond." Thackeray is accused of making his good people stupid, or too simple, or eccentric, and otherwise contemptible. Smollett went further:

同类推荐
  • 医方集宜

    医方集宜

    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。
  • 太上洞玄灵宝智慧礼赞

    太上洞玄灵宝智慧礼赞

    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。
  • 杨氏字辈

    杨氏字辈

    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。
  • 华阳巾

    华阳巾

    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。
  • 明伦汇编交谊典师弟部

    明伦汇编交谊典师弟部

    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
  • 日本父母这样教孩子负责

    日本父母这样教孩子负责

    你的孩子会做家务吗?你的孩子爱锻炼身体吗?你的孩子懂社交礼仪吗?你的孩子懂团队合作吗?……如果以上的问题,你的回答都是否定的,那么,你会不会因此而焦头烂额,不知所措呢?可是,为什么日本父母却能应付得从容不迫呢?难道他们有什么教子的秘诀吗?《日本父母这样教孩子负责》就是能够解答你上面的疑惑。本书从八个方面来说,希望能够给广大中国父母以参考和借鉴,使中国父母在家庭教育中出现的问题得以更好地解决,进而顺利地培养孩子的独立能力、抗挫折能力、创新能力和团队合作精神等,让每一个孩子都能成为一个有责任心、自律的人。
  • 狂芸傲世

    狂芸傲世

    ————南宫玉儿————有着前世记忆,棕色的眼眸千朝回盼,万载流芳。淑逸闲华,恬静贤淑,兰心蕙性,是京城第一美人是也————南宫问天————翩翩公子,英俊不凡,却又终日气若游丝,面色苍白一次殇变,一改形象,权倾天下,只为复仇————柳傲云————一袭红衣,墨发飞扬,紫眸妖艳,却风流天下登峰造极的武功,玩世不恭的性格,只为铸就他的世界然就在他们笑惊天下,翻手为云,覆手为雨之间,谁又能想到他们竟是同一个人?世间风化尽在于她!!看风云人物如何玩转异世!!第一卷:楔子之穿越篇第二卷:云涌之儿时篇第三卷:崛起之成长篇第四卷:天变之朝廷篇第五卷:华丽之终结篇入v每千字三分钱,不贵哦。。❤❤❤❤❤友情推荐❤❤❤❤❤【拯救女儿国】月下波笔【傲世嫣然】沫氏嫣然【剩女也撩人】沧浪水【梦里婚礼】vimil【家有狼妖】瑾悠伊一的女儿国:http://wkkk.net/1938078可以在那里留言哦,伊一回去看滴偶的群开通了哦!【狂想厅】:34350506。更新情况等都会群里发布滴。。
  • 许你来生再爱

    许你来生再爱

    意外的相遇让俩人结识,相伴。说好了的此生不离,说了好的,毕业就结婚。可后来的他们还是被现实拆散,分离.....“陌荒年,你是我此生可遇不可求”“乔淼淼,如果有来生我在娶你好不好?”
  • RAMONA

    RAMONA

    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。
  • 喵了个咪2

    喵了个咪2

    《喵了个咪Ⅱ》把猫写得妙趣横生,引人捧腹,猫的性格呼之欲出,仿佛一篇篇寓言,不仅有猫生活,还有猫社会,说的是猫道理,实际又是人道理。这里面有对猫的细致观察,也有对猫深刻的爱和依赖,有养猫的经验和常识,也有和猫厮混的快乐和幸福。
  • 雪花那个飘

    雪花那个飘

    1977年的冬天,北国下了一场多年不遇的大雪,知青赵长天在高考途中胃病发作无法行进,暗恋他的乡村女教师刘翠翠费尽心力,在最后一刻跌跌撞撞将赵长天背进考场,结果耽误了自己的高考。赵长天如愿以偿走进大学校门,而刘翠翠黯然神伤地返回山村……
  • 重生之大明摄政王

    重生之大明摄政王

    明末时节,满清雄起于关外;流贼起于关内,祸乱天下。崇祯,皇太极、多尔衮、李自成、张献忠……多少帝王将相,英雄豪杰,问鼎逐鹿!他以共和国军人的身份,穿越明朝,以大明军人之身,力挽狂澜,总兵天下,摄政大明,重塑中华!
  • 博弈心理学

    博弈心理学

    弗洛伊德曾说过:“任何人都无法保守他内心的秘密。即使他的嘴巴保持沉默,但他的指尖却喋喋不休,甚至他的每一个毛孔都会背叛他。”本书既是一本通俗易懂而又不失准确深刻的心理学读物,同时又为读者提供了一种全新而又实用的博弈论思维。
  • 风尘

    风尘

    没课的时候,雪芹老往山上跑。她跑时,头也不回,身后目光如织。雪芹是个小学老师。学校趴在山脚,两排房子,红砖黑瓦。校长五十多,姓陶,长得也似陶,黑又糙,猛一看还以为一把紫砂壶成了精。陶校长此刻也打量着雪芹。看到她的两瓣屁股甩出漂亮的弧线,陶校长狠咽了几回口水,头昏眼花了,就骂小苏。小苏是雪芹的男友,公办教师。小苏此刻正凝视着女友的背影,名正言顺的,招谁惹谁了?陶校长斥道:小苏!你个没用的东西!你就不怕她跑出毛病来?她只是个代课的,老这样莫名其妙的,下学期我开了她!小苏一听慌了神,拔腿就追。
  • 洛少的倾城影后

    洛少的倾城影后

    【温情似水卷】看到他和女人过度亲密的走在一起,她在拍卖会上一郑亿金,发泄怒火,事后她弱弱的问他:“我是不是太败家了。”某人微笑的答:“不会,我挣钱不给我老婆花给谁花,老婆不生气了吧,要是还生气,再拿我的卡去刷,刷爆为止,只要你高兴。”某女感动的扑进对方怀中,某男美人在怀,一夜涟漪。【娇妻如虎卷】“小洛洛,今天你家青梅出马找上门,说你们曾经海誓山盟、私定终身。”某女语气不善。某男正在愉快的啃着某女人的脖子,漫不经心道:“哦,你怎么回答的。”“我说你是我孩子的爸,早被我吃抹干净,让她有多远滚多远。”某男骄傲的道:“老婆回答的很好,那我们再给儿子添个妹妹吧。”说完,果断的扑倒、吃抹干净。