XIV

  leshipsaidtome:HasEdwinElliseversaidanythingabouttheeffectofdrinkuponmygenius?No,Ianswered.Iask,hesaid,becauseIhavealwaysthoughtthatEllishassomestrangemedisight.ThoughIhadansweredno,Ellishadonlyafewdaysbeforeusedthesewords:leshipdrankhisgeniusaway.

  Ellis,butlatelyreturnedfria,wherehehadlivedmanyyears,wasanotheroldfriendofmyfathersbutsomeyearsyouhaleshipormyfather.leshiphadfoundhissimplifyingimage,butinhispaintinghadturnedawayfromit,whileEllis,thesonofAlexanderEllis,aoncefamousmanofsce,erhapsthelastmaninEnglandtorunthecircleofthesceswithoutsuperficiality,hadneverfoundthatimageatall.Heaintera,buthispainting,whichdidnotime,showednoinfluehatofLeighton.HehadstartedperhapsacoupleofyearstoolateforPre?Raphaeliteinfluence,freatPre?Raphaelitepictureaier1870,aEnglandtoosoonforthatoftheFrenchpainters.

  Hewas,however,sometimesmovingasapoetandstillmoreoftenanastonishment.Ihaveknownhimcastsomethingjustsaidintoadozenlinesofmusicalverse,withoutapparentlyceasingtotalk;buttheworkonehecouldnotorwouldnotamendit,andmyfatherthoughthelackedallambitiohehadattimesnobilityofrhythm??aninstinctfrandeur??andafterthirtyyearsIstillrepeattomyselfhisaddresstoMotherEarth:Omotherofthehills,fiveourtowers;Omotheroftheclouds,fiveourdreamsandtherearecertainwholepoemsthatIreadfromtimetotimeortrytomakeothersread.Thereisthatpoemwherethemannerisunworthyofthematter,beinglooseandfacile,describingAdamandEvefleeingfromParadise.AdamasksEvewhatshecarriessocarefullyandEverepliesthatitisalittleoftheapplecorekeptfortheirchildren.ThereisthatvisionofChristtheLess,atoohurriedlywrittenballad,wherethehalfofChrist,sacrificedtothedivinehalfthatfledtoseekfelicity,wanderswailingthroughGolgotha;andthereisTheSaintahinwhichIdiscovernofaultatall.Helovedplexities??sevensilenceslikedlesroundherfaceisalineofhis??aherhewrotewellorillhadalwaysamanner,whichIwouldhaveknownfromthatofanyotherpoet.Hewouldsaytome,Iamamathematiwiththemathematicsleftout??hisfatherwasagreatmathemati??orAwomanoncesaidtome,"Mr.Elliswhyareyourpoemslikesums?"aainlyhelovedsymbolsandabstras.Hesaidonce,whenIhadaskedhimnottomentiohingorother,SurelyyouhavediscoveredbythistimethatIknowofnomeanswherebyImentionafaversation.

  HehadapassionforBlake,pickedupinPre?Raphaelitestudios,andearlyinouracquaintaintomyhandsascrapofnotepaperonwhichhehadwrittensomeyearsbeforeaninterpretationofthepoemthatbeginsThefieldsfromIslingtontoMarylebooPrimroseHillandSt.JohnsWoodWerebuildedoverwithpillarsofgoldAndthereJerusalemspillarsstood.

  ThefourquartersofLondonrepresentedBlakesfreatmythologicalpersoheZoas,andalsothefourelements.ThesefewsentenceswerethefoundationofallstudyofthephilosophyofWilliamBlake,thatrequiresaknowledgeforitspursuitandthattracestheebetweenhissystemandthatofSwedenborofBoehme.Ireisedcertainattributions,fromwhatissometimescalledtheChristianCabala,ofwhichEllishadneverheard,andwiththisproofthathisinterpretationwasmorethanphantasy,heandIbeganourfouryearsworkuponthePropheticBooksofWilliamBlake.WetookitasalmostasignofBlakespersonalhelpwhenwediscoveredthatthespringof1889,whenwefirstjoinedourknowledge,wasonehundredyearsfromthepublicationofTheBookofThel,thefirstpublishedofthePropheticBooks,asthoughitwerefirmlyestablishedthatthedeaddelightinanniversaries.Aftermonthsofdiscussionandreading,wemadeacordanceofallBlakesmysticalterms,andtherewasmuchcopyingtobedoheMuseum&atRedHill,wherethedesdantsofBlakesfriendandpatron,thelandscapepainter,JohnLinnell,hadmanymanuscripts.TheLinnellswerenarrowintheirreligiousideas&doubtfulofBlakesorthodoxy,whomtheyheld,however,ihonour,andIrememberatimidoldladywhohadknownBlakewhenachildsaying:Hehadverywrongideas,hedidnotbelieveioricalJesus.Oneoldmansatalwaysbesideusostensiblytosharpenourpencils,butperhapsreallytoseethatwedidnotstealthemanuscripts,andtheygaveusveryoldportatlundIhaveuponmydiningroomwallstheirpresentofBlakesDanteengravings.GoingthitheraurningElliswouldeainmebyphilosophicaldiscussion,variedwithimprovisedstories,atfirstfolktaleswhichheprofessedtohavepickedupinScotland;andthoughIhadreadandcollectedmanyfolktales,Ididhroughthedeceit.Ihaveapartialmemoryoftwomoreelaboratetales,oneofanItalianspiratorflyingbarefootfromIfetwhatadvehroughIfetwhatItaliancity,intheearlym.Fearingtnisedbyhisbarefeet,heslippedpastthesleepyporteratanhotelcallingoutnumbersoandsoasifheweresomebelatedguest.Thenpassingfrombedroomdoortodoorhetriedos,andjustashegotapairtofitavoicecriedfromtheroomWhoisthat?

  Merelyme,sir,hecalledback,takingyourboots.TheotherwasofaMartyrsBibleroundwhichthecardinalvirtueshadtakenpersonalform??thisafragmentofBlakesphilosophy.Itwasinthepossessionofanoldclergymanwheainjockeycalleduponhim,andthecardinalvirtues,fusedbetweenjockeyandclergymaedthemselvestothejockey.Aswheneverhesinnedacardinalvirtueinterferedandturnedhimbacktovirtue,helivedicreditandmade,butforoence,averyholydeath.Ashiswifeandfamilykroundinadmirationandgrief,hesuddenlysaidDamn.Omydear,saidhiswife,whatadreadfulexpression.Heanswered,Iamgoingtoheavenandstraightwaydied.Itwasalongtale,fortherewereallthejockeysvaistosin,aswellasalltheadveheclergyman,whobecameverysinfulindeed,butitendedhappily,forwhenthejockeydiedthecardinalvirtuesreturheclergyman.Ithinkhewouldtalktoanyaudieoffered,oneaudiehesameasanotherinhiseyes,anditmayhavebeenforthisreasonthatmyfathercalledhimunambitious.WhenhewasayoungmanhehadbefriendedareformedthiefandhadaskedthegratefulthieftotakehimrouhievesquartersofLondon.

  Thethief,however,hurriedhimawayfromtheworstsaying,Anothermiheywouldhavefoundyouout.IftheywerenotthestupidestmeninLondon,theyhaddonesoalready.Ellishadgohroughanodoubtromantidwittyatofallthehouseshehadrobbed,andallthethroatshehadoneshortlife.

  Hisversationwouldoftenpassoutofmyprehension,orihinkofanymans,intoalabyrinthofabstraandsubtilty,andthensuddeurnwithsomeverbalceitorturnofwit.Themindisknowntoattain,iainditionsoftrance,aquiesssoextraordinarythatwearepelledattimestoimagineaditionofunendurableintellectualiy,fromwhichwearesavedbythemercifulstupidityofthebody;&IthinkthatthemindofEdwinElliswasstantlyupontheedgeoftrancewewerediscussingthesymbolismofsex,inthephilosophyofBlake,andhadbeenindisagreementalltheafternooalkingwithanewsenseofvi,andafteramomentEllis,whowasathiseasel,threwdownhisbrushandsaidthathehadjustseenthesameexplanationinaseriesofsymbolicvisions.Inanothermoment,

  hesaid,Ishouldhavebeenoff.Wewentintotheopenairandwalkedupanddowridofthatfeeling,butpresentlywecameinagainandIbeganagainmyexplanation,Ellislyinguponthesofa.IhadbeentalkingsometimewhenMrs.Elliscameintotheroomandsaid:Whyareyousittinginthedark?Ellisanswered,Butwearenot,andthenaddedinavoiceofwohoughtthelampwaslitandthatIwassittingup,andIfindIaminthedarkandlyingdown.Ihadseenaflickeroflightovertheceiling,buthadthoughtitareflefromsomelightoutsidethehouse,whichmayhavebeenthecase.松语文学www.16sy.coM免费小说阅读

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