XV

  Ihadalreadymetmostofthepoetsofmygeion.Ihadsaid,soohepublicationofTheWanderingsofUsheen,totheeditorofaseriesofshillingreprints,whohadsetmetopiletalesoftheIrishfairies,Iamgrowingjealousofotherpoets,andwewillallgrowjealousofeachotherunlessweknoweachotherandsofeelashareineachotherstriumph.HewasaWelshman,latelyaminingengineer,ErRhys,awriterofWelshtranslationsandinalpoemsthathaveoftenmovedmegreatlythoughIthinkofnooneelsewhohasreadthem.Hewasseveyearsolderthanmyselfandthroughhisworkaseditorkneweverybodywhowouldpileabookforsevepounds.BetweenuswefouheRhymersClubwhieyearswastomeeteverynightinanupperroomwithasandedfloorinanaeatinghouseirandcalledTheCheshireCheese.LionelJohnson,ErDowson,VictorPlarr,ErRadford,JohnDavidson,RichardleGallie.W.Rolleston,SelwynImageandtwomenofaneion,EdwinEllisandJohnTodhunter,camestantlyforatime,ArthurSymonsandHerbertHomelessstantly,whileWilliamWatsonjoinevercameandFrancisThompsoncameoneverjoined;andsometimes,ifwemetinaprivatehouse,whichwedidoccasionally,OscarWildecame.IthadbeenuselesstoiotheCheshireCheeseforhehatedBohemia.OliveSchreiner,hesaidoome,isstayingiEndbecausethatistheonlyplacewherepeopledonotwearmasksupontheirfaces,butIhavetoldherthatIliveiEndbecausenothingierestsmebutthemask.

  Wereadourpoemstooherandtalkedcriticismanddrankalittlewine.IsometimessaywhenIspeakoftheclub,Wehadsudsuchideas,sudsuchaquarrelwiththegreatVictoriabeforeussudsuchaims,asthoughwehadmanyphilosophicalideas.IsaythisbecauseIamashamedtoadmitthatIhadtheseideasandthatwheneverIbegantotalkofthemagloomysilencefellupontheroom.AyoungIrishpoet,whowroteexcellentlybuthadtheworstmanners,wastosayafewyearslater,Youdonottalklikeapoet,youtalklikeamaers;andifalltherhymershadnotbeenpolite,ifmostofthemhadoOxfordorCambridge,theywouldhavesaidthesamething.Iwasfullofthought,oftenveryabstractthought,longingallthewhiletobefullofimages,becauseIhadgoheartschoolinsteadofauy.

  YetevenifIhadgooauy,andlearnedalltheclassicalfoundationsofEnglishliteratureandEnglishculture,allthatgreateruditionwhiceaccepted,freesthemindfromrestlessness,IshouldhavehadtogiveupmyIrishsubjectmatter,orattempttofouradition.LagsuffitreisedpretImustneedsfindoutsomereasonforallIdid.Iknewalmostfromthestartthattooverflowwithreasonswastobenotquitewell?born,andwhenIcouldIhidthem,asmenhideadisagreeableary;andthattherewasnohelpforit,seeingthatmytrywasnotbornatall.Iwasofthosedoomedtoimperfectachievement,andunderacurse,asitwere,likesomeraceofbirdspelledtospeime,neededforthemakingofthe,inargumentastothevenienossandtwigandli.LeGallienneandDavidson,andevenSymons,wereprovincialattheirsettingout,buttheirprovincialismwascurable,mineincurable;whiletheonevisharedbyalltheyoungermen,butprincipallybyJohnsonandHorne,whoimposedtheirpersonalitiesuponus,ositiontoallideas,allgeneralisationsthatbeexplainedaed.E...freshfromPariswouldsometimessay??Weareedwithnothingbutimpressions,

  butthatitselfwasageneralisationastonysilence.versationstantlydwioDoyoulikesoandsoslastbook?No,Ipreferthebookbeforeit,andIthinkthatbutforitsIrishmembers,whosaidwhatevercameintotheirheads,theclubwouldnothavesurviveditsfirstdifficultmonths.Iknew??nowashamedthatIthoughtlikeamaers,noeratedattheirindifferehefashionoftheirownriverbed??thatSwinburneinoneway,Browninginanother,andTennysoninathird,hadfilledtheirhatIcalledimpurities,curiositiesaboutpolitics,aboutsce,abouthistory,abion;andthatwemustcreateoncemorethepurework.

  Ourclotheswereforthemostpartuurouslikeourversation,thoughIindeedworeabroweencoat,aloosetieandaveryoldInvernesscape,discardedbymyfathertwentyyearsbeforeandpreservedbymySligo?bornmotherwhoseaswereunreasoningandhabitualliketheseasons.Butnoothermemberoftheclub,exceptLeGallienne,whoworealoosetie,andSymons,whohadanInvernesscapethatwasquitene;almostfashionable,wouldhaveshownhimselffortheworldinanyebutthatofanEnglishgentleman.Oneshouldbequiteunnoticeable,Johnsonexplaiome.Thosewhoedmostcarefullytothefashionintheirclothesgenerallydepartedfurthestfromitintheirhand?writing,whichwassmall,andstudied,o??whichIfet??havingfoundedhisuponthehandwritingofGeeHerbert.DowsonandSymonsIwastokerinlateryearswhenSymonsbecameaverydearfriend,andIbehindJohnDavidsonsScottishroughnessandexasperation,thoughIsawmu,butfromthefirstIdevotedmyselftoLionelJohnson.HeandHorneandImageawootherssharedaman?servantandanoldhouseinCharlotteStreet,FitzroySquare,typicalfiguresoftransition,doingasanachievementoflearningandofexquisitetastewhattheirpredecessorsdidincarelessabundance.AllwerePre?Raphaelite,andsometimesonemightmeetintheroomsofoheraraggedfigure,asofsomefallendynasty,SimeonSolomon,thePre?Raphaelitepainter,ohefriendofRossettiandofSwinburfreshnowfromsomelowpublichouse.oalongtermofimprisoforacriminaloffence,hehadsunkintodrunkennessandmisery.Introduenight,however,tosomemanwhomistookhim,inthedimdlelight,foranotherSolomon,asuccessfulacademiterandR.A.,hestartedtohisfeetinaragewithSir,doyoudaretomistakemeforthatmountebank?Thoughnotonehadharkehefeeblestcaw,orbeenspatteredbythesmallestdroppingfromanyHuxley,Tyndall,CarolusDuran,Bastien?Lepagebundleofoldtwigs,Ibeganbysuspegthemoflukewarmness,andevenbacksliding,andIoweittothatsuspithatIneverbecameintimatewithHorne,wholivedtobeethegreatestEnglishauthorityuponItaliahefourteeuryandtowritetheoandardworkonBotticelli.oisseurinseveralarts,hehaddesignedalittlechurthemannerofInigoJonesforaburialgrouheMarbleArch.

  ThoughInowthinkhislittlechurchamasterpiece,itsstylewasmorethaurytoolatetohitmyfancyattwoorthreeay;andIaccusedhimofleaningtowardsthateighteeuryThattaughtaschoolOfdoltstosmooth,inlay,andclip,andfitTill,likethecertainwandsofJacobswit,Theirversestallied.

  Anotherfanaticismdelayedmyfriendshipwithtwomen,whoarenowmyfriendsandiainmattersmychiefinstructors.Somebody,probablyLionelJohnshtmetothestudioofCharlesRickettsandCharlesShannoainlyheirsofthegreatgeion,andthefirstthingIsawwasaShannonpictureofaladyandchildarrayedinlace,silkandsatin,suggestingthathatedtury.MyeyeswerefullofsomemoremythologicalmotherandchildandIwouldhave,andItoldShannonthathehadnotpaintedamotherandchildbutelegantpeopleexpegvisitorsandIthoughtthatagreatreproaebodywritinginTheGermhadsaidthatapictureofapheasantandanapplewasmerelyapictureofsomethi,andIwassoangrywiththeindiffereosubject,whichwastheonplaceofallartcriticismsiien?Lepage,thatIcouldattimesseenothingelsebutsubject.Ithoughtthat,thoughitmightnotmattertothemanhimselfwhetherhelovedawhitewomanorablack,afemalepickpocketularunitoftheChurchofEngland,ifonlyhelovedstrongly,itcertainlydidmattertohisrelationsandevenundersomecircumstaohiswholeneighbourhood.Sometimesindeed,likesomefatherinMoliere,Iigheloversfeelingsaltogetherandevenrefusedtoadmitthatatraceofthedevil,perhapsatraceofaylendpiquancy,especiallyiftheebenotperma.

  Amongthesemen,ofwhomsomanyofthegreatesttaleolivesuchpassionatelivesanddiesuchtragicdeaths,onesereneman,T.W.Rolleston,seemedalwaysoutofplace.ItwasIbroughthimthere,intendingtosethimtosomeworkinIrelandlateron.IhaveknownyoungDublinwmenslipoutoftheirworkshoptoseethesedThomasDavispassingby,andevenrememberaspiracy,bysomethreeorfour,tomakehimtheleaderoftheIrishraceathome&abroad,andallbecausehehadregularfeatures;andwhenallissaid,AlexaheGreat&Alcibiadeswerepersonablemen,andtheFouheChristianreligionwastheonlymanwhowasheralittletootallnoralittletooshortbutexactlysixfeethigh.WeinIrelandthoughtasdotheplaysandballads,notuandingthat,fromthefirstmomentwhereinnatureforesawthebirthofBastien?Lepage,shehasonlygrantedgreatcreativepowertomenwhosefacesaretortedwithextravaganceorcuriosityordulledwithsomeprotegstupidity.

  Ihadallthosewhoweretomaketheiesofthelastturytragithehistoryofliterature,butasyetwewereallseeminglyequal,whetheriorinludscarceevenpersonalitiestooher.IremembersayingonenightattheCheshireCheese,whesthanusualhade,Noneofussaywhowillsucceed,orevenwhohasorhasnottalent.Theonlythiainaboutusisthatwearetoomany.松语文学www.16sy.coM免费小说阅读

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