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had arrived at years of indiscretion。
Even to the end of his career at Cambridge he was not aware that he
had it in him to do anything； but others had begun to see that he
was not wanting in ability and sometimes told him so。 He did not
believe it； indeed he knew very well that if they thought him clever
they were being taken in； but it pleased him to have been able to
take them in； and he tried to do so still further； he was therefore
a good deal on the look…out for cants that he could catch and apply
in season； and might have done himself some mischief thus if he had
not been ready to throw over any cant as soon as he had come across
another more nearly to his fancy； his friends used to say that when
he rose he flew like a snipe； darting several times in various
directions before he settled down to a steady straight flight； but
when he had once got into this he would keep to it。
CHAPTER XLVI
When he was in his third year a magazine was founded at Cambridge；
the contributions to which were exclusively by undergraduates。
Ernest sent in an essay upon the Greek Drama； which he has declined
to let me reproduce here without his being allowed to re…edit it。 I
have therefore been unable to give it in its original form； but when
pruned of its redundancies （and this is all that has been done to
it） it runs as follows …
〃I shall not attempt within the limits at my disposal to make a
resume of the rise and progress of the Greek drama； but will confine
myself to considering whether the reputation enjoyed by the three
chief Greek tragedians； AEschylus； Sophocles and Euripides； is one
that will be permanent； or whether they will one day be held to have
been overrated。
〃Why； I ask myself； do I see much that I can easily admire in Homer；
Thucydides； Herodotus； Demosthenes； Aristophanes； Theocritus； parts
of Lucretius； Horace's satires and epistles； to say nothing of other
ancient writers； and yet find myself at once repelled by even those
works of AEschylus； Sophocles and Euripides which are most generally
admired。
〃With the first…named writers I am in the hands of men who feel； if
not as I do； still as I can understand their feeling； and as I am
interested to see that they should have felt； with the second I have
so little sympathy that I cannot understand how anyone can ever have
taken any interest in them whatever。 Their highest flights to me
are dull； pompous and artificial productions； which； if they were to
appear now for the first time； would； I should think； either fall
dead or be severely handled by the critics。 I wish to know whether
it is I who am in fault in this matter； or whether part of the blame
may not rest with the tragedians themselves。
〃How far I wonder did the Athenians genuinely like these poets； and
how far was the applause which was lavished upon them due to fashion
or affectation？ How far； in fact； did admiration for the orthodox
tragedians take that place among the Athenians which going to church
does among ourselves？
〃This is a venturesome question considering the verdict now
generally given for over two thousand years； nor should I have
permitted myself to ask it if it had not been suggested to me by one
whose reputation stands as high； and has been sanctioned for as long
time as those of the tragedians themselves； I mean by Aristophanes。
〃Numbers； weight of authority； and time； have conspired to place
Aristophanes on as high a literary pinnacle as any ancient writer；
with the exception perhaps of Homer； but he makes no secret of
heartily hating Euripides and Sophocles； and I strongly suspect only
praises AEschylus that he may run down the other two with greater
impunity。 For after all there is no such difference between
AEschylus and his successors as will render the former very good and
the latter very bad； and the thrusts at AEschylus which Aristophanes
puts into the mouth of Euripides go home too well to have been
written by an admirer。
〃It may be observed that while Euripides accuses AEschylus of being
'pomp…bundle…worded；' which I suppose means bombastic and given to
rodomontade； AEschylus retorts on Euripides that he is a 'gossip
gleaner； a describer of beggars； and a rag…stitcher；' from which it
may be inferred that he was truer to the life of his own times than
AEschylus was。 It happens； however； that a faithful rendering of
contemporary life is the very quality which gives its most permanent
interest to any work of fiction； whether in literature or painting；
and it is a not unnatural consequence that while only seven plays by
AEschylus； and the same number by Sophocles； have come down to us；
we have no fewer than nineteen by Euripides。
〃This； however； is a digression； the question before us is whether
Aristophanes really liked AEschylus or only pretended to do so。 It
must be remembered that the claims of AEschylus； Sophocles and
Euripides； to the foremost place amongst tragedians were held to be
as incontrovertible as those of Dante； Petrarch； Tasso and Ariosto
to be the greatest of Italian poets； are held among the Italians of
to…day。 If we can fancy some witty； genial writer； we will say in
Florence； finding himself bored by all the poets I have named； we
can yet believe he would be unwilling to admit that he disliked them
without exception。 He would prefer to think he could see something
at any rate in Dante； whom he could idealise more easily； inasmuch
as he was more remote； in order to carry his countrymen the farther
with him； he would endeavour to meet them more than was consistent
with his own instincts。 Without some such palliation as admiration
for one； at any rate； of the tragedians； it would be almost as
dangerous for Aristophanes to attack them as it would be for an
Englishman now to say that he did not think very much of the
Elizabethan dramatists。 Yet which of us in his heart likes any of
the Elizabethan dramatists except Shakespeare？ Are they in reality
anything else than literary Struldbrugs？
〃I conclude upon the whole that Aristophanes did not like any of the
tragedians； yet no one will deny that this keen； witty； outspoken
writer was as good a judge of literary value； and as able to see any
beauties that the tragic dramas contained as nine…tenths； at any
rate； of ourselves。 He had； moreover； the advantage of thoroughly
understanding the standpoint from which the tragedians expected
their work to be judged； and what was his conclusion？ Briefly it
was little else than this； that they were a fraud or something very
like it。 For my own part I cordially agree with him。 I am free to
confess that with the exception perhaps of some of the Psalms of
David I know no writings which seem so little to deserve their
reputation。 I do not know that I should particularly mind my
sisters reading them； but I will take good care never to read them
myself。〃
This last bit about the Psalms was awful； and there was a great
fight with the editor as to whether or no it should be allowed to
stand。 Ernest himself was frightened at it； but he had once heard
someone say that the Psalms were many of them very poor； and on
looking at them more closely； a