按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
everything concerning nature；＇30＇ art morality and life＇31＇ in two
small treatises of which twenty successive readings exhaust neither
the charm nor the sense。 Find elsewhere； if you can； a similar stroke
of power and a greater masterpiece； 〃anything more absurd and more
profound！〃＇32＇ … Such is the advantage of men of genius possessing
no control over themselves。 They lack discernment but they have
inspiration。 Among twenty works； either soiled； rough or nasty； they
produce a creation； and still better； an animated being； able to live
by itself； before which others； fabricated by merely intellectual
people； resemble simply well…dressed puppets。 … Hence it is that
Diderot is so great a narrator； a master of dialogue； the equal in
this respect of Voltaire； and； through a quite opposite talent；
believing all he says at the moment of saying it； forgetful of his
very self； carried away by his own recital； listening to inward
voices； surprised with the responses which come to him unexpectedly；
borne along； as if on an unknown river； by the current of action； by
the sinuosities of the conversation inwardly and unconsciously
developed； aroused by the flow of ideas and the leap of the moment to
the most unexpected imagery； extreme in burlesque or extreme in
magnificence； now lyrical even to providing Musset with an entire
stanza；＇33＇ now comic and droll with outbursts unheard of since the
days of Rabelais； always in good faith； always at the mercy of his
subject； of his inventions； of his emotions； the most natural of
writers in an age of artificial literature； resembling a foreign tree
which； transplanted to a parterre of the epoch； swells out and decays
on one side of its stem； but of which five or six branches； thrust out
into full light； surpass the neighboring underwood in the freshness of
their sap and in the vigor of their growth。
Rousseau also is an artisan； a man of the people； ill…adapted to
elegant and refined society； out of his element in a drawing room and；
moreover； of low birth； badly brought up； sullied by a vile and
precocious experience； highly and offensively sensual； morbid in mind
and in body； fretted by superior and discordant faculties； possessing
no tact； and carrying the contamination of his imagination；
temperament and past life into his austere morality and into his
purest idylls；＇34＇ besides this he has no fervor； and in this he is
the opposite of Diderot； avowing himself〃 that his ideas arrange
themselves in his head with the utmost difficulty； that certain
sentences are turned over and over again in his brain for five or six
nights before putting them on paper； and that a letter on the most
trifling subject costs him hours of fatigue；〃 that he cannot fall into
an easy and agreeable tone； nor succeed otherwise than 〃in works which
demand application。〃＇35＇ As an offset to this； style； in this ardent
brain； under the influence of intense； prolonged meditation；
incessantly hammered and rehammered； becomes more concise and of
higher temper than is elsewhere found。 Since La Bruyère we have seen
no more ample； virile phrases； in which anger； admiration；
indignation； studied and concentrated passion； appear with more
rigorous precision and more powerful relief。 He is almost the equal
of La Bruyère in the arrangement of skillful effects； in the aptness
and ingenuity of developments； in the terseness of impressive
summaries； in the overpowering directness of unexpected arguments； in
the multiplicity of literary achievements； in the execution of those
passages of bravura； portraits； descriptions； comparisons； creations；
wherein； as in a musical crescendo； the same idea； varied by a series
of yet more animated expressions； attains to or surpasses； at the last
note； all that is possible of energy and of brilliancy。 Finally； he
has that which is wanting in La Bruyère； his passages are linked
together； he is not a writer of pages but of books； no logician is
more condensed。 His demonstration is knitted together； mesh by mesh；
for one； two and three volumes like a great net without an opening in
which； willingly or not； we remain caught。 He is a systematizer who；
absorbed with himself； and with his eyes stubbornly fixed on his own
reverie or his own principle； buries himself deeper in it every day；
weaving its consequences off one by one； and always holding fast to
the various ends。 Do not go near him。 Like a solitary； enraged
spider he weaves this out of his own substance； out of the most
cherished convictions of his brain and the deepest emotions of his
heart。 He trembles at the slightest touch； ever on the defensive； he
is terrible；＇36＇ beside himself；＇37＇ even venomous through suppressed
exasperation and wounded sensibility； furious against an adversary；
whom he stifles with the multiplied and tenacious threads of his web；
but still more redoubtable to himself than to his enemies； soon caught
in his own meshes；＇38＇ believing that France and the universe conspire
against him； deducing with wonderful subtlety the proofs of this
chimerical conspiracy； made desperate； at last； by his over…plausible
romance； and strangling in the cunning toils which； by dint of his own
logic and imagination； he has fashioned for himself。
With such weapons one might accidentally kill oneself； but one is
strongly armed。 Rousseau was well equipped； at least as powerful as
Voltaire； it may be said that the last half of the eighteenth century
belongs to him。 A foreigner； a Protestant； original in temperament；
in education； in heart； in mind and in habits； at once misanthropic
and philanthropic； living in an ideal world constructed by himself；
entirely opposed to the world as it is； he finds himself standing in a
new position。 No one is so sensitive to the evils and vices of actual
society。 No one is so affected by the virtues and happiness of the
society of the future。 This accounts for his having two holds on the
public mind； one through satire and the other through the idyll。 …
These two holds are undoubtedly slighter at the present day； the
substance of their grasp has disappeared； we are not the auditors to
which it appealed。 The famous discourse on the influence of
literature and on the origin of inequality seems to us a collegiate
exaggeration； an effort of the will is required to read the 〃 Nouvelle
Hélo？se。〃 The author is repulsive in the persistency of his
spitefulness or in the exaggeration of his enthusiasm。 He is always
in extremes； now moody and with knit brows； and now streaming with
tears and with arms outstretched to Heaven。 Hyperbole； prosopopaeia；
and other literary machinery are too often and too deliberately used
by him。 We are tempted to regard him now as a sophist making the best
use of his arts； now as a rhetorician cudgeling his brains for a
purpose； now as a preacher becoming excited； that is to say； an actor
ever maintaining a thesis； striking an attitude and aiming at effects。