第　一　章 引論：莫爾的歷史著作和風(fēng)格

英國(guó)散文始于何時(shí)？這是文學(xué)史家感興趣的問題。

一般說來，散文的起始遲于韻文。最初的詩歌實(shí)際是遠(yuǎn)古叢林里、大海邊、高山上人們宣泄情感的呼叫，是口頭的；散文則是用來講道理、記事、翻譯宗教及其它經(jīng)典等等的，是書面的，要等書面文字形成一個(gè)體系才能出現(xiàn)。從這個(gè)意義上說，散文是文明的產(chǎn)物。

許多民族的早期文學(xué)選本，總是詩歌的比例大大超過散文，也許原因就在這里。

英國(guó)散文的特殊情況還在于：它經(jīng)歷了三個(gè)語言時(shí)期，即古英語、中古英語、近代英語。三種語言有聯(lián)系，然而差別很大，在古英語、中古英語時(shí)期，散文收獲似乎不及韻文，而散文中的重要著作還是用拉丁文寫的，比德的《英國(guó)人民宗教史》就是一例。所以用拉丁文，是因?yàn)樗菤W洲知識(shí)分子共有的文字，用它便于交流思想和學(xué)術(shù)，且不說作者想替自己建立全歐的聲譽(yù)了。

遲至十六世紀(jì)，已是近代英語時(shí)期，培根還用拉丁文寫他的哲學(xué)著作，只在他認(rèn)為次要作品的《隨筆》里，他才用了英語。

但是事情的另一面卻是在每個(gè)時(shí)期，都有人堅(jiān)持用本土語言寫作。這些有志之士當(dāng)中，第一個(gè)重要的是九世紀(jì)的阿爾弗雷特國(guó)王（King Alfred）。他為了振興本土學(xué)術(shù)，組織人——并且親自動(dòng)手——把一些拉丁文著作譯成了古英語。對(duì)此，凱爾（W. P. Ker）教授曾說：

那位偉大的國(guó)王常遭被除名的危險(xiǎn)，然而政治史和文學(xué)史都少不了他，而英國(guó)的文學(xué)史同政治史一樣是前后連貫的。^〔1〕

這個(gè)“前后連貫”論是有爭(zhēng)議的，但是凱爾的繼任者、也是倫敦大學(xué)英國(guó)文學(xué)教授的錢伯斯（R. W. Chambers）不僅堅(jiān)持此說，而且把由阿爾弗雷特開始的英國(guó)散文傳統(tǒng)從九世紀(jì)延伸到了十六世紀(jì)，并指出其中的關(guān)鍵人物是莫爾。

湯瑪斯·莫爾（Thomas More, 1478—1535）是英國(guó)文藝復(fù)興的重要人物，其名著《烏托邦》（1516）是用拉丁文寫的，但是他也用英文寫了《理查三世史》（1543, 1557）。從此書和莫爾的其它英文著作，錢伯斯引了大量例子，說明莫爾在敘事、辯論、寫對(duì)話等方面的能力，以及在形成《圣經(jīng)》英文譯本中的影響，結(jié)論是：

莫爾是發(fā)展出一種有力的散文的第一個(gè)英國(guó)人，這種散文適合他的時(shí)代的一切用途：有雄辯力量，有戲劇性，多樣化。莫爾的散文既善辯論，又善敘述，能夠構(gòu)筑出有持續(xù)說服力的段落，又能迅捷地開展對(duì)話，時(shí)而活潑，口語化，時(shí)而精雕細(xì)刻，甚至近乎綺麗。這當(dāng)中有些方面已是當(dāng)時(shí)的英文所能做到，……但是莫爾是第一個(gè)具有能滿足十六世紀(jì)英國(guó)的一切要求的散文風(fēng)格的人。當(dāng)時(shí)英國(guó)特別缺乏一樣?xùn)|西。別的作家……能夠掌握雄辯文和說明文的風(fēng)格，而那時(shí)英國(guó)最需要的是一種能把當(dāng)代事件用生動(dòng)、有戲劇性的敘述文體記錄下來的散文風(fēng)格。^〔2〕

莫爾提供了這樣的風(fēng)格；不僅如此，批評(píng)家還發(fā)現(xiàn)他的《理查三世史》是“一個(gè)精心設(shè)計(jì)、細(xì)心完成的整體，比例恰當(dāng)，無懈可擊”。^〔3〕錢伯斯還進(jìn)而論述莎士比亞的歷史劇《理查三世史》也得益于莫爾的這部同名史書。^〔4〕

既然如此，讓我們讀讀莫爾的文章本身。這里是《理查三世史》的一個(gè)片段，是關(guān)于已故國(guó)王愛德華四世的情婦琪恩·肖厄的：

From The History of King Richard Ⅲ

A King's Mistress¹

Now then, bye and bye, as it were for anger not for covetise², the Protector sent into the house of Shore's wife (for her husband dwelled not with her) and spoiled her of all that ever she had, above the value of two or three thousand marks³, and sent her body to prison. And when he had a while laid unto her for the manner' sake⁴, that she went about to bewitch him, and that she was of counsel with the Lord Chamberlain⁵to destroy him; in conclusion when that no color⁶could fasten upon these matters, then he laid heinously to her charge that thing that herself could not deny, that all the world wist was true, and that natheles⁷every man laughed at to hear it then so suddenly so highly taken, that she was naught of her body.⁸And for this cause (as a goodly continent prince clean and faultless of himself, sent out of heaven into this vicious world for the amendment of men's manners) he caused the Bishop of London to put her to open penance, going before the cross in procession upon a Sunday with a taper in her hand.⁹In which she went in countenance and pace demure, so womanly, and albeit she were out of all array save her kirtle only¹⁰, yet went she so fair and lovely, namely while the wondering of the people cast a comely rud in her checks (of which she before had most miss)¹¹that her great shame won her much praise among those that were more amorous of her body than curious of¹²her soul. And many good folk also that hated her living and glad were to see sin corrected, yet pitied they more her penance than rejoiced therein when they considered that the Protector procured it, more of a corrupt intent than any virtuous affection.¹³

This woman was born in London, worshipfully friended, honestly brought up, and very well married, saving somewhat too soon, her husband an honest citizen, young and goodly and of good substance. But forasmuch as they were coupled ere she were well ripe, she not very fervently loved for whom she never longed. Which was haply¹⁴the thing that the more easily made her incline unto the King's appetite when he required¹⁵her. Howbeit that respect of his royalty, the hope of gay apparel, ease, pleasure and other wanton wealth was able soon to pierce a soft tender heart. But when the king had abused her, anon¹⁶her husband (as he was an honest man and one that could his good,¹⁷not presuming to touch a King's concubine) left her up to him altogether. When the king died, the Lord Chamberlain took her, which in the King's days, albeit he was sore¹⁸enamored upon her, yet he forbare her, either for reverence or for a certain friendly faithfulness. Proper¹⁹she was, and fair: nothing in her body that you would have changed, but if you would have wished her somewhat higher. Thus say they that knew her in her youth. Albeit some that now see her (for yet she liveth) deem her never to have been well visaged. Whose judgment seemeth me somewhat like as though men should guess the beauty of one long before departed by her scalp taken out of the charnel house;²⁰for now she is old, lean, withered and dried up, nothing left but rivelled²¹skin and hard bone. And yet being even such, whoso well advise²²her visage might guess and devise which parts how filled might make it a fair face. Yet delighted men not so much in her beauty as in her pleasant behavior. For a proper wit had she, and could both read well and write, merry in company, ready and quick of answer, neither mute nor full of babble, sometime taunting without displeasure and not without disport.²³The King would say that he had three concubines, which in three divers²⁴properties diversly excelled: one the merriest, one the wiliest, and one the holiest harlot in his realm, as one whom no man could get out of the church lightly²⁵to any place but it were to his bed. The other two were somewhat greater personages, and natheles²⁶of their humility content to be nameless and to forbear the praise of those properties. But the merriest was this Shore's wife, in whom the King therefore took special pleasure. For many he had, but her he loved, whose favor,²⁷to say the truth, (for sin it were to belie the devil) she never abused to any man's hurt, but to many a man's comfort and relief. Where the King took displea-sure, she would mitigate and appease his mind. Where men were out of favor, she would bring them in his grace. For many that had highly offended, she attained pardon. Of great forfeitures she gat men remission.²⁸And finally in many weighty suits, she stood many men in great stead, either for none or very small rewards, and those rather gay than rich, either for that she was content with the deed'²⁹self well done, or for that she delighted to be sued unto and to show what she was able to do with the king, or for that wanton women and wealthy be not always covetous.

I doubt not some shall think this woman so slight a thing to be written of and set among the remembrances of great matters, which they shall specially think that haply shall esteem her only by that³⁰they now see her. But me seemeth³¹the chance so much the more worthy to be remembered, in how much she is now in the more beggarly condition, unfriended and worn out of acquaintance,³²after good substance, after as great favor with the prince, after as great suit³³and seeking to with all those that those days had business to speed, as many other men were in their times, which be now famous only by the infamy of their ill deeds. Her doings were not much less, albeit they be much less remembered, because they were not so evil. For men use if they have an evil turn to write it in marble; and whoso doth us a good turn, we write it in dust, which is not worst proved³⁴by her; for at this day she beggeth of many at this day living, that at this day had begged if she had not been.

1. Jane Shore, wife of a London merchant and mistress of the late king, Edward Ⅳ, persecuted by Richard Duke of Gloucester, "the Protector" during the minority of Edward's sons. After their mysterious death in the Tower of London he ascended the throne as Richard Ⅲ.

2. Greed.

3. A mark equals 2/3 of a pound.

4. Accused her, to justify arrest.

5. Lord Hastings, beheaded by Richard.

6. Plausibility.

7. Nevertheless.

8. Unchaste.

9. The standard punishment for a harlot.

10. Dressed only in a loose gown.

11. Lack.

12. Concerned about.

13. Motive.

14. Perhaps.

15. Attempted to seduce.

16. Immediately.

17. Knew what was good forhim.

18. Very.

19. Handsome.

20. Common burial place.

21. Shrivelled.

22. Would like toreconstruct.

23. Playfulness.

24. Different.

25. Easily.

26. Nevertheless.

27. Influence.

28. I. e., got cancellation of orders to forfeit property.

29. Deed's.

30. That which.

31. I think.

32. Without friends.

33. Influence at court.

34. I. e., is a good example.

接著，逐漸地，似乎是出于憤怒而不是貪婪，護(hù)國(guó)公派人去到肖厄的媳婦家里（因?yàn)樗煞虿⒉慌c她同居），把她所有的財(cái)物搜刮一空，價(jià)值在三千馬克以上，并把她本人投進(jìn)監(jiān)獄。然后按章對(duì)她進(jìn)行了審問，說她到處奔走，想迷惑他，又說她同王室大臣合謀想殺害他；等到一看這些罪名無法成立，就惡毒地提出一條她本人無法否認(rèn)，而且全世界都知道是確有其事的罪名，不過在這時(shí)突然地鄭重其事地提出只使所有的人聽了發(fā)笑罷了——這罪名就是她不貞。因此之故，他作為一位有節(jié)操、不亂來、潔身無垢的王爺，自命是上天派到這邪惡的世界來糾正人們的道德的，下令倫敦區(qū)主教責(zé)成她當(dāng)眾贖罪，辦法就是要她在星期日手持蠟燭走在十字架前，跟隨一隊(duì)人游街。結(jié)果她走在隊(duì)里，面容嫻靜，步伐規(guī)矩，雖然身上只穿一件寬大的袍子，可是顯得十分秀美，連她那原本蒼白的雙頰也在眾人好奇的注視下出現(xiàn)了可愛的赭紅，于是她那可恥的大罪反而贏得群眾中那些看上了她的身體遠(yuǎn)于她的靈魂的人的紛紛贊美。不喜歡她的行為的良善的人對(duì)于罪惡得到糾正是高興的，但也對(duì)她的贖罪感到同情，而不是感到慶幸，因?yàn)樗麄兛紤]到護(hù)國(guó)公之所以這樣懲罰她并非出自道德感，而是另有卑劣用心的。

這個(gè)女人生在倫敦，來往都是體面人物，從小受到良好家教，婚姻也合適，只是嫁得早了一點(diǎn)，丈夫是良善市民，年輕，和氣，有錢。但由于他們結(jié)婚時(shí)她還不成熟，她并不熱愛他，對(duì)他從無熱戀之心。這可能是一個(gè)原因，使她容易在國(guó)王引誘她的時(shí)候，愿意滿足他的胃口。當(dāng)然，對(duì)國(guó)王的尊敬，對(duì)美麗的衣飾、優(yōu)裕、愉快的生活和大量錢財(cái)?shù)闹竿材苎杆俚卮騽?dòng)一顆溫柔多情的心。當(dāng)國(guó)王勾上了她，她丈夫天性良善，懂得怎樣對(duì)自己有利，不敢碰國(guó)王的小老婆一下，馬上把她完全讓給了國(guó)王。國(guó)王死后，宮廷大臣收納了她，其實(shí)國(guó)王在世之日他早已垂涎于她，只是不敢接近，或是出于尊敬，或是由于一種友好的忠誠(chéng)。她長(zhǎng)得標(biāo)致，白皙，身上無一處不合式，如能身高略增一點(diǎn)就更美了，凡是在她年輕時(shí)見過她的人都這樣說。當(dāng)然也有某些人現(xiàn)在看了她（因?yàn)樗€活著），覺得她絕不可能曾經(jīng)漂亮。我認(rèn)為這種判斷類似把一個(gè)死了多年的人從墳?zāi)估锿诔鲱^骨，憑這一點(diǎn)來猜想此人過去是否美麗一樣，因?yàn)樗F(xiàn)在當(dāng)然老了，瘦了，干癟枯縮了。但就是這樣，如果想重構(gòu)她的面容，還是可以看出只須把某些部分充實(shí)一下仍然可以現(xiàn)出美貌。喜歡她的人不僅愛她的美貌，更愛她的愉快的舉止。因?yàn)樗胁胖?，能讀會(huì)寫，客人面前表情愉快，問什么話說，既不都一聲不響，也不嘮叨，有時(shí)還不傷大雅地說說笑話。國(guó)王常說他有三妾，各有所長(zhǎng)：一個(gè)最愉快，一個(gè)最有心計(jì)，一個(gè)最虔誠(chéng)，可稱是他那王國(guó)里最信神的娼婦，因?yàn)楹茈y使她離開教堂，除非是立刻上他的御床。這三人中兩個(gè)是有身份的人，但由于謙虛自愿做無名氏，也放棄別人對(duì)她們特長(zhǎng)的贊美。最愉快的那位就是肖厄家的媳婦，國(guó)王也因這一點(diǎn)特別喜歡她。他有許多女人，但只愛她一個(gè)，而說實(shí)話（不然即使對(duì)魔鬼也是罪孽），她從不用她的影響去害人，而是使許多人得到了安慰或解救。國(guó)王不高興了，她會(huì)使他寬解，息怒；某些人失去國(guó)王的歡心了，她會(huì)使他們重獲恩寵。有些人犯了大罪，她可以為他們?nèi)〉蒙饷?。有些人的?cái)產(chǎn)快被沒收，她能使命令收回。最后，她幫許多人遞上對(duì)國(guó)王的重要請(qǐng)求，不收任何報(bào)酬，或雖收小量也只是為了好玩而不是攢錢，像是她只要能將一件事做好也就滿意了，或?yàn)榱吮砻魉心芰ψ笥覈?guó)王，或表明有錢的浪蕩女人并不總是貪婪的。

我料定會(huì)有人想，這個(gè)女人無足輕重，不值得浪費(fèi)筆墨，不該將她夾在重要事務(wù)之間來一起追憶，特別是那些只憑她的現(xiàn)狀來估量她的人更會(huì)這樣想。但是我認(rèn)為正因?yàn)樗F(xiàn)在淪為乞丐，無人照顧，缺朋少友，她更值得我們追憶。想當(dāng)年她有錢，得國(guó)王歡心，在朝廷有勢(shì)，幫許多人辦成了事情。許多別人也有過這種時(shí)候，只不過由于干了壞事才至今留名。她所做不比這些人少，但因沒有干多少壞事就被人忘懷。人們總是把作惡的人刻在大理石上，而對(duì)行善的人則委名于塵土。這個(gè)女人的遭遇就是一個(gè)好例子，因?yàn)樗裉焖蚯蟮幕钪娜巳绻?dāng)年沒有她，則今天乞求的該是他們了。

果然是一節(jié)出色文章。從文字講，已十分接近現(xiàn)代英語，除個(gè)別虛詞和句法形式外，對(duì)于今天的讀者不構(gòu)成特別困難。而且文字沒有書本氣，倒是平易的，口語化的。它很好地完成了敘述任務(wù)，但又非純客觀的敘述，而是含有評(píng)論以至諷刺的，例如講當(dāng)時(shí)還稱“護(hù)國(guó)公”的理查三世的為人和用心時(shí)就很明顯。細(xì)節(jié)的生動(dòng)和戲劇性是另一特色，讀者很難忘記琪恩·肖厄游街的情景。文章的組織也見匠心，以寫這個(gè)女人在先王死后的遭遇開始，繼而敘述她的背景和如何成為先王的情婦，如何又與一般得寵的情婦不同，不是借勢(shì)欺人而是常以助人為樂，并且著力寫她的美，通過今昔對(duì)比而更顯其美，最后則作者出來發(fā)表了一番議論，表示他寫的雖是一個(gè)女人，用意卻在烘托理查三世的陰險(xiǎn)詭詐，并未離開主題。換言之，這里有歷史，也有史論，兩者都不淺薄，而有深度——用美人的榮枯同人們對(duì)待善惡的態(tài)度相提并論，涉及人世的滄桑和人情的冷暖，這一切構(gòu)成了文章的深層肌理，是經(jīng)得起一再重讀的。

我們通過這段文章，也多少可以看出莫爾是怎樣一個(gè)有才華、有熱情、又有風(fēng)趣的人，這對(duì)于我們進(jìn)一步了解《烏托邦》也是有幫助的。

《理查三世史》終未完成，但是莫爾已在英國(guó)散文史上建立了功績(jī)。前面引過的錢伯斯等位學(xué)者的話是有道理的；^〔5〕莫爾所提供的不只是一般所謂好散文，而是“能滿足十六世紀(jì)英國(guó)的一切要求的散文風(fēng)格”，特別是“一種能把當(dāng)代事件用生動(dòng)、有戲劇性的敘述文記錄下來的散文風(fēng)格”。由于他做到了這一點(diǎn)，由于他的英文在總體上是平易、口語化的，他——一位歷史家、思想家，而不是舞文弄墨的詞章家——成為班揚(yáng)、笛福、德萊頓等人的先驅(qū)。從近代英國(guó)講，站在平易散文傳統(tǒng)這條長(zhǎng)線的起點(diǎn)的就是這位偉大的人文主義者。

經(jīng)過這樣的后顧和前瞻，我們可以進(jìn)而審視英國(guó)散文發(fā)展史上的幾個(gè)重要階段了。

注　釋

〔1〕亨利·刻雷克編：《英國(guó)散文選》卷一，第16頁。

〔2〕R. W. 錢伯斯：《英國(guó)散文的連續(xù)性》，1932，第liv頁。此書原是“早期英文文獻(xiàn)學(xué)會(huì)”叢書之一的尼科拉斯·哈卜斯菲爾特所作《湯瑪斯·莫爾爵士傳》的序言，后又單本發(fā)行，公認(rèn)為突破舊說的出色之作。

〔3〕轉(zhuǎn)引自錢伯斯：《英國(guó)散文的連續(xù)性》，第liv頁。

〔4〕同上書，第clxv-clxvii頁。

〔5〕錢伯斯的著作造成重大影響之后，五十年代的牛津?qū)W者C. S. 路易斯在其所著《十六世紀(jì)除戲劇外的英國(guó)文學(xué)》（1954，《牛津英國(guó)文學(xué)史》的一卷）中對(duì)于莫爾散文的評(píng)價(jià)不同，指出其缺點(diǎn)是句子太長(zhǎng)，形容詞太多，以及“幾乎完全缺乏節(jié)奏上的變化”（第180頁），但也承認(rèn)它的長(zhǎng)處，特別是善于描繪人物，“琪恩·肖厄的寫照是作者結(jié)合明晰和嚴(yán)肅的一個(gè)美好例子”（第166頁）。