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！
Essays and Lectures
by Oscar Wilde
Contents
The Rise of Historical Criticism
The English Renaissance of Art
House Decoration
Art and the Handicraftman
Lecture to Art Students
London Models
Poems in Prose
THE RISE OF HISTORICAL CRITICISM
CHAPTER I
HISTORICAL criticism nowhere occurs as an isolated fact in the
civilisation or literature of any people。 It is part of that
complex working towards freedom which may be described as the
revolt against authority。 It is merely one facet of that
speculative spirit of an innovation； which in the sphere of action
produces democracy and revolution； and in that of thought is the
parent of philosophy and physical science； and its importance as a
factor of progress is based not so much on the results it attains；
as on the tone of thought which it represents； and the method by
which it works。
Being thus the resultant of forces essentially revolutionary； it is
not to be found in the ancient world among the material despotisms
of Asia or the stationary civilisation of Egypt。 The clay
cylinders of Assyria and Babylon； the hieroglyphics of the
pyramids； form not history but the material for history。
The Chinese annals； ascending as they do to the barbarous forest
life of the nation； are marked with a soberness of judgment； a
freedom from invention； which is almost unparalleled in the
writings of any people； but the protective spirit which is the
characteristic of that people proved as fatal to their literature
as to their commerce。 Free criticism is as unknown as free trade。
While as regards the Hindus； their acute； analytical and logical
mind is directed rather to grammar； criticism and philosophy than
to history or chronology。 Indeed； in history their imagination
seems to have run wild； legend and fact are so indissolubly mingled
together that any attempt to separate them seems vain。 If we
except the identification of the Greek Sandracottus with the Indian
Chandragupta； we have really no clue by which we can test the truth
of their writings or examine their method of investigation。
It is among the Hellenic branch of the Indo…Germanic race that
history proper is to be found； as well as the spirit of historical
criticism； among that wonderful offshoot of the primitive Aryans；
whom we call by the name of Greeks and to whom； as has been well
said； we owe all that moves in the world except the blind forces of
nature。
For； from the day when they left the chill table…lands of Tibet and
journeyed； a nomad people； to AEgean shores； the characteristic of
their nature has been the search for light； and the spirit of
historical criticism is part of that wonderful Aufklarung or
illumination of the intellect which seems to have burst on the
Greek race like a great flood of light about the sixth century B。C。
L'ESPRIT D'UN SIECLE NE NAIT PAS ET NE MEURT PAS E JOUR FIXE； and
the first critic is perhaps as difficult to discover as the first
man。 It is from democracy that the spirit of criticism borrows its
intolerance of dogmatic authority； from physical science the
alluring analogies of law and order； from philosophy the conception
of an essential unity underlying the complex manifestations of
phenomena。 It appears first rather as a changed attitude of mind
than as a principle of research； and its earliest influences are to
be found in the sacred writings。
For men begin to doubt in questions of religion first； and then in
matters of more secular interest； and as regards the nature of the
spirit of historical criticism itself in its ultimate development；
it is not confined merely to the empirical method of ascertaining
whether an event happened or not； but is concerned also with the
investigation into the causes of events； the general relations
which phenomena of life hold to one another； and in its ultimate
development passes into the wider question of the philosophy of
history。
Now； while the workings of historical criticism in these two
spheres of sacred and uninspired history are essentially
manifestations of the same spirit； yet their methods are so
different； the canons of evidence so entirely separate； and the
motives in each case so unconnected； that it will be necessary for
a clear estimation of the progress of Greek thought； that we should
consider these two questions entirely apart from one another。 I
shall then in both cases take the succession of writers in their
chronological order as representing the rational order … not that
the succession of time is always the succession of ideas； or that
dialectics moves ever in the straight line in which Hegel conceives
its advance。 In Greek thought； as elsewhere； there are periods of
stagnation and apparent retrogression； yet their intellectual
development； not merely in the question of historical criticism；
but in their art； their poetry and their philosophy； seems so
essentially normal； so free from all disturbing external
influences； so peculiarly rational； that in following in the
footsteps of time we shall really be progressing in the order
sanctioned by reason。
CHAPTER II
AT an early period in their intellectual development the Greeks
reached that critical point in the history of every civilised
nation； when speculative invades the domain of revealed truth； when
the spiritual ideas of the people can no longer be satisfied by the
lower； material conceptions of their inspired writers； and when men
find it impossible to pour the new wine of free thought into the
old bottles of a narrow and a trammelling creed。
From their Aryan ancestors they had received the fatal legacy of a
mythology stained with immoral and monstrous stories which strove
to hide the rational order of nature in a chaos of miracles； and to
mar by imputed wickedness the perfection of God's nature … a very
shirt of Nessos in which the Heracles of rationalism barely escaped
annihilation。 Now while undoubtedly the speculations of Thales；
and the alluring analogies of law and order afforded by physical
science； were most important forces in encouraging the rise of the
spirit of scepticism； yet it was on its ethical side that the Greek
mythology was chiefly open to attack。
It is difficult to shake the popular belief in miracles； but no man
will admit sin and immorality as attributes of the Ideal he
worships； so the first symptoms of a new order of thought are shown
in the passionate outcries of Xenophanes and Heraclitos against the
evil things said by Homer of the sons of God； and in the story told
of Pythagoras； how that he saw tortured in Hell the 'two founders
of Greek theology；' we can recognise the rise of the Aufklarung as
clearly as we see the Reformation foreshadowed in the INFERNO of
Dante。
Any honest belief； then； in the plain truth of these stories soon
succumbed before the destructive effects of the A PRIORI ethical
criticism of this school； but the orthodox party； as is its custom；
found immediately a convenient shelter under the aegis of the
doctrine of metaphors and concealed meanings。
To this allegorical school the tale of the fight around the walls
of Troy was a mystery； behind which； as behind a veil； were hidden
certain moral and physical truths。 The contest between Athena and
Ares was that eternal contest between rational thought and the
brute force of ignorance； the arrows which rattled in the quiver of
the 'Far Darter' were no longer the instruments of vengeance shot
from the golden bow of the child of God； but the common rays of the
sun； which was itself nothing but a mere inert mass of burning
metal。
Modern investigation； with the ruthlessness of Philistine analysis；
has ultimately brought Helen of Troy down to a symbol of the dawn。
There were Philistines among the Greeks also who saw in the ＇Greek
text which cannot be repr