第37章

WhenhewasinhisthirdyearamagazinewasfoundedatCambridge，thecontributionstowhichwereexclusivelybyundergraduates。

ErnestsentinanessayupontheGreekDrama，whichhehasdeclinedtoletmereproduceherewithouthisbeingallowedtore-editit。I

havethereforebeenunabletogiveitinitsoriginalform，butwhenprunedofitsredundancies(andthisisallthathasbeendonetoit)itrunsasfollows-

“IshallnotattemptwithinthelimitsatmydisposaltomakearesumeoftheriseandprogressoftheGreekdrama，butwillconfinemyselftoconsideringwhetherthereputationenjoyedbythethreechiefGreektragedians，AEschylus，SophoclesandEuripides，isonethatwillbepermanent，orwhethertheywillonedaybeheldtohavebeenoverrated。

“Why，Iaskmyself，doIseemuchthatIcaneasilyadmireinHomer，Thucydides，Herodotus，Demosthenes，Aristophanes，Theocritus，partsofLucretius，Horace’ssatiresandepistles，tosaynothingofotherancientwriters，andyetfindmyselfatoncerepelledbyeventhoseworksofAEschylus，SophoclesandEuripideswhicharemostgenerallyadmired。

“Withthefirst-namedwritersIaminthehandsofmenwhofeel，ifnotasIdo，stillasIcanunderstandtheirfeeling，andasIaminterestedtoseethattheyshouldhavefelt；withthesecondIhavesolittlesympathythatIcannotunderstandhowanyonecaneverhavetakenanyinterestinthemwhatever。Theirhighestflightstomearedull，pompousandartificialproductions，which，iftheyweretoappearnowforthefirsttime，would，Ishouldthink，eitherfalldeadorbeseverelyhandledbythecritics。IwishtoknowwhetheritisIwhoaminfaultinthismatter，orwhetherpartoftheblamemaynotrestwiththetragediansthemselves。

“HowfarIwonderdidtheAtheniansgenuinelylikethesepoets，andhowfarwastheapplausewhichwaslavisheduponthemduetofashionoraffectation？Howfar，infact，didadmirationfortheorthodoxtragedianstakethatplaceamongtheAthenianswhichgoingtochurchdoesamongourselves？

“Thisisaventuresomequestionconsideringtheverdictnowgenerallygivenforovertwothousandyears，norshouldIhavepermittedmyselftoaskitifithadnotbeensuggestedtomebyonewhosereputationstandsashigh，andhasbeensanctionedforaslongtimeasthoseofthetragediansthemselves，ImeanbyAristophanes。

“Numbers，weightofauthority，andtime，haveconspiredtoplaceAristophanesonashighaliterarypinnacleasanyancientwriter，withtheexceptionperhapsofHomer，buthemakesnosecretofheartilyhatingEuripidesandSophocles，andIstronglysuspectonlypraisesAEschylusthathemayrundowntheothertwowithgreaterimpunity。ForafterallthereisnosuchdifferencebetweenAEschylusandhissuccessorsaswillrendertheformerverygoodandthelatterverybad；andthethrustsatAEschyluswhichAristophanesputsintothemouthofEuripidesgohometoowelltohavebeenwrittenbyanadmirer。

“ItmaybeobservedthatwhileEuripidesaccusesAEschylusofbeing’pomp-bundle-worded，’whichIsupposemeansbombasticandgiventorodomontade，AEschylusretortsonEuripidesthatheisa’gossipgleaner，adescriberofbeggars，andarag-stitcher，’fromwhichitmaybeinferredthathewastruertothelifeofhisowntimesthanAEschyluswas。Ithappens，however，thatafaithfulrenderingofcontemporarylifeistheveryqualitywhichgivesitsmostpermanentinteresttoanyworkoffiction，whetherinliteratureorpainting，anditisanotunnaturalconsequencethatwhileonlysevenplaysbyAEschylus，andthesamenumberbySophocles，havecomedowntous，wehavenofewerthannineteenbyEuripides。

“This，however，isadigression；thequestionbeforeusiswhetherAristophanesreallylikedAEschylusoronlypretendedtodoso。ItmustberememberedthattheclaimsofAEschylus，SophoclesandEuripides，totheforemostplaceamongsttragedianswereheldtobeasincontrovertibleasthoseofDante，Petrarch，TassoandAriostotobethegreatestofItalianpoets，areheldamongtheItaliansofto-day。Ifwecanfancysomewitty，ge