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Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia-Part4_Samuel Johnson(1709-1784)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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"But the knowledge of nature is only half the task of a poet; he

must be acquainted likewise with all the modes of life. His



character requires that he estimate the happiness and misery of

every condition, observe the power of all the passions in all their



combinations, and trace the changes of the human mind, as they are

modified by various institutions and accidental influences of



climate or custom, from the sprightliness of infancy to the

despondence of decrepitude. He must divest himself of the



prejudices of his age and country; he must consider right and wrong

in their abstracted and invariable state; he must disregard present



laws and opinions, and rise to general and transcendental truths,

which will always be the same. He must, therefore, content himself



with the slow progress of his name, contemn the praise of his own

time, and commit his claims to the justice of posterity. He must



write as the interpreter of nature and the legislator of mankind,

and consider himself as presiding over the thoughts and manners of



future generations, as a being superior to time and place.

"His labour is not yet at an end. He must know many languages and



many sciences, and, that his style may be worthy of his thoughts,

must by incessant practice familiarise to himself every delicacy of



speech and grace of harmony."

CHAPTER XI - IMLAC'S NARRATIVE (CONTINUED) - A HINT OF PILGRIMAGE.



IMLAC now felt the enthusiastic fit, and was proceeding to

aggrandise his own profession, when then Prince cried out:



"Enough! thou hast convinced me that no human being can ever be a

poet. Proceed with thy narration."



"To be a poet," said Imlac, "is indeed very difficult."

"So difficult," returned the Prince, "that I will at present hear



no more of his labours. Tell me whither you went when you had seen

Persia."



"From Persia," said the poet, "I travelled through Syria, and for

three years resided in Palestine, where I conversed with great



numbers of the northern and western nations of Europe, the nations

which are now in possession of all power and all knowledge, whose



armies are irresistible, and whose fleets command the remotest

parts of the globe. When I compared these men with the natives of



our own kingdom and those that surround us, they appeared almost

another order of beings. In their countries it is difficult to



wish for anything that may not be obtained; a thousand arts, of

which we never heard, are continually labouring for their



convenience and pleasure, and whatever their own climate has denied

them is supplied by their commerce."



"By what means," said the Prince, "are the Europeans thus powerful?

or why, since they can so easily visit Asia and Africa for trade or



conquest, cannot the Asiatics and Africans invade their coast,

plant colonies in their ports, and give laws to their natural



princes? The same wind that carries them back would bring us

thither."



"They are more powerful, sir, than we," answered Imlac, "because

they are wiser; knowledge will always predominate over ignorance,



as man governs the other animals. But why their knowledge is more

than ours I know not what reason can be given but the unsearchable



will of the Supreme Being."

"When," said the Prince with a sigh, "shall I be able to visit



Palestine, and mingle with this mighty confluence of nations? Till

that happy moment shall arrive, let me fill up the time with such



representations as thou canst give me. I am not ignorant of the

motive that assembles such numbers in that place, and cannot but



consider it as the centre of wisdom and piety, to which the best

and wisest men of every land must be continually resorting."



"There are some nations," said Imlac, "that send few visitants to

Palestine; for many numerous and learned sects in Europe concur to



censure pilgrimage as superstitious, or deride it as ridiculous."




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