Synge And The Ireland Of His Time-第1章
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PREFACE
，小，说，网
at times during synges last illness； lady gregory and i would speak of his work and always find some pleasure in the thought that unlike ourselves； who had made our experiments in public； he would leave to the world nothing to be wished away？？nothing that was not beautiful or powerful in itself； or necessary as an expression of his life and thought。 when he died we were in much anxiety； for a letter written before his last illness； and printed in the selection of his poems published at the cuala press； had shown that he was anxious about the fate of his manuscripts and scattered writings。 on the evening of the night he died he had asked that i might e to him the next day； and my diary of the days following his death shows how great was our anxiety。 presently however； all seemed to have e right； for the executors sent me the following letter that had been found among his papers； and promised to carry out his wishes。
may 4th； 1908 dear yeats；
this is only to go to you if anything should go wrong with me under the operation or after it。 i am a little bothered about my papers。 i have a certain amount of verse that i think would be worth preserving； possibly also the 1st and 3rd acts of deirdre； and then i have a lot of kerry and wicklow articles that would go together into a book。 the other early stuff i wrote i have kept as a sort of curiosity； but i am anxious that it should not get into print。 i wonder could you get someone？？say 。。。 who is now in dublin to go through them for you and do whatever you and lady gregory think desirable。 it is rather a hard thing to ask you but i do not want my good things destroyed or my bad things printed rashly？？ especially a morbid thing about a mad fiddler in paris which i hate。 do what you can？？good luck。
j。m。 synge
in the summer of 1909； the executors sent me a large bundle of papers； cuttings from newspapers and magazines； manuscript and typewritten prose and verse； put together and annotated by synge himself before his last illness。 i spent a portion of each day for weeks reading and re？reading early dramatic writing； poems； essays； and so forth； and with the exception of ninety pages which have been published without my consent； made consulting lady gregory from time to time the selection of his work published by messrs。 maunsel。 it is because of these ninety pages； that neither lady gregorys name nor mine appears in any of the books； and that the introduction which i now publish； was withdrawn by me after it had been advertised by the publishers。 before the publication of the books the executors discovered a scrap of paper with a sentence by j。m。 synge saying that selections might be taken from his essays on the congested districts。 i do not know if this was written before his letter to me； which made no mention of them； or contained his final directions。 the matter is unimportant； for the publishers decided to ignore my offer to select as well as my original decision to reject； and for this act of theirs they have given me no reasons except reasons of convenience； which neither lady gregory nor i could accept。
w。b。 yeats。
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Synge And The Ireland Of His TimeI
j。m。 synge and the ireland of his time
on saturday； january 26th； 1907； i was lecturing in aberdeen； and when my lecture was over i was given a telegram which said； play great success。 it had been sent from dublin after the second act of the playboy of the western world； then being performed for the first time。 after one in the morning； my host brought to my bedroom this second telegram； audience broke up in disorder at the word shift。 i knew no more until i got the dublin papers on my way from belfast to dublin on tuesday morning。 on the monday night no word of the play had been heard。 about forty young men had sat on the front seats of the pit； and stamped and shouted and blown trumpets from the rise to the fall of the curtain。 on the tuesday night also the forty young men were there。 they wished to silence what they considered a slander upon irelands womanhood。 irish women would never sleep under the same roof with a young man without a chaperon； nor admire a murderer； nor use a word like shift； nor could anyone recognise the country men and women of davis and kickham in these poetical； violent； grotesque persons； who used the name of god so freely； and spoke of all things that hit their fancy。
a patriotic journalism which had seen in synges capricious imagination the enemy of all it would have young men believe； had for years prepared for this hour； by that which is at once the greatest and most ignoble power of journalism； the art of repeating a name again and again with some ridiculous or evil association。 the preparation had begun after the first performance of the shadow of the glen； synges first play； with an assertion made in ignorance but repeated in dishonesty； that he had taken his fable and his characters； not from his own mind nor that profound knowledge of cot and curragh he was admitted to possess； but from a writer of the roman decadence。 some spontaneous dislike had been but natural； for genius like his can but slowly； amid what it has of harsh and strange； set forth the nobility of its beauty； and the depth of its passion； but the frenzy that would have silenced his master？work was； like most violent things artificial； the defence of virtue by those that have but little； which is the pomp and gallantry of journalism and its right to govern the world。
as i stood there watching； knowing well that i saw the dissolution of a school of patriotism that held sway over my youth； synge came and stood beside me； and said； a young doctor has just told me that he can hardly keep himself from jumping on to a seat； and pointing out in that howling mob those whom he is treating for venereal disease。
m。
Synge And The Ireland Of His TimeII
小说
thomas davis； whose life had the moral simplicity which can give to actions the lasting influence that style alone can give to words； had understood that a country which has no national institutions must show its young men images for the affections； although they be but diagrams of what it should be or may be。 he and his school imagined the soldier； the orator； the patriot； the poet； the chieftain； and above all the peasant； and these； as celebrated in essay and songs and stories； possessed so many virtues that no matter how england； who as mitchell said had the ear of the world； might slander us； ireland； even though she could not e at the worlds other ear； might go her way unabashed。 but ideas and images which have to be understood and loved by large numbers of people； must appeal to no rich personal experience； no patience of study； no delicacy of sense； and if at rare moments some memory of the dead can take its strength from one； at all other moments manner and matter will be rhetorical； conventional； sentimental； and language； because it is carried beyond life perpetually； will be as wasted as the thought； with unmeaning pedantries and silences； and a dread of all that has salt and savour。 after a while； in a land that has given itself to agitation over？much； abstract thoughts are raised up between mens minds and nature； who never does the same thing twice； or makes one man like another； till minds； whose patriotism is perhaps great enough to carry them to the scaffold； cry down natural impulse with the morbid persistence of minds unsettled by some fixed idea。 they are preoccupied with the nations future； with heroes； poets； soldiers； painters； armies； fleets； but only as these things are understood by a child in a national school； while a secret feeling that what is so unreal needs continual defence makes them bitter and restless。 they are like some state which has only paper money； and seeks by punishments to make it buy whatever gold can buy。 they no longer love； for only life is loved； and at last； a generation is like an hysterical woman who will make unmeasured accusations and believe impossible things； because of some logical deduction from a solitary thought which has turned a portion of her mind to stone。
Synge And The Ireland Of His TimeIII
even if what one defends be true； an attitude of defence； a continual apology； whatever the cause； makes the mind barren because it kills intellectual innocence； that delight in what is unforeseen； and in the mere spectacle of the world； the mere drifting hither and thither that must e before all true thought and emotion。
a zealous irishman； especially if he lives much out of ireland； spends his time in a never？ending argument about oliver cromwell； the danes； the penal laws； the rebellion of 1798； the famine； the irish peasant； and ends by substituting a traditional casuistry for a country； and if he be a catholic； yet another casuistry that has professors； schoolmasters； letter？writing priests； and the authors of manuals to make the meshes fine； es between him and english literature； substituting arguments and hesitations for the excitement at the first reading of the great poets which should be a sort of violent imaginative puberty。 his hesitations and arguments may have been right； the catholic philosophy may be more profound than
