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English for his purpose。 His effort to disengage the phraselong
committed to convention and to an exposed artificedid but prove how
surely the ancient vitality was gone。
His preface to 〃The Borough； a Poem；〃 should be duly read before the
〃poem〃 itself； for the prose has a propriety all its own。 Everything is
conceived with the most perfect moderation； and then presented in a form
of reasoning that leaves you no possible ground of remonstrance。 In
proposing his subject Crabbe seems to make an unanswerable apology
with a composure that is almost sweet。 For instance； at some length and
with some nobility he anticipates a probable conjecture that his work was
done 〃without due examination and revisal；〃 and he meets the conjectured
criticism thus： 〃Now； readers are； I believe； disposed to treat with more
than common severity those writers who have been led into presumption
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by the approbation bestowed upon their diffidence； and into idleness and
unconcern by the praises given to their attention。〃 It would not be
possible to say a smaller thing with greater dignity and gentleness。 It is
worth while to quote this prose of a 〃poet〃 who lived between the
centuries； if only in order to suggest the chastening thought； 〃It is a pity
that no one； however little he may have to say； says it now in this form！〃
The little； so long as it is reasonable； is so well suited in this antithesis and
logic。 Is there no hope that journalism will ever take again these graces
of unanswerable argument？ No： they would no longer wear the
peculiar aspect of adult innocence that was Crabbe's。
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A COUNTERCHANGE
〃Il s'est trompe de defunte。〃 The writer of this phrase had his sense
of that portly manner of French； and his burlesque is fine； butthe paradox
must be riskedbecause he was French he was not able to possess all its
grotesque mediocrity to the full； that is reserved for the English reader。
The words are in the mouth of a widower who； approaching his wife's
tomb； perceives there another 〃monsieur。〃 〃Monsieur；〃 again； the French
reader is deprived of the value of this word； too； in its place； it says little
or nothing to him； whereas the Englishman； who has no word of the
precise bourgeois significance that it sometimes bears； but who must use
one of two English words of different allusionman or I gentleman
knows the exact value of its commonplace。 The serious Parisian； then；
sees 〃un autre monsieur；〃 as it proves anon； there had been a divorce in
the history of the lady； but the later widower is not yet aware of this； and
explains to himself the presence of 〃un monsieur〃 in his own place by that
weighty phrase； 〃Il s'est trompe de defunte。〃
The strange effect of a thing so charged with allusion and with national
character is to cause an English reader to pity the mocking author who was
debarred by his own language from possessing the whole of his own
comedy。 It is； in fact； by contrast with his English that an Englishman
does possess it。 Your official； your professional Parisian has a
vocabulary of enormous； unrivalled mediocrity。 When the novelist
perceives this he does not perceive it all； because some of the words are
the only words in use。 Take an author at his serious moments； when he is
not at all occupied with the comedy of phrases； and he now and then
touches a word that has its burlesque by mere contrast with English。
〃L'Histoire d'un Crime；〃 of Victor Hugo； has so many of these touches as
to be； by a kind of reflex action； a very school of English。 The whole
incident of the omnibus in that grave work has unconscious international
comedy。 The Deputies seated in the interior of the omnibus had been； it
will be remembered； shut out of their Chamber by the perpetrator of the
Coup d'Etat； but each had his official scarf。 Scarfpish！〃l'echarpe！〃
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〃Ceindre l'echarpe〃there is no real English equivalent。 Civic
responsibility never was otherwise adequately expressed。 An indignant
deputy passed his scarf through the window of the omnibus； as an appeal
to the public； 〃et l'agita。〃 It is a pity that the French reader； having no
simpler word； is not in a position to understand the slight burlesque。 Nay；
the mere word 〃public；〃 spoken with this peculiar French good faith； has
for us I know not what untransferable gravity。
There is； in short； a general international counterchange。 It is
altogether in accordance with our actual state of civilization； with its
extremely 〃specialized〃 manner of industry； that one people should make a
phrase； and another should have and enjoy it。 And； in fact； there are
certain French authors to whom should be secured the use of the literary
German whereof Germans； and German women in particular； ought with
all severity to be deprived。 For Germans often tell you of words in their
own tongue that are untranslatable； and accordingly they should not be
translated； but given over in their own conditions； unaltered； into safer
hands。 There would be a clearing of the outlines of German ideas； a
better order in the phrase； the possessors of an alien word； with the
thought it secures； would find also their advantage。
So with French humour。 It is expressly and signally for English ears。
It is so even in the commonest farce。 The unfortunate householder； for
example； who is persuaded to keep walking in the conservatory 〃pour
retablir la circulation；〃 and the other who describes himself 〃sous…chef de
bureau dans l'enregistrement；〃 and he who proposes to 〃faire hommage〃 of
a doubtful turbot to the neighbouring 〃employe de l'octroi〃these and all
their like speak commonplaces so usual as to lose in their own country the
perfection of their dulness。 We only； who have the alternative of plainer
and fresher words； understand it。 It is not the least of the advantages of
our own dual English that we become sensible of the mockery of certain
phrases that in France have lost half their ridicule； uncontrasted。
Take again the common rhetoric that has fixed itself in conversation in
all Latin languagesrhetoric that has ceased to have allusions； either
majestic or comic。 To the ear somewhat unused to French this proffers a
frequent comedy that the well…accustomed ear； even of an Englishman； no
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longer detects。 A guard on a French railway； who advised two travellers
to take a certain train for fear they should be obliged to 〃vegeter〃 for a
whole hour in the waiting…room of such or such a station seemed to the
less practised tourist to be a fresh kind of unexpected humourist。
One of the phrases always used in the business of charities and
subscriptions in France has more than the intentional comedy of the farce…
writer； one of the most absurd of his personages； wearying his visitors in
the country with a perpetual game of bowls； says to them： 〃Nous jouons
cinquante centimesles benefices seront verses integralement e la
souscription qui est ouverte e la commune pour la construction de notre
maison d'ecole。〃
〃Fletrir；〃 again。 Nothing could be more rhetorical than this perfectly
common word of controversy。 The comic dramatist is well aware of the
spent violence of this phrase； with which every serious