Small Catechism 第2章

"Somesayitistheendofthestrongwickedman，justovertakenbyDeathandSin，whomhehasservedonearth.Itissaidthatthetuftonthelanceindicateshismurderouscharacter，beingofsuchunusualsize.Youknowtheuseofthatappendagewastopreventbloodrunningdownfromthespearheadtothehands.Theyalsothinkthattheobjectunderthehorsesoffhindfootisasnare，intowhichtheoldoppressoristofallinstantly.Theexpressionofthefacesmaybetakeneitherway:bothgoodmenandbadmayhavehard，regularfeatures;andbothgoodmenandbadwouldsettheirteethgrimlyonseeingDeath，withthesandsoftheirlifenearlyrunout.SomesaytheythinktheexpressionofDeathgentle，oronlyadmonitory（astheauthorof"Sintram"）;andIhavetothanktheauthoressofthe"HeirofRedclyffe"forshowingmeafineimpressionoftheplate，whereDeathcertainlyhadanotungentlecountenance--snakesandall.Ithinktheshoulderedlance，andquiet，firmseatonhorseback，withgentlebearingonthecurb-bit，indicategraveresolutionintherider，andthatarobberknightwouldhavehislanceinrest;thenthereistheleafycrownonthehorseshead;andthehorseanddogmoveonsoquietly，thatIaminclinedtohopethebestfortheRitter."Musingonthemysteriousengraving，Fouquesawinitthelife-longcompanionsofman，DeathandSin，whomhemustdefyinordertoreachsalvation;andoutofthatcontemplationrosehiswonderfulromance，notexactlyanallegory，whereeverycircumstancecanbefittedwithanappropriatemeaning，butwiththesenseofthestruggleoflife，withexternaltemptationandhereditaryinclinationpervadingall，whileGraceandPrayeraidtheeffort.FolkoandGabriellearerevivedfromtheMagicRing，thatFolkomaybyexampleandinfluenceenhanceallhigherresolutions;whileGabrielle，inallunconsciousinnocence，awakesthepassions，andthusmakestheconquesttheharder.

Itiswithintheboundsofpossibilitythatthesimilaritiesoffolk-loremayhavebroughttoFouquesknowledgetheoutlineofthestorywhichScotttellsuswasthegermof"GuyMannering";whereaboy，whosehoroscopehadbeendrawnbyanastrologer，aslikelytoencounterpeculiartrialsatcertainintervals，actuallyhad，inhistwenty-firstyear，asortofvisibleencounterwiththeTempter，andcameoffconquerorbyhisstrongfaithintheBible.SirWalter，betweenreverenceandrealism，onlytooktheearlierpartofthestory，butFouquegivesusthepositivestruggle，andcarriesusalongwiththefinalvictoryandsubsequentpeace.Histalehashadaremarkablepoweroverthereaders.Wecannotbutmentiontworemarkableinstancesateitherendofthescale.CardinalNewman，inhisyoungerdays，wassomuchovercomebyitthathehurriedoutintothegardentoreaditalone，andreturnedwithtracesofemotioninhisface.AndwhenCharlesLowderreadittohisEastEndboys，theirwholemindsseemedengrossedbyit，andtheyevencalledcertainspotsaftertheplacesmentioned.ImaginetheRocksoftheMooninRatcliffHighway!

MaywementionthatMissChristabelColeridges"Waynflete"bringssomethingofthespiritandideaof"Sintram"intomodernlife?

"Undine"isastoryofmuchlighterfancy，andfullofapeculiargrace，thoughwithadepthofmelancholythatendearsit.Nodoubtitwasfoundedontheuniversalideainfolk-loreofthenixiesorwater-spirits，oneofwhom，inNorwegianlegend，wasseenweepingbitterlybecauseofthewantofasoul.SometimesthenymphisawickedsirenliketheLorelei;butinmanyofthesetalesshewedsanearthlylover，anddesertshimafteratime，sometimesonfindingherdivingcap，orherseal-skingarment，whichrestoreshertoheroceankindred，sometimesonhisintrudingonherwhilesheisunderaperiodicaltransformation，aswiththefairyMelusine，morerarelyifhebecomesunfaithful.

ThereisaremarkableCornishtaleofanymphormermaiden，whothusvanished，leavingadaughterwholovedtolingeronthebeachratherthansportwithotherchildren.Byandbyshehadalover，butnosoonerdidheshowtokensofinconstancy，thanthemothercameupfromtheseaandputhimtodeath，whenthedaughterpinedawayanddied.HernamewasSelina，whichgivesthetaleamodernaspect，andmakesuswonderiftheoldtraditioncanhavebeenmodifiedbysomereportofUndinesstory.

TherewasanideasetforthbytheRosicruciansofspiritsabidingintheelements，andasUndinerepresentedthewaterinfluences，Fouqueswife，theBaronessCaroline，wroteafairlyprettystoryonthesylphsoffire.ButUndinesfreakishplayfulnessandmischiefasanelementalbeing，andhersweetpatiencewhenhersouliswon，arequiteoriginal，andindeedwecannothelpsharing，oratleastunderstanding，Huldbrandsbeginningtoshrinkfromtheunearthlycreaturetosomethingofhisownfleshandblood.Heisaltogetherunworthy，andthoughinthistalethereisfarlessofspiritualmeaningthaninSintram，wecannotbutseethatFouquesthoughtwasthatthegrosserhumannatureisunabletoappreciatewhatisabsolutelypureandunearthly.

C.M.YONGE.