(一)
写History of England 的十九世纪英国史Thomas Babington Macaulay名既早,享誉久,文运佳,惹人艳羡。他二十五岁在《爱丁堡评论》论米尔敦一举红。此二十年该期刊撰文不休,论历史、论文,写什像什。一度任辉格党议员,在印度总督府最高委员任职,写法律与教育问题的专着,脍炙人口,影响甚。英国陆军臣、军需总监。一八四二年版《古罗马歌》(Lays of A Rome);《文论史评集》(Essays Critical and Historical)畅销整世纪,部文集其实既教条又浅薄,有人讥“代偏见全”(“a key to half the prejudices of e” ),是词藻华丽,句句信,尖刻聪明,一般读者倾倒。麦考利的本是笔融人治方法与报人畅文风一体(“able to mesh the research of the scholar with writing that has the colour and pace of the journalist”),他的《英国史》世代传诵,不待言。
(二)
我英国史毫无兴趣,初读此书但觉流畅,才知英国人说麦考利的文笔教人“爱难释手”(“pulsively readable”)。Lord A说他虽既拙劣又憎,却跻身师列(“He remains to me one of the greatest of all writers and masters,although I think him base,ptible and odious”)。Thomas Carlyle治历史,写《法国革命史》,惜文笔孤绝怪癖,远比不麦考利讨。难怪他说麦氏限於辞书渊博,十足花厅狂妄徒,既无识见,难器(“At bottom, this Macaulay is but a poor creature with his diary literature and erudition, his saloance. He has no vision in him. He will her see nor do any great thing”)。
(三)
钱锺书先生说,法国俗语嘲笑无智者说:“渠头中有屋招租”。有不晓人者,亲表戏於其头巾帖文字云:“此处有屋僦赁”。英国一文人负头脑,狂言说:“吾将书额曰:招租”(“I will write upon my forehead in legible characters, ''To be Let''”),他父亲听了说:“儿乎,莫忘加‘空屋’两字”(“And uhat write ﹣ ''Unfurnished''”)。则卡莱尔若说麦考利额应书“招租”二字,麦氏建议卡氏帽子书:“床位招租”,喻其狭窄。
(四)
张融歎:“不恨我不见古人,恨古人不见我”,又说:“不恨臣无二王法,恨二王无臣法”。钱先生说,仿此说法者有人在:“不恨我不见石崇,恨石崇不见我”;“不恨子未识仲,但恨仲未识君”;甚至辛弃疾《贺新郎》说:“不恨古人吾不见,恨古人不见吾狂耳”。今人应该比古人进步,说人是“今古人”,似非恭维,洵属挖苦。纯从语文的技巧说,嘲人容易嘲难。卡莱尔骂麦考利那番话既不够机智搔不痒处,麦考利在史的就怎说比他。黎泽济写《王湘绮笺启饶情趣》,说谋职找强有力者写荐信,湘绮广督、抚、府、,因此常有人求他写八行书。写八行书是送人情的,湘绮《致马生》书中说己“度浩繁,专靠卖风云雷雨。一信百金,久笔单”。士做法术是卖风云雷雨,王湘绮於是说写荐信全靠吹嘘,简直卖风云雷雨。骂己骂。