英国诗人Keats因肺结核沉疴不起时,于1820年写给邻居Fanny Brown的一封情书将在伦敦被拍卖,估价12万英镑,此次拍卖将由Bonham's拍卖行举行,同时拍卖的有500多份英国文史手稿资料,包括瓦尔特·罗利的一封信,威廉·布莱克的一篇散文,丘吉尔未发表的一则演讲,以及桂冠诗人泰德·休斯的很多资料。
这封信提到由于济慈得了肺结核,因此只能亲吻范尼的名字而非本人(见附文)。济慈生前每天都与朋友通信,但只有少量在博物馆和档案馆存留。1820年时,济慈仍是范尼·布朗的邻居,但因病重常常不能相见。济慈的兄弟都已因肺结核去世,他的朋友为了帮助他康复,送他去罗马过冬。翌年,即济慈26岁时,终究病死罗马。
济慈死前4年,他的诗作才开始发表,但到了19世纪末,他的声望渐高,得到越来越多承认。范尼的儿子出于牟利的心思,委托1741年成立的苏富比拍卖行于1885年第一次拍卖济慈写给范尼的37封信。当时有很多人反对这种把济慈的私人书信公开并当成商品的行为,1886年奥斯卡·王尔德写了一首十四行诗拍卖对艺术的玷污,把参与拍卖者比作那些掷着骰子决定谁能得到十字架上的基督的衣衫的罗马士兵,不过王尔德自己也参加了拍卖,并购得其中一封。
Sonnet: On the Sale by Auction of Keats’ Love Letters
These are the letters which Endymion wrote
To one he loved in secret and apart,
And now the brawlers of the auction-mart
Bargain and bid for each tear-blotted note,
Aye! for each separate pulse of passion quote
The merchant’s price! I think they love not art
Who break the crystal of a poet’s heart,
That small and sickly eyes may glare or gloat.
Is it not said, that many years ago,
In a far Eastern town some soldiers ran
With torches through the midnight, and began
To wrangle for mean raiment, and to throw
Dice for the garments of a wretched man,
Not knowing the God’s wonder, or His woe?
附文:
Letter from John Keats to Fanny Brawne, 1820
My dearest Fanny
The power of your benediction is not of so weak a nature as to pass from the ring in four and twenty hours - it is like a sacred Chalice once consecrated and ever consecrate. I shall Kiss your name and mine where your Lips have been - Lips! why should such a poor prisoner as I am talk about such things. Thank God, though I hold them the dearest pleasures in the universe, I have a consolation independent of them in the certainty of your affectation. I could write a song in the style of Tom Moores Pathetic about Memory if that would be any relief to me. No. It would not be. I will be as obstinate as a Robin, I will not sing in a cage. Health is my expected heaven and you are the Houri - this word I believe is both singular and plural - if only plural never mind - you are a thousand of them.
Ever yours affectionately my dearest, j.k
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