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1、【英文读物】The Yale Literary MagazineTHE EDITOR TO THE READER. Clown. List ye now, friendlets hear what this fellow would be saying.Sneer. Gods blessing! mandye believe any of his feather?Farquhar.Gentle Reader,As I am about to have some little converse with thee, I cannot pass this first bright page of
2、our Magazine, without a greeting word, and a Gods benison on our acquaintanceship. Good fellowship and kind wishes betwixt man and man, should first be established. I have ever held this to be one of the little items that go towards making up the sum of human happiness; and as we ourselves cannot ju
3、stly lay claim to that which we deny to others, and as I would at any sacrifice purchase thy good will, I must needs as a matter of course tell thee, how much I wish for thy prosperity. I cannot flatter thee, gentle reader, (and a wise man will not be flattered into fellowship,) else I should tell t
4、hee how much I respect thy good taste and sagacity, on all the delicate matters of nice criticism. I should tell thee, how anxious I am to please theehow patiently I shall thinkwrite and rewritepolish and repolishroam here and every where, culling the sweetest plants and blossoms I can findonly to s
5、uit thee; and make a melancholy hour, if any such thou hast, less painful; and if thou art troubled with misanthropy, bring thee back into peace with self and harmony with those around thee. I should tell thee, how patiently I shall submit to the opinions of othersreceive their stricturestranspose a
6、nd re-transposetwist and re-twist some of my sentencesfor fear they may not accomplish the object whereunto I send them, viz. thy pleasure and profit; and how, in more than one instance, I hope even to sacrifice my own taste, lest unhappily it come in contact with thine. I should tell thee, how I sh
7、all repeatedly twitch at my purse strings,2 and with no miserly handand how, when unfortunately some inaccuracies slip into a page, I shall cast the same aside and give it a reprint, that nothing may offend the nicety of thine observation. But I cannot flatter theetherefore these things shall all re
8、main in oblivion.* The reader will please suppose himself conversing with the Editors of this Magazine, rolled into one.Modesty does not permit me to speak largely of my deserts, gentle reader, (though we Editorsthat means meare excepted and a degree of favor, an egotistical licence, is sometimes ex
9、tended to us,) else I should acquaint thee with some of my excellences. I should tell thee, how much I mourn the wicked independency which may characterize my speculations; and the silly egoisms which may disfigure my otherwise beautiful compositions. I should tell thee, how much I mourn over the ba
10、dness of my style, so contrary to etiquette, and sometimes so outrageously fantastical; and the vile spirit of satire, which now and then perhaps, may be found in them. I should tell thee, how much I mourn over (what you may think) my inaccuracies of taste, thought, and expression; and the vulgarism
11、s, which, in spite of me, may creep into them; though, indeed, vulgarisms are less exceptionable of late, since the delicate (detestablebeg pardon!) Fanny Kemble pottered in them. I should tell thee, how much I mourn over my infallibility, as now established on the Editorial thronethat, as Editor, I
12、 can never be in the wrongthat I can never do or say a silly thingthat I can never criticise, but with the sagacity of Wisdoms selfthat I can never be called into judgment by any one who honors himself by reading my papersand that I shall feel my independence, shall act from it, and always disregard
13、 every thing that barks or brays, and meet meddlers with the cartelI am your servant, but I will not bear your dictation. But, as I am very modest, these things shall all remain in oblivion.Would you believe it, gentle reader, I sometimes find me endeavoring to fashion to myself, who and what thou a
14、rt? Tis a truth thoughand pray tell me now, who art thou? Art thou one who is ever looking on the dark side of poor humanityone ever neglecting the beautiful truth, that thy being is necessary to the happiness of the worldone unconscious of the fact, that thou art an item in the great economy of hum
15、an actionand one ever searching for, and caviling at, the wants and weaknesses of thy fellow men? I think thou wilt find something congenial in the work I proffer thee.Againart thou the reverse of thisone ever choosing the bright side, ever giving the light and fairer traits of human character thine
16、 admirationone ever looking abroad on the earth with a deep spiritual eyeto whom nature is familiarto whom the winds, and woods, and waters are companionsone to whom the breathings of spring, the twitter of birds, the voices of infancy are a melodyone ever sending out thy fancy for imaginary bliss, exploring amid the3 haunts of evil for good, and tracing out the sweet attractivenesses of virtue? Thou too, I think, wilt fin
