essays and lectures-第17章

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greater　sublimity　of　its　loneliness　it　may　be　quickened　into

loftier　utterance　and　intensified　into　clearer　song。　　From　the　mean

squalor　of　the　sordid　life　that　limits　him；　the　dreamer　or　the

idyllist　may　soar　on　poesy's　viewless　wings；　may　traverse　with

fawn…skin　and　spear　the　moonlit　heights　of　Cithaeron　though　Faun

and　Bassarid　dance　there　no　more。　　Like　Keats　he　may　wander　through

the　old…world　forests　of　Latmos；　or　stand　like　Morris　on　the

galley's　deck　with　the　Viking　when　king　and　galley　have　long　since

passed　away。　　But　the　drama　is　the　meeting…place　of　art　and　life；

it　deals；　as　Mazzini　said；　not　merely　with　man；　but　with　social

man；　with　man　in　his　relation　to　God　and　to　Humanity。　　It　is　the

product　of　a　period　of　great　national　united　energy；　it　is

impossible　without　a　noble　public；　and　belongs　to　such　ages　as　the

age　of　Elizabeth　in　London　and　of　Pericles　at　Athens；　it　is　part　of

such　lofty　moral　and　spiritual　ardour　as　came　to　Greek　after　the

defeat　of　the　Persian　fleet；　and　to　Englishman　after　the　wreck　of

the　Armada　of　Spain。



Shelley　felt　how　incomplete　our　movement　was　in　this　respect；　and

has　shown　in　one　great　tragedy　by　what　terror　and　pity　he　would

have　purified　our　age；　but　in　spite　of　THE　CENCI　the　drama　is　one

of　the　artistic　forms　through　which　the　genius　of　the　England　of

this　century　seeks　in　vain　to　find　outlet　and　expression。　　He　has

had　no　worthy　imitators。



It　is　rather；　perhaps；　to　you　that　we　should　turn　to　complete　and

perfect　this　great　movement　of　ours；　for　there　is　something

Hellenic　in　your　air　and　world；　something　that　has　a　quicker　breath

of　the　joy　and　power　of　Elizabeth's　England　about　it　than　our

ancient　civilisation　can　give　us。　　For　you；　at　least；　are　young；

'no　hungry　generations　tread　you　down；'　and　the　past　does　not　weary

you　with　the　intolerable　burden　of　its　memories　nor　mock　you　with

the　ruins　of　a　beauty；　the　secret　of　whose　creation　you　have　lost。

That　very　absence　of　tradition；　which　Mr。　Ruskin　thought　would　rob

your　rivers　of　their　laughter　and　your　flowers　of　their　light；　may

be　rather　the　source　of　your　freedom　and　your　strength。



To　speak　in　literature　with　the　perfect　rectitude　and　insouciance

of　the　movements　of　animals；　and　the　unimpeachableness　of　the

sentiment　of　trees　in　the　woods　and　grass　by　the　roadside；　has　been

defined　by　one　of　your　poets　as　a　flawless　triumph　of　art。　　It　is　a

triumph　which　you　above　all　nations　may　be　destined　to　achieve。

For　the　voices　that　have　their　dwelling　in　sea　and　mountain　are　not

the　chosen　music　of　Liberty　only；　other　messages　are　there　in　the

wonder　of　wind…swept　height　and　the　majesty　of　silent　deep　…

messages　that；　if　you　will　but　listen　to　them；　may　yield　you　the

splendour　of　some　new　imagination；　the　marvel　of　some　new　beauty。



'I　foresee；'　said　Goethe；　'the　dawn　of　a　new　literature　which　all

people　may　claim　as　their　own；　for　all　have　contributed　to　its

foundation。'　　If；　then；　this　is　so；　and　if　the　materials　for　a

civilisation　as　great　as　that　of　Europe　lie　all　around　you；　what

profit；　you　will　ask　me；　will　all　this　study　of　our　poets　and

painters　be　to　you？　　I　might　answer　that　the　intellect　can　be

engaged　without　direct　didactic　object　on　an　artistic　and

historical　problem；　that　the　demand　of　the　intellect　is　merely　to

feel　itself　alive；　that　nothing　which　has　ever　interested　men　or

women　can　cease　to　be　a　fit　subject　for　culture。



I　might　remind　you　of　what　all　Europe　owes　to　the　sorrow　of　a

single　Florentine　in　exile　at　Verona；　or　to　the　love　of　Petrarch　by

that　little　well　in　Southern　France；　nay；　more；　how　even　in　this

dull；　materialistic　age　the　simple　expression　of　an　old　man's

simple　life；　passed　away　from　the　clamour　of　great　cities　amid　the

lakes　and　misty　hills　of　Cumberland；　has　opened　out　for　England

treasures　of　new　joy　compared　with　which　the　treasures　of　her

luxury　are　as　barren　as　the　sea　which　she　has　made　her　highway；　and

as　bitter　as　the　fire　which　she　would　make　her　slave。



But　I　think　it　will　bring　you　something　besides　this；　something

that　is　the　knowledge　of　real　strength　in　art：　　not　that　you　should

imitate　the　works　of　these　men；　but　their　artistic　spirit；　their

artistic　attitude；　I　think　you　should　absorb　that。



For　in　nations；　as　in　individuals；　if　the　passion　for　creation　be

not　accompanied　by　the　critical；　the　aesthetic　faculty　also；　it

will　be　sure　to　waste　its　strength　aimlessly；　failing　perhaps　in

the　artistic　spirit　of　choice；　or　in　the　mistaking　of　feeling　for

form；　or　in　the　following　of　false　ideals。



For　the　various　spiritual　forms　of　the　imagination　have　a　natural

affinity　with　certain　sensuous　forms　of　art　…　and　to　discern　the

qualities　of　each　art；　to　intensify　as　well　its　limitations　as　its

powers　of　expression；　is　one　of　the　aims　that　culture　sets　before

us。　　It　is　not　an　increased　moral　sense；　an　increased　moral

supervision　that　your　literature　needs。　　Indeed；　one　should　never

talk　of　a　moral　or　an　immoral　poem　…　poems　are　either　well　written

or　badly　written；　that　is　all。　　And；　indeed；　any　element　of　morals

or　implied　reference　to　a　standard　of　good　or　evil　in　art　is　often

a　sign　of　a　certain　incompleteness　of　vision；　often　a　note　of

discord　in　the　harmony　of　an　imaginative　creation；　for　all　good

work　aims　at　a　purely　artistic　effect。　　'We　must　be　careful；'　said

Goethe；　'not　to　be　always　looking　for　culture　merely　in　what　is

obviously　moral。　　Everything　that　is　great　promotes　civilisation　as

soon　as　we　are　aware　of　it。'



But；　as　in　your　cities　so　in　your　literature；　it　is　a　permanent

canon　and　standard　of　taste；　an　increased　sensibility　to　beauty　（if

I　may　say　so）　that　is　lacking。　　All　noble　work　is　not　national

merely；　but　universal。　　The　political　independence　of　a　nation　must

not　be　confused　with　any　intellectual　isolation。　　The　spiritual

freedom；　indeed；　your　own　generous　lives　and　liberal　air　will　give

you。　　From　us　you　will　learn　the　classical　restraint　of　form。



For　all　great　art　is　delicate　art；　roughness　having　very　little　to

do　with　strength；　and　harshness　very　little　to　do　with　power。　　'The

artist；'　as　Mr。　Swinburne　says；　'must　be　perfectly　articulate。'



This　limitation　is　for　the　artist　perfect　freedom：　　it　is　at　once

the　origin　and　the　sign　of　his　strength。　　So　that　all　the　supreme

masters　of　style　…　Dante；　Sophocles；　Shakespeare　…　are　the　supreme

masters　of　spiritual　and　intellectual　vision　also。



Love　art　for　its　own　sake；　and　then　all　things　that　you　need　will

be　added　to　you。



This　devotion　to　beauty　and　to　the　creation　of　beautiful　things　is

the　test　of　all　great　civilised　nations。　　Philosophy　may　teach　us

to　bear　with　equanimity　the　misfortunes　of　our　neighbours；　and

science　resolve　the　moral　sense　into　a　secretion　of　sugar；　but　art

is　what　makes　the　life　of　each　citizen　a　sacrament　and　not　a

speculation；　art　is　what　makes　the　life　of　the　whole　race　immortal。



For　beauty　is　the　only　thing　that　time　cannot　harm。　　Philosophies

fall　away　like　sand；　and　creeds　follow　one　another　like　the

withered　leaves　of　autumn；　but　what　is　beautiful　is　a　joy　for　all

seasons　and　a　possession　for　all　eternity。



Wars　and　the　clash　of　armies　and　the　meeting　of　men　in　battle　by

trampled　field　or　leaguered　city；　and　the　rising　of　nations　there

must　always　be。　　But　I　think　that　art；　by　creating　a　common

intellectual　atmosphere　between　all　countries；　might　…　if　it　could

not　overshadow　the　world　with　the　silver　wings　of　peace　…　at　least

make　men　such　brothers　that　they　would　not　go　out　to　slay　one

another　for　the　whim　or　folly　of　some　king　or　minister；　as　they　do

in　Europe。　　Fraternity　would　come　no　more　with　the　hands　of　Cain；

nor　Liberty　betray　freedom　with　the　kiss　of　Anarchy；　for　national

hatreds　are　always　strongest　where　culture　is　lowest。



'How　could　I？'　said　Goethe；　when　reproached　for　not　writing　like

Korner　against　the　French。　　'How　could　I；　to　whom　barbarism　and

culture　alone　are　of　importance；　hate　a　nation　which　is　among　the

most　cultivated　of　the　earth；　a　nation　to　which　I　owe　a　great　part

of　my　own　cultivation？'



Mighty　empires；　too；　there　must　always　be　as　long　as　personal

ambition　and　the　spirit　of　the　age　are　one；　but　art　at　least　is　the

only　empire　which　a　nation's　enemies　cannot　take　from　her　by

conquest；　but　which　is　taken　by　submission　only。　　The　sovereignty

of　Greece　and　Rome　is　not　yet　passed　away；　though　the　gods　of　the

one　be　dead　and　the　eagles　of　the　other　tired。



And　we　in　our　Renaissance　are　seeking　to　create　a　sovereignty　that

will　still　be　England's　when　her　yellow　leopards　have　grown　weary

of　wars　and　the　rose　of　her　shield　is　crimsoned　no　more　with　the

blood　of　battle；　and　you；　too；　absorbing　into　the　generous　heart　of

a　great　people　this　pervading　artistic　spirit；　will　create　for

yourselves　such　riches　as　you　have　never　yet　created；　though　your

land　be　a　network　of　railways　and　your　cities　the　harbours　for　the

galleys　of　the　world。



I　know；　indeed；　that　the　divine　natural　prescience　of　beauty　which

is　the　inalienable　inheritance　of　Greek　and　Italian　is　not　our

inheritance。　　For　such　an　informing　and　presiding　spirit　of　art　to

shield　us　from　all　harsh　and　alien　influences；　we　of　the　Northern

races　must　turn　rather　to　that　strained　self…consciousness　of　our

age　which；　as　it　is　the　key…note　of　all　our　romantic　art；　must　be

the　source　of　all　or　nearly　all　our　culture。　　I　mean　that

intellectual　curiosity　of　the　nineteenth　century　which　is　always

looking　for　the　secret　of　the　life　that　still　lingers　round　old　and

bygone　forms　of　culture。　　It　takes　from　each　what　is　serviceable

for　the　modern　spirit　…　from　Athens　its　wonder　without　its　worship；

from　Venice　its　splendour　without　its　sin。　　The　same　spirit　is

always　analysing　its　own　strength　and　its　own　weakness；　counting

what　it　owes　to　East　and　to　West；　to　the　olive…trees　of　Colonus　and

to　the　palm…trees　of　Lebanon；　to　Gethsemane　and　to　the　garden　of

Proserpine。



And　yet　the　truths　of　art　cannot　be　taught：　　they　are　revealed

only；　revealed　to　natures　which　have　made　themselves　receptive　of

all　beautiful　impressions　by　the　study　and　worship　of　all　beautiful

things。　　And　hence　the　enormous　importance　given　to　the　decorative

arts　in　our　English　Renaissance；　hence　all　that　marvel　of　design

that　comes　from　the　hand　of　Edward　Burne…Jones；　all　that　weaving　of

tapestry　and　staining　of　glass；　that　beautiful　working　in　clay　and

metal　and　wood　which　we　owe　to　William　Morris；　the　greatest

handicraftsman　we　have　had　in　England　since　the　fourteenth　century。



So；　in　years　to　come　there　will　be　nothing　in　any　man's　house　which

has　not　given　delight　to　its　maker　and　does　not　give　delight　to　its

user。　　The　children；　like　the　children　of　Plato's　perfect　city；

will　grow　up　'in　a　simple　atmosphere　of　all　fair　things'　…　I　quote

from　the　passage　in　the　REPUBLIC　…　'a　simple　atmosphere