lavengro-第47章

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which　cannot　be　reproduced＇〃　I　added；　for；　being　amongst　orators；　I　

thought　a　word　of　Greek　would　tell。'



'Well；'　said　I；　'and　what　did　the　orators　say？'



'They　gazed　dubiously　at　me　and　at　one　another；'　said　my　brother；　

'at　last　the　watchmaker　asked　me　who　this　Mr。　Christo　was；　adding；　

that　he　had　never　heard　of　such　a　person；　that；　from　my　

recommendation　of　him；　he　had　no　doubt　that　he　was　a　very　clever　

man；　but　that　they　should　like　to　know　something　more　about　him　

before　giving　the　commission　to　him。　　That　he　had　heard　of　Christie　

the　great　auctioneer；　who　was　considered　to　be　an　excellent　judge　

of　pictures；　but　he　supposed　that　I　scarcely　…　Whereupon；　

interrupting　the　watchmaker；　I　told　him　that　I　alluded　neither　to　

Christo　nor　to　Christie；　but　to　the　painter　of　Lazarus　rising　from　

the　grave；　a　painter　under　whom　I　had　myself　studied　during　some　

months　that　I　had　spent　in　London；　and　to　whom　I　was　indebted　for　

much　connected　with　the　heroic。



'〃I　have　heard　of　him；〃　said　the　watchmaker；　〃and　his　paintings　

too；　but　I　am　afraid　that　he　is　not　exactly　the　gentleman　by　whom　

our　mayor　would　wish　to　be　painted。　　I　have　heard　say　that　he　is　

not　a　very　good　friend　to　Church　and　State。　　Come；　young　man；〃　he　

added；　〃it　appears　to　me　that　you　are　too　modest；　I　like　your　style　

of　painting；　so　do　we　all；　and　…　why　should　I　mince　the　matter？　…　

the　money　is　to　be　collected　in　the　town；　why　should　it　go　into　a　

stranger's　pocket；　and　be　spent　in　London？〃



'Thereupon　I　made　them　a　speech；　in　which　I　said　that　art　had　

nothing　to　do　with　Church　and　State；　at　least　with　English　Church　

and　State；　which　had　never　encouraged　it；　and　that；　though　Church　

and　State　were　doubtless　very　fine　things；　a　man　might　be　a　very　

good　artist　who　cared　not　a　straw　for　either。　　I　then　made　use　of　

some　more　Greek　words；　and　told　them　how　painting　was　one　of　the　

Nine　Muses；　and　one　of　the　most　independent　creatures　alive；　

inspiring　whom　she　pleased；　and　asking　leave　of　nobody；　that　I　

should　be　quite　unworthy　of　the　favours　of　the　Muse　if；　on　the　

present　occasion；　I　did　not　recommend　them　a　man　whom　I　considered　

to　be　a　much　greater　master　of　the　heroic　than　myself；　and　that；　

with　regard　to　the　money　being　spent　in　the　city；　I　had　no　doubt　

that　they　would　not　weigh　for　a　moment　such　a　consideration　against　

the　chance　of　getting　a　true　heroic　picture　for　the　city。　　I　never　

talked　so　well　in　my　life；　and　said　so　many　flattering　things　to　

the　hunchback　and　his　friends；　that　at　last　they　said　that　I　should　

have　my　own　way；　and　that　if　I　pleased　to　go　up　to　London；　and　

bring　down　the　painter　of　Lazarus　to　paint　the　mayor；　I　might；　so　

they　then　bade　me　farewell；　and　I　have　come　up　to　London。'



'To　put　a　hundred　pounds　into　the　hands　of　…　'



'A　better　man　than　myself；'　said　my　brother；　'of　course。'



'And　have　you　come　up　at　your　own　expense？'



'Yes；'　said　my　brother；　'I　have　come　up　at　my　own　expense。'



I　made　no　answer；　but　looked　in　my　brother's　face。　　We　then　

returned　to　the　former　subjects　of　conversation；　talking　of　the　

dead；　my　mother；　and　the　dog。



After　some　time　my　brother　said；　'I　will　now　go　to　the　painter；　and　

communicate　to　him　the　business　which　has　brought　me　to　town；　and；　

if　you　please；　I　will　take　you　with　me　and　introduce　you　to　him。'　　

Having　expressed　my　willingness；　we　descended　into　the　street。







CHAPTER　XXXVIII







Painter　of　the　heroic　…　I'll　go！　…　A　modest　peep　…　Who　is　this？　…　A　

capital　Pharaoh　…　Disproportionably　short　…　Imaginary　picture　…　

English　figures。



THE　painter　of　the　heroic　resided　a　great　way　off；　at　the　western　

end　of　the　town。　　We　had　some　difficulty　in　obtaining　admission　to　

him；　a　maid…servant；　who　opened　the　door；　eyeing　us　somewhat　

suspiciously：　　it　was　not　until　my　brother　had　said　that　he　was　a　

friend　of　the　painter　that　we　were　permitted　to　pass　the　threshold。　　

At　length　we　were　shown　into　the　studio；　where　we　found　the　

painter；　with　an　easel　and　brush；　standing　before　a　huge　piece　of　

canvas；　on　which　he　had　lately　commenced　painting　a　heroic　picture。　　

The　painter　might　be　about　thirty…five　years　old；　he　had　a　clever；　

intelligent　countenance；　with　a　sharp　gray　eye　…　his　hair　was　dark　

brown；　and　cut　a…la…Rafael；　as　I　was　subsequently　told；　that　is；　

there　was　little　before　and　much　behind　…　he　did　not　wear　a　neck…

cloth；　but；　in　its　stead；　a　black　riband；　so　that　his　neck；　which　

was　rather　fine；　was　somewhat　exposed　…　he　had　a　broad；　muscular　

breast；　and　I　make　no　doubt　that　he　would　have　been　a　very　fine　

figure；　but　unfortunately　his　legs　and　thighs　were　somewhat　short。　　

He　recognised　my　brother；　and　appeared　glad　to　see　him。



'What　brings　you　to　London？'　said　he。



Whereupon　my　brother　gave　him　a　brief　account　of　his　commission。　　

At　the　mention　of　the　hundred　pounds；　I　observed　the　eyes　of　the　

painter　glisten。　　'Really；'　said　he；　when　my　brother　had　concluded；　

'it　was　very　kind　to　think　of　me。　　I　am　not　very　fond　of　painting　

portraits；　but　a　mayor　is　a　mayor；　and　there　is　something　grand　in　

that　idea　of　the　Norman　arch。　　I'll　go；　moreover；　I　am　just　at　this　

moment　confoundedly　in　need　of　money；　and　when　you　knocked　at　the　

door；　I　don't　mind　telling　you；　I　thought　it　was　some　dun。　　I　don't　

know　how　it　is；　but　in　the　capital　they　have　no　taste　for　the　

heroic；　they　will　scarce　look　at　a　heroic　picture；　I　am　glad　to　

hear　that　they　have　better　taste　in　the　provinces。　　I'll　go；　when　

shall　we　set　off？'



Thereupon　it　was　arranged　between　the　painter　and　my　brother　that　

they　should　depart　the　next　day　but　one；　they　then　began　to　talk　of　

art。　　'I'll　stick　to　the　heroic；'　said　the　painter；　'I　now　and　then　

dabble　in　the　comic；　but　what　I　do　gives　me　no　pleasure；　the　comic　

is　so　low；　there　is　nothing　like　the　heroic。　　I　am　engaged　here　on　

a　heroic　picture；'　said　he；　pointing　to　the　canvas；　'the　subject　is　

〃Pharaoh　dismissing　Moses　from　Egypt；〃　after　the　last　plague　…　the　

death　of　the　first…born；　it　is　not　far　advanced　…　that　finished　

figure　is　Moses'：　　they　both　looked　at　the　canvas；　and　I；　standing　

behind；　took　a　modest　peep。　　The　picture；　as　the　painter　said；　was　

not　far　advanced；　the　Pharaoh　was　merely　in　outline；　my　eye　was；　of　

course；　attracted　by　the　finished　figure；　or　rather　what　the　

painter　had　called　the　finished　figure；　but；　as　I　gazed　upon　it；　it　

appeared　to　me　that　there　was　something　defective　…　something　

unsatisfactory　in　the　figure。　　I　concluded；　however；　that　the　

painter；　notwithstanding　what　he　had　said；　had　omitted　to　give　it　

the　finishing　touch。　　'I　intend　this　to　be　my　best　picture；'　said　

the　painter；　'what　I　want　now　is　a　face　for　Pharaoh；　I　have　long　

been　meditating　on　a　face　for　Pharaoh。'　　Here；　chancing　to　cast　his　

eye　upon　my　countenance；　of　whom　he　had　scarcely　taken　any　manner　

of　notice；　he　remained　with　his　mouth　open　for　some　time。　　'Who　is　

this？'　said　he　at　last。　　'Oh；　this　is　my　brother；　I　forgot　to　

introduce　him。'　。　。　。



We　presently　afterwards　departed；　my　brother　talked　much　about　the　

painter。　　'He　is　a　noble　fellow；'　said　my　brother；　'but；　like　many　

other　noble　fellows；　has　a　great　many　enemies；　he　is　hated　by　his　

brethren　of　the　brush　…　all　the　land　and　water　scape　painters　hate　

him　…　but；　above　all；　the　race　of　portrait…painters；　who　are　ten　

times　more　numerous　than　the　other　two　sorts；　detest　him　for　his　

heroic　tendencies。　　It　will　be　a　kind　of　triumph　to　the　last；　I　

fear；　when　they　hear　he　has　condescended　to　paint　a　portrait；　

however；　that　Norman　arch　will　enable　him　to　escape　from　their　

malice　…　that　is　a　capital　idea　of　the　watchmaker；　that　Norman　

arch。'



I　spent　a　happy　day　with　my　brother。　　On　the　morrow　he　went　again　

to　the　painter；　with　whom　he　dined；　I　did　not　go　with　him。　　On　his　

return　he　said；　'The　painter　has　been　asking　a　great　many　questions　

about　you；　and　expressed　a　wish　that　you　would　sit　to　him　as　

Pharaoh；　he　thinks　you　would　make　a　capital　Pharaoh。'　　'I　have　no　

wish　to　appear　on　canvas；'　said　I；　'moreover　he　can　find　much　

better　Pharaohs　than　myself；　and；　if　he　wants　a　real　Pharaoh；　there　

is　a　certain　Mr。　Petulengro。'　　'Petulengro？'　said　my　brother；　'a　

strange　kind　of　fellow　came　up　to　me　some　time　ago　in　our　town；　and　

asked　me　about　you；　when　I　inquired　his　name；　he　told　me　

Petulengro。　　No；　he　will　not　do；　he　is　too　short；　by　the　bye；　do　

you　not　think　that　figure　of　Moses　is　somewhat　short？'　　And　then　it　

appeared　to　me　that　I　had　thought　the　figure　of　Moses　somewhat　

short；　and　I　told　my　brother　so。　　'Ah！'　said　my　brother。



On　the　morrow　my　brother　departed　with　the　painter　for　the　old　

town；　and　there　the　painter　painted　the　mayor。　　I　did　not　see　the　

picture　for　a　great　many　years；　when；　chancing　to　be　at　the　old　

town；　I　beheld　it。



The　original　mayor　was　a　mighty；　portly　man；　with　a　bull's　head；　

black　hair；　body　like　that　of　a　dray　horse；　and　legs　and　thighs　

corresponding；　a　man　six　foot　high　at　the　least。　　To　his　bull's　

head；　black　hair；　and　body　the　painter　had　done　justice；　there　was　

one　point；　however；　in　which　the　portrait　did　not　correspond　with　

the　original　…　the　legs　were　disproportionably　short；　the　painter　

having　substituted　his　own　legs　for　those　of　the　mayor；　which　when　

I　perceived　I　rejoiced　that　I　had　not　consented　to　be　painted　as　

Pharaoh；　for；　if　I　had；　the　chances　are　that　he　would　have　served　

me　in　exactly　a　similar　way　as　he　had　served　Moses　and　the　mayor。



Short　legs　in　a　heroic　picture　will　never　do；　and；　upon　the　whole；　

I　think　the　painter's　attempt　at　the　heroic　in　painting　the　mayor　

of　the　old　town　a　decided　failure。　　If　I　am　now　asked　whether　the　

picture　would　have　been　a　heroic　one　provided　the　painter　had　not　

substituted　his　own　legs　for　those　of　the　mayor　…　I　must　say；　I　am　

afraid　not。　　I　have　no　idea　of　making　heroic　pictures　out　of　

English　mayors；　even　with　the　assistance　of　Norman　arches；　yet　I　am　

sure　that　capital　pictures　might　be　made　out　of　English　mayors；　not　

issuing　from　Norman　arches；　but　rather　from　the　door　of　the　

'Checquers'　or　the　'Brewers　Three。'　　The　painter　in　question　had　

great　comic　power；　which　he　scarcely　ever　cultivated；　he　would　fain　

be　a　Rafael；　which　he　never　could　be；　when　he　might　have　been　

something　quite　as　good　…　another　Hogarth；　the　only　comic　piece　

which　he　ever　presented　to　the　world　being　something　little　

inferior　to　the　best　of　that　illustrious　master。　　I　have　often　

thought　what　a　capital　picture　might　have　been　made　by　my　brother's　

friend；　if；　instead　of　making　the　mayor　issue　out　of　the　Norman　

arch；　he　had　painted　him　moving　under　the　sign　of　the　'Checquers；'　

or　the　'Three　Brewers；'　with　mace　…　yes；　with　mace；　…　the　mace　

appears　in　the　picture　issuing　out　of　the　Norman　arch　behind　the　

mayor；　…　but　likewise　with　Snap