the critic as artist-第12章

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　curious　of　new　sensations　and　fresh　points　of　view。　　Through　constant　change；　and　through　constant　change　alone；　he　will　find　his　true　unity。　　He　will　not　consent　to　be　the　slave　of　his　own　opinions。　　For　what　is　mind　but　motion　in　the　intellectual　sphere？　The　essence　of　thought；　as　the　essence　of　life；　is　growth。　　You　must　not　be　frightened　by　word；　Ernest。　　What　people　call　insincerity　is　simply　a　method　by　which　we　can　multiply　our　personalities。

ERNEST。　　I　am　afraid　I　have　not　been　fortunate　in　my　suggestions。

GILBERT。　　Of　the　three　qualifications　you　mentioned；　two；　sincerity　and　fairness；　were；　if　not　actually　moral；　at　least　on　the　borderland　of　morals；　and　the　first　condition　of　criticism　is　that　the　critic　should　be　able　to　recognise　that　the　sphere　of　Art　and　the　sphere　of　Ethics　are　absolutely　distinct　and　separate。　　When　they　are　confused；　Chaos　has　come　again。　　They　are　too　often　confused　in　England　now；　and　though　our　modern　Puritans　cannot　destroy　a　beautiful　thing；　yet；　by　means　of　their　extraordinary　prurience；　they　can　almost　taint　beauty　for　a　moment。　　It　is　chiefly；　I　regret　to　say；　through　journalism　that　such　people　find　expression。　　I　regret　it　because　there　is　much　to　be　said　in　favour　of　modern　journalism。　　By　giving　us　the　opinions　of　the　uneducated；　it　keeps　us　in　touch　with　the　ignorance　of　the　community。　　By　carefully　chronicling　the　current　events　of　contemporary　life；　it　shows　us　of　what　very　little　importance　such　events　really　are。　　By　invariably　discussing　the　unnecessary　it　makes　us　understand　what　things　are　requisite　for　culture；　and　what　are　not。　　But　it　should　not　allow　poor　Tartuffe　to　write　articles　upon　modern　art。　　When　it　does　this　it　stultifies　itself。　　And　yet　Tartuffe's　articles　and　Chadband's　notes　do　this　good；　at　least。　　They　serve　to　show　how　extremely　limited　is　the　area　over　which　ethics；　and　ethical　considerations；　can　claim　to　exercise　influence。　　Science　is　out　of　the　reach　of　morals；　for　her　eyes　are　fixed　upon　eternal　truths。　Art　is　out　of　the　reach　of　morals；　for　her　eyes　are　fixed　upon　things　beautiful　and　immortal　and　ever…changing。　　To　morals　belong　the　lower　and　less　intellectual　spheres。　　However；　let　these　mouthing　Puritans　pass；　they　have　their　comic　side。　　Who　can　help　laughing　when　an　ordinary　journalist　seriously　proposes　to　limit　the　subject…matter　at　the　disposal　of　the　artist？　　Some　limitation　might　well；　and　will　soon；　I　hope；　be　placed　upon　some　of　our　newspapers　and　newspaper　writers。　　For　they　give　us　the　bald；　sordid；　disgusting　facts　of　life。　　They　chronicle；　with　degrading　avidity；　the　sins　of　the　second…rate；　and　with　the　conscientiousness　of　the　illiterate　give　us　accurate　and　prosaic　details　of　the　doings　of　people　of　absolutely　no　interest　whatsoever。　　But　the　artist；　who　accepts　the　facts　of　life；　and　yet　transforms　them　into　shapes　of　beauty；　and　makes　them　vehicles　of　pity　or　of　awe；　and　shows　their　colour…element；　and　their　wonder；　and　their　true　ethical　import　also；　and　builds　out　of　them　a　world　more　real　than　reality　itself；　and　of　loftier　and　more　noble　import　…　who　shall　set　limits　to　him？　　Not　the　apostles　of　that　new　Journalism　which　is　but　the　old　vulgarity　'writ　large。'　　Not　the　apostles　of　that　new　Puritanism；　which　is　but　the　whine　of　the　hypocrite；　and　is　both　writ　and　spoken　badly。　　The　mere　suggestion　is　ridiculous。　　Let　us　leave　these　wicked　people；　and　proceed　to　the　discussion　of　the　artistic　qualifications　necessary　for　the　true　critic。

ERNEST。　　And　what　are　they？　　Tell　me　yourself。

GILBERT。　　Temperament　is　the　primary　requisite　for　the　critic　…　a　temperament　exquisitely　susceptible　to　beauty；　and　to　the　various　impressions　that　beauty　gives　us。　　Under　what　conditions；　and　by　what　means；　this　temperament　is　engendered　in　race　or　individual；　we　will　not　discuss　at　present。　　It　is　sufficient　to　note　that　it　exists；　and　that　there　is　in　us　a　beauty…sense；　separate　from　the　other　senses　and　above　them；　separate　from　the　reason　and　of　nobler　import；　separate　from　the　soul　and　of　equal　value　…　a　sense　that　leads　some　to　create；　and　others；　the　finer　spirits　as　I　think；　to　contemplate　merely。　　But　to　be　purified　and　made　perfect；　this　sense　requires　some　form　of　exquisite　environment。　　Without　this　it　starves；　or　is　dulled。　　You　remember　that　lovely　passage　in　which　Plato　describes　how　a　young　Greek　should　be　educated；　and　with　what　insistence　he　dwells　upon　the　importance　of　surroundings；　telling　us　how　the　lad　is　to　be　brought　up　in　the　midst　of　fair　sights　and　sounds；　so　that　the　beauty　of　material　things　may　prepare　his　soul　for　the　reception　of　the　beauty　that　is　spiritual。　　Insensibly；　and　without　knowing　the　reason　why；　he　is　to　develop　that　real　love　of　beauty　which；　as　Plato　is　never　weary　of　reminding　us；　is　the　true　aim　of　education。　　By　slow　degrees　there　is　to　be　engendered　in　him　such　a　temperament　as　will　lead　him　naturally　and　simply　to　choose　the　good　in　preference　to　the　bad；　and；　rejecting　what　is　vulgar　and　discordant；　to　follow　by　fine　instinctive　taste　all　that　possesses　grace　and　charm　and　loveliness。　　Ultimately；　in　its　due　course；　this　taste　is　to　become　critical　and　self…conscious；　but　at　first　it　is　to　exist　purely　as　a　cultivated　instinct；　and　'he　who　has　received　this　true　culture　of　the　inner　man　will　with　clear　and　certain　vision　perceive　the　omissions　and　faults　in　art　or　nature；　and　with　a　taste　that　cannot　err；　while　he　praises；　and　finds　his　pleasure　in　what　is　good；　and　receives　it　into　his　soul；　and　so　becomes　good　and　noble；　he　will　rightly　blame　and　hate　the　bad；　now　in　the　days　of　his　youth；　even　before　he　is　able　to　know　the　reason　why'：　　and　so；　when；　later　on；　the　critical　and　self…conscious　spirit　develops　in　him；　he　'will　recognise　and　salute　it　as　a　friend　with　whom　his　education　has　made　him　long　familiar。'　　I　need　hardly　say；　Ernest；　how　far　we　in　England　have　fallen　short　of　this　ideal；　and　I　can　imagine　the　smile　that　would　illuminate　the　glossy　face　of　the　Philistine　if　one　ventured　to　suggest　to　him　that　the　true　aim　of　education　was　the　love　of　beauty；　and　that　the　methods　by　which　education　should　work　were　the　development　of　temperament；　the　cultivation　of　taste；　and　the　creation　of　the　critical　spirit。

Yet；　even　for　us；　there　is　left　some　loveliness　of　environment；　and　the　dulness　of　tutors　and　professors　matters　very　little　when　one　can　loiter　in　the　grey　cloisters　at　Magdalen；　and　listen　to　some　flute…like　voice　singing　in　Waynfleete's　chapel；　or　lie　in　the　green　meadow；　among　the　strange　snake…spotted　fritillaries；　and　watch　the　sunburnt　noon　smite　to　a　finer　gold　the　tower's　gilded　vanes；　or　wander　up　the　Christ　Church　staircase　beneath　the　vaulted　ceiling's　shadowy　fans；　or　pass　through　the　sculptured　gateway　of　Laud's　building　in　the　College　of　St。　John。　　Nor　is　it　merely　at　Oxford；　or　Cambridge；　that　the　sense　of　beauty　can　be　formed　and　trained　and　perfected。　　All　over　England　there　is　a　Renaissance　of　the　decorative　Arts。　　Ugliness　has　had　its　day。　　Even　in　the　houses　of　the　rich　there　is　taste；　and　the　houses　of　those　who　are　not　rich　have　been　made　gracious　and　comely　and　sweet　to　live　in。　Caliban；　poor　noisy　Caliban；　thinks　that　when　he　has　ceased　to　make　mows　at　a　thing；　the　thing　ceases　to　exist。　　But　if　he　mocks　no　longer；　it　is　because　he　has　been　met　with　mockery；　swifter　and　keener　than　his　own；　and　for　a　moment　has　been　bitterly　schooled　into　that　silence　which　should　seal　for　ever　his　uncouth　distorted　lips。　　What　has　been　done　up　to　now；　has　been　chiefly　in　the　clearing　of　the　way。　　It　is　always　more　difficult　to　destroy　than　it　is　to　create；　and　when　what　one　has　to　destroy　is　vulgarity　and　stupidity；　the　task　of　destruction　needs　not　merely　courage　but　also　contempt。　　Yet　it　seems　to　me　to　have　been；　in　a　measure；　done。　　We　have　got　rid　of　what　was　bad。　　We　have　now　to　make　what　is　beautiful。　　And　though　the　mission　of　the　aesthetic　movement　is　to　lure　people　to　contemplate；　not　to　lead　them　to　create；　yet；　as　the　creative　instinct　is　strong　in　the　Celt；　and　it　is　the　Celt　who　leads　in　art；　there　is　no　reason　why　in　future　years　this　strange　Renaissance　should　not　become　almost　as　mighty　in　its　way　as　was　that　new　birth　of　Art　that　woke　many　centuries　ago　in　the　cities　of　Italy。

Certainly；　for　the　cultivation　of　temperament；　we　must　turn　to　the　decorative　arts：　　to　the　arts　that　touch　us；　not　to　the　arts　that　teach　us。　　Modern　pictures　are；　no　doubt；　delightful　to　look　at。　At　least；　some　of　them　are。　　But　they　are　quite　impossible　to　live　with；　they　are　too　clever；　too　assertive；　too　intellectual。　　Their　meaning　is　too　obvious；　and　their　method　too　clearly　defined。　　One　exhausts　what　they　have　to　say　in　a　very　short　time；　and　then　they　become　as　tedious　as　one's　relations。　　I　am　very　fond　of　the　work　of　many　of　the　Impressionist　painters　of　Paris　and　London。　Subtlety　and　distinction　have　not　yet　left　the　school。　　Some　of　their　arrangements　and　harmonies　serve　to　remind　one　of　the　unapproachable　beauty　of　Gautier's　immortal　SYMPHONIE　EN　BLANC　MAJEUR；　that　flawless　masterpiece　of　colour　and　music　which　may　have　suggested　the　type　as　well　as　the　titles　of　many　of　their　best　pictures。　　For　a　class　that　welcomes　the　incompetent　with　sympathetic　eagerness；　and　that　confuses　the　bizarre　with　the　beautiful；　and　vulgarity　with　truth；　they　are　extremely　accomplished。　　They　can　do　etchings　that　have　the　brilliancy　of　epigrams；　pastels　that　are　as　fascinating　as　paradoxes；　and　as　for　their　portraits；　whatever　the　commonplace　may　say　against　them；　no　one　can　deny　that　they　possess　that　unique　and　wonderful　charm　which　belongs　to　works　of　pure　fiction。　　But　even　the　Impressionists；　earnest　and　industrious　as　they　are；　will　not　do。　I　like　them。　　Their　white　keynote；　with　its　variations　in　lilac；　was　an　era　in　colour。　　Though　the　moment　does　not　make　the　man；　the　moment　certainly　makes　the　Impressionist；　and　for　the　moment　in　art；　and　the　'moment's　monument；'　as　Rossetti　phrased　it；　what　may　not　be　said？　　They　are　suggestive　also。　　If　they　have　not　opened　the　eyes　of　the　blind；　they　have　at　least　given　great　encouragement　to　the　short…sighted；　and　while　their　leaders　may　have　all　the　inexperience　of　old　age；　their　young　men　are　far　too　wise　to　be　ever　sensible。　　Yet　they　will　insist　on　treating　painting　as　if　it　were　a　mode　of　autobiography　invented　for　the　use　of　the　illiterate；　and　are　always　prating　to　us　on　their　coarse　gritty　canvases　of　their　unnecessary　selves　and　their　unnecessary　opinions；　and　spoiling　by　a　vulgar　over…emphasis　that　fine　contempt　of　nature　which　is　the　best　and　only　modest　thing　about　them。　　One　tires；　at　the　end；　of　the　work　of　individuals　whose　individuality　is　always　noisy；　and　generally　uninteresting。　　There　is　far　more　to　be　said　in　favour　of　that　newer　school　at　Paris；　the　ARCHAICISTES；　as　they　call　themselves；　who；　refusing　to　leave　the　artist　entirely　at　the　mercy　of　the　weather；　do　not　find　the　ideal　of　art　in　mere　atmospheric　effect；　but　seek　rather　for　the　imaginative　beauty　of　design　and　the　loveliness　of　fair　colour；　and　rejecting　the　tedious　realism　of　those　who　merely　paint　what　they　see；　try　to　see　something　worth　seeing；　and　to　see　it　not　merely　with　actual　and　physical　vision；　but　with　that　nobler　vision　of　the　soul　which　is　a