按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
into Louis XV。's Petit Trianon； or other den of aristocratic
iniquity； but left behind her； parents nursing shame and sullen
indignation； even while they fingered the ill…gotten price of their
daughter's honour； and left behind also； perhaps； some unhappy boy
of her own class； in whom disappointment and jealousy were
transformedand who will blame him？into righteous indignation；
and a very sword of God； all the more indignant； and all the more
righteous； if education helped him to see； that the maiden's
acquiescence； her pride in her own shame； was the ugliest feature in
the whole crime； and the most potent reason for putting an end；
however fearful； to a state of things in which such a fate was
thought an honour and a gain； and not a disgrace and a ruin； in
which the most gifted daughters of the lower classes had learnt to
think it more noble to becomethat which they becamethan the
wives of honest men。
If you will read fairly the literature of the Ancien Regime； whether
in France or elsewhere； you will see that my facts are true。 If you
have human hearts in you； you will see in them； it seems to me； an
explanation of many a guillotinade and fusillade； as yet explained
only on the ground of madnessan hypothesis which （as we do not yet
in the least understand what madness is） is no explanation at all。
An age of decay； incoherence； and makeshift； varnish and gilding
upon worm…eaten furniture； and mouldering wainscot； was that same
Ancien Regime。 And for that very reason a picturesque age； like one
of its own landscapes。 A picturesque bit of uncultivated mountain；
swarming with the prince's game； a picturesque old robber schloss
above； now in ruins； and below； perhaps； the picturesque new
schloss； with its French fountains and gardens； French nymphs of
marble； and of flesh and blood likewise； which the prince has
partially paid for； by selling a few hundred young men to the
English to fight the Yankees。 The river； too； is picturesque； for
the old bridge has not been repaired since it was blown up in the
Seven Years' War； and there is but a single lazy barge floating down
the stream； owing to the tolls and tariffs of his Serene Highness；
the village is picturesque； for the flower of the young men are at
the wars； and the place is tumbling down； and the two old peasants
in the foreground； with the single goat and the hamper of vine…
twigs； are very picturesque likewise； for they are all in rags。
How sad to see the picturesque element eliminated； and the quiet
artistic beauty of the scene destroyed；to have steamers puffing up
and down the river； and a railroad hurrying along its banks the
wealth of the Old World； in exchange for the wealth of the Newor
hurrying； it may be； whole regiments of free and educated citizen…
soldiers； who fight； they know for what。 How sad to see the alto
schloss desecrated by tourists； and the neue schloss converted into
a cold…water cure。 How sad to see the village； church and all；
built up again brand…new； and whitewashed to the very steeple…top；
a new school at the town…enda new crucifix by the wayside。 How
sad to see the old folk well clothed in the fabrics of England or
Belgium； doing an easy trade in milk and fruit； because the land
they till has become their own； and not the prince's； while their
sons are thriving farmers on the prairies of the far West。 Very
unpicturesque； no doubt； is wealth and progress； peace and safety；
cleanliness and comfort。 But they possess advantages unknown to the
Ancien Regime； which was； if nothing else； picturesque。 Men could
paint amusing and often pretty pictures of its people and its
places。
Consider that word； 〃picturesque。〃 It； and the notion of art which
it expresses； are the children of the Ancien Regimeof the era of
decay。 The healthy； vigorous； earnest； progressive Middle Age never
dreamed of admiring； much less of painting； for their own sake； rags
and ruins； the fashion sprang up at the end of the seventeenth
century； it lingered on during the first quarter of our century；
kept alive by the reaction from 1815…25。 It is all but dead now；
before the return of vigorous and progressive thought。 An admirer
of the Middle Ages now does not build a sham ruin in his grounds； he
restores a church； blazing with colour； like a medieval
illumination。 He has learnt to look on that which went by the name
of picturesque in his great…grandfather's time； as an old Greek or a
Middle Age monk would have doneas something squalid； ugly； a sign
of neglect； disease； death； and therefore to be hated and abolished；
if it cannot be restored。 At Carcassone； now； M。 Viollet…le…Duc；
under the auspices of the Emperor of the French； is spending his
vast learning； and much money； simply in abolishing the picturesque；
in restoring stone for stone； each member of that wonderful museum
of Middle Age architecture： Roman； Visigothic； Moslem； Romaine；
Early English； later French； all is being reproduced exactly as it
must have existed centuries since。 No doubt that is not the highest
function of art： but it is a preparation for the highest； a step
toward some future creative school。 As the early Italian artists；
by careful imitation； absorbed into their minds the beauty and
meaning of old Greek and Roman art； so must the artists of our days
by the art of the Middle Age and the Renaissance。 They must learn
to copy； before they can learn to surpass； and； meanwhile； they must
learnindeed they have learntthat decay is ugliness； and the
imitation of decay； a making money out of the public shame。
The picturesque sprang up； as far as I can discover； suddenly；
during the time of exhaustion and recklessness which followed the
great struggles of the sixteenth century。 Salvator Rosa and Callot；
two of the earliest professors of picturesque art； have never been
since surpassed。 For indeed； they drew from life。 The rags and the
ruins； material； and alas！ spiritual； were all around them； the
lands and the creeds alike lay waste。 There was ruffianism and
misery among the masses of Europe； unbelief and artificiality among
the upper classes； churches and monasteries defiled； cities sacked；
farmsteads plundered and ruinate； and all the wretchedness which
Callot has immortalisedfor a warning to evil rulersin his
Miseres de la Guerre。 The world was all gone wrong： but as for
setting it right againwho could do that？ And so men fell into a
sentimental regret for the past； and its beauties； all exaggerated
by the foreshortening of time； while they wanted strength or faith
to reproduce it。 At last they became so accustomed to the rags and
ruins； that they looked on them as the normal condition of humanity；
as the normal field for painters。
Only now and then； and especially toward the latter half of the
eighteenth century； when thought began to revive； and men dreamed of
putting the world to rights once more； there rose before them
glimpses of an Arcadian ideal。 Country lifethe primaeval calling
of menhow graceful and pure it might be！ How gracefulif not
pureit once had been！ The boors of Teniers and the beggars of
Murillo might be true to present fact； but there was a fairer ideal；
which once had been fact； in the Eclogues of Theocritus； and the
Loves of Daphnis and Chloe。 And so men took to dreaming of
shepherds and shepherdesses； and painting them on canvas； and
modelling them in china； according to their cockney notions of what
they had been once； and always ought to be。 We smile now at Sevres
and Dresden shepherdesses； but the wise man will surely see in them
a certain pathos。 They indicated a craving after something better
than boorishness； and the many men and women may have become the
gentler and purer by looking even at them； and have said sadly to
themselves： 〃Such might have been the peasantry of half Europe； had
it not been for devastations of the Palatinate； wars of succession；
and the wicked wills of emperors and kings。〃
LECTURE IIITHE EXPLOSIVE FORCES
In a former lecture in this Institution； I said that the human race
owed more to the eighteenth century than to any century since the
Christian era。 It may seem a bold assertion to those who value duly
the century which followed the revival of Greek literature； and
consider that the eighteenth century was but the child； or rather
grandchild； thereof。 But I must persist in my opinion； even though
it seem to be inconsistent with my description of the very same era
as one of decay and death。 For side by side with the death； there
was manifold fresh birth； side by side with the decay there was
active growth；side by side with them； fostered by them； though
generally in strong opposition to them； whether conscious or
unconscious。 We must beware； however； of trying to find between
that decay and that growth a bond of cause and effect where there is
really none。 The general decay may ha