the colour of life(生命之色)-第15章
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tyrannously； all the life of human action。 Attitude and motion disturb
perpetually； with infinite incidents … inequalities of work； war； and pastime；
inequalities of sleep … the symmetry of man。 Only in death and 〃at
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attention〃 is that symmetry complete in attitude。 Nevertheless； it rules
the dance and the battle； and its rhythm is not to be destroyed。 All the
more because this hand holds the goad and that the harrow； this the shield
and that the sword； because this hand rocks the cradle and that caresses the
unequal heads of children； is this rhythm the law； and grace and strength
are inflections thereof。 All human movement is a variation upon
symmetry； and without symmetry it would not be variation； it would be
lawless； fortuitous； and as dull and broadcast as lawless art。 The order of
inflection that is not infraction has been explained in a most authoritative
sentence of criticism of literature； a sentence that should save the world
the trouble of some of its futile； violent； and weak experiments： 〃Law； the
rectitude of humanity；〃 says Mr Coventry Patmore； 〃should be the poet's
only subject； as； from time immemorial； it has been the subject of true art；
though many a true artist has done the Muse's will and knew it not。 As
all the music of verse arises； not from infraction but from inflection of the
law of the set metre； so the greatest poets have been those the MODULUS
of whose verse has been most variously and delicately inflected； in
correspondence with feelings and passions which are the inflections of
moral law in their theme。 Law puts a strain upon feeling； and feeling
responds with a strain upon law。 Furthermore； Aristotle says that the
quality of poetic language is a continual SLIGHT novelty。 In the highest
poetry； like that of Milton； these three modes of inflection； metrical；
linguistical； and moral； all chime together in praise of the truer order of
life。〃
And like that order is the order of the figure of man； an order most
beautiful and most secure when it is put to the proof。 That perpetual
proof by perpetual inflection is the very condition of life。 Symmetry is a
profound； if disregarded because perpetually inflected； condition of human
life。
The nimble art of Japan is unessential； it may come and go； may settle
or be fanned away。 It has life and it is not without law； it has an obvious
life； and a less obvious law。 But with Greece abides the obvious law and
the less obvious life： symmetry as apparent as the symmetry of the form of
man； and life occult like his unequal heart。 And this seems to be the
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nobler and the more perdurable relation。
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THE ILLUSION OF HISTORIC
TIME
He who has survived his childhood intelligently must become
conscious of something more than a change in his sense of the present and
in his apprehension of the future。 He must be aware of no less a thing
than the destruction of the past。 Its events and empires stand where they
did； and the mere relation of time is as it was。 But that which has fallen
together； has fallen in； has fallen close； and lies in a little heap； is the past
itself … time … the fact of antiquity。
He has grown into a smaller world as he has grown older。 There are
no more extremities。 Recorded time has no more terrors。 The unit of
measure which he holds in his hand has become in his eyes a thing of
paltry length。 The discovery draws in the annals of mankind。 He had
thought them to be wide。
For a man has nothing whereby to order and place the floods； the
states； the conquests； and the temples of the past； except only the measure
which he holds。 Call that measure a space of ten years。 His first ten years
had given him the illusion of a most august scale and measure。 It was
then that he conceived Antiquity。 But now！ Is it to a decade of ten such
little years as these now in his hand … ten of his mature years … that men
give the dignity of a century？ They call it an age； but what if life shows
now so small that the word age has lost its gravity？
In fact； when a child begins to know that there is a past； he has a most
noble rod to measure it by … he has his own ten years。 He attributes an
overwhelming majesty to all recorded time。 He confers distance。 He；
and he alone； bestows mystery。 Remoteness is his。 He creates more than
mortal centuries。 He sends armies fighting into the extremities of the
past。 He assigns the Parthenon to a hill of ages； and the temples of Upper
Egypt to sidereal time。
If there were no child； there would be nothing old。 He； having
conceived old time； communicates a remembrance at least of the mystery
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to the mind of the man。 The man perceives at last all the illusion； but he
cannot forget what was his conviction when he was a child。 He had once
a persuasion of Antiquity。 And this is not for nothing。 The enormous
undeception that comes upon him still leaves spaces in his mind。
But the undeception is rude work。 The man receives successive
shocks。 It is as though one strained level eyes towards the horizon； and
then were bidden to shorten his sight and to close his search within a poor
half acre before his face。 Now； it is that he suddenly perceives the
hitherto remote； remote youth of his own parents to have been something
familiarly near； so measured by his new standard； again； it is the coming
of Attila that is displaced。 Those ten last years of his have corrected the
world。 There needs no other rod than that ten years' rod to chastise all
the imaginations of the spirit of man。 It makes history skip。
To have lived through any appreciable part of any century is to hold
thenceforth a mere century cheap enough。 But； it may be said； the
mystery of change remains。 Nay； it does not。 Change that trudges
through our own world … our contemporary world … is not very mysterious。
We perceive its pace； it is a jog…trot。 Even so； we now consider； jolted
the changes of the past； with the same hurry。
The man； therefore； who has intelligently ceased to be a child scans
through a shortened avenue the reaches of the past。 He marvels that he
was so deceived。 For it was a very deception。 If the Argonauts； for
instance； had been children； it would have been well enough for the child
to measure their remoteness and their acts with his own magnificent
measure。 But they were only men and demi
