the mirror of the sea-第6章

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aspect　of　this　bread…winning；　is　the　attainment　and　preservation　of



the　highest　possible　skill　on　the　part　of　the　craftsmen。　　Such



skill；　the　skill　of　technique；　is　more　than　honesty；　it　is



something　wider；　embracing　honesty　and　grace　and　rule　in　an



elevated　and　clear　sentiment；　not　altogether　utilitarian；　which　may



be　called　the　honour　of　labour。　　It　is　made　up　of　accumulated



tradition；　kept　alive　by　individual　pride；　rendered　exact　by



professional　opinion；　and；　like　the　higher　arts；　it　spurred　on　and



sustained　by　discriminating　praise。







This　is　why　the　attainment　of　proficiency；　the　pushing　of　your



skill　with　attention　to　the　most　delicate　shades　of　excellence；　is



a　matter　of　vital　concern。　　Efficiency　of　a　practically　flawless



kind　may　be　reached　naturally　in　the　struggle　for　bread。　　But　there



is　something　beyond　…　a　higher　point；　a　subtle　and　unmistakable



touch　of　love　and　pride　beyond　mere　skill；　almost　an　inspiration



which　gives　to　all　work　that　finish　which　is　almost　art　…　which　IS



art。







As　men　of　scrupulous　honour　set　up　a　high　standard　of　public



conscience　above　the　dead…level　of　an　honest　community；　so　men　of



that　skill　which　passes　into　art　by　ceaseless　striving　raise　the



dead…level　of　correct　practice　in　the　crafts　of　land　and　sea。　　The



conditions　fostering　the　growth　of　that　supreme；　alive　excellence；



as　well　in　work　as　in　play；　ought　to　be　preserved　with　a　most



careful　regard　lest　the　industry　or　the　game　should　perish　of　an



insidious　and　inward　decay。　　Therefore　I　have　read　with　profound



regret；　in　that　article　upon　the　yachting　season　of　a　certain　year；



that　the　seamanship　on　board　racing　yachts　is　not　now　what　it　used



to　be　only　a　few；　very　few；　years　ago。







For　that　was　the　gist　of　that　article；　written　evidently　by　a　man



who　not　only　knows　but　UNDERSTANDS　…　a　thing　（let　me　remark　in



passing）　much　rarer　than　one　would　expect；　because　the　sort　of



understanding　I　mean　is　inspired　by　love；　and　love；　though　in　a



sense　it　may　be　admitted　to　be　stronger　than　death；　is　by　no　means



so　universal　and　so　sure。　　In　fact；　love　is　rare　…　the　love　of　men；



of　things；　of　ideas；　the　love　of　perfected　skill。　　For　love　is　the



enemy　of　haste；　it　takes　count　of　passing　days；　of　men　who　pass



away；　of　a　fine　art　matured　slowly　in　the　course　of　years　and



doomed　in　a　short　time　to　pass　away　too；　and　be　no　more。　　Love　and



regret　go　hand　in　hand　in　this　world　of　changes　swifter　than　the



shifting　of　the　clouds　reflected　in　the　mirror　of　the　sea。







To　penalize　a　yacht　in　proportion　to　the　fineness　of　her



performance　is　unfair　to　the　craft　and　to　her　men。　　It　is　unfair　to



the　perfection　of　her　form　and　to　the　skill　of　her　servants。　　For



we　men　are；　in　fact；　the　servants　of　our　creations。　　We　remain　in



everlasting　bondage　to　the　productions　of　our　brain　and　to　the　work



of　our　hands。　　A　man　is　born　to　serve　his　time　on　this　earth；　and



there　is　something　fine　in　the　service　being　given　on　other　grounds



than　that　of　utility。　　The　bondage　of　art　is　very　exacting。　　And；



as　the　writer　of　the　article　which　started　this　train　of　thought



says　with　lovable　warmth；　the　sailing　of　yachts　is　a　fine　art。







His　contention　is　that　racing；　without　time　allowances　for　anything



else　but　tonnage　…　that　is；　for　size　…　has　fostered　the　fine　art　of



sailing　to　the　pitch　of　perfection。　　Every　sort　of　demand　is　made



upon　the　master　of　a　sailing…yacht；　and　to　be　penalized　in



proportion　to　your　success　may　be　of　advantage　to　the　sport　itself；



but　it　has　an　obviously　deteriorating　effect　upon　the　seamanship。



The　fine　art　is　being　lost。















VIII。















The　sailing　and　racing　of　yachts　has　developed　a　class　of　fore…and…



aft　sailors；　men　born　and　bred　to　the　sea；　fishing　in　winter　and



yachting　in　summer；　men　to　whom　the　handling　of　that　particular　rig



presents　no　mystery。　　It　is　their　striving　for　victory　that　has



elevated　the　sailing　of　pleasure　craft　to　the　dignity　of　a　fine　art



in　that　special　sense。　　As　I　have　said；　I　know　nothing　of　racing



and　but　little　of　fore…and…aft　rig；　but　the　advantages　of　such　a



rig　are　obvious；　especially　for　purposes　of　pleasure；　whether　in



cruising　or　racing。　　It　requires　less　effort　in　handling；　the



trimming　of　the　sail…planes　to　the　wind　can　be　done　with　speed　and



accuracy；　the　unbroken　spread　of　the　sail…area　is　of　infinite



advantage；　and　the　greatest　possible　amount　of　canvas　can　be



displayed　upon　the　least　possible　quantity　of　spars。　　Lightness　and



concentrated　power　are　the　great　qualities　of　fore…and…aft　rig。







A　fleet　of　fore…and…afters　at　anchor　has　its　own　slender



graciousness。　　The　setting　of　their　sails　resembles　more　than



anything　else　the　unfolding　of　a　bird's　wings；　the　facility　of



their　evolutions　is　a　pleasure　to　the　eye。　　They　are　birds　of　the



sea；　whose　swimming　is　like　flying；　and　resembles　more　a　natural



function　than　the　handling　of　man…invented　appliances。　　The　fore…



and…aft　rig　in　its　simplicity　and　the　beauty　of　its　aspect　under



every　angle　of　vision　is；　I　believe；　unapproachable。　　A　schooner；



yawl；　or　cutter　in　charge　of　a　capable　man　seems　to　handle　herself



as　if　endowed　with　the　power　of　reasoning　and　the　gift　of　swift



execution。　　One　laughs　with　sheer　pleasure　at　a　smart　piece　of



manoeuvring；　as　at　a　manifestation　of　a　living　creature's　quick　wit



and　graceful　precision。







Of　those　three　varieties　of　fore…and…aft　rig；　the　cutter　…　the



racing　rig　PAR　EXCELLENCE　…　is　of　an　appearance　the　most　imposing；



from　the　fact　that　practically　all　her　canvas　is　in　one　piece。　　The



enormous　mainsail　of　a　cutter；　as　she　draws　slowly　past　a　point　of



land　or　the　end　of　a　jetty　under　your　admiring　gaze；　invests　her



with　an　air　of　lofty　and　silent　majesty。　　At　anchor　a　schooner



looks　better；　she　has　an　aspect　of　greater　efficiency　and　a　better



balance　to　the　eye；　with　her　two　masts　distributed　over　the　hull



with　a　swaggering　rake　aft。　　The　yawl　rig　one　comes　in　time　to



love。　　It　is；　I　should　think；　the　easiest　of　all　to　manage。







For　racing；　a　cutter；　for　a　long　pleasure　voyage；　a　schooner；　for



cruising　in　home　waters；　the　yawl；　and　the　handling　of　them　all　is



indeed　a　fine　art。　　It　requires　not　only　the　knowledge　of　the



general　principles　of　sailing；　but　a　particular　acquaintance　with



the　character　of　the　craft。　　All　vessels　are　handled　in　the　same



way　as　far　as　theory　goes；　just　as　you　may　deal　with　all　men　on



broad　and　rigid　principles。　　But　if　you　want　that　success　in　life



which　comes　from　the　affection　and　confidence　of　your　fellows；　then



with　no　two　men；　however　similar　they　may　appear　in　their　nature；



will　you　deal　in　the　same　way。　　There　may　be　a　rule　of　conduct；



there　is　no　rule　of　human　fellowship。　　To　deal　with　men　is　as　fine



an　art　as　it　is　to　deal　with　ships。　　Both　men　and　ships　live　in　an



unstable　element；　are　subject　to　subtle　and　powerful　influences；



and　want　to　have　their　merits　understood　rather　than　their　faults



found　out。







It　is　not　what　your　ship　will　NOT　do　that　you　want　to　know　to　get



on　terms　of　successful　partnership　with　her；　it　is；　rather；　that



you　ought　to　have　a　precise　knowledge　of　what　she　will　do　for　you



when　called　upon　to　put　forth　what　is　in　her　by　a　sympathetic



touch。　　At　first　sight　the　difference　does　not　seem　great　in　either



line　of　dealing　with　the　difficult　problem　of　limitations。　　But　the



difference　is　great。　　The　difference　lies　in　the　spirit　in　which



the　problem　is　approached。　　After　all；　the　art　of　handling　ships　is



finer；　perhaps；　than　the　art　of　handling　men。







And；　like　all　fine　arts；　it　must　be　based　upon　a　broad；　solid



sincerity；　which；　like　a　law　of　Nature；　rules　an　infinity　of



different　phenomena。　　Your　endeavour　must　be　sin