essays and lectures-第19章

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for　those　red　scenes　by　Seine　and　Loire　was　paved　by　that　critical

spirit　of　Germany　and　England　which　accustomed　men　to　bring　all

things　to　the　test　of　reason　or　utility　or　both；　while　the

discontent　of　the　people　in　the　streets　of　Paris　was　the　echo　that

followed　the　life　of　Emile　and　of　Werther。　　For　Rousseau；　by　silent

lake　and　mountain；　had　called　humanity　back　to　the　golden　age　that

still　lies　before　us　and　preached　a　return　to　nature；　in　passionate

eloquence　whose　music　still　lingers　about　our　keen　northern　air。

And　Goethe　and　Scott　had　brought　romance　back　again　from　the　prison

she　had　lain　in　for　so　many　centuries　…　and　what　is　romance　but

humanity？



Yet　in　the　womb　of　the　Revolution　itself；　and　in　the　storm　and

terror　of　that　wild　time；　tendencies　were　hidden　away　that　the

artistic　Renaissance　bent　to　her　own　service　when　the　time　came　…　a

scientific　tendency　first；　which　has　borne　in　our　own　day　a　brood

of　somewhat　noisy　Titans；　yet　in　the　sphere　of　poetry　has　not　been

unproductive　of　good。　　I　do　not　mean　merely　in　its　adding　to

enthusiasm　that　intellectual　basis　which　in　its　strength；　or　that

more　obvious　influence　about　which　Wordsworth　was　thinking　when　he

said　very　nobly　that　poetry　was　merely　the　impassioned　expression

in　the　face　of　science；　and　that　when　science　would　put　on　a　form

of　flesh　and　blood　the　poet　would　lend　his　divine　spirit　to　aid　the

transfiguration。　　Nor　do　I　dwell　much　on　the　great　cosmical　emotion

and　deep　pantheism　of　science　to　which　Shelley　has　given　its　first

and　Swinburne　its　latest　glory　of　song；　but　rather　on　its　influence

on　the　artistic　spirit　in　preserving　that　close　observation　and　the

sense　of　limitation　as　well　as　of　clearness　of　vision　which　are　the

characteristics　of　the　real　artist。



The　great　and　golden　rule　of　art　as　well　as　of　life；　wrote　William

Blake；　is　that　the　more　distinct；　sharp　and　defined　the　boundary

line；　the　more　perfect　is　the　work　of　art；　and　the　less　keen　and

sharp　the　greater　is　the　evidence　of　weak　imitation；　plagiarism　and

bungling。　　'Great　inventors　in　all　ages　knew　this　…　Michael　Angelo

and　Albert　Durer　are　known　by　this　and　by　this　alone'；　and　another

time　he　wrote；　with　all　the　simple　directness　of　nineteenth…century

prose；　'to　generalise　is　to　be　an　idiot。'



And　this　love　of　definite　conception；　this　clearness　of　vision；

this　artistic　sense　of　limit；　is　the　characteristic　of　all　great

work　and　poetry；　of　the　vision　of　Homer　as　of　the　vision　of　Dante；

of　Keats　and　William　Morris　as　of　Chaucer　and　Theocritus。　　It　lies

at　the　base　of　all　noble；　realistic　and　romantic　work　as　opposed　to

the　colourless　and　empty　abstractions　of　our　own　eighteenth…century

poets　and　of　the　classical　dramatists　of　France；　or　of　the　vague

spiritualities　of　the　German　sentimental　school：　　opposed；　too；　to

that　spirit　of　transcendentalism　which　also　was　root　and　flower

itself　of　the　great　Revolution；　underlying　the　impassioned

contemplation　of　Wordsworth　and　giving　wings　and　fire　to　the　eagle…

like　flight　of　Shelley；　and　which　in　the　sphere　of　philosophy；

though　displaced　by　the　materialism　and　positiveness　of　our　day；

bequeathed　two　great　schools　of　thought；　the　school　of　Newman　to

Oxford；　the　school　of　Emerson　to　America。　　Yet　is　this　spirit　of

transcendentalism　alien　to　the　spirit　of　art。　　For　the　artist　can

accept　no　sphere　of　life　in　exchange　for　life　itself。　　For　him

there　is　no　escape　from　the　bondage　of　the　earth：　　there　is　not

even　the　desire　of　escape。



He　is　indeed　the　only　true　realist：　　symbolism；　which　is　the

essence　of　the　transcendental　spirit；　is　alien　to　him。　　The

metaphysical　mind　of　Asia　will　create　for　itself　the　monstrous；

many…breasted　idol　of　Ephesus；　but　to　the　Greek；　pure　artist；　that

work　is　most　instinct　with　spiritual　life　which　conforms　most

clearly　to　the　perfect　facts　of　physical　life。



'The　storm　of　revolution；'　as　Andre　Chenier　said；　'blows　out　the

torch　of　poetry。'　　It　is　not　for　some　little　time　that　the　real

influence　of　such　a　wild　cataclysm　of　things　is　felt：　　at　first　the

desire　for　equality　seems　to　have　produced　personalities　of　more

giant　and　Titan　stature　than　the　world　had　ever　known　before。　　Men

heard　the　lyre　of　Byron　and　the　legions　of　Napoleon；　it　was　a

period　of　measureless　passions　and　of　measureless　despair；

ambition；　discontent；　were　the　chords　of　life　and　art；　the　age　was

an　age　of　revolt：　　a　phase　through　which　the　human　spirit　must

pass；　but　one　in　which　it　cannot　rest。　　For　the　aim　of　culture　is

not　rebellion　but　peace；　the　valley　perilous　where　ignorant　armies

clash　by　night　being　no　dwelling…place　meet　for　her　to　whom　the

gods　have　assigned　the　fresh　uplands　and　sunny　heights　and　clear；

untroubled　air。



And　soon　that　desire　for　perfection；　which　lay　at　the　base　of　the

Revolution；　found　in　a　young　English　poet　its　most　complete　and

flawless　realisation。



Phidias　and　the　achievements　of　Greek　art　are　foreshadowed　in

Homer：　　Dante　prefigures　for　us　the　passion　and　colour　and

intensity　of　Italian　painting：　　the　modern　love　of　landscape　dates

from　Rousseau；　and　it　is　in　Keats　that　one　discerns　the　beginning

of　the　artistic　renaissance　of　England。



Byron　was　a　rebel　and　Shelley　a　dreamer；　but　in　the　calmness　and

clearness　of　his　vision；　his　perfect　self…control；　his　unerring

sense　of　beauty　and　his　recognition　of　a　separate　realm　for　the

imagination；　Keats　was　the　pure　and　serene　artist；　the　forerunner

of　the　pre…Raphaelite　school；　and　so　of　the　great　romantic　movement

of　which　I　am　to　speak。



Blake　had　indeed；　before　him；　claimed　for　art　a　lofty；　spiritual

mission；　and　had　striven　to　raise　design　to　the　ideal　level　of

poetry　and　music；　but　the　remoteness　of　his　vision　both　in　painting

and　poetry　and　the　incompleteness　of　his　technical　powers　had　been

adverse　to　any　real　influence。　　It　is　in　Keats　that　the　artistic

spirit　of　this　century　first　found　its　absolute　incarnation。



And　these　pre…Raphaelites；　what　were　they？　　If　you　ask　nine…tenths

of　the　British　public　what　is　the　meaning　of　the　word　aesthetics；

they　will　tell　you　it　is　the　French　for　affectation　or　the　German

for　a　dado；　and　if　you　inquire　about　the　pre…Raphaelites　you　will

hear　something　about　an　eccentric　lot　of　young　men　to　whom　a　sort

of　divine　crookedness　and　holy　awkwardness　in　drawing　were　the

chief　objects　of　art。　　To　know　nothing　about　their　great　men　is　one

of　the　necessary　elements　of　English　education。



As　regards　the　pre…Raphaelites　the　story　is　simple　enough。　　In　the

year　1847　a　number　of　young　men　in　London；　poets　and　painters；

passionate　admirers　of　Keats　all　of　them；　formed　the　habit　of

meeting　together　for　discussions　on　art；　the　result　of　such

discussions　being　that　the　English　Philistine　public　was　roused

suddenly　from　its　ordinary　apathy　by　hearing　that　there　was　in　its

midst　a　body　of　young　men　who　had　determined　to　revolutionise

English　painting　and　poetry。　　They　called　themselves　the　pre…

Raphaelite　Brotherhood。



In　England；　then　as　now；　it　was　enough　for　a　man　to　try　and　produce

any　serious　beautiful　work　to　lose　all　his　rights　as　a　citizen；　and

besides　this；　the　pre…Raphaelite　Brotherhood　…　among　whom　the　names

of　Dante　Rossetti；　Holman　Hunt　and　Millais　will　be　familiar　to　you

…　had　on　their　side　three　things　that　the　English　public　never

forgives：　　youth；　power　and　enthusiasm。



Satire；　always　as　sterile　as　it　in　shameful　and　as　impotent　as　it

is　insolent；　paid　them　that　usual　homage　which　mediocrity　pays　to

genius　…　doing；　here　as　always；　infinite　harm　to　the　public；

blinding　them　to　what　is　beautiful；　teaching　them　that　irreverence

which　is　the　source　of　all　vileness　and　narrowness　of　life；　but

harming　the　artist　not　at　all；　rather　confirming　him　in　the　perfect

rightness　of　his　work　and　ambition。　　For　to　disagree　with　three…

fourths　of　the　British　public　on　all　points　is　one　of　the　first

elements　of　sanity；　one　of　the　deepest　consola