essays and lectures-第30章

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indeed　a　precious　stone；　this　marble　of　yours；　and　only　workmen　of

nobility　of　invention　and　delicacy　of　hand　should　be　allowed　to

touch　it　at　all；　carving　it　into　noble　statues　or　into　beautiful

decoration；　or　inlaying　it　with　other　coloured　marbles：　　for　'the

true　colours　of　architecture　are　those　of　natural　stone；　and　I

would　fain　see　them　taken　advantage　of　to　the　full。　　Every　variety

is　here；　from　pale　yellow　to　purple　passing　through　orange；　red；

and　brown；　entirely　at　your　command；　nearly　every　kind　of　green　and

grey　also　is　attainable；　and　with　these　and　with　pure　white　what

harmony　might　you　not　achieve。　　Of　stained　and　variegated　stone　the

quantity　is　unlimited；　the　kinds　innumerable。　　Were　brighter

colours　required；　let　glass；　and　gold　protected　by　glass；　be　used

in　mosaic；　a　kind　of　work　as　durable　as　the　solid　stone　and

incapable　of　losing　its　lustre　by　time。　　And　let　the　painter's　work

be　reserved　for　the　shadowed　loggia　and　inner　chamber。



'This　is　the　true　and　faithful　way　of　building。　　Where　this　cannot

be；　the　device　of　external　colouring　may　indeed　be　employed　without

dishonour　…　but　it　must　be　with　the　warning　reflection　that　a　time

will　come　when　such　aids　will　pass　away　and　when　the　building　will

be　judged　in　its　lifelessness；　dying　the　death　of　the　dolphin。

Better　the　less　bright；　more　enduring　fabric。　　The　transparent

alabasters　of　San　Miniato　and　the　mosaics　of　Saint　Mark's　are　more

warmly　filled　and　more　brightly　touched　by　every　return　of　morning

and　evening；　while　the　hues　of　the　Gothic　cathedrals　have　died　like

the　iris　out　of　the　cloud；　and　the　temples；　whose　azure　and　purple

once　flamed　above　the　Grecian　promontory；　stand　in　their　faded

whiteness　like　snows　which　the　sunset　has　left　cold。'　…　Ruskin；

SEVEN　LAMPS　OF　ARCHITECTURE；　II。



I　do　not　know　anything　so　perfectly　commonplace　in　design　as　most

modern　jewellery。　　How　easy　for　you　to　change　that　and　to　produce

goldsmiths'　work　that　would　be　a　joy　to　all　of　us。　　The　gold　is

ready　for　you　in　unexhausted　treasure；　stored　up　in　the　mountain

hollow　or　strewn　on　the　river　sand；　and　was　not　given　to　you　merely

for　barren　speculation。　　There　should　be　some　better　record　of　it

left　in　your　history　than　the　merchant's　panic　and　the　ruined　home。

We　do　not　remember　often　enough　how　constantly　the　history　of　a

great　nation　will　live　in　and　by　its　art。　　Only　a　few　thin　wreaths

of　beaten　gold　remain　to　tell　us　of　the　stately　empire　of　Etruria；

and；　while　from　the　streets　of　Florence　the　noble　knight　and

haughty　duke　have　long　since　passed　away；　the　gates　which　the

simple　goldsmith　Ghiberti　made　for　their　pleasure　still　guard　their

lovely　house　of　baptism；　worthy　still　of　the　praise　of　Michael

Angelo　who　called　them　worthy　to　be　the　Gates　of　Paradise。



Have　then　your　school　of　design；　search　out　your　workmen　and；　when

you　find　one　who　has　delicacy　of　hand　and　that　wonder　of　invention

necessary　for　goldsmiths'　work；　do　not　leave　him　to　toil　in

obscurity　and　dishonour　and　have　a　great　glaring　shop　and　two　great

glaring　shop…boys　in　it　（not　to　take　your　orders：　　they　never　do

that；　but　to　force　you　to　buy　something　you　do　not　want　at　all）。

When　you　want　a　thing　wrought　in　gold；　goblet　or　shield　for　the

feast；　necklace　or　wreath　for　the　women；　tell　him　what　you　like

most　in　decoration；　flower　or　wreath；　bird　in　flight　or　hound　in

the　chase；　image　of　the　woman　you　love　or　the　friend　you　honour。

Watch　him　as　he　beats　out　the　gold　into　those　thin　plates　delicate

as　the　petals　of　a　yellow　rose；　or　draws　it　into　the　long　wires

like　tangled　sunbeams　at　dawn。　　Whoever　that　workman　be；　help　him；

cherish　him；　and　you　will　have　such　lovely　work　from　his　hand　as

will　be　a　joy　to　you　for　all　time。



This　is　the　spirit　of　our　movement　in　England；　and　this　is　the

spirit　in　which　we　would　wish　you　to　work；　making　eternal　by　your

art　all　that　is　noble　in　your　men　and　women；　stately　in　your　lakes

and　mountains；　beautiful　in　your　own　flowers　and　natural　life。　　We

want　to　see　that　you　have　nothing　in　your　houses　that　has　not　been

a　joy　to　the　man　who　made　it；　and　is　not　a　joy　to　those　that　use

it。　　We　want　to　see　you　create　an　art　made　by　the　hands　of　the

people　to　please　the　hearts　of　the　people　too。　　Do　you　like　this

spirit　or　not？　　Do　you　think　it　simple　and　strong；　noble　in　its

aim；　and　beautiful　in　its　result？　　I　know　you　do。



Folly　and　slander　have　their　own　way　for　a　little　time；　but　for　a

little　time　only。　　You　now　know　what　we　mean：　　you　will　be　able　to

estimate　what　is　said　of　us　…　its　value　and　its　motive。



There　should　be　a　law　that　no　ordinary　newspaper　should　be　allowed

to　write　about　art。　　The　harm　they　do　by　their　foolish　and　random

writing　it　would　be　impossible　to　overestimate　…　not　to　the　artist

but　to　the　public；　blinding　them　to　all；　but　harming　the　artist　not

at　all。　　Without　them　we　would　judge　a　man　simply　by　his　work；　but

at　present　the　newspapers　are　trying　hard　to　induce　the　public　to

judge　a　sculptor；　for　instance；　never　by　his　statues　but　by　the　way

he　treats　his　wife；　a　painter　by　the　amount　of　his　income　and　a

poet　by　the　colour　of　his　neck…tie。　　I　said　there　should　be　a　law；

but　there　is　really　no　necessity　for　a　new　law：　　nothing　could　be

easier　than　to　bring　the　ordinary　critic　under　the　head　of　the

criminal　classes。　　But　let　us　leave　such　an　inartistic　subject　and

return　to　beautiful　and　comely　things；　remembering　that　the　art

which　would　represent　the　spirit　of　modern　newspapers　would　be

exactly　the　art　which　you　and　I　want　to　avoid　…　grotesque　art；

malice　mocking　you　from　every　gateway；　slander　sneering　at　you　from

every　corner。



Perhaps　you　may　be　surprised　at　my　talking　of　labour　and　the

workman。　　You　have　heard　of　me；　I　fear；　through　the　medium　of　your

somewhat　imaginative　newspapers　as；　if　not　a　'Japanese　young　man；'

at　least　a　young　man　to　whom　the　rush　and　clamour　and　reality　of

the　modern　world　were　distasteful；　and　whose　greatest　difficulty　in

life　was　the　difficulty　of　living　up　to　the　level　of　his　blue　china

…　a　paradox　from　which　England　has　not　yet　recovered。



Well；　let　me　tell　you　how　it　first　came　to　me　at　all　to　create　an

artistic　movement　in　England；　a　movement　to　show　the　rich　what

beautiful　things　they　might　enjoy　and　the　poor　what　beautiful

things　they　might　create。



One　summer　afternoon　in　Oxford　…　'that　sweet　city　with　her　dreaming

spires；'　lovely　as　Venice　in　its　splendour；　noble　in　its　learning

as　Rome；　down　the　long　High　Street　that　winds　from　tower　to　tower；

past　silent　cloister　and　stately　gateway；　till　it　reaches　that

long；　grey　seven…arched　bridge　which　Saint　Mary　used　to　guard　（used

to；　I　say；　because　they　are　now　pulling　it　down　to　build　a　tramway

and　a　light　cast…iron　bridge　in　its　place；　desecrating　the

loveliest　city　in　England）　…　well；　we　were　coming　down　the　street　…

a　troop　of　young　men；　some　of　them　like　myself　only　nineteen；　going

to　river　or　tennis…court　or　cricket…field　…　when　Ruskin　going　up　to

lecture　in　cap　and　gown　met　us。　　He　seemed　troubled　and　prayed　us

to　go　back　with　him　to　his　lecture；　which　a　few　of　us　did；　and

there　he　spoke　to　us　not　on　art　this　time　but　on　life；　saying　that

it　seemed　to　him　to　be　wrong　that　all　the　best　physique　and

strength　of　the　young　men　in　England　should　be　spent　aimlessly　on

cricket　ground　or　river；　without　any　result　at　all　except　that　if

one　rowed　well　one　got　a　pewter…pot；　and　if　one　made　a　good　score；

a　cane…handled　bat。　　He　thought；　he　said；　that　we　should　be　working

at　something　that　would　do　good　to　other　people；　at　something　by

which　we　might　show　that　in　all　labour　there　was　something　noble。

Well；　we　were　a　good　deal　moved；　and　said　we　would　do　anything　he

wished。　　So　he　went　out　round　Oxford　and　found　two　villages；　Upper

and　Lower　Hinksey；　and　between　them　there　lay　a　great　swamp；　so

that　the　villagers　could　not　pass　from　one　to　the　other　without

many　miles　of　a　round。　　And　when