the critic as artist-第16章

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　listener　and　spectator　a　form　of　divine　madness。　　It　does　not　spring　from　inspiration；　but　it　makes　others　inspired。　　Reason　is　not　the　faculty　to　which　it　appeals。　　If　one　loves　Art　at　all；　one　must　love　it　beyond　all　other　things　in　the　world；　and　against　such　love；　the　reason；　if　one　listened　to　it；　would　cry　out。　　There　is　nothing　sane　about　the　worship　of　beauty。　　It　is　too　splendid　to　be　sane。　　Those　of　whose　lives　it　forms　the　dominant　note　will　always　seem　to　the　world　to　be　pure　visionaries。

ERNEST。　　Well；　at　least；　the　critic　will　be　sincere。

GILBERT。　　A　little　sincerity　is　a　dangerous　thing；　and　a　great　deal　of　it　is　absolutely　fatal。　　The　true　critic　will；　indeed；　always　be　sincere　in　his　devotion　to　the　principle　of　beauty；　but　he　will　seek　for　beauty　in　every　age　and　in　each　school；　and　will　never　suffer　himself　to　be　limited　to　any　settled　custom　of　thought　or　stereotyped　mode　of　looking　at　things。　　He　will　realise　himself　in　many　forms；　and　by　a　thousand　different　ways；　and　will　ever　be　curious　of　new　sensations　and　fresh　points　of　view。　　Through　constant　change；　and　through　constant　change　alone；　he　will　find　his　true　unity。　　He　will　not　consent　to　be　the　slave　of　his　own　opinions。　　For　what　is　mind　but　motion　in　the　intellectual　sphere？　The　essence　of　thought；　as　the　essence　of　life；　is　growth。　　You　must　not　be　frightened　by　word；　Ernest。　　What　people　call　insincerity　is　simply　a　method　by　which　we　can　multiply　our　personalities。

ERNEST。　　I　am　afraid　I　have　not　been　fortunate　in　my　suggestions。

GILBERT。　　Of　the　three　qualifications　you　mentioned；　two；　sincerity　and　fairness；　were；　if　not　actually　moral；　at　least　on　the　borderland　of　morals；　and　the　first　condition　of　criticism　is　that　the　critic　should　be　able　to　recognise　that　the　sphere　of　Art　and　the　sphere　of　Ethics　are　absolutely　distinct　and　separate。　　When　they　are　confused；　Chaos　has　come　again。　　They　are　too　often　confused　in　England　now；　and　though　our　modern　Puritans　cannot　destroy　a　beautiful　thing；　yet；　by　means　of　their　extraordinary　prurience；　they　can　almost　taint　beauty　for　a　moment。　　It　is　chiefly；　I　regret　to　say；　through　journalism　that　such　people　find　expression。　　I　regret　it　because　there　is　much　to　be　said　in　favour　of　modern　journalism。　　By　giving　us　the　opinions　of　the　uneducated；　it　keeps　us　in　touch　with　the　ignorance　of　the　community。　　By　carefully　chronicling　the　current　events　of　contemporary　life；　it　shows　us　of　what　very　little　importance　such　events　really　are。　　By　invariably　discussing　the　unnecessary　it　makes　us　understand　what　things　are　requisite　for　culture；　and　what　are　not。　　But　it　should　not　allow　poor　Tartuffe　to　write　articles　upon　modern　art。　　When　it　does　this　it　stultifies　itself。　　And　yet　Tartuffe's　articles　and　Chadband's　notes　do　this　good；　at　least。　　They　serve　to　show　how　extremely　limited　is　the　area　over　which　ethics；　and　ethical　considerations；　can　claim　to　exercise　influence。　　Science　is　out　of　the　reach　of　morals；　for　her　eyes　are　fixed　upon　eternal　truths。　Art　is　out　of　the　reach　of　morals；　for　her　eyes　are　fixed　upon　things　beautiful　and　immortal　and　ever…changing。　　To　morals　belong　the　lower　and　less　intellectual　spheres。　　However；　let　these　mouthing　Puritans　pass；　they　have　their　comic　side。　　Who　can　help　laughing　when　an　ordinary　journalist　seriously　proposes　to　limit　the　subject…matter　at　the　disposal　of　the　artist？　　Some　limitation　might　well；　and　will　soon；　I　hope；　be　placed　upon　some　of　our　newspapers　and　newspaper　writers。　　For　they　give　us　the　bald；　sordid；　disgusting　facts　of　life。　　They　chronicle；　with　degrading　avidity；　the　sins　of　the　second…rate；　and　with　the　conscientiousness　of　the　illiterate　give　us　accurate　and　prosaic　details　of　the　doings　of　people　of　absolutely　no　interest　whatsoever。　　But　the　artist；　who　accepts　the　facts　of　life；　and　yet　transforms　them　into　shapes　of　beauty；　and　makes　them　vehicles　of　pity　or　of　awe；　and　shows　their　colour…element；　and　their　wonder；　and　their　true　ethical　import　also；　and　builds　out　of　them　a　world　more　real　than　reality　itself；　and　of　loftier　and　more　noble　import　…　who　shall　set　limits　to　him？　　Not　the　apostles　of　that　new　Journalism　which　is　but　the　old　vulgarity　'writ　large。'　　Not　the　apostles　of　that　new　Puritanism；　which　is　but　the　whine　of　the　hypocrite；　and　is　both　writ　and　spoken　badly。　　The　mere　suggestion　is　ridiculous。　　Let　us　leave　these　wicked　people；　and　proceed　to　the　discussion　of　the　artistic　qualifications　necessary　for　the　true　critic。

ERNEST。　　And　what　are　they？　　Tell　me　yourself。

GILBERT。　　Temperament　is　the　primary　requisite　for　the　critic　…　a　temperament　exquisitely　susceptible　to　beauty；　and　to　the　various　impressions　that　beauty　gives　us。　　Under　what　conditions；　and　by　what　means；　this　temperament　is　engendered　in　race　or　individual；　we　will　not　discuss　at　present。　　It　is　sufficient　to　note　that　it　exists；　and　that　there　is　in　us　a　beauty…sense；　separate　from　the　other　senses　and　above　them；　separate　from　the　reason　and　of　nobler　import；　separate　from　the　soul　and　of　equal　value　…　a　sense　that　leads　some　to　create；　and　others；　the　finer　spirits　as　I　think；　to　contemplate　merely。　　But　to　be　purified　and　made　perfect；　this　sense　requires　some　form　of　exquisite　environment。　　Without　this　it　starves；　or　is　dulled。　　You　remember　that　lovely　passage　in　which　Plato　describes　how　a　young　Greek　should　be　educated；　and　with　what　insistence　he　dwells　upon　the　importance　of　surroundings；　telling　us　how　the　lad　is　to　be　brought　up　in　the　midst　of　fair　sights　and　sounds；　so　that　the　beauty　of　material　things　may　prepare　his　soul　for　the　reception　of　the　beauty　that　is　spiritual。　　Insensibly；　and　without　knowing　the　reason　why；　he　is　to　develop　that　real　love　of　beauty　which；　as　Plato　is　never　weary　of　reminding　us；　is　the　true　aim　of　education。　　By　slow　degrees　there　is　to　be　engendered　in　him　such　a　temperament　as　will　lead　him　naturally　and　simply　to　choose　the　good　in　preference　to　the　bad；　and；　rejecting　what　is　vulgar　and　discordant；　to　follow　by　fine　instinctive　taste　all　that　possesses　grace　and　charm　and　loveliness。　　Ultimately；　in　its　due　course；　this　taste　is　to　become　critical　and　self…conscious；　but　at　first　it　is　to　exist　purely　as　a　cultivated　instinct；　and　'he　who　has　received　this　true　culture　of　the　inner　man　will　with　clear　and　certain　vision　perceive　the　omissions　and　faults　in　art　or　nature；　and　with　a　taste　that　cannot　err；　while　he　praises；　and　finds　his　pleasure　in　what　is　good；　and　receives　it　into　his　soul；　and　so　becomes　good　and　noble；　he　will　rightly　blame　and　hate　the　bad；　now　in　the　days　of　his　youth；　even　before　he　is　able　to　know　the　reason　why'：　　and　so；　when；　later　on；　the　critical　and　self…conscious　spirit　develops　in　him；　he　'will　recognise　and　salute　it　as　a　friend　with　whom　his　education　has　made　him　long　familiar。'　　I　need　hardly　say；　Ernest；　how　far　we　in　England　have　fallen　short　of　this　ideal；　and　I　can　imagine　the　smile　that　would　illuminate　the　glossy　face　of　the　Philistine　if　one　ventured　to　suggest　to　him　that　the　true　aim　of　education　was　the　love　of　beauty；　and　that　the　methods　by　which　education　should　work　were　the　development　of　temperament；　the　cultivation　of　taste；　and　the　creation　of　the　critical　spirit。

Yet；　even　for　us；　there　is　left　some　loveliness　of　environment；　and　the　dulness　of　tutors　and　professors　matters　very　little　when　one　can　loiter　in　the　grey　cloisters　at　Magdalen；　and　listen　to　some　flute…like　voice　singing　in　Waynfleete's　chapel；　or　lie　in　the　green　meadow；　among　the　strange　snake…spotted　fritillaries；　and　watch　the　sunburnt　noon　smite　to　a　finer　gold　the　tower's　gilded　vanes；　or　wander　up　the　Christ　Church　staircase　beneath　the　vaulted　ceiling's　shadowy　fans；　or　pass　through　the　sculptured　gateway　of　Laud's　building　in　the　College　of　St。　John。　　Nor　is　it　merely　at　Oxford；　or　Cambridge；　that　the　sense　of　beauty　can　be　formed　and　trained　and　perfected。　　All　over　England　there　is　a　Renaissance　of　the　decorative　Arts。　　Ugliness　has　had　its　day。　　Even　in　the　houses　of　the　rich　there　is　taste；　and　the　houses　of　those　who　are　not　rich　have　been　made　gracious　and　comely　and　sweet　to　live　in。　Caliban；　poor　noisy　Caliban；　thinks　that　when　he　has　ceased　to　m