the colour of life-第5章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



nation　and　of　the　householder　alike。　　To…day　men　have　began　to　learn

that　their　sons　will　be　grateful　to　them　for　few　bequests。　　Art

consents　at　last　to　work　upon　the　tissue　and　the　china　that　are

doomed　to　the　natural　and　necessary　end　…　destruction；　and　art　shows

a　most　dignified　alacrity　to　do　her　best；　daily；　for　the　〃process；〃

and　for　oblivion。



Doubtless　this　abandonment　of　hopes　so　large　at　once　and　so　cheap

costs　the　artist　something；　nay；　it　implies　an　acceptance　of　the

inevitable　that　is　not　less　than　heroic。　　And　the　reward　has　been　in

the　singular　and　manifest　increase　of　vitality　in　this　work　which　is

done　for　so　short　a　life。　　Fittingly　indeed　does　life　reward　the

acceptance　of　death；　inasmuch　as　to　die　is　to　have　been　alive。

There　is　a　real　circulation　of　blood…quick　use；　brief　beauty；

abolition；　recreation。　　The　honour　of　the　day　is　for　ever　the　honour

of　that　day。　　It　goes　into　the　treasury　of　things　that　are　honestly

and　…　completely　ended　and　done　with。　　And　when　can　so　happy　a　thing

be　said　of　a　lifeless　oil…painting？　　Who　of　the　wise　would　hesitate？

To　be　honourable　for　one　day　…　one　named　and　dated　day；　separate

from　all　other　days　of　the　ages　…　or　to　be　for　an　unlimited　time

tedious？







AT　MONASTERY　GATES







No　woman　has　ever　crossed　the　inner　threshold；　or　shall　ever　cross

it；　unless　a　queen；　English　or　foreign；　should　claim　her　privilege。

Therefore；　if　a　woman　records　here　the　slighter　things　visible　of

the　monastic　life；　it　is　only　because　she　was　not　admitted　to　see

more　than　beautiful　courtesy　and　friendliness　were　able　to　show　her

in　guest…house　and　garden。



The　Monastery　is　of　fresh…looking　Gothic；　by　Pugin　…　the　first　of

the　dynasty：　it　is　reached　by　the　white　roads　of　a　limestone

country；　and　backed　by　a　young　plantation；　and　it　gathers　its　group

of　buildings　in　a　cleft　high　up　among　the　hills　of　Wales。　　The　brown

habit　is　this；　and　these　are　the　sandals；　that　come　and　go　by　hills

of　finer；　sharper；　and　loftier　line；　edging　the　dusk　and　dawn　of　an

Umbrian　sky。　　Just　such　a　Via　Crucis　climbs　the　height　above　Orta；

and　from　the　foot　of　its　final　crucifix　you　can　see　the　sunrise

touch　the　top　of　Monte　Rosa；　while　the　encircled　lake　below　is　cool

with　the　last　of　the　night。　　The　same　order　of　friars　keep　that　sub…

Alpine　Monte　Sacro；　and　the　same　have　set　the　Kreuzberg　beyond　Bonn

with　the　same　steep　path　by　the　same　fourteen　chapels；　facing　the

Seven　Mountains　and　the　Rhine。



Here；　in　North　Wales；　remote　as　the　country　is；　with　the　wheat　green

over　the　blunt　hill…tops；　and　the　sky　vibrating　with　larks；　a　long

wing　of　smoke　lies　round　the　horizon。　　The　country；　rather　thinly

and　languidly　cultivated　above；　has　a　valuable　sub…soil；　and　is

burrowed　with　mines；　the　breath　of　pit　and　factory；　out　of　sight；

thickens　the　lower　sky；　and　lies　heavily　over　the　sands　of　Dee。　　It

leaves　the　upper　blue　clear　and　the　head　of　Orion；　but　dims　the

flicker　of　Sirius　and　shortens　the　steady　ray　of　the　evening　star。

The　people　scattered　about　are　not　mining　people；　but　half…hearted

agriculturists；　and　very　poor。　　Their　cottages　are　rather　cabins；

not　a　tiled　roof　is　in　the　country；　but　the　slates　have　taken　some

beauty　with　time；　having　dips　and　dimples；　and　grass　upon　their

edges。　　The　walls　are　all　thickly　whitewashed；　which　is　a　pleasure

to　see。　　How　willingly　would　one　swish　the　harmless　whitewash　over

more　than　half　the　colour　…　over　all　the　chocolate　and　all　the　blue

…　with　which　the　buildings　of　the　world　are　stained！　　You　could　not

wish　for　a　better；　simpler；　or　fresher　harmony　than　whitewash　makes

with　the　slight　sunshine　and　the　bright　grey　of　an　English　sky。



The　grey…stone；　grey…roofed　monastery　looks　young　in　one　sense　…　it

is　modern；　and　the　friars　look　young　in　another　…　they　are　like

their　brothers　of　an　earlier　time。　　No　one；　except　the　journalists

of　yesterday；　would　spend　upon　them　those　tedious　words；　〃quaint；〃

or　〃old　world。〃　　No　such　weary　adjectives　are　spoken　here；　unless　it

be　by　the　excursionists。



With　large　aprons　tied　over　their　brown　habits；　the　Lay　Brothers

work　upon　their　land；　planting　parsnips　in　rows；　or　tending　a

prosperous　bee…farm。　　A　young　friar；　who　sang　the　High　Mass

yesterday；　is　gaily　hanging　the　washed　linen　in　the　sun。　　A　printing

press；　and　a　machine　which　slices　turnips；　are　at　work　in　an

outhouse；　and　the　yard　thereby　is　guarded　by　a　St　Bernard；　whose

single　evil　deed　was　that　under　one　of　the　obscure　impulses　of　a

dog's　heart　…atoned　for　by　long　and　self…conscious　remorse　…　he　bit

the　poet；　and　tried；　says　one　of　the　friars；　to　make　doggerel　of

him。　　The　poet；　too；　lives　at　the　monastery　gates；　and　on　monastery

ground；　in　a　seclusion　which　the　tidings　of　the　sequence　of　his

editions　hardly　reaches。　　There　is　no　disturbing　renown　to　be　got

among　the　cabins　of　the　Flintshire　hills。　　Homeward；　over　the　verge；

from　other　valleys；　his　light　figure　flits　at　nightfall；　like　a

moth。



To　the　coming　and　going　of　the　friars；　too；　the　village　people　have

become　well　used；　and　the　infrequent　excursionists；　for　lack　of

intelligence　and　of　any　knowledge　that　would　refer　to　history；　look

at　them　without　obtrusive　curiosity。　　It　was　only　from　a　Salvation

Army　girl　that　you　heard　the　brutal　word　of　contempt。　　She　had　come

to　the　place　with　some　companions；　and　with　them　was　trespassing；　as

she　was　welcome　to　do；　within　the　monastery　grounds。　　She　stood；　a

figure　for　Bournemouth　pier；　in　her　grotesque　bonnet；　and　watched

the　son　of　the　Umbrian　saint　…　the　friar　who　walks　among　the　Giotto

frescoes　at　Assisi　and　between　the　cypresses　of　Bello　Sguardo；　and

has　paced　the　centuries　continually　since　the　coming　of　the　friars。

One　might　have　asked　of　her　the　kindness　of　a　fellow…feeling。　　She

and　he　alike　were　so　habited　as　to　show　the　world　that　their　life

was　aloof　from　its　〃idle　business。〃　　By　some　such　phrase；　at　least；

the　friar　would　assuredly　have　attempted　to　include　her　in　any

spiritual　honours　ascribed　to　him。　　Or　one　might　have　asked　of　her

the　condescension　of　forbearance。　　〃Only　fancy；〃　said　the　Salvation

Army　girl；　watching　the　friar　out　of　sight；　〃only　fancy　making　such

a　fool　of　one's　self！〃



The　great　hood　of　the　friars；　which　is　drawn　over　the　head　in

Zurbaran's　ecstatic　picture；　is　turned　to　use　when　the　friars　are

busy。　　As　a　pocket　it　relieves　the　over…burdened　hands。　　A　bottle　of

the　local　white　wine　made　by　the　brotherhood　at　Genoa；　and　sent　to

this　house　by　the　West；　is　carried　in　the　cowl　as　a　present　to　the

stranger　at　the　gates。　　The　friars　tell　how　a　brother　resolved；　at

Shrovetide；　to　make　pancakes；　and　not　only　to　make；　but　also　to　toss

them。　　Those　who　chanced　to　be　in　the　room　stood　prudently　aside；

and　the　brother　tossed　boldly。　　But　that　was　the　last　that　was　seen

of　his　handiwork。　　Victor　Hugo　sings　in　La　Legende　des　Siecles　of

disappearance　as　the　thing　which　no　creature　is　able　to　achieve：

here　the　impossibility　seemed　to　be　accomplished　by　quite　an

ordinary　and　a　simple　pancake。　　It　was　clean　gone；　and　there　was　an

end　of　it。　　Nor　could　any　explanation　of　this　ceasing　of　a　pancake

from　the　midst　of　the　visible　world　be　so　much　as　divined　by　the

spectators。　　It　was　only　when　the　brother；　in　church；　knelt　down　to

meditate　and　drew　his　cowl　about　his　head　that　the　accident　was

explained。



Every　midnight　the　sweet　contralto　bells　call　the　community；　who　get

up　gaily　to　this　difficult　service。　　Of　all　duties　this　one　never

grows　easy　or　familiar；　and　therefore　never　habitual。　　It　is

something　to　have　found　but　one　act　aloof　from　habit。　　It　is　not

merely　that　the　friars　overcome　the　habit　of　sleep。　　The　subtler

point　is　that　they　can　never　acquire　the　habit　of　sacrificing　sleep。

What　art；　what　literature；　or　what　life　but　would　gain　a　secret

security　by　such　a　point　of　perpetual　freshness　and　perpetual

initiative？　　It　is　not　possible　to　get　up　at　midnight　without