character-第62章

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magnificent　man；　beautifully　dressed；　who　received　a　prize　of　the

lowest　class　with　an　air　and　attitude　that　would　have　become　a

grandee　of　the　highest　order。　　Then　came　Frenchmen　and　Italians；

full　of　grace；　politeness；　and　CHICthemselves　elegantly

dressed；　and　their　animals　decorated　to　the　horns　with　flowers　and

coloured　ribbons　harmoniously　blended。　　And　last　of　all　came　the

exhibitor　who　was　to　receive　the　first　prizea　slouching　man；

plainly　dressed；　with　a　pair　of　farmer's　gaiters　on；　and　without

even　a　flower　in　his　buttonhole。　　〃Who　is　he？〃　asked　the

spectators。　　〃Why；　he　is　the　Englishman；〃　was　the　reply。　　〃The

Englishman！that　the　representative　of　a　great　country！〃　was　the

general　exclamation。　　But　it　was　the　Englishman　all　over。　　He　was

sent　there；　not　to　exhibit　himself；　but　to　show　〃the　best　beast；〃

and　he　did　it；　carrying　away　the　first　prize。　　Yet　he　would　have

been　nothing　the　worse　for　the　flower　in　his　buttonhole。



To　remedy　this　admitted　defect　of　grace　and　want　of　artistic　taste

in　the　English　people；　a　school　has　sprung　up　amongst　us　for　the

more　general　diffusion　of　fine　art。　　The　Beautiful　has　now　its

teachers　and　preachers；　and　by　some　it　is　almost　regarded　in　the

light　of　a　religion。　　〃The　Beautiful　is　the　Good〃〃The　Beautiful

is　the　True〃〃The　Beautiful　is　the　priest　of　the　Benevolent；〃

are　among　their　texts。　　It　is　believed　that　by　the　study　of　art

the　tastes　of　the　people　may　be　improved；　that　by　contemplating

objects　of　beauty　their　nature　will　become　purified；　and　that　by

being　thereby　withdrawn　from　sensual　enjoyments；　their　character

will　be　refined　and　elevated。



But　though　such　culture　is　calculated　to　be　elevating　and

purifying　in　a　certain　degree；　we　must　not　expect　too　much　from

it。　　Grace　is　a　sweetener　and　embellisher　of　life；　and　as　such　is

worthy　of　cultivation。　　Music；　painting；　dancing；　and　the　fine

arts；　are　all　sources　of　pleasure；　and　though　they　may　not　be

sensual；　yet　they　are　sensuous；　and　often　nothing　more。　　The

cultivation　of　a　taste　for　beauty　of　form　or　colour；　of　sound　or

attitude；　has　no　necessary　effect　upon　the　cultivation　of　the　mind

or　the　development　of　the　character。　　The　contemplation　of　fine

works　of　art　will　doubtless　improve　the　taste；　and　excite

admiration；　but　a　single　noble　action　done　in　the　sight　of　men

will　more　influence　the　mind；　and　stimulate　the　character　to

imitation；　than　the　sight　of　miles　of　statuary　or　acres　of

pictures。　　For　it　is　mind；　soul；　and　heartnot　taste　or　art

that　make　men　great。



It　is　indeed　doubtful　whether　the　cultivation　of　artwhich

usually　ministers　to　luxuryhas　done　so　much　for　human　progress

as　is　generally　supposed。　　It　is　even　possible　that　its　too

exclusive　culture　may　effeminate　rather　than　strengthen　the

character；　by　laying　it　more　open　to　the　temptations　of　the

senses。　　〃It　is　the　nature　of　the　imaginative　temperament

cultivated　by　the　arts；〃　says　Sir　Henry　Taylor；　〃to　undermine　the

courage；　and；　by　abating　strength　of　character；　to　render　men　more

easily　subservientSEQUACES；　CEREOS；　ET　AD　MANDATA　DUCTILES。〃

（17）　　The　gift　of　the　artist　greatly　differs　from　that　of　the

thinker；　his　highest　idea　is　to　mould　his　subjectwhether　it　be

of　painting；　or　music；　or　literatureinto　that　perfect　grace　of

form　in　which　thought　（it　may　not　be　of　the　deepest）　finds　its

apotheosis　and　immortality。



Art　has　usually　flourished　most　during　the　decadence　of　nations；

when　it　has　been　hired　by　wealth　as　the　minister　of　luxury。

Exquisite　art　and　degrading　corruption　were　contemporary　in　Greece

as　well　as　in　Rome。　　Phidias　and　Iktinos　had　scarcely　completed

the　Parthenon；　when　the　glory　of　Athens　had　departed；　Phidias　died

in　prison；　and　the　Spartans　set　up　in　the　city　the　memorials　of

their　own　triumph　and　of　Athenian　defeat。　　It　was　the　same　in

ancient　Rome；　where　art　was　at　its　greatest　height　when　the　people

were　in　their　most　degraded　condition。　　Nero　was　an　artist；　as

well　as　Domitian；　two　of　the　greatest　monsters　of　the　Empire。

If　the　〃Beautiful〃　had　been　the　〃Good；〃　Commodus　must　have

been　one　of　the　best　of　men。　　But　according　to　history　he　was

one　of　the　worst。



Again；　the　greatest　period　of　modern　Roman　art　was　that　in　which

Pope　Leo　X。　flourished；　of　whose　reign　it　has　been　said；　that

〃profligacy　and　licentiousness　prevailed　amongst　the　people　and

clergy；　as　they　had　done　almost　uncontrolled　ever　since　the

pontificate　of　Alexander　VI。〃　　In　like　manner；　the　period　at　which

art　reached　its　highest　point　in　the　Low　Countries　was　that　which

immediately　succeeded　the　destruction　of　civil　and　religious

liberty；　and　the　prostration　of　the　national　life　under　the

despotism　of　Spain。　　If　art　could　elevate　a　nation；　and　the

contemplation　of　The　Beautiful　were　calculated　to　make　men　The

Goodthen　Paris　ought　to　contain　a　population　of　the　wisest　and

best　of　human　beings。　　Rome　also　is　a　great　city　of　art；　and　yet

there；　the　VIRTUS　or　valour　of　the　ancient　Romans　has

characteristically　degenerated　into　VERTU；　or　a　taste　for

knicknacks；　whilst；　according　to　recent　accounts；　the　city　itself

is　inexpressibly　foul。　（18）



Art　would　sometimes　even　appear　to　have　a　close　connection　with

dirt；　and　it　is　said　of　Mr。　Ruskin；　that　when　searching　for　works

of　art　in　Venice；　his　attendant　in　his　explorations　would　sniff　an

ill…odour；　and　when　it　was　strong　would　say；　〃Now　we　are　coming　to

something　very　old　and　fine！〃meaning　in　art。　（19）　　A　little

common　education　in　cleanliness；　where　it　is　wanting；　would

probably　be　much　more　improving；　as　well　as　wholesome；　than　any

amount　of　education　in　fine　art。　　Ruffles　are　all　very　well；　but

it　is　folly　to　cultivate　them　to　the　neglect　of　the　shirt。



Whilst；　therefore；　grace　of　manner；　politeness　of　behaviour；

elegance　of　demeanour；　and　all　the　arts　that　contribute　to　make

life　pleasant　and　beautiful；　are　worthy　of　cultivation；　it　must

not　be　at　the　expense　of　the　more　solid　and　enduring　qualities　of

honesty；　sincerity；　and　truthfulness。　　The　fountain　of　beauty　must

be　in　the　heart；　more　than　in　the　eye；　and　if　art　do　not　tend　to

produce　beautiful　life　and　noble　practice；　it　will　be　of

comparatively　little　avail。　　Politeness　of　manner　is　not　worth

much；　unless　accompanied　by　polite　action。　　Grace　may　be　but　skin…

deepvery　pleasant　and　attractive；　and　yet　very　heartless。　　Art

is　a　source　of　innocent　enjoyment；　and　an　important　aid　to　higher

culture；　but　unless　it　leads　to　higher　culture；　it　will　probably

be　merely　sensuous。　　And　when　art　is　merely　sensuous；　it　is

enfeebling　and　demoralizing　rather　than　strengthening　or

elevating。　　Honest　courage　is　of　greater　worth　than　any　amount　of

grace；　purity　is　better　than　elegance；　and　cleanliness　of　body；

mind；　and　heart；　than　any　amount　of　fine　art。



In　fine；　while　the　cultivation　of　the　graces　is　not　to　be

neglected；　it　should　ever　be　held　in　mind　that　there　is　something

far　higher　and　nobler　to　be　aimed　atgreater　than　pleasure；

greater　than　art；　greater　than　wealth；　greater　than　power；　greater

than　intellect；　greater　than　geniusand　that　is；　purity　and

excellence　of　character。　　Without　a　solid　sterling　basis　of

individual　goodness；　all　the　grace；　elegance；　and　art　in　the　world

would　fail　to　save　or　to　elevate　a　people。







NOTES



（1）　Locke　thought　it　of　greater　importance　that　an　educator　of　youth

should　be　well…bred　and　well…tempered；　than　that　he　should　be

either　a　thorough　classicist　or　man　of　science。　　Writing　to　Lord

Peterborough　on　his　son's　education；　Locke　said：　〃Your　Lordship

would　have　your　son's　tutor　a　thorough　scholar；　and　I　think　it　not

much　matter　whether　he　be　any　scholar　or　no：　if　he　but　understand

Latin　well；　and　have　a　general　scheme　of　the　sciences；　I　think

that　enough。　　But　I　would　have　him　WELL…BRED　and　WELL…TEMPERED。〃



（2）　Mrs。　Hutchinson's　'Memoir　of　the　Life　of　Lieut。…Colonel

Hutchinson；'　p。　32。



（3）　'Letters　and　Essays；'　p。　59。



（4）