the spirit of place and other essays-第6章

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all　the　successeswhich　are　not　to　be　deniedof　their　outer　part；

the　happy　little　swagger　that　simulates　style　is　but　another　sign　of

its　absence；　being　prepared　by　mere　dodges　and　dexterities　beneath；

and　the　triumph　and　success　of　the　present　art　of　raiment〃fit〃

itselfis　but　the　result　of　a　masked　and　lurking　labour　and　device。



The　masters　of　fine　manners；　moreover；　seem　to　be　always　aware　of

the　beauty　that　comes　of　pausing　slightly　upon　the　smaller　and

slighter　actions；　such　as　meaner　men　are　apt　to　hurry　out　of　the

way。　　In　a　word；　the　workman；　with　his　finish　and　accomplishment；　is

the　dexterous　provider　of　contemporary　things；　and　the　ready；　well…

appointed；　and　decorated　life　of　all　towns　is　now　altogether　in　his

hands；　whereas　the　artist　craftsman　of　other　times　made　a

manifestation　of　his　means。　　The　first　hides　the　streams；　under

stress　and　pressure；　in　paltry　pipes　which　we　all　must　make　haste　to

call　upon　the　earth　to　cover；　and　the　second　lifted　up　the　arches　of

the　aqueduct。



The　search　of　easy　ways　to　live　is　not　always　or　everywhere　the　way

to　ugliness；　but　in　some　countries；　at　some　dates；　it　is　the　sure

way。　　In　all　countries；　and　at　all　dates；　extreme　finish　compassed

by　hidden　means　must　needs；　from　the　beginning；　prepare　the

abolition　of　dignity。　　This　is　easy　to　understand；　but　it　is　less

easy　to　explain　the　ill…fortune　that　presses　upon　the　expert

workman；　in　search　of　easy　ways　to　live；　all　the　ill…favoured

materials；　makes　them　cheap　for　him；　makes　them　serviceable　and

effectual；　urges　him　to　use　them；　seal　them；　and　inter　them；　turning

the　trim　and　dull　completeness　out　to　the　view　of　the　daily　world。

It　is　an　added　mischance。　　Nor；　on　the　other　hand；　is　it　easy　to

explain　the　beautiful　good　luck　attending　the　simpler　devices　which

are；　after　all；　only　less　expert　ways　of　labour。　　In　those　happy

conditions；　neither　from　the　material；　suggesting　to　the　workman；

nor　from　the　workman　looking　askance　at　his　unhandsome　material；

comes　a　first　proposal　to　pour　in　cement　and　make　fast　the

underworld；　out　of　sight。　　But　fate　spares　not　that　suggestion　to

the　able　and　the　unlucky　at　their　task　of　making　neat　work　of　the

means；　the　distribution；　the　traffick　of　life。



The　springs；　then；　the　profound　wells；　the　streams；　are　of　all　the

means　of　our　lives　those　which　we　should　wish　to　see　open　to　the

sun；　with　their　waters　on　their　progress　and　their　way　to　us；　but；

no；　they　are　lapped　in　lead。



King　Pandion　and　his　friends　lie　not　under　heavier　seals。



Yet　we　have　been　delighted；　elsewhere；　by　open　floods。　　The　hiding…

place　that　nature　and　the　simpler　crafts　allot　to　the　waters　of

wells　are；　at　their　deepest；　in　communication　with　the　open　sky。　　No

other　mine　is　so　visited；　for　the　noonday　sun　himself　is　visible

there；　and　it　is　fine　to　think　of　the　waters　of　this　planet；　shallow

and　profound；　all　charged　with　shining　suns；　a　multitude　of　waters

multiplying　suns；　and　carrying　that　remote　fire；　as　it　were；　within

their　unalterable　freshness。　　Not　a　pool　without　this　visitant；　or

without　passages　of　stars。　　As　for　the　wells　of　the　Equator；　you　may

think　of　them　in　their　last　recesses　as　the　daily　bathing…places　of

light；　a　luminous　fancy　is　able　so　to　scatter　fitful　figures　of　the

sun；　and　to　plunge　them　in　thousands　within　those　deeps。



Round　images　lie　in　the　dark　waters；　but　in　the　bright　waters　the

sun　is　shattered　out　of　its　circle；　scattered　into　waves；　broken

across　stones；　and　rippled　over　sand；　and　in　the　shallow　rivers　that

fall　through　chestnut　woods　the　image　is　mingled　with　the　mobile

figures　of　leaves。　　To　all　these　waters　the　agile　air　has　perpetual

access。　　Not　so　can　great　towns　be　watered；　it　will　be　said　with

reason；　and　this　is　precisely　the　ill…luck　of　great　towns。



Nevertheless；　there　are　towns；　not；　in　a　sense；　so　great；　that　have

the　grace　of　visible　wells；　such　as　Venice；　where　every　campo　has

its　circle　of　carved　stone；　its　clashing　of　dark　copper　on　the

pavement；　its　soft　kiss　of　the　copper　vessel　with　the　surface　of　the

water　below；　and　the　cheerful　work　of　the　cable。



Or　the　Romans　knew　how　to　cause　the　parted　floods　to　measure　their

plain　with　the　strong；　steady；　and　level　flight　of　arches　from　the

watersheds　in　the　hills　to　the　and　city；　and　having　the　waters

captive；　they　knew　how　to　compel　them　to　take　part；　by　fountains；　in

this　Roman　triumph。　　They　had　the　wit　to　boast　thus　of　their

brilliant　prisoner。



None　more　splendid　came　bound　to　Rome；　or　graced　captivity　with　a

more　invincible　liberty　of　the　heart。　　And　the　captivity　and　the

leap　of　the　heart　of　the　waters　have　outlived　their　captors。　　They

have　remained　in　Rome；　and　have　remained　alone。　　Over　them　the

victory　was　longer　than　empire；　and　their　thousands　of　loud　voices

have　never　ceased　to　confess　the　conquest　of　the　cold　floods；

separated　long　ago；　drawn　one　by　one；　alive；　to　the　head　and　front

of　the　world。



Of　such　a　transit　is　made　no　secret。　　It　was　the　most　manifest　fact

of　Rome。　　You　could　not　look　to　the　city　from　the　mountains　or　to

the　distance　from　the　city　without　seeing　the　approach　of　those

perpetual　waterswaters　bound　upon　daily　tasks　and　minute　services。

This；　then；　was　the　style　of　a　master；　who　does　not　lapse　from

〃incidental　greatness；〃　has　no　mean　precision；　out　of　sight；　to

prepare　the　finish　of　his　phrases；　and　does　not　think　the　means　and

the　approaches　are　to　be　plotted　and　concealed。　　Without　anxiety；

without　haste；　and　without　misgiving　are　all　great　things　to　be

done；　and　neither　interruption　in　the　doing　nor　ruin　after　they　are

done　finds　anything　in　them　to　betray。　　There　was　never　any　disgrace

of　means；　and　when　the　world　sees　the　work　broken　through　there　is

no　disgrace　of　discovery。　　The　labour　of　Michelangelo's　chisel；

little　more　than　begun；　a　Roman　structure　long　exposed　in　disarray

upon　these　the　light　of　day　looks　full；　and　the　Roman　and　the

Florentine　have　their　unrefuted　praise。







THE　FOOT







Time　was　when　no　good　news　made　a　journey；　and　no　friend　came　near；

but　a　welcome　was　uttered；　or　at　least　thought；　for　the　travelling

feet　of　the　wayfarer　or　the　herald。　　The　feet；　the　feet　were

beautiful　on　the　mountains；　their　toil　was　the　price　of　all

communication；　and　their　reward　the　first　service　and　refreshment。

They　were　blessed　and　bathed；　they　suffered；　but　they　were　friends

with　the　earth；　dews　in　grass　at　morning；　shallow　rivers　at　noon；

gave　them　coolness。　　They　must　have　grown　hard　upon　their　mountain

paths；　yet　never　so　hard　but　they　needed　and　had　the　first　pity　and

the　readiest　succour。　　It　was　never　easy　for　the　feet　of　man　to

travel　this　earth；　shod　or　unshod；　and　his　feet　are　delicate；　like

his　colour。



If　they　suffered　hardship　once；　they　suffer　privation　now。　　Yet　the

feet　should　have　more　of　the　acquaintance　of　earth；　and　know　more　of

flowers；　freshness；　cool　brooks；　wild　thyme；　and　salt　sand　than　does

anything　else　about　us。　　It　is　their　calling；　and　the　hands　might　be

glad　to　be　stroked　for　a　day　by　grass　and　struck　by　buttercups；　as

the　feet　are　of　those　who　go　barefoot；　and　the　nostrils　might　be

flattered　to　be；　like　them；　so　long　near　moss。　　The　face　has　only

now　and　then；　for　a　resting…while；　their　privilege。



If　our　feet　are　now　so　severed　from　the　natural　ground；　they　have

inevitably　lost　life　and　strength　by　the　separation。　　It　is　only　the

entirely　unshod　that　have　lively　feet。　　Watch　a　peasant　who　never

wears　shoes；　except　for　a　few　unkind　hours　once　a　week；　and　you　may

see　the　play　of　his　talk　in　his　mobile　feet；　they　become　as　dramatic

as　his　hands。　　Fresh　as　the　air；　brown　with　the　light；　and　healthy

from　the　field；　not　used　to　darkness；　not　grown　in　prison；　the　foot

of　the　contadino　is　not　abashed。　　It　is　the　foot　of　high　life　that

is　prim；　and　never　lifts　a　heel　against　its　dull　conditions；　for　it

has　forgotten　liberty。　　It　is　more　active　now　t