erewhon-第25章

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bears　his　name。　　He　gets　the　handsomest　of　his　friends　to　sit　for
him；　and　one　of　the　ways　of　paying　a　compliment　to　another　is　to
ask　him　to　sit　for　such　a　statue。　　Women　generally　sit　for　their
own　statues；　from　a　natural　disinclination　to　admit　the　superior
beauty　of　a　friend；　but　they　expect　to　be　idealised。　　I　understood
that　the　multitude　of　these　statues　was　beginning　to　be　felt　as　an
encumbrance　in　almost　every　family；　and　that　the　custom　would
probably　before　long　fall　into　desuetude。

Indeed；　this　has　already　come　about　to　the　satisfaction　of　every
one；　as　regards　the　statues　of　public　mennot　more　than　three　of
which　can　be　found　in　the　whole　capital。　　I　expressed　my　surprise
at　this；　and　was　told　that　some　five　hundred　years　before　my　visit；
the　city　had　been　so　overrun　with　these　pests；　that　there　was　no
getting　about；　and　people　were　worried　beyond　endurance　by　having
their　attention　called　at　every　touch　and　turn　to　something；　which；
when　they　had　attended　to　it；　they　found　not　to　concern　them。　　Most
of　these　statues　were　mere　attempts　to　do　for　some　man　or　woman
what　an　animal…stuffer　does　more　successfully　for　a　dog；　or　bird；
or　pike。　　They　were　generally　foisted　on　the　public　by　some　coterie
that　was　trying　to　exalt　itself　in　exalting　some　one　else；　and　not
unfrequently　they　had　no　other　inception　than　desire　on　the　part　of
some　member　of　the　coterie　to　find　a　job　for　a　young　sculptor　to
whom　his　daughter　was　engaged。　　Statues　so　begotten　could　never　be
anything　but　deformities；　and　this　is　the　way　in　which　they　are
sure　to　be　begotten；　as　soon　as　the　art　of　making　them　at　all　has
become　widely　practised。

I　know　not　why；　but　all　the　noblest　arts　hold　in　perfection　but　for
a　very　little　moment。　　They　soon　reach　a　height　from　which　they
begin　to　decline；　and　when　they　have　begun　to　decline　it　is　a　pity
that　they　cannot　be　knocked　on　the　head；　for　an　art　is　like　a
living　organismbetter　dead　than　dying。　　There　is　no　way　of　making
an　aged　art　young　again；　it　must　be　born　anew　and　grow　up　from
infancy　as　a　new　thing；　working　out　its　own　salvation　from　effort
to　effort　in　all　fear　and　trembling。

The　Erewhonians　five　hundred　years　ago　understood　nothing　of　all
thisI　doubt　whether　they　even　do　so　now。　　They　wanted　to　get　the
nearest　thing　they　could　to　a　stuffed　man　whose　stuffing　should　not
grow　mouldy。　　They　should　have　had　some　such　an　establishment　as
our　Madame　Tussaud's；　where　the　figures　wear　real　clothes；　and　are
painted　up　to　nature。　　Such　an　institution　might　have　been　made
self…supporting；　for　people　might　have　been　made　to　pay　before
going　in。　　As　it　was；　they　had　let　their　poor　cold　grimy　colourless
heroes　and　heroines　loaf　about　in　squares　and　in　corners　of　streets
in　all　weathers；　without　any　attempt　at　artistic　sanitationfor
there　was　no　provision　for　burying　their　dead　works　of　art　out　of
their　sightno　drainage；　so　to　speak；　whereby　statues　that　had
been　sufficiently　assimilated；　so　as　to　form　part　of　the　residuary
impression　of　the　country；　might　be　carried　away　out　of　the　system。
Hence　they　put　them　up　with　a　light　heart　on　the　cackling　of　their
coteries；　and　they　and　their　children　had　to　live；　often　enough；
with　some　wordy　windbag　whose　cowardice　had　cost　the　country　untold
loss　in　blood　and　money。

At　last　the　evil　reached　such　a　pitch　that　the　people　rose；　and
with　indiscriminate　fury　destroyed　good　and　bad　alike。　　Most　of
what　was　destroyed　was　bad；　but　some　few　works　were　good；　and　the
sculptors　of　to…day　wring　their　hands　over　some　of　the　fragments
that　have　been　preserved　in　museums　up　and　down　the　country。　　For　a
couple　of　hundred　years　or　so；　not　a　statue　was　made　from　one　end
of　the　kingdom　to　the　other；　but　the　instinct　for　having　stuffed
men　and　women　was　so　strong；　that　people　at　length　again　began　to
try　to　make　them。　　Not　knowing　how　to　make　them；　and　having　no
academics　to　mislead　them；　the　earliest　sculptors　of　this　period
thought　things　out　for　themselves；　and　again　produced　works　that
were　full　of　interest；　so　that　in　three　or　four　generations　they
reached　a　perfection　hardly　if　at　all　inferior　to　that　of　several
hundred　years　earlier。

On　this　the　same　evils　recurred。　　Sculptors　obtained　high　prices
the　art　became　a　tradeschools　arose　which　professed　to　sell　the
holy　spirit　of　art　for　money；　pupils　flocked　from　far　and　near　to
buy　it；　in　the　hopes　of　selling　it　later　on；　and　were　struck
purblind　as　a　punishment　for　the　sin　of　those　who　sent　them。
Before　long　a　second　iconoclastic　fury　would　infallibly　have
followed；　but　for　the　prescience　of　a　statesman　who　succeeded　in
passing　an　Act　to　the　effect　that　no　statue　of　any　public　man　or
woman　should　be　allowed　to　remain　unbroken　for　more　than　fifty
years；　unless　at　the　end　of　that　time　a　jury　of　twenty…four　men
taken　at　random　from　the　street　pronounced　in　favour　of　its　being
allowed　a　second　fifty　years　of　life。　　Every　fifty　years　this
reconsideration　was　to　be　repeated；　and　unless　there　was　a　majority
of　eighteen　in　favour　of　the　retention　of　the　statue；　it　was　to　be
destroyed。

Perhaps　a　simpler　plan　would　have　been　to　forbid　the　erection　of　a
statue　to　any　public　man　or　woman　till　he　or　she　had　been　dead　at
least　one　hundred　years；　and　even　then　to　insist　on　reconsideration
of　the　claims　of　the　deceased　and　the　merit　of　the　statue　every
fifty　yearsbut　the　working　of　the　Act　brought　about　results　that
on　the　whole　were　satisfactory。　　For　in　the　first　place；　many
public　statues　that　would　have　been　voted　under　the　old　system；
were　not　ordered；　when　it　was　known　that　they　would　be　almost
certainly　broken　up　after　fifty　years；　and　in　the　second；　public
sculptors　knowing　their　work　to　be　so　ephemeral；　scamped　it　to　an
extent　that　made　it　offensive　even　to　the　most　uncultured　eye。
Hence　before　long　subscribers　took　to　paying　the　sculptor　for　the
statue　of　their　dead　statesmen；　on　condition　that　he　did　not　make
it。　　The　tribute　of　respect　was　thus　paid　to　the　deceased；　the
public　sculptors　were　not　mulcted；　and　the　rest　of　the　public
suffered　no　inconvenience。

I　was　told；　however；　that　an　abuse　of　this　custom　is　growing　up；
inasmuch　as　the　competition　for　the　commission　not　to　make　a　statue
is　so　keen；　that　sculptors　have　been　known　to　return　a　considerable
part　of　the　purchase　money　to　the　subscribers；　by　an　arrangement
made　with　them　beforehand。　　Such　transactions；　however；　are　always
clandestine。　　A　small　inscription　is　let　into　the　pavement；　where
the　public　statue　would　have　stood；　which　informs　the　reader　that
such　a　statue　has　been　ordered　for　the　person；　whoever　he　or　she
may　be；　but　that　as　yet　the　sculptor　has　not　been　able　to　complete
it。　　There　has　been　no　Act　to　repress　statues　that　are　intended　for
private　consumption；　but　as　I　have　said；　the　custom　is　falling　into
desuetude。

Returning　to　Erewhonian　customs　in　connection　with　death；　there　is
one　which　I　can　hardly　pass　over。　　When　any　one　dies；　the　friends
of　the　family　write　no　letters　of　condolence；　neither　do　they
attend　the　scattering；　nor　wear　mourning；　but　they　send　little
boxes　filled　with　artificial　tears；　and　with　the　name　of　the　sender
painted　neatly　upon　the　outside　of　the　lid。　　The　tears　vary　in
number　from　two　to　fifteen　or　sixteen；　according　to　degree　of
intimacy　or　relationship；　and　people　sometimes　find　it　a　nice　point
of　etiquette　to　know　the　exact　number　which　they　ought　to　send。
Strange　as　it　may　appear；　this　attention　is　highly　valued；　and　its
omission　by　those　from　whom　it　might　be　expected　is　keenly　felt。
These　tears　were　formerly　stuck　with　adhesive　plaster　to　the　cheeks
of　the　bereaved；　and　were　worn　in　public　for　a　few　months　after　the
death　of　a　relative；　they　were　then　banished　to　the　hat　or　bonnet；
and　are　now　no　longer　worn。

The　birth　of　a　child　is　looked　upon　as　a　painful　subject　on　which
it　is　kinder　not　to　touch：　　the　illness　of　the　mother　is　carefully
concealed　until　the　necessity　for　signing　the　birth…formula　（of
which　hereafter）　renders　further　secrecy　impossible；　and　for　some
months　before　the　event　the　family　live　in　retirement；　seeing　very
little　company。　　When　the　offence　is　over　and　done　with；　it　is