a laodicean-第2章

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other　mundane　thing；　that　ideal　perfection　was　never　achieved
by　Greek；　Goth；　or　Hebrew　Jew；　and　never　would　be；　and　thus　he
was　thrown　into　a　mood　of　disgust　with　his　profession；　from
which　mood　he　was　only　delivered　by　recklessly　abandoning
these　studies　and　indulging　in　an　old　enthusiasm　for　poetical
literature。　　For　two　whole　years　he　did　nothing　but　write
verse　in　every　conceivable　metre；　and　on　every　conceivable
subject；　from　Wordsworthian　sonnets　on　the　singing　of　his　tea…
kettle　to　epic　fragments　on　the　Fall　of　Empires。　　His
discovery　at　the　age　of　five…and…twenty　that　these　inspired
works　were　not　jumped　at　by　the　publishers　with　all　the
eagerness　they　deserved；　coincided　in　point　of　time　with　a
severe　hint　from　his　father　that　unless　he　went　on　with　his
legitimate　profession　he　might　have　to　look　elsewhere　than　at
home　for　an　allowance。　　Mr。　Somerset　junior　then　awoke　to
realities；　became　intently　practical；　rushed　back　to　his　dusty
drawing…boards；　and　worked　up　the　styles　anew；　with　a　view　of
regularly　starting　in　practice　on　the　first　day　of　the
following　January。

It　is　an　old　story；　and　perhaps　only　deserves　the　light　tone
in　which　the　soaring　of　a　young　man　into　the　empyrean；　and　his
descent　again；　is　always　narrated。　　But　as　has　often　been
said；　the　light　and　the　truth　may　be　on　the　side　of　the
dreamer：　　a　far　wider　view　than　the　wise　ones　have　may　be　his
at　that　recalcitrant　time；　and　his　reduction　to　common　measure
be　nothing　less　than　a　tragic　event。　　The　operation　called
lunging；　in　which　a　haltered　colt　is　made　to　trot　round　and
round　a　horsebreaker　who　holds　the　rope；　till　the　beholder
grows　dizzy　in　looking　at　them；　is　a　very　unhappy　one　for　the
animal　concerned。　　During　its　progress　the　colt　springs
upward；　across　the　circle；　stops；　flies　over　the　turf　with　the
velocity　of　a　bird；　and　indulges　in　all　sorts　of　graceful
antics；　but　he　always　ends　in　one　waythanks　to　the　knotted
whipcordin　a　level　trot　round　the　lunger　with　the　regularity
of　a　horizontal　wheel；　and　in　the　loss　for　ever　to　his
character　of　the　bold　contours　which　the　fine　hand　of　Nature
gave　it。　　Yet　the　process　is　considered　to　be　the　making　of
him。

Whether　Somerset　became　permanently　made　under　the　action　of
the　inevitable　lunge；　or　whether　he　lapsed　into　mere　dabbling
with　the　artistic　side　of　his　profession　only；　it　would　be
premature　to　say；　but　at　any　rate　it　was　his　contrite　return
to　architecture　as　a　calling　that　sent　him　on　the　sketching
excursion　under　notice。　　Feeling　that　something　still　was
wanting　to　round　off　his　knowledge　before　he　could　take　his
professional　line　with　confidence；　he　was　led　to　remember　that
his　own　native　Gothic　was　the　one　form　of　design　that　he　had
totally　neglected　from　the　beginning；　through　its　having
greeted　him　with　wearisome　iteration　at　the　opening　of　his
career。　　Now　it　had　again　returned　to　silence；　indeedsuch　is
the　surprising　instability　of　art　'principles'　as　they　are
facetiously　calledit　was　just　as　likely　as　not　to　sink　into
the　neglect　and　oblivion　which　had　been　its　lot　in　Georgian
times。　　This　accident　of　being　out　of　vogue　lent　English
Gothic　an　additional　charm　to　one　of　his　proclivities；　and
away　he　went　to　make　it　the　business　of　a　summer　circuit　in
the　west。

The　quiet　time　of　evening；　the　secluded　neighbourhood；　the
unusually　gorgeous　liveries　of　the　clouds　packed　in　a　pile
over　that　quarter　of　the　heavens　in　which　the　sun　had
disappeared；　were　such　as　to　make　a　traveller　loiter　on　his
walk。　　Coming　to　a　stile；　Somerset　mounted　himself　on　the　top
bar；　to　imbibe　the　spirit　of　the　scene　and　hour。　　The　evening
was　so　still　that　every　trifling　sound　could　be　heard　for
miles。　　There　was　the　rattle　of　a　returning　waggon；　mixed　with
the　smacks　of　the　waggoner's　whip：　　the　team　must　have　been　at
least　three　miles　off。　　From　far　over　the　hill　came　the　faint
periodic　yell　of　kennelled　hounds；　while　from　the　nearest
village　resounded　the　voices　of　boys　at　play　in　the　twilight。
Then　a　powerful　clock　struck　the　hour；　it　was　not　from　the
direction　of　the　church；　but　rather　from　the　wood　behind　him；
and　he　thought　it　must　be　the　clock　of　some　mansion　that　way。

But　the　mind　of　man　cannot　always　be　forced　to　take　up
subjects　by　the　pressure　of　their　material　presence；　and
Somerset's　thoughts　were　often；　to　his　great　loss；　apt　to　be
even　more　than　common　truants　from　the　tones　and　images　that
met　his　outer　senses　on　walks　and　rides。　　He　would　sometimes
go　quietly　through　the　queerest；　gayest；　most　extraordinary
town　in　Europe；　and　let　it　alone；　provided　it　did　not　meddle
with　him　by　its　beggars；　beauties；　innkeepers；　police；
coachmen；　mongrels；　bad　smells；　and　such　like　obstructions。
This　feat　of　questionable　utility　he　began　performing　now。
Sitting　on　the　three…inch　ash　rail　that　had　been　peeled　and
polished　like　glass　by　the　rubbings　of　all　the　small…clothes
in　the　parish；　he　forgot　the　time；　the　place；　forgot　that　it
was　Augustin　short；　everything　of　the　present　altogether。
His　mind　flew　back　to　his　past　life；　and　deplored　the　waste　of
time　that　had　resulted　from　his　not　having　been　able　to　make
up　his　mind　which　of　the　many　fashions　of　art　that　were　coming
and　going　in　kaleidoscopic　change　was　the　true　point　of
departure　from　himself。　　He　had　suffered　from　the　modern
malady　of　unlimited　appreciativeness　as　much　as　any　living　man
of　his　own　age。　　Dozens　of　his　fellows　in　years　and
experience；　who　had　never　thought　specially　of　the　matter；　but
had　blunderingly　applied　themselves　to　whatever　form　of　art
confronted　them　at　the　moment　of　their　making　a　move；　were　by
this　time　acquiring　renown　as　new　lights；　while　he　was　still
unknown。　　He　wished　that　some　accident　could　have　hemmed　in
his　eyes　between　inexorable　blinkers；　and　sped　him　on　in　a
channel　ever　so　worn。

Thus　balanced　between　believing　and　not　believing　in　his　own
future；　he　was　recalled　to　the　scene　without　by　hearing　the
notes　of　a　familiar　hymn；　rising　in　subdued　harmonies　from　a
valley　below。　　He　listened　more　heedfully。　　It　was　his　old
friend　the　'New　Sabbath；'　which　he　had　never　once　heard　since
the　lisping　days　of　childhood；　and　whose　existence；　much　as　it
had　then　been　to　him；　he　had　till　this　moment　quite　forgotten。
Where　the　'New　Sabbath'　had　kept　itself　all　these　yearswhy
that　sound　and　hearty　melody　had　disappeared　from　all　the
cathedrals；　parish　churches；　minsters　and　chapels…of…ease　that
he　had　been　acquainted　with　during　his　apprenticeship　to　life；
and　until　his　ways　had　become　irregular　and　uncongregational
he　could　not；　at　first；　say。　　But　then　he　recollected　that　the
tune　appertained　to　the　old　west…gallery　period　of　church…
music；　anterior　to　the　great　choral　reformation　and　the　rule
of　Monkthat　old　time　when　the　repetition　of　a　word；　or　half…
line　of　a　verse；　was　not　considered　a　disgrace　to　an
ecclesiastical　choir。

Willing　to　be　interested　in　anything　which　would　keep　him　out…
of…doors；　Somerset　dismounted　from　the　stile　and　descended　the
hill　before　him；　to　learn　whence　the　singing　proceeded。



II。

He　found　that　it　had　its　origin　in　a　building　standing　alone
in　a　field；　and　though　the　evening　was　not　yet　dark　without；
lights　shone　from　the　windows。　　In　a　few　moments　Somerset
stood　before　the　edifice。　　Being　just　then　en　rapport　with
ecclesiasticism　by　reason　of　his　recent　occupation；　he　could
not　help　murmuring；　'Shade　of　Pugin；　what　a　monstrosity！'

Perhaps　this　exclamation　（rather　out　of　date　since　the
discovery　that　Pugin　himself　often　nodded　amazingly）　would　not
have　been　indulged　in　by　Somerset　but　for　his　new
architectural　resolves；　which　caused　professional　opinions　to
advance　themselves　officiously　to　his　lips　whenever　occasion
offered。　　The　building　was；　in　short；　a　recently…erected
chapel　of　red　brick；　with　pseudo…classic　ornamentation；　and
the　white　regular　joints　of　mortar　could　be　seen　streaking　its
surface　in　geometrical　oppressiveness　from　top　to　bottom。　　The
roof　was　of　blue　slate；　clean　as　a　table；　and　unbroken　from
gable　to　gable；　the　windows　were　glazed　with　sheets　of　plate
glass；　a　temporary　iron　stovepipe　passing　out　near　one　of
these；　and　running　up　t