the complete writings-2-第49章

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；　they　do　the　same。　　I　give　our　silent　but　most　expressive　entertainer　half　a　franc；　never　more；　and　he　always　seems　surprised　at　the　size　of　the　largesse。　　We　exhaust　his　basket；　and　he　proposes　to　get　more。

When　I　am　alone；　I　stroll　about　under　the　heavily…laden　trees；　and　pick　up　the　largest；　where　they　lie　thickly　on　the　ground；　liking　to　hold　them　in　my　hand　and　feel　the　agreeable　weight；　even　when　I　can　carry　away　no　more。　　The　gardener　neither　follows　nor　watches　me；　and　I　think　perhaps　knows；　and　is　not　stingy　about　it；　that　more　valuable　to　me　than　the　oranges　I　eat　or　take　away　are　those　on　the　trees　among　the　shining　leaves。　　And　perhaps　he　opines　that　I　am　from　a　country　of　snow　and　ice；　where　the　year　has　six　hostile　months；　and　that　I　have　not　money　enough　to　pay　for　the　rich　possession　of　the　eye；　the　picture　of　beauty；　which　I　take　with　me。




FASCINATION

There　are　three　places　where　I　should　like　to　live；　naming　them　in　the　inverse　order　of　preference；the　Isle　of　Wight；　Sorrento；　and　Heaven。　　The　first　two　have　something　in　common；　the　almost　mystic　union　of　sky　and　sea　and　shore；　a　soft　atmospheric　suffusion　that　works　an　enchantment；　and　puts　one　into　a　dreamy　mood。　　And　yet　there　are　decided　contrasts。　　The　superabundant；　soaking　sunshine　of　Sorrento　is　of　very　different　quality　from　that　of　the　Isle　of　Wight。　On　the　island　there　is　a　sense　of　home；　which　one　misses　on　this　promontory；　the　fascination　of　which；　no　less　strong；　is　that　of　a　southern　beauty；　whose　charms　conquer　rather　than　win。　　I　remember　with　what　feeling　I　one　day　unexpectedly　read　on　a　white　slab；　in　the　little　inclosure　of　Bonchurch；　where　the　sea　whispered　as　gently　as　the　rustle　of　the　ivy…leaves；　the　name　of　John　Sterling。　　Could　there　be　any　fitter　resting…place　for　that　most；　weary；　and　gentle　spirit？　There　I　seemed　to　know　he　had　the　rest　that　he　could　not　have　anywhere　on　these　brilliant　historic　shores。　　Yet　so　impressible　was　his　sensitive　nature；　that　I　doubt　not；　if　he　had　given　himself　up　to　the　enchantment　of　these　coasts　in　his　lifetime；　it　would　have　led　him　by　a　spell　he　could　not　break。

I　am　sometimes　in　doubt　what　is　the　spell　of　Sorrento；　and　half　believe　that　it　is　independent　of　anything　visible。　　There　is　said　to　be　a　fatal　enchantment　about　Capri。　　The　influences　of　Sorrento　are　not　so　dangerous；　but　are　almost　as　marked。　　I　do　not　wonder　that　the　Greeks　peopled　every　cove　and　sea…cave　with　divinities；　and　built　temples　on　every　headland　and　rocky　islet　here；　that　the　Romans　built　upon　the　Grecian　ruins；　that　the　ecclesiastics　in　succeeding　centuries　gained　possession　of　all　the　heights；　and　built　convents　and　monasteries；　and　set　out　vineyards；　and　orchards　of　olives　and　oranges；　and　took　root　as　the　creeping　plants　do；　spreading　themselves　abroad　in　the　sunshine　and　charming　air。　　The　Italian　of　to…day　does　not　willingly　emigrate；　is　tempted　by　no　seduction　of　better　fortune　in　any　foreign　clime。　　And　so　in　all　ages　the　swarming　populations　have　clung　to　these　shores；　filling　all　the　coasts　and　every　nook　in　these　almost　inaccessible　hills　with　life。　　Perhaps　the　delicious　climate；　which　avoids　all　extremes；　sufficiently　accounts　for　this；　and　yet　I　have　sometimes　thought　there　is　a　more　subtle　reason　why　travelers　from　far　lands　are　spellbound　here；　often　against　will　and　judgment；　week　after　week；　month　after　month。

However　this　may　be；　it　is　certain　that　strangers　who　come　here；　and　remain　long　enough　to　get　entangled　in　the　meshes　which　some　influence；　I　know　not　what；　throws　around　them；　are　in　danger　of　never　departing。　　I　know　there　are　scores　of　travelers；　who　whisk　down　from　Naples；　guidebook　in　hand；　goaded　by　the　fell　purpose　of　seeing　every　place　in　Europe；　ascend　some　height；　buy　a　load　of　the　beautiful　inlaid　woodwork；　perhaps　row　over　to　Capri　and　stay　five　minutes　in　the　azure　grotto；　and　then　whisk　away　again；　untouched　by　the　glamour　of　the　place。　　Enough　that　they　write　〃delightful　spot〃　in　their　diaries；　and　hurry　off　to　new　scenes；　and　more　noisy　life。　But　the　visitor　who　yields　himself　to　the　place　will　soon　find　his　power　of　will　departing。　　Some　satirical　people　say；　that；　as　one　grows　strong　in　body　here；　he　becomes　weak　in　mind。　　The　theory　I　do　not　accept：　one　simply　folds　his　sails；　unships　his　rudder；　and　waits　the　will　of　Providence；　or　the　arrival　of　some　compelling　fate。　　The　longer　one　remains；　the　more　difficult　it　is　to　go。　　We　have　a　fashionindeed；　I　may　call　it　a　habitof　deciding　to　go；　and　of　never　going。　　It　is　a　subject　of　infinite　jest　among　the　habitues　of　the　villa；　who　meet　at　table；　and　who　are　always　bidding　each　other　good…by。　　We　often　go　so　far　as　to　write　to　Naples　at　night；　and　bespeak　rooms　in　the　hotels；　but　we　always　countermand　the　order　before　we　sit　down　to　breakfast。　The　good…natured　mistress　of　affairs；　the　head　of　the　bureau　of　domestic　relations；　is　at　her　wits'　end；　with　guests　who　always　promise　to　go　and　never　depart。　There　are　here　a　gentleman　and　his　wife；　English　people　of　decision　enough；　I　presume；　in　Cornwall；　who　packed　their　luggage　before　Christmas　to　depart；　but　who　have　not　gone　towards　the　end　of　February；who　daily　talk　of　going；　and　little　by　little　unpack　their　wardrobe；　as　their　determination　oozes　out。　　It　is　easy　enough　to　decide　at　night　to　go　next　day；　but　in　the　morning；　when　the　soft　sunshine　comes　in　at　the　window；　and　when　we　descend　and　walk　in　the　garden；　all　our　good　intentions　vanish。　　It　is　not　simply　that　we　do　not　go　away；　but　we　have　lost　the　motive　for　those　long　excursions　which　we　made　at　first；　and　which　more　adventurous　travelers　indulge　in。　　There　are　those　here　who　have　intended　for　weeks　to　spend　a　day　on　Capri。　　Perfect　day　for　the　expedition　succeeds　perfect　day；　boatload　after　boatload　sails　away　from　the　little　marina　at　the　base　of　the　cliff；　which　we　follow　with　eves　of　desire；　butto…morrow　will　do　as　well。　　We　are　powerless　to　break　the　enchantment。

I　confess　to　the　fancy　that　there　is　some　subtle　influence　working　this　sea…change　in　us；　which　the　guidebooks；　in　their　enumeration　of　the　delights　of　the　region；　do　not　touch；　and　which　maybe　reaches　back　beyond　the　Christian　era。　　I　have　always　supposed　that　the　story　of　Ulysses　and　the　Sirens　was　only　a　fiction　of　the　poets；　intended　to　illustrate　the　allurements　of　a　soul　given　over　to　pleasure；　and　deaf　to　the　call　of　duty　and　the　excitement　of　a　grapple　with　the　world。　　But　a　lady　here；　herself　one　of　the　entranced；　tells　me　that　whoever　climbs　the　hills　behind　Sorrento；　and　looks　upon　the　Isle　of　the　Sirens；　is　struck　with　an　inability　to　form　a　desire　to　depart　from　these　coasts。　　I　have　gazed　at　those　islands　more　than　once；　as　they　lie　there　in　the　Bay　of　Salerno；　and　it　has　always　happened　that　they　have　been　in　a　half…misty　and　not　uncolored　sunlight；　but　not　so　draped　that　I　could　not　see　they　were　only　three　irregular　rocks；　not　far　from　shore；　one　of　them　with　some　ruins　on　it。　　There　are　neither　sirens　there　now；　nor　any　other　creatures；　but　I　should　be　sorry　to　think　I　should　never　see　them　again。　　When　I　look　down　on　them；　I　can　also　turn　and　behold　on　the　other　side；　across　the　Bay　of　Naples；　the　Posilipo；　where　one　of　the　enchanters　who　threw　magic　over　them　is　said　to　lie　in　his　high　tomb　at　the　opening　of　the　grotto。　　Whether　he　does　sleep　in　his　urn　in　that　exact　spot　is　of　no　moment。　　Modern　life　has　disillusioned　this　region　to　a　great　extent；　but　the　romance　that　the　old　poets　have　woven　about　these　bays　and　rocky　promontories　comes　very　easily　back　upon　one　who　submits　himself　long　to　the　eternal　influences　of　sky　and　sea　which　made　them　sing。　　It　is　all　one；to　be　a　Roman　poet　in　his　villa；　a　lazy　friar　of　the　Middle　Ages　toasting　in　the　sun；　or　a　modern　idler；　who　has　drifted　here　out　of　the　active　currents　of　life；　and　cannot　make　up　his　mind　to　depart。




MONKISH　PERCHES

On　heights　at　either　end　of　the　Piano　di　Sorrento；　and　commanding　it；　stood　two　religious　houses：　the　Convent　of　the　Carnaldoli　to　the　northeast；　on　the　crest　of　the　hill　above　Meta；　the　Carthusian　Monastery　of　the　Deserto；　to　the　southwest；　three　miles　above　Sorrento。　　The　longer　I　stay　here；　the　more　respect　I　have　for　the　taste　of　the　mo