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unexpected        every    time;    and    …  especially      in  gold    embroideries       …   is 

sensitively   fit   for   the   material;   catching   and   losing   the   light;   while   the 

lengths of waving line are such as the long gold threads take by nature。 

     A moment ago this art was declared not human。                       And; in fact; in no 

other   art   has   the   figure   suffered   such   crooked   handling。        The   Japanese 

have generally evaded even the local beauty of their own race for the sake 

of perpetual slight deformity。            Their beauty is remote from our sympathy 

and admiration; and it is quite possible that we might miss it in pictorial 

presentation; and that the Japanese artist may have intended human beauty 

where   we   do   not   recognise   it。      But   if   it   is   not   easy   to   recognise;   it   is 

certainly   not   difficult   to   guess   at。   And;   accordingly;   you   are   generally 

aware that the separate beauty of the race; and its separate dignity; even … 

to   be   very   generous   …   has   been   admired   by   the   Japanese   artist;   and   is 

represented       here    and   there    occasionally;      in  the   figure    of   warrior    or 

mousme。        But     even   with    this   exception     the  habit   of   Japanese     figure… 



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drawing   is   evidently   grotesque;   derisive;   and   crooked。        It   is   curious   to 

observe that the search for slight deformity is so constant as to make use; 

for   its   purposes;   not   of   action   only;   but   of   perspective   foreshortening。 

With us it is to the youngest child only that there would appear to be mirth 

in the drawing of a man who; stooping violently forward; would seem to 

have   his   head   〃beneath   his   shoulders。〃     The   European   child   would   not 

see fun in the living man so presented; but … unused to the same effect 〃in 

the flat〃 … he   thinks it prodigiously  humorous in a   drawing。 But so only 

when he is quite young。          The Japanese keeps; apparently; his sense of this 

kind of humour。         It amuses him; but not perhaps altogether as it amuses 

the   child;   that   the   foreshortened   figure   should;   in   drawing   and   to    the 

unpractised      eye;   seem     distorted    and   dislocated;     the  simple     Oriental 

appears to find more derision in it than the simple child。               The distortion is 

not    without    a  suggestion     of  ignominy。      And;    moreover;     the   Japanese 

shows      derision;   but   not   precisely    scorn。    He    does    not  hold    himself 

superior to his hideous models。           He makes free with them on equal terms。 

He is familiar with them。 

     And if this is the conviction gathered from ordinary drawings; no need 

to    insist  upon     the   ignoble     character    of   those    that   are   intentional 

caricatures。 

     Perhaps   the   time   has   hardly   come   for   writing   anew   the   praises   of 

symmetry。       The world knows too much of the abuse of Greek decoration; 

and would be glad to forget it; with the intention of learning that art afresh 

in a future age and of seeing it then anew。 But whatever may be the phases 

of the arts; there is the abiding principle of symmetry in the body of man; 

that   goes    erect;  like  an   upright   soul。    Its  balance    is  equal。    Exterior 

human symmetry is surely a curious physiological fact where there is no 

symmetry   interiorly。       For   the   centres   of   life   and   movement   within   the 

body   are   placed   with   Oriental   inequality。      Man   is   Greek   without   and 

Japanese within。        But the absolute  symmetry of   the skeleton   and of   the 

beauty and life that cover it is accurately a principle。             It controls; but not 

tyrannously;   all   the   life   of  human   action。   Attitude   and   motion   disturb 

perpetually; with infinite incidents … inequalities of work; war; and pastime; 

inequalities     of  sleep   …  the  symmetry   of     man。    Only   in    death   and   〃at 



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attention〃   is   that   symmetry   complete   in   attitude。        Nevertheless;   it   rules 

the dance and the battle; and its rhythm is not to be destroyed。                        All the 

more because this hand holds the goad and that the harrow; this the shield 

and that the sword; because this hand rocks the cradle and that caresses the 

unequal heads of children; is this rhythm the law; and grace and strength 

are    inflections     thereof。     All    human      movement        is  a   variation    upon 

symmetry;  and   without   symmetry  it   would   not   be variation;   it   would   be 

lawless; fortuitous; and as dull and broadcast as lawless art。                   The order of 

inflection that is not infraction has been explained in a most authoritative 

sentence of   criticism  of literature;  a   sentence   that should   save the   world 

the trouble of some of its futile; violent; and weak experiments: 〃Law; the 

rectitude of humanity;〃 says Mr Coventry Patmore; 〃should be the poet's 

only subject; as; from time immemorial; it has been the subject of true art; 

though many a true artist has done the Muse's will and knew it not。                          As 

all the music of verse arises; not from infraction but from inflection of the 

law of the set metre; so the greatest poets have been those the MODULUS 

of    whose     verse   has    been    most    variously     and   delicately    inflected;    in 

correspondence   with   feelings   and   passions   which   are   the   inflections   of 

moral   law   in   their   theme。     Law   puts   a   strain   upon   feeling;   and   feeling 

responds   with   a   strain   upon   law。      Furthermore;   Aristotle   says   that   the 

quality of poetic language is a continual SLIGHT novelty。                      In the highest 

poetry;     like  that   of  Milton;    these    three   modes     of   inflection;   metrical; 

linguistical; and   moral; all   chime together   in  praise of   the truer   order of 

life。〃 

     And   like   that   order   is   the   order   of   the   figure   of   man;   an   order   most 

beautiful   and   most   secure   when   it   is   put   to   the   proof。   That   perpetual 

proof by perpetual inflection is the very condition of life。                  Symmetry is a 

profound; if disregarded because perpetually inflected; condition of human 

life。 

     The nimble art of Japan is unessential; it may come and go; may settle 

or be fanned away。          It has life and it is not without law; it has an obvious 

life; and a less obvious law。          But with Greece abides the obvious law and 

the less obvious life: symmetry as apparent as the symmetry of the form of 

man;   and   life   occult   like   his   unequal   heart。    And   this   seems   to   be   the 



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nobler and the more perdurable relation。 



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        THE ILLUSION OF HISTORIC 

                                     TIME 



    He     who    has   survived    his   childhood     intelligently   must    become 

conscious of something more than a change in his sense of the present and 

in his apprehension of the future。         He must be aware of no less a thing 

than the destruction of the past。       Its events and empires stand where they 

did; and the mere relation of time is as it was。          But that which has fallen 

together; has fallen in; has fallen close; and lies in a little heap; is the past 

itself … time … the fact of antiquity。 

    He has grown into a smaller world as he has grown older。                 There are 

no more extremities。        Recorded time has no more terrors。            The unit   of 

measure   which   he   holds   in   his   hand   has   become   in   his   eyes   a   thing   of 

paltry length。     The discovery draws in the annals of mankind。               He had 

thought them to be wide。 

    For   a   man   has   nothing   whereby   to   order   and   place   the   floods;   the 

states; the conquests; and the temples of the past; except only the measure 

which he holds。      Call that measure a space of ten years。 His first ten years 

had given him  the   illusion   of   a most   august   scale   and   measure。   It   was 

then that he conceived Antiquity。         But now!      Is it to a decade of ten such 

little 

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