the critic as artist-第14节

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nt。

GILBERT。　　Ah！　it　is　so　easy　to　convert　others。　　It　is　so　difficult　to　convert　oneself。　　To　arrive　at　what　one　really　believes；　one　must　speak　through　lips　different　from　one's　own。　　To　know　the　truth　one　must　imagine　myriads　of　falsehoods。　　For　what　is　Truth？　In　matters　of　religion；　it　is　simply　the　opinion　that　has　survived。　In　matters　of　science；　it　is　the　ultimate　sensation。　　In　matters　of　art；　it　is　one's　last　mood。　　And　you　see　now；　Ernest；　that　the　critic　has　at　his　disposal　as　many　objective　forms　of　expression　as　the　artist　has。　　Ruskin　put　his　criticism　into　imaginative　prose；　and　is　superb　in　his　changes　and　contradictions；　and　Browning　put　his　into　blank　verse　and　made　painter　and　poet　yield　us　their　secret；　and　M。　Renan　uses　dialogue；　and　Mr。　Pater　fiction；　and　Rossetti　translated　into　sonnet…music　the　colour　of　Giorgione　and　the　design　of　Ingres；　and　his　own　design　and　colour　also；　feeling；　with　the　instinct　of　one　who　had　many　modes　of　utterance；　that　the　ultimate　art　is　literature；　and　the　finest　and　fullest　medium　that　of　words。

ERNEST。　　Well；　now　that　you　have　settled　that　the　critic　has　at　his　disposal　all　objective　forms；　I　wish　you　would　tell　me　what　are　the　qualities　that　should　characterise　the　true　critic。

GILBERT。　　What　would　you　say　they　were？

ERNEST。　　Well；　I　should　say　that　a　critic　should　above　all　things　be　fair。

GILBERT。　　Ah！　not　fair。　　A　critic　cannot　be　fair　in　the　ordinary　sense　of　the　word。　　It　is　only　about　things　that　do　not　interest　one　that　one　can　give　a　really　unbiassed　opinion；　which　is　no　doubt　the　reason　why　an　unbiassed　opinion　is　always　absolutely　valueless。　The　man　who　sees　both　sides　of　a　question；　is　a　man　who　sees　absolutely　nothing　at　all。　　Art　is　a　passion；　and；　in　matters　of　art；　Thought　is　inevitably　coloured　by　emotion；　and　so　is　fluid　rather　than　fixed；　and；　depending　upon　fine　moods　and　exquisite　moments；　cannot　be　narrowed　into　the　rigidity　of　a　scientific　formula　or　a　theological　dogma。　　It　is　to　the　soul　that　Art　speaks；　and　the　soul　may　be　made　the　prisoner　of　the　mind　as　well　as　of　the　body。　　One　should；　of　course；　have　no　prejudices；　but；　as　a　great　Frenchman　remarked　a　hundred　years　ago；　it　is　one's　business　in　such　matters　to　have　preferences；　and　when　one　has　preferences　one　ceases　to　be　fair。　　It　is　only　an　auctioneer　who　can　equally　and　impartially　admire　all　schools　of　Art。　　No；　fairness　is　not　one　of　the　qualities　of　the　true　critic。　　It　is　not　even　a　condition　of　criticism。　　Each　form　of　Art　with　which　we　come　in　contact　dominates　us　for　the　moment　to　the　exclusion　of　every　other　form。　We　must　surrender　ourselves　absolutely　to　the　work　in　question；　whatever　it　may　be；　if　we　wish　to　gain　its　secret。　　For　the　time；　we　must　think　of　nothing　else；　can　think　of　nothing　else；　indeed。

ERNEST。　　The　true　critic　will　be　rational；　at　any　rate；　will　he　not？

GILBERT。　　Rational？　　There　are　two　ways　of　disliking　art；　Ernest。　One　is　to　dislike　it。　　The　other；　to　like　it　rationally。　　For　Art；　as　Plato　saw；　and　not　without　regret；　creates　in　listener　and　spectator　a　form　of　divine　madness。　　It　does　not　spring　from　inspiration；　but　it　makes　others　inspired。　　Reason　is　not　the　faculty　to　which　it　appeals。　　If　one　loves　Art　at　all；　one　must　love　it　beyond　all　other　things　in　the　world；　and　against　such　love；　the　reason；　if　one　listened　to　it；　would　cry　out。　　There　is　nothing　sane　about　the　worship　of　beauty。　　It　is　too　splendid　to　be　sane。　　Those　of　whose　lives　it　forms　the　dominant　note　will　always　seem　to　the　world　to　be　pure　visionaries。

ERNEST。　　Well；　at　least；　the　critic　will　be　sincere。

GILBERT。　　A　little　sincerity　is　a　dangerous　thing；　and　a　great　deal　of　it　is　absolutely　fatal。　　The　true　critic　will；　indeed；　always　be　sincere　in　his　devotion　to　the　principle　of　beauty；　but　he　will　seek　for　beauty　in　every　age　and　in　each　school；　and　will　never　suffer　himself　to　be　limited　to　any　settled　custom　of　thought　or　stereotyped　mode　of　looking　at　things。　　He　will　realise　himself　in　many　forms；　and　by　a　thousand　different　ways；　and　will　ever　be　curious　of　new　sensations　and　fresh　points　of　view。　　Through　constant　change；　and　through　constant　change　alone；　he　will　find　his　true　unity。　　He　will　not　consent　to　be　the　slave　of　his　own　opinions。　　For　what　is　mind　but　motion　in　the　intellectual　sphere？　The　essence　of　thought；　as　the　essence　of　life；　is　growth。　　You　must　not　be　frightened　by　word；　Ernest。　　What　people　call　insincerity　is　simply　a　method　by　which　we　can　multiply　our　personalities。

ERNEST。　　I　am　afraid　I　have　not　been　fortunate　in　my　suggestions。

GILBERT。　　Of　the　three　qualifications　you　mentioned；　two；　sincerity　and　fairness；　were；　if　not　actually　moral；　at　least　on　the　borderland　of　morals；　and　the　first　condition　of　criticism　is　that　the　critic　should　be　able　to　recognise　that　the　sphere　of　Art　and　the　sphere　of　Ethics　are　absolutely　distinct　and　separate。　　When　they　are　confused；　Chaos　has　come　again。　　They　are　too　often　confused　in　England　now；　and　though　our　modern　Puritans　cannot　destroy　a　beautiful　thing；　yet；　by　means　of　their　extraordinary　prurience；　they　can　almost　taint　beauty　for　a　moment。　　It　is　chiefly；　I　regret　to　say；　through　journalism　that　such　people　find　expression。　　I　regret　it　because　there　is　much　to　be　said　in　favour　of　modern　journalism。　　By　giving　us　the　opinions　of　the　uneducated；　it　keeps　us　in　touch　with　the　ignorance　of　the　community。　　By　carefully　chronicling　the　current　events　of　contemporary　life；　it　shows　us　of　what　very　little　importance　such　events　really　are。　　By　invariably　discussing　the　unnecessary　it　makes　us　understand　what　things　are　requisite　for　culture；　and　what　are　not。　　But　it　should　not　allow　poor　Tartuffe　to　write　articles　upon　modern　art。　　When　it　does　this　it　stultifies　itself。　　And　yet　Tartuffe's　articles　and　Chadband's　notes　do　this　good；　at　least。　　They　serve　to　show　how　extremely　limited　is　the　area　over　which　ethics；　and　ethical　considerations；　can　claim　to　exercise　influence。　　Science　is　out　of　the　reach　of　morals；　for　her　eyes　are　fixed　upon　eternal　truths。　Art　is　out　of　the　reach　of　morals；　for　her　eyes　are　fixed　upon　things　beautiful　and　immortal　and　ever…changing。　　To　morals　belong　the　lower　and　less　intellectual　spheres。　　However；　let　these　mouthing　Puritans　pass；　they　have　their　comic　side。　　Who　can　help　laughing　when　an　ordinary　journalist　seriously　proposes　to　limit　the　subject…matter　at　the　disposal　of　the　artist？　　Some　limitation　might　well；　and　will　soon；　I　hope；　be　placed　upon　some　of　our　newspapers　and　newspaper　writers。　　For　they　give　us　the　bald；　sordid；　disgusting　facts　of　life。　　They　chronicle；　with　degrading　avidity；　the　sins　of　the　second…rate；　and　with　the　conscientiousness　of　the　illiterate　give　us　accurate　and　prosaic　details　of　the　doings　of　people　of　absolutely　no　interest　whatsoever。　　But　the　artist；　who　accepts　the　facts　of　life；　and　yet　transforms　them　into　shapes　of　beauty；　and　makes　them　vehicles　of　pity　or　of　awe；　and　shows　their　colour…element；　and　their　wonder；　and　their　true　ethical　import　also；　and　builds　out　of　them　a　world　more　real　than　reality　itself；　and　of　loftier　and　more　noble　import　…　who　shall　set　limits　to　him？　　Not　the　apostles　of　that　new　Journalism　which　is　but　the　old　vulgarity　'writ　large。'　　Not　the　apostles　of　that　new　Puritanism；　which　is　but　the　whine　of　the　hypocrite；　and　is　both　writ　and　spoken　badly。　　The　mere　suggestion　is　ridiculous。　　Let　us　leave　these　wicked　people；　and　proceed　to　the　discussion　of　the　artistic　qualifications　necessary　for　the　true　critic。

ERNEST。　　And　what　are　they？　　Tell　me　yourself。

GILBERT。　　Temperament　is　the　primary　requisite　for　the　critic　…　a　temperament　exquisitely　susceptible　to　beauty；　and　to　the　various　impressions　that　beauty　gives　us。　　Under　what　conditions；　and　by　what　means；　this　temperament　is　engendered　in　race　or　individual；　we　will　not　discuss　at　present。　　It　is　sufficient　to　note　that　it　exists；　and　that　there　is　in　us　a　beauty…sense；　separate　from　the　other　senses　and　above　them；　separate　from　the　reason　and　of　nobler　import；　separate　from　the　soul　and　of　equal　value　…　a　sense　that　leads　some　to　create；　and　others；　the　finer　spirits　as　I　think；　to　contemplate　merely。　　But　to　be　purified　and　made　perfect；　this　sense　requires　some　form　of　exquisite　environment。　　Without　this　it　starves；　or　is　dulled。　　You　remember　that　lovely　passage　in　which　Plato　describes　how　a　young　Greek　should　be　educated；　and　with　what　insistence　he　dwells　upon　the　importance　of　surroundings；　telling　us　how　the　lad　is　to　be　brought　up　in　the　midst　of　fair　sights　and　sounds；　so　that　the　beauty　of　material　things　may　prepare　his　soul　for　the　reception　of　the　beauty　that　is　spiritual。　　Insensibly；　and　without　knowing　the　reason　why；　he　is　to　develop　that　real　love　of　beauty　which；　as　Plato　is　never　weary　of　reminding　us；　is　the　true　aim　of　education。　　By　slow　degrees　there　is　to　be　engendered　in　him　such　a　temperament　as　will　lead　him　naturally　and　simply　to　choose　the　good　in　preference　to　the　bad；　and；　rejecting　what　is　vulgar　and　discordant；　to　follow　by　fine　instinctive　taste　all　that　possesses　grace　and　charm　and　loveliness。　　Ultimately；　in　its　due　course；　this　taste　is　to　become　critical　and　self…conscious；　but　at