essays and lectures-第21节

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as　bitter　as　the　fire　which　she　would　make　her　slave。



But　I　think　it　will　bring　you　something　besides　this；　something

that　is　the　knowledge　of　real　strength　in　art：　　not　that　you　should

imitate　the　works　of　these　men；　but　their　artistic　spirit；　their

artistic　attitude；　I　think　you　should　absorb　that。



For　in　nations；　as　in　individuals；　if　the　passion　for　creation　be

not　accompanied　by　the　critical；　the　aesthetic　faculty　also；　it

will　be　sure　to　waste　its　strength　aimlessly；　failing　perhaps　in

the　artistic　spirit　of　choice；　or　in　the　mistaking　of　feeling　for

form；　or　in　the　following　of　false　ideals。



For　the　various　spiritual　forms　of　the　imagination　have　a　natural

affinity　with　certain　sensuous　forms　of　art　…　and　to　discern　the

qualities　of　each　art；　to　intensify　as　well　its　limitations　as　its

powers　of　expression；　is　one　of　the　aims　that　culture　sets　before

us。　　It　is　not　an　increased　moral　sense；　an　increased　moral

supervision　that　your　literature　needs。　　Indeed；　one　should　never

talk　of　a　moral　or　an　immoral　poem　…　poems　are　either　well　written

or　badly　written；　that　is　all。　　And；　indeed；　any　element　of　morals

or　implied　reference　to　a　standard　of　good　or　evil　in　art　is　often

a　sign　of　a　certain　incompleteness　of　vision；　often　a　note　of

discord　in　the　harmony　of　an　imaginative　creation；　for　all　good

work　aims　at　a　purely　artistic　effect。　　'We　must　be　careful；'　said

Goethe；　'not　to　be　always　looking　for　culture　merely　in　what　is

obviously　moral。　　Everything　that　is　great　promotes　civilisation　as

soon　as　we　are　aware　of　it。'



But；　as　in　your　cities　so　in　your　literature；　it　is　a　permanent

canon　and　standard　of　taste；　an　increased　sensibility　to　beauty　（if

I　may　say　so）　that　is　lacking。　　All　noble　work　is　not　national

merely；　but　universal。　　The　political　independence　of　a　nation　must

not　be　confused　with　any　intellectual　isolation。　　The　spiritual

freedom；　indeed；　your　own　generous　lives　and　liberal　air　will　give

you。　　From　us　you　will　learn　the　classical　restraint　of　form。



For　all　great　art　is　delicate　art；　roughness　having　very　little　to

do　with　strength；　and　harshness　very　little　to　do　with　power。　　'The

artist；'　as　Mr。　Swinburne　says；　'must　be　perfectly　articulate。'



This　limitation　is　for　the　artist　perfect　freedom：　　it　is　at　once

the　origin　and　the　sign　of　his　strength。　　So　that　all　the　supreme

masters　of　style　…　Dante；　Sophocles；　Shakespeare　…　are　the　supreme

masters　of　spiritual　and　intellectual　vision　also。



Love　art　for　its　own　sake；　and　then　all　things　that　you　need　will

be　added　to　you。



This　devotion　to　beauty　and　to　the　creation　of　beautiful　things　is

the　test　of　all　great　civilised　nations。　　Philosophy　may　teach　us

to　bear　with　equanimity　the　misfortunes　of　our　neighbours；　and

science　resolve　the　moral　sense　into　a　secretion　of　sugar；　but　art

is　what　makes　the　life　of　each　citizen　a　sacrament　and　not　a

speculation；　art　is　what　makes　the　life　of　the　whole　race　immortal。



For　beauty　is　the　only　thing　that　time　cannot　harm。　　Philosophies

fall　away　like　sand；　and　creeds　follow　one　another　like　the

withered　leaves　of　autumn；　but　what　is　beautiful　is　a　joy　for　all

seasons　and　a　possession　for　all　eternity。



Wars　and　the　clash　of　armies　and　the　meeting　of　men　in　battle　by

trampled　field　or　leaguered　city；　and　the　rising　of　nations　there

must　always　be。　　But　I　think　that　art；　by　creating　a　common

intellectual　atmosphere　between　all　countries；　might　…　if　it　could

not　overshadow　the　world　with　the　silver　wings　of　peace　…　at　least

make　men　such　brothers　that　they　would　not　go　out　to　slay　one

another　for　the　whim　or　folly　of　some　king　or　minister；　as　they　do

in　Europe。　　Fraternity　would　come　no　more　with　the　hands　of　Cain；

nor　Liberty　betray　freedom　with　the　kiss　of　Anarchy；　for　national

hatreds　are　always　strongest　where　culture　is　lowest。



'How　could　I？'　said　Goethe；　when　reproached　for　not　writing　like

Korner　against　the　French。　　'How　could　I；　to　whom　barbarism　and

culture　alone　are　of　importance；　hate　a　nation　which　is　among　the

most　cultivated　of　the　earth；　a　nation　to　which　I　owe　a　great　part

of　my　own　cultivation？'



Mighty　empires；　too；　there　must　always　be　as　long　as　personal

ambition　and　the　spirit　of　the　age　are　one；　but　art　at　least　is　the

only　empire　which　a　nation's　enemies　cannot　take　from　her　by

conquest；　but　which　is　taken　by　submission　only。　　The　sovereignty

of　Greece　and　Rome　is　not　yet　passed　away；　though　the　gods　of　the

one　be　dead　and　the　eagles　of　the　other　tired。



And　we　in　our　Renaissance　are　seeking　to　create　a　sovereignty　that

will　still　be　England's　when　her　yellow　leopards　have　grown　weary

of　wars　and　the　rose　of　her　shield　is　crimsoned　no　more　with　the

blood　of　battle；　and　you；　too；　absorbing　into　the　generous　heart　of

a　great　people　this　pervading　artistic　spirit；　will　create　for

yourselves　such　riches　as　you　have　never　yet　created；　though　your

land　be　a　network　of　railways　and　your　cities　the　harbours　for　the

galleys　of　the　world。



I　know；　indeed；　that　the　divine　natural　prescience　of　beauty　which

is　the　inalienable　inheritance　of　Greek　and　Italian　is　not　our

inheritance。　　For　such　an　informing　and　presiding　spirit　of　art　to

shield　us　from　all　harsh　and　alien　influences；　we　of　the　Northern

races　must　turn　rather　to　that　strained　self…consciousness　of　our

age　which；　as　it　is　the　key…note　of　all　our　romantic　art；　must　be

the　source　of　all　or　nearly　all　our　culture。　　I　mean　that

intellectual　curiosity　of　the　nineteenth　century　which　is　always

looking　for　the　secret　of　the　life　that　still　lingers　round　old　and

bygone　forms　of　culture。　　It　takes　from　each　what　is　serviceable

for　the　modern　spirit　…　from　Athens　its　wonder　without　its　worship；

from　Venice　its　splendour　without　its　sin。　　The　same　spirit　is

always　analysing　its　own　strength　and　its　own　weakness；　counting

what　it　owes　to　East　and　to　West；　to　the　olive…trees　of　Colonus　and

to　the　palm…trees　of　Lebanon；　to　Gethsemane　and　to　the　garden　of

Proserpine。



And　yet　the　truths　of　art　cannot　be　taught：　　they　are　revealed

only；　revealed　to　natures　which　have　made　themselves　receptive　of

all　beautiful　impressions　by　the　study　and　worship　of　all　beautiful

things。　　And　hence　the　enormous　importance　given　to　the　decorative

arts　in　our　English　Renaissance；　hence　all　that　marvel　of　design

that　comes　from　the　hand　of　Edward　Burne…Jones；　all　that　weaving　of

tapestry　and　staining　of　glass；　that　beautiful　working　in　clay　and

metal　and　wood　which　we　owe　to　William　Morris；　the　greatest

handicraftsman　we　have　had　in　England　since　the　fourteenth　century。



So；　in　years　to　come　there　will　be　nothing　in　any　man's　house　which

has　not　given　delight　to　its　maker　and　does　not　give　delight　to　its

user。　　The　children；　like　the　children　of　Plato's　perfect　city；

will　grow　up　'in　a　simple　atmosphere　of　all　fair　things'　…　I　quote

from　the　passage　in　the　REPUBLIC　…　'a　simple　atmosphere　of　all　fair

things；　where　beauty；　which　is　the　spirit　of　art；　will　come　on　eye

and　ear　like　a　fresh　breath　of　wind　that　brings　health　from　a　clear

upland；　and　insensibly　and　gradually　draw　the　child's　soul　into

harmony　with　all　knowledge　and　all　wisdom；　so　that　he　will　love

what　is　beautiful　and　good；　and　hate　what　is　evil　and　ugly　（for

they　always　go　together）　long　before　he　knows　the　reason　why；　and

then　when　reason　comes　will　kiss　her　on　the　cheek　as　a　friend。'



That　is　what　Plato　thought　decorative　art　could　do　for　a　nation；

feeling　that　the　secret　not　of　philosophy　merely　but　of　all

gracious　existence　might　be　externally　hidden　from　any　one　whose

youth　had　been　passed　in　uncomely　and　vulgar　surroundings；　and　that

the　beauty　of　form　and　colour　even；　as　he　says；　in　the　meanest

vessels　of　the　house；　will　find　its　way　into　the　inmost　places　of

the　soul　and　lead　the　boy　naturally　to　look　for　that　divine　harmony

of　spiritual　life　of　which　art　was　to　him　the　material　symbol　and

warrant。



Prelude　indeed　to　all　knowledge　and　all　wisdom　will　this　love　of

beautiful　things　be　for　us；　yet　there　are　times　when　wisdom　becomes

a　burden　and　knowledge　is　one　with　sorrow：　　for　as　every　body　has

its　shadow　so　every　soul　has　its　scepticism。　　In　such　dread　moments

of　discord　and　despair　where　should　we；　of　this　torn　and　troubled

age；　turn　our　steps　if　not　to　that　secure　house　of　beauty　where

there　is　always　a　little　forgetfulness；　always　a　great　joy；　to　that

CITTE　DIVINA；　as　the　old　Italian　heresy　called　it；　the　divine　city

where　one　can　stand；　though　only　for　a　brief　moment；　apart　from　the

division　and　terror　of　the　world　and　the　choice　of　the　world　too？



This　is　that　CONSOLATION　DES　ARTS　which　is　the　key…note　of

Gautier's　poetry；　the　secret　of　modern　life　foreshadowed　…　as

indeed　what　in　our　century　is　not？　…　by　Goethe。　　You　remember　what

he　said　to　the　German　people：　　'Only　have　the　courage；'　he　said；

'to　give　yourselves　up　to　your　impressions；　all