the magic skin-第4节

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and　serpents　stuffed　with　straw　grinned　at　glass　from　church　windows；

seemed　to　wish　to　bite　sculptured　heads；　to　chase　lacquered　work；　or

to　scramble　up　chandeliers。　A　Sevres　vase；　bearing　Napoleon's　portrait

by　Mme。　Jacotot；　stood　beside　a　sphinx　dedicated　to　Sesostris。　The

beginnings　of　the　world　and　the　events　of　yesterday　were　mingled　with

grotesque　cheerfulness。　A　kitchen　jack　leaned　against　a　pyx；　a

republican　sabre　on　a　mediaeval　hackbut。　Mme。　du　Barry；　with　a　star

above　her　head；　naked；　and　surrounded　by　a　cloud；　seemed　to　look

longingly　out　of　Latour's　pastel　at　an　Indian　chibook；　while　she　tried

to　guess　the　purpose　of　the　spiral　curves　that　wound　towards　her。

Instruments　of　death；　poniards；　curious　pistols；　and　disguised　weapons

had　been　flung　down　pell…mell　among　the　paraphernalia　of　daily　life；

porcelain　tureens；　Dresden　plates；　translucent　cups　from　china；　old

salt…cellars；　comfit…boxes　belonging　to　feudal　times。　A　carved　ivory

ship　sped　full　sail　on　the　back　of　a　motionless　tortoise。



The　Emperor　Augustus　remained　unmoved　and　imperial　with　an　air…pump

thrust　into　one　eye。　Portraits　of　French　sheriffs　and　Dutch

burgomasters；　phlegmatic　now　as　when　in　life；　looked　down　pallid　and

unconcerned　on　the　chaos　of　past　ages　below　them。



Every　land　of　earth　seemed　to　have　contributed　some　stray　fragment　of

its　learning；　some　example　of　its　art。　Nothing　seemed　lacking　to　this

philosophical　kitchen…midden；　from　a　redskin's　calumet；　a　green　and

golden　slipper　from　the　seraglio；　a　Moorish　yataghan；　a　Tartar　idol；

to　the　soldier's　tobacco　pouch；　to　the　priest's　ciborium；　and　the

plumes　that　once　adorned　a　throne。　This　extraordinary　combination　was

rendered　yet　more　bizarre　by　the　accidents　of　lighting；　by　a　multitude

of　confused　reflections　of　various　hues；　by　the　sharp　contrast　of

blacks　and　whites。　Broken　cries　seemed　to　reach　the　ear；　unfinished

dramas　seized　upon　the　imagination；　smothered　lights　caught　the　eye。　A

thin　coating　of　inevitable　dust　covered　all　the　multitudinous　corners

and　convolutions　of　these　objects　of　various　shapes　which　gave　highly

picturesque　effects。



First　of　all；　the　stranger　compared　the　three　galleries　which

civilization；　cults；　divinities；　masterpieces；　dominions；　carousals；

sanity；　and　madness　had　filled　to　repletion；　to　a　mirror　with　numerous

facets；　each　depicting　a　world。　After　this　first　hazy　idea　he　would

fain　have　selected　his　pleasures；　but　by　dint　of　using　his　eyes；

thinking　and　musing；　a　fever　began　to　possess　him；　caused　perhaps　by

the　gnawing　pain　of　hunger。　The　spectacle　of　so　much　existence；

individual　or　national；　to　which　these　pledges　bore　witness；　ended　by

numbing　his　sensesthe　purpose　with　which　he　entered　the　shop　was

fulfilled。　He　had　left　the　real　behind；　and　had　climbed　gradually　up

to　an　ideal　world；　he　had　attained　to　the　enchanted　palace　of　ecstasy；

whence　the　universe　appeared　to　him　by　fragments　and　in　shapes　of

flame；　as　once　the　future　blazed　out　before　the　eyes　of　St。　John　in

Patmos。



A　crowd　of　sorrowing　faces；　beneficent　and　appalling；　dark　and

luminous；　far　and　near；　gathered　in　numbers；　in　myriads；　in　whole

generations。　Egypt；　rigid　and　mysterious；　arose　from　her　sands　in　the

form　of　a　mummy　swathed　in　black　bandages；　then　the　Pharaohs　swallowed

up　nations；　that　they　might　build　themselves　a　tomb；　and　he　beheld

Moses　and　the　Hebrews　and　the　desert；　and　a　solemn　antique　world。

Fresh　and　joyous；　a　marble　statue　spoke　to　him　from　a　twisted　column

of　the　pleasure…loving　myths　of　Greece　and　Ionia。　Ah！　who　would　not

have　smiled　with　him　to　see；　against　the　earthen　red　background；　the

brown…faced　maiden　dancing　with　gleeful　reverence　before　the　god

Priapus；　wrought　in　the　fine　clay　of　an　Etruscan　vase？　The　Latin　queen

caressed　her　chimera。



The　whims　of　Imperial　Rome　were　there　in　life；　the　bath　was　disclosed；

the　toilette　of　a　languid　Julia；　dreaming；　waiting　for　her　Tibullus。

Strong　with　the　might　of　Arabic　spells；　the　head　of　Cicero　evoked

memories　of　a　free　Rome；　and　unrolled　before　him　the　scrolls　of　Titus

Livius。　The　young　man　beheld　Senatus　Populusque　Romanus；　consuls；

lictors；　togas　with　purple　fringes；　the　fighting　in　the　Forum；　the

angry　people；　passed　in　review　before　him　like　the　cloudy　faces　of　a

dream。



Then　Christian　Rome　predominated　in　his　vision。　A　painter　had　laid

heaven　open；　he　beheld　the　Virgin　Mary　wrapped　in　a　golden　cloud　among

the　angels；　shining　more　brightly　than　the　sun；　receiving　the　prayers

of　sufferers；　on　whom　this　second　Eve　Regenerate　smiles　pityingly。　At

the　touch　of　a　mosaic；　made　of　various　lavas　from　Vesuvius　and　Etna；

his　fancy　fled　to　the　hot　tawny　south　of　Italy。　He　was　present　at

Borgia's　orgies；　he　roved　among　the　Abruzzi；　sought　for　Italian　love

intrigues；　grew　ardent　over　pale　faces　and　dark；　almond…shaped　eyes。

He　shivered　over　midnight　adventures；　cut　short　by　the　cool　thrust　of

a　jealous　blade；　as　he　saw　a　mediaeval　dagger　with　a　hilt　wrought　like

lace；　and　spots　of　rust　like　splashes　of　blood　upon　it。



India　and　its　religions　took　the　shape　of　the　idol　with　his　peaked　cap

of　fantastic　form；　with　little　bells；　clad　in　silk　and　gold。　Close　by；

a　mat；　as　pretty　as　the　bayadere　who　once　lay　upon　it；　still　gave　out

a　faint　scent　of　sandal　wood。　His　fancy　was　stirred　by　a　goggle…eyed

Chinese　monster；　with　mouth　awry　and　twisted　limbs；　the　invention　of　a

people　who；　grown　weary　of　the　monotony　of　beauty；　found　an

indescribable　pleasure　in　an　infinite　variety　of　ugliness。　A　salt…

cellar　from　Benvenuto　Cellini's　workshop　carried　him　back　to　the

Renaissance　at　its　height；　to　the　time　when　there　was　no　restraint　on

art　or　morals；　when　torture　was　the　sport　of　sovereigns；　and　from

their　councils；　churchmen　with　courtesans'　arms　about　them　issued

decrees　of　chastity　for　simple　priests。



On　a　cameo　he　saw　the　conquests　of　Alexander；　the　massacres　of　Pizarro

in　a　matchbox；　and　religious　wars　disorderly；　fanatical；　and　cruel；　in

the　shadows　of　a　helmet。　Joyous　pictures　of　chivalry　were　called　up　by

a　suit　of　Milanese　armor；　brightly　polished　and　richly　wrought；　a

paladin's　eyes　seemed　to　sparkle　yet　under　the　visor。



This　sea　of　inventions；　fashions；　furniture；　works　of　art　and　fiascos；

made　for　him　a　poem　without　end。　Shapes　and　colors　and　projects　all

lived　again　for　him；　but　his　mind　received　no　clear　and　perfect

conception。　It　was　the　poet's　task　to　complete　the　sketches　of　the

great　master；　who　had　scornfully　mingled　on　his　palette　the　hues　of

the　numberless　vicissitudes　of　human　life。　When　the　world　at　large　at

last　released　him；　when　he　had　pondered　over　many　lands；　many　epochs；

and　various　empires；　the　young　man　came　back　to　the　life　of　the

individual。　He　impersonated　fresh　characters；　and　turned　his　mind　to

details；　rejecting　the　life　of　nations　as　a　burden　too　overwhelming

for　a　single　soul。



Yonder　was　a　sleeping　child　modeled　in　wax；　a　relic　of　Ruysch's

collection；　an　enchanting　creation　which　brought　back　the　happiness　of

his　own　childhood。　The　cotton　garment　of　a　Tahitian　maid　next

fascinated　him；　he　beheld　the　primitive　life　of　nature；　the　real

modesty　of　naked　chastity；　the　joys　of　an　idleness　natural　to　mankind；

a　peaceful　fate　by　a　slow　river　of　sweet　water　under　a　plantain　tree

that　bears　its　pleasant　manna　without　the　toil　of　man。　Then　all　at

once　he　became　a　corsair；　investing　himself　with　the　terrible　poetry

that　Lara　has　given　to　the　part：　the　thought　came　at　the　sight　of　the

mother…of…pearl　tints　of　a　myriad　sea…shells；　and　grew　as　he　saw

madrepores　redolent　of　the　sea…weeds　and　the　storms　of　the　Atlantic。



The　sea　was　forgotten　again　at　a　distant　view　of　exquisite　miniatures；

he　admired　a　precious　missal　in　manuscript；　adorned　with　arabesques　in

gold　and　blue。　Thoughts　of　peaceful　life　swayed　him；　he　devoted

himself　afresh　to　study　and　research；　longing　for　the　easy　life　of　the

monk；　devoid　alike　of　cares　and　pleasures；　and　from　the　depths　of　his

cell　he　looked　out　upon　the　meadows；　woods；　and　vineyards　of　his

convent。　Pausing　before　some　work　of　Teniers；　he　took　for　his　own　the

helmet　of　the　soldier　or　the　poverty　of　the　artisan；　he　wished　to　wear

a　smoke…begrimed　cap　with　these　Flemings；　to　drink　their　beer　and　join

their　game　at　cards；　and　smiled　upon　the　comely　plumpness　of　a　peasant

woman。　He　shivered　at　a　snowstorm　by　Mieris；　he　seemed　to　take　part　in

Salvator　Rosa's　battle…piece；　he　ran　his　fingers　over　a　tomahawk　form

Illinois；　and　felt　his　own　hair　rise　as　he　touched　a　Cherokee

scalping…knife。　He　marveled　over　the　rebec　that　he　set　in　the　hands　of

some　lady　of　the　land；　drank　in　the　musical　notes　of　her　ballad；　and

in　the　twilight　by　the　gothic　arch　above　the　hearth　he　told　his　love

in　a　gloom　so　deep　that　he　could　not　read　his　answer　in　her　eyes。



He　caught　at　all　delights；　at　all　sorrows；　grasped　at　existence　in

every　form；　and　endowed　the　phantoms　conjured　up　from　that　inert　and