the unseen world and other essays-第58节

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pes。　Statuary　was　the　central　art　of　Greece。　No　other　art　was　so　popular；　or　so　completely　expressed　the　national　life。　The　number　of　statues　was　enormous。　In　later　days；　when　Rome　had　spoiled　the　Greek　world　of　its　treasures；　the　Imperial　City　possessed　a　population　of　statues　almost　equal　in　number　to　its　population　of　human　beings。　And　at　the　present　day；　after　all　the　destructive　accidents　of　so　many　intervening　centuries；　it　is　estimated　that　more　than　sixty　thousand　statues　have　been　obtained　from　Rome　and　its　suburbs　alone。

In　citing　this　admirable　exposition　as　a　specimen　of　M。　Taine's　method　of　dealing　with　his　subject；　we　have　refrained　from　disturbing　the　pellucid　current　of　thought　by　criticisms　of　our　own。　We　think　the　foregoing　explanation　correct　enough；　so　far　as　it　goes；　though　it　deals　with　the　merest　rudiments　of　the　subject；　and　really　does　nothing　toward　elucidating　the　deeper　mysteries　of　artistic　production。　For　this　there　is　needed　a　profounder　psychology　than　M。　Taine's。　But　whether　his　theory　of　art　be　adequate　or　not；　there　can　be　but　one　opinion　as　to　the　brilliant　eloquence　with　which　it　is　set　forth。　　　　　　　June；　1868。



XIV。

ATHENIAN　AND　AMERICAN　LIFE。

IN　a　very　interesting　essay　on　British　and　Foreign　Characteristics；　published　a　few　years　ago；　Mr。　W。　R。　Greg　quotes　the　famous　letter　of　the　Turkish　cadi　to　Mr。　Layard；　with　the　comment　that　〃it　contains　the　germ　and　element　of　a　wisdom　to　which　our　busy　and　bustling　existence　is　a　stranger〃；　and　he　uses　it　as　a　text　for　an　instructive　sermon　on　the　〃gospel　of　leisure。〃　He　urges；　with　justice；　that　the　too　eager　and　restless　modern　man；　absorbed　in　problems　of　industrial　development；　may　learn　a　wholesome　lesson　from　the　contemplation　of　his　Oriental　brother；　who　cares　not　to　say；　〃Behold；　this　star　spinneth　round　that　star；　and　this　other　star　with　a　tail　cometh　and　goeth　in　so　many　years〃；　who　aspires　not　after　a　〃double　stomach；〃　nor　hopes　to　attain　to　Paradise　by　〃seeking　with　his　eyes。〃　If　any　one　may　be　thought　to　stand　in　need　of　some　such　lesson；　it　is　the　American　of　to…day。　Just　as　far　as　the　Turk　carries　his　apathy　to　excess；　does　the　American　carry　to　excess　his　restlessness。　But　just　because　the　incurious　idleness　of　the　Turk　is　excessive；　so　as　to　be　detrimental　to　completeness　of　living；　it　is　unfit　to　supply　us　with　the　hints　we　need　concerning　the　causes；　character；　and　effects　of　our　over…activity。　A　sermon　of　leisure；　if　it　is　to　be　of　practical　use　to　us；　must　not　be　a　sermon　of　laziness。　The　Oriental　state　of　mind　is　incompatible　with　progressive　improvement　of　any　sort；　physical；　intellectual；　or　moral。　It　is　one　of　the　phenomena　attendant　upon　the　arrival　of　a　community　at　a　stationary　condition　before　it　has　acquired　a　complex　civilization。　And　it　appears　serviceable　rather　as　a　background　upon　which　to　exhibit　in　relief　our　modern　turmoil；　than　by　reason　of　any　lesson　which　it　is　itself　likely　to　convey。　Let　us　in　preference　study　one　of　the　most　eminently　progressive　of　all　the　communities　that　have　existed。　Let　us　take　an　example　quite　different　from　any　that　can　be　drawn　from　Oriental　life；　but　almost　equally　contrasted　with　any　that　can　be　found　among　ourselves；　and　let　us；　with　the　aid　of　it；　examine　the　respective　effects　of　leisure　and　of　hurry　upon　the　culture　of　the　community。

What　do　modern　critics　mean　by　the　〃healthy　completeness〃　of　ancient　life；　which　they　are　so　fond　of　contrasting　with　the　〃heated；〃　〃discontented；〃　or　imperfect　and　one…sided　existence　of　modern　communities？　Is　this　a　mere　set　of　phrases；　suited　to　some　imaginary　want　of　the　literary　critic；　but　answering　to　nothing　real？　Are　they　to　be　summarily　disposed　of　as　resting　upon　some　tacit　assumption　of　that　old…grannyism　which　delights　in　asseverating　that　times　are　not　what　they　used　to　be？　Is　the　contrast　an　imaginary　one；　due　to　the　softened；　cheerful　light　with　which　we　are　wont　to　contemplate　classic　antiquity　through　the　charmed　medium　of　its　incomparable　literature？　Or　is　it　a　real　contrast；　worthy　of　the　attention　and　analysis　of　the　historical　inquirer？　The　answer　to　these　queries　will　lead　us　far　into　the　discussion　of　the　subject　which　we　have　propounded；　and　we　shall　best　reach　it　by　considering　some　aspects　of　the　social　condition　of　ancient　Greece。　The　lessons　to　be　learned　from　that　wonderful　country　are　not　yet　exhausted　Each　time　that　we　return　to　that　richest　of　historic　mines；　and　delve　faithfully　and　carefully；　we　shall　be　sure　to　dig　up　some　jewel　worth　carrying　away。

And　in　considering　ancient　Greece；　we　shall　do　well　to　confine　our　attention；　for　the　sake　of　definiteness　of　conception；　to　a　single　city。　Comparatively　homogeneous　as　Greek　civilization　was；　there　was　nevertheless　a　great　deal　of　difference　between　the　social　circumstances　of　sundry　of　its　civic　communities。　What　was　true　of　Athens　was　frequently　not　true　of　Sparta　or　Thebes；　and　general　assertions　about　ancient　Greece　are　often　likely　to　be　collect　only　in　a　loose　and　general　way。　In　speaking；　therefore；　of　Greece；　I　must　be　understood　in　the　main　as　referring　to　Athens；　the　eye　and　light　of　Greece；　the　nucleus　and　centre　of　Hellenic　culture。

Let　us　note　first　that　Athens　was　a　large　city　surrounded　by　pleasant　village…suburbs；the　demes　of　Attika；very　much　as　Boston　is　closely　girdled　by　rural　places　like　Brookline；　Jamaica　Plain；　and　the　rest；　village　after　village　rather　thickly　covering　a　circuit　of　from　ten　to　twenty　miles'　radius。　The　population　of　Athens　with　its　suburbs　may　perhaps　have　exceeded　half　a　million；　but　the　number　of　adult　freemen　bearing　arms　did　not　exceed　twenty…five　thousand。＇67＇　For　every　one　of　these　freemen　there　were　four　or　five　slaves；　not　ignorant；　degraded　labourers；　belonging　to　an　inferior　type　of　humanity；　and　bearing　the　marks　of　a　lower　caste　in　their　very　personal　formation　and　in　the　colour　of　their　skin；　like　our　lately…enslaved　negroes；　but　intelligent；　skilled　labourers；　belonging　usually　to　the　Hellenic；　and　at　any　rate　to　the　Aryan　race；　as　fair　and　perhaps　as　handsome　as　their　masters；　and　not　subjected　to　especial　ignominy　or　hardship。　These　slaves；　of　whom　there　were　at　least　one　hundred　thousand　adult　males；　relieved　the　twenty…five　thousand　freemen　of　nearly　all　the　severe　drudgery　of　life；　and　the　result　was　an　amount　of　leisure　perhaps　never　since　known　on　an　equal　scale　in　history。

＇67＇　See　Herod。　V。　97；　Aristoph。　Ekkl。　432；　Thukyd。　II。　13；　Plutarch；　Perikl。　37。


The　relations　of　master　and　slave　in　ancient　Athens　constituted；　of　course；　a　very　different　phenomenon　from　anything　which　the　history　of　our　own　Southern　States　has　to　offer　us。　Our　Southern　slaveholders　lived　in　an　age　of　industrial　development；　they　were　money…makers：　they　had　their　full　share　of　business　in　managing　the　operations　for　which　their　labourers　supplied　the　crude　physical　force。　It　was　not　so　in　Athens。　The　era　of　civilization　founded　upon　organized　industry　had　not　begun；　money…making　had　not　come　to　be；　with　the　Greeks；　the　one　all…important　end　of　life；　and　mere　subsistence；　which　is　now　difficult；　was　then　easy。　The　Athenian　lived　in　a　mild；　genial；　healthy　climate；　in　a　country　which　has　always　been　notable　for　the　activity　and　longevity　of　its　inhabitants。　He　was　frugal　in　his　habits；a　wine…drinker　and　an　eater　of　meat；　but　rarely　addicted　to　gluttony　or　intemperance。　His　dress　was　inexpensive；　for　the　Greek　climate　made　but　little　protection　necessary；　and　the　gymnastic　habits　of　the　Greeks　led　them　to　esteem　more　highly　the　beauty　of　the　body　than　that　of　its　covering。　His　house　was　simple；　not　being　intended　for　social　purposes；　while　of　what　we　should　call　home…life　the　Greeks　had　none。　The　house　was　a　shelter　at　night；　a　place　where　the　frugal　meal　might　be　taken；　a　place　where　the　wife　might　stay；　and　look　after　the　household　slaves　or　attend　to　the　children。　And　this　brings　us　to　another　notable　feature　of　Athenian　life。　The　wife　having　no　position　in　society；　being　nothing；　indeed；　but　a　sort　of　household　utensil；　how　greatly　was　life　simplified！　What　a　door　for　expenditure　was　there；　as　yet　securely　closed；　and　which　no　one　had　thought　of　opening！　No　milliner's　or　dressmaker's　bills；　no　evening　parties；　no　Protean　fashions；　no　elegant　furniture；　no　imperious　necessity　for　Kleanthes　to　outshine　Kleon；　no　coaches；　no　Chateau　Margaux；　no　journeys　to　Arkadia　in　the　summer！　In　such　a　state　of　society；　as　one　may　easily　see；　the　labour　of　one　man　would　support　half　a　dozen。　It　cost　the　Athenian　but　a　few　cents　daily　to　live；　and　even　these　few　cents　might　be　earned　by　his　slaves。　We　need　not；　therefore；　be　surprised　to　learn　that　in　ancient　Athens　there　were　no　paupers　or　beggars。　There　might　be　poverty；　but　indigence　was　unknown；　and　because　of　the　absence　of　fashion；　style；　and　display；　even　poverty　entailed　no　uncomfortable　loss　of　social　position。　The　Athenians　valued　wealth　highly；　no　doubt；　as　a　source　of　contributions　to　public　festivals　and　to　the　necessities　of　the　state。　But　as　far　as　the　circumstances　of　daily　life　go；　the　difference　between　the　rich　man　and　the　poor　man　was　immeasurably　less　than　in　any　modern　community；　and　the　incentives　to　the　acquirement　of　wealth　were；　as　a　consequence；　com