the spirit of place and other essays-第5节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



the　hand；　would　not　the　harvest　be　a　harvest　of　poplars？　　A

veritable　passion　for　poplars　is　a　most　intelligible　passion。　　The

eyes　do　gather　them；　far　and　near；　on　a　whole　day's　journey。　　Not

one　is　unperceived；　even　though　great　timber　should　be　passed；　and

hill…sides　dense　and　deep　with　trees。　　The　fancy　makes　a　poplar　day

of　it。　　Immediately　the　country　looks　alive　with　signals；　for　the

poplars　everywhere　reply　to　the　glance。　　The　woods　may　be　all

various；　but　the　poplars　are　separate。



All　their　many　kinds　（and　aspens；　their　kin；　must　be　counted　with

them）　shake　themselves　perpetually　free　of　the　motionless　forest。

It　is　easy　to　gather　them。　　Glances　sent　into　the　far　distance　pay

them　a　flash　of　recognition　of　their　gentle　flashes；　and　as　you

journey　you　are　suddenly　aware　of　them　close　by。　　Light　and　the

breezes　are　as　quick　as　the　eyes　of　a　poplar…lover　to　find　the

willing　tree　that　dances　to　be　seen。



No　lurking　for　them；　no　reluctance。　　One　could　never　make　for

oneself　an　oak　day　so　well。　　The　oaks　would　wait　to　be　found；　and

many　would　be　missed　from　the　gathering。　　But　the　poplars　are　alert

enough　for　a　traveller　by　express；　they　have　an　alarum　aloft；　and　do

not　sleep。　　From　within　some　little　grove　of　other　trees　a　single

poplar　makes　a　slight　sign；　or　a　long　row　of　poplars　suddenly　sweep

the　wind。　　They　are　salient　everywhere；　and　full　of　replies。　　They

are　as　fresh　as　streams。



It　is　difficult　to　realize　a　drought　where　there　are　many　poplars。

And　yet　their　green　is　not　rich；　the　coolest　have　a　colour　much

mingled　with　a　cloud…grey。　　It　does　but　need　fresh　and　simple　eyes

to　recognize　their　unfaded　life。　　When　the　other　trees　grow　dark　and

keep　still；　the　poplar　and　the　aspen　do　not　darkenor　hardlyand

the　deepest　summer　will　not　find　a　day　in　which　they　do　not　keep

awake。　　No　waters　are　so　vigilant；　even　where　a　lake　is　bare　to　the

wind。



When　Keats　said　of　his　Dian　that　she　fastened　up　her　hair　〃with

fingers　cool　as　aspen　leaves；〃　he　knew　the　coolest　thing　in　the

world。　　It　is　a　coolness　of　colour；　as　well　as　of　a　leaf　which　the

breeze　takes　on　both　sidesthe　greenish　and　the　greyish。　　The

poplar　green　has　no　glows；　no　gold；　it　is　an　austere　colour；　as

little　rich　as　the　colour　of　willows；　and　less　silvery　than　theirs。

The　sun　can　hardly　gild　it；　but　he　can　shine　between。　　Poplars　and

aspens　let　the　sun　through　with　the　wind。　　You　may　have　the　sky

sprinkled　through　them　in　high　midsummer；　when　all　the　woods　are

close。



Sending　your　fancy　poplar…gathering；　then；　you　ensnare　wild　trees；

beating　with　life。　　No　fisher's　net　ever　took　such　glancing　fishes；

nor　did　the　net　of　a　constellation's　shape　ever　enclose　more

vibrating　Pleiades。







WELLS







The　world　at　present　is　inclined　to　make　sorry　mysteries　or

unattractive　secrets　of　the　methods　and　supplies　of　the　fresh　and

perennial　means　of　life。　　A　very　dull　secret　is　made　of　water；　for

example；　and　the　plumber　sets　his　seal　upon　the　floods　whereby　we

live。　　They　are　covered；　they　are　carried；　they　are　hushed；　from　the

spring　to　the　tap；　and　when　their　voices　are　released　at　last　in　the

London　scullery；　why；　it　can　hardly　be　said　that　the　song　is

eloquent　of　the　natural　source　of　waters；　whether　earthly　or

heavenly。　　There　is　not　one　of　the　circumstances　of　this　capture　of

streamsthe　company；　the　water…rate；　and　the　restthat　is　not　a

sign　of　the　ill…luck　of　modern　devices　in　regard　to　style。　　For

style　implies　a　candour　and　simplicity　of　means；　an　action；　a

gesture；　as　it　were；　in　the　doing　of　small　things；　it　is　the

ignorance　of　secret　ways；　whereas　the　finish　of　modern　life　and　its

neatness　seem　to　be　secured　by　a　system　of　little　shufflings　and

surprises。



Dress；　among　other　things；　is　furnished　throughout　with　such

fittings；　they　form　its　very　construction。　　Style　does　not　exist　in

modern　arrayings；　for　all　their　prettiness　and　precision；　and　for

all　the　successeswhich　are　not　to　be　deniedof　their　outer　part；

the　happy　little　swagger　that　simulates　style　is　but　another　sign　of

its　absence；　being　prepared　by　mere　dodges　and　dexterities　beneath；

and　the　triumph　and　success　of　the　present　art　of　raiment〃fit〃

itselfis　but　the　result　of　a　masked　and　lurking　labour　and　device。



The　masters　of　fine　manners；　moreover；　seem　to　be　always　aware　of

the　beauty　that　comes　of　pausing　slightly　upon　the　smaller　and

slighter　actions；　such　as　meaner　men　are　apt　to　hurry　out　of　the

way。　　In　a　word；　the　workman；　with　his　finish　and　accomplishment；　is

the　dexterous　provider　of　contemporary　things；　and　the　ready；　well…

appointed；　and　decorated　life　of　all　towns　is　now　altogether　in　his

hands；　whereas　the　artist　craftsman　of　other　times　made　a

manifestation　of　his　means。　　The　first　hides　the　streams；　under

stress　and　pressure；　in　paltry　pipes　which　we　all　must　make　haste　to

call　upon　the　earth　to　cover；　and　the　second　lifted　up　the　arches　of

the　aqueduct。



The　search　of　easy　ways　to　live　is　not　always　or　everywhere　the　way

to　ugliness；　but　in　some　countries；　at　some　dates；　it　is　the　sure

way。　　In　all　countries；　and　at　all　dates；　extreme　finish　compassed

by　hidden　means　must　needs；　from　the　beginning；　prepare　the

abolition　of　dignity。　　This　is　easy　to　understand；　but　it　is　less

easy　to　explain　the　ill…fortune　that　presses　upon　the　expert

workman；　in　search　of　easy　ways　to　live；　all　the　ill…favoured

materials；　makes　them　cheap　for　him；　makes　them　serviceable　and

effectual；　urges　him　to　use　them；　seal　them；　and　inter　them；　turning

the　trim　and　dull　completeness　out　to　the　view　of　the　daily　world。

It　is　an　added　mischance。　　Nor；　on　the　other　hand；　is　it　easy　to

explain　the　beautiful　good　luck　attending　the　simpler　devices　which

are；　after　all；　only　less　expert　ways　of　labour。　　In　those　happy

conditions；　neither　from　the　material；　suggesting　to　the　workman；

nor　from　the　workman　looking　askance　at　his　unhandsome　material；

comes　a　first　proposal　to　pour　in　cement　and　make　fast　the

underworld；　out　of　sight。　　But　fate　spares　not　that　suggestion　to

the　able　and　the　unlucky　at　their　task　of　making　neat　work　of　the

means；　the　distribution；　the　traffick　of　life。



The　springs；　then；　the　profound　wells；　the　streams；　are　of　all　the

means　of　our　lives　those　which　we　should　wish　to　see　open　to　the

sun；　with　their　waters　on　their　progress　and　their　way　to　us；　but；

no；　they　are　lapped　in　lead。



King　Pandion　and　his　friends　lie　not　under　heavier　seals。



Yet　we　have　been　delighted；　elsewhere；　by　open　floods。　　The　hiding…

place　that　nature　and　the　simpler　crafts　allot　to　the　waters　of

wells　are；　at　their　deepest；　in　communication　with　the　open　sky。　　No

other　mine　is　so　visited；　for　the　noonday　sun　himself　is　visible

there；　and　it　is　fine　to　think　of　the　waters　of　this　planet；　shallow

and　profound；　all　charged　with　shining　suns；　a　multitude　of　waters

multiplying　suns；　and　carrying　that　remote　fire；　as　it　were；　within

their　unalterable　freshness。　　Not　a　pool　without　this　visitant；　or

without　passages　of　stars。　　As　for　the　wells　of　the　Equator；　you　may

think　of　them　in　their　last　recesses　as　the　daily　bathing…places　of

light；　a　luminous　fancy　is　able　so　to　scatter　fitful　figures　of　the

sun；　and　to　plunge　them　in　thousands　within　those　deeps。



Round　images　lie　in　the　dark　waters；　but　in　the　bright　waters　the

sun　is　shattered　out　of　its　circle；　scattered　into　waves；　broken

across　stones；　and　rippled　over　sand；　and　in　the　shallow　rivers　that

fall　through　chestnut　woods　the　image　is　mingled　with　the　mobile

figures　of　leaves。　　To　all　these　waters　the　agile　air　has　perpetual

access。　　Not　so　can　great　towns　be　watered；　it　will　be　said　with

reason；　and　this　is　precisely　the　ill…luck　of　great　towns。



Nevertheless；　there　are　towns；　not；　in　a　sense；　so　great；　that　have

the　grace　of　visible　wells；　such　as　Venice；　where　every　campo　has

its　circle　of　carved　stone；　its　clashing　of　dark　copper　on　the

pavement；　its　soft　kiss　of　the　copper　vessel　with　the　surface　of　the

water　below；　and　the　cheerful　work　of　the　cable。



Or　the　Romans　knew　how　to　cause　the　parted　floods　to　measure　their

plain　with　the　strong；　steady；　and　level　flight　of　arches　from　the

watersheds　in　the　hills　to　the　and　city；　and　having　the　waters

captive；　they　knew　how　to　compel　them　to　take　part；　by　fountains；　in

this　Roman　triumph。　　They　had　the　wit　to　boast　thus　of　their

brilliant　prisoner。



None　more　splendid　came　bound　to　Rome；　or　graced　captivity　with　a

more　invincible　liberty　of　the　heart。　　And　the　captivity　and　the

leap　of　the　heart　of　the　waters　have　outlived　their　captors。　　They

have　remained　in　Rome；　and　have　remained　alone。　　Over　them　the

victory　was　longer　than　empire；　and　their　thousands　of　loud　voices

have　never　ceased　to　confess　the　conquest　of　the　cold　floods；

separated　long　ago；　drawn　one　by　one；　alive；　to　the　head　and　front

of　the　world。



Of　such　a　transit　is　made　no　se