第4章

Itneversomuchasoccurredtohertomindbeingcaughtatthiswork。 Somemonthslater，shortlybeforewinter，Ireturnedtothesameinnforafewdays，andfounditsomewhatdemoralised。Therehadbeengranddoingsofsomesort，and，thoughthedoingswereover，themoralandmaterialdebriswerenotyetquiteremoved。ThefamigliaBonvicinowasgone，andsowasCricco。Thecook，thenewwaiter，andthelandlord(whosingsagoodcomicsonguponoccasion)hadalldrunkasmuchwineastheycouldcarry；andlateronIfoundVeneranda，theone-eyedoldchambermaid，lyinguponmybedfastasleep。Iafterwardsheardthat，inspiteoftheautumnalweather，thelandlordspenthisnightonthegrassunderthechestnuts，whilethecookwasfoundatfouro\'clockinthemorninglyingatfulllengthuponatableundertheveranda。Nextday，however，allhadbecomenormalagain。 Amongourfellow-guestsduringthisvisitwasafiery-facedeructivebutcherfromTurin。Adifferenceofopinionhavingarisenbetweenhimandhiswife，ItoldtheSignorathatIwouldratherbewrongwithherthanrightwithherhusband。Theladywasdelighted。 \"Doyouhearthat，mydear？\"saidshe。\"Hesayshehadratherbewrongwithmethanrightwithyou。Isn\'theanaughtyman？\" Shesaidthatifshediedherhusbandwasgoingtomarryagirloffifteen。Isaid:\"Andifyourhusbanddies，ma\'am，sendmeadispatchtoLondon，andIwillcomeandmarryyoumyself。\"Theywerebothdelightedatthis。 Shetoldusthethunderhadupsetherandfrightenedher。 \"Hasitgivenyouaheadache？\" Shereplied:No；butithadupsetherstomach。Nodoubtthethunderhadshakenherstomach\'sconfidenceinthesoundnessofitsopinions，soastoweakenitsproselytisingpower。Byandby，seeingthatsheateaprettygooddinner，Iinquired: \"Isyourstomachbetternow，ma\'am？\" Andshesaiditwas。Nextdaymystomachwasbadtoo。 ItoldherIhadbeenmarried，buthadlostmywifeandhaddeterminednevertomarryagaintillIcouldfindawidowwhomI hadadmiredasamarriedwoman。 Giovanni，thenewwaiter，explainedtomethatthebutcherwasnotreallybadorcruelatall。IshookmyheadathimandsaidI wishedIcouldthinkso，butthathispoorwifelookedveryillandunhappy。 Thehousemaid\'snamewasLaRosaMistica。 Thelandlordwasafavouritewithalltheguests。Everyonepattedhimonthecheeksorthehead，orchuckedhimunderthechin，ordidsomethingniceandfriendlyathim。Hewasalittlemanwithafacelikearussetpippinapple，aboutsixty-fiveyearsold，butmadeofiron。Hewasgoingtomarryathirdwife，andsixyoungwomenhadalreadycomeupfromS。Ambrogiotobelookedat。Isawoneofthem。ShewasaVisigoth-lookingsortofpersonandworealargewobbly-brimmedstrawhat；shewasaboutforty，andgavemetheimpressionofbeingfamiliarwithlabourofallkinds。Hepressedmetogivemyopinionofher，butIsneakedoutofitbydeclaringthatImustseeagooddealmoreoftheladythanIwaseverlikelytoseebeforeIcouldformanopinionatall。 OncomingdownfromthesanctuaryoneafternoonIheardthelandlord\'scomicsong，ofwhichIhavespokenabove。Itwasaboutthemusicalinstrumentsinaband:thetrumpetdidthis，theclarinetdidthat，theflutewenttootle，tootle，tootle，andtherewasanappropriatemotionofthehandforeveryinstrument。Iwasalittledisappointedwithit，butthelandlordsaidIwastooseriousandtheonlythingthatwouldcuremewastolearnthesongmyself。Hesaidthebutcherhadlearneditalready，soitwasnothard，whichindeeditwasnot。Itwasaboutashardas: ThebattleoftheNileIwasthereallthewhileAtthebattleoftheNile。 Ihadtolearnitandsingit(Heavenhelpme，forIhavenomorevoicethanamouse!)，andthelandlordsaidthatthemotionofmylittlefingerwasverypromising。 Thechestnutsareneverbetterthanafterharvest，whentheyareheavy-ladenwiththeirpalegreenhedgehog-likefruitandalivewithpeopleswarmingamongtheirbranches，pruningthemwhiletheleavesarestillgoodwinterfoodforcattle。Why，Iwonder，istheresuchanespecialcharmaboutthepruningoftrees？Whodoesnotfeelit？Nomatterwhatthetreeis，thepoplarofFrance，orthebrooksidewilloworoakcoppiceofEngland，orthechestnutsormulberriesofItaly，allareinterestingwhenbeingpruned，orwhenprunedjustlately。Afriendonceconsultedmecasuallyaboutapictureonwhichhewasatwork，andcomplainedthatarowoftreesinitwaswithoutsufficientinterest。Iwasfortunateenoughtobeabletohelphimbysaying:\"Prunethemfreelyandputamagpie\'snestinoneofthem，\"andthetreesbecameinterestingatonce。Peopleintreesalwayslookwell，orrather，Ishouldsay，treesalwayslookwellwithpeopleinthem，orindeedwithanylivingthinginthem，especiallywhenitisofakindthatisnotcommonlyseeninthem；andthemeasuredlopofthebill-hookand，byandby，theclickasaboughbreaksandthelazycrashasitfallsoverontotheground，areaspleasingtotheearasisthebough-bestrewnherbagetotheeye。 Towhatheightandtowhatslenderboughsdonotthesehardyclimberstrustthemselves。Itissaidthatthecomingmanistobetoeless。Iwillventureforitthathewillnotbetoelessifthesechestnut-pruningmenandwomenhavemuchtodowithhisdevelopment。Lettheraceprunechestnutsforacoupleofhundredgenerationsorso，anditwillhavelittletroublewithitstoes。 Ofcourse，theprunersfallsometimes，butveryrarely。IrememberintheValMastalloneseeingavotivepictureofapoorladyinashortpetticoatandtrouserstrimmedwithredroundthebottomwhowasfallingheadforemostfromthetopofahightree，whoseleavesshehadbeenpicking，andwasbeingsavedbytheinterventionoftwosaintswhocaughtherupontwogridirons。Suchaccidents，however，and，Ishouldthink，suchinterventions，areexceedinglyrare，andasarulethepeasantsventurefreelyintoplaceswhichinEnglandnoonebutasailororasteeple-jackwouldattempt。 AndsoweleftthispartofItaly，wishingthatmoreHugodeMontboissiershadcommittedmorecrimesandhadhadtoexpiatethembybuildingmoresanctuaries。 CHAPTERXI——LanzoFromS。AmbrogiowewenttoTurin，acitysowellknownthatIneednotdescribeit。TheHotelEuropaisthebest，and，indeed，oneofthebesthotelsonthecontinent。Nothingcanexceeditforcomfortandgoodcookery。Thegalleryofoldmasterscontainssomegreatgems。EspeciallyremarkablearetwopicturesofTobiasandtheangel，byAntonioPollaiuoloandSandroBotticelli；andamagnificenttemperapaintingoftheCrucifixion，byGaudenzioFerrari——oneofhisveryfinestworks。Therearealsoseveralotherpicturesbythesamemaster，buttheCrucifixionisthebest。 FromTurinIwentalonetoLanzo，aboutanhourandahalf\'srailwayjourneyfromTurin，andfoundacomfortableinn，theHoteldelaPoste。Thereisafinefourteenth-centurytowerhere，andthegeneraleffectofthetownisgood。 OnemorningwhileIwasgettingmybreakfast，Englishfashion，withsomecutletstoaccompanymybreadandbutter，IsawanelderlyItaliangentleman，withhishanduptohischin，eyeingmewiththoughtfulinterest。Afteratimehebrokesilence。 \"Edillatte，\"hesaid，\"serveperlasuppa。\"{21} Isaidthatthatwastheviewwetookofit。Hethoughtitoverawhile，andthenfeelinglyexclaimed- \"Ohbel!\" Soonafterwardsheleftmewiththewords- \"La!dunque!cerrea!chow!stiabene。\" \"La\"isaverycommonclosetoanItalianconversation。Iusedtobealittleafraidofitatfirst。Itsoundsratherlikesaying，\"There，that\'sthat。PleasetobearinmindthatItalkedtoyouverynicely，andletyouboremeforalongtime；IthinkIhavenowdonethethinghandsomely，soyou\'llbegoodenoughtoscoremeoneandletmego。\"ButIsoonfoundoutthatitwasquiteafriendlyandcivilwayofsayinggood-bye。 The\"dunque\"issofter；itseemstosay，\"Icannotbringmyselftosaysosadawordas\'farewell，\'butwemustbothofusknowthatthetimehascomeforustopart，andso\"- \"Cerrea\"isanabbreviationandcorruptionof\"disuaSignoria，\"—— \"byyourhighness\'sleave。\"\"Chow\"Ihaveexplainedalready。 \"Stiabene\"issimply\"farewell。\" TheprincipalpiazzaofLanzoisnice。Intheupperpartofthetownthereisalargeschoolorcollege。Onecanseeintotheschoolthroughagratingfromtheroad。Ilookeddown，andsawthattheboyshadcuttheirnamesalloverthedesks，justasEnglishboyswoulddo。Theywereverymerryandnoisy，andthoughtherewasaprieststandingatoneendoftheroom，heletthemdomuchastheyliked，andtheyseemedquitehappy。Iheardoneboyshoutouttoanother，\"Nonc\'epericolo，\"inanswertosomethingtheotherhadsaid。Thisisexactlythe\"nofear\"ofAmericaandthecolonies。Neartheschoolthereisafieldontheslopeofthehillwhichcommandsaviewovertheplain。 Awomanwasmowingthere，and，bywayofmakingmyselfagreeable，Iremarkedthattheviewwasfine。\"Yes，itis，\"sheanswered；\"youcanseeallthetrains。\" ThebasketswithwhichthepeoplecarrythingsinthisneighbourhoodareofadifferentconstructionfromanyIhaveseenelsewhere。Theyaremadetofitallroundtheheadlikesomethingbetweenasaddleandahelmet，andatthesametimetorestupontheshoulders——theheadbeing，asitwere，ensaddledbythebasket，andtheweightbeingsupportedbytheshouldersaswellasbythehead。Whyisitthatsuchcontrivancesasthisshouldprevailinonevalleyandnotinanother？If，oneistemptedtoargue，theplanisaconvenientone，whydoesitnotspreadfurther？Ifinconvenient，whyhasitspreadsofar？IfitisgoodinthevalleyoftheStura，whyisitnotalsogoodinthecontiguousvalleyoftheDora？Theremustbeplaceswherepeopleusinghelmet-madebasketslivenextdoortopeoplewhousebasketsthatareborneentirelybybackandshoulders。Whydonotthepeopleinoneorotherofthesehousesadopttheirneighbour\'sbasket？Notbecausepeoplearenotamenabletoconviction，forwithinacertainradiusfromthesourceoftheinventiontheyareconvincedtoaman。Noragainisitfromanyinsuperableobjectiontoachangeofhabit。TheSturapeoplehavechangedtheirhabit——possiblyfortheworse；butiftheyhavechangeditfortheworse，howisittheydonotfinditoutandchangeagain？ Take，again，thepaneGrissino，fromwhichtheneighbourhoodofTurinhasderiveditsnicknameofilGrissinotto。Itismadeinlongsticks，ratherthickerthanatobaccopipe，andeatscrispliketoast。ItisalmostuniversallypreferredtoordinarybreadbytheinhabitantsofwhatwasformerlyPiedmont，butbeyondtheselimitsitisrarelyseen。Whyso？Eitheritisgoodornotgood。 Ifnotgood，howhasitprevailedoversolargeanarea？Ifgood，whydoesitnotextenditsempire？TheReformationisanothercaseinpoint:grantedthatProtestantismisillogical，howisitthatsofewwithinagivenareacanperceiveittobeso？Thesamequestionarisesinrespectofthedistributionofmanyplantsandanimals；thereasonofthelimitswhichsomeofthemcannotpass，being，indeed，perfectlyclear，butasregardsperhapsthegreaternumberofthem，undiscoverable。Theupshotofitisthatthingsdonotinpracticefindtheirperfectlevelanymorethanwaterdoesso，butareliabletodisturbancebywayoftidesandlocalcurrents，orstorms。Itisinhispowertoperceiveandprofitbytheseirregularitiesthatthestrengthorweaknessofacommercialmanwillbeapparent，OnedayImadeanexcursionfromLanzotoaplace，thenameofwhichIcannotremember，butwhichisnotfarfromtheGroscavalloglacier。HereIfoundseveralItaliansstayingtotaketheair，andamongthemoneyounggentleman，whotoldmehewaswritingabookuponthisneighbourhood，andwasgoingtoillustrateitwithhisowndrawings。Thisnaturallyinterestedme，andIencouragedhimtotellmemore，whichhewasnothinglothtodo。Hesaidhehadapassionfordrawing，andwasmakingrapidprogress；buttherewasonethingthatheldhimback——thenothavinganyContechalk: ifhehadbutthis，allhisdifficultieswouldvanish。 UnfortunatelyIhadnoContechalkwithme，IbutIaskedtoseethedrawings，andwasshownabouttwenty，allofwhichgreatlypleasedme。Iatonceproposedanexchange，andhavethusbecomepossessedofthetwowhichIreproducehere。Beingpencildrawings，andnotdonewithaviewtoMr。Dawson\'sprocess，theyhavesufferedsomewhatinreproduction，butIdecidedtoletthemsufferratherthanattempttocopythem。Whatcanbemoreabsolutelyinthespiritofthefourteenthcenturythanthedrawingsgivenabove？Theyseemasthoughdonebysomefourteenth- centurypainterwhohadrisenfromthedead。Andtoshowthattheyarenorareaccident，Iwillgiveanother(p。138)，alsodonebyanentirelyself-taughtItalian，andintendedtorepresentthecastleofLaurenzanaintheneighbourhoodofPotenza。 Ifthereaderwillpardonadigression，Iwillrefertoamoreimportantexampleofanoldmasterbornoutofduetime。Oneday，inthecathedralatVarallo，IsawapicturepaintedonlinenofwhichIcouldmakenothing。Itwasnotoldanditwasnotmodern。 TheexpressionoftheVirgin\'sfacewaslovely，andtherewasmoreindividualitythaniscommonlyfoundinmodernItalianwork。 ModernItaliancolourisgenerallyeithercoldanddirty，orelsestaring。Thecolourherewastender，andremindedmeoffifteenth- centuryFlorentinework。Thefoldsofthedraperywerenotmodern； therewasasenseofeffortaboutthem，asthoughthepainterhadtriedtodothembetter，buthadbeenunabletogetthemasfreeandflowingashehadwished。Yetthepicturewasnotold；toallappearanceitmighthavebeenpaintedamatteroftenyears；noragainwasitanecho——itwasasound:thearchaismwasnotaffected；onthecontrary，therewassomethingwhichsaid，asplainlyasthoughthelivingpainterhadspokenit，thathissomewhatconstrainedtreatmentwasduesimplytohishavingbeenpuzzledwiththeintricacyofwhathesaw，andgivingasmuchashecouldwithahandwhichwaslessadvancedthanhisjudgment。Bysomestrangelawitcomesaboutthattheimperfectionofmenwhoareatthisstageofanyartistheonlytrueperfection；forthewisdomofthewiseissetatnaught，andthefoolishnessofthesimpleischosen，anditisoutofthemouthsofbabesandsucklingsthatstrengthisordained。 Unabletoarriveatanyconclusion，Iaskedthesacristan，andwastolditwasbyacertainDedomeniciofRossa，intheValSesia，andthatithadbeenpaintedsomefortyorfiftyyearsago。I expressedmysurprise，andthesacristancontinued:\"Yes，butwhatismostwonderfulabouthimisthatheneverlefthisnativevalley，andneverhadanyinstruction，butpickeduphisartforhimselfasbesthecould。\" IhavebeentwicetoVarallosince，toseewhetherIshouldchangemymind，buthavenotdoneso。IfDedomenicihadbeenaFlorentineorVenetianinthebesttimes，hewouldhavedoneaswellasthebest；asitis，hisworkisremarkable。Hediedabout1840，veryold，andhekeptonimprovingtothelast。Hislastwork——atleastIwastolduponthespotthatitwashislast——isinalittleroadsidechapelperchedhighuponarock，anddedicated，ifI rememberrightly，toS。Michele，onthepathfromFobellointheValMastallonetoTaponaccio。ItisaMadonnaandchildinclouds，withtwofull-lengthsaintsstandingbeneath——allthefigureslife- size。Icameuponthischapelquiteaccidentallyoneevening，and，lookingin，recognisedthealtar-pieceasaDedomenici。Iinquiredatthenextvillagewhohadpaintedit，andwastold，\"uncertoDedomenicidaRossa。\"Iwasalsotoldthathewasnearlyeightyyearsoldwhenhepaintedthispicture。Iwentacoupleofyearsagotoreconsiderit，andfoundthatIremainedmuchofmyoriginalopinion。IdonotthinkthatanyofmyreaderswhocareaboutthehistoryofItalianartwillregrethavingpaiditavisit。 SuchmenaremorecommoninItalythanisbelieved。ThereisafrescooftheCrucifixionoutsidetheCampoSantoatFusio，intheCantonTicino，donebyalocalartist，which，thoughfarinferiortotheworkofDedomenici，isstillremarkable。Thepainterevidentlyknowsnothingoftherulesofhisart，buthehasmadeChristonthecrossbowingHisheadtowardsthesoulsinpurgatory，insteadofintheconventionalfinefrenzytowhichweareaccustomed。ThereisastormwhichhascaughtandissweepingthedraperyroundChrist\'sbody。Theangel\'swingsarenolongerwhite，butmanycolouredasinoldtimes，andthereisatouchofhumourinthefactthatofthesixsoulsinpurgatory，fourarewomenandonlytwomen。TheexpressiononChrist\'sfaceisveryfine，butotherwisethedrawingcouldnotwellbemoreimperfectthanitis。 CHAPTERXII——ConsiderationsontheDeclineofItalianArtThosewhoknowtheItalianswillseenosignofdecayaboutthem。 Theyarethequickestwittedpeopleintheworld，andatthesametimehavemuchmoreoftheoldRomansteadinessthantheyaregenerallycreditedwith。Notonlyistherenosignofdegeneration，but，asregardspracticalmatters，thereiseverysignofhealthandvigorousdevelopment。TheNorthItaliansaremorelikeEnglishmen，bothinbodyandmind，thananyotherpeoplewhomIknow；IamcontinuallymeetingItalianswhomIshouldtakeforEnglishmenifIdidnotknowtheirnationality。Theyhaveallourstrongpoints，buttheyhavemoregraceandelasticityofmindthanwehave。 Priggishnessisthesinwhichdothmosteasilybesetmiddle-classandso-callededucatedEnglishmen:wecallitpurityandculture，butitdoesnotmuchmatterwhatwecallit。Itisthealmostinevitableoutcomeofauniversityeducation，andwilllastaslongasOxfordandCambridgedo，butnotmuchlonger。 LordBeaconsfieldsentLothairtoOxford；itiswithgreatpleasurethatIseehedidnotsendEndymion。MyfriendJonescalledmyattentiontothis，andwenotedthatthegrowthobservablethroughoutLordBeaconsfield\'slifewascontinuedtotheend。Hewasoneofthosewho，nomatterhowlonghelived，wouldhavebeenalwaysgrowing:thisiswhatmakeshislaternovelssomuchbetterthanthoseofThackerayorDickens。Therewassomethingofthechildabouthimtothelast。Earnestnesswashisgreatestdanger，butifhedidnotquiteovercomeit(aswhoindeedcan？Itisthelastenemythatshallbesubdued)，hemanagedtoveilitwithafairamountofsuccess。AsforEndymion，ofcourseifLordBeaconsfieldhadthoughtOxfordwouldbegoodforhim，hecould，asJonespointedouttome，justaswellhavekilledMr。Ferrarsayearortwolater。Wefeelsatisfied，therefore，thatEndymion\'sexclusionfromauniversitywascarefullyconsidered，andareglad。 IwillnotsaythatpriggishnessisabsolutelyunknownamongtheNorthItalians；sometimesonecomesuponayoungItalianwhowantstolearnGerman，butnotoften。Priggism，orwhateverthesubstantiveis，isasessentiallyaTeutonicviceasholinessisaSemiticcharacteristic；andifanItalianhappenstobeaprig，hewill，likeTacitus，invariablyshowahankeringafterGermaninstitutions。Theidea，however，thattheItalianswereeverafinerpeoplethantheyarenow，willnotpassmusterwiththosewhoknowthem。 Atthesametime，therecanbenodoubtthatmodernItalianartisinmanyrespectsasbadasitwasoncegood。Iwillconfinemyselftopaintingonly。ThemodernItalianpainters，withveryfewexceptions，paintasbadlyaswedo，orevenworse，andtheirmotivesareaspoorasistheirpainting。AtanexhibitionofmodernItalianpictures，Igenerallyfeelthatthereishardlyapictureonthewallsbutisasham——thatistosay，paintednotfromloveofthisparticularsubjectandanirresistibledesiretopaintit，butfromawishtopaintanacademypicture，andwinmoneyorapplause。 ThesameholdsgoodinEngland，andinallothercountriesthatI knowof。Thereisverylittletolerablepaintinganywhere。Insomekinds，indeed，ofblackandwhiteworkthepresentageisstrong。Theillustrationsto\"Punch，\"forexample，areoftenasgoodasanythingthatcanbeimagined。Weknowofnothingliketheminanypastageorcountry。Thisistheonekindofart——anditisaverygoodone——inwhichweexcelasdistinctlyastheageofPhidiasexcelledinsculpture。LeonardodaVinciwouldneverhavesucceededingettinghisdrawingsacceptedat85FleetStreet，anymorethanoneoftheartistsonthestaffof\"Punch\"couldpaintafrescowhichshouldholditsownagainstDaVinci\'sLastSupper。MichaelAngeloagainandTitianwouldhavefaileddisastrouslyatmodernillustration。TheyhadnomoresenseofhumourthanaHebrewprophet；theyhadnoeyeforthemoretrivialsideofanythingroundaboutthem。Thisaspectwentinatoneeyeandoutattheother——andtheylostmorethaneverpoorPeterBelllostinthematterofprimroses。Inevercanseewhattherewastofindfaultwithinthatyoungman。 Fancyastreet-ArabbyMichaelAngelo。Fancyeventheresultwhichwouldhaveensuedifhehadtriedtoputthefiguresintotheillustrationsofthisbook。Ishouldhavebeenverysorrytolethimtryhishandatit。Tohimapriestchuckingasmallboyunderthechinwassimplynon-existent。Hedidnotcareforit，andhadthereforenoeyeforit。IfthereaderwillturntothecopyofafrescoofSt。Christopheronp。209，hewillseetheconventionaltreatmentoftherocksoneithersidethesaint。Thiswasthebestthingtheartistcoulddo，andprobablycosthimnolittletrouble。 Yettherewererocksallaroundhim——little，infact，elsethanrockinthosedays；andtheartistcouldhavedrawnthemwellenoughifithadoccurredtohimtotryanddoso。IfhecoulddrawSt。Christopher，hecouldhavedrawnarock；buthehadaninterestintheone，andsawnothingintheotherwhichmadehimthinkitworthwhiletopayattentiontoit。Whatrocksweretohim，thecommonoccurrencesofeverydaylifeweretothosewhoaregenerallyheldtobethegiantsofpainting。Theresultofthisneglecttokissthesoil——ofthisattempttobealwayssoaring——isthatthesegiantsareforthemostpartnowveryuninteresting，whilethesmallermenwhoprecededthemgrowfresherandmoredelightfulyearly。ItwasnotsowithHandelandShakespeare。 Handel\'s\"Ploughmannearathand，whistlingo\'erthefurrowedland，\" isintenselysympathetic，andhishumourisadmirablewheneverhehasoccasionforit。 LeonardodaVinciistheonlyoneofthegiantItalianmasterswhoevertriedtobehumorous，andhefailedcompletely:so，indeed，mustanyoneifhetriestobehumorous。Wedonotwantthis；weonlywantthemnottoshuttheireyestoby-playwhenitcomesintheirway，andiftheyaregivingusanaccountofwhattheyhaveseen，totellussomethingaboutthistoo。Ibelievetheoldertheworldgrows，thebetteritenjoysajoke。Themediaevaljokegenerallywasaheavy，lumberingoldthing，onlyalittlebetterthantheclassicalone。Perhapsinthosedayslifewasharderthanitisnow，andpeopleiftheylookedatitatallcloselydweltuponitssobererside。Certainlyinhumorousart，wemayclaimtobenotonlyprincipes，butfacileprincipes。Nevertheless，theItaliancomicjournalsare，someofthem，admirablyillustrated，thoughinastylequitedifferentfromourown；sometimes，also，theyarebeautifullycoloured。 Asregardspainting，thelastraysofthesunsetofgenuineartaretobefoundinthevotivepicturesatLocarnoorOropa，andinmanyawaysidechapel。Inthese，religiousartstilllingersasalivinglanguage，howeverrudelyspoken。Inthesealoneisthestorytold，notasintheLatinandGreekversesofthescholar，whothinkshehassucceededbestwhenhehasmostconcealedhisnaturalmannerofexpressinghimself，butbyonewhoknowswhathewantstosay，andsaysitinhismother-tongue，shortly，andwithoutcaringwhetherornothiswordsareinaccordancewithacademicrules。Iregrettoseephotographybeingintroducedforvotivepurposes，andalsotodetectinsomeplacesadispositiononthepartoftheauthoritiestobealittleashamedofthesepicturesandtoplacethemratheroutofsight。 Sometimesinalittlecountryvillage，asatDoeranearMesocco，thereisamodernfrescoonachapelinwhichtheoldspiritappears，withitsabsoluteindifferenceastowhetheritwasridiculousorno，butsuchexamplesarerare。 Sometimes，again，IhaveeventhoughtIhavedetectedarayofsunsetuponamilkman\'swindow-blindinLondon，andonceuponanundertaker\'s，butitwastoofaintaraytoreadby。ThebestthingofthekindthatIhaveseeninLondonisthepictureoftheladywhoiscleaningkniveswithMr。Spong\'spatentknife-cleaner，inhisshopwindownearlyoppositeDay&Martin\'sinHolborn。Itfallsalongwayshort，however，ofagoodItalianvotivepicture: butithastheadvantageofmoving。 Iknewofalittlegirlonce，ratherlessthanfouryearsold，whoseunclehadpromisedtotakeherforadriveinacarriagewithhim，andhadfailedtodoso。Thechildwasfoundsoonafterwardsonthestairsweeping，andbeingaskedwhatwasthematter，replied，\"Mansisallalike。\"ThisisGiottesque。IoftenthinkofitasIlookuponItalianvotivepictures。Themeaningissosoundinspiteoftheexpressionbeingsodefective——if，indeed，expressioncanbedefectivewhenithassowellconveyedthemeaning。 Iknew，again，anoldladywhoseeducationhadbeenneglectedinheryouth。Shecameintoalargefortune，andatsomefortyyearsofageputherselfunderthebestmasters。Sheoncesaidtomeasfollows，speakingveryslowlyandallowingalongtimebetweeneachpartofthesentence；——\"Yousee，\"shesaid，\"theworld，andallthatitcontains，iswrappedupinsuchcuriousforms，thatitisonlybyaknowledgeofhumannature，thatwecanrightlytellwhattosay，todo，ortoadmire。\"Icopiedthesentenceintomynotebookimmediatelyontakingmyleave。Itislikeanacademypicture。 ButtoreturntotheItalians。Thequestionis，howhasthedeplorablefalling-offinItalianpaintingbeencaused？AndbydoingwhatmayweagaingetBellinisandAndreaMantegnasasinoldtime？Thefaultdoesnotlieinanywantofrawmaterial:thedrawingsIhavealreadygivenprovethis。Nor，again，doesitlieinwantoftakingpains。ThemodernItalianpainterfretshimselftothefullasmuchashispredecessordid——ifthetruthwereknown，probablyagreatdealmore。Itdoesnotlieinwantofschoolingorarteducation。Forthelastthreehundredyears，eversincetheCarracciopenedtheiracademyatBologna，therehasbeennolackofarteducationinItaly。Curiouslyenough，thedateoftheopeningoftheBologneseAcademycoincidesasnearlyasmaybewiththecompletedecadenceofItalianpainting。 ThisisanexampleofthewayinwhichItalianboysbegintheirarteducationnow。ThedrawingwhichIreproduceherewasgivenmebytheeminentsculptor，ProfessorVela，astheworkofaladoftwelveyearsold，andasdoingcreditaliketotheschoolwheretheladwastaughtandtothepupilhimself。{22} Soitundoubtedlydoes。ItshowsasplainlythereceptivenessanddocilityofthemodernItalian，astheillustrationsgivenaboveshowhisfreshnessandnaivetewhenlefttohimself。Thedrawingisjustsuchaswetrytogetourownyoungpeopletodo，andfewEnglishelementaryschoolsinasmallcountrytownwouldsucceedinturningoutsogoodaone。Ihavenothing，therefore，butpraisebothforthepupilandtheteacher；butaboutthesystemwhichmakessuchteachersandsuchpupilscommendable，Iammoresceptical。Thatsystemtrainsboystostudyotherpeople\'sworksratherthannature，and，asLeonardodaVincisowellsays，itmakesthemnature\'sgrandchildrenandnotherchildren。Theboywhodidthedrawinggivenaboveisnotlikelytoproducegoodworkinlaterlife。Hehasbeentaughttoseenaturewithanoldman\'seyesatonce，withoutgoingthroughtheembryonicstages。Hehasneversaidhis\"mansisallalike，\"andbytwentywillbepaintinglikemyoldfriend\'slongacademicsentence。Allhisindividualityhasbeencrushedoutofhim。 IwillnowgiveareproductionofthefrontispiecetoAvogadro\'sworkonthesanctuaryofS。Michele，fromwhichIhavealreadyquoted；itisaveryprettyandeffectivepieceofwork，butthosewhoaregoodenoughtoturnbacktop。93，andtobelievethatI havedrawncarefully，willseehowdisappointingAvogadro\'sfrontispiecemustbetothosewhohold，asmostofuswill，thatadraughtsman\'sfirstbusinessistoputdownwhathesees，andtoletprettinesstakecareofitself。Themainfeatures，indeed，canstillbetraced，buttheyhavebecomeastransformedandlifelessasrudimentaryorgans。Suchafrontispiece，however，isthealmostinevitableconsequenceofthesystemoftrainingthatwillmakeboysoftwelvedodrawingsliketheonegivenonp。147。 IfhalfadozenyoungItalianscouldbegottogetherwithatastefordrawinglikethatshownbytheauthorsofthesketchesonpp。 136，137，138；iftheyhadpowertoaddtotheirnumber；iftheywereallowedtoseepaintingsanddrawingsdoneuptotheyearA。D。 1510，andvotivepicturesandthecomicpapers；iftheywereleftwithnootherassistancethanthis，absolutelyfreetopleasethemselves，andcouldbepersuadednottotryandpleaseanyoneelse，Ibelievethatinfiftyyearsweshouldhaveallthatwaseverdonerepeatedwithfreshnaivete，andasmuchmoredelightfullythanevenbythebestoldmasters，asthesearemoredelightfulthananythingweknowofinclassicpainting。Theyoungplantskeepgrowingupabundantlyeveryday——lookatBastianini，deadnottenyearssince——buttheyarebrowseddownbytheacademies。Iremembertherecameoutabookmanyyearsagowiththetitle，\"Whatbecomesofallthecleverlittlechildren？\"I neversawthebook，butthetitleispertinent。 Anymanwhocanwrite，candrawtoanotinconsiderableextent。 LookattheBayeuxtapestry；yetMatildaprobablyneverhadadrawinglessoninherlife。SeehowwellprisonerafterprisonerintheTowerofLondonhascutthisorthatoutinthestoneofhisprisonwall，without，inallprobability，havingevertriedhishandatdrawingbefore。LookatmyfriendJones，whohasseveralillustrationsinthisbook。Thefirstyearhewentabroadwithmehecouldhardlydrawatall。HewasnoyearawayfromEnglandmorethanthreeweeks。Howdidhelearn？Ontheoldprinciple，ifIamnotmistaken。Theoldprinciplewasforamantobedoingsomethingwhichhewasprettystronglybentondoing，andtogetamuchyoungeronetohelphim。Theyoungerpaidnothingforinstruction，buttheeldertookthework，aslongastherelationofmasterandpupilexistedbetweenthem。I，then，wasmakingillustrationsforthisbook，andgotJonestohelpme。IlethimseewhatIwasdoing，andderiveanideaofthesortofthingI wanted，andthenlefthimalone——beyondgivinghimthesamekindofsmallcriticismthatIexpectedfromhimself——butIappropriatedhiswork。Thatisthewaytoteach，andtheresultwasthatinanincrediblyshorttimeJonescoulddraw。Thetakingtheworkisasinequanon。IfIhadnotbeengoingtohavehiswork，Jones，inspiteofallhisquickness，wouldprobablyhavebeenratherslowerinlearningtodraw。Beingpaidinmoneyisnothinglikesogood。 Thisisthesystemofapprenticeshipversustheacademicsystem。 Theacademicsystemconsistsingivingpeopletherulesfordoingthings。Theapprenticeshipsystemconsistsinlettingthemdoit，withjustatrifleofsupervision。\"Forallarhetorician\'srules，\"saysmygreatnamesake，\"teachnothing，buttonamehistools；\"andacademicrulesgenerallyaremuchthesameastherhetorician\'s。Somemencanpassthroughacademiesunscathed，buttheyareveryfew，andinthemaintheacademicinfluenceisabalefulone，whetherexertedinauniversityoraschool。Whileyoungmenatuniversitiesarebeingpreparedfortheirentryintolife，theirrivalshavealreadyenteredit。ThemostuniversityandexaminationriddenpeopleintheworldaretheChinese，andtheyaretheleastprogressive。 Menshouldlearntodrawastheylearnconveyancing:theyshouldgointoapainter\'sstudioandpaintonhispictures。Iamtoldthathalftheconveyancesinthecountryaredrawnbypupils；thereisnomoremysteryaboutpaintingthanaboutconveyancing——nothalfinfact，Ishouldthink，somuch。Onemayask，Howcanthebeginnerpaint，ordrawconveyances，tillhehaslearnthowtodoso？Theansweris，Howcanhelearn，withoutatanyratetryingtodo？Ifhelikeshissubject，hewilltry:ifhetries，hewillsoonsucceedindoingsomethingwhichshallopenadoor。Itdoesnotmatterwhatamandoes；solongashedoesitwiththeattentionwhichaffectionengenders，hewillcometoseehiswaytosomethingelse。Afterlongwaitinghewillcertainlyfindonedooropen，andgothroughit。Hewillsaytohimselfthathecanneverfindanother。Hehasfoundthis，morebyluckthancunning，butnowheisdone。YetbyandbyhewillseethatthereisONEmoresmall，unimportantdoorwhichhehadoverlooked，andheproceedsthroughthistoo。Ifheremainsnowforalongwhileandseesnoother，donotlethimfret；doorsarelikethekingdomofheaven，theycomenotbyobservation，leastofalldotheycomebyforcing: letthemjustgoondoingwhatcomesnearest，butdoingitattentively，andagreatwidedoorwillonedayspringintoexistencewheretherehadbeennosignofonebutalittletimepreviously。Onlylethimbealwaysdoingsomething，andlethimcrosshimselfnowandagain，forbeliefinthewondrousefficacyofcrossesandcrossingisthecorner-stoneofthecreedoftheevolutionist。Thenafteryears——butnotprobablytillafteragreatmany——doorswillopenupallround，somanyandsowidethatthedifficultywillnotbetofindadoor，butrathertoobtainthemeansofevenhurriedlysurveyingaportionofthosethatstandinvitinglyopen。 Iknowthatjustasgoodacasecanbemadeoutfortheotherside。 Itmaybesaidastrulythatunlessastudentisincessantlyonthewatchfordoorshewillneverseethem，andthatunlessheisincessantlypressingforwardtothekingdomofheavenhewillneverfindit——sothatthekingdomdoescomebyobservation。Itiswiththisaswitheverythingelse——theremustbeaharmoniousfusingoftwoprincipleswhichareinflatcontradictiontooneanother。 Thequestionwhetheritisbettertoabidequietandtakeadvantageofopportunitiesthatcome，ortogofurtherafieldinsearchofthem，isoneoftheoldestwhichlivingbeingshavehadtodealwith。Itwasonthisthatthefirstgreatschismorheresyaroseinwhatwasheretoforethecatholicfaithofprotoplasm。Theschismstilllasts，andhasresultedintwogreatsects——animalsandplants。Theopinionthatitisbettertogoinsearchofpreyisformulatedinanimals；theother——thatitisbetteronthewholetostayathomeandprofitbywhatcomes——inplants。Someintermediateformsstillrecordtousthelongstruggleduringwhichtheschismwasnotyetcomplete。 IfImaybepardonedforpursuingthisdigressionfurther，Iwouldsaythatitistheplantsandnotwewhoaretheheretics。Therecanbenoquestionaboutthis；weareperfectlyjustified，therefore，indevouringthem。Oursistheoriginalandorthodoxbelief，forprotoplasmismuchmoreanimalthanvegetable；itismuchmoretruetosaythatplantshavedescendedfromanimalsthananimalsfromplants。Nevertheless，likemanyotherheretics，plantshavethrivenveryfairlywell。Thereareagreatmanyofthem，andasregardsbeauty，ifnotwit——ofalimitedkindindeed，butstillwit——itishardtosaythattheanimalkingdomhastheadvantage。Theviewsofplantsaresadlynarrow；alldissentersarenarrow-minded；butwithintheirownboundstheyknowthedetailsoftheirbusinesssufficientlywell——aswellasthoughtheykeptthemostnicely-balancedsystemofaccountstoshowthemtheirposition。Theyareeaten，itistrue；toeatthemisourbigotedandintolerantwayoftryingtoconvertthem:eatingisonlyaviolentmodeofproselytisingorconverting；andwedoconvertthem——togoodanimalsubstance，ofourownwayofthinking。Butthen，animalsareeatentoo。Theyconvertoneanother，almostasmuchastheyconvertplants。Andananimalisnosoonerdeadthanaplantwillconvertitbackagain。Itisobvious，however，thatnoschismcouldhavebeensolongsuccessful，withouthavingagooddealtosayforitself。 Neitherpartyhasbeenquiteconsistent。Whoeverisorcanbe？ Everyextreme——everyopinioncarriedtoitslogicalend——willprovetobeanabsurdity。Plantsthrowoutrootsandboughsandleaves； thisisakindoflocomotion；andasDr。ErasmusDarwinlongsincepointedout，theydosometimesapproachnearlytowhatmaybecalledtravelling；amanofconsistentcharacterwillneverlookatabough，aroot，oratendrilwithoutregardingitasamelancholyandunprincipledcompromise。Ontheotherhand，manyanimalsaresessile，andsomesingularlysuccessfulgenera，asspiders，areinthemainliers-in-wait。Itmayappear，however，onthewhole，likereopeningasettledquestiontoupholdtheprincipleofbeingbusyandattentiveoverasmallarea，ratherthangoingtoandfrooveralargerone，foramammallikeman，butIthinkmostreaderswillbewithmeinthinkingthat，atanyrateasregardsartandliterature，itishewhodoeshissmallimmediateworkmostcarefullywhowillfinddoorsopenmostcertainlytohim，thatwillconducthimintotherichestchambers。 Manyyearsago，inNewZealand，Iusedsometimestoaccompanyadrayandteamofbullockswhowouldhavetobeturnedlooseatnightthattheymightfeed。Therewerenohedgesorfencesthen，sosometimesIcouldnotfindmyteaminthemorning，andhadnocluetothedirectioninwhichtheyhadgone。AtfirstIusedtotryandthrowmysoulintothebullocks\'souls，soastodivineifpossiblewhattheywouldbelikelytohavedone，andwouldthenrideofftenmilesinthewrongdirection。Peopleusedinthosedaystolosetheirbullockssometimesforaweekorfortnight——whentheyperhapswereallthetimehidinginagullyhardbytheplacewheretheywereturnedout。AftersometimeIchangedmytactics。 OnlosingmybullocksIwouldgotothenearestaccommodationhouse，andstandoccasionaldrinkstotravellers。Someonewoulderelong，asageneralrule，turnupwhohadseenthebullocks。 ThiscasedoesnotgoquiteonallfourswithwhatIhavebeensayingabove，inasmuchasIwasnotveryindustriousinmylimitedarea；butthestandingdrinksandinquiringwasbeingasindustriousasthecircumstanceswouldallow。 Toreturn，universitiesandacademiesareanobstacletothefindingofdoorsinlaterlife；partlybecausetheypushtheiryoungmentoofastthroughdoorwaysthattheuniversitieshaveprovided，andsodiscouragethehabitofbeingonthelook-outforothers；andpartlybecausetheydonottakepainsenoughtomakesurethattheirdoorsarebonafideones。If，tochangethemetaphor，anacademyhastakenabadshilling，itisseldomveryscrupulousabouttryingtopassiton。Itwillsticktoitthattheshillingisagoodoneaslongasthepolicewillletit。I wasveryhappyatCambridge；whenIleftitIthoughtIneveragaincouldbesohappyanywhereelse；IshalleverretainamostkindlyrecollectionbothofCambridgeandoftheschoolwhereIpassedmyboyhood；butIfeel，asIthinkmostothersmustinmiddlelife，thatIhavespentasmuchofmymatureryearsinunlearningasinlearning。 Thepropercourseisforaboytobeginthepracticalbusinessoflifemanyyearsearlierthanhenowcommonlydoes。Heshouldbeginattheverybottomofaprofession；ifpossibleofonewhichhisfamilyhaspursuedbeforehim——fortheprofessionswillassuredlyonedaybecomehereditary。Theidealrailwaydirectorwillhavebegunatfourteenasarailwayporter。Heneednotbeaporterformorethanaweekortendays，anymorethanheneedhavebeenatadpolemorethanashorttime；butheshouldtakeaturninpractice，thoughbriefly，ateachofthelowerbranchesintheprofession。Thepaintershoulddojustthesame。Heshouldbeginbysettinghisemployer\'spaletteandcleaninghisbrushes。Asforthegoodsideofuniversities，theproperpreservativeofthisistobefoundintheclub。 If，then，wearetohavearenaissanceofart，theremustbeacompletestandingalooffromtheacademicsystem。Thatsystemhashadtimeenough。Whereandwhoareitsmen？Canitpointtoonepainterwhocanholdhisownwiththemenof，say，from1450to1550？Academieswillbringoutmenwhocanpainthairverylikehair，andeyesverylikeeyes，butthisisnotenough。Thisisgrammaranddeportment；wewantitandakindlynature，andthesecannotbegotfromacademies。AsfarasmereTECHNIQUEisconcerned，almosteveryonenowcanpaintaswellasisintheleastdesirable。Thesamemutatismutandisholdsgoodwithwritingaswithpainting。Wewantlessword-paintingandfinephrases，andmoreobservationatfirst-hand。Letushaveaperiodicalillustratedbypeoplewhocannotdraw，andwrittenbypeoplewhocannotwrite(perhaps，however，afterall，wehavesome)，butwholookandthinkforthemselves，andexpressthemselvesjustastheyplease，——andthiswecertainlyhavenot。Everycontributorshouldbeatonceturnedoutifheorsheisgenerallybelievedtohavetriedtodosomethingwhichheorshedidnotcareabouttryingtodo，andanythingshouldbeadmittedwhichistheoutcomeofagenuineliking。Peoplearealwaysgoodcompanywhentheyaredoingwhattheyreallyenjoy。Acatisgoodcompanywhenitispurring，oradogwhenitiswaggingitstail。 Thesketchingclubsupanddownthecountrymightformthenucleusofsuchasociety，providedallprofessionalmenwererigorouslyexcluded。Asfortheoldmasters，thebetterplanwouldbenevereventolookatoneofthem，andtoconsignRaffaelle，alongwithPlato，MarcusAureliusAntoninus，Dante，Goethe，andtwoothers，neitherofthemEnglishmen，tolimbo，astheSevenHumbugsofChristendom。 Whileweareaboutit，letusleaveofftalkingabout\"artforart\'ssake。\"Whoisartthatitshouldhaveasake？Aworkofartshouldbeproducedforthepleasureitgivestheproducer，andthepleasurehethinksitwillgivetoafewofwhomheisfond；butneithermoneynorpeoplewhomhedoesnotknowpersonallyshouldbethoughtof。OfcoursesuchasocietyasIhaveproposedwouldnotremainincorruptlong。\"Everythingthatgrows，holdsinperfectionbutalittlemoment。\"Thememberswouldtrytoimitateprofessionalmeninspiteoftheirrules，or，iftheyescapedthisandafterawhilegottopaintwell，theywouldbecomedogmatic，andarebellionagainsttheirauthoritywouldbeasnecessaryerelongasitwasagainstthatoftheirpredecessors:butthebalanceonthewholewouldbetothegood。 Professionalmenshouldbeexcluded，iffornootherreasonyetforthis，thattheyknowtoomuchforthebeginnertobeenrapportwiththem。Itisthebeginnerwhocanhelpthebeginner，asitisthechildwhoisthemostinstructivecompanionforanotherchild。