四季随笔-the private papers of henry ryecroft(英文版)-第10部分

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feel　assured　that　many　of　my　schoolfellows　were　in　the　same　mind　of　subdued　revolt。　Even　of　those　who；　boylike；　enjoyed　their　drill；　scarce　one　or　two；　I　trust；　would　have　weled　in　their　prime　of　life　the　imposition　of　military　servitude　upon　them　and　their　countrymen。　From　a　certain　point　of　view；　it　would　be　better　far　that　England　should　bleed　under　conquest　than　that　she　should　be　saved　by　eager；　or　careless；　acceptance　of　Conscription。　That　view　will　not　be　held　by　the　English　people；　but　it　would　be　a　sorry　thing　for　England　if　the　day　came　when　no　one　of　those　who　love　her　harboured　such　a　thought。
XX
It　has　occurred　to　me　that　one　might　define　Art　as：　an　expression；　satisfying　and　abiding；　of　the　zest　of　life。　This　is　applicable　to　every　form　of　Art　devised　by　man；　for；　in　his　creative　moment；　whether　he　produce　a　great　drama　or　carve　a　piece　of　foliage　in　wood；　the　artist　is　moved　and　inspired　by　supreme　enjoyment　of　some　aspect　of　the　world　about　him；　an　enjoyment　in　itself　keener　than　that　experienced　by　another　man；　and　intensified；　prolonged；　by　the　power……which　es　to　him　we　know　not　how……of　recording　in　visible　or　audible　form　that　emotion　of　rare　vitality。　Art；　in　some　degree；　is　within　the　scope　of　every　human　being；　were　he　but　the　ploughman　who　utters　a　few　would…be　melodious　notes；　the　mere　oute　of　health　and　strength；　in　the　field　at　sunrise；　he　sings；　or　tries　to；　prompted　by　an　unusual　gusto　in　being；　and　the　rude　stave　is　all　his　own。　Another　was　he；　who　also　at　the　plough；　sang　of　the　daisy；　of　the　field…mouse；　or　shaped　the　rhythmic　tale　of　Tam　o'　Shanter。　Not　only　had　life　a　zest　for　him　incalculably　stronger　and　subtler　than　that　which　stirs　the　soul　of　Hodge；　but　he　uttered　it　in　word　and　music　such　as　go　to　the　heart　of　mankind；　and　hold　a　magic　power　for　ages。
For　some　years　there　has　been　a　great　deal　of　talk　about　Art　in　our　country。　It　began；　I　suspect；　when　the　veritable　artistic　impulse　of　the　Victorian　time　had　flagged；　when　the　energy　of　a　great　time　was　all　but　exhausted。　Principles　always　bee　a　matter　of　vehement　discussion　when　practice　is　at　ebb。　Not　by　taking　thought　does　one　bee　an　artist；　or　grow　even　an　inch　in　that　direction……　which　is　not　at　all　the　same　as　saying　that　he　who　IS　an　artist　cannot　profit　by　conscious　effort。　Goethe　（the　example　so　often　urged　by　imitators　unlike　him　in　every　feature　of　humanity）　took　thought　enough　about　his　Faust；　but　what　of　those　youthtime　lyrics；　not　the　least　precious　of　his　achievements；　which　were　scribbled　as　fast　as　pen　could　go；　thwartwise　on　the　paper；　because　he　could　not　stop　to　set　it　straight？　Dare　I　pen；　even　for　my　own　eyes；　the　venerable　truth　that　an　artist　is　born　and　not　made？　It　seems　not　superfluous；　in　times　which　have　heard　disdainful　criticism　of　Scott；　on　the　ground　that　he　had　no　artistic　conscience；　that　he　scribbled　without　a　thought　of　style；　that　he　never　elaborated　his　scheme　before　beginning……as　Flaubert；　of　course　you　know；　invariably　did。　Why；　after　all；　has　one　not　heard　that　a　certain　William　Shakespeare　turned　out　his　so…called　works　of　art　with　something　like　criminal　carelessness？　Is　it　not　a　fact　that　a　bungler　named　Cervantes　was　so　little　in　earnest　about　his　Art　that；　having　in　one　chapter　described　the　stealing　of　Sancho's　donkey；　he　presently；　in　mere　forgetfulness；　shows　us　Sancho　riding　on　Dapple；　as　if　nothing　had　happened？　Does　not　one　Thackeray　shamelessly　avow　on　the　last　page　of　a　grossly　〃subjective〃　novel　that　he　had　killed　Lord　Farintosh's　mother　at　one　page　and　brought　her　to　life　again　at　another？　These　sinners　against　Art　are　none　the　less　among　the　world's　supreme　artists；　for　they　LIVED；　in　a　sense；　in　a　degree；　unintelligible　to　these　critics　of　theirs；　and　their　work　is　an　expression；　satisfying　and　abiding；　of　the　zest　of　life。
Some　one；　no　doubt；　hit　upon　this　definition　of　mine　long　ago。　It　doesn't　matter；　is　it　the　less　original　with　me？　Not　long　since　I　should　have　fretted　over　the　possibility；　for　my　living　depended　on　an　avoidance　of　even　seeming　plagiarism。　Now　I　am　at　one　with　Lord　Foppington；　and　much　disposed　to　take　pleasure　in　the　natural　sprouts　of　my　own　wit……without　troubling　whether　the　same　idea　has　occurred　to　others。　Suppose　me；　in　total　ignorance　of　Euclid；　to　have　discovered　even　the　simplest　of　his　geometrical　demonstrations；　shall　I　be　crestfallen　when　some　one　draws　attention　to　the　book？　These　natural　sprouts　are；　after　all；　the　best　products　of　our　life；　it　is　a　mere　accident　that　they　may　have　no　value　in　the　world's　market。　One　of　my　conscious　efforts；　in　these　days　of　freedom；　is　to　live　intellectually　for　myself。　Formerly；　when　in　reading　I　came　upon　anything　that　impressed　or　delighted　me；　down　it　went　in　my　note…book；　for　〃use。〃　I　could　not　read　a　striking　verse；　or　sentence　of　prose；　without　thinking　of　it　as　an　apt　quotation　in　something　I　might　write……one　of　the　evil　results　of　a　literary　life。　Now　that　I　strive　to　repel　this　habit　of　thought；　I　find　myself　asking：　To　what　end；　then；　do　I　read　and　remember？　Surely　as　foolish　a　question　as　ever　man　put　to　himself。　You　read　for　your　own　pleasure；　for　your　solace　and　strengthening。　Pleasure；　then；　purely　selfish？　Solace　which　endures　for　an　hour；　and　strengthening　for　no　bat？　Ay；　but　I　know；　I　know。　With　what　heart　should　I　live　here　in　my　cottage；　waiting　for　life's　end；　were　it　not　for　those　hours　of　seeming　idle　reading？
I　think　sometimes；　how　good　it　were　had　I　some　one　by　me　to　listen　when　I　am　tempted　to　read　a　passage　aloud。　Yes；　but　is　there　any　mortal　in　the　whole　world　upon　whom　I　could　invariably　depend　for　sympathetic　understanding？……nay；　who　would　even　generally　be　at　one　with　me　in　my　appreciation。　Such　harmony　of　intelligences　is　the　rarest　thing。　All　through　life　we　long　for　it：　the　desire　drives　us；　like　a　demon；　into　waste　places；　too　often　ends　by　plunging　us　into　mud　and　morass。　And；　after　all；　we　learn　that　the　vision　was　illusory。　To　every　man　is　it　decreed：　thou　shalt　live　alone。　Happy　they　who　imagine　that　they　have　escaped　the　mon　lot；　happy；　whilst　they　imagine　it。　Those　to　whom　no　such　happiness　has　ever　been　granted　at　least　avoid　the　bitterest　of　disillusions。　And　is　it　not　always　good　to　face　a　truth；　however　disfortable？　The　mind　which　renounces；　once　and　for　ever；　a　futile　hope；　has　its　pensation　in　ever…growing　calm。
XXI
All　about　my　garden　to…day　the　birds　are　loud。　To　say　that　the　air　is　filled　with　their　song　gives　no　idea　of　the　ceaseless　piping；　whistling；　trilling；　which　at　moments　rings　to　heaven　in　a　triumphant　unison；　a　wild　accord。　Now　and　then　I　notice　one　of　the　smaller　songsters　who　seems　to　strain　his　throat　in　a　madly　joyous　endeavour　to　out…carol　all　the　rest。　It　is　a　chorus　of　praise　such　as　none　other　of　earth's　children　have　the　voice　or　the　heart　to　utter。　As　I　listen；　I　am　carried　away　by　its　glorious　rapture；　my　being　melts　in　the　tenderness　of　an　impassioned　joy；　my　eyes　are　dim　with　I　know　not　what　profound　humility。
XXII
Were　one　to　look　at　the　literary　journals　only；　and　thereafter　judge　of　the　time；　it　would　be　easy　to　persuade　oneself　that　civilization　had　indeed　made　great　and　solid　progress；　and　that　the　world　stood　at　a　very　hopeful　stage　of　enlightenment。　Week　after　week；　I　glance　over　these　pages　of　crowded　advertisement；　I　see　a　great　many　publishing…houses　zealously　active　in　putting　forth　every　kind　of　book；　new　and　old；　I　see　names　innumerable　of　workers　in　every　branch　of　literature。　Much　that　is　announced　declares　itself　at　once　of　merely　ephemeral　import；　or　even　of　no　import　at　all；　but　what　masses　of　print　which　invite　the　attention　of　thoughtful　or　studious　folk！　To　the　multitude　is　offered　a　long　succession　of　classic　authors；　in　beautiful　form；　at　a　minimum　cost；　never　were　such　treasures　so　cheaply　and　so　gracefully　set　before　all　who　can　prize　them。　For　the　wealthy；　there　are　volumes　magnificent；　lordly　editions；　works　of　art　whereon　have　been　lavished　care　and　skill　and　expense　incalculable。　Here　is　exhibited　the　learning　of　the　whole　world　and　of　all　the　ages；　be　a　man's　study　what　it　will；　in　these　columns；　at　one　time　or　another　he　shall　find　that　which　appeals　to　him。　Here　are　labours　of　the　erudite；　exercised　on　every