the rhythm of life-第6部分

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but　in　othersand　chiefly　in　comedyhe　is　partial；　he　is

impressionary；　he　refuses　to　know　what　is　not　to　his　purpose；　he　is

an　artist。　　And　in　that　gay；　wilful　world　it　is　that　he　gives　usor

used　to　give　us；　for　even　the　world　is　obsoletethe　pleasure　of

OUBLIANCE。



Now　this　fugitive　writer　has　not　been　so　swift　but　that　I　have

caught　him　a　clout　as　he　went。　　Yet　he　will　do　it　again；　and　those

like…minded　will　assuredly　also　continue　to　show　how　much　more

completely　human；　how　much　more　sensitive；　how　much　more

responsible；　is　the　art　of　the　critic　than　the　world　has　ever　dreamt

till　now。　　And；　superior　in　so　much；　they　will　still　count　their

superior　weeping　as　the　choicest　of　their　gifts。　　And　Lepidus；　who

loves　to　wonder；　can　have　no　better　subject　for　his　admiration　than

the　pathos　of　the　time。　　It　is　bred　now　of　your　mud　by　the　operation

of　your　sun。　　'Tis　a　strange　serpent；　and　the　tears　of　it　are　wet。







THE　POINT　OF　HONOUR







Not　without　significance　is　the　Spanish　nationality　of　Velasquez。

In　Spain　was　the　Point　put　upon　Honour；　and　Velasquez　was　the　first

Impressionist。　　As　an　Impressionist　he　claimed；　implicity　if　not

explicity；　a　whole　series　of　delicate　trusts　in　his　trustworthiness；

he　made　an　appeal　to　the　confidence　of　his　peers；　he　relied　on　his

own　candour　and　asked　that　the　candid　should　rely　upon　him；　he　kept

the　chastity　of　art　when　other　masters　were　content　with　its

honesty；　and　when　others　saved　artistic　conscience　he　safeguarded

the　point　of　honour。　　Contemporary　masters　more　or　less　proved　their

position；　and　convinced　the　world　by　something　of　demonstration；　the

first　Impressionist　simply　asked　that　his　word　should　be　accepted。

To　those　who　would　not　take　his　word　he　offers　no　bond。　　To　those

who　will；　he　grants　the　distinction　of　a　share　in　his

responsibility。　　Somewhat　unrefined；　in　comparison　to　his　lofty　and

simple　claim　to　be　believed　on　a　suggestion；　is　the　commoner

painter's　production　of　his　credentials；　his　appeal　to　the　sanctions

of　ordinary　experience；　his　self…defence　against　the　suspicion　of

making　irresponsible　mysteries　in　art。　　'You　can　see　for　yourself；'

the　lesser　man　seems　to　say　to　the　world；　'thus　things　are；　and　I

render　them　in　such　manner　that　your　intelligence　may　be　satisfied。'

This　is　an　appeal　to　average　experienceat　the　best　the　cumulative

experience；　and　with　the　average；　or　with　the　sum；　art　cannot　deal

without　derogation。　　The　Spaniard　seems　to　say：　　'Thus　things　are　in

my　pictorial　sight。　　Trust　me；　I　apprehend　them　so。'　　We　are　not

excluded　from　his　counsels；　but　we　are　asked　to　attribute　a　certain

authority　to　him；　master　of　the　craft　as　he　is；　master　of　that　art

of　seeing　pictorially　which　is　the　beginning　and　not　far　from　the

endnot　far　short　of　the　wholeof　the　art　of　painting。　　So　little

indeed　are　we　shut　out　from　the　mysteries　of　a　great　Impressionist's

impression　that　Velasquez　requires　us　to　be　in　some　degree　his

colleagues。　　Thus　may　each　of　us　to　whom　he　appeals　take　praise　from

the　praised：　　He　leaves　my　educated　eyes　to　do　a　little　of　the　work。

He　respects　my　responsibility　no　lessthough　he　respects　it　less

explicitlythan　I　do　his。　　What　he　allows　me　would　not　be　granted

by　a　meaner　master。　　If　he　does　not　hold　himself　bound　to　prove　his

own　truth；　he　returns　thanks　for　my　trust。　　It　is　as　though　he　used

his　countrymen's　courteous　hyperbole　and　called　his　house　my　own。

In　a　sense　of　the　most　noble　hostship　he　does　me　the　honours　of　his

picture。



Because　Impressionism　is　so　free；　therefore　is　it　doubly　bound。

Because　there　is　none　to　arraign　it；　it　is　a　thousand　times

responsible。　　To　undertake　this　art　for　the　sake　of　its　privileges

without　confessing　its　obligationsor　at　least　without　confessing

them　up　to　the　point　of　honouris　to　take　a　vulgar　freedom：　　to　see

immunities　precisely　where　there　are　duties；　and　an　advantage　where

there　is　a　bond。　　A　very　mob　of　men　have　taken　Impressionism　upon

themselves　in　this　our　later　day。　　It　is　against　all　probabilities

that　more　than　a　few　among　these　have　within　them　the　point　of

honour。　　In　their　galleries　we　are　beset　with　a　dim　distrust。　　And

to　distrust　is　more　humiliating　than　to　be　distrusted。　　How　many　of

these　landscape…painters；　deliberately　rash；　are　painting　the　truth

of　their　own　impressions？　　An　ethical　question　as　to　loyalty　is

easily　answered；　truth　and　falsehood　as　to　fact　are；　happily　for　the

intelligence　of　the　common　conscience；　not　hard　to　divide。　　But　when

the　DUBIUM　concerns　not　fact　but　artistic　truth；　can　the　many　be

sure　that　their　sensitiveness；　their　candour；　their　scruple；　their

delicate　equipoise　of　perceptions；　the　vigilance　of　their

apprehension；　are　enough？　　Now　Impressionists　of　late　have　told　us

things　as　to　their　impressionsas　to　the　effect　of　things　upon　the

temperament　of　this　man　and　upon　the　mood　of　thatwhich　should　not

be　asserted　except　on　the　artistic　point　of　honour。　　The　majority

can　tell　ordinary　truth；　but　they　should　not　trust　themselves　for

truth　extraordinary。　　They　can　face　the　general　judgment；　but　they

should　hesitate　to　produce　work　that　appeals　to　the　last　judgment；

which　is　the　judgment　within。　　There　is　too　much　reason　to　divine

that　a　certain　number　of　those　who　aspire　to　derive　from　the

greatest　of　masters　have　no　temperaments　worth　speaking　of；　no　point

of　view　worth　seizing；　no　vigilance　worth　awaiting；　no　mood　worth

waylaying。　　And　to　be；　de　parti　pris；　an　Impressionist　without

these！　　O　Velasquez！　　Nor　is　literature　quite　free　from　a　like

reproach　in　her　own　things。　　An　author；　here　and　there；　will　make　as

though　he　had　a　word　worth　hearingnay；　worth　over…hearinga　word

that　seeks　to　withdraw　even　while　it　is　uttered；　and　yet　what　it

seems　to　dissemble　is　all　too　probably　a　platitude。　　But　obviously；

literature　is　notas　is　the　craft　and　mystery　of　paintingso　at

the　mercy　of　a　half…imposture；　so　guarded　by　unprovable　honour。　　For

the　art　of　painting　is　reserved　that　shadowy　risk；　that　undefined

salvation。　　May　the　gods　guard　us　from　the　further　popularising　of

Impressionism；　for　the　point　of　honour　is　the　simple　secret　of　the

few。







COMPOSURE







Tribulation；　Immortality；　the　Multitude：　　what　remedy　of　composure

do　these　words　bring　for　their　own　great　disquiet！　　Without　the

remoteness　of　the　Latinity　the　thought　would　come　too　close　and

shake　too　cruelly。　　In　order　to　the　sane　endurance　of　the　intimate

trouble　of　the　soul　an　aloofness　of　language　is　needful。　　Johnson

feared　death。　　Did　his　noble　English　control　and　postpone　the

terror？　　Did　it　keep　the　fear　at　some　courteous；　deferent　distance

from　the　centre　of　that　human　heart；　in　the　very　act　of　the　leap　and

lapse　of　mortality？　　Doubtless　there　is　in　language　such　an

educative　power。　　Speech　is　a　school。　　Every　language　is　a

persuasion；　an　induced　habit；　an　instrument　which　receives　the　note

indeed　but　gives　the　tone。　　Every　language　imposes　a　quality；

teaches　a　temper；　proposes　a　way；　bestows　a　tradition：　　this　is　the

tonethe　voiceof　the　instrument。　　Every　language；　by　counter…

change；　replies　to　the　writer's　touch　or　breath　his　own　intention；

articulate：　　this　is　his　note。　　Much　has　always　been　said；　many

things　to　the　purpose　have　been　thought；　of　the　power　and　the

responsibility　of　the　note。　　Of　the　legislation　and　influence　of　the

tone　I　have　been　led　to　think　by　comparing　the　tranquillity　of

Johnson　and　the　composure　of　Canning　with　the　stimulated　and　close

emotion；　the　interior　trouble；　of　those　writers　who　have　entered　as

disciples　in　the　school　of　the　more　Teutonic　English。



For　if　every　language　be　a　school；　more　significantly　and　more

educatively　is　a　part　of　a　language　a　school　to　him　who　chooses　that

part。　　Few　languages　offer　the　choice。　　The　fact　that　a　choice　is

made　implies　the　results　and　fruits　of　a　decision。　　The　French

author　is　without　these。　　They　are　of　all　the　heritages　of　the

English　writer　the　most　important。　　He　receives　a　language　of　dual

derivation。　　He　may　submit　himself　to　either　University；　whither　he

will　take　his　impulse　and　his　character；　where　he　will　leave　their

influence；　and　whence　he　will　accept　their　education。　　The　Frenchman

has　certainly　a　style　to　develop　within　definite　limits；　but　he　does

not　subject　himself　to　suggestions　tending　mainly　hitherwards　or

thitherwards；　to　currents　of　various　race　within　one　literature。

Such　a　choice　of　subjection　is　the　singular　opportunity　of　the

Englishman。　　I　do　not　mean　to　ignore　the　necessary　mingling。

Happily　that　mingling　has　been　done　once　for　all　for　us　all。　　Nay；

one　of　the　most　charming　things　that　a　master　of　English　can　achieve

is　the　repayment　of　the　united　teaching　by　linking　their　results　so

exquisitely　in　his　own　practice；　that　words　of　the　two　schools　are

made　to　meet　each　other　with　a　surprise　and　delight　that　shall　prove

them　at　once　gayer　strangers；　and　sweeter　companions；　than　the　world

knew　they　were。　　Nevertheless　there　remains　the　liberty　of　choice　as

to　which　school　of　words　shall　have　the　place　of　honour　in　the　great

and　sensitive　moments　of　an　author's　style：　　which　school　shall　be

used　for　conspicuousness；　and　which　for　multitudinous　service。　　And

the　choice　being　open；　the　perturbation　of　the　pulses　and　impulses

of　so　many　hearts　quickened　in　thought　and　feeling　in　this　day

suggests　to　me　a　deliberate　return　to　the　recollectedness　of　the

more　tranquil　language。　　'Doubtless　there　is　a　place　of　peace。'



A　place　of　peace；　not　of　indifference。　　It　is　impossible　not　to

charge　some　of　the　moralists　of　the　last　century　with　an

indifference　into　which　they　educated　their　platitudes　and　into

which　their　platitudes　educated　them。　　Addison　thus　gave　and　took；

until　he　was　almost　incapable　of　coming　within　arm's…length　of　a

real　or　spiritual　emotion。　　There　is　no　knowing　to　what　distance　the

removal　of　the　'appropriate　sentim