essays and lectures-第15部分

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call　it　our　romantic　movement　because　it　is　our　most　recent

expression　of　beauty。



It　has　been　described　as　a　mere　revival　of　Greek　modes　of　thought；

and　again　as　a　mere　revival　of　mediaeval　feeling。　　Rather　I　would

say　that　to　these　forms　of　the　human　spirit　it　has　added　whatever

of　artistic　value　the　intricacy　and　complexity　and　experience　of

modern　life　can　give：　　taking　from　the　one　its　clearness　of　vision

and　its　sustained　calm；　from　the　other　its　variety　of　expression

and　the　mystery　of　its　vision。　　For　what；　as　Goethe　said；　is　the

study　of　the　ancients　but　a　return　to　the　real　world　（for　that　is

what　they　did）；　and　what；　said　Mazzini；　is　mediaevalism　but

individuality？



It　is　really　from　the　union　of　Hellenism；　in　its　breadth；　its

sanity　of　purpose；　its　calm　possession　of　beauty；　with　the

adventive；　the　intensified　individualism；　the　passionate　colour　of

the　romantic　spirit；　that　springs　the　art　of　the　nineteenth　century

in　England；　as　from　the　marriage　of　Faust　and　Helen　of　Troy　sprang

the　beautiful　boy　Euphorion。



Such　expressions　as　'classical'　and　'romantic'　are；　it　is　true；

often　apt　to　become　the　mere　catchwords　of　schools。　　We　must　always

remember　that　art　has　only　one　sentence　to　utter：　　there　is　for　her

only　one　high　law；　the　law　of　form　or　harmony　…　yet　between　the

classical　and　romantic　spirit　we　may　say　that　there　lies　this

difference　at　least；　that　the　one　deals　with　the　type　and　the　other

with　the　exception。　　In　the　work　produced　under　the　modern　romantic

spirit　it　is　no　longer　the　permanent；　the　essential　truths　of　life

that　are　treated　of；　it　is　the　momentary　situation　of　the　one；　the

momentary　aspect　of　the　other　that　art　seeks　to　render。　　In

sculpture；　which　is　the　type　of　one　spirit；　the　subject

predominates　over　the　situation；　in　painting；　which　is　the　type　of

the　other；　the　situation　predominates　over　the　subject。



There　are　two　spirits；　then：　　the　Hellenic　spirit　and　the　spirit　of

romance　may　be　taken　as　forming　the　essential　elements　of　our

conscious　intellectual　tradition；　of　our　permanent　standard　of

taste。　　As　regards　their　origin；　in　art　as　in　politics　there　is　but

one　origin　for　all　revolutions；　a　desire　on　the　part　of　man　for　a

nobler　form　of　life；　for　a　freer　method　and　opportunity　of

expression。　　Yet；　I　think　that　in　estimating　the　sensuous　and

intellectual　spirit　which　presides　over　our　English　Renaissance；

any　attempt　to　isolate　it　in　any　way　from　in　the　progress　and

movement　and　social　life　of　the　age　that　has　produced　it　would　be

to　rob　it　of　its　true　vitality；　possibly　to　mistake　its　true

meaning。　　And　in　disengaging　from　the　pursuits　and　passions　of　this

crowded　modern　world　those　passions　and　pursuits　which　have　to　do

with　art　and　the　love　of　art；　we　must　take　into　account　many　great

events　of　history　which　seem　to　be　the　most　opposed　to　any　such

artistic　feeling。



Alien　then　from　any　wild；　political　passion；　or　from　the　harsh

voice　of　a　rude　people　in　revolt；　as　our　English　Renaissance　must

seem；　in　its　passionate　cult　of　pure　beauty；　its　flawless　devotion

to　form；　its　exclusive　and　sensitive　nature；　it　is　to　the　French

Revolution　that　we　must　look　for　the　most　primary　factor　of　its

production；　the　first　condition　of　its　birth：　　that　great

Revolution　of　which　we　are　all　the　children　though　the　voices　of

some　of　us　be　often　loud　against　it；　that　Revolution　to　which　at　a

time　when　even　such　spirits　as　Coleridge　and　Wordsworth　lost　heart

in　England；　noble　messages　of　love　blown　across　seas　came　from　your

young　Republic。



It　is　true　that　our　modern　sense　of　the　continuity　of　history　has

shown　us　that　neither　in　politics　nor　in　nature　are　there

revolutions　ever　but　evolutions　only；　and　that　the　prelude　to　that

wild　storm　which　swept　over　France　in　1789　and　made　every　king　in

Europe　tremble　for　his　throne；　was　first　sounded　in　literature

years　before　the　Bastille　fell　and　the　Palace　was　taken。　　The　way

for　those　red　scenes　by　Seine　and　Loire　was　paved　by　that　critical

spirit　of　Germany　and　England　which　accustomed　men　to　bring　all

things　to　the　test　of　reason　or　utility　or　both；　while　the

discontent　of　the　people　in　the　streets　of　Paris　was　the　echo　that

followed　the　life　of　Emile　and　of　Werther。　　For　Rousseau；　by　silent

lake　and　mountain；　had　called　humanity　back　to　the　golden　age　that

still　lies　before　us　and　preached　a　return　to　nature；　in　passionate

eloquence　whose　music　still　lingers　about　our　keen　northern　air。

And　Goethe　and　Scott　had　brought　romance　back　again　from　the　prison

she　had　lain　in　for　so　many　centuries　…　and　what　is　romance　but

humanity？



Yet　in　the　womb　of　the　Revolution　itself；　and　in　the　storm　and

terror　of　that　wild　time；　tendencies　were　hidden　away　that　the

artistic　Renaissance　bent　to　her　own　service　when　the　time　came　…　a

scientific　tendency　first；　which　has　borne　in　our　own　day　a　brood

of　somewhat　noisy　Titans；　yet　in　the　sphere　of　poetry　has　not　been

unproductive　of　good。　　I　do　not　mean　merely　in　its　adding　to

enthusiasm　that　intellectual　basis　which　in　its　strength；　or　that

more　obvious　influence　about　which　Wordsworth　was　thinking　when　he

said　very　nobly　that　poetry　was　merely　the　impassioned　expression

in　the　face　of　science；　and　that　when　science　would　put　on　a　form

of　flesh　and　blood　the　poet　would　lend　his　divine　spirit　to　aid　the

transfiguration。　　Nor　do　I　dwell　much　on　the　great　cosmical　emotion

and　deep　pantheism　of　science　to　which　Shelley　has　given　its　first

and　Swinburne　its　latest　glory　of　song；　but　rather　on　its　influence

on　the　artistic　spirit　in　preserving　that　close　observation　and　the

sense　of　limitation　as　well　as　of　clearness　of　vision　which　are　the

characteristics　of　the　real　artist。



The　great　and　golden　rule　of　art　as　well　as　of　life；　wrote　William

Blake；　is　that　the　more　distinct；　sharp　and　defined　the　boundary

line；　the　more　perfect　is　the　work　of　art；　and　the　less　keen　and

sharp　the　greater　is　the　evidence　of　weak　imitation；　plagiarism　and

bungling。　　'Great　inventors　in　all　ages　knew　this　…　Michael　Angelo

and　Albert　Durer　are　known　by　this　and　by　this　alone'；　and　another

time　he　wrote；　with　all　the　simple　directness　of　nineteenth…century

prose；　'to　generalise　is　to　be　an　idiot。'



And　this　love　of　definite　conception；　this　clearness　of　vision；

this　artistic　sense　of　limit；　is　the　characteristic　of　all　great

work　and　poetry；　of　the　vision　of　Homer　as　of　the　vision　of　Dante；

of　Keats　and　William　Morris　as　of　Chaucer　and　Theocritus。　　It　lies

at　the　base　of　all　noble；　realistic　and　romantic　work　as　opposed　to

the　colourless　and　empty　abstractions　of　our　own　eighteenth…century

poets　and　of　the　classical　dramatists　of　France；　or　of　the　vague

spiritualities　of　the　German　sentimental　school：　　opposed；　too；　to

that　spirit　of　transcendentalism　which　also　was　root　and　flower

itself　of　the　great　Revolution；　underlying　the　impassioned

contemplation　of　Wordsworth　and　giving　wings　and　fire　to　the　eagle…

like　flight　of　Shelley；　and　which　in　the　sphere　of　philosophy；

though　displaced　by　the　materialism　and　positiveness　of　our　day；

bequeathed　two　great　schools　of　thought；　the　school　of　Newman　to

Oxford；　the　school　of　Emerson　to　America。　　Yet　is　this　spirit　of

transcendentalism　alien　to　the　spirit　of　art。　　For　the　artist　can

accept　no　sphere　of　life　in　exchange　for　life　itself。　　For　him

there　is　no　escape　from　the　bondage　of　the　earth：　　there　is　not

even　the　desire　of　escape。



He　is　indeed　the　only　true　realist：　　symbolism；　which　is　the

essence　of　the　transcendental　spirit；　is　alien　to　him。　　The

metaphysical　mind　of　Asia　will　create　for　itself　the　monstrous；

many…breasted　idol　of　Ephesus；　but　to　the　Greek；　pure　artist；　that

work　is　most　instinct　with　spiritual　life　which　conforms　most

clearly　to　the　perfect　facts　of　physical　life。



'The　storm　of　revolution；'　as　Andre　Chenier　said；　'blows　out　the

torch　of　poetry。'　　It　is　not　for　some　little　time　that　the　real

influence　of　such　a　wild　cataclysm　of　things　is　felt：　　at　first　the

desire　for　equality　seems　to　have　produced　personalities　of　more

giant　and　Titan　stature　than　the　world　had　ever　known　before。　　Men

heard　the　lyre　of　Byron　and　the　legions　of　Napoleon；　it　was　a

period　of　measureless　passions　and　of　measureless　despair；

ambition；　discontent；　were　the　chords　of　life　and　art；　the　age　was

an　age　of　revolt：　　a　phase　through　which　the　human　spirit　must

pass；　but　one　in　which　it　cannot　rest。　　For　the　aim　of　culture　is

not　rebellion　but　peace；　the　valley　perilous　where　ignorant　armies

clash　by　night　being　no　dwelling…place　meet　for　her　to　whom　the

gods　have　assigned　the　fresh　uplands　and　sunny　heights　and　clear；

untroubled　air。



And　soon　that　desire　for　perfection；　which　lay　at　the　base　of　the

Revolution；　found　in　a　young　English　poet　its　most　complete　and

flawless　realisation。



Phidias　and　the　achievements　of　Greek　art　are　foreshadowed　in

Homer：　　Dante　prefigures　for　us　the　passion　and　colour　and

intensity　of　Italian　painting：　　the　modern　love　of　landscape　dates

from　Rousseau；　and　it　is　in　Keats　that　one　discerns　the　beginning

of　the　artistic　renaissance　of　England。



Byron　was　a　rebel　and　Shelley　a　dreamer；　but　in　the　calmness　and

clearness　of　his　vision；　his　perfect　self…control；　his　unerring

sense　of　beauty　and　his　recognition　of　a　separate　realm　for　the

imagination；　Keats　was　the　pure　and　serene　artist；　the　forerunner

of　the　pre…Raphaelite　school；　and　so　of　the　great　romantic　movement

of　which　I　am　to　speak。



Blake　had　indeed；　before　him；　claimed　for　art　a　lofty；　spiritual

mission；　and　had　striven　to　raise　design　to　the　ideal　level　of

poetry　and　music；　but　the　remoteness　of　his　vision　both　in　painting

and　poetry　and　the　incompleteness　of　his　technical　powers　had　been

adverse　to　any　real　influence。　　It　is　in　Keats　that　the　artistic

spirit　of　this　century　first　found　its　absolute　incarnation。



And　these　p