the works of edgar allan poe-2-第40部分

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Ellison；　who　should　be　alive　at　the　end　of　the　hundred　years。　Many
attempts　had　been　made　to　set　aside　this　singular　bequest；　their　ex
post　facto　character　rendered　them　abortive；　but　the　attention　of　a
jealous　government　was　aroused；　and　a　legislative　act　finally
obtained；　forbidding　all　similar　accumulations。　This　act；　however；
did　not　prevent　young　Ellison　from　entering　into　possession；　on　his
twenty…first　birthday；　as　the　heir　of　his　ancestor　Seabright；　of　a
fortune　of　four　hundred　and　fifty　millions　of　dollars。　｛*1｝

When　it　had　become　known　that　such　was　the　enormous　wealth　inherited；
there　were；　of　course；　many　speculations　as　to　the　mode　of　its
disposal。　The　magnitude　and　the　immediate　availability　of　the　sum
bewildered　all　who　thought　on　the　topic。　The　possessor　of　any
appreciable　amount　of　money　might　have　been　imagined　to　perform　any
one　of　a　thousand　things。　With　riches　merely　surpassing　those　of　any
citizen；　it　would　have　been　easy　to　suppose　him　engaging　to　supreme
excess　in　the　fashionable　extravagances　of　his　time　　or　busying
himself　with　political　intrigue　　or　aiming　at　ministerial　power　
or　purchasing　increase　of　nobility　　or　collecting　large　museums　of
virtu　　or　playing　the　munificent　patron　of　letters；　of　science；　of
art　　or　endowing；　and　bestowing　his　name　upon　extensive
institutions　of　charity。　But　for　the　inconceivable　wealth　in　the
actual　possession　of　the　heir；　these　objects　and　all　ordinary　objects
were　felt　to　afford　too　limited　a　field。　Recourse　was　had　to　figures；
and　these　but　sufficed　to　confound。　It　was　seen　that；　even　at　three
per　cent。；　the　annual　income　of　the　inheritance　amounted　to　no　less
than　thirteen　millions　and　five　hundred　thousand　dollars；　which　was
one　million　and　one　hundred　and　twenty…five　thousand　per　month；　or
thirty…six　thousand　nine　hundred　and　eighty…six　per　day；　or　one
thousand　five　hundred　and　forty…one　per　hour；　or　six　and　twenty
dollars　for　every　minute　that　flew。　Thus　the　usual　track　of
supposition　was　thoroughly　broken　up。　Men　knew　not　what　to　imagine。
There　were　some　who　even　conceived　that　Mr。　Ellison　would　divest
himself　of　at　least　one…half　of　his　fortune；　as　of　utterly
superfluous　opulence　　enriching　whole　troops　of　his　relatives　by
division　of　his　superabundance。　To　the　nearest　of　these　he　did；　in
fact；　abandon　the　very　unusual　wealth　which　was　his　own　before　the
inheritance。

I　was　not　surprised；　however；　to　perceive　that　he　had　long　made　up
his　mind　on　a　point　which　had　occasioned　so　much　discussion　to　his
friends。　Nor　was　I　greatly　astonished　at　the　nature　of　his　decision。
In　regard　to　individual　charities　he　had　satisfied　his　conscience。　In
the　possibility　of　any　improvement；　properly　so　called；　being
effected　by　man　himself　in　the　general　condition　of　man；　he　had　（I　am
sorry　to　confess　it）　little　faith。　Upon　the　whole；　whether　happily　or
unhappily；　he　was　thrown　back；　in　very　great　measure；　upon　self。

In　the　widest　and　noblest　sense　he　was　a　poet。　He　comprehended；
moreover；　the　true　character；　the　august　aims；　the　supreme　majesty
and　dignity　of　the　poetic　sentiment。　The　fullest；　if　not　the　sole
proper　satisfaction　of　this　sentiment　he　instinctively　felt　to　lie　in
the　creation　of　novel　forms　of　beauty。　Some　peculiarities；　either　in
his　early　education；　or　in　the　nature　of　his　intellect；　had　tinged
with　what　is　termed　materialism　all　his　ethical　speculations；　and　it
was　this　bias；　perhaps；　which　led　him　to　believe　that　the　most
advantageous　at　least；　if　not　the　sole　legitimate　field　for　the
poetic　exercise；　lies　in　the　creation　of　novel　moods　of　purely
physical　loveliness。　Thus　it　happened　he　became　neither　musician　nor
poet　　if　we　use　this　latter　term　in　its　every…day　acceptation。　Or
it　might　have　been　that　he　neglected　to　become　either；　merely　in
pursuance　of　his　idea　that　in　contempt　of　ambition　is　to　be　found　one
of　the　essential　principles　of　happiness　on　earth。　Is　it　not　indeed；
possible　that；　while　a　high　order　of　genius　is　necessarily　ambitious；
the　highest　is　above　that　which　is　termed　ambition？　And　may　it　not
thus　happen　that　many　far　greater　than　Milton　have　contentedly
remained　〃mute　and　inglorious？〃　I　believe　that　the　world　has　never
seen　　and　that；　unless　through　some　series　of　accidents　goading　the
noblest　order　of　mind　into　distasteful　exertion；　the　world　will　never
see　　that　full　extent　of　triumphant　execution；　in　the　richer
domains　of　art；　of　which　the　human　nature　is　absolutely　capable。

Ellison　became　neither　musician　nor　poet；　although　no　man　lived　more
profoundly　enamored　of　music　and　poetry。　Under　other　circumstances
than　those　which　invested　him；　it　is　not　impossible　that　he　would
have　become　a　painter。　Sculpture；　although　in　its　nature　rigorously
poetical　was　too　limited　in　its　extent　and　consequences；　to　have
occupied；　at　any　time；　much　of　his　attention。　And　I　have　now
mentioned　all　the　provinces　in　which　the　common　understanding　of　the
poetic　sentiment　has　declared　it　capable　of　expatiating。　But　Ellison
maintained　that　the　richest；　the　truest；　and　most　natural；　if　not
altogether　the　most　extensive　province；　had　been　unaccountably
neglected。　No　definition　had　spoken　of　the　landscape…gardener　as　of
the　poet；　yet　it　seemed　to　my　friend　that　the　creation　of　the
landscape…garden　offered　to　the　proper　Muse　the　most　magnificent　of
opportunities。　Here；　indeed；　was　the　fairest　field　for　the　display　of
imagination　in　the　endless　combining　of　forms　of　novel　beauty；　the
elements　to　enter　into　combination　being；　by　a　vast　superiority；　the
most　glorious　which　the　earth　could　afford。　In　the　multiform　and
multicolor　of　the　flowers　and　the　trees；　he　recognised　the　most
direct　and　energetic　efforts　of　Nature　at　physical　loveliness。　And　in
the　direction　or　concentration　of　this　effort　　or；　more　properly；
in　its　adaptation　to　the　eyes　which　were　to　behold　it　on　earth　　he
perceived　that　he　should　be　employing　the　best　means　　laboring　to
the　greatest　advantage　　in　the　fulfilment；　not　only　of　his　own
destiny　as　poet；　but　of　the　august　purposes　for　which　the　Deity　had
implanted　the　poetic　sentiment　in　man。

〃Its　adaptation　to　the　eyes　which　were　to　behold　it　on　earth。〃　In　his
explanation　of　this　phraseology；　Mr。　Ellison　did　much　toward　solving
what　has　always　seemed　to　me　an　enigma：　　I　mean　the　fact　（which
none　but　the　ignorant　dispute）　that　no　such　combination　of　scenery
exists　in　nature　as　the　painter　of　genius　may　produce。　No　such
paradises　are　to　be　found　in　reality　as　have　glowed　on　the　canvas　of
Claude。　In　the　most　enchanting　of　natural　landscapes；　there　will
always　be　found　a　defect　or　an　excess　　many　excesses　and　defects。
While　the　component　parts　may　defy；　individually；　the　highest　skill
of　the　artist；　the　arrangement　of　these　parts　will　always　be
susceptible　of　improvement。　In　short；　no　position　can　be　attained　on
the　wide　surface　of　the　natural　earth；　from　which　an　artistical　eye；
looking　steadily；　will　not　find　matter　of　offence　in　what　is　termed
the　〃composition〃　of　the　landscape。　And　yet　how　unintelligible　is
this！　In　all　other　matters　we　are　justly　instructed　to　regard　nature
as　supreme。　With　her　details　we　shrink　from　competition。　Who　shall
presume　to　imitate　the　colors　of　the　tulip；　or　to　improve　the
proportions　of　the　lily　of　the　valley？　The　criticism　which　says；　of
sculpture　or　portraiture；　that　here　nature　is　to　be　exalted　or
idealized　rather　than　imitated；　is　in　error。　No　pictorial　or
sculptural　combinations　of　points　of　human　liveliness　do　more　than
approach　the　living　and　breathing　beauty。　In　landscape　alone　is　the
principle　of　the　critic　true；　and；　having　felt　its　truth　here；　it　is
but　the　headlong　spirit　of　generalization　which　has　led　him　to
pronounce　it　true　throughout　all　the　domains　of　art。　Having；　I　say；
felt　its　truth　here；　for　the　feeling　is　no　affectation　or　chimera。
The　mathematics　afford　no　more　absolute　demonstrations　than　the
sentiments　of　his　art　yields　the　artist。　He　not　only　believes；　but
positively　knows；　that　such　and　such　apparently　arbitrary
arrangements　of　matter　constitute　and　alone　constitute　the　true
beauty。　His　reasons；　however；　have　not　yet　been　matured　into
expression。　It　remains　for　a　more　profound　analysis　than　the　world
has　yet　seen；　fully　to　investigate　and　express　them。　Nevertheless　he
is　confirmed　in　his　instinctive　opinions　by　the　voice　of　all　his
brethren。　Let　a　〃composition〃　be　defective；　let　an　emendation　be
wrought　in　its　mere　arrangement　of　form；　let　this　emendation　be
submitted　to　every　artist　in　the　world；　by　each　will　its　necessity　be
admitted。　And　even　far　more　than　this：　　in　remedy　of　the　defective
composition；　each　insulated　member　of　the　fraternity　would　have
suggested　the　identical　emendation。

I　repeat　that　in　landscape　arrangements　alone　is　the　physical　nature
susceptible　of　exaltation；　and　that；　therefore；　her　susceptibility　of
improvement　at　this　one　point；　was　a　mystery　I　had　been　unable　to
solve。　My　own　thoughts　on　the　subject　had　rested　in　the　idea　that　the
primitive　intention　of　nature　would　have　so　arranged　the　earth's
surface　as　to　have　fulfilled　at　all　points　man's　sense　of　perfection
in　the　beautiful；　the　sublime；　or　the　picturesque；　but　that　this
primitive　intention　had　been　frustrated　by　the　known　geological
disturbances　　disturbances　of　form　and　color　　grouping；　in　the
correction　or　allaying　of　which　lies　the　soul　of　art。　The　force　of
this　idea　was　much　weakened；　however；　by　the　necessity　which　it
involved　of　considering　the　disturbances　abnormal　and　unadapted　to
any　purpose。　It　was　Ellison　who　suggested　that　they　were　prognostic
of　death。　He　thus　explained：　　Admit　the　earthly　immortality　of　man
to　have　been　the　first　intention。　We　have　then　the　primitive
arrangement　of　the　earth's　surface　adapted　to　his　blissful　estate；　as
not　existent　but　designed。　The　disturbances　were　the　preparations　for
his　subsequently　conceived　deathful　condition。

〃Now；〃　said　my　friend；　〃what　we　regard　as　exaltation　of　the　landscape
may　be　really　such；　as　respects　only　the　moral　or　human　point　of
view。　Each　alteration　of　the　natural　scenery　may　possibly　effect　a
blemish　in　the　picture；　if　we　can　suppose　this　picture　viewed　at
large　　in　mass　　from　some　po