the way of all flesh-第4部分

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contrast　to　this；　I　may　quote　here　an　extract　from　a　letter　written
to　me　last　year　by　his　grandson　Ernest；　of　whom　the　reader　will　hear
more　presently。　　The　passage　runs：　　〃I　went　up　to　the　Great　St
Bernard　and　saw　the　dogs。〃　　In　due　course　Mr　Pontifex　found　his　way
into　Italy；　where　the　pictures　and　other　works　of　artthose；　at
least；　which　were　fashionable　at　that　timethrew　him　into　genteel
paroxysms　of　admiration。　　Of　the　Uffizi　Gallery　at　Florence　he
writes：　　〃I　have　spent　three　hours　this　morning　in　the　gallery　and　I
have　made　up　my　mind　that　if　of　all　the　treasures　I　have　seen　in
Italy　I　were　to　choose　one　room　it　would　be　the　Tribune　of　this
gallery。　　It　contains　the　Venus　de'　Medici；　the　Explorator；　the
Pancratist；　the　Dancing　Faun　and　a　fine　Apollo。　　These　more　than
outweigh　the　Laocoon　and　the　Belvedere　Apollo　at　Rome。　　It　contains；
besides；　the　St　John　of　Raphael　and　many　other　chefs…d'oeuvre　of　the
greatest　masters　in　the　world。〃　　It　is　interesting　to　compare　Mr
Pontifex's　effusions　with　the　rhapsodies　of　critics　in　our　own
times。　　Not　long　ago　a　much　esteemed　writer　informed　the　world　that
he　felt　〃disposed　to　cry　out　with　delight〃　before　a　figure　by
Michael　Angelo。　　I　wonder　whether　he　would　feel　disposed　to　cry　out
before　a　real　Michael　Angelo；　if　the　critics　had　decided　that　it　was
not　genuine；　or　before　a　reputed　Michael　Angelo　which　was　really　by
someone　else。　　But　I　suppose　that　a　prig　with　more　money　than　brains
was　much　the　same　sixty　or　seventy　years　ago　as　he　is　now。

Look　at　Mendelssohn　again　about　this　same　Tribune　on　which　Mr
Pontifex　felt　so　safe　in　staking　his　reputation　as　a　man　of　taste
and　culture。　　He　feels　no　less　safe　and　writes；　〃I　then　went　to　the
Tribune。　　This　room　is　so　delightfully　small　you　can　traverse　it　in
fifteen　paces；　yet　it　contains　a　world　of　art。　　I　again　sought　out
my　favourite　arm　chair　which　stands　under　the　statue　of　the　'Slave
whetting　his　knife'　（L'Arrotino）；　and　taking　possession　of　it　I
enjoyed　myself　for　a　couple　of　hours；　for　here　at　one　glance　I　had
the　'Madonna　del　Cardellino；'　Pope　Julius　II。；　a　female　portrait　by
Raphael；　and　above　it　a　lovely　Holy　Family　by　Perugino；　and　so　close
to　me　that　I　could　have　touched　it　with　my　hand　the　Venus　de'
Medici；　beyond；　that　of　Titian　。　。　。　The　space　between　is　occupied
by　other　pictures　of　Raphael's；　a　portrait　by　Titian；　a　Domenichino；
etc。；　etc。；　all　these　within　the　circumference　of　a　small　semi…
circle　no　larger　than　one　of　your　own　rooms。　　This　is　a　spot　where　a
man　feels　his　own　insignificance　and　may　well　learn　to　be　humble。〃
The　Tribune　is　a　slippery　place　for　people　like　Mendelssohn　to　study
humility　in。　　They　generally　take　two　steps　away　from　it　for　one
they　take　towards　it。　　I　wonder　how　many　chalks　Mendelssohn　gave
himself　for　having　sat　two　hours　on　that　chair。　　I　wonder　how　often
he　looked　at　his　watch　to　see　if　his　two　hours　were　up。　　I　wonder
how　often　he　told　himself　that　he　was　quite　as　big　a　gun；　if　the
truth　were　known；　as　any　of　the　men　whose　works　he　saw　before　him；
how　often　he　wondered　whether　any　of　the　visitors　were　recognizing
him　and　admiring　him　for　sitting　such　a　long　time　in　the　same　chair；
and　how　often　he　was　vexed　at　seeing　them　pass　him　by　and　take　no
notice　of　him。　　But　perhaps　if　the　truth　were　known　his　two　hours
was　not　quite　two　hours。

Returning　to　Mr　Pontifex；　whether　he　liked　what　he　believed　to　be
the　masterpieces　of　Greek　and　Italian　art　or　no　he　brought　back　some
copies　by　Italian　artists；　which　I　have　no　doubt　he　satisfied
himself　would　bear　the　strictest　examination　with　the　originals。
Two　of　these　copies　fell　to　Theobald's　share　on　the　division　of　his
father's　furniture；　and　I　have　often　seen　them　at　Battersby　on　my
visits　to　Theobald　and　his　wife。　　The　one　was　a　Madonna　by
Sassoferrato　with　a　blue　hood　over　her　head　which　threw　it　half　into
shadow。　　The　other　was　a　Magdalen　by　Carlo　Dolci　with　a　very　fine
head　of　hair　and　a　marble　vase　in　her　hands。　　When　I　was　a　young　man
I　used　to　think　these　pictures　were　beautiful；　but　with　each
successive　visit　to　Battersby　I　got　to　dislike　them　more　and　more
and　to　see　〃George　Pontifex〃　written　all　over　both　of　them。　　In　the
end　I　ventured　after　a　tentative　fashion　to　blow　on　them　a　little；
but　Theobald　and　his　wife　were　up　in　arms　at　once。　　They　did　not
like　their　father　and　father…in…law；　but　there　could　be　no　question
about　his　power　and　general　ability；　nor　about　his　having　been　a　man
of　consummate　taste　both　in　literature　and　artindeed　the　diary　he
kept　during　his　foreign　tour　was　enough　to　prove　this。　　With　one
more　short　extract　I　will　leave　this　diary　and　proceed　with　my
story。　　During　his　stay　in　Florence　Mr　Pontifex　wrote：　　〃I　have　just
seen　the　Grand　Duke　and　his　family　pass　by　in　two　carriages　and　six；
but　little　more　notice　is　taken　of　them　than　if　I；　who　am　utterly
unknown　here；　were　to　pass　by。〃　　I　don't　think　that　he　half　believed
in　his　being　utterly　unknown　in　Florence　or　anywhere　else！



CHAPTER　V



Fortune；　we　are　told；　is　a　blind　and　fickle　foster…mother；　who
showers　her　gifts　at　random　upon　her　nurslings。　　But　we　do　her　a
grave　injustice　if　we　believe　such　an　accusation。　　Trace　a　man's
career　from　his　cradle　to　his　grave　and　mark　how　Fortune　has　treated
him。　　You　will　find　that　when　he　is　once　dead　she　can　for　the　most
part　be　vindicated　from　the　charge　of　any　but　very　superficial
fickleness。　　Her　blindness　is　the　merest　fable；　she　can　espy　her
favourites　long　before　they　are　born。　　We　are　as　days　and　have　had
our　parents　for　our　yesterdays；　but　through　all　the　fair　weather　of
a　clear　parental　sky　the　eye　of　Fortune　can　discern　the　coming
storm；　and　she　laughs　as　she　places　her　favourites　it　may　be　in　a
London　alley　or　those　whom　she　is　resolved　to　ruin　in　kings'
palaces。　　Seldom　does　she　relent　towards　those　whom　she　has　suckled
unkindly　and　seldom　does　she　completely　fail　a　favoured　nursling。

Was　George　Pontifex　one　of　Fortune's　favoured　nurslings　or　not？　　On
the　whole　I　should　say　that　he　was　not；　for　he　did　not　consider
himself　so；　he　was　too　religious　to　consider　Fortune　a　deity　at　all；
he　took　whatever　she　gave　and　never　thanked　her；　being　firmly
convinced　that　whatever　he　got　to　his　own　advantage　was　of　his　own
getting。　　And　so　it　was；　after　Fortune　had　made　him　able　to　get　it。

〃Nos　te；　nos　facimus；　Fortuna；　deam；〃　exclaimed　the　poet。　　〃It　is　we
who　make　thee；　Fortune；　a　goddess〃；　and　so　it　is；　after　Fortune　has
made　us　able　to　make　her。　　The　poet　says　nothing　as　to　the　making　of
the　〃nos。〃　　Perhaps　some　men　are　independent　of　antecedents　and
surroundings　and　have　an　initial　force　within　themselves　which　is　in
no　way　due　to　causation；　but　this　is　supposed　to　be　a　difficult
question　and　it　may　be　as　well　to　avoid　it。　　Let　it　suffice　that
George　Pontifex　did　not　consider　himself　fortunate；　and　he　who　does
not　consider　himself　fortunate　is　unfortunate。

True；　he　was　rich；　universally　respected　and　of　an　excellent　natural
constitution。　　If　he　had　eaten　and　drunk　less　he　would　never　have
known　a　day's　indisposition。　　Perhaps　his　main　strength　lay　in　the
fact　that　though　his　capacity　was　a　little　above　the　average；　it　was
not　too　much　so。　　It　is　on　this　rock　that　so　many　clever　people
split。　　The　successful　man　will　see　just　so　much　more　than　his
neighbours　as　they　will　be　able　to　see　too　when　it　is　shown　them；
but　not　enough　to　puzzle　them。　　It　is　far　safer　to　know　too　little
than　too　much。　　People　will　condemn　the　one；　though　they　will　resent
being　called　upon　to　exert　themselves　to　follow　the　other。

The　best　example　of　Mr　Pontifex's　good　sense　in　matters　connected
with　his　business　which　I　can　think　of　at　this　moment　is　the
revolution　which　he　effected　in　the　style　of　advertising　works
published　by　the　firm。　　When　he　first　became　a　partner　one　of　the
firm's　advertisements　ran　thus：…


〃Books　proper　to　be　given　away　at　this　Season。　…

〃The　Pious　Country　Parishioner；　being　directions　how　a　Christian　may
manage　every　day　in　the　course　of　his　whole　life　with　safety　and
success；　how　to　spend　the　Sabbath　Day；　what　books　of　the　Holy
Scripture　ought　to　be　read　first；　the　whole　method　of　education；
collects　for　the　most　important　virtues　that　adorn　the　soul；　a
discourse　on　the　Lord's　Supper；　rules　to　set　the　soul　right　in
sickness；　so　that　in　this　treatise　are　contained　all　the　rules
requisite　for　salvation。　　The　8th　edition　with　additions。　　Price
10d。

***　An　allowance　will　be　made　to　those　who　give　them　away。〃


Before　he　had　been　many　years　a　partner　the　advertisement　stood　as
follows：…


〃The　Pious　Country　Parishioner。　　A　complete　manual　of　Christian
Devotion。　　Price　10d。

A　reduction　will　be　made　to　purchasers　for　gratuitous　distribution。〃


What　a　stride　is　made　in　the　foregoing　towards　the　modern　standard；
and　what　intelligence　is　involved　in　the　perception　of　the
unseemliness　of　the　old　style；　when　others　did　not　perceive　it！

Where　then　was　the　weak　place　in　George　Pontifex's　armour？　　I
suppose　in　the　fact　that　he　had　risen　too　rapidly。　　It　would　almost
seem　as　if　a　transmitted　education　of　some　generations　is　necessary
for　the　due　enjoyment　of　great　wealth。　　Adversity；　if　a　man　is　set
down　to　it　by　degrees；　is　more　supportable　with　equanimity　by　most
people　than　any　great　prosperity　arrived　at　in　a　single　lifetime。
Nevertheless　a　certain　kind　of　good　fortune　generally　attends　self…
made　men　to　the　last。　　It　is　their　children　of　the　first；　or　first
and　second；　generation　who　are　in　greater　danger；　for　the　race　can
no　more　repeat　its　most　successful　performances　suddenly　and　without
its　ebbings　and　flowings　of　success　than　the　individual　can　do　so；
and　the　more　brilliant　the　success　in　any　one　generation；　the
greater　as　a　general　rule　the　subsequent　exhaustion　until　time　has
been　allowed　for　recovery。　　Hence　it　oftens　happens　that　the
grandson　of　a　successful　man　will　be　more　successful　than　the　son
the　spirit　that　actuated　the　grandfather　having　lain　fallow　in　the
son　and　being　refreshed　by　repose　so　as　to　be　ready　for　fresh
exertion　in　the　grandson。　　A　very　successful　man；　moreover；　has
something　of　the　hybrid　in　him；　he　is　a　new　animal；　aris