over the teacups-第16章

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were　breastpins　for　the　Titans　to　wear；　and　on　their　polished

surfaces　were　engraved　in　imperishable　characters　the　records　they

were　erected　to　preserve。



Europe　and　America　borrow　these　noble　productions　of　African　art　and

power；　and　find　them　hard　enough　to　handle　after　they　have　succeeded

in　transporting　them　to　Rome；　or　London；　or　New　York。　　Their

simplicity；　grandeur；　imperishability；　speaking　symbolism；　shame　all

the　pretentious　and　fragile　works　of　human　art　around　them。　　The

obelisk　has　no　joints　for　the　destructive　agencies　of　nature　to

attack；　the　pyramid　has　no　masses　hanging　in　unstable　equilibrium；

and　threatening　to　fall　by　their　own　weight　in　the　course　of　a

thousand　or　two　years。



America　says　the　Father　of　his　Country　must　have　a　monument　worthy　of

his　exalted　place　in　history。　　What　shall　it　be？　　A　temple　such　as

Athens　might　have　been　proud　to　rear　upon　her　Acropolis？　　An　obelisk

such　as　Thebes　might　have　pointed　out　with　pride　to　the　strangers　who

found　admission　through　her　hundred　gates？　　After　long　meditation　and

the　rejection　of　the　hybrid　monstrosities　with　which　the　nation　was

menaced；　an　obelisk　is　at　last　decided　upon。　　How　can　it　be　made

grand　and　dignified　enough　to　be　equal　to　the　office　assigned　it？　　We

dare　not　attempt　to　carve　a　single　stone　from　the　living　rock；all

our　modern　appliances　fail　to　make　the　task　as　easy　to　us　as　it　seems

to　have　been　to　the　early　Egyptians。　　No　artistic　skill　is　required

in　giving　a　four…square　tapering　figure　to　a　stone　column。　　If　we

cannot　shape　a　solid　obelisk　of　the　proper　dimensions；　we　can　build

one　of　separate　blocks。　　How　can　we　give　it　the　distinction　we　demand

for　it？　　The　nation　which　can　brag　that　it　has　〃the　biggest　show　on

earth〃　cannot　boast　a　great　deal　in　the　way　of　architecture；　but　it

can　do　one　thing；it　can　build　an　obelisk　that　shall　be　taller　than

any　structure　now　standing　which　the　hand　of　man　has　raised。　　Build

an　obelisk！　　How　different　the　idea　of　such　a　structure　from　that　of

the　unbroken；　unjointed　prismatic　shaft；　one　perfect　whole；　as

complete　in　itself；　as　fitly　shaped　and　consolidated　to　defy　the

elements；　as　the　towering　palm　or　the　tapering　pine！　　Well；　we　had

the　satisfaction　for　a　time　of　claiming　the　tallest　structure　in　the

world；　and　now　that　the　new　Tower　of　Babel　which　has　sprung　up　in

Paris　has　killed　that　pretention；　I　think　we　shall　feel　and　speak

more　modestly　about　our　stone　hyperbole；　our　materialization　of　the

American　love　of　the　superlative。　　We　have　the　higher　civilization

among　us；　and　we　must　try　to　keep　down　the　forth…putting　instincts　of

the　lower。　　We　do　not　want　to　see　our　national　monument　placarded　as

〃the　greatest　show　on　earth；〃　perhaps　it　is　well　that　it　is　taken

down　from　that　bad　eminence。



I　do　not　think　that　this　speech　of　mine　was　very　well　received。　　It

appeared　to　jar　somewhat　on　the　nerves　of　the　American　Annex。　　There

was　a　smile　on　the　lips　of　the　other　Annex；the　English　girl；which

she　tried　to　keep　quiet；　but　it　was　too　plain　that　she　enjoyed　my

diatribe。



It　must　be　remembered　that　I　and　the　other　Teacups；　in　common　with

the　rest　of　our　fellow…citizens；　have　had　our　sensibilities　greatly

worked　upon；　our　patriotism　chilled；　our　local　pride　outraged；　by　the

monstrosities　which　have　been　allowed　to　deform　our　beautiful　public

grounds。　　We　have　to　be　very　careful　in　conducting　a　visitor；　say

from　his　marble…fronted　hotel　to　the　City　Hall。　Keep　pretty

straight　along　after　entering　the　Garden；you　will　not　care　to

inspect　the　little　figure　of　the　military　gentleman　to　your　right。　

Yes；　the　Cochituate　water　is　drinkable；　but　I　think　I　would　not　turn

aside　to　visit　that　small　fabric　which　makes　believe　it　is　a　temple；

and　is　a　weak…eyed　fountain　feebly　weeping　over　its　own

insignificance。　　About　that　other　stone　misfortune；　cruelly　reminding

us　of　the　〃Boston　Massacre；〃　we　will　not　discourse；　it　is　not

imposing；　and　is　rarely　spoken　of。



What　a　mortification　to　the　inhabitants　of　a　city　with　some

hereditary　and　contemporary　claims　to　cultivation；　which　has　noble

edifices；　grand　libraries；　educational　institutions　of　the　highest

grade；　an　art…gallery　filled　with　the　finest　models　and　rich　in

paintings　and　statuary；a　stately　city　that　stretches　both　arms

across　the　Charles　to　clasp　the　hands　of　Harvard；　her　twin…sister；

each　lending　lustre　to　the　other　like　double　stars；what　a　pity　that

she　should　be　so　disfigured　by　crude　attempts　to　adorn　her　and

commemorate　her　past　that　her　most　loving　children　blush　for　her

artificial　deformities　amidst　the　wealth　of　her　natural　beauties！

One　hardly　knows　which　to　groan　over　most　sadly；the　tearing　down　of

old　monuments；　the　shelling　of　the　Parthenon；　the　overthrow　of　the

pillared　temples　of　Rome；　and　in　a　humbler　way　the　destruction　of　the

old　Hancock　house；　or　the　erection　of　monuments　which　are　to　be　a

perpetual　eyesore　to　ourselves　and　our　descendants。



We　got　talking　on　the　subject　of　realism；　of　which　so　much　has　been

said　of　late。



It　seems　to　me；　I　said；　that　the　great　additions　which　have　been　made

by　realism　to　the　territory　of　literature　consist　largely　in　swampy；

malarious；　ill…smelling　patches　of　soil　which　had　previously　been

left　to　reptiles　and　vermin。　　It　is　perfectly　easy　to　be　original　by

violating　the　laws　of　decency　and　the　canons　of　good　taste。　　The

general　consent　of　civilized　people　was　supposed　to　have　banished

certain　subjects　from　the　conversation　of　well…bred　people　and　the

pages　of　respectable　literature。　　There　is　no　subject；　or　hardly　any；

which　may　not　be　treated　of　at　the　proper　time；　in　the　proper　place；

by　the　fitting　person；　for　the　right　kind　of　listener　or　reader。　　But

when　the　poet　or　the　story…teller　invades　the　province　of　the　man　of

science；　he　is　on　dangerous　ground。　　I　need　say　nothing　of　the

blunders　he　is　pretty　sure　to　make。　　The　imaginative　writer　is　after

effects。　　The　scientific　man　is　after　truth。　　Science　is　decent；

modest；　does　not　try　to　startle；　but　to　instruct。　　The　same　scenes

and　objects　which　outrage　every　sense　of　delicacy　in　the　story

teller's　highly　colored　paragraphs　can　be　read　without　giving　offence

in　the　chaste　language　of　the　physiologist　or　the　physician。



There　is　a　very　celebrated　novel；　〃Madame　Bovary；〃　the　work　of　M。

Flaubert；　which　is　noted　for　having　been　the　subject　of　prosecution

as　an　immoral　work。　　That　it　has　a　serious　lesson　there　is　no　doubt；

if　one　will　drink　down　to　the　bottom　of　the　cup。　　But　the　honey　of

sensuous　description　is　spread　so　deeply　over　the　surface　of　the

goblet　that　a　large　proportion　of　its　readers　never　think　of　its

holding　anything　else。　　All　the　phases　of　unhallowed　passion　are

described　in　full　detail。　　That　is　what　the　book　is　bought　and　read

for；　by　the　great　majority　of　its　purchasers；　as　all　but　simpletons

very　well　know。　　That　is　what　makes　it　sell　and　brought　it　into　the

courts　of　justice。　　This　book　is　famous　for　its　realism；　in　fact；　it

is　recognized　as　one　of　the　earliest　and　most　brilliant　examples　of

that　modern　style　of　novel　which；　beginning　where　Balzac　left　off；

attempted　to　do　for　literature　what　the　photograph　has　done　for　art。

For　those　who　take　the　trouble　to　drink　out　of　the　cup　below　the　rim

of　honey；　there　is　a　scene　where　realism　is　carried　to　its　extreme；

surpassed　in　horror　by　no　writer；　unless　it　be　the　one　whose　name

must　be　looked　for　at　the　bottom　of　the　alphabet；　as　if　its　natural

place　were　as　low　down　in　the　dregs　of　realism　as　it　could　find

itself。　　This　is　the　death…bed　scene；　where　Madame　Bovary　expires　in

convulsions。　　The　author　must　have　visited　the　hospitals　for　the

purpose　of　watching　the　terrible　agonies　he　was　to　depict；　tramping

from　one　bed　to　another　until　he　reached　the　one　where　the　cries　and

contortions　were　the　most　frightful。　　Such　a　scene　he　has　reproduced。

No　hospital　physician　would　have　pictured　the　straggle　in　such

colors。　　In　the　same　way；　that　other　realist；　M。　Zola；　has　painted　a

patient　suffering　from　delirium　tremens；　the　disease　known　to　common

speech　as　〃the　horrors。〃　　In　describing　this　case　he　does　all　that

language　can　do　to　make　it　more　horrible　than　the　reality。　　He　gives

us；　not　realism；　but　super…realism；　if　such　a　term　does　not

contradict　itself。



In　this　matter　of　the　literal　reproduction　of　sights　and　scenes　which

our　natural　instinct　and　our　better　informed　taste　and　judgment　teach

us　to　avoid；　art　has　been　far　in　advance　of　literature。　　It　is　three

hundred　years　since　Joseph　Ribera；　more　commonly　known　as

Spagnoletto；　was　born　in　the　province　Valencia；　in　Spain。　　We　had　the

misfortune　of　seeing　a　painting　of　his　in　a　collection　belonging　to

one　of　the　French　princes；　and　exhibited　at　the　Art　Museum。　　It　was

that　of　a　man　performing　upon　himself　the　operation　known　to　the

Japanese　as　hararkiri。　　Many　persons　who　looked　upon　this　revolting

picture　will　never　get　rid　of　its　remembrance；　and　will　regret　the

day　when　their　eyes　fell　upon　it。　　I　should　share　the　offence　of　the

painter　if　I　ventured　to　describe　it。　　Ribera　was　fond　of　depicting

just　such　odious　and　frightful　subjects。　　〃Saint　Lawrence　writhing　on

his　gridiron；　Saint　Sebastian　full　of　arrows；　were　equally　a　source

of　delight　to　him。　　Even　in　subjects　which　had　no　such　elements　of

horror　he　finds　the　materials　for　the　delectation　of　his　ferocious

pencil；　he　makes　up　for　the　defect　by　rendering　with　a　brutal　realism

deformity　and　ugliness。〃



The　first　great　mistake　made　by　the　ultra…realists；　like　Flaubert　and

Zola；　is；　as　I　have　said；　their　ignoring　the　line　of　distinction

between　imaginative　art　and　science。　　We　can　find　realism　enough　in

books　of　anatomy；　surgery；　and　medicine。　　In　studying　the　human

figure；　we　want　to　see　it　clothed　with　its　natural　integuments。　　It

is　well　for　the　artist　to　study　the　ecorche　in　the　dissecting…room；

but　we　do　not　want　the　Apollo　or　the　Venus　to　leave　their　skins

behind　them　when　they　go　into　the　gallery　for　exhibition。　　Lancisi's

figures　show　us　how　the　great　statues　look　when　divested　of　their

natural　covering。　　It　is　instructive；　but　useful　chiefly　as　a　means

to　aid　in　the　true　artistic　reproduction　of　nature。　　When　the；

hospitals　are　invaded　by　the　novelist；　he　should　learn　something　from

the　physician　as　well　as　from　the　patients。　　Science　delineates　in

monochrome。　　She　never　uses　high　tints　and　strontian　lights　to

astonish　lookers…on。　　Such　scenes　as　Flaubert　and　Zola　describe　would

be　reproduced　in　their　essential　characters；　but　not　dressed　up　in

picturesque　phrases。　　That　is　the　first　stumbling…block　in　the　way　of

the　reader　of　such　realistic　stories　as　those　to　which　I　have

referred。　　There　are　subjects　which　must　be　investigated　by

scientific　men　which　most　educated　persons　would　be　glad　to　know

nothing　about。　　When　a　realistic　writer　like　Zola　surprises　his

reader　into　a　kind