lavengro-第29章

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produced；　and　the　wondrous　pictures　which　are　to　be　found　there；　

now　I　wish　to　see　Italy；　or　rather　Rome；　the　great　city；　for　I　am　

told　that　in　a　certain　room　there　is　contained　the　grand　miracle　of　

art。'



'And　what　do　you　call　it？'



'The　Transfiguration；　painted　by　one　Rafael；　and　it　is　said　to　be　

the　greatest　work　of　the　greatest　painter　whom　the　world　has　ever　

known。　　I　suppose　it　is　because　everybody　says　so；　that　I　have　such　

a　strange　desire　to　see　it。　　I　have　already　made　myself　well　

acquainted　with　its　locality；　and　think　that　I　could　almost　find　my　

way　to　it　blindfold。　　When　I　have　crossed　the　Tiber；　which；　as　you　

are　aware；　runs　through　Rome；　I　must　presently　turn　to　the　right；　

up　a　rather　shabby　street；　which　communicates　with　a　large　square；　

the　farther　end　of　which　is　entirely　occupied　by　the　front　of　an　

immense　church；　with　a　dome　which　ascends　almost　to　the　clouds；　and　

this　church　they　call　St。　Peter's。'



'Ay；　ay；'　said　I；　'I　have　read　about　that　in　Keysler's　Travels。'



'Before　the　church；　in　the　square；　are　two　fountains；　one　on　either　

side；　casting　up　water　in　showers；　between　them；　in　the　midst；　is　

an　obelisk；　brought　from　Egypt；　and　covered　with　mysterious　

writing；　on　your　right　rises　an　edifice；　not　beautiful　nor　grand；　

but　huge　and　bulky；　where　lives　a　strange　kind　of　priest　whom　men　

call　the　Pope；　a　very　horrible　old　individual；　who　would　fain　keep　

Christ　in　leading　strings；　calls　the　Virgin　Mary　the　Queen　of　

Heaven；　and　himself　God's　Lieutenant…General　upon　earth。'



'Ay；　ay；'　said　I；　'I　have　read　of　him　in　Foxe's　BOOK　OF　MARTYRS。'



'Well；　I　do　not　go　straight　forward　up　the　flight　of　steps　

conducting　into　the　church；　but　I　turn　to　the　right；　and；　passing　

under　the　piazza；　find　myself　in　a　court　of　the　huge　bulky　house；　

and　then　ascend　various　staircases；　and　pass　along　various　

corridors　and　galleries；　all　of　which　I　could　describe　to　you；　

though　I　have　never　seen　them；　at　last　a　door　is　unlocked；　and　we　

enter　a　room　rather　high；　but　not　particularly　large；　communicating　

with　another　room；　into　which；　however；　I　do　not　go；　though　there　

are　noble　things　in　that　second　room　…　immortal　things；　by　immortal　

artists；　amongst　others；　a　grand　piece　of　Correggio；　I　do　not　enter　

it；　for　the　grand　picture　of　the　world　is　not　there；　but　I　stand　

still　immediately　on　entering　the　first　room；　and　I　look　straight　

before　me；　neither　to　the　right　nor　left；　though　there　are　noble　

things　both　on　the　right　and　left；　for　immediately　before　me　at　the　

farther　end；　hanging　against　the　wall；　is　a　picture　which　arrests　

me；　and　I　can　see　nothing　else；　for　that　picture　at　the　farther　end　

hanging　against　the　wall　is　the　picture　of　the　world。　。　。　。'



Yes；　go　thy　way；　young　enthusiast；　and；　whether　to　London　town　or　

to　old　Rome；　may　success　attend　thee；　yet　strange　fears　assail　me　

and　misgivings　on　thy　account。　　Thou　canst　not　rest；　thou　say'st；　

till　thou　hast　seen　the　picture　in　the　chamber　at　old　Rome　hanging　

over　against　the　wall；　ay；　and　thus　thou　dust　exemplify　thy　

weakness　…　thy　strength　too；　it　may　be　…　for　the　one　idea；　

fantastic　yet　lovely；　which　now　possesses　thee；　could　only　have　

originated　in　a　genial　and　fervent　brain。　　Well；　go；　if　thou　must　

go；　yet　it　perhaps　were　better　for　thee　to　bide　in　thy　native　land；　

and　there；　with　fear　and　trembling；　with　groanings；　with　straining　

eyeballs；　toil；　drudge；　slave；　till　thou　hast　made　excellence　thine　

own；　thou　wilt　scarcely　acquire　it　by　staring　at　the　picture　over　

against　the　door　in　the　high　chamber　of　old　Rome。　　Seekest　thou　

inspiration？　thou　needest　it　not；　thou　hast　it　already；　and　it　was　

never　yet　found　by　crossing　the　sea。　　What　hast　thou　to　do　with　old　

Rome；　and　thou　an　Englishman？　　'Did　thy　blood　never　glow　at　the　

mention　of　thy　native　land？'　as　an　artist　merely？　　Yes；　I　trow；　and　

with　reason；　for　thy　native　land　need　not　grudge　old　Rome　her　

'pictures　of　the　world'；　she　has　pictures　of　her　own；　'pictures　of　

England'；　and　is　it　a　new　thing　to　toss　up　caps　and　shout　…　England　

against　the　world？　　Yes；　against　the　world　in　all；　in　all；　in　

science　and　in　arms；　in　minstrel　strain；　and　not　less　in　the　art　

'which　enables　the　hand　to　deceive　the　intoxicated　soul　by　means　of　

pictures。'　　Seek'st　models？　to　Gainsborough　and　Hogarth　turn；　not　

names　of　the　world；　maybe；　but　English　names　…　and　England　against　

the　world！　　A　living　master？　why；　there　he　comes！　thou　hast　had　him　

long；　he　has　long　guided　thy　young　hand　towards　the　excellence　

which　is　yet　far　from　thee；　but　which　thou　canst　attain　if　thou　

shouldst　persist　and　wrestle；　even　as　he　has　done；　'midst　gloom　and　

despondency　…　ay；　and　even　contempt；　he　who　now　comes　up　the　

creaking　stair　to　thy　little　studio　in　the　second　floor　to　inspect　

thy　last　effort　before　thou　departest；　the　little　stout　man　whose　

face　is　very　dark；　and　whose　eye　is　vivacious；　that　man　has　

attained　excellence；　destined　some　day　to　be　acknowledged；　though　

not　till　he　is　cold；　and　his　mortal　part　returned　to　its　kindred　

clay。　　He　has　painted；　not　pictures　of　the　world；　but　English　

pictures；　such　as　Gainsborough　himself　might　have　done；　beautiful　

rural　pieces；　with　trees　which　might　well　tempt　the　wild　birds　to　

perch　upon　them；　thou　needest　not　run　to　Rome；　brother；　where　lives　

the　old　Mariolater；　after　pictures　of　the　world；　whilst　at　home　

there　are　pictures　of　England；　nor　needest　thou　even　go　to　London；　

the　big　city；　in　search　of　a　master；　for　thou　hast　one　at　home　in　

the　old　East　Anglian　town　who　can　instruct　thee　whilst　thou　needest　

instruction：　　better　stay　at　home；　brother；　at　least　for　a　season；　

and　toil　and　strive　'midst　groanings　and　despondency　till　thou　hast　

attained　excellence　even　as　he　has　done　…　the　little　dark　man　with　

the　brown　coat　and　the　top…boots；　whose　name　will　one　day　be　

considered　the　chief　ornament　of　the　old　town；　and　whose　works　will　

at　no　distant　period　rank　amongst　the　proudest　pictures　of　England　

…　and　England　against　the　world！　…　thy　master；　my　brother；　thy；　at　

present；　all　too　little　considered　master　…　Crome。







CHAPTER　XXII







Desire　for　novelty　…　Lives　of　the　lawless　…　Countenances　…　Old　

yeoman　and　dame　…　We　live　near　the　sea　…　Uncouth…looking　volume　…　

The　other　condition　…　Draoitheac　…　A　dilemma　…　The　Antinomian　…　

Lodowick　Muggleton　…　Almost　blind　…　Anders　Vedel。




BUT　to　proceed　with　my　own　story：　　I　now　ceased　all　at　once　to　take　

much　pleasure　in　the　pursuits　which　formerly　interested　me；　I　

yawned　over　Ab　Gwilym；　even　as　I　now　in　my　mind's　eye　perceive　the　

reader　yawning　over　the　present　pages。　　What　was　the　cause　of　this？　

Constitutional　lassitude；　or　a　desire　for　novelty？　　Both　it　is　

probable　had　some　influence　in　the　matter；　but　I　rather　think　that　

the　latter　feeling　was　predominant。　　The　parting　words　of　my　

brother　had　sunk　into　my　mind。　　He　had　talked　of　travelling　in　

strange　regions　and　seeing　strange　and　wonderful　objects；　and　my　

imagination　fell　to　work；　and　drew　pictures　of　adventures　wild　and　

fantastic；　and　I　thought　what　a　fine　thing　it　must　be　to　travel；　

and　I　wished　that　my　father　would　give　me　his　blessing；　and　the　

same　sum　that　he　had　given　my　brother；　and　bid　me　go　forth　into　the　

world；　always　forgetting　that　I　had　neither　talents　nor　energies　at　

this　period　which　would　enable　me　to　make　any　successful　figure　on　

its　stage。



And　then　I　again　sought　up　the　book　which　had　so　captivated　me　in　

my　infancy；　and　I　read　it　through；　and　I　sought　up　others　of　a　

similar　character；　and　in　seeking　for　them　I　met　books　also　of　

adventure；　but　by　no　means　of　a　harmless　description；　lives　of　

wicked　and　lawless　men；　Murray　and　Latroon　…　books　of　singular　

power；　but　of　coarse　and　prurient　imagination　…　books　at　one　time　

highly　in　vogue；　now　deservedly　forgotten；　and　most　difficult　to　be　

found。



And　when　I　had　gone　through　these　books；　what　was　my　state　of　mind？　　

I　had　derived　entertainment　from　their　perusal；　but　they　left　me　

more　listless　and　unsettled　than　before；　and　　really　knew　not　what　

to　do　to　pass　my　time。　　My　philological　studies　had　become　

distasteful；　and　I　had　never　taken　any　pleasure　in　the　duties　of　my　

profession。　　I　sat　behind　my　desk　in　a　state　of　torpor；　my　mind　

almost　as　blank　as　the　paper　before　me；　on　which　I　rarely　traced　a　

line。　　It　was　always　a　relief　to　hear　the　bell　ring；　as　it　afforded　

me　an　opportunity　of　doing　something　which　I　was　yet　capable　of　

doing；　to　rise　and　open　the　door　and　stare　in　the　countenances　of　

the　visitors。　　All　of　a　sudden　I　fell　to　studying　countenances；　and　

soon　flattered　myself　that　I　had　made　considerable　progress　in　the　

science。



'There　is　no　faith　in　countenances；'　said　some　Roman　of　old；　'trust　

anything　but　a　person's　countenance。'　　'Not　trust　a　man's　

countenance？'　say　some　moderns；　'why；　it　is　the　only　thing　in　many　

people　that　we　can　trust；　on　which　account　they　keep　it　most　

assiduously　out　of　the　way。　　Trust　not　a　man's　words　if　you　please；　

or　you　may　come　to　very　erroneous　conclusions；　but　at　all　times　

place　implicit　confidence　in　a　man's　countenance；　in　which　there　is　

no　deceit；　and　of　necessity　there　can　be　none。　　If　people　would　but　

look　each　other　more　in　the　face；　we　should　have　less　cause　to　

complain　of　the　deception　of　the　world；　nothing　so　easy　as　

physiognomy　nor　so　useful。'　　Somewhat　in　this　latter　strain　I　

thought　at　the　time　of　which　I　am　speaking。　　I　am　now　older；　and；　

let　us　hope；　less　presumptuous。　　It　is　true　that　in　the　course　of　

my　life　I　have　scarcely　ever　had　occasion　to　repent　placing　

confidence　in　individuals　whose　countenances　have　prepossessed　me　

in　their　favour；　though　to　how　many　I　may　have　been　unjust；　from　

whose　countenances　I　may　have　drawn　unfavourable　conclusions；　is　

another　matter。



But　it　had　been　decreed　by　that　Fate　which　governs　our　every　action　

that　I　was　soon　to　return　to　my　old　pursuits。　　It　was　written　that　

I　should　not　yet　cease　to　be　Lav…engro；　though　I　had　become；　in　my　

own　opinion；　a　kind　of　Lavater。　　It　is　singular　enough　that　my　

renewed　ardour　for　philology　seems　to　have　been　brought　about　

indirectly　by　my　physiognomical　researches；　in　which　had　I　not　

indulged；　the　event　which　I　am　about　to　relate；　as　far　as　connected　

with　myself；　might　never　have　occurred。　　Amongst　the　various　

countenances　which　I　admitted　during　the　period　of　my　answering　the　

bell；　there　were　two　which　particularly　pleased　me；　and　which　

belonged　to　an　elderly　yeoman　and　his　wife；　whom　some　little　

business　had　brought　to　our　law　sanctuary。　　I　believe　they　

experienced　from　me　some　kindness　and　attention；　which　won　the　old　

people's　hearts。　　So；　one　day；　when　their　little　business　had　been　

brought　to　a　conclusion；　and　they　chanced　to　be　alone　with　me；　who　

was　seated　as　usual　behi