ADIALOGUE。Persons:CyrilandVivian。Scene:theLibraryofacountryhouseinNottinghamshire。
CYRIL(cominginthroughtheopenwindowfromtheterrace)。MydearVivian,don’tcoopyourselfupalldayinthelibrary。Itisaperfectlylovelyafternoon。Theairisexquisite。Thereisamistuponthewoods,likethepurplebloomuponaplum。LetusgoandlieonthegrassandsmokecigarettesandenjoyNature。
VIVIAN。EnjoyNature!IamgladtosaythatIhaveentirelylostthatfaculty。PeopletellusthatArtmakesusloveNaturemorethanwelovedherbefore;thatitrevealshersecretstous;andthatafteracarefulstudyofCorotandConstableweseethingsinherthathadescapedourobservation。MyownexperienceisthatthemorewestudyArt,thelesswecareforNature。WhatArtreallyrevealstousisNature’slackofdesign,hercuriouscrudities,herextraordinarymonotony,herabsolutelyunfinishedcondition。Naturehasgoodintentions,ofcourse,but,asAristotleoncesaid,shecannotcarrythemout。WhenIlookatalandscapeIcannothelpseeingallitsdefects。Itisfortunateforus,however,thatNatureissoimperfect,asotherwiseweshouldhavenoartatall。Artisourspiritedprotest,ourgallantattempttoteachNatureherproperplace。AsfortheinfinitevarietyofNature,thatisapuremyth。ItisnottobefoundinNatureherself。Itresidesintheimagination,orfancy,orcultivatedblindnessofthemanwholooksather。
CYRIL。Well,youneednotlookatthelandscape。Youcanlieonthegrassandsmokeandtalk。
VIVIAN。ButNatureissouncomfortable。Grassishardandlumpyanddamp,andfullofdreadfulblackinsects。Why,evenMorris’spoorestworkmancouldmakeyouamorecomfortableseatthanthewholeofNaturecan。Naturepalesbeforethefurnitureof’thestreetwhichfromOxfordhasborroweditsname,’asthepoetyoulovesomuchoncevilelyphrasedit。Idon’tcomplain。IfNaturehadbeencomfortable,mankindwouldneverhaveinventedarchitecture,andIpreferhousestotheopenair。Inahouseweallfeeloftheproperproportions。Everythingissubordinatedtous,fashionedforouruseandourpleasure。Egotismitself,whichissonecessarytoapropersenseofhumandignity,isentirelytheresultofindoorlife。Outofdoorsonebecomesabstractandimpersonal。One’sindividualityabsolutelyleavesone。AndthenNatureissoindifferent,sounappreciative。WheneverIamwalkingintheparkhere,IalwaysfeelthatIamnomoretoherthanthecattlethatbrowseontheslope,ortheburdockthatbloomsintheditch。NothingismoreevidentthanthatNaturehatesMind。
Thinkingisthemostunhealthythingintheworld,andpeopledieofitjustastheydieofanyotherdisease。Fortunately,inEnglandatanyrate,thoughtisnotcatching。Oursplendidphysiqueasapeopleisentirelyduetoournationalstupidity。I
onlyhopeweshallbeabletokeepthisgreathistoricbulwarkofourhappinessformanyyearstocome;butIamafraidthatwearebeginningtobeover-educated;atleasteverybodywhoisincapableoflearninghastakentoteaching-thatisreallywhatourenthusiasmforeducationhascometo。Inthemeantime,youhadbettergobacktoyourwearisomeuncomfortableNature,andleavemetocorrectmyproofs。
CYRIL。Writinganarticle!Thatisnotveryconsistentafterwhatyouhavejustsaid。
VIVIAN。Whowantstobeconsistent?Thedullardandthedoctrinaire,thetediouspeoplewhocarryouttheirprinciplestothebitterendofaction,totheREDUCTIOADABSURDUMofpractice。
NotI。LikeEmerson,Iwriteoverthedoorofmylibrarytheword’Whim。’Besides,myarticleisreallyamostsalutaryandvaluablewarning。Ifitisattendedto,theremaybeanewRenaissanceofArt。
CYRIL。Whatisthesubject?
VIVIAN。Iintendtocallit’TheDecayofLying:AProtest。’
CYRIL。Lying!Ishouldhavethoughtthatourpoliticianskeptupthathabit。
VIVIAN。Iassureyouthattheydonot。Theyneverrisebeyondthelevelofmisrepresentation,andactuallycondescendtoprove,todiscuss,toargue。Howdifferentfromthetemperofthetrueliar,withhisfrank,fearlessstatements,hissuperbirresponsibility,hishealthy,naturaldisdainofproofofanykind!Afterall,whatisafinelie?Simplythatwhichisitsownevidence。Ifamanissufficientlyunimaginativetoproduceevidenceinsupportofalie,hemightjustaswellspeakthetruthatonce。No,thepoliticianswon’tdo。Somethingmay,perhaps,beurgedonbehalfoftheBar。
ThemantleoftheSophisthasfallenonitsmembers。Theirfeignedardoursandunrealrhetoricaredelightful。Theycanmaketheworseappearthebettercause,asthoughtheywerefreshfromLeontineschools,andhavebeenknowntowrestfromreluctantjuriestriumphantverdictsofacquittalfortheirclients,evenwhenthoseclients,asoftenhappens,wereclearlyandunmistakeablyinnocent。Buttheyarebriefedbytheprosaic,andarenotashamedtoappealtoprecedent。Inspiteoftheirendeavours,thetruthwillout。Newspapers,even,havedegenerated。Theymaynowbeabsolutelyreliedupon。Onefeelsitasonewadesthroughtheircolumns。Itisalwaystheunreadablethatoccurs。Iamafraidthatthereisnotmuchtobesaidinfavourofeitherthelawyerorthejournalist。Besides,whatIampleadingforisLyinginart。ShallIreadyouwhatIhavewritten?Itmightdoyouagreatdealofgood。
CYRIL。Certainly,ifyougivemeacigarette。Thanks。Bytheway,whatmagazinedoyouintenditfor?
VIVIAN。FortheRETROSPECTIVEREVIEW。IthinkItoldyouthattheelecthadrevivedit。
CYRIL。Whomdoyoumeanby’theelect’?
VIVIAN。Oh,TheTiredHedonists,ofcourse。ItisaclubtowhichIbelong。Wearesupposedtowearfadedrosesinourbutton-holeswhenwemeet,andtohaveasortofcultforDomitian。Iamafraidyouarenoteligible。Youaretoofondofsimplepleasures。
CYRIL。Ishouldbeblack-balledonthegroundofanimalspirits,I
suppose?
VIVIAN。Probably。Besides,youarealittletooold。Wedon’tadmitanybodywhoisoftheusualage。
CYRIL。Well,Ishouldfancyyouareallagooddealboredwitheachother。
VIVIAN。Weare。Thisisoneoftheobjectsoftheclub。Now,ifyoupromisenottointerrupttoooften,Iwillreadyoumyarticle。
CYRIL。Youwillfindmeallattention。
VIVIAN(readinginaveryclear,musicalvoice)。THEDECAYOF
LYING:APROTEST-OneofthechiefcausesthatcanbeassignedforthecuriouslycommonplacecharacterofmostoftheliteratureofourageisundoubtedlythedecayofLyingasanart,ascience,andasocialpleasure。Theancienthistoriansgaveusdelightfulfictionintheformoffact;themodemnovelistpresentsuswithdullfactsundertheguiseoffiction。TheBlue-Bookisrapidlybecominghisidealbothformethodandmanner。HehashistediousDOCUMENTHUMAIN,hismiserablelittleCOINDELACREATION,intowhichhepeerswithhismicroscope。HeistobefoundattheLibrairieNationale,orattheBritishMuseum,shamelesslyreadinguphissubject。Hehasnoteventhecourageofotherpeople’sideas,butinsistsongoingdirectlytolifeforeverything,andultimately,betweenencyclopaediasandpersonalexperience,hecomestotheground,havingdrawnhistypesfromthefamilycircleorfromtheweeklywasherwoman,andhavingacquiredanamountofusefulinformationfromwhichnever,eveninhismostmeditativemoments,canhethoroughlyfreehimself。
’Thelosethatresultstoliteratureingeneralfromthisfalseidealofourtimecanhardlybeoverestimated。Peoplehaveacarelesswayoftalkingabouta\"bornliar,\"justastheytalkabouta\"bornpoet。\"Butinbothcasestheyarewrong。Lyingandpoetryarearts-arts,asPintosaw,notunconnectedwitheachother-andtheyrequirethemostcarefulstudy,themostdisinteresteddevotion。Indeed,theyhavetheirtechnique,justasthemorematerialartsofpaintingandsculpturehave,theirsubtlesecretsofformandcolour,theircraft-mysteries,theirdeliberateartisticmethods。Asoneknowsthepoetbyhisfinemusic,soonecanrecognisetheliarbyhisrichrhythmicutterance,andinneithercasewillthecasualinspirationofthemomentsuffice。
Here,aselsewhere,practicemust,precedeperfection。Butinmoderndayswhilethefashionofwritingpoetryhasbecomefartoocommon,andshould,ifpossible,bediscouraged,thefashionoflyinghasalmostfallenintodisrepute。Manyayoungmanstartsinlifewithanaturalgiftforexaggerationwhich,ifnurturedincongenialandsympatheticsurroundings,orbytheimitationofthebestmodels,mightgrowintosomethingreallygreatandwonderful。
But,asarule,hecomestonothing。Heeitherfallsintocarelesshabitsofaccuracy-’
CYRIL。Mydearfellow!
VIVIAN。Pleasedon’tinterruptinthemiddleofasentence。’Heeitherfallsintocarelesshabitsofaccuracy,ortakestofrequentingthesocietyoftheagedandthewell-informed。Boththingsareequallyfataltohisimagination,asindeedtheywouldbefataltotheimaginationofanybody,andinashorttimehedevelopsamorbidandunhealthyfacultyoftruth-telling,beginstoverifyallstatementsmadeinhispresence,hasnohesitationincontradictingpeoplewhoaremuchyoungerthanhimself,andoftenendsbywritingnovelswhicharesolifelikethatnoonecanpossiblybelieveintheirprobability。Thisisnoisolatedinstancethatwearegiving。Itissimplyoneexampleoutofmany;
andifsomethingcannotbedonetocheck,oratleasttomodify,ourmonstrousworshipoffacts,Artwillbecomesterile,andbeautywillpassawayfromtheland。
’EvenMr。RobertLouisStevenson,thatdelightfulmasterofdelicateandfancifulprose,istaintedwiththismodernvice,forweknowpositivelynoothernameforit。Thereissuchathingasrobbingastoryofitsrealitybytryingtomakeittootrue,andTHEBLACKARROWissoinartisticasnottocontainasingleanachronismtoboastof,whilethetransformationofDr。JekyllreadsdangerouslylikeanexperimentoutoftheLANCET。AsforMr。
RiderHaggard,whoreallyhas,orhadonce,themakingsofaperfectlymagnificentliar,heisnowsoafraidofbeingsuspectedofgeniusthatwhenhedoestellusanythingmarvellous,hefeelsboundtoinventapersonalreminiscence,andtoputitintoafootnoteasakindofcowardlycorroboration。Norareourothernovelistsmuchbetter。Mr。HenryJameswritesfictionasifitwereapainfulduty,andwastesuponmeanmotivesandimperceptible’pointsofview\"hisneatliterarystyle,hisfelicitousphrases,hisswiftandcausticsatire。Mr。HallCaine,itistrue,aimsatthegrandiose,butthenhewritesatthetopofhisvoice。Heissoloudthatonecannotbearwhathesays。Mr。JamesPaynisanadeptintheartofconcealingwhatisnotworthfinding。Hehuntsdowntheobviouswiththeenthusiasmofashort-sighteddetective。
Asoneturnsoverthepages,thesuspenseoftheauthorbecomesalmostunbearable。ThehorsesofMr。WilliamBlack’sphaetondonotsoartowardsthesun。Theymerelyfrightentheskyateveningintoviolentchromolithographiceffects。Onseeingthemapproach,thepeasantstakerefugeindialect。Mrs。Oliphantprattlespleasantlyaboutcurates,lawn-tennisparties,domesticity,andotherwearisomethings。Mr。MarionCrawfordhasimmolatedhimselfuponthealtaroflocalcolour。HeisliketheladyintheFrenchcomedywhokeepstalkingabout\"lebeaucield’Italie。\"Besides,hehasfallenintothebadhabitofutteringmoralplatitudes。Heisalwaystellingusthattobegoodistobegood,andthattobebadistobewicked。Attimesheisalmostedifying。ROBERT
ELSMEREisofcourseamasterpiece-amasterpieceofthe\"genreennuyeux,\"theoneformofliteraturethattheEnglishpeopleseemsthoroughlytoenjoy。AthoughtfulyoungfriendofoursoncetoldusthatitremindedhimofthesortofconversationthatgoesonatameatteainthehouseofaseriousNonconformistfamily,andwecanquitebelieveit。IndeeditisonlyinEnglandthatsuchabookcouldbeproduced。Englandisthehomeoflostideas。AsforthatgreatanddailyincreasingschoolofnovelistsforwhomthesunalwaysrisesintheEast-End,theonlythingthatcanbesaidaboutthemisthattheyfindlifecrude,andleaveitraw。
’InFrance,thoughnothingsodeliberatelytediousasROBERT
ELSMEREhasbeenproduced,thingsarenotmuchbetter。M。GuydeMaupassant,withhiskeenmordantironyandhishardvividstyle,stripslifeofthefewpoorragsthatstillcoverher,andshowsusfoulsoreandfesteringwound。Hewritesluridlittletragediesinwhicheverybodyisridiculous;bittercomediesatwhichonecannotlaughforverytears。M。Zola,truetotheloftyprinciplethathelaysdowninoneofhispronunciamientosonliterature,\"L’hommedegenien’ajamaisd’esprit,\"isdeterminedtoshowthat,ifhehasnotgotgenius,hecanatleastbedull。Andhowwellhesucceeds!
Heisnotwithoutpower。Indeedattimes,asinGERMINAL,thereissomethingalmostepicinhiswork。Buthisworkisentirelywrongfrombeginningtoend,andwrongnotonthegroundofmorals,butonthegroundofart。Fromanyethicalstandpointitisjustwhatitshouldbe。Theauthorisperfectlytruthful,anddescribesthingsexactlyastheyhappen。Whatmorecananymoralistdesire?
WehavenosympathyatallwiththemoralindignationofourtimeagainstM。Zola。ItissimplytheindignationofTartuffeonbeingexposed。Butfromthestandpointofart,whatcanbesaidinfavouroftheauthorofL’ASSOMMOIR,NANAandPOT-BOUILLE?
Nothing。Mr。RuskinoncedescribedthecharactersinGeorgeEliot’snovelsasbeinglikethesweepingsofaPentonvilleomnibus,butM。Zola’scharactersaremuchworse。Theyhavetheirdrearyvices,andtheirdreariervirtues。Therecordoftheirlivesisabsolutelywithoutinterest。Whocareswhathappenstothem?Inliteraturewerequiredistinction,charm,beautyandimaginativepower。Wedon’twanttobeharrowedanddisgustedwithanaccountofthedoingsofthelowerorders。M。Daudetisbetter。
Hehaswit,alighttouchandanamusingstyle。Buthehaslatelycommittedliterarysuicide。NobodycanpossiblycareforDelobellewithhis\"Ilfautlutterpourl’art,\"orforValmajourwithhiseternalrefrainaboutthenightingale,orforthepoetinJACKwithhis\"motscruels,\"nowthatwehavelearnedfromVINGTANSDEMA
VIELITTERAIREthatthesecharactersweretakendirectlyfromlife。
Toustheyseemtohavesuddenlylostalltheirvitality,allthefewqualitiestheyeverpossessed。Theonlyrealpeoplearethepeoplewhoneverexisted,andifanovelistisbaseenoughtogotolifeforhispersonagesheshouldatleastpretendthattheyarecreations,andnotboastofthemascopies。Thejustificationofacharacterinanovelisnotthatotherpersonsarewhattheyare,butthattheauthoriswhatheis。Otherwisethenovelisnotaworkofart。AsforM。PaulBourget,themasteroftheROMAN
PSYCHOLOGIQUE,hecommitstheerrorofimaginingthatthemenandwomenofmodernlifearecapableofbeinginfinitelyanalysedforaninnumerableseriesofchapters。Inpointoffactwhatisinterestingaboutpeopleingoodsociety-andM。BourgetrarelymovesoutoftheFaubourgSt。Germain,excepttocometoLondon,-
isthemaskthateachoneofthemwears,nottherealitythatliesbehindthemask。Itisahumiliatingconfession,butweareallofusmadeoutofthesamestuff。InFalstaffthereissomethingofHamlet,inHamletthereisnotalittleofFalstaff。Thefatknighthashismoodsofmelancholy,andtheyoungprincehismomentsofcoarsehumour。Wherewedifferfromeachotherispurelyinaccidentals:indress,manner,toneofvoice,religiousopinions,personalappearance,tricksofhabitandthelike。Themoreoneanalysespeople,themoreallreasonsforanalysisdisappear。Soonerorlateronecomestothatdreadfuluniversalthingcalledhumannature。Indeed,asanyonewhohaseverworkedamongthepoorknowsonlytoowell,thebrotherhoodofmanisnomerepoet’sdream,itisamostdepressingandhumiliatingreality;
andifawriterinsistsuponanalysingtheupperclasses,hemightjustaswellwriteofmatch-girlsandcostermongersatonce。’
However,mydearCyril,Iwillnotdetainyouanyfurtherjusthere。Iquiteadmitthatmodernnovelshavemanygoodpoints。AllIinsistonisthat,asaclass,theyarequiteunreadable。
CYRIL。Thatiscertainlyaverygravequalification,butImustsaythatIthinkyouareratherunfairinsomeofyourstrictures。
IlikeTHEDEEMSTER,andTHEDAUGHTEROFHETH,andLEDISCIPLE,andMR。ISAACS,andasforROBERTELSMERE,Iamquitedevotedtoit。
NotthatIcanlookuponitasaseriouswork。AsastatementoftheproblemsthatconfronttheearnestChristianitisridiculousandantiquated。ItissimplyArnold’sLITERATUREANDDOGMAwiththeliteratureleftout。ItisasmuchbehindtheageasPaley’sEVIDENCES,orColenso’smethodofBiblicalexegesis。Norcouldanythingbelessimpressivethantheunfortunateherogravelyheraldingadawnthatroselongago,andsocompletelymissingitstruesignificancethatheproposestocarryonthebusinessoftheoldfirmunderthenewname。Ontheotherhand,itcontainsseveralclevercaricatures,andaheapofdelightfulquotations,andGreen’sphilosophyverypleasantlysugarsthesomewhatbitterpilloftheauthor’sfiction。Ialsocannothelpexpressingmysurprisethatyouhavesaidnothingaboutthetwonovelistswhomyouarealwaysreading,BalzacandGeorgeMeredith。Surelytheyarerealists,bothofthem?
VIVIAN。Ah!Meredith!Whocandefinehim?Hisstyleischaosilluminedbyflashesoflightning。Asawriterhehasmasteredeverythingexceptlanguage:asanovelisthecandoeverything,excepttellastory:asanartistheiseverythingexceptarticulate。SomebodyinShakespeare-Touchstone,Ithink-talksaboutamanwhoisalwaysbreakinghisshinsoverhisownwit,anditseemstomethatthismightserveasthebasisforacriticismofMeredith’smethod。Butwhateverheis,heisnotarealist。OrratherIwouldsaythatheisachildofrealismwhoisnotonspeakingtermswithhisfather。Bydeliberatechoicehehasmadehimselfaromanticist。HehasrefusedtobowthekneetoBaal,andafterall,eveniftheman’sfinespiritdidnotrevoltagainstthenoisyassertionsofrealism,hisstylewouldbequitesufficientofitselftokeeplifeatarespectfuldistance。Byitsmeanshehasplantedroundhisgardenahedgefullofthorns,andredwithwonderfulroses。AsforBalzac,hewasamostremarkablecombinationoftheartistictemperamentwiththescientificspirit。
Thelatterhebequeathedtohisdisciples。Theformerwasentirelyhisown。ThedifferencebetweensuchabookasM。Zola’sL’ASSOMMOIRandBalzac’sILLUSIONSPERDUESisthedifferencebetweenunimaginativerealismandimaginativereality。’AllBalzac’scharacters;’saidBaudelaire,’aregiftedwiththesameardouroflifethatanimatedhimself。Allhisfictionsareasdeeplycolouredasdreams。Eachmindisaweaponloadedtothemuzzlewithwill。Theveryscullionshavegenius。’AsteadycourseofBalzacreducesourlivingfriendstoshadows,andouracquaintancestotheshadowsofshades。Hischaractershaveakindofferventfiery-colouredexistence。Theydominateus,anddefyscepticism。OneofthegreatesttragediesofmylifeisthedeathofLuciendeRubempre。ItisagrieffromwhichIhaveneverbeenablecompletelytoridmyself。Ithauntsmeinmymomentsofpleasure。IrememberitwhenIlaugh。ButBalzacisnomorearealistthanHolbeinwas。Hecreatedlife,hedidnotcopyit。I
admit,however,thathesetfartoohighavalueonmodernityofform,andthat,consequently,thereisnobookofhisthat,asanartisticmasterpiece,canrankwithSALAMMBOorESMOND,orTHE
CLOISTERANDTHEHEARTH,ortheVICOMTEDEBRAGELONNE。
CYRIL。Doyouobjecttomodernityofform,then?
VIVIAN。Yes。Itisahugepricetopayforaverypoorresult。
Puremodernityofformisalwayssomewhatvulgarising。Itcannothelpbeingso。Thepublicimaginethat,becausetheyareinterestedintheirimmediatesurroundings,Artshouldbeinterestedinthemalso,andshouldtakethemashersubject-
matter。ButthemerefactthattheyareinterestedinthesethingsmakesthemunsuitablesubjectsforArt。Theonlybeautifulthings,assomebodyoncesaid,arethethingsthatdonotconcernus。Aslongasathingisusefulornecessarytous,oraffectsusinanyway,eitherforpainorforpleasure,orappealsstronglytooursympathies,orisavitalpartoftheenvironmentinwhichwelive,itisoutsidethepropersphereofart。Toart’ssubject-matterweshouldbemoreorlessindifferent。Weshould,atanyrate,havenopreferences,noprejudices,nopartisanfeelingofanykind。ItisexactlybecauseHecubaisnothingtousthathersorrowsaresuchanadmirablemotiveforatragedy。IdonotknowanythinginthewholehistoryofliteraturesadderthantheartisticcareerofCharlesReade。Hewroteonebeautifulbook,THECLOISTERANDTHE
HEARTH,abookasmuchaboveROMOLAasROMOLAisaboveDANIEL
DERONDA,andwastedtherestofhislifeinafoolishattempttobemodern,todrawpublicattentiontothestateofourconvictprisons,andthemanagementofourprivatelunaticasylums。
CharlesDickenswasdepressingenoughinallconsciencewhenhetriedtoarouseoursympathyforthevictimsofthepoor-lawadministration;butCharlesReade,anartist,ascholar,amanwithatruesenseofbeauty,ragingandroaringovertheabusesofcontemporarylifelikeacommonpamphleteerorasensationaljournalist,isreallyasightfortheangelstoweepover。Believeme,mydearCyril,modernityofformandmodernityofsubject-
matterareentirelyandabsolutelywrong。WehavemistakenthecommonliveryoftheageforthevestureoftheMuses,andspendourdaysinthesordidstreetsandhideoussuburbsofourvilecitieswhenweshouldbeoutonthehillsidewithApollo。
Certainlyweareadegradedrace,andhavesoldourbirthrightforamessoffacts。
CYRIL。Thereissomethinginwhatyousay,andthereisnodoubtthatwhateveramusementwemayfindinreadingapurelymodelnovel,wehaverarelyanyartisticpleasureinre-readingit。Andthisisperhapsthebestroughtestofwhatisliteratureandwhatisnot。Ifonecannotenjoyreadingabookoverandoveragain,thereisnousereadingitatall。ButwhatdoyousayaboutthereturntoLifeandNature?Thisisthepanaceathatisalwaysbeingrecommendedtous。
VIVIAN。IwillreadyouwhatIsayonthatsubject。Thepassagecomeslateroninthearticle,butImayaswellgiveittoyounow:-
’Thepopularcryofourtimeis\"LetusreturntoLifeandNature;
theywillrecreateArtforus,andsendtheredbloodcoursingthroughherveins;theywillshoeherfeetwithswiftnessandmakeherhandstrong。\"But,alas!wearemistakeninouramiableandwell-meaningefforts。Natureisalwaysbehindtheage。AndasforLife,sheisthesolventthatbreaksupArt,theenemythatlayswasteherhouse。’
CYRIL。WhatdoyoumeanbysayingthatNatureisalwaysbehindtheage?
VIVIAN。Well,perhapsthatisrathercryptic。WhatImeanisthis。IfwetakeNaturetomeannaturalsimpleinstinctasopposedtoself-consciousculture,theworkproducedunderthisinfluenceisalwaysold-fashioned,antiquated,andoutofdate。OnetouchofNaturemaymakethewholeworldkin,buttwotouchesofNaturewilldestroyanyworkofArt。If,ontheotherhand,weregardNatureasthecollectionofphenomenaexternaltoman,peopleonlydiscoverinherwhattheybringtoher。Shehasnosuggestionsofherown。Wordsworthwenttothelakes,buthewasneveralakepoet。Hefoundinstonesthesermonshehadalreadyhiddenthere。
Hewentmoralisingaboutthedistrict,buthisgoodworkwasproducedwhenhereturned,nottoNaturebuttopoetry。Poetrygavehim’Laodamia,’andthefinesonnets,andthegreatOde,suchasitis。Naturegavehim’MarthaRay’and’PeterBell,’andtheaddresstoMr。Wilkinson’sspade。
CYRIL。Ithinkthatviewmightbequestioned。Iamratherinclinedtobelievein’theimpulsefromavernalwood,’thoughofcoursetheartisticvalueofsuchanimpulsedependsentirelyonthekindoftemperamentthatreceivesit,sothatthereturntoNaturewouldcometomeansimplytheadvancetoagreatpersonality。Youwouldagreewiththat,Ifancy。However,proceedwithyourarticle。
VIVIAN(READING)。’Artbeginswithabstractdecoration,withpurelyimaginativeandpleasurableworkdealingwithwhatisunrealandnon-existent。Thisisthefirststage。ThenLifebecomesfascinatedwiththisnewwonder,andaskstobeadmittedintothecharmedcircle。Arttakeslifeaspartofherroughmaterial,recreatesit,andrefashionsitinfreshforms,isabsolutelyindifferenttofact,invents,imagines,dreams,andkeepsbetweenherselfandrealitytheimpenetrablebarrierofbeautifulstyle,ofdecorativeoridealtreatment。ThethirdstageiswhenLifegetstheupperhand,anddrivesArtoutintothewilderness。Thatisthetruedecadence,anditisfromthisthatwearenowsuffering。
’TakethecaseoftheEnglishdrama。AtfirstinthehandsofthemonksDramaticArtwasabstract,decorativeandmythological。ThensheenlistedLifeinherservice,andusingsomeoflife’sexternalforms,shecreatedanentirelynewraceofbeings,whosesorrowsweremoreterriblethananysorrowmanhaseverfelt,whosejoyswerekeenerthanlover’sjoys,whohadtherageoftheTitansandthecalmofthegods,whohadmonstrousandmarvelloussins,monstrousandmarvellousvirtues。Tothemshegavealanguagedifferentfromthatofactualuse,alanguagefullofresonantmusicandsweetrhythm,madestatelybysolemncadence,ormadedelicatebyfancifulrhyme,jewelledwithwonderfulwords,andenrichedwithloftydiction。Sheclothedherchildreninstrangeraimentandgavethemmasks,andatherbiddingtheantiqueworldrosefromitsmarbletomb。AnewCaesarstalkedthroughthestreetsofrisenRome,andwithpurplesailandflute-ledoarsanotherCleopatrapasseduptherivertoAntioch。Oldmythandlegendanddreamtookshapeandsubstance。Historywasentirelyre-written,andtherewashardlyoneofthedramatistswhodidnotrecognisethattheobjectofArtisnotsimpletruthbutcomplexbeauty。Inthistheywereperfectlyright。Artitselfisreallyaformofexaggeration;andselection,whichistheveryspiritofart,isnothingmorethananintensifiedmodeofover-emphasis。
’ButLifesoonshatteredtheperfectionoftheform。EveninShakespearewecanseethebeginningoftheend。Itshowsitselfbythegradualbreaking-upoftheblank-verseinthelaterplays,bythepredominancegiventoprose,andbytheover-importanceassignedtocharacterisation。ThepassagesinShakespeare-andtheyaremany-wherethelanguageisuncouth,vulgar,exaggerated,fantastic,obsceneeven,areentirelyduetoLifecallingforanechoofherownvoice,andrejectingtheinterventionofbeautifulstyle,throughwhichaloneshouldlifebesufferedtofindexpression。Shakespeareisnotbyanymeansaflawlessartist。Heistoofondofgoingdirectlytolife,andborrowinglife’snaturalutterance。HeforgetsthatwhenArtsurrendersherimaginativemediumshesurrenderseverything。Goethesays,somewhere-
InderBeschrankungzeigtFsicherstderMeister,\"Itisinworkingwithinlimitsthatthemasterrevealshimself,\"
andthelimitation,theveryconditionofanyartisstyle。
However,weneednotlingeranylongeroverShakespeare’srealism。
THETEMPESTisthemostperfectofpalinodes。Allthatwedesiredtopointoutwas,thatthemagnificentworkoftheElizabethanandJacobeanartistscontainedwithinitselftheseedsofitsowndissolution,andthat,ifitdrewsomeofitsstrengthfromusinglifeasroughmaterial,itdrewallitsweaknessfromusinglifeasanartisticmethod。Astheinevitableresultofthissubstitutionofanimitativeforacreativemedium,thissurrenderofanimaginativeform,wehavethemodernEnglishmelodrama。Thecharactersintheseplaystalkonthestageexactlyastheywouldtalkoffit;theyhaveneitheraspirationsnoraspirates;theyaretakendirectlyfromlifeandreproduceitsvulgaritydowntothesmallestdetail;theypresentthegait,manner,costumeandaccentofrealpeople;theywouldpassunnoticedinathird-classrailwaycarriage。Andyethowwearisometheplaysare!Theydonotsucceedinproducingeventhatimpressionofrealityatwhichtheyaim,andwhichistheironlyreasonforexisting。Asamethod,realismisacompletefailure。
’Whatistrueaboutthedramaandthenovelisnolesstrueaboutthoseartsthatwecallthedecorativearts。ThewholehistoryoftheseartsinEuropeistherecordofthestrugglebetweenOrientalism,withitsfrankrejectionofimitation,itsloveofartisticconvention,itsdisliketotheactualrepresentationofanyobjectinNature,andourownimitativespirit。Wherevertheformerhasbeenparamount,asinByzantium,SicilyandSpain,byactualcontact,orintherestofEuropebytheinfluenceoftheCrusades,wehavehadbeautifulandimaginativeworkinwhichthevisiblethingsoflifearetransmutedintoartisticconventions,andthethingsthatLifehasnotareinventedandfashionedforherdelight。ButwhereverwehavereturnedtoLifeandNature,ourworkhasalwaysbecomevulgar,commonanduninteresting。Moderntapestry,withitsaerialeffects,itselaborateperspective,itsbroadexpansesofwastesky,itsfaithfulandlaboriousrealism,hasnobeautywhatsoever。ThepictorialglassofGermanyisabsolutelydetestable。WearebeginningtoweavepossiblecarpetsinEngland,butonlybecausewehavereturnedtothemethodandspiritoftheEast。Ourrugsandcarpetsoftwentyyearsago,withtheirsolemndepressingtruths,theirinaneworshipofNature,theirsordidreproductionsofvisibleobjects,havebecome,eventothePhilistine,asourceoflaughter。AculturedMahomedanonceremarkedtous,\"YouChristiansaresooccupiedinmisinterpretingthefourthcommandmentthatyouhaveneverthoughtofmakinganartisticapplicationofthesecond。\"Hewasperfectlyright,andthewholetruthofthematteristhis:TheproperschooltolearnartinisnotLifebutArt。’
Andnowletmereadyouapassagewhichseemstometosettlethequestionverycompletely。
’Itwasnotalwaysthus。Weneednotsayanythingaboutthepoets,forthey,withtheunfortunateexceptionofMr。Wordsworth,havebeenreallyfaithfultotheirhighmission,andareuniversallyrecognisedasbeingabsolutelyunreliable。ButintheworksofHerodotus,who,inspiteoftheshallowandungenerousattemptsofmodemscioliststoverifyhishistory,mayjustlybecalledthe\"FatherofLies\";inthepublishedspeechesofCiceroandthebiographiesofSuetonius;inTacitusathisbest;inPliny’sNATURALHISTORY;inHanno’sPERIPLUS;inalltheearlychronicles;
intheLivesoftheSaints;inFroissartandSirThomasMalory;inthetravelsofMarcoPolo;inOlausMagnus,andAldrovandus,andConradLycosthenes,withhismagnificentPRODIGIORUMETOSTENTORUM
CHRONICON;intheautobiographyofBenvenutoCellini;inthememoirsofCasanova;inDefoe’sHISTORYOFTHEPLAGUE;inBoswell’sLIFEOFJOHNSON;inNapoleon’sdespatches,andintheworksofourownCarlyle,whoseFRENCHREVOLUTIONisoneofthemostfascinatinghistoricalnovelseverwritten,factsareeitherkeptintheirpropersubordinateposition,orelseentirelyexcludedonthegeneralgroundofdulness。Now,everythingischanged。Factsarenotmerelyfindingafooting-placeinhistory,buttheyareusurpingthedomainofFancy,andhaveinvadedthekingdomofRomance。Theirchillingtouchisovereverything。Theyarevulgarisingmankind。ThecrudecommercialismofAmerica,itsmaterialisingspirit,itsindifferencetothepoeticalsideofthings,anditslackofimaginationandofhighunattainableideals,areentirelyduetothatcountryhavingadoptedforitsnationalheroamanwho,accordingtohisownconfession,wasincapableoftellingalie,anditisnottoomuchtosaythatthestoryofGeorgeWashingtonandthecherry-treehasdonemoreharm,andinashorterspaceoftime,thananyothermoraltaleinthewholeofliterature。’
CYRIL。Mydearboy!
VIVIAN。Iassureyouitisthecase,andtheamusingpartofthewholethingisthatthestoryofthecherry-treeisanabsolutemyth。However,youmustnotthinkthatIamtoodespondentabouttheartisticfutureeitherofAmericaorofourowncountry。
Listentothis:-
’Thatsomechangewilltakeplacebeforethiscenturyhasdrawntoitsclosewehavenodoubtwhatsoever。Boredbythetediousandimprovingconversationofthosewhohaveneitherthewittoexaggeratenorthegeniustoromance,tiredoftheintelligentpersonwhosereminiscencesarealwaysbaseduponmemory,whosestatementsareinvariablylimitedbyprobability,andwhoisatanytimeliabletobecorroboratedbythemerestPhilistinewhohappenstobepresent,Societysoonerorlatermustreturntoitslostleader,theculturedandfascinatingliar。Whohewaswhofirst,withouteverhavinggoneouttotherudechase,toldthewanderingcavemenatsunsethowhehaddraggedtheMegatheriumfromthepurpledarknessofitsjaspercave,orslaintheMammothinsinglecombatandbroughtbackitsgildedtusks,wecannottell,andnotoneofourmodernanthropologists,foralltheirmuch-boastedscience,hashadtheordinarycouragetotellus。Whateverwashisnameorrace,hecertainlywasthetruefounderofsocialintercourse。Fortheaimoftheliarissimplytocharm,todelight,togivepleasure。Heistheverybasisofcivilisedsociety,andwithouthimadinner-party,evenatthemansionsofthegreat,isasdullasalectureattheRoyalSociety,oradebateattheIncorporatedAuthors,oroneofMr。Burnand’sfarcicalcomedies。
’Norwillhebewelcomedbysocietyalone。Art,breakingfromtheprison-houseofrealism,willruntogreethim,andwillkisshisfalse,beautifullips,knowingthathealoneisinpossessionofthegreatsecretofallhermanifestations,thesecretthatTruthisentirelyandabsolutelyamatterofstyle;whileLife-poor,probable,uninterestinghumanlife-tiredofrepeatingherselfforthebenefitofMr。HerbertSpencer,scientifichistorians,andthecompilersofstatisticsingeneral,willfollowmeeklyafterhim,andtrytoreproduce,inherownsimpleanduntutoredway,someofthemarvelsofwhichhetalks。
’Nodoubttherewillalwaysbecriticswho,likeacertainwriterintheSATURDAYREVIEW,willgravelycensurethetelleroffairytalesforhisdefectiveknowledgeofnaturalhistory,whowillmeasureimaginativeworkbytheirownlackofanyimaginativefaculty,andwillholduptheirink-stainedhandsinhorrorifsomehonestgentleman,whohasneverbeenfartherthantheyew-treesofhisowngarden,pensafascinatingbookoftravelslikeSirJohnMandeville,or,likegreatRaleigh,writesawholehistoryoftheworld,withoutknowinganythingwhatsoeveraboutthepast。ToexcusethemselvestheywilltryandshelterundertheshieldofhimwhomadeProsperothemagician,andgavehimCalibanandArielashisservants,whoheardtheTritonsblowingtheirhornsroundthecoralreefsoftheEnchantedIsle,andthefairiessingingtoeachotherinawoodnearAthens,wholedthephantomkingsindimprocessionacrossthemistyScottishheath,andhidHecateinacavewiththeweirdsisters。TheywillcalluponShakespeare-
theyalwaysdo-andwillquotethathackneyedpassageforgettingthatthisunfortunateaphorismaboutArtholdingthemirroruptoNature,isdeliberatelysaidbyHamletinordertoconvincethebystandersofhisabsoluteinsanityinallart-matters。’
CYRIL。Ahem!Anothercigarette,please。
VIVIAN。Mydearfellow,whateveryoumaysay,itismerelyadramaticutterance,andnomorerepresentsShakespeare’srealviewsuponartthanthespeechesofIagorepresenthisrealviewsuponmorals。Butletmegettotheendofthepassage:
’Artfindsherownperfectionwithin,andnotoutsideof,herself。
Sheisnottobejudgedbyanyexternalstandardofresemblance。
Sheisaveil,ratherthanamirror。Shehasflowersthatnoforestsknowof,birdsthatnowoodlandpossesses。Shemakesandunmakesmanyworlds,andcandrawthemoonfromheavenwithascarletthread。Hersarethe\"formsmorerealthanlivingman,\"
andhersthegreatarchetypesofwhichthingsthathaveexistencearebutunfinishedcopies。Naturehas,inhereyes,nolaws,nouniformity。Shecanworkmiraclesatherwill,andwhenshecallsmonstersfromthedeeptheycome。Shecanbidthealmond-treeblossominwinter,andsendthesnowupontheripecornfield。AtherwordthefrostlaysitssilverfingerontheburningmouthofJune,andthewingedlionscreepoutfromthehollowsoftheLydianhills。Thedryadspeerfromthethicketasshepassesby,andthebrownfaunssmilestrangelyatherwhenshecomesnearthem。Shehashawk-facedgodsthatworshipher,andthecentaursgallopatherside。’
CYRIL。Ilikethat。Icanseeit。Isthattheend?
VIVIAN。No。Thereisonemorepassage,butitispurelypractical。ItsimplysuggestssomemethodsbywhichwecouldrevivethislostartofLying。
CYRIL。Well,beforeyoureadittome,Ishouldliketoaskyouaquestion。Whatdoyoumeanbysayingthatlife,’poor,probable,uninterestinghumanlife,’willtrytoreproducethemarvelsofart?Icanquiteunderstandyourobjectiontoartbeingtreatedasamirror。Youthinkitwouldreducegeniustothepositionofacrackedlooking-glass。Butyoudon’tmeantosaythatyouseriouslybelievethatLifeimitatesArt,thatLifeinfactisthemirror,andArtthereality?
VIVIAN。CertainlyIdo。Paradoxthoughitmayseem-andparadoxesarealwaysdangerousthings-itisnonethelesstruethatLifeimitatesartfarmorethanArtimitateslife。WehaveallseeninourowndayinEnglandhowacertaincuriousandfascinatingtypeofbeauty,inventedandemphasisedbytwoimaginativepainters,hassoinfluencedLifethatwheneveronegoestoaprivateviewortoanartisticsalononesees,herethemysticeyesofRossetti’sdream,thelongivorythroat,thestrangesquare-cutjaw,theloosenedshadowyhairthathesoardentlyloved,therethesweetmaidenhoodof’TheGoldenStair,’theblossom-likemouthandwearylovelinessofthe’LausAmoris,’thepassion-palefaceofAndromeda,thethinhandsandlithebeautyoftheVivianin’Merlin’sDream。’Andithasalwaysbeenso。A
greatartistinventsatype,andLifetriestocopyit,toreproduceitinapopularform,likeanenterprisingpublisher。
NeitherHolbeinnorVandyckfoundinEnglandwhattheyhavegivenus。Theybroughttheirtypeswiththem,andLifewithherkeenimitativefacultysetherselftosupplythemasterwithmodels。
TheGreeks,withtheirquickartisticinstinct,understoodthis,andsetinthebride’schamberthestatueofHermesorofApollo,thatshemightbearchildrenaslovelyastheworksofartthatshelookedatinherraptureorherpain。TheyknewthatLifegainsfromartnotmerelyspirituality,depthofthoughtandfeeling,soul-turmoilorsoul-peace,butthatshecanformherselfontheverylinesandcoloursofart,andcanreproducethedignityofPheidiasaswellasthegraceofPraxiteles。Hencecametheirobjectiontorealism。Theydislikeditonpurelysocialgrounds。
Theyfeltthatitinevitablymakespeopleugly,andtheywereperfectlyright。Wetrytoimprovetheconditionsoftheracebymeansofgoodair,freesunlight,wholesomewater,andhideousbarebuildingsforthebetterhousingofthelowerorders。Butthesethingsmerelyproducehealth,theydonotproducebeauty。Forthis,Artisrequired,andthetruedisciplesofthegreatartistarenothisstudio-imitators,butthosewhobecomelikehisworksofart,betheyplasticasinGreekdays,orpictorialasinmoderntimes;inaword,LifeisArt’sbest,Art’sonlypupil。
Asitiswiththevisiblearts,soitiswithliterature。Themostobviousandthevulgarestforminwhichthisisshownisinthecaseofthesillyboyswho,afterreadingtheadventuresofJackSheppardorDickTurpin,pillagethestallsofunfortunateapple-
women,breakintosweet-shopsatnight,andalarmoldgentlemenwhoarereturninghomefromthecitybyleapingoutontheminsuburbanlanes,withblackmasksandunloadedrevolvers。Thisinterestingphenomenon,whichalwaysoccursaftertheappearanceofaneweditionofeitherofthebooksIhavealludedto,isusuallyattributedtotheinfluenceofliteratureontheimagination。Butthisisamistake。Theimaginationisessentiallycreative,andalwaysseeksforanewform。Theboy-burglarissimplytheinevitableresultoflife’simitativeinstinct。HeisFact,occupiedasFactusuallyis,withtryingtoreproduceFiction,andwhatweseeinhimisrepeatedonanextendedscalethroughoutthewholeoflife。Schopenhauerhasanalysedthepessimismthatcharacterisesmodernthought,butHamletinventedit。Theworldhasbecomesadbecauseapuppetwasoncemelancholy。TheNihilist,thatstrangemartyrwhohasnofaith,whogoestothestakewithoutenthusiasm,anddiesforwhathedoesnotbelievein,isapurelyliteraryproduct。HewasinventedbyTourgenieff,andcompletedbyDostoieffski。RobespierrecameoutofthepagesofRousseauassurelyasthePeople’sPalaceroseoutoftheDEBRISofanovel。
Literaturealwaysanticipateslife。Itdoesnotcopyit,butmouldsittoitspurpose。Thenineteenthcentury,asweknowit,islargelyaninventionofBalzac。OurLuciensdeRubempre,ourRastignacs,andDeMarsaysmadetheirfirstappearanceonthestageoftheCOMEDIEHUMAINE。Wearemerelycarryingout,withfootnotesandunnecessaryadditions,thewhimorfancyorcreativevisionofagreatnovelist。Ionceaskedalady,whoknewThackerayintimately,whetherhehadhadanymodelforBeckySharp。ShetoldmethatBeckywasaninvention,butthattheideaofthecharacterhadbeenpartlysuggestedbyagovernesswholivedintheneighbourhoodofKensingtonSquare,andwasthecompanionofaveryselfishandricholdwoman。Iinquiredwhatbecameofthegoverness,andsherepliedthat,oddlyenough,someyearsaftertheappearanceofVANITYFAIR,sheranawaywiththenephewoftheladywithwhomshewasliving,andforashorttimemadeagreatsplashinsociety,quiteinMrs。RawdonCrawley’sstyle,andentirelybyMrs。RawdonCrawley’smethods。Ultimatelyshecametogrief,disappearedtotheContinent,andusedtobeoccasionallyseenatMonteCarloandothergamblingplaces。ThenoblegentlemanfromwhomthesamegreatsentimentalistdrewColonelNewcomedied,afewmonthsafterTHENEWCOMERhadreachedafourthedition,withtheword’Adsum’onhislips。ShortlyafterMr。Stevensonpublishedhiscuriouspsychologicalstoryoftransformation,afriendofmine,calledMr。Hyde,wasinthenorthofLondon,andbeinganxioustogettoarailwaystation,tookwhathethoughtwouldbeashortcut,losthisway,andfoundhimselfinanetworkofmean,evil-lookingstreets。Feelingrathernervoushebegantowalkextremelyfast,whensuddenlyoutofanarchwayranachildrightbetweenhislegs。Itfellonthepavement,hetrippedoverit,andtrampleduponit。Beingofcourseverymuchfrightenedandalittlehurt,itbegantoscream,andinafewsecondsthewholestreetwasfullofroughpeoplewhocamepouringoutofthehouseslikeants。Theysurroundedhim,andaskedhimhisname。HewasjustabouttogiveitwhenhesuddenlyrememberedtheopeningincidentinMr。Stevenson’sstory。Hewassofilledwithhorrorathavingrealisedinhisownpersonthatterribleandwell-writtenscene,andathavingdoneaccidentally,thoughinfact,whattheMr。Hydeoffictionhaddonewithdeliberateintent,thatheranawayashardashecouldgo。Hewas,however,verycloselyfollowed,andfinallyhetookrefugeinasurgery,thedoorofwhichhappenedtobeopen,whereheexplainedtoayoungassistant,whohappenedtobethere,exactlywhathadoccurred。Thehumanitariancrowdwereinducedtogoawayonhisgivingthemasmallsumofmoney,andassoonasthecoastwasclearheleft。Ashepassedout,thenameonthebrassdoor-plateofthesurgerycaughthiseye。Itwas’Jekyll。’Atleastitshouldhavebeen。