第68章
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  “Now。”saidmyfriend,“whatweregardasexaltationofthelandscapemaybereallysuch,asrespectsonlythemoralorhumanpointofview。Eachalterationofthenaturalscenerymaypossiblyeffectablemishinthepicture,ifwecansupposethispictureviewedatlargeinmassfromsomepointdistantfromtheearth’ssurface,althoughnotbeyondthelimitsofitsatmosphere。Itiseasilyunderstoodthatwhatmightimproveacloselyscrutinizeddetail,mayatthesametimeinjureageneralormoredistantlyobservedeffect。

  Theremaybeaclassofbeings,humanonce,butnowinvisibletohumanity,towhom,fromafar,ourdisordermayseemorderourunpicturesquenesspicturesque,inaword,theearth-angels,forwhosescrutinymoreespeciallythanourown,andforwhosedeathrefinedappreciationofthebeautiful,mayhavebeensetinarraybyGodthewidelandscape-gardensofthehemispheres。”

  Inthecourseofdiscussion,myfriendquotedsomepassagesfromawriteronlandscape-gardeningwhohasbeensupposedtohavewelltreatedhistheme:

  “Thereareproperlybuttwostylesoflandscape-gardening,thenaturalandtheartificial。Oneseekstorecalltheoriginalbeautyofthecountry,byadaptingitsmeanstothesurroundingscenery,cultivatingtreesinharmonywiththehillsorplainoftheneighboringland;detectingandbringingintopracticethosenicerelationsofsize,proportion,andcolorwhich,hidfromthecommonobserver,arerevealedeverywheretotheexperiencedstudentofnature。Theresultofthenaturalstyleofgardening,isseenratherintheabsenceofalldefectsandincongruitiesintheprevalenceofahealthyharmonyandorderthaninthecreationofanyspecialwondersormiracles。Theartificialstylehasasmanyvarietiesastherearedifferenttastestogratify。Ithasacertaingeneralrelationtothevariousstylesofbuilding。TherearethestatelyavenuesandretirementsofVersailles;Italianterraces;andavariousmixedoldEnglishstyle,whichbearssomerelationtothedomesticGothicorEnglishElizabethanarchitecture。Whatevermaybesaidagainsttheabusesoftheartificiallandscapegardening,amixtureofpureartinagardensceneaddstoitagreatbeauty。Thisispartlypleasingtotheeye,bytheshowoforderanddesign,andpartlymoral。Aterrace,withanoldmosscoveredbalustrade,callsupatoncetotheeyethefairformsthathavepassedthereinotherdays。Theslightestexhibitionofartisanevidenceofcareandhumaninterest。”

  “FromwhatIhavealreadyobserved。”saidEllison,“youwillunderstandthatIrejecttheidea,hereexpressed,ofrecallingtheoriginalbeautyofthecountry。Theoriginalbeautyisneversogreatasthatwhichmaybeintroduced。Ofcourse,everythingdependsontheselectionofaspotwithcapabilities。Whatissaidaboutdetectingandbringingintopracticenicerelationsofsize,proportion,andcolor,isoneofthosemerevaguenessesofspeechwhichservetoveilinaccuracyofthought。Thephrasequotedmaymeananything,ornothing,andguidesinnodegree。Thatthetrueresultofthenaturalstyleofgardeningisseenratherintheabsenceofalldefectsandincongruitiesthaninthecreationofanyspecialwondersormiracles,isapropositionbettersuitedtothegrovellingapprehensionoftheherdthantotheferviddreamsofthemanofgenius。Thenegativemeritsuggestedappertainstothathobblingcriticismwhich,inletters,wouldelevateAddisonintoapotheosis。

  Intruth,whilethatvirtuewhichconsistsinthemereavoidanceofviceappealsdirectlytotheunderstanding,andcanthusbecircumscribedinrule,theloftiervirtue,whichflamesincreation,canbeapprehendedinitsresultsalone。Ruleappliesbuttothemeritsofdenialtotheexcellencieswhichrefrain。Beyondthese,thecriticalartcanbutsuggest。Wemaybeinstructedtobuilda“Cato。”butweareinvaintoldhowtoconceiveaParthenonoran“Inferno。”Thethingdone,however;thewonderaccomplished;andthecapacityforapprehensionbecomesuniversal。Thesophistsofthenegativeschoolwho,throughinabilitytocreate,havescoffedatcreation,arenowfoundtheloudestinapplause。What,initschrysalisconditionofprinciple,affrontedtheirdemurereason,neverfails,initsmaturityofaccomplishment,toextortadmirationfromtheirinstinctofbeauty。

  “Theauthor’sobservationsontheartificialstyle。”continuedEllison,“arelessobjectionable。Amixtureofpureartinagardensceneaddstoitagreatbeauty。Thisisjust;asalsoisthereferencetothesenseofhumaninterest。Theprincipleexpressedisincontrovertiblebuttheremaybesomethingbeyondit。Theremaybeanobjectinkeepingwiththeprincipleanobjectunattainablebythemeansordinarilypossessedbyindividuals,yetwhich,ifattained,wouldlendacharmtothelandscape-gardenfarsurpassingthatwhichasenseofmerelyhumaninterestcouldbestow。Apoet,havingveryunusualpecuniaryresources,might,whileretainingthenecessaryideaofartorculture,or,asourauthorexpressesit,ofinterest,soimbuehisdesignsatoncewithextentandnoveltyofbeauty,astoconveythesentimentofspiritualinterference。Itwillbeseenthat,inbringingaboutsuchresult,hesecuresalltheadvantagesofinterestordesign,whilerelievinghisworkoftheharshnessortechnicalityoftheworldlyart。Inthemostruggedofwildernessesinthemostsavageofthescenesofpurenature

  thereisapparenttheartofacreator;yetthisartisapparenttoreflectiononly;innorespecthasittheobviousforceofafeeling。

  NowletussupposethissenseoftheAlmightydesigntobeonestepdepressedtobebroughtintosomethinglikeharmonyorconsistencywiththesenseofhumanarttoformanintermediumbetweenthetwo:letusimagine,forexample,alandscapewhosecombinedvastnessanddefinitivenesswhoseunitedbeauty,magnificence,andstrangeness,shallconveytheideaofcare,orculture,orsuperintendence,onthepartofbeingssuperior,yetakintohumanitythenthesentimentofinterestispreserved,whiletheartintervolvedismadetoassumetheairofanintermediateorsecondarynatureanaturewhichisnotGod,noranemanationfromGod,butwhichstillisnatureinthesenseofthehandiworkoftheangelsthathoverbetweenmanandGod。”

  Itwasindevotinghisenormouswealthtotheembodimentofavisionsuchasthisinthefreeexerciseintheopenairensuredbythepersonalsuperintendenceofhisplansintheunceasingobjectwhichtheseplansaffordedinthehighspiritualityoftheobjectinthecontemptofambitionwhichitenabledhimtrulytofeel

  intheperennialspringswithwhichitgratified,withoutpossibilityofsatiating,thatonemasterpassionofhissoul,thethirstforbeauty,aboveall,itwasinthesympathyofawoman,notunwomanly,whoselovelinessandloveenvelopedhisexistenceinthepurpleatmosphereofParadise,thatEllisonthoughttofind,andfound,exemptionfromtheordinarycaresofhumanity,withafargreateramountofpositivehappinessthaneverglowedintheraptday-dreamsofDeStael。

  Idespairofconveyingtothereaderanydistinctconceptionofthemarvelswhichmyfrienddidactuallyaccomplish。Iwishtodescribe,butamdisheartenedbythedifficultyofdescription,andhesitatebetweendetailandgenerality。Perhapsthebettercoursewillbetounitethetwointheirextremes。

  Mr。Ellison’sfirststepregarded,ofcourse,thechoiceofalocality,andscarcelyhadhecommencedthinkingonthispoint,whentheluxuriantnatureofthePacificIslandsarrestedhisattention。

  Infact,hehadmadeuphismindforavoyagetotheSouthSeas,whenanight’sreflectioninducedhimtoabandontheidea。“WereI

  misanthropic。”hesaid,“suchalocalewouldsuitme。Thethoroughnessofitsinsulationandseclusion,andthedifficultyofingressandegress,wouldinsuchcasebethecharmofcharms;butasyetIamnotTimon。Iwishthecomposurebutnotthedepressionofsolitude。Theremustremainwithmeacertaincontrolovertheextentanddurationofmyrepose。TherewillbefrequenthoursinwhichI

  shallneed,too,thesympathyofthepoeticinwhatIhavedone。Letmeseek,then,aspotnotfarfromapopulouscitywhosevicinity,also,willbestenablemetoexecutemyplans。”

  Insearchofasuitableplacesosituated,Ellisontravelledforseveralyears,andIwaspermittedtoaccompanyhim。AthousandspotswithwhichIwasenrapturedherejectedwithouthesitation,forreasonswhichsatisfiedme,intheend,thathewasright。Wecameatlengthtoanelevatedtable-landofwonderfulfertilityandbeauty,affordingapanoramicprospectverylittlelessinextentthanthatofAetna,and,inEllison’sopinionaswellasmyown,surpassingthefar-famedviewfromthatmountaininallthetrueelementsofthepicturesque。

  “Iamaware。”saidthetraveller,ashedrewasighofdeepdelightaftergazingonthisscene,entranced,fornearlyanhour,“Iknowthathere,inmycircumstances,nine-tenthsofthemostfastidiousofmenwouldrestcontent。Thispanoramaisindeedglorious,andI

  shouldrejoiceinitbutfortheexcessofitsglory。ThetasteofallthearchitectsIhaveeverknownleadsthem,forthesakeof’prospect,’toputupbuildingsonhill-tops。Theerrorisobvious。

  Grandeurinanyofitsmoods,butespeciallyinthatofextent,startles,excitesandthenfatigues,depresses。Fortheoccasionalscenenothingcanbebetterfortheconstantviewnothingworse。

  And,intheconstantview,themostobjectionablephaseofgrandeuristhatofextent;theworstphaseofextent,thatofdistance。Itisatwarwiththesentimentandwiththesenseofseclusionthesentimentandsensewhichweseektohumorin’retiringtothecountry。’Inlookingfromthesummitofamountainwecannothelpfeelingabroadintheworld。Theheart-sickavoiddistantprospectsasapestilence。”

  ItwasnotuntiltowardthecloseofthefourthyearofoursearchthatwefoundalocalitywithwhichEllisonprofessedhimselfsatisfied。Itis,ofcourse,needlesstosaywherewasthelocality。

  Thelatedeathofmyfriend,incausinghisdomaintobethrownopentocertainclassesofvisiters,hasgiventoArnheimaspeciesofsecretandsubduedifnotsolemncelebrity,similarinkind,althoughinfinitelysuperiorindegree,tothatwhichsolongdistinguishedFonthill。

  TheusualapproachtoArnheimwasbytheriver。Thevisiterleftthecityintheearlymorning。Duringtheforenoonhepassedbetweenshoresofatranquilanddomesticbeauty,onwhichgrazedinnumerablesheep,theirwhitefleecesspottingthevividgreenofrollingmeadows。Bydegreestheideaofcultivationsubsidedintothatofmerelypastoralcare。Thisslowlybecamemergedinasenseofretirementthisagaininaconsciousnessofsolitude。Astheeveningapproached,thechannelgrewmorenarrow,thebanksmoreandmoreprecipitous;andtheselatterwereclothedinrich,moreprofuse,andmoresombrefoliage。Thewaterincreasedintransparency。Thestreamtookathousandturns,sothatatnomomentcoulditsgleamingsurfacebeseenforagreaterdistancethanafurlong。Ateveryinstantthevesselseemedimprisonedwithinanenchantedcircle,havinginsuperableandimpenetrablewallsoffoliage,aroofofultramarinesatin,andnofloorthekeelbalancingitselfwithadmirablenicetyonthatofaphantombarkwhich,bysomeaccidenthavingbeenturnedupsidedown,floatedinconstantcompanywiththesubstantialone,forthepurposeofsustainingit。Thechannelnowbecameagorgealthoughthetermissomewhatinapplicable,andIemployitmerelybecausethelanguagehasnowordwhichbetterrepresentsthemoststrikingnotthemostdistinctive-featureofthescene。Thecharacterofgorgewasmaintainedonlyintheheightandparallelismoftheshores;itwaslostaltogetherintheirothertraits。Thewallsoftheravinethroughwhichtheclearwaterstilltranquillyflowedarosetoanelevationofahundredandoccasionallyofahundredandfiftyfeet,andinclinedsomuchtowardeachotheras,inagreatmeasure,toshutoutthelightofday;whilethelongplume-likemosswhichdependeddenselyfromtheintertwiningshrubberiesoverhead,gavethewholechasmanairoffunerealgloom。Thewindingsbecamemorefrequentandintricate,andseemedoftenasifreturninginuponthemselves,sothatthevoyagerhadlonglostallideaofdirection。

  Hewas,moreover,enwraptinanexquisitesenseofthestrange。Thethoughtofnaturestillremained,buthercharacterseemedtohaveundergonemodification,therewasaweirdsymmetry,athrillinguniformity,awizardproprietyintheseherworks。Notadeadbranchnotawitheredleafnotastraypebblenotapatchofthebrownearthwasanywherevisible。Thecrystalwaterwelledupagainstthecleangranite,ortheunblemishedmoss,withasharpnessofoutlinethatdelightedwhileitbewilderedtheeye。

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