友情提示:如果本网页打开太慢或显示不完整,请尝试鼠标右键“刷新”本网页!
恐怖书库 返回本书目录 加入书签 我的书架 我的书签 TXT全本下载 『收藏到我的浏览器』

lavengro-第45部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完,想下次继续接着阅读,可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能!



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 

str
返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 2 2
快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
温馨提示: 温看小说的同时发表评论,说出自己的看法和其它小伙伴们分享也不错哦!发表书评还可以获得积分和经验奖励,认真写原创书评 被采纳为精评可以获得大量金币、积分和经验奖励哦!