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lavengro-第45部分
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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
str
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