登陆注册
14833700000038

第38章

But he knew, better than I, the uselessness of talking about what people could not see for themselves. He always discouraged me scornfully, even when he thanked me--and he died before even the superficial effect of my work was visible. I went on, however, thinking I could at least be of use to the public, if not to him, in proving his power. My books got talked about a little. The prices of modern pictures, generally, rose, and I was beginning to take some pleasure in a sense of gradual victory, when, fortunately or unfortunately, an opportunity of perfect trial undeceived me at once, and for ever. The Trustees of the National Gallery commissioned me to arrange the Turner drawings there, and permitted me to prepare three hundred examples of his studies from nature, for exhibition at Kensington. At Kensington they were, and are, placed for exhibition; but they are not exhibited, for the room in which they hang is always empty.

Well--this showed me at once, that those ten years of my life had been, in their chief purpose, lost. For that, I did not so much care; I had, at least, learned my own business thoroughly, and should be able, as I fondly supposed, after such a lesson, now to use my knowledge with better effect. But what I did care for was the--to me frightful--discovery, that the most splendid genius in the arts might be permitted by Providence to labour and perish uselessly; that in the very fineness of it there might be something rendering it invisible to ordinary eyes; but that, with this strange excellence, faults might be mingled which would be as deadly as its virtues were vain; that the glory of it was perishable, as well as invisible, and the gift and grace of it might be to us as snow in summer and as rain in harvest.

That was the first mystery of life to me. But, while my best energy was given to the study of painting, I had put collateral effort, more prudent if less enthusiastic, into that of architecture; and in this I could not complain of meeting with no sympathy. Among several personal reasons which caused me to desire that I might give this, my closing lecture on the subject of art here, in Ireland, one of the chief was, that in reading it, I should stand near the beautiful building,--the engineer's school of your college,--which was the first realization I had the joy to see, of the principles Ihad, until then, been endeavouring to teach! but which, alas, is now, to me, no more than the richly canopied monument of one of the most earnest souls that ever gave itself to the arts, and one of my truest and most loving friends, Benjamin Woodward. Nor was it here in Ireland only that I received the help of Irish sympathy and genius. When to another friend, Sir Thomas Deane, with Mr.

Woodward, was entrusted the building of the museum at Oxford, the best details of the work were executed by sculptors who had been born and trained here; and the first window of the facade of the building, in which was inaugurated the study of natural science in England, in true fellowship with literature, was carved from my design by an Irish sculptor.

You may perhaps think that no man ought to speak of disappointment, to whom, even in one branch of labour, so much success was granted.

Had Mr. Woodward now been beside me, I had not so spoken; but his gentle and passionate spirit was cut off from the fulfilment of its purposes, and the work we did together is now become vain. It may not be so in future; but the architecture we endeavoured to introduce is inconsistent alike with the reckless luxury, the deforming mechanism, and the squalid misery of modern cities; among the formative fashions of the day, aided, especially in England, by ecclesiastical sentiment, it indeed obtained notoriety; and sometimes behind an engine furnace, or a railroad bank, you may detect the pathetic discord of its momentary grace, and, with toil, decipher its floral carvings choked with soot. I felt answerable to the schools I loved, only for their injury. I perceived that this new portion of my strength had also been spent in vain; and from amidst streets of iron, and palaces of crystal, shrank back at last to the carving of the mountain and colour of the flower.

And still I could tell of failure, and failure repeated, as years went on; but I have trespassed enough on your patience to show you, in part, the causes of my discouragement. Now let me more deliberately tell you its results. You know there is a tendency in the minds of many men, when they are heavily disappointed in the main purposes of their life, to feel, and perhaps in warning, perhaps in mockery, to declare, that life itself is a vanity.

Because it has disappointed them, they think its nature is of disappointment always, or at best, of pleasure that can be grasped by imagination only; that the cloud of it has no strength nor fire within; but is a painted cloud only, to be delighted in, yet despised. You know how beautifully Pope has expressed this particular phase of thought:-"Meanwhile opinion gilds, with varying rays, These painted clouds that beautify our days;Each want of happiness by hope supplied, And each vacuity of sense, by pride.

Hope builds as fast as Knowledge can destroy;In Folly's cup, still laughs the bubble joy.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 普通甜心玩转校园

    普通甜心玩转校园

    “中国我回来了,上官琪,上官雅。你们杀了我的父母,这仇我必须要报。无论谁妨碍我。ψ(`??)ψ”依洛晴说着说着,身上散发出冰冷的气息。而她不会知道小学的姐妹也是为复仇而来雪樱学院的。多年前的初恋突如其来的记忆在她的脑海中。作者:本人第一次写小说,请大家多关照(?>?<?)
  • 逆灵玄羽

    逆灵玄羽

    在这整个大陆中,我认第二,谁敢第一,也不看看姐是什么时代的人。虽然一开始是有点受虐,但,姐也是有爆发力的!九岁的少女拥有二十岁的灵智!且看姐是如何在这片大陆上翻云覆雨吧!……………………
  • 无敌剑仙在都市

    无敌剑仙在都市

    父亲被陷害入狱后,唐林从富家少爷变成穷小子,身负一亿巨债的他,还要照顾得了怪病的母亲,原本生活已经无望,却没想到在他18岁生日当天,竟意外觉醒前世修仙的传承。为了调查父亲被陷害一事,唐林不得不假扮成兵王,给富家女当贴身保镖……
  • 《叆梦异闻》

    《叆梦异闻》

    作品定位:玄幻加治愈;本书为分卷故事,每卷之间联系不大,因此就不剧透了。本叆受key社影响较大,因此想写治愈类的故事,当然没有麻枝准那么深的泪腺功力。希望喜欢的人能够支持。
  • 无敌之手

    无敌之手

    从世人都看不起的少年,一步步的成为最强者!啥?等级比我高?没用,我还是比你牛逼!啥?装备比我好?没用,我依然比你牛逼,为啥?因为哥有能够毁天灭地的无敌之手
  • 外储说左上

    外储说左上

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 鸣煌令之勾魂桃夭

    鸣煌令之勾魂桃夭

    木楞界源树穿越异世转生,意识沉睡十六载,木楞淡定女要开窍,这桃花妖孽男手段千奇百怪!且看淡定女一朝觉醒,风起云涌!(本文纯属虚构,请勿模仿。)
  • 天才宠妃:鬼眼魔君吻上瘾

    天才宠妃:鬼眼魔君吻上瘾

    她是现今为数不多的古术修仙家族的天才少女。一朝穿越,她变成了天朝赫赫有名的岳家嫡女,是整个天朝众人皆知的不祥之人。眼看着一个两个不将她放在眼里,一心想要欺她,虐她的人。她抖抖手,踢踢腿。来,有仇报仇,有怨报怨。没愁也没怨的,门在那里,好走,不送。前身的仇,她还未报呢!既然一群渣渣都送上门来了,那也怨不得她了。正好教教这些人,怎么做人。在姐面前谈古武?姐教你们什么才是武。在姐面前玩儿不入流的道术,姐伸手一翻,送你去远游。傻子?废材?正好,将你们都整成傻子废材才行。某女玩儿得不亦乐乎,一旁有人递来一面小破旗子。“干嘛?”“夫人别累着了手,用这个。”“谁要你的小破旗子,起开。”
  • 福妻驾到

    福妻驾到

    现代饭店彪悍老板娘魂穿古代。不分是非的极品婆婆?三年未归生死不明的丈夫?心狠手辣的阴毒亲戚?贪婪而好色的地主老财?吃上顿没下顿的贫困宭境?不怕不怕,神仙相助,一技在手,天下我有!且看现代张悦娘,如何身带福气玩转古代,开面馆、收小弟、左纳财富,右傍美男,共绘幸福生活大好蓝图!!!!快本新书《天媒地聘》已经上架开始销售,只要3.99元即可将整本书抱回家,你还等什么哪,赶紧点击下面的直通车,享受乐乐精心为您准备的美食盛宴吧!)
  • 妈妈的味道

    妈妈的味道

    每个人都在回味和记忆妈妈的饭菜,寻找适合自己的口味。我奉着“各地百姓的贡献,普天下人的口福”的宗旨,记录了儿时的珍肴美味,此珍肴并非珍稀动物做成的菜肴,而是世间很少流行,很难吃到的妈妈做的美食,这些美食集中在我的家乡梅山腹地的新化圳上镇,我虽身居城市十五载,却忘不了这些菜肴,每当怀念家乡,我就会想起这些美食与母亲,全书共33篇,8万字,反映了新化的民俗风情、人文地理,还饱含人情世故、处世哲学。我不止在《妈妈的味道》里谈品味和口福,把它的风俗民情、取材、制作、烹饪、味道都呈现给了读者,表达最乡土、最传统、最地道、最母亲的美食和味道。