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r - ^Mtimis,
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" t 9 " STibdfSufaEe matter to manner , to think more of tlie writing than of what'is Written , and to allow the seductions of fancy and suggestion to carry away the mind from its direct narrative purpose . It is a very difficult temptation to resist , is that of following the thoughts which arise suggestively , collaterally , instead of following the subject j and hence what Haztitt said of a dramatic writer maybe applied to all writers : " The ' first ' , great requisite is fortittide of mind . " It is not , however , many writers whose digressions are so well worth reading as Mr . Hannay ' s .
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. ;; ; . .. ' 1 : ¦ ¦¦¦ ,, > . ¦ - ¦ ¦¦¦ ¦; ..: - ¦ :. ' XIX . • .- ¦ ¦ ' ¦ ¦ " . ¦ ¦ ¦¦¦¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ' ¦ - [ ' , ' ' ' Seven Hills , April 29 , 1853 . fl §^ POW impossible it . is to cpnvey in writing all the force and life of I H ^ Bf that which is s aid ; for the force and , life are made up by so many gwafl ® things that have passed too quickly to be retained , and , yet have Ifl ^ fi ^ , . ' prepared the mind for what is uttered ; and the voice , the eyes , eipjSK&a . ^ g gesture , have added or qualified so much . True is it when the lover tells his mistress that he cannot set forth his meaning in words , because words have not the scope and strength , to carry Ms meaning ; and more sweetly tme when she tells him that he * needs not say it , for she inows already . Yet if we write we must try to say these unpayable things , or let the bare context go—the reproach of love without the kiss that malces reproaches so dear ; the monosyUable of simple dignity without the music of the voice which clothes tlie truth in beauty . How false , then , must be the . " inoralstate" of that , country which derives any large proportion of its impressions ii'oin written words ]
I say this , dearest Elena , because you should not suppose that what I write represents what is said in our conclave ; and the more we have advanced , the more difficult is it to report , and yet the more I wish to report , because-of many things in which you both woxild delight ; You , who naveoften called yourself the sister of , our Yseult with the midnight locks , would see a true sister to her in Margaret ; . only that Margaret , strangely , by her grave and slower movement , her deeper A oic , and sterner thought , seems like the elder sister . Yoti will riot again be "jealous" that I speak in this way of Margaret .
Of all passions that jealousy most perplexes me . What am I worth that you should claim anything in mo ? And it is the more perplexing to me , since you can never have believed that Margaret " loved" me , in the sense , especially given to the word at times . Indeed , the whole . ° f this matter perplexes me ; for women who have the most absoltite truth , independence , and trust in themselves— who woxild hate the very suspicion of double meaning in themselves , are ready to suspect it in others . Why is this ? You would , I believe , remorselessly consign to flames any witless wretch who could for a second suspect that you had a thought to draw you away from ouivdear and suprome Giorgio ; and , in the perfect
singleness of your heart , you voucliKafe to me—whom you have so served in ways dearer to me than if they had been , for my . own advantage , by serving our Yseult , —you vouchsafe tome the unreserved love which the dearest of sisters can give ; and yet I ' could riot tell 3 'ou how Margaret had done the like , out of the directness and bounty of her nature ; but you must shame Valperduta and yourself by telling me you arc jealous , ioid why ? " For Yseulfc ! " And yet—r— But I am sure that Giorgio , with his stout voice , has , . cleared away that mist from your mind . And when Stanhope brings
Margaret to Valperduta , you will only tell mo , as you have done of others , that I cannot love her enough . Epr with all ybur ' clinging to those foolish habits of the outer World , Elena sweet , you know in both head and heart , what'friendship ' : is possible between ' man and woman , not " although , " but becau ne theymi / it love in another sense , if everything had fallen out otherwise than it had . I do not wonder at this . perpetual readiness to suspect ' , ' love , " in those whose- sense has been perverted and perplexed by the perverted condition and therefore perverted expression and depraved sense of " poor 1 " society , " but I do wonder at any remains of the idle
suspicion in the women of vaiperdnta . I am reproaching you instead of recounting . Our groat object was to make Margaret speak . Tho great grocer no doubt knew why ¦ for ho , as little an wo , expected hoi ; to repeat to him what ho know by heart in tho school books . When ho called upon her , however , nbo turned to the physiologist ami said , " Edward has given us a principle , but lie has not tohl us how to-apply it . " ' '¦ Tho principle-suggests its own application , " he replied . " To tlioso wbo arc , maHteraof it , « ho rejoined .
V ^^ ytl , (? laws of nature , " , he said ,, "and apply your knowledge . " " J 3 ujfc 7 i , ow , Edward . P , That ia the whole question . (« ivo us n rule . " t "Thqro w none , Margaret . Tlio rulo liiu . sl , vary with tho knowledge . Poach thtv cliild facta rind natural laww us ho becomes capable of understanding thorn , and aa yon find them" out—far that must bo done- first , of < w ) ur , so . Teach him how to know tb «¦ silava , to namo the beasts of tho field , tho plants , ami the , birda , and to'know their yscs ; tench him to know j » ow riian lives by food—must dig to grow it , nniHt eat by tho measure of hoaHliy'apjtetito , and noU > oyohd--inus <; digont , ancl therefore bo healiby ; Iiow ho mnrit lovo'thai ; ho may bo mated , and being mated , taunt aefctlo ' to tho nest and provide for those that eomo after ; and how if ho dooa tlioso
wnngH lio Hluill live happy ovor uftor /' " And if tho mates jangle ? " Haul Conway . " Or wandor P" saul Marklmm . "Or how if tho neat bo broken in upon 1 > V violoneo and Jrapino ; bow if you doaoribo a beau ideal , IM warden , and a beau ick > ia rcstitig on promimj > tif c ftocesteitjos . Wo aro not now talking
empirically ; and yet you , a scientific man , are presuming the a , priori wisdom of things & 9 they are—presuming success where tSere is failure . After all , what do we know about man ' s ' mating P' We have traditions , and we have supposititious usages j but we have polygamy in the East , and m the West something worse , as Xiondon streets can testify . " . ' " All because we depart from : the laws of nature , and do not observe " " By Jove , man , you talk as if we had found out the laws of nature , while we are only begvnntng to study them . Surely you do not think JRousseau or an imaginary Huron had discovered the obvious arcanum . "
" What is an arcanum , Mr . Markham ? " asired Julie . "A secret . " " Well , then , I wish , you would say ; secret ; because you talk excellent sense when you talk English—sometimes . Chiefly , I think , when you object to each , other ' s philosophy ; because I notice that when each man gets upon his own philosophy , he talks about as wisely as a schoolboy dictating what Napoleon ought to have done to win the battle of Waterloo . You men make the laws—and a precious mess you make of it . " "Why , then , " cried Markham , "do not you teach us how to make them ?"
"Why do not canary birds teach how to make brass wire cages ?" " I do not know . I know that I for one , " he continued , with earnest in his banter , " only await the gracious instructions of one intelligent canary , both as to a cage out here , and one also in any quarter of the British metropolis . " - " Mark ! do you not know that it is bad taste to make these vilain proposals in metaphor ? I wish somebody would talk a little sense , if it were only for a change . !" "Ask Margaret , then . "
But Margaret would not . She said she had no sense , and no language to disguise her want of sense . Ko , she would not—not then . Nor could we induce her that day . But yesterday , in Walter ' s study—and Markham has fitted him up one fit for a Raphael , with a magnificent forte piano , on which Margaret bases her own exercises—yesterday her thought fiowed naturally-out of the conversation ; or , rather , Walter led up to ifc , unintentionallyj I believe . JSTobody had invited "the painter to philosophizewhy I know not ^ for he has seen mtieh , and knows - much . " But , perhaps , we all felt how much the true ; " artist subdues his mind to deal with impressions rather than causes . And Jiis remark , showed how much his has yielded to that process . t
It is a nobre room , with a skylight , and a high window opening to tho south ; for Walter , like Titian , Avill have the sun in his room , and the air . A few pictures are On "the wall ; a few masterpieces of sculpture stand forth , bright and pure , against the coloured background ; robes , and weapons , and pieces of armour lie about . On the easel is the finished sketch for a picture of Pietro Candiano , tlie proud Doge , coming forth with his infant son to cut kis way-throxigh the murderous crowd : a rough subject , which tells how- passion survives all that resist it , and sacrifices
everything—power , life , home , a country . And while Walter stands before the canvas , with his intent eyes , his bearded lips' thrust out , his unsupported arm firmly planting the free strokes of power , the loud voice of Margaret fills the room until the very walls thrill—sustaining his lialfcoTiscioiiSj absorbed mind witli an atmosphere" of strength and beauty . So well can two atmospheres-like music and painting , like air and light , like goodness and beauty , fill one space . We had broken in to drag Walter away from his work : in vain ; for be continued in silent pertinacity ; and , waiting for him , while we watched bis pencil with tho painted life growing under it , Margaret was shaking forth the notes of
" Non pin niesta . " which sparkled against the sombre painting like a sunny shower falling upon the' last of a battle . " Yes ! " cried be , suddenly breaking forth in tho true artist fashion , with , a boast , and tho abrupt birth of a thought , " if you want a true rule * of life that is it , " " WhatP' asked Conway . " That ! " pointing to tho figure of Pietro . " If you want to know how to live , live so as to grow oven like that . " " Walter is the PigmaJeon of dragoons ! " cried Julio . "How insane painters always are about their own . works !" ¦
¦ " Giber ! " cried Stanhope , tlvmitemng to thrust his brush against her pretty ' check , which defied him to pollute it with coarse counterfeits of it * own inimitable tender delicacy . " . Doyou not know , Julio , that tho artist always sees what bo never can paint P Hut jf you won ' t have my work , take that , or that , " pointing to Titian ' s Young Man with a Glove , in the ; Louvre , copied by himself , and then to the group sometimes called Sloop and Death , or ^ Castor and Pollux . "Grow men liko ( bat . But then to do ho you must give tbem parents—not wiooHtral Nbopkooporn , but lovera who . bring lifo to life , mid live again in their offspring ; you muni ; give tlunn free play for thoir life—thov must fear and hono . and oonrm «> T r , w -
they must have arniH liko that , made ho by wmstlrng , and by striking , not in diild ' H play , but with a ^ ViU ; they mviKt lovo , not by lvgistrar ' H licence and at wet tinien , but as the will IihIh them ; they miisf . command and obey , and contend , and conquer ; they Tinitft face crowds liko that , and death liko that , and come ' through if they can ; and then you will hoo that deep intent in tbo oyo , tliat air of ronmiaTld , t , bat ab . s (> liit <» reixwo of < w > nHcioua Btrotigtli , that Rupplo grace , tli : it full burnt of lovo Avhich can alono know lift ih ifH full , and in worth a , UioiiHand cleatha . That in the rulo of lii ' o , Edwardcs , and you cannot boal ; it with all the < I ruga on your palette . " ' . ' And he act to work again with the clogged inlx ^ itncfl . s of a . painter whoso friondH aro waiting for bim .
"Htit your own model rofutoa you , Stanhopo , " said Edwardoa , "for you doBii ' c Jifo , ancl you preach death . To make your rule perfect you must improve rtpon it . . Lot Petor Candiaao dovoto his onergiofi to naofuL puvpoHoa ; lot Castor Hubdu < i tho poaoofiil viotoriofi ov r natural matcrialf * in industry , and you will sittain the saiao onda without defeating them boIvoh . " *' You o < m % my hoY > ypu can't Imvo it do-, you —— - . " Sta « hopo did
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"We should do cur utmost to encourage the Beautiful , for the Useful encourages ¦ ,,, .. , ,..: . .. itself .-r- « SoExni 5 . ¦
R - ^Mtimis,
r - ^ Mtimis ,
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October 15 , 1853- ] THE LEADER iqq $
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Oct. 15, 1853, page 1003, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2008/page/19/
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