第7章

Suchapoet，itmaybe，mistswithsighsthewindowofhislifeuntilthetearsrundownit;thensomeairofsearchingpoetry，likeanairofsearchingfrost，turnsittoacrystalwonder。Thegodofgoldensongisthegod，too，ofthegoldensun;soperadventuresong—lightislikesunlight，anddarkensthecountenanceofthesoul。Perhapstheraysaretothestarswhatthornsaretotheflowers;andsothepoet，afterwanderingoverheaven，returnswithbleedingfeet。LesstragicinitsmerelytemporalaspectthanthelifeofKeatsorColeridge，thelifeofShelleyinitsmoralaspectis，perhaps，moretragicalthanthatofeither;hisdyingseemsamyth，afigureofhisliving;thematerialshipwreckafigureoftheimmaterial。 Enchantedchild，bornintoaworldunchildlike;spoileddarlingofNature，playmateofherelementaldaughters;\"pard—likespirit，beautifulandswift，\"lairedamidsttheburningfastnessesofhisownfervidmind;boldfootalongthevergesofprecipitousdream; lightleaperfromcragtocragofinaccessiblefancies;toweringGenius，whosesoulroselikealadderbetweenheavenandearthwiththeangelsofsongascendinganddescendingit;—heisshrunkenintothelittlevesselofdeath，andsealedwiththeunshatterablesealofdoom，andcastdowndeepbelowtherollingtidesofTime。Mightymeatforlittleguests，whentheheartofShelleywaslaidinthecemeteryofCaiusCestius！Beauty，music，sweetness，tears—themouthofthewormhasfedofthemall。Intothatsacredbridal— gloomofdeathwhereheholdshisnuptialswitheternityletnotourrashspeculationsfollowhim。Letushoperatherthatas，amidstmaterialnature，whereourdulleyesseeonlyruin，thefinereyeofsciencehasdiscoveredlifeinputridityandvigourindecay，— seeingdissolutionevenanddisintegration，whichinthemouthofmansymbolisedisorder，tobeintheworksofGodundeviatingorder，andthemannerofourcorruptiontobenolesswonderfulthanthemannerofourhealth，—so，amidstthesupernaturaluniverse，sometenderundreamedsurpriseoflifeindoomawaitedthatwildnature，which，wornbywarfarewithitself，itsMaker，andalltheworld，nowSleeps，andneverpalatesmorethedug，Thebeggar\'snurse，andCaesar\'s。 Footnotes: {1}Thatistosay，takenasthegeneralanimatingspiritoftheFineArts。 {2}TheAbbeBareillewasnot，ofcourse，responsibleforSavonarola\'staste，onlyforthusendorsingit。 {3}Wemean，ofcourse，thehymn，\"Irisefromdreamsoftime。\" {4}Wearealittlesurprisedatthefact，becausesomanyVictorianpoetsare，orhavebeen，prose—writersaswell。Now，accordingtoourtheory，thepracticeofproseshouldmaintainfreshandcomprehensiveapoet\'sdiction，shouldsavehimfromfallingintothehandsofanexclusivecoterieofpoeticwords。Itshouldreactuponhismetricalvocabularytoitsbeneficialexpansion，bytakinghimoutsidehisaristocraticcircleoflanguage，andkeepinghimintouchwiththegreatcommonalty，theproletariatofspeech。 Foritiswithwordsaswithmen:constantintermarriagewithinthelimitsofapatricianclanbegetseffeterefinement;andtoreinvigoratethestock，itsveinsmustbereplenishedfromhardyplebeianblood。 {5}Wordsworth\'sadaptationofit，however，istrue。Menarenot\"childrenofalargergrowth，\"butthechildISfatheroftheman，sincetheparentisonlypartiallyreproducedinhisoffspring。 {6}TheRhythmofLife，byAliceMeynell。 {7}\"Andthestarsofheavenfelluntotheearth，evenasafig— treecastethheruntimelyfigs，whensheisshakenofamightywind\" （Rev。vi，13）。 {8}Suchanalogiesbetweenmasterinsister—artsareofteninteresting。Insomerespects，isnotBrahmstheBrowningofmusic？ {9}SeekFIRST，notseekONLY。 {10}Wehopethatweneednotreferthereader，forthemethodsofmagicarchitecture，toAriostoandthatAtlasamongenchanters，Beckford。