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。