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had foundries for bells of tender voices； and pure； warm； light； and golden
throats； precisely tuned。 The hounds of Theseus had not a more just scale；
tuned in a peal； than a North Italian belfry holds in leash。 But it does not
send them out in a mere scale； it touches them in the order of the game of
a charming melody。 Of all cheerful sounds made by man this is by far
the most light…hearted。 You do not hear it from the great churches。
Giotto's coloured tower in Florence； that carries the bells for Santa Maria
del Fiore and Brunelleschi's silent dome； does not ring more than four
contralto notes； tuned with sweetness； depth； and dignity； and swinging
one musical phrase which softly fills the country。
The village belfry it is that grows so fantastic and has such nimble
bells。 Obviously it stands alone with its own village； and can therefore
hear its own tune from beginning to end。 There are no other bells in
earshot。 Other such dovecote…doors are suddenly set open to the cloud；
on a festa morning； to let fly those soft…voiced flocks； but the nearest is
behind one of many mountains； and our local tune is uninterrupted。
Doubtless this is why the little； secluded； sequestered art of composing
melodies for bellscharming division of an art； having its own ends and
means； and keeping its own wings for unfolding by lawdwells in these
solitary places。 No tunes in a town would get this hearing； or would be
made clear to the end of their frolic amid such a wide and lofty silence。
Nor does every inner village of Italy hold a bell…tune of its own； the
custom is Ligurian。 Nowhere so much as in Genoa does the nervous
tourist complain of church bells in the morning； and in fact he is made to
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hear an honest rout of them betimes。 But the nervous tourist has not；
perhaps； the sense of place； and the genius of place does not signal to him
to go and find it among innumerable hills； where one by one； one by one；
the belfries stand and play their tunes。 Variable are those lonely melodies；
having a differing gaiety for the festivals； and a pitiful air is played for the
burial of a villager。
As for the poets； there is but one among so many of their bells that
seems to toll with a spiritual music so loud as to be unforgotten when the
mind goes up a little higher than the earth； to listen in thought to earth's
untethered sounds。 This is Milton's curfew； that sways across one of the
greatest of all the seashores of poetry 〃the wide…watered。〃
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MRS。 DINGLEY
We cannot do her honour by her Christian name。 ｛1｝ All we have to
call her by more tenderly is the mere D； the D that ties her to Stella； with
whom she made the two…in…one whom Swift loved 〃better a thousand
times than life； as hope saved。〃 MD； without full stops； Swift writes it
eight times in a line for the pleasure of writing it。 〃MD sometimes means
Stella alone；〃 says one of many editors。 〃The letters were written
nominally to Stella and Mrs。 Dingley；〃 says another； 〃but it does not
require to be said that it was really for Stella's sake alone that they were
penned。〃 Not so。 〃MD〃 never stands for Stella alone。 And the editor
does not yet live who shall persuade one honest reader； against the word of
Swift； that Swift loved Stella only； with an ordinary love； and not； by a
most delicate exception； Stella and Dingley； so joined that they make the
〃she〃 and 〃her〃 of every letter。 And this shall be a paper of reparation to
Mrs。 Dingley。
No one else in literary history has been so defrauded of her honours。
In love 〃to divide is not to take away；〃 as Shelley says； and Dingley's half
of the tender things said to MD is equal to any whole； and takes nothing
from the whole of Stella's half。 But the sentimentalist has fought against
Mrs。 Dingley from the outset。 He has disliked her； shirked her；
misconceived her； and effaced her。 Sly sentimentalisthe finds her
irksome。 Through one of his most modern representatives he has but
lately called her a 〃chaperon。〃 A chaperon！
MD was not a sentimentalist。 Stella was not so； though she has been
pressed into that character； D certainly was not； and has in this respect
been spared by the chronicler； and MD together were 〃saucy charming
MD；〃 〃saucy little； pretty； dear rogues；〃 〃little monkeys mine；〃 〃little
mischievous girls；〃 〃nautinautinautidear girls；〃 〃brats；〃 〃huzzies both；〃
〃impudence and saucy…face；〃 〃saucy noses；〃 〃my dearest lives and
delights；〃 〃dear little young women；〃 〃good dallars； not crying dallars〃
（which means 〃girls〃）； 〃ten thousand times dearest MD；〃 and so forth in a
hundred repetitions。 They are； every now and then； 〃poor MD；〃 but
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obviously not because of their own complaining。 Swift called them so
because they were mortal； and he； like all great souls； lived and loved；
conscious every day of the price； which is death。
The two were joined by love； not without solemnity； though man； with
his summary and wholesale ready…made sentiment； has thus obstinately
put them asunder。 No wholesale sentiment can do otherwise than
foolishly play havoc with such a relation。 To Swift it was the most
secluded thing in the world。 〃I am weary of friends； and friendships are
all monsters； except MD's；〃 〃I ought to read these letters I write after I
have done。 But I hope it does not puzzle little Dingley to read； for I think
I mend： but methinks；〃 he adds； 〃when I write plain； I do not know how；
but we are not alone； all the world can see us。 A bad scrawl is so snug； it
looks like PMD。〃 Again： 〃I do not like women so much as I did。 MD；
you must