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and ruins； the fashion sprang up at the end of the seventeenth
century； it lingered on during the first quarter of our century；
kept alive by the reaction from 1815…25。 It is all but dead now；
before the return of vigorous and progressive thought。 An admirer
of the Middle Ages now does not build a sham ruin in his grounds； he
restores a church； blazing with colour； like a medieval
illumination。 He has learnt to look on that which went by the name
of picturesque in his great…grandfather's time； as an old Greek or a
Middle Age monk would have doneas something squalid； ugly； a sign
of neglect； disease； death； and therefore to be hated and abolished；
if it cannot be restored。 At Carcassone； now； M。 Viollet…le…Duc；
under the auspices of the Emperor of the French； is spending his
vast learning； and much money； simply in abolishing the picturesque；
in restoring stone for stone； each member of that wonderful museum
of Middle Age architecture： Roman； Visigothic； Moslem； Romaine；
Early English； later French； all is being reproduced exactly as it
must have existed centuries since。 No doubt that is not the highest
function of art： but it is a preparation for the highest； a step
toward some future creative school。 As the early Italian artists；
by careful imitation； absorbed into their minds the beauty and
meaning of old Greek and Roman art； so must the artists of our days
by the art of the Middle Age and the Renaissance。 They must learn
to copy； before they can learn to surpass； and； meanwhile； they must
learnindeed they have learntthat decay is ugliness； and the
imitation of decay； a making money out of the public shame。
The picturesque sprang up； as far as I can discover； suddenly；
during the time of exhaustion and recklessness which followed the
great struggles of the sixteenth century。 Salvator Rosa and Callot；
two of the earliest professors of picturesque art； have never been
since surpassed。 For indeed； they drew from life。 The rags and the
ruins； material； and alas！ spiritual； were all around them； the
lands and the creeds alike lay waste。 There was ruffianism and
misery among the masses of Europe； unbelief and artificiality among
the upper classes； churches and monasteries defiled； cities sacked；
farmsteads plundered and ruinate； and all the wretchedness which
Callot has immortalisedfor a warning to evil rulersin his
Miseres de la Guerre。 The world was all gone wrong： but as for
setting it right againwho could do that？ And so men fell into a
sentimental regret for the past； and its beauties； all exaggerated
by the foreshortening of time； while they wanted strength or faith
to reproduce it。 At last they became so accustomed to the rags and
ruins； that they looked on them as the normal condition of humanity；
as the normal field for painters。
Only now and then； and especially toward the latter half of the
eighteenth century； when thought began to revive； and men dreamed of
putting the world to rights once more； there rose before them
glimpses of an Arcadian ideal。 Country lifethe primaeval calling
of menhow graceful and pure it might be！ How gracefulif not
pureit once had been！ The boors of Teniers and the beggars of
Murillo might be true to present fact； but there was a fairer ideal；
which once had been fact； in the Eclogues of Theocritus； and the
Loves of Daphnis and Chloe。 And so men took to dreaming of
shepherds and shepherdesses； and painting them on canvas； and
modelling them in china； according to their cockney notions of what
they had been once； and always ought to be。 We smile now at Sevres
and Dresden shepherdesses； but the wise man will surely see in them
a certain pathos。 They indicated a craving after something better
than boorishness； and the many men and women may have become the
gentler and purer by looking even at them； and have said sadly to
themselves： 〃Such might have been the peasantry of half Europe； had
it not been for devastations of the Palatinate； wars of succession；
and the wicked wills of emperors and kings。〃
LECTURE IIITHE EXPLOSIVE FORCES
In a former lecture in this Institution； I said that the human race
owed more to the eighteenth century than to any century since the
Christian era。 It may seem a bold assertion to those who value duly
the century which followed the revival of Greek literature； and
consider that the eighteenth century was but the child； or rather
grandchild； thereof。 But I must persist in my opinion； even though
it seem to be inconsistent with my description of the very same era
as one of decay and death。 For side by side with the death； there
was manifold fresh birth； side by side with the decay there was
active growth；side by side with them； fostered by them； though
generally in strong opposition to them； whether conscious or
unconscious。 We must beware； however； of trying to find between
that decay and that growth a bond of cause and effect where there is
really none。 The general decay may have determined the course of
many men's thoughts； but it no more set them thinking than （as I
have heard said） the decay of the Ancien Regime produced the new
Regimea loose metaphor； which； like all metaphors； will not hold
water； and must not be taken for a philosophic truth。 That would be
to confess manwhat I shall never confess him to bethe creature
of circumstances； it would be to fall into the same fallacy of
spontaneous generation as did the ancients； when they believed that
bees were bred from the carcass of a dead ox。 In the first place；
the bees were no bees； but fliesunless when some true swarm of
honey bees may have taken up their abode within the empty ribs； as
Samson's bees did in that of the lion。 But bees or flies； each
sprang from an egg； independent of the carcass； having a vitality of
its own： it was fostered by the carcass it fed on during
development； but bred from it it was not； any more than Marat was
bred from the decay of the Ancien Regime。 There are flies which； by
feeding on putridity； become poisonous themselves； as did Marat：
but even they owe their vitality and organisation to something
higher than that on which they feed； and each of them； however；
defaced and debased； was at first a 〃thought of God。〃 All true
manhood consists in the defiance of circumstances； and if any man be
the creature of circumstances； it is because he has become so； like
the drunkard； because he has ceased to be a man； and sunk downward
toward the brute。
Accordingly we shall find； throughout the 18th century； a stirring
of thought； an originality； a resistance to circumstances； an
indignant defiance of circumstances； which would have been
impossible； had circumstances been the true lords and shapers of
mankind。 Had that latter been the case； the downward progress of
the Ancien Regime would have been irremediable。 Each generation；
conformed more and more to the element in which it lived； would have
sunk deeper i