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attention to the fact that fine art is the only teacher except torture。 I have
already pointed out that nobody； except under threat of torture； can read a
school book。 The reason is that a school book is not a work of art。
Similarly； you cannot listen to a lesson or a sermon unless the teacher or
the preacher is an artist。 You cannot read the Bible if you have no sense
of literary art。 The reason why the continental European is； to the
Englishman or American； so surprisingly ignorant of the Bible； is that the
authorized English version is a great work of literary art； and the
continental versions are comparatively artless。 To read a dull book； to
listen to a tedious play or prosy sermon or lecture； to stare at uninteresting
pictures or ugly buildings： nothing； short of disease； is more dreadful
than this。 The violence done to our souls by it leaves injuries and
produces subtle maladies which have never been properly studied by
psycho…pathologists。 Yet we are so inured to it in school； where
practically all the teachers are bores trying to do the work of artists； and all
the books artless； that we acquire a truly frightful power of enduring
boredom。 We even acquire the notion that fine art is lascivious and
destructive to the character。 In church； in the House of Commons； at
public meetings； we sit solemnly listening to bores and twaddlers because
from the time we could walk or speak we have been snubbed； scolded；
bullied； beaten and imprisoned whenever we dared to resent being bored
or twaddled at； or to express our natural impatience and derision of bores
and twaddlers。 And when a man arises with a soul of sufficient native
strength to break the bonds of this inculcated reverence and to expose and
deride and tweak the noses of our humbugs and panjandrums； like Voltaire
or Dickens； we are shocked and scandalized； even when we cannot help
laughing。 Worse； we dread and persecute those who can see and declare
the truth； because their sincerity and insight reflects on our delusion and
blindness。 We are all like Nell Gwynne's footman； who defended Nell's
reputation with his fists； not because he believed her to be what he called
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an honest woman； but because he objected to be scorned as the footman of
one who was no better than she should be。
This wretched power of allowing ourselves to be bored may seem to
give the fine arts a chance sometimes。 People will sit through a
performance of Beethoven's ninth symphony or of Wagner's Ring just as
they will sit through a dull sermon or a front bench politician saying
nothing for two hours whilst his unfortunate country is perishing through
the delay of its business in Parliament。 But their endurance is very bad
for the ninth symphony； because they never hiss when it is murdered。 I
have heard an Italian conductor （no longer living） take the _adagio_ of
that symphony at a lively _allegretto_； slowing down for the warmer
major sections into the speed and manner of the heroine's death song in a
Verdi opera； and the listeners； far from relieving my excruciation by rising
with yells of fury and hurling their programs and opera glasses at the
miscreant； behaved just as they do when Richter conducts it。 The mass
of imposture that thrives on this combination of ignorance with despairing
endurance is incalculable。 Given a public trained from childhood to
stand anything tedious； and so saturated with school discipline that even
with the doors open and no schoolmasters to stop them they will sit there
helplessly until the end of the concert or opera gives them leave to go
home； and you will have in great capitals hundreds of thousands of pounds
spent every night in the season on professedly artistic entertainments
which have no other effect on fine art than to exacerbate the hatred in
which it is already secretly held in England。
Fortunately； there are arts that cannot be cut off from the people by bad
performances。 We can read books for ourselves； and we can play a good
deal of fine music for ourselves with the help of a pianola。 Nothing stands
between us and the actual handwork of the great masters of painting
except distance； and modern photographic methods of reproduction are in
some cases quite and in many nearly as effective in conveying the artist's
message as a modern edition of Shakespear's plays is in conveying the
message that first existed in his handwriting。 The reproduction of great
feats of musical execution is already on the way： the phonograph； for all
its wheezing and snarling and braying； is steadily improving in its manners；
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and what with this improvement on the one hand； and on the other that
blessed selective faculty which enables us to ignore a good deal of
disagreeable noise if there is a thread of music in the middle of it （few
critics of the phonograph seem to be conscious of the very considerable
mechanical noise set up by choirs and orchestras） we have at last reached
a point at which； for example； a person living in an English village where
the church music is the only music； and that music is made by a few well…
intentioned ladies with the help of a harmonium； can hear masses by
Palestrina very passably executed； and can thereby be led to the discovery
that Jackson in F and Hymns Ancient and Modern are not perhaps the last
word of beauty and propriety in the praise of God。
In short； there is a vast body of art now within the reach of everybody。
The difficulty is that this art； which alone can educate us in grace of body
and soul； and which alone can make the history of the past live for us or
the hope of the future shine for us； which alone can give delicacy and
nobility to our crude lusts； which is the appointed vehicle of inspiration
and the method of the communion of saints； is actually branded as sinful
among us because；