After our eyes had been dazzled with looking at pictures, and our legs cramped[57] with sitting in a gondola3, it is no small relief, and amusement, to saunter in the Place of St. Mark.
The number and diversity of objects which there present themselves to the eye, naturally create a very rapid succession of ideas. The sight of the churches awakens4 religious sentiments, and, by an easy transition, the mind is led to contemplate5 the influence of superstition6. In the midst of this reverie, Nero’s four horses appear, and carry the fancy to Rome and Constantinople. While you are forcing your way, sword in hand, with the heroic Henry Dandelo, into the capital of Asia, Adam and Eve stop your progress, and lead you to the garden of Eden. You have not long enjoyed a state of innocence7 and happiness in that delightful8 paradise, till Eve
——her rash hand in evil hour
[58]
After that unfortunate repast, no more comfort being to be found there, you are glad to mount St. Mark’s winged lion, and fly back to the Ducal palace, where you will naturally reflect on the rise and progress of the Venetian state, and the various springs of their government. While you admire the strength of a constitution which has stood firm for so many ages, you are appalled10 at the sight of the lion’s mouth gaping11 for accusations12; and turning with horror from a place where innocence seems exposed to the attacks of hidden malice13, you are regaled with a prospect14 of the sea, which opens your return to a country of real freedom, where justice rejects the libel of the hidden accuser, and dares to try, condemn15, and execute openly, the highest, as well as the lowest, delinquent16.
I assure you I have, more than once, made all this tour, standing17 in the middle of St. Mark’s square; whereas,[59] in the French places, you have nothing before your eyes but monuments of the monarch’s vanity, and the people’s adulation; and in the greater part of the London squares, and streets, what idea can present itself to the imagination, beyond that of the snug18 neatness and conveniency of substantial brick houses?
I have been speaking hitherto of a morning saunter; for in the evening there generally is, on St. Mark’s Place, such a mixed multitude of Jews, Turks, and Christians19; lawyers, knaves20, and pickpockets21; mountebanks, old women, and physicians; women of quality, with masks; strumpets barefaced22; and, in short, such a jumble23 of senators, citizens, gondoleers, and people of every character and condition, that your ideas are broken, bruised24, and dislocated in the crowd, in such a manner, that you can think, or reflect, on nothing;[60] yet this being a state of mind which many people are fond of, the place never fails to be well attended, and, in fine weather, numbers pass a great part of the night there. When the piazza25 is illuminated26, and the shops, in the adjacent streets, lighted up, the whole has a brilliant effect; and as it is the custom for the ladies, as well as the gentlemen, to frequent the cassinos and coffee-houses around, the Place of St. Mark answers all the purposes of either Vauxhall or Ranelagh.
It is not in St. Mark’s Place that you are to look for the finest monuments of the art of Titian, or the genius of Palladio; for those you must visit the churches and palaces: but if you are inclined to make that tour, you must find another Cicerone, for I shall certainly not undertake the office. I do not pretend to be a competent judge of painting or architecture; I have no new[61] remarks to make on those subjects, and I wish to avoid a hackneyed repetition of what has been said by others.
Some people seem affected27 by paintings to a degree which I never could feel, and can scarcely conceive. I admire the works of Guido and Raphael, but there are amateurs who fall downright in love with every man, woman, or angel, produced by those painters.
When the subject is pathetic, I am often struck with the genius and execution of the artist, and touched with the scene represented, but without feeling those violent emotions of grief which some others display. I have seen a man so affected with the grief of Venus, for the death of Adonis, that he has wiped his eyes as if he had been shedding tears; and have heard another express as much horror at the martyrdom of a saint, as he could have[62] done had he been present at the real execution. Horace’s observation is perfectly28 just, as he applies it,
Segniùs irritant animos demissa per aurem,
Quàm qu? sunt oculis subjecta fidelibus—
He is treating of dramatic pieces;
Aut agitur res in scenis, aut acta refertur,
is the preceding line. On the stage, what is actually represented, makes a stronger impression than what is only related; and in real life, no doubt, we should be more shocked by seeing a murder committed, than by hearing an account of it. But whether seeing a pathetic story expressed in painting, or hearing it related, has the most powerful effect, is a different question. I only say for myself, that, on contemplating29 a painted tragedy, I can never help recollecting30 that it is acted upon canvas. This never fails to dart31 such a ray of comfort into my heart, as cheers it up, in spite of all the blood and carnage I see[63] before my eyes. With a mind so vulgarly fabricated, you will not be surprised when I acknowledge, that I have felt more compassion32 at the sight of a single highwayman going to Tyburn, than at the massacre33 of two thousand innocents, though executed by Nicholas Poussin himself. This convinces me that I am not endued34 with the organs of a connoisseur35.
But if you are violently bent36 upon being thought a man of very refined taste, there are books in abundance to be had, which will put you in possession of all the terms of technical applause, or censure37, and furnish you with suitable expressions for the whole climax38 of sensibility. As for myself, I was long ago taught a lesson, which made a deep impression on my mind, and will effectually prevent me from every affectation of that kind. Very early in life, I resided above a year at Paris, and happened one day to accompany five or six of our[64] countrymen, to view the pictures in the Palais Royal. A gentleman who affected an enthusiastic passion for the fine arts; particularly that of painting, and who had the greater desire to be thought a connoisseur, was of the party. He had read the lives of the painters, and had the Voyage Pittoresque de Paris by heart. From the moment we entered the rooms he began to display all the refinements39 of his taste; he instructed us what to admire, and drew us away with every sign of disgust when we stopped a moment at an uncelebrated picture. We were afraid of appearing pleased with any thing we saw; till he informed us whether or not it was worth looking at. He shook his head at some, tossed up his nose at others; commended a few, and pronounced sentence on every piece, as he passed along, with the most imposing40 tone of sagacity.—“Bad, that Caravaggio is too bad indeed, devoid41 of all grace;—but here is a Caracci that[65] makes amends42; how charming the grief of that Magdalen! The Virgin43, you’ll observe, gentlemen, is only fainting, but the Christ is quite dead. Look at the arm, did you ever see any thing so dead?—Aye, here’s a Madona, which they tell you is an original, by Guido; but any body may see that it is only a tolerable copy.—Pray, gentlemen, observe this St. Sebastian, how delightfully44 he expires: Don’t you all feel the arrow in your hearts? I’m sure I feel it in mine. Do let us move on; I should die with agony if I looked any longer.”
We at length came to the St. John, by Raphael, and here this man of taste stopped short in an extasy of admiration46.—One of the company had already passed it, without minding it, and was looking at another picture; on which the connoisseur bawled47 out—“Good God, Sir! what are you about?” The honest gentleman started,[66] and stared around to know what crime he had been guilty of.
“Have you eyes in your head, Sir?” continued the connoisseur: “Don’t you know St. John when you see him?”
“St. John!” replied the other, in amazement48. “Aye, Sir, St. John the Baptist, in propria persona.”
“Don’t you?” rejoined the connoisseur; “then I’ll endeavour to explain myself. I mean St. John in the wilderness50, by the divine Raffaelle Sanzio da Urbino, and there he stands by your side.—Pray, my dear Sir, will you be so obliging as to bestow51 a little of your attention on that foot? Does it not start from the wall? Is it not perfectly out of the frame? Did[67] you ever see such colouring? They talk of Titian; can Titian’s colouring excel that? What truth, what nature in the head! To the elegance52 of the antique, here is joined the simplicity53 of nature.”
We stood listening in silent admiration, and began to imagine we perceived all the perfections he enumerated54; when a person in the Duke of Orleans’ service came and informed us, that the original, which he presumed was the picture we wished to see, was in another room; the Duke having allowed a painter to copy it. That which we had been looking at was a very wretched daubing, done from the original by some obscure painter, and had been thrown, with other rubbish, into a corner; where the Swiss had accidentally discovered it, and had hung it up merely by way of covering the vacant space on the wall, till the other should be replaced.
[68]
How the connoisseur looked on this trying occasion, I cannot say. It would have been barbarous to have turned an eye upon him—I stepped into the next room, fully45 determined55 to be cautious in deciding on the merit of painting; perceiving that it was not safe, in this science, to speak even from the book.
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1
propriety
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| n.正当行为；正当；适当 | |
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compensate
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| vt.补偿，赔偿；酬报 vi.弥补；补偿；抵消 | |
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3
gondola
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| n.威尼斯的平底轻舟；飞船的吊船 | |
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4
awakens
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的第三人称单数 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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contemplate
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| vt.盘算，计议；周密考虑；注视，凝视 | |
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superstition
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| n.迷信，迷信行为 | |
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7
innocence
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| n.无罪；天真；无害 | |
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8
delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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9
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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10
appalled
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| v.使惊骇，使充满恐惧( appall的过去式和过去分词)adj.惊骇的；丧胆的 | |
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11
gaping
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| adj.口的；张口的；敞口的；多洞穴的v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的现在分词 )；张开，张大 | |
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12
accusations
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| n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名 | |
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13
malice
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| n.恶意，怨恨，蓄意；[律]预谋 | |
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14
prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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15
condemn
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| vt.谴责，指责；宣判(罪犯)，判刑 | |
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16
delinquent
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| adj.犯法的，有过失的；n.违法者 | |
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17
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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18
snug
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| adj.温暖舒适的，合身的，安全的；v.使整洁干净，舒适地依靠，紧贴；n.（英）酒吧里的私房 | |
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19
Christians
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| n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 ) | |
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20
knaves
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| n.恶棍，无赖( knave的名词复数 )；（纸牌中的）杰克 | |
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21
pickpockets
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| n.扒手( pickpocket的名词复数 ) | |
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22
barefaced
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| adj.厚颜无耻的，公然的 | |
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23
jumble
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| vt.使混乱，混杂；n.混乱；杂乱的一堆 | |
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24
bruised
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| [医]青肿的，瘀紫的 | |
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piazza
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| n.广场；走廊 | |
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26
illuminated
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| adj.被照明的；受启迪的 | |
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27
affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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28
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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29
contemplating
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| 深思，细想，仔细考虑( contemplate的现在分词 )； 注视，凝视； 考虑接受（发生某事的可能性）； 深思熟虑，沉思，苦思冥想 | |
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30
recollecting
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| v.记起，想起( recollect的现在分词 ) | |
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31
dart
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| v.猛冲，投掷；n.飞镖，猛冲 | |
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32
compassion
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| n.同情，怜悯 | |
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33
massacre
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| n.残杀，大屠杀；v.残杀，集体屠杀 | |
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34
endued
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| v.授予，赋予（特性、才能等）( endue的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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35
connoisseur
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| n.鉴赏家，行家，内行 | |
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36
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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37
censure
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| v./n.责备；非难；责难 | |
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38
climax
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| n.顶点；高潮；v.(使)达到顶点 | |
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39
refinements
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| n.（生活）风雅；精炼( refinement的名词复数 )；改良品；细微的改良；优雅或高贵的动作 | |
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40
imposing
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| adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的 | |
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41
devoid
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| adj.全无的，缺乏的 | |
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42
amends
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| n. 赔偿 | |
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43
virgin
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| n.处女，未婚女子；adj.未经使用的；未经开发的 | |
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44
delightfully
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| 大喜，欣然 | |
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45
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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46
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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47
bawled
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| v.大叫，大喊( bawl的过去式和过去分词 )；放声大哭；大声叫出；叫卖（货物） | |
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48
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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49
peevishly
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| adv．暴躁地 | |
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50
wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
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51
bestow
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| v.把…赠与，把…授予；花费 | |
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52
elegance
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| n.优雅；优美，雅致；精致，巧妙 | |
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53
simplicity
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| n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯 | |
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54
enumerated
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| v.列举，枚举，数( enumerate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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55
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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