reprinted pieces-第44部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



not　stand　amazed　to　think　that　all　the　year　round　these　dread

chambers　are　heating；　white　hot　…　and　cooling　…　and　filling　…　and

emptying　…　and　being　bricked　up　…　and　broken　open　…　humanly

speaking；　for　ever　and　ever？　　To　be　sure　you　did！　　And　standing　in

one　of　those　Kilns　nearly　full；　and　seeing　a　free　crow　shoot　across

the　aperture　a…top；　and　learning　how　the　fire　would　wax　hotter　and

hotter　by　slow　degrees；　and　would　cool　similarly　through　a　space　of

from　forty　to　sixty　hours；　did　no　remembrance　of　the　days　when

human　clay　was　burnt　oppress　you？　　Yes。　　I　think　so！　　I　suspect

that　some　fancy　of　a　fiery　haze　and　a　shortening　breath；　and　a

growing　heat；　and　a　gasping　prayer；　and　a　figure　in　black

interposing　between　you　and　the　sky　（as　figures　in　black　are　very

apt　to　do）；　and　looking　down；　before　it　grew　too　hot　to　look　and

live；　upon　the　Heretic　in　his　edifying　agony　…　I　say　I　suspect

（says　the　plate）　that　some　such　fancy　was　pretty　strong　upon　you

when　you　went　out　into　the　air；　and　blessed　God　for　the　bright

spring　day　and　the　degenerate　times！



After　that；　I　needn't　remind　you　what　a　relief　it　was　to　see　the

simplest　process　of　ornamenting　this　'biscuit'　（as　it　is　called

when　baked）　with　brown　circles　and　blue　trees　…　converting　it　into

the　common　crockery…ware　that　is　exported　to　Africa；　and　used　in

cottages　at　home。　　For　（says　the　plate）　I　am　well　persuaded　that

you　bear　in　mind　how　those　particular　jugs　and　mugs　were　once　more

set　upon　a　lathe　and　put　in　motion；　and　how　a　man　blew　the　brown

colour　（having　a　strong　natural　affinity　with　the　material　in　that

condition）　on　them　from　a　blowpipe　as　they　twirled；　and　how　his

daughter；　with　a　common　brush；　dropped　blotches　of　blue　upon　them

in　the　right　places；　and　how；　tilting　the　blotches　upside　down；　she

made　them　run　into　rude　images　of　trees；　and　there　an　end。



And　didn't　you　see　（says　the　plate）　planted　upon　my　own　brother

that　astounding　blue　willow；　with　knobbed　and　gnarled　trunk；　and

foliage　of　blue　ostrich　feathers；　which　gives　our　family　the　title

of　'willow　pattern'？　　And　didn't　you　observe；　transferred　upon　him

at　the　same　time；　that　blue　bridge　which　spans　nothing；　growing　out

from　the　roots　of　the　willow；　and　the　three　blue　Chinese　going　over

it　into　a　blue　temple；　which　has　a　fine　crop　of　blue　bushes

sprouting　out　of　the　roof；　and　a　blue　boat　sailing　above　them；　the

mast　of　which　is　burglariously　sticking　itself　into　the　foundations

of　a　blue　villa；　suspended　sky…high；　surmounted　by　a　lump　of　blue

rock；　sky…higher；　and　a　couple　of　billing　blue　birds；　sky…highest　…

together　with　the　rest　of　that　amusing　blue　landscape；　which　has；

in　deference　to　our　revered　ancestors　of　the　Cerulean　Empire；　and

in　defiance　of　every　known　law　of　perspective；　adorned　millions　of

our　family　ever　since　the　days　of　platters？　　Didn't　you　inspect　the

copper…plate　on　which　my　pattern　was　deeply　engraved？　　Didn't　you

perceive　an　impression　of　it　taken　in　cobalt　colour　at　a

cylindrical　press；　upon　a　leaf　of　thin　paper；　streaming　from　a

plunge…bath　of　soap　and　water？　　Wasn't　the　paper　impression

daintily　spread；　by　a　light…fingered　damsel　（you　KNOW　you　admired

her！）；　over　the　surface　of　the　plate；　and　the　back　of　the　paper

rubbed　prodigiously　hard　…　with　a　long　tight　roll　of　flannel；　tied

up　like　a　round　of　hung　beef　…　without　so　much　as　ruffling　the

paper；　wet　as　it　was？　　Then　（says　the　plate）；　was　not　the　paper

washed　away　with　a　sponge；　and　didn't　there　appear；　set　off　upon

the　plate；　THIS　identical　piece　of　Pre…Raphaelite　blue　distemper

which　you　now　behold？　　Not　to　be　denied！　　I　had　seen　all　this　…　and

more。　　I　had　been　shown；　at　Copeland's；　patterns　of　beautiful

design；　in　faultless　perspective；　which　are　causing　the　ugly　old

willow　to　wither　out　of　public　favour；　and　which；　being　quite　as

cheap；　insinuate　good　wholesome　natural　art　into　the　humblest

households。　　When　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Sprat　have　satisfied　their　material

tastes　by　that　equal　division　of　fat　and　lean　which　has　made　their

MENAGE　immortal；　and　have；　after　the　elegant　tradition；　'licked　the

platter　clean；'　they　can　…　thanks　to　modern　artists　in　clay　…　feast

their　intellectual　tastes　upon　excellent　delineations　of　natural

objects。



This　reflection　prompts　me　to　transfer　my　attention　from　the　blue

plate　to　the　forlorn　but　cheerfully　painted　vase　on　the　sideboard。

And　surely　（says　the　plate）　you　have　not　forgotten　how　the　outlines

of　such　groups　of　flowers　as　you　see　there；　are　printed；　just　as　I

was　printed；　and　are　afterwards　shaded　and　filled　in　with　metallic

colours　by　women　and　girls？　　As　to　the　aristocracy　of　our　order；

made　of　the　finer　clay…porcelain　peers　and　peeresses；　…　the　slabs；

and　panels；　and　table…tops；　and　tazze；　the　endless　nobility　and

gentry　of　dessert；　breakfast；　and　tea　services；　the　gemmed　perfume

bottles；　and　scarlet　and　gold　salvers；　you　saw　that　they　were

painted　by　artists；　with　metallic　colours　laid　on　with　camel…hair

pencils；　and　afterwards　burnt　in。



And　talking　of　burning　in　（says　the　plate）；　didn't　you　find　that

every　subject；　from　the　willow　pattern　to　the　landscape　after

Turner　…　having　been　framed　upon　clay　or　porcelain　biscuit　…　has　to

be　glazed？　　Of　course；　you　saw　the　glaze　…　composed　of　various

vitreous　materials　…　laid　over　every　article；　and　of　course　you

witnessed　the　close　imprisonment　of　each　piece　in　saggers　upon　the

separate　system　rigidly　enforced　by　means　of　fine…pointed

earthenware　stilts　placed　between　the　articles　to　prevent　the

slightest　communication　or　contact。　　We　had　in　my　time　…　and　I

suppose　it　is　the　same　now　…　fourteen　hours'　firing　to　fix　the

glaze　and　to　make　it　'run'　all　over　us　equally；　so　as　to　put　a　good

shiny　and　unscratchable　surface　upon　us。　　Doubtless；　you　observed

that　one　sort　of　glaze　…　called　printing…body　…　is　burnt　into　the

better　sort　of　ware　BEFORE　it　is　printed。　　Upon　this　you　saw　some

of　the　finest　steel　engravings　transferred；　to　be　fixed　by　an　after

glazing　…　didn't　you？　　Why；　of　course　you　did！



Of　course　I　did。　　I　had　seen　and　enjoyed　everything　that　the　plate

recalled　to　me；　and　had　beheld　with　admiration　how　the　rotatory

motion　which　keeps　this　ball　of　ours　in　its　place　in　the　great

scheme；　with　all　its　busy　mites　upon　it；　was　necessary　throughout

the　process；　and　could　only　be　dispensed　with　in　the　fire。　　So；

listening　to　the　plate's　reminders；　and　musing　upon　them；　I　got

through　the　evening　after　all；　and　went　to　bed。　　I　made　but　one

sleep　of　it　…　for　which　I　have　no　doubt　I　am　also　indebted　to　the

plate　…　and　left　the　lonely　Dodo　in　the　morning；　quite　at　peace

with　it；　before　the　bandy…legged　baby　was　up。







OUR　HONOURABLE　FRIEND







WE　are　delighted　to　find　that　he　has　got　in！　　Our　honourable　friend

is　triumphantly　returned　to　serve　in　the　next　Parliament。　　He　is

the　honourable　member　for　Verbosity　…　the　best　represented　place　in

England。



Our　honourable　friend　has　issued　an　address　of　congratulation　to

the　Electors；　which　is　worthy　of　that　noble　constituency；　and　is　a

very　pretty　piece　of　composition。　　In　electing　him；　he　says；　they

have　covered　themselves　with　glory；　and　England　has　been　true　to

herself。　　（In　his　preliminary　address　he　had　remarked；　in　a

poetical　quotation　of　great　rarity；　that　nought　could　make　us　rue；

if　England　to　herself　did　prove　but　true。）



Our　honourable　friend　delivers　a　prediction；　in　the　same　document；

that　the　feeble　minions　of　a　faction　will　never　hold　up　their　heads

any　more；　and　that　the　finger　of　scorn　will　point　at　them　in　their

dejected　state；　through　countless　ages　of　time。　　Further；　that　the

hireling　tools　that　would　destroy　the　sacred　bulwarks　of　our

nationality　are　unworthy　of　the　name　of　Englishman；　and　that　so

long　as　the　sea　shall　roll　around　our　ocean…girded　isle；　so　long

his　motto　shall　be；　No　surrender。　　Certain　dogged　persons　of　low

principles　and　no　intellect；　have　disputed　whether　anybody　knows

who　the　minions　are；　or　what　the　faction　is；　or　which　are　the

hireling　tools　and　which　the　sacred　bulwarks；　or　what　it　is　that　is

never　to　be　surrendered；　and　if　not；　why　not？　　But；　our　honourable

friend　the　member　for　Verbosity　knows　all　about　it。



Our　honourable　friend　has　sat　in　several　parliaments；　and　given

bushels　of　votes。　　He　is　a　man　of　that　profundity　in　the　matter　of

vote…giving；　that　you　never　know　what　he　means。　　When　he　seems　to

be　voting　pure　white；　he　may　be　in　reality　voting　jet　black。　　When

he　says　Yes；　it　is　just　as　likely　as　not　…　or　rather　more　so　…　that

he　means　No。　　This　is　the　statesmanship　of　our　honourable　friend。

It　is　in　this；　that　he　differs　from　mere　unparliamentary　men。　　YOU

may　not　know　what　he　meant　then；　or　what　he　means　now；　but；　our

honourable　friend　knows；　and　did　from　the　first　know；　both　what　he

meant　then；　and　what　he　means　now；　and　when　he　said　he　didn't　mean

it　then；　he　did　in　fact　say；　that　he　means　it　now。　　And　if　you　mean

to　say　that　you　did　not　then；　and　do　not　now；　know　what　he　did　mean

then；　or　does　mean　now；　our　honourable　friend　will　be　glad　to

receive　an　explicit　declaration　from　you　whether　you　are　prepared

to　destroy　the　sacred　bulwarks　of　our　nationality。



Our　honourable　friend；　the　member　for　Verbosity；　has　this　great

attribute；　that　he　always　means　something；　and　always　means　the

same　thing。　　When　he　came　down　to　that　House　and　mournfully　boasted

in　his　place；　as　an　individual　member　of　the　assembled　Commons　of

this　great　and　happy　country；　that　he　could　lay　his　hand　upon　his

heart；　and　solemnly　declare　that　no　consideration　on　earth　should

induce　him；　at　any　time　or　under　any　circumstances；　to　go　as　far

north　as　Berwick…upon…Tweed；　and　when　he　nevertheless；　next　year；

did　go　to　Berwick…upon…Tweed；　and　even　beyond　it；　to　Edinburgh；　he

had　one　single　meaning；　one　and　indivisible。　　And　God　forbid　（our

honourable　friend　says）　that　he　should　waste　another　argument　upo