the colour of life(生命之色)-第16章
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to measure their remoteness and their acts with his own magnificent
measure。 But they were only men and demi…gods。 Thus they belong to
him as he is now … a man； and not to him as he was once … a child。 It was
quite wrong to lay the child's enormous ten years' rule along the path from
our time to theirs； that path must be skipped by the nimble yard in the
man's present possession。 Decidedly the Argonauts are no subject for the
boy。
What； then？ Is the record of the race nothing but a bundle of such
little times？ Nay； it seems that childhood； which created the illusion of
ages； does actually prove it true。 Childhood is itself Antiquity … to every
man his only Antiquity。 The recollection of childhood cannot make
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Abraham old again in the mind of a man of thirty…five； but the beginning
of every life is older than Abraham。 THERE is the abyss of time。 Let a
man turn to his own childhood … no further … if he would renew his sense
of remoteness； and of the mystery of change。
For in childhood change does not go at that mere hasty amble； it
rushes； but it has enormous space for its flight。 The child has an
apprehension not only of things far off； but of things far apart； an illusive
apprehension when he is learning 〃ancient〃 history … a real apprehension
when he is conning his own immeasurable infancy。 If there is no
historical Antiquity worth speaking of； this is the renewed and
unnumbered Antiquity for all mankind。
And it is of this … merely of this … that 〃ancient〃 history seems to
partake。 Rome was founded when we began Roman history； and that is
why it seems long ago。 Suppose the man of thirty…five heard； at that
present age； for the first time of Romulus。 Why； Romulus would be
nowhere。 But he built his wall； as a matter of fact； when every one was
seven years old。 It is by good fortune that 〃ancient〃 history is taught in
the only ancient days。 So； for a time； the world is magical。
Modern history does well enough for learning later。 But by learning
something of antiquity in the first ten years； the child enlarges the sense of
time for all mankind。 For even after the great illusion is over and history
is re…measured； and all fancy and flight caught back and chastised； the
enlarged sense remains enlarged。 The man remains capable of great
spaces of time。 He will not find them in Egypt； it is true； but he finds
them within； he contains them； he is aware of them。 History has fallen
together； but childhood surrounds and encompasses history； stretches
beyond and passes on the road to eternity。
He has not passed in vain through the long ten years； the ten years that
are the treasury of preceptions … the first。 The great disillusion shall
never shorten those years； nor set nearer together the days that made them。
〃Far apart；〃 I have said； and that 〃far apart〃 is wonderful。 The past of
childhood is not single； is not motionless； nor fixed in one point； it has
summits a world away one from the other。 Year from year differs as the
antiquity of Mexico from the antiquity of Chaldea。 And the man of
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thirty…five knows for ever afterwards what is flight； even though he finds
no great historic distances to prove his wings by。
There is a long and mysterious moment in long and mysterious
childhood； which is the extremest distance known to any human fancy。
Many other moments； many other hours； are long in the first ten years。
Hours of weariness are long … not with a mysterious length； but with a
mere length of protraction； so that the things called minutes and half…hours
by the elderly may be something else to their apparent contemporaries； the
children。 The ancient moment is not merely one of these … it is a space
not of long； but of immeasurable； time。 It is the moment of going to
sleep。 The man knows that borderland； and has a contempt for it： he has
long ceased to find antiquity there。 It has become a common enough
margin of dreams to him； and he does not attend to its phantasies。 He
knows that he has a frolic spirit in his head which has its way at those
hours； but he is not interested in it。 It is the inexperienced child who
passes with simplicity through the marginal country； and the thing he
meets there is principally the yet further conception of illimitable time。
His nurse's lullaby is translated into the mysteries of time。 She sings
absolutely immemorial words。 It matters little what they may mean to
waking ears； to the ears of a child going to sleep they tell of the beginning
of the world。 He has fallen asleep to the sound of them all his life； and
〃all his life〃 means more than older speech can well express。
Ancient custom is formed in a single spacious year。 A child is beset
with long traditions。 And his infancy is so old； so old； that the mere
adding of years in the life to follow will not seem to throw it further back …
it is already so far。 That is； it looks as remote to the memory of a man of
thirty as to that of a man of seventy。 What are a mere forty years of
added later life in the contemplation of such a distance？ Pshaw！
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EYES
There is nothing described with so little attention； with such
slovenliness； or so without verification … albeit with so much confidence
and word…painting … as the eyes of the men and women whose faces have
been made memorable by their works。 The describer generally takes the
first colour that seems to him probable。 The grey eyes of Coleridge are
recorded in a proverbial line； and Procter repeats the word； in describing
from the life。 Then Carlyle； who shows more signs of actual attention；
and who caught a trick of Coleridge's pronunciation instantly； proving that
with his hearing at least he was not slovenly； says that Coleridge's eyes
were brown … 〃strange； brown； timid； yet earnest…looking eyes。〃 A
Coleridge with brown eyes is one man； and a Coleridge with grey eyes
another … and； as it were； more responsible。 As to Rossetti's eyes； the
various inattention of his friends has assigned to them； in all the ready…
made phrases； nearly all the colours。
So with Charlotte Bronte。 Matthew Arnold seems to have thought
the most probable thing to be said of her eyes was that they were grey and
expressive。 Thus； after seeing them； doe
