the soul of the far east-第16章

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To　the　Far　Oriental　there　is　one　subject　which　so　permeates　and　pervades　his　whole　being　as　to　be　to　him；　not　so　much　a　conscious　matter　of　thought　as　an　unconscious　mode　of　thinking。　　For　it　is　a　thing　which　shapes　all　his　thoughts　instead　of　constituting　the　substance　of　one　particular　set　of　them。　　That　subject　is　art。　To　it　he　is　born　as　to　a　birthright。　　Artistic　perception　is　with　him　an　instinct　to　which　he　intuitively　conforms；　and　for　which　he　inherits　the　skill　of　countless　generations。　　From　the　tips　of　his　fingers　to　the　tips　of　his　toes；　in　whose　use　he　is　surprisingly　proficient；　he　is　the　artist　all　over。　　Admirable；　however；　as　is　his　manual　dexterity；　his　mental　altitude　is　still　more　to　be　admired；　for　it　is　artistic　to　perfection。　　His　perception　of　beauty　is　as　keen　as　his　comprehension　of　the　cosmos　is　crude；　for　while　with　science　he　has　not　even　a　speaking　acquaintance；　with　art　he　is　on　terms　of　the　most　affectionate　intimacy。

To　the　whole　Far　Eastern　world　science　is　a　stranger。　　Such　nescience　is　patent　even　in　matters　seemingly　scientific。　　For　although　the　Chinese　civilization；　even　in　the　so…called　modern　inventions；　was　already　old　while　ours　lay　still　in　the　cradle；　it　was　to　no　scientific　spirit　that　its　discoveries　were　due。　　Notwithstanding　the　fact　that　Cathay　was　the　happy　possessor　of　gunpowder；　movable　type；　and　the　compass　before　such　things　were　dreamt　of　in　Europe；　she　owed　them　to　no　knowledge　of　physics；　chemistry；　or　mechanics。　　It　was　as　arts；　not　as　sciences；　they　were　invented。　　And　it　speaks　volumes　for　her　civilization　that　she　burnt　her　powder　for　fireworks；　not　for　firearms。　　To　the　West　alone　belongs　the　credit　of　manufacturing　that　article　for　the　sake　of　killing　people　instead　of　merely　killing　time。

The　scientific　is　not　the　Far　Oriental　point　of　view。　　To　wish　to　know　the　reasons　of　things；　that　irrepressible　yearning　of　the　Western　spirit；　is　no　characteristic　of　the　Chinaman's　mind；　nor　is　it　a　Tartar　trait。　　Metaphysics；　a　species　of　speculation　that　has　usually　proved　peculiarly　attractive　to　mankind；　probably　from　its　not　requiring　any　scientific　capital　whatever；　would　seem　the　most　likely　place　to　seek　it。　　But　upon　such　matters　he　has　expended　no　imagination　of　his　own；　having　quietly　taken　on　trust　from　India　what　he　now　professes。　　As　for　science　proper；　it　has　reached　at　his　hands　only　the　quasimorphologic　stage；　that　is；　it　consists　of　catalogues　concocted　according　to　the　ingenuity　of　the　individual　and　resembles　the　real　thing　about　as　much　as　a　haphazard　arrangement　of　human　bones　might　be　expected　to　resemble　a　man。　Not　only　is　the　spirit　of　the　subject　left　out　altogether；　but　the　mere　outward　semblance　is　misleading。　　For　pseudo…scientific　collections　of　facts　which　never　rise　to　be　classifications　of　phenomena　forms　to　his　idea　the　acme　of　erudition。　　His　mathematics；　for　example；　consists　of　a　set　of　empiric　rules；　of　which　no　explanation　is　ever　vouchsafed　the　taught　for　the　simple　reason　that　it　is　quite　unknown　to　the　teacher。　　It　is　not　even　easy　to　decide　how　much　of　what　there　is　is　Jesuitical。　　Of　more　recent　sciences　he　has　still　less　notion；　particularly　of　the　natural　ones。　　Physics；　chemistry；　geology；　and　the　like　are　matters　that　have　never　entered　his　head。　　Even　in　studies　more　immediately　connected　with　obvious　everyday　life；　such　as　language；　history；　customs；　it　is　truly　remarkable　how　little　he　possesses　the　power　of　generalization　and　inference。　　His　elaborate　lists　of　facts　are　imposing　typographically；　but　are　not　even　formally　important；　while　his　reasoning　about　them　is　as　exquisite　a　bit　of　scientific　satire　as　could　well　be　imagined。

But　with　the　arts　it　is　quite　another　matter。　　While　you　will　search　in　vain；　in　his　civilization；　for　explanations　of　even　the　most　simple　of　nature's　laws；　you　will　meet　at　every　turn　with　devices　for　the　beautifying　of　life；　which　may　stand　not　unworthily　beside　the　products　of　nature's　own　skill。　　Whatever　these　people　fashion；　from　the　toy　of　an　hour　to　the　triumphs　of　all　time；　is　touched　by　a　taste　unknown　elsewhere。　　To　stroll　down　the　Broadway　of　Tokio　of　an　evening　is　a　liberal　education　in　everyday　art。　　As　you　enter　it　there　opens　out　in　front　of　you　a　fairy…like　vista　of　illumination。　Two　long　lines　of　gayly　lighted　shops；　stretching　off　into　the　distance；　look　out　across　two　equally　endless　rows　of　torch…lit　booths；　the　decorous　yellow　gleam　of　the　one　contrasting　strangely　with　the　demoniacal　red　flare　of　the　other。　　This　perspective　of　pleasure　fulfils　its　promise。　　As　your　feet　follow　your　eyes　you　find　yourself　in　a　veritable　shoppers'　paradise；　the　galaxy　of　twinkle　resolving　into　worlds　of　delight。　　Nor　do　you　long　remain　a　mere　spectator；　for　the　shops　open　their　arms　to　you。　　No　cold　glass　reveals　their　charms　only　to　shut　you　off。　　Their　wares　lie　invitingly　exposed　to　the　public；　seeming　to　you　already　half　your　own。　　At　the　very　first　you　come　to　you　stop　involuntarily；　lost　in　admiration　over　what　you　take　to　be　bric…a…brac。　　It　is　only　afterwards　you　learn　that　the　object　of　your　ecstasy　was　the　commonest　of　kitchen　crockery。　　Next　door　you　halt　again；　this　time　in　front　of　some　leathern　pocket…books；　stamped　with　designs　in　color　to　tempt　you　instantly　to　empty　your　wallet　for　more　new　ones　than　you　will　ever　have　the　means　to　fill。　　If　you　do　succeed　in　tearing　yourself　away　purse…whole；　it　is　only　to　fall　a　victim　to　some　painted　fans　of　so　exquisite　a　make　and　decoration　that　escape　short　of　possession　is　impossible。　　Opposed　as　stubbornly　as　you　may　be　to　idle　purchase　at　home；　here　you　will　find　yourself　the　prey　of　an　acute　case　of　shopping　fever　before　you　know　it。　　Nor　will　it　be　much　consolation　subsequently　to　discover　that　you　have　squandered　your　patrimony　upon　the　most　ordinary　articles　of　every…day　use。　If　in　despair　you　turn　for　refuge　to　the　booths；　you　will　but　have　delivered　yourself　into　the　embrace　of　still　more　irresistible　fascinations。　　For　the　nocturnal　squatters　are　there　for　the　express　purpose　of　catching　the　susceptible。　　The　shops　were　modestly　attractive　from　their　nature；　but　the　booths　deliberately　make　eyes　at　you；　and　with　telling　effect。　　The　very　atmosphere　is　bewitching。　The　lurid　smurkiness　of　the　torches　lends　an　appropriate　weirdness　to　the　figure　of　the　uncouthly　clad　pedlar　who；　with　the　politeness　of　the　arch…fiend　himself；　displays　to　an　eager　group　the　fatal　fascinations　of　some　new　conceit。　　Here　the　latest　thing　in　inventions；　a　gutta…percha　rat；　which；　for　reasons　best　known　to　the　vender；　scampers　about　squeaking　with　a　mimicry　to　shame　the　original；　holds　an　admiring　crowd　spellbound　with　mingled　trepidation　and　delight。　　There　a　native　zoetrope；　indefatigable　round　of　pleasure；　whose　top　fashioned　after　the　type　of　a　turbine　wheel　enables　a　candle　at　the　centre　ingeniously　to　supply　both　illumination　and　motive　power　at　the　same　time；　affords　to　as　many　as　can　find　room　on　its　circumference　a　peep　at　the　composite　antics　of　a　consecutively　pictured　monkey　in　the　act　of　jumping　a　box。　Beyond　this　〃wheel　of　life〃　lies　spread　out　on　a　mat　a　most　happy　family　of　curios；　the　whole　of　which　you　are　quite　prepared　to　purchase　en　bloc。　　While　a　little　farther　on　stands　a　flower　show　which　seems　to　be　coyly　beckoning　to　you　as　the　blossoms　nod　their　heads　to　an　imperceptible　breeze。　　So　one　attraction　fairly　jostles　its　neighbor　for　recognition　from　the　gay　thousands　that　like　yourself　stroll　past　in　holiday　delight。　　Chattering　children　in　brilliant　colors；　voluble　women　and　talkative　men　in　quieter　but　no　less　picturesque　costumes；　stream　on　in　kaleidoscopic　continuity。　And　you；　carried　along　by　the　current；　wander　thus　for　miles　with　the　tide　of　pleasure…seekers；　till；　late　at　night；　when　at　last　you　turn　reluctantly　homeward；　you　feel　as　one　does　when　wakened　from　some　too　delightful　dream。

Or　instead　of　night；　suppose　it　day　and　the　place　a　temple。　　With　those　who　are　entering　you　enter　too　through　the　outer　gateway　into　the　courtyard。　　At　the　farther　end　rises　a　building　the　like　of　which　for　richness　of　effect　you　have　probably　never　beheld　or　even　imagined。　　In　front　of　you　a　flight　of　white　stone　steps　leads　up　to