第3章

believewedidsomethinglikefighting，andIratherthinkJohnPontifexgottheworstofit，butitmayhavebeentheotherway。I

remembermysister’snurse，forIwasjustoutgrowingnursesmyself，reportedthemattertohigherquarters，andwewereallofusputtosomeignominy，butwehadbeenthoroughlyawakenedfromourdream，anditwaslongenoughbeforewecouldhearthewords“pennyloaf“

mentionedwithoutourearstinglingwithshame。Iftherehadbeenadozendolesafterwardsweshouldnothavedeignedtotouchoneofthem。

GeorgePontifexputupamonumenttohisparents，aplainslabinPalehamchurch，inscribedwiththefollowingepitaph：-

InayearortwomorecameWaterlooandtheEuropeanpeace。ThenMrGeorgePontifexwentabroadmorethanonce。IrememberseeingatBattersbyinafteryearsthediarywhichhekeptonthefirstoftheseoccasions。Itisacharacteristicdocument。IfeltasIreaditthattheauthorbeforestartinghadmadeuphismindtoadmireonlywhathethoughtitwouldbecreditableinhimtoadmire，tolookatnatureandartonlythroughthespectaclesthathadbeenhandeddowntohimbygenerationaftergenerationofprigsandimpostors。ThefirstglimpseofMontBlancthrewMrPontifexintoaconventionalecstasy。“MyfeelingsIcannotexpress。Igasped，yethardlydaredtobreathe，asIviewedforthefirsttimethemonarchofthemountains。Iseemedtofancythegeniusseatedonhisstupendousthronefarabovehisaspiringbrethrenandinhissolitarymightdefyingtheuniverse。IwassoovercomebymyfeelingsthatIwasalmostbereftofmyfaculties，andwouldnotforworldshavespokenaftermyfirstexclamationtillIfoundsomereliefinagushoftears。WithpainItoremyselffromcontemplatingforthefirsttime’atdistancedimlyseen’(thoughI

feltasifIhadsentmysoulandeyesafterit)，thissublimespectacle。”AfteranearerviewoftheAlpsfromaboveGenevahewalkednineoutofthetwelvemilesofthedescent：“Mymindandheartweretoofulltositstill，andIfoundsomereliefbyexhaustingmyfeelingsthroughexercise。”InthecourseoftimehereachedChamonixandwentonaSundaytotheMontanverttoseetheMerdeGlace。Therehewrotethefollowingversesforthevisitors’

book，whichheconsidered，sohesays，“suitabletothedayandscene“：-

Lord，whilethesewondersofthyhandIsee，Mysoulinholyreverencebendstothee。

Theseawfulsolitudes，thisdreadrepose，Yonpyramidsublimeofspotlesssnows，Thesespirypinnacles，thosesmilingplains，Thisseawhereoneeternalwinterreigns，Thesearethyworks，andwhileonthemIgazeIhearasilenttonguethatspeaksthypraise。

Somepoetsalwaysbegintogetgroggyaboutthekneesafterrunningforsevenoreightlines。MrPontifex’slastcoupletgavehimalotoftrouble，andnearlyeverywordhasbeenerasedandrewrittenonceatleast。Inthevisitors’bookattheMontanvert，however，hemusthavebeenobligedtocommithimselfdefinitelytoonereadingoranother。Takingtheversesallround，IshouldsaythatMrPontifexwasrightinconsideringthemsuitabletotheday；Idon’tlikebeingtoohardevenontheMerdeGlace，sowillgivenoopinionastowhethertheyaresuitabletothescenealso。

MrPontifexwentontotheGreatStBernardandtherehewrotesomemoreverses，thistimeIamafraidinLatin。HealsotookgoodcaretobeproperlyimpressedbytheHospiceanditssituation。“Thewholeofthismostextraordinaryjourneyseemedlikeadream，itsconclusionespecially，ingentlemanlysociety，witheverycomfortandaccommodationamidsttherudestrocksandintheregionofperpetualsnow。ThethoughtthatIwassleepinginaconventandoccupiedthebedofnolessapersonthanNapoleon，thatIwasinthehighestinhabitedspotintheoldworldandinaplacecelebratedineverypartofit，keptmeawakesometime。”Asacontrasttothis，ImayquotehereanextractfromaletterwrittentomelastyearbyhisgrandsonErnest，ofwhomthereaderwillhearmorepresently。Thepassageruns：“IwentuptotheGreatStBernardandsawthedogs。”InduecourseMrPontifexfoundhiswayintoItaly，wherethepicturesandotherworksofart——those，atleast，whichwerefashionableatthattime——threwhimintogenteelparoxysmsofadmiration。OftheUffiziGalleryatFlorencehewrites：“IhavespentthreehoursthismorninginthegalleryandI

havemadeupmymindthatifofallthetreasuresIhaveseeninItalyIweretochooseoneroomitwouldbetheTribuneofthisgallery。ItcontainstheVenusde’Medici，theExplorator，thePancratist，theDancingFaunandafineApollo。ThesemorethanoutweightheLaocoonandtheBelvedereApolloatRome。Itcontains，besides，theStJohnofRaphaelandmanyotherchefs-d’oeuvreofthegreatestmastersintheworld。”ItisinterestingtocompareMrPontifex’seffusionswiththerhapsodiesofcriticsinourowntimes。Notlongagoamuchesteemedwriterinformedtheworldthathefelt“disposedtocryoutwithdelight“beforeafigurebyMichaelAngelo。IwonderwhetherhewouldfeeldisposedtocryoutbeforearealMichaelAngelo，ifthecriticshaddecidedthatitwasnotgenuine，orbeforeareputedMichaelAngelowhichwasreallybysomeoneelse。ButIsupposethataprigwithmoremoneythanbrainswasmuchthesamesixtyorseventyyearsagoasheisnow。

LookatMendelssohnagainaboutthissameTribuneonwhichMrPontifexfeltsosafeinstakinghisreputationasamanoftasteandculture。Hefeelsnolesssafeandwrites，“IthenwenttotheTribune。Thisroomissodelightfullysmallyoucantraverseitinfifteenpaces，yetitcontainsaworldofart。Iagainsoughtoutmyfavouritearmchairwhichstandsunderthestatueofthe’Slavewhettinghisknife’(L’Arrotino)，andtakingpossessionofitI

enjoyedmyselfforacoupleofhours；forhereatoneglanceIhadthe’MadonnadelCardellino，’PopeJuliusII。，afemaleportraitbyRaphael，andaboveitalovelyHolyFamilybyPerugino；andsoclosetomethatIcouldhavetoucheditwithmyhandtheVenusde’

Medici；beyond，thatofTitian……ThespacebetweenisoccupiedbyotherpicturesofRaphael’s，aportraitbyTitian，aDomenichino，etc。，etc。，allthesewithinthecircumferenceofasmallsemi-

circlenolargerthanoneofyourownrooms。Thisisaspotwhereamanfeelshisowninsignificanceandmaywelllearntobehumble。”

TheTribuneisaslipperyplaceforpeoplelikeMendelssohntostudyhumilityin。Theygenerallytaketwostepsawayfromitforonetheytaketowardsit。IwonderhowmanychalksMendelssohngavehimselfforhavingsattwohoursonthatchair。Iwonderhowoftenhelookedathiswatchtoseeifhistwohourswereup。Iwonderhowoftenhetoldhimselfthathewasquiteasbigagun，ifthetruthwereknown，asanyofthemenwhoseworkshesawbeforehim，howoftenhewonderedwhetheranyofthevisitorswererecognizinghimandadmiringhimforsittingsuchalongtimeinthesamechair，andhowoftenhewasvexedatseeingthempasshimbyandtakenonoticeofhim。Butperhapsifthetruthwereknownhistwohourswasnotquitetwohours。

ReturningtoMrPontifex，whetherhelikedwhathebelievedtobethemasterpiecesofGreekandItalianartornohebroughtbacksomecopiesbyItalianartists，whichIhavenodoubthesatisfiedhimselfwouldbearthestrictestexaminationwiththeoriginals。

TwoofthesecopiesfelltoTheobald’sshareonthedivisionofhisfather’sfurniture，andIhaveoftenseenthematBattersbyonmyvisitstoTheobaldandhiswife。TheonewasaMadonnabySassoferratowithabluehoodoverherheadwhichthrewithalfintoshadow。TheotherwasaMagdalenbyCarloDolciwithaveryfineheadofhairandamarblevaseinherhands。WhenIwasayoungmanIusedtothinkthesepictureswerebeautiful，butwitheachsuccessivevisittoBattersbyIgottodislikethemmoreandmoreandtosee“GeorgePontifex“writtenalloverbothofthem。IntheendIventuredafteratentativefashiontoblowonthemalittle，butTheobaldandhiswifewereupinarmsatonce。Theydidnotliketheirfatherandfather-in-law，buttherecouldbenoquestionabouthispowerandgeneralability，norabouthishavingbeenamanofconsummatetastebothinliteratureandart——indeedthediaryhekeptduringhisforeigntourwasenoughtoprovethis。WithonemoreshortextractIwillleavethisdiaryandproceedwithmystory。DuringhisstayinFlorenceMrPontifexwrote：“IhavejustseentheGrandDukeandhisfamilypassbyintwocarriagesandsix，butlittlemorenoticeistakenofthemthanifI，whoamutterlyunknownhere，weretopassby。”Idon’tthinkthathehalfbelievedinhisbeingutterlyunknowninFlorenceoranywhereelse！

Fortune，wearetold，isablindandficklefoster-mother，whoshowershergiftsatrandomuponhernurslings。Butwedoheragraveinjusticeifwebelievesuchanaccusation。Traceaman’scareerfromhiscradletohisgraveandmarkhowFortunehastreatedhim。Youwillfindthatwhenheisoncedeadshecanforthemostpartbevindicatedfromthechargeofanybutverysuperficialfickleness。Herblindnessisthemerestfable；shecanespyherfavouriteslongbeforetheyareborn。Weareasdaysandhavehadourparentsforouryesterdays，butthroughallthefairweatherofaclearparentalskytheeyeofFortunecandiscernthecomingstorm，andshelaughsassheplacesherfavouritesitmaybeinaLondonalleyorthosewhomsheisresolvedtoruininkings’

palaces。Seldomdoessherelenttowardsthosewhomshehassuckledunkindlyandseldomdoesshecompletelyfailafavourednursling。

WasGeorgePontifexoneofFortune’sfavourednurslingsornot？OnthewholeIshouldsaythathewasnot，forhedidnotconsiderhimselfso；hewastooreligioustoconsiderFortuneadeityatall；

hetookwhatevershegaveandneverthankedher，beingfirmlyconvincedthatwhateverhegottohisownadvantagewasofhisowngetting。Andsoitwas，afterFortunehadmadehimabletogetit。

“Noste，nosfacimus，Fortuna，deam。”exclaimedthepoet。“Itiswewhomakethee，Fortune，agoddess“；andsoitis，afterFortunehasmadeusabletomakeher。Thepoetsaysnothingastothemakingofthe“nos。”Perhapssomemenareindependentofantecedentsandsurroundingsandhaveaninitialforcewithinthemselveswhichisinnowayduetocausation；butthisissupposedtobeadifficultquestionanditmaybeaswelltoavoidit。LetitsufficethatGeorgePontifexdidnotconsiderhimselffortunate，andhewhodoesnotconsiderhimselffortunateisunfortunate。

True，hewasrich，universallyrespectedandofanexcellentnaturalconstitution。Ifhehadeatenanddrunklesshewouldneverhaveknownaday’sindisposition。Perhapshismainstrengthlayinthefactthatthoughhiscapacitywasalittleabovetheaverage，itwasnottoomuchso。Itisonthisrockthatsomanycleverpeoplesplit。Thesuccessfulmanwillseejustsomuchmorethanhisneighboursastheywillbeabletoseetoowhenitisshownthem，butnotenoughtopuzzlethem。Itisfarsafertoknowtoolittlethantoomuch。Peoplewillcondemntheone，thoughtheywillresentbeingcalledupontoexertthemselvestofollowtheother。

ThebestexampleofMrPontifex’sgoodsenseinmattersconnectedwithhisbusinesswhichIcanthinkofatthismomentistherevolutionwhichheeffectedinthestyleofadvertisingworkspublishedbythefirm。Whenhefirstbecameapartneroneofthefirm’sadvertisementsranthus：-

“BookspropertobegivenawayatthisSeason-

“ThePiousCountryParishioner，beingdirectionshowaChristianmaymanageeverydayinthecourseofhiswholelifewithsafetyandsuccess；howtospendtheSabbathDay；whatbooksoftheHolyScriptureoughttobereadfirst；thewholemethodofeducation；

collectsforthemostimportantvirtuesthatadornthesoul；adiscourseontheLord’sSupper；rulestosetthesoulrightinsickness；sothatinthistreatisearecontainedalltherulesrequisiteforsalvation。The8theditionwithadditions。Price10d。

Anallowancewillbemadetothosewhogivethemaway。”