But I

of doors I return too insensible to write or almost to speak to any one. cannot longer defer expressing my sincere gladness at your well deserved success, and my sympathy in all the enthusiasm of your hopes, so far as regards your own aims and prospects, and I am also glad for the sake of our national honour, that you are to be one of its supporters. But with your hopes for the elevation of English art by means of fresco, I cannot sympathise. I have not the remotest hope of anything of the kind. It is not the material nor the space that can give us thoughts, passions, or powers. I see on our Academy walls nothing but what is ignoble in small pictures, and would be disgusting in large ones. I never hear one word of genuine feeling issue from any one's mouth but yours, and the two Richmonds', and if it did, I don't believe the public of the present day would understand it. It is not the love of fresco that we want: it is the love of God and his creatures; it is humility, and charity, and self-denial, and fasting, and prayer; it is a total change of character, We want more faith and less reasoning; less strength and more trust. You, neither want walls, nor plaster nor colours-ça ne fait rien à l'affaire1—it is Giotto and Ghirlandajo and Angelico that you want, and that you will and must want, until this disgusting nineteenth century has, I can't say breathed, but steamed, its last. You want a serious love of art in the people, and a faithful love of art in the artist, not a desire to be a R.A., and to dine with the Queen; and you want something like decent teaching in the Academy itself, good training of the thoughts, not of the fingers, and good inpouring of knowledge not of knocks. Never tell, or think to tell, your lank-cockney, leaden-headed pupil what great art is, but make a great man of him, and he'll find out. And a pretty way, by-the-bye, Mr. Eastlake takes to teach our British public a love of the right thing, going and buying a disgusting, rubbishy, good - for- nothing, bad - for- everything Rubens,2 and two brutal Guidos, when we haven't got a Perugino to bless ourselves with. But it don't matter, not a straw's balance. I see what the world is coming to. We shall put it into a chain-armour of railroad, and then everybody will go everywhere every day, until every place is like every other place, and then when they are tired of changing stations and police, they will congregate in knots in great cities, which will consist of club-houses, coffee-houses, and newspaper-offices; the churches will be turned into assembly rooms; and people will eat, sleep, and gamble to their graves.

It isn't of any use to try and do anything for such an age as this. We are a different race altogether from the men of old time; we live in drawingrooms instead of deserts; and work by the light of chandeliers instead of volcanoes. I have been perfectly prostrated these two or three days back by my first acquaintance with Tintoret; but then I feel as if I had got introduced to a being from a planet a million of miles nearer the sun, not to a mere earthly painter As for our little bits of R.A.'s, calling themselves painters, it ought to be stopped directly. One might make a mosaic of R.A.'s, perhaps; with a good magnifying glass, big enough for Tintoret to stand with one leg upon... (Sept. 29th), if he balanced himself like a gondolier.

1 [For the quotation from Molière, see Vol. III. p. 122.]

The Judgment of Paris," No. 194; Ruskin attacked this purchase in a later letter to the Times; see Arrows of the Chace, 1880, i. 65. For the Guidos, see Vol. III. p. 670.]

3 [See above, Introduction, p. xxxvii., and Epilogue, § 12, p. 354.]

I thought the mischief was chiefly confined to the architecture here, but Tintoret is going quite as fast. The Emperor of Austria is his George Robins.1 I went to the Scuola di San Rocco the other day, in heavy rain, and found the floor half under water, from large pools from droppings through the pictures on the ceiling, not through the sides or mouldings, but the pictures themselves. They won't take care of them, nor sell them, nor let anybody

take care of them.

I am glad to hear that the subjects of our frescoes are to be selected from poets instead of historians; but I don't like the selection of poets. I think in a national work one ought not to allow any appearance of acknowledgment of irreligious principle, and we ought to select those poets chiefly who have best illustrated English character or have contributed to form the prevailing tones of the English mind. Byron and Shelley I think inadmissible. I should substitute Wordsworth, and Keats or Coleridge, and put Scott instead of Pope, whom one doesn't want with Dryden. I think the "Ancient Mariner" would afford the highest and most imaginative method of touching on England's sea character. From Wordsworth you get her pastoral and patriarchal character; from Scott her chivalresque; I don't know what you would get from either Dryden or Pope, but I suppose you must have one of them. However, anything is better than history, the most insipid of subjects. One often talks of historical painting, but I mean religious always, for how often does one see a picture of history worth a straw? I declare I cannot at this instant think of any one historical work that ever interested me.3

I beg your pardon very much for this hurried sulky scrawl, but conceive how little one is fit for when one finds them covering the marble palaces with stucco, and painting them in stripes!

Allow me again to thank you exceedingly for your kind letter, and to express my delight at the good news it contains, and believe me, with compliments to Mrs. Severn,

Ever most truly yours,

J. RUSKIN.

1 [George Henry Robins (1778-1847), the famous crier of "going, going, gone" of the day. His most notable sale, that of Horace Walpole's collections at Strawberry Hill, had taken place in 1842.]

2 [See above, p. 40.]

3 [See above, p. 382.]

IV

MINOR "VARIE LECTIONES"

ALL the more important and substantial ariations between the various editions of Modern Painters, vol. ii., have already been given as footnotes to the text or otherwise. For the sake of completeness, the remaining variations are here given. Differences of capitals for small letters, small changes of punctuation and of spelling (such as "canvass" for " canvas," "Raphael" for "Raffaelle," etc.), are not, however, always noted; nor are some obvious misprints (transposition of letters, etc.), included. See also p. liii. above for list of errata noted in the first edition; they are not included in the following collation.

Preface to the Re-arranged edition (1883).—§ 6, third line from end, "the conception of any invisible one" was misprinted "the conception of any visible one" in the small complete edition. § 7, the reference to "the untranslated quotation from Aristotle" was wrongly given in the 1883 ed. as pp. 83 and 218, instead of pp. 85 and 225.

Sec. i. ch. i. § 3, line 1. Ed. 1 reads "Only as" instead of "Because that"; ed. 2, "Only that I fear that... § 4, line 12, eds. 1 and 2 had a full point after " us. § 5, eds. 1-3 and 1873, did not capitalise "His," "He." § 6, line 9, ed. 1, reads "the" before "endurance," "fortitude," "deliverance," and "faith.” § 7, “He,” "His," "Him," not capitalised in eds. 1-3. §7 (author's footnote, now at pp. 37-41), "Beauvais" misprinted "Beauvois" in eds. 1 and 2, which did not contain "at the corner of the market-place." In the paragraph on Pisa, the words "to some private person" came after "the lower part of the wall," and "Giotto" was misspelt "Giotti" (so also lower down in the note). Towards the end of the note, for "taking the place of" eds. 1 and 2 read "replacing." There were also some minor differences in punctuation. § 8, line 24, for "whatever," ed. 1 reads "whatsoever"; line 31, eds. 1 and 2 have a semicolon instead of a full point before "only"; in ed. 3 the long sentence was broken up (see Ruskin's notes on pp. 49, 53). § 10, last line but 2, the words "in considering" inserted in ed. 3. In the note eds. 1 and 2 read "St." for "San Lorenzo."

Ch. ii. § 4, line 5, for "and therefore" ed. 1 reads "and so are actually dκóλaoroi,” and in line 6, for "do not lower," "lower not"; line 8, "its own" italicised in 1883 ed. ; lines 15, 16, "though . . . feebleness" bracketed in eds. 1 and 2; line 20, after "passion" ed. 1 adds "and impulse"; last line but 3, after "intemperate" ed. 1 inserts " or ȧkóλaσros," and in the next line omits the words "for the time." There are also some differences of punctuation in this §. § 8, line 17, for "or" eds. 1 and 2 read "nor." § 9, line 2, no inverted commas to taste' till 1883; line 4, all eds. before 1883 read "and" before "plant groves"; line 11, eds. 1 and 2 had a semicolon after they had," and ed. 1 reads "for I know not" instead of "I do not know." The word "heart" in the last line was not italicised till 1883 ed. § 10, line 6, eds. 1 and 2 omit "in" before "what is kind.”

Ch. iii. § 1, lines 25, 26, the inverted commas and brackets introduced in 1883 ed. § 2, line 2, eds. 1 and 2 read right, ed. 3 "right," § 2, the italics (deceptive, will, and ultimate) introduced in the 1883 ed.; line 13, eds. 1 and 2 insert "either" before "that which he himself"; § 5, the italics (variation and unity) introduced in the 1883 ed.; line 8, eds. 1 and 2 begin a new sentence after "the experienced"; § 6, the numerals (1), (2), (3) introduced in the 1883 ed.; § 6, line 14, coexistent is "co-existent " in eds. 1 and 2. § 8, line 3, eds. 1 and 2 insert " many" between "for" and "beneficent"; 9, line 2, for "better" eds. 1 and 2 read "best"; § 11, line 17, for "all things. The complaint so often heard from ed. 1 reads "all things, and

66

therefore the complaint so often made by . . .' § 14, line 6, eds. 1 and 2 bracket the words "and they God." § 15, last line but 1, eds. 1. and 2 read "and" for "or." § 16, lines 17, 18, eds. 1 and 2 read " . . in men. And this kind . . . the word beautiful' to other

...

Ch. iv. § 1 (A), line 3, for "giving" eds. 1 and 2 read "allowing" (the lettering A, B, C, and D added in 1883); § 4, lines 1 and 3, for "the one to deaden .. the other to endear,” ed. 2 reads “it deadens, while it endears"; line 6, for "last" ed. 2 reads "latter"; § 5, line 8, for "flavours together; but" eds. 1 and 2 read "flavours together. But"; § 6, note 2 on p. 69, last line but one, for "remembered," ed. 1 reads "held in mind"; § 7, the italics (overcoming that very other power) introduced in the 1883 ed.; § 9, last line but 8, the 1873 ed. (only) reads "had" for " has."

66

Ch. v. § 2, last line but 2, for "has" ed. 1 reads have." § 6, the italics (heaven light and object light) introduced in 1883 ed.; § 8, line 8, for "venture" eds. 1-3 read "ventures"; § 11, line 2, for "the Venetians did through love" ed. 1 reads was done by the Venetians through intense love"; § 16, line 11, for "For instance," ed. 1 reads "Hence for instances," and 6 lines lower, for "veins' veining"; § 17, lines 2 and 3, for “refuses in painting to understand a shadow which

99.66

." ed. 1 reads "refuses

in art to understand anything as either which . . ."; line 12, for "most observable character," ed. 1 reads "most observable and characteristic part"; § 17, last line, for "strong" ed. 1 reads "high"; § 19, line 3, eds. 1 and 2 omit "by" before "their distinctness"; line 9, for "not" ed. 1 reads "no."

66

66

66

"

Ch. vi. § 1, line 1, eds. 1 and 2 bracket "God only excepted"; line 11, or was misprinted "of" in 1873 ed.; § 2, three lines from end, all eds. to 1873 have a full stop after " appear"; $ 3, line 11, for "impulse" ed. 1 reads "inspiration"; line 24, eds. 1 and 2 have a full stop after "times"; § 5, line 3, for "surface" eds. 1-3 read "surfaces"; line 5, eds. 1 and 2 omit "by"; § 5 (author's footnote t), the italics (various) introduced in 1883 ed., as also (Uniformity) in the next note; § 6, line 20, ed. 1 reads "becomes" for "become"; § 8, 9 lines from end, "offensiveness was offensivenesses" in eds. 1, 2, 3, and 1873, and in the line above eds. 1, 2, and 3 read nothingnesses"; § 8, author's footnote, after "Santa Maria Novella ed. 1 added "(Chapelle des Espagnols)"; § 10 (A), line 3, for "amongst" eds. 1 and 2 read "between"; (B), line 3, "(necessarily)" inserted in 1883 ed., as also the lettering "(A)" and "(B)"; § 10, author's footnote, the italics (is, large, small) introduced in the 1883 ed.; the italics (bulk, strength, constant must) introduced in ed. 2; § 10, fourth line from end, for "takes" ed. 1 reads "take"; in the next line, the ed. of 1883 altered "The third, denial," etc., to " And the third, the denial," etc.; § 12, line 6, ed. 1 inserts "gradual "before"acceleration"; sixth line from end, eds. 1 and 2 insert" both" before on its age"; § 14, the italics (infinitely variable) introduced in 1883 ed.; § 14, last line, eds. 1, 2, 3 read "animals" for "animal."

Ch. vii. § 1, lines 4 and 5, ed. 1 inserts "and" before "yet" and "mere" before "matter"; § 2, line 16, ed. 1 inserts "under" before "fern"; line 22, ed. 1 reads "Hence Wordsworth of the cloud, which in itself having too much of changefulness for his purpose is spoken of as one," etc. § 2, in ed. 1 the three quotations appear in the ordinary text; in ed. 2 the first one is set out, and in ed. 3 the other two also; § 6, author's footnote, line 12, for "the" eds. 1 and 2 read "a.'

Ch. viii. § 3, third line from end, ed. 1 omits "and" before "constant."

Ch. ix. § 2, line 9, the italics (purer) introduced in ed. 2; § 7, line 8, ed. 1 inserts "the" before "rock," and "I say" after "singularly"; § 8, line 3, ed. 1 reads "whereof" for "of which"; line 12, ed. 1 reads "of the Deity in matter through which," etc.; § 9, fifth line from end, ed. 1 reads "Thus in the description of the Apocalypse, it is its purity that fits it," etc.; § 9, author's first footnote, all eds. before 1883 read "for all melodies are not," etc.

Ch. x. § 3, author's second footnote, lines 16-19, eds. 1 and 2 bracket "although chiselling" and have no stop there; line 28, eds. 1 and 2 read "large" for "wide"; the italics (indolent, intellectual, and more to do) introduced in ed. 2; line 30, eds. 1 and 2 read “or” for "and"; line 33, eds. 1 and 2 read "new built" for "newly-built"; § 7, line 5, "least" in eds. 1-3 and 1883; other eds. read "less"; § 8, last word printed in small caps. in ed. 1.

Ch. xi. § 4, line 14, ed. 1 omits "higher"; line 23, for "may we not see" ed. reads "it cannot be but that there is."

Ch. xii. § 1, line 25, ed. 1 inserts "besides" before “is”; § 2, line 12, for "Bu even" ed. 1, beginning a new paragraph, reads "Wherefore it is evident that even § 2, ed. 1 has the two quotations in the ordinary text; § 6, line 1, for "clearer" ed I reads "more distinct"; line 15, the italics (animal) introduced in 1883 ed.; § 7 line 15, for "consistent" ed. 1 reads "uniform"; § 8, the italics (happiness and moral functions) introduced in ed. 2; line 8, for "will" ed. 1 read "it shall"; § 9 the italics (there is... animal) introduced in 1883 ed., though slothful was italicised in ed. 2; § 9, line 8, eds. 1-3 and 1873 read "but" for "while"; line 20, ed. omits sometimes"; § 9, last line but one, ed. 1 inserts "of" before "love"; § 10 line 5, ed. 1 reads " eye" for " eyes"; line 15, for "in" ed. 1 reads "by means of" line 16, ed. 1 inserts " to these" after "next"; line 33, for "much" ed. 1 read: "more," adding after "mandibles" the words "than is commonly supposed"; line 36, for "their beauty" ed. 1 reads "that beauty they have," the brackets being added in ed. 2; line 39, for "the principle is less traceable," ed. 1 reads "ther is less traceableness of the principle"; ninth line from end, the italics (virtue introduced in ed. 2.

Ch. xiii. § 1, the italics introduced in ed. 2; § 2, last line, for "Second Section of the present Part," 1883 ed. read "next volume" and added the footnote "(Of this edition; being the close of the second volume of the original work)"; § 3, line 3, for "apply the word" ed. 1 reads "use the word to signify"; § 5, line 1, for "It is well" ed. 1 reads "Now it is better"; § 6, line 4, for "its" ed. 1 reads "their"; § 10, line 5, for "idea," eds. 1-3 read "ideal"; line 22, ed. 1 inserts "unequalled" after "endurance"; line 23, ed. 1 misreads "feeling" for "feeding"; line 28, ed. 1 reads "it" for "He"; § 13, lines 3 and 4, for "peculiar virtues, duties and characters" ed. 1 reads "characters, habits and peculiar virtues and duties"; § 13, last line, ed. 1 reads "it" for "their"; § 14, line 5, ed. 1 begins a new paragraph with "The pursuit."

Ch. xiv. § 1, line 14, 1873 ed. misprints "their" for "there"; line 16, for "by" ed. 1 reads "with"; § 2, six lines from end of first paragraph, for "the ideal of the good and perfect soul, as it is seen in the features" ed. 1 reads "so the ideal of the features, as the good and perfect soul is seen in them"; next line, for "so sunk as not... to feel," ed. 1 reads “but that it shall feel”; § 3, line 8, ed. 1 inserts "twists and" before "straining dexterities"; § 4, first two lines, ed. 1 reads "The visible operation of the mind upon the body, and evidence of it thereon, may be considered under the following three general heads"; line 12, for "described ed. 1 reads "noted"; § 5, line 24, ed. 1 reads "exercise of both is in a sort impossible, for which cause we occasionally," etc.; line 26, for "expansion" ed. 1 reads "expanding"; the quotation from Wordsworth, ed. 1 printed as one line, and did not italicise "thought"; next line, ed. 1 omitted "perhaps" and read "only, I think that if," etc.; three lines lower, ed. 1 inserts, "that" before "though," and in the next line does not italicise " reason"; seven lines lower, ed. 1 reads "that speaks" for "speaking"; § 6 is misprinted 5 in 1873 ed.; § 11, first three lines, ed. 1 reads "Hence, then, be it observed, that what we must determinedly banish our seeking of its ideal, is not everything," etc.; line 10, ed. 1 inserts ever before "that of Paradise"; § 12, line 11, for "since" ed. 1 reads "because lower down, ed. 1 italicises only the word "every"; § 13, line 4, for "general ed. 1 reads "usual"; § 14, eleven lines from end, for " among" ed. 1 reads "for seven lines from end, ed. 1 omits “has done”; § 18, line 21, the brackets introduced in 1883 ed.; § 20, last word, not italicised in ed. 1; § 21, line 1, ed. 1 adds "and colourless" after "clay cold," and for "life of flesh" reads "value of flesh "; § 23, last line before quotation, ed. 1 reads "to illustrate that of Spencer" (sic); § 29, first word, "Wherefore" in ed. 1; line 6, for "as" ed. 1 reads "for as much as ; § 30, first three lines in ed. 1 read " passions whose presence, in any degree on the human face is degradation. But of all passion it is to be generally observed," etc. Ch. xv. § 1, line 4, ed. 1 omits "ones"; line 13, for "the" ed. 1 reads "that" § 6, line 12, for "spring" ed. 1-3 read "springing"; line 18, for "are" eds. 1 and 2 read "is"; line 23, for "fall" ed. 1 reads "stoop"; last lines, for "partial want

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