the soul of the far east-第20部分

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　all　descriptions；　too。　　Now　it　lurks　in　merry　ambush；　like　the　faint　suggestion　of　a　smile　on　an　otherwise　serious　face；　so　subtile　that　the　observer　is　left　wondering　whether　the　artist　could　have　meant　what　seems　more　like　one's　own　ingenious　discovery；　now　it　breaks　out　into　the　broadest　of　grins；　absurd　juxtapositions　of　singularly　happy　incongruities。　　For　Hokusai's　caricatures　and　Hendschel's　sketches　might　be　twins。　　If　there　is　a　difference；　it　lies　not　so　much　in　the　artist's　work　as　in　the　greater　generality　of　its　appreciation。　　Humor　flits　easily　there　at　the　sea…level　of　the　multitude。　　For　the　Japanese　temperament　is　ever　on　the　verge　of　a　smile　which　breaks　out　with　catching　naivete　at　the　first　provocation。　　The　language　abounds　in　puns　which　are　not　suffered　to　lie　idle；　and　even　poetry　often　hinges　on　certain　consecrated　plays　on　words。　　From　the　very　constitution　of　the　people　there　is　of　course　nothing　selfish　in　the　national　enjoyment。　　A　man　is　quite　as　ready　to　laugh　at　his　own　expense　as　at　his　neighbor's；　a　courtesy　which　his　neighbor　cordially　returns。

Now　the　ludicrous　is　essentially　human　in　its　application。　The　principle　of　the　synthesis　of　contradictories；　popularly　known　by　the　name　of　humor；　is　necessarily　limited　in　its　field　to　man。　　For　whether　it　have　to　do　wholly　with　actions；　or　partly　with　the　words　that　express　them；　whether　it　be　presented　in　the　shape　of　a　pun　or　a　pleasantry；　it　is　in　incongruous　contrasts　that　its　virtue　lies。　It　is　the　unexpected　that　provokes　the　smile。　　Now　no　such　incongruity　exists　in　nature；　man　enjoys　a　monopoly　of　the　power　of　making　himself　ridiculous。　　So　pleasant　is　pleasantry　that　we　do　indeed　cultivate　it　beyond　its　proper　pale。　　But　it　is　only　by　personifying　Nature；　and　gratuitously　attributing　to　her　errors　of　which　she　is　incapable；　that　we　can　make　fun　of　her；　as；　for　instance；　when　we　hold　the　weather　up　to　ridicule　by　way　of　impotent　revenge。　　But　satires　upon　the　clown…like　character　of　our　climate；　which；　after　the　lamest　sort　of　a　spring；　somehow　manages　a　capital　fall；　would　in　the　Far　East　be　as　out　of　keeping　with　fancy　as　with　fact。　　To　a　Japanese；　who　never　personifies　anything；　such　innocent　irony　is　unmeaning。　　Besides；　it　would　be　also　untrue。　　For　his　May　carries　no　suggestion　of　unfulfilment　in　its　name。

Those　Far　Eastern　paintings　which　have　to　do　with　man　fall　for　the　most　part　under　one　of　two　heads；　the　facetious　and　the　historical。　The　latter　implies　no　particularly　intimate　concern　for　man　in　himself；　for　the　past　has　very　little　personality　for　the　present。　As　for　the　former；　its　attention　is；　if　anything；　derogatory　to　him；　for　we　are　always　shy　of　making　fun　of　what　we　feel　to　be　too　closely　a　part　of　ourselves。　　But　impersonality　has　prevented　the　Far　Oriental　from　having　much　amour　propre。　　He　has　no　particular　aversion　to　caricaturing　himself。　　Few　Europeans；　perhaps；　would　have　cared　to　perpetrate　a　self…portrait　like　one　painted　by　the　potter　Kinsei；　which　was　sold　me　one　day　as　an　amusing　tour　de　force　by　a　facetious　picture…dealer。　　It　is　a　composite　picture　of　a　new　kind；　a　Japanese　variety　of　type　face。　　The　great　potter；　who　was　also　apparently　no　mean　painter；　has　combined　three　aspects　of　himself　in　a　single　representation。　　At　first　sight　the　portrait　appears　to　be　simply　a　full　front　view　of　a　somewhat　moon…faced　citizen；　but　as　you　continue　to　gaze；　it　suddenly　dawns　on　you　that　there　are　two　other　individuals；　one　on　either　side；　hob…nobbing　in　profile　with　the　first；　the　lines　of　the　features　being　ingeniously　made　to　do　double　duty；　and　when　this　aspect　of　the　thing　has　once　struck　you；　you　cannot　look　at　the　picture　without　seeing　all　three　citizens　simultaneously。　　The　result　is　doubtless　more　effective　as　a　composition　than　flattering　as　a　likeness。

Far　Eastern　sculpture；　by　its　secondary　importance　among　Far　Eastern　arts；　witnesses　again　to　the　secondary　importance　assigned　to　man　at　our　mental　antipodes。　　In　this　art；　owing　to　its　necessary　limitations；　the　representation　of　nature　in　its　broader　sense　is　impossible。　　For　in　the　first　place；　whatever　the　subject；　it　must　be　such　as　it　is　possible　to　present　in　one　continuous　piece；　disconnected　adjuncts；　as；　for　instance；　a　flock　of　birds　flying；　which　might　be　introduced　with　great　effect　in　painting；　being　here　practically　beyond　the　artist's　reach。　　Secondly；　the　material　being　of　uniform　appearance；　as　a　rule；　color；　or　even　shading；　vital　points　in　landscape　portrayal；　is　out　of　the　question；　unless　the　piece　were　subsequently　painted；　as　in　Grecian　sculptures；　a　custom　which　is　not　practised　in　China　or　Japan。　　Lastly；　another　fact　fatal　to　the　representation　of　landscape　is　the　size。　　The　reduced　scale　of　the　reproduction　suggests　falsity　at　once；　a　falsity　whose　belittlement　the　mind　can　neither　forget　nor　forgive。　　Plain　sculpture　is　therefore　practically　limited　to　statuary；　either　of　men　or　animals。　　The　result　is　that　in　their　art；　where　landscape　counts　for　so　much；　sculpture　plays　a　very　minor　part。　　In　what　little　there　is；　Nature's　place　is　taken　by　Buddha。　　For　there　are　two　classes　of　statues；　divided　the　one　from　the　other　by　that　step　which　separates　the　sublime　from　the　ridiculous；　namely；　the　colossal　and　the　diminutive。　　There　is　no　happy　human　mean。　　Of　the　first　kind　are　the　beautiful　bronze　figures　of　the　Buddha；　like　the　Kamakura　Buddha；　fifty　feet　high　and　ninety…seven　feet　round；　in　whose　face　all　that　is　grand　and　noble　lies　sleeping；　the　living　representation　of　Nirvana；　and　of　the　second；　those　odd　little　ornaments　known　as　netsuke；　comical　carvings　for　the　most　part；　grotesque　figures　of　men　and　monkeys；　saints　and　sinners；　gods　and　devils。　　Appealing　bits　of　ivory；　bone；　or　wood　they　are；　in　which　the　dumb　animals　are　as　speaking　likenesses　as　their　human　fellows。

The　other　arts　show　the　same　motif　in　their　decorations。　　Pottery　and　lacquer　alike　witness　the　respective　positions　assigned　to　the　serious　and　the　comic　in　Far　Eastern　feeling。

The　Far　Oriental　makes　fun　of　man　and　makes　love　to　Nature；　and　it　almost　seems　as　if　Nature　heard　his　silent　prayer；　and　smiled　upon　him　in　acceptance；　as　if　the　love…light　lent　her　face　the　added　beauty　that　it　lends　the　maid's。　　For　nowhere　in　this　world；　probably；　is　she　lovelier　than　in　Japan：　a　climate　of　long；　happy　means　and　short　extremes；　months　of　spring　and　months　of　autumn；　with　but　a　few　weeks　of　winter　in　between；　a　land　of　flowers；　where　the　lotus　and　the　cherry；　the　plum　and　wistaria；　grow　wantonly　side　by　side；　a　land　where　the　bamboo　embosoms　the　maple；　where　the　pine　at　last　has　found　its　palm…tree；　and　the　tropic　and　the　temperate　zones　forget　their　separate　identity　in　one　long　self…obliterating　kiss。


Chapter　7。　　Religion。　

In　regard　to　their　religion；　nations；　like　individuals；　seem　singularly　averse　to　practising　what　they　have　preached。　　Whether　it　be　that　his　self…constructed　idols　prove　to　the　maker　too　suggestive　of　his　own　intellectual　chisel　to　deceive　him　for　long；　or　whether　sacred　soil；　like　less　hallowed　ground；　becomes　after　a　time　incapable　of　responding　to　repeated　sowings　of　the　same　seed；　certain　it　is　that　in　spiritual　matters　most　peoples　have　grown　out　of　conceit　with　their　own　conceptions。　　An　individual　may　cling　with　a　certain　sentiment　to　the　religion　of　his　mother；　but　nations　have　shown　anything　but　a　foolish　fondness　for　the　sacred　superstitions　of　their　great…grandfathers。　　To　the　charm　of　creation　succeeds　invariably　the　bitter…sweet　after…taste　of　criticism；　and　man　would　not　be　the　progressive　animal　he　is　if　he　long　remained　in　love　with　his　own　productions。

What　his　future　will　be　is　too　engrossing　a　subject；　and　one　too　deeply　shrouded　in　mystery；　not　to　be　constantly　pictured　anew。　No　wonder　that　the　consideration　at　that　country　toward　which　mankind　is　ever　being　hastened　should　prove　as　absorbing　to　fancy　as　contemplated　earthly　journeys　proverbially　are。　　Few　people　but　have　laid　out　skeleton　tours　through　its　ideal　regions；　and　perhaps；　as　in　the　mapping　beforehand　of　merely　mundane　travels；　one　element　of　attraction　has　always　consisted　in　the　possible　revision　of　one's　routes。

Besides；　there　is　a　fascination　about　the　foreign　merely　because　it　is　such。　　Distance　lends　enchantment　to　the　views　of　others；　and　never　more　so　than　when　those　views　are　religious　visions。　An　enthusiast　has　certainly　a　greater　chance　of　being　taken　for　a　god　among　a　people　who　do　not　know　him　intimately　as　a　man。　　So　with　his　doctrines。　　The　imported　is　apt　to　seem　more　important　than　the　home…made；　as　the　far…off　bewitches　more　easily　than　the　near。　　But　just　as　castles　in　the　air　do　not　commonly　become　the　property　of　their　builders；　so　mansions　in　the　skies　almost　as　frequently　have　failed　of　direct　inheritance。　　Rather　strikingly　has　this　proved　the　case　with　what　are　to…day　the　two　most　powerful　religions　of　the　world；Buddhism　and　Christianity。　　Neither　is　now　the　belief　of　its　founder's　people。　　What　was　Aryan…born　has　become　Turanian…bred；　and　what　was　Semitic　by　conception　is　at　present　Aryan　by　adoption。　The　possibilities　of　another's　hereafter　look　so　much　rosier　than　the　limitations　of　one's　own　present！

Few　pastime