large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_07_morris_64kb_33
large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_07_morris_64kb
English
6138
Come, let us put it in the way least respectful to the mediæval craftsman, most polite to the modern "hand:" the poor devil of the fourteenth century, his work was of so little value that he was allowed to waste it by the hour in pleasing himself—and others; but our highly strung mechanic, his minutes are too rich with the burden of perpetual profit for him to be allowed to waste one of them on art; the present system will not allow him—cannot allow him—to produce works of art. COME LET US PUT IT IN THE WAY LEAST RESPECTFUL TO THE MEDIAEVAL CRAFTSMAN MOST POLITE TO THE MODERN HAND THE POOR DEVIL OF THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY HIS WORK WAS OF SO LITTLE VALUE THAT HE WAS ALLOWED TO WASTE IT BY THE HOUR IN PLEASING HIMSELF AND OTHERS BUT OUR HIGHLY STRUNG MECHANIC HIS MINUTES ARE TOO RICH WITH THE BURDEN OF PERPETUAL PROFIT FOR HIM TO BE ALLOWED TO WASTE ONE OF THEM ON ART THE PRESENT SYSTEM WILL NOT ALLOW HIM CANNOT ALLOW HIM TO PRODUCE WORKS OF ART
hose old violent days. But I do say that it was possible then to have social, organic, hopeful progressive art; whereas now such poor scraps of it as are left are the result of individual and wasteful struggle, are retrospective and pessimistic. And this hopeful art was possible amidst all the oppression of those days, because the instruments of that oppression were grossly obvious, and were external to the work of the craftsman. They were laws and customs obviously intended to rob him, and open violence of the highway-robbery kind. In short, industrial production was not the instrument used for robbing the “lower classes;” it is now the main instrument used in that honourable profession. The mediæval craftsman was free in his work, therefore he made it as amusing to himself as he could; and it was his pleasure and not his pain that made all things beautiful that were made, and lavished treasures of human hope and thought on everything that man made, from a cathedral to a porridge-pot.  RISE ABOVE THAT OF THOSE OLD VIOLENT DAYS BUT I DO SAY THAT IT WAS POSSIBLE THEN TO HAVE SOCIAL ORGANIC HOPEFUL PROGRESSIVE ART WHEREAS NOW SUCH POOR SCRAPS OF IT AS ARE LEFT ARE THE RESULT OF INDIVIDUAL AND WASTEFUL STRUGGLE ARE RETROSPECTIVE AND PESSIMISTIC AND THIS HOPEFUL ART WAS POSSIBLE AMIDST ALL THE OPPRESSION OF THOSE DAYS BECAUSE THE INSTRUMENTS OF THAT OPPRESSION WERE GROSSLY OBVIOUS AND WERE EXTERNAL TO THE WORK OF THE CRAFTSMAN THEY WERE LAWS AND CUSTOMS OBVIOUSLY INTENDED TO ROB HIM AND OPEN VIOLENCE OF THE HIGHWAY ROBBERY KIND IN SHORT INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION WAS NOT THE INSTRUMENT USED FOR ROBBING THE LOWER CLASSES IT IS NOW THE MAIN INSTRUMENT USED IN THAT HONORABLE PROFESSION THE MEDIAEVAL CRAFTSMAN WAS FREE IN HIS WORK THEREFORE HE MADE IT AS AMUSING TO HIMSELF AS HE COULD AND IT WAS HIS PLEASURE AND NOT HIS PAIN THAT MADE ALL THINGS BEAUTIFUL THAT WERE MADE AND LAVISHED TREASURES OF HUMAN HOPE AND THOUGHT ON EVERYTHING THAT MAN MADE FROM A CATHEDRAL TO A PORRIDGE POT
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