large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_07_morris_64kb_43
large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_07_morris_64kb
English
6138
Soon there will be nothing left except the lying dreams of history, the miserable wreckage of our museums and picture galleries, and the carefully guarded interiors of our æsthetic drawing rooms, unreal and foolish, fitting witnesses of the life of corruption that goes on there, so pinched and meagre and cowardly, with its concealment and ignoring, rather than restraint of, natural longings; which does not forbid the greedy indulgence in them if it can but be decently hidden. SOON THERE WILL BE NOTHING LEFT EXCEPT THE LYING DREAMS OF HISTORY THE MISERABLE WRECKAGE OF OUR MUSEUMS AND PICTURE GALLERIES AND THE CAREFULLY GUARDED INTERIORS OF OUR ESTHETIC DRAWING ROOMS UNREAL AND FOOLISH FITTING WITNESSES OF THE LIFE OF CORRUPTION THAT GOES ON THERE SO PINCHED AND MEAGRE AND COWARDLY WITH ITS CONCEALMENT AND IGNORING RATHER THAN RESTRAINT OF NATURAL LONGINGS WHICH DOES NOT FORBID THE GREEDY INDULGENCE IN THEM IF IT CAN BUT BE DECENTLY HIDDEN
is great body of enthusiastic demanders are no mere poor and helpless people, ignorant fisher-peasants, half-mad monks, scatter-brained sansculottes—none of those, in short, the expression of whose needs has shaken the world so often before, and will do yet again. No, they are of the ruling classes, the masters of men, who can live without labour, and have abundant leisure to scheme out the fulfilment of their desires; and yet I say they cannot have the art which they so much long for, though they hunt it about the world so hard, sentimentalizing the sordid lives of the miserable peasants of Italy and the starving proletarians of her towns, now that all the picturesqueness has departed from the poor devils of our own country-side, and of our own slums. Indeed, there is little of reality left them anywhere, and that little is fast fading away before the needs of the manufacturer and his ragged regiment of workers, and before the enthusiasm of the archæological restorer of the dead past. ES NOT COME YES AND MOREOVER THIS GREAT BODY OF ENTHUSIASTIC DEMANDERS ARE NO MERE POOR AND HELPLESS PEOPLE IGNORANT FISHER PEASANTS HALF MAD MONKS SCATTERIN SUNCY LOT NONE OF THOSE IN SHORT THE EXPRESSION OF WHOSE NEEDS HAS SHAKEN THE WORLD SO OFTEN BEFORE AND WILL DO YET AGAIN NO THEY ARE OF THE RULING CLASSES THE MASTERS OF MEN WHO CAN LIVE WITHOUT LABOUR AND HAVE ABUNDANT LEISURE TO SCHEME OUT THE FULFILLMENT OF THEIR DESIRES AND YET I SAY THEY CANNOT HAVE THE ART WHICH THEY SO MUCH LONG FOR THOUGH THEY HUNTED ABOUT THE WORLD SO HARD SENTIMENTALIZING THE SORDID LIVES OF THE MISERABLE PEASANTS OF ITALY AND THE STARVING PROLETARIANS OF HER TOWNS NOW THAT ALL THE PICTURESQUENESS HAS DEPARTED FROM THE POOR DEVILS OF OUR OWN COUNTRYSIDE AND OF OUR OWN SONS INDEED THERE IS LITTLE OF REALITY LEFT THEM ANYWHERE AND THAT LITTLE IS FADING FAST AWAY BEFORE THE NEEDS OF THE MANUFACTURER AND HIS RAGGED REGIMENT OF WORKERS AND BEFORE THE ENTHUSIASM OF THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESTORER OF THE DEAD PAST
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