large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_07_morris_64kb_29
large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_07_morris_64kb
English
6138
Though not so astounding, so romantic, or at first sight so mediæval as the Norman city, Oxford in those days still kept a great deal of its earlier loveliness: and the memory of its grey streets as they then were has been an abiding influence and pleasure in my life, and would be greater still if I could only forget what they are now—a matter of far more importance than the so called learning of the place could have been to me in any case, but which, as it was, no one tried to teach me, and I did not try to learn. THOUGH NOT SO ASTOUNDING SO ROMANTIC OR AT FIRST SIGHT SO MADE EEVAL AS THE NORMAN CITY OXFORD IN THOSE DAYS STILL KEPT A GREAT DEAL OF ITS EARLIER LOVELINESS AND THE MEMORY OF ITS GREY STREETS AS THEY THEN WERE HAS BEEN AN ABIDING INFLUENCE AND PLEASURE IN MY LIFE AND WOULD BE GREATER STILL IF I COULD ONLY FORGET WHAT THEY ARE NOW A MATTER OF FAR MORE IMPORTANCE THAN THE SO CALLED LEARNING OF THE PLACE COULD HAVE BEEN TO ME IN ANY CASE BUT WHICH AS IT WAS NO ONE TRIED TO TEACH ME AND I DID NOT TRY TO LEARN
, which I shall mostly have to speak about now. People have consciously striven to raise the dead in art since that time, and with some superficial success. Nevertheless, in spite of this conscious effort, I must tell you that England, to a person who can feel and understand beauty, was a less grievous place to live in then than it is now; and we who feel what art means know well, though we do not often dare to say so, that forty years hence it will be a more grievous place to us than it is now if we still follow up the road we are on. Less than forty years ago—about thirty—I first saw the city of Rouen, then still in its outward aspect a piece of the Middle Ages: no words can tell you how its mingled beauty, history, and romance took hold on me; I can only say that, looking back on my past life, I find it was the greatest pleasure I have ever had: and now it is a pleasure which no one can ever have again: it is lost to the world for ever. At that time I was an undergraduate of Oxford. F THE ARCHITECTURAL ARTS WHICH I SHALL MOSTLY HAVE TO SPEAK ABOUT NOW PEOPLE HAVE CONSCIOUSLY STRIVEN TO RAISE THE DEAD IN ART SINCE THAT TIME AND WITH SOME SUPERFICIAL SUCCESS NEVERTHELESS IN SPITE OF THIS CONSCIOUS EFFORT I MUST TELL YOU THAT ENGLAND TO A PERSON WHO CAN FEEL AND UNDERSTAND BEAUTY WAS A LESS GRIEVOUS PLACE TO LIVE IN THEN THAN IT IS NOW AND WE WHO FEEL WHAT ART MEANS KNOW WELL THOUGH WE DO NOT OFTEN DARE TO SAY SO THAT FORTY YEARS HENCE IT WILL BE A MORE GRIEVOUS PLACE TO US THAN IT IS NOW IF WE STILL FOLLOW UP THE ROAD WE ARE ON LESS THAN FORTY YEARS AGO ABOUT THIRTY I FIRST SAW THE CITY OF RUIN THEN STILL IN ITS OUTWARD ASPECT A PEACE OF THE MIDDLE AGES NO WORDS CAN TELL YOU HOW ITS MINGLED BEAUTY HISTORY AND ROMANCE TOOK HOLD ON ME I CAN ONLY SAY THAT LOOKING BACK ON MY PAST LIFE I FIND IT WAS THE GREATEST PLEASURE I HAVE EVER HAD AND NOW IT IS A PLEASURE WHICH NO ONE CAN EVER HAVE AGAIN IT IS LOST TO THE WORLD FOR EVER AT THAT TIME I WAS AN UNDERGRADUATE OF OXFORD
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