2 or has appointed himself, to govern for general purposes of state-benefit. If the tyranny glow and soften into despotism, as Suwarrow's1 soldiers (or any good commanding officer's) gradually become his "children," all the betterbut you must get your simple and orderly tyrant, or Cyrus, to begin with. Cyrus, first suppose, only over greengroceries -as above recommended, in these gardens of yours, for which yesterday, 11th April, I sent our Trustees word that they must provide purchase-money.3 In which territory you will observe the Master of St. George's Company is at present a Tyrant only; not a Despot, since he does not consider you as St. George's servants at all; but only requires compliance with certain of his laws while you cultivate his ground. Of which, the fixing of standard quality for your shoe-leather, since I hear you are many of you shoemakers, will be essential: and on this and other matters of your business, you will look to our St. George's Companion, Mr. Somervell, for instruction; with this much of general order, that you are to make shoes with extremest care to please your customers in all matters which they ought to ask; by fineness of fit, excellence of work, and exactitude of compliance with special orders: but you are not to please them in things which they ought not to ask. It is your business to know how to protect, and adorn, the human foot. When a customer wishes you really to protect and adorn his or her foot, you are to do it with finest care but if a customer wishes you to injure their foot, or disfigure it, you are to refuse their pleasure in those particulars, and bid them-if they insist on such dis-service -to go elsewhere. You are not, the smiths of you, to put horseshoes hot on hoofs; and you are not, the shoemakers of you, to make any shoes with high heels, or with vulgar and useless decorations, or-if made to measure-that will 1 [For another reference to Suwarrow, the Russian field-marshal (1730–1800), see Vol. XIII. p. 512.] 2 [See Letter 73, § 11 (p. 21).] 3 [See above, p. 98.] [For whom, see above, p. 47.] cover them.' And in the actual practice of daily life you will find that wherever there is secrecy, there is either guilt or danger. It is not possible but that there should be things needing to be kept secret; but the dignity and safety of human life are in the precise measure of its frankness. Note the lovely description of St. Ursula,-Fors, November, 1876,—learned, and frank, and fair. There is no fear for any child who is frank with its father and mother; none for men or women, who are frank with God. 2 I have told you that you can do nothing in policy without prayer. The day will be ill-spent, in which you have not been able, at least once, to say the Lord's Prayer with understanding: and if after it you accustom yourself to say, with the same intentness, that familiar one in your church service, "Almighty God, unto whom all hearts be open," etc., you will not fear, during the rest of the day, to answer any questions which it may conduce to your neighbour's good should be put to you. 3 8. Finally. You profess to be proud that you allow no violation of the sacredness of the domestic hearth. Let its love be perfect, in its seclusion, and you will not be ashamed to show the house accounts. I know-no man better-that an Englishman's house should be his castle; and an English city, his camp; and I have as little respect for the salesmen of the "ramparts of Berwick "* as for the levellers of the walls of Florence. But you were better and merrier Englishmen, when your camps were banked with grass, and roofed with sky, than now, when they are "ventilated * See fifth article of Correspondence [p. 122]. 1 [Hosea x. 8; Luke xxiii. 30.] 2 Letter 71, § 13 (Vol. XXVIII. p. 742).] 3 The first Collect of the Communion Service.] "The walls, which mark this last enlargement of the city (1388) and the length of whose circuit is very nearly six English miles, continue entire and unbroken throughout their whole extent, excepting where the more modern citadels of the Belvedere and the Fortezza da Basso have been inserted; but the towers which rose upon it have generally been demolished, or lowered to the level of the curtain." So Murray's Handbook in 1864 (p. 95). At the time when Ruskin wrote, most of the old walls had been, or were being, demolished, and broad new boulevards now occupy their site.] only by the chimney";1 and, trust me, you had better consent to so much violation of the secrecy of the domestic hearth, as may prevent you being found one day dead, with your head in the fireplace." 9. Enough of immediate business, for to-day: I must tell you, in closing, a little more of what is being sent to your museum. 4 By this day's post I send you photographs of two fourteenth-century capitals of the Ducal Palace here. The first is that representing the Virtues; the second, that representing the Sages whose power has been greatest over men. Largitas (Generosity) leads the Virtues; Solomon, the Sages; but Solomon's head has been broken off by recent republican movements in Venice; and his teaching superseded by that of the public press—as "Indi-catore generale" -you see the inscription in beautiful modern bill type, pasted on the pillar. Above, sits Priscian the Grammarian; and next to him, Aristotle the Logician: whom that in contemplating you may learn the right and calm use of reason, I have to-day given orders to pack, with extreme care, a cast of him,5 which has been the best ornament of my room here for some weeks; and when you have examined him well, you shall have other casts of other sages. But respecting what I now send,* observe, first,— 10. These capitals being octagonal, are composed each * Mr. Ward will always be able to provide my readers with copies of the photographs referred to in Fors; and will never send bad impressions ; but I can only myself examine and sign the first four.6 1 [See Letter 40, § 11 (Vol. XXVIII. p. 74).] : 3 [The photographs are here reproduced: Plate II. and the seventeenth see the descriptions of them (Vol. X. pp. 389, 411). A drawing by Ruskin of the the exhibition at the Fine Art Society in 1907.] The capitals are the seventh in Stones of Venice, vol. ii. latter capital was No. 83 in 4 [Ruskin, in the note on this for his proposed Index, says " Largitas, liberality in gift (carelessly translated Generosity in this page)."] [For the casts of Largitas and Aristotle, see the Catalogue of the Ruskin Museum, Vol. XXX. "Casts of other sages" were not sent; they are represented in the Museum by photographs only.] 6 [That is, the Four Lesson Photographs: see Vol. XXVIII. p. 625.] |