The architecture of humanism; a study in the history of taste

212 THE ARCHITECTURE OF

HUMANISM

'

cabined,cribbed,confined

'

delightsus,

forthevery

reason thattheidea isvividlyconveyed.

Nor

does

Samsonpainfully

troubleourpeace,when

'

ThdsetwomassiePillars

Withhorribleconvulsiontoandfro

Hetugged,heshook,tilldowntheycameanddrew

• Thewholeroofafterthemwithburstofthunder

Upontheheadsofallwhosatebeneath.'

Clearly,then,ourdiscomfortinthe

presence

ofsuch

architecturecannot spring merelyfrom the idea of

restrictionorinstability.

But neitherdoes it derivefrom anactual weak-

nessorrestrictioninourimmediateexperience. Itis

disagreeable to have our

movements thwarted,

to

losestrength orto collapse
;

buta room £ftyfeet

square and seven feet high does not restrict
our

actualmovements,
andthe

sight

ofagranitebuilding

raised (apparently) on a glass shop-frontdoes not

causeustocollapse.

Thereisinstability

—or

the

appearanceofit; but

it isinthebuilding. Thereisdiscomfort, butitis

in ourselves. What then has occurred?

The con-

clusion seemsevident. The

concrete spectacle has

done
whatthe mere ideacould not: it has
stirred

ourphysical memory. Ithas awakened

in us, not

indeedanactualstateofinstability

orofbeingover-

loaded,butthatconditionofspiritwhich

inthepast

hasbelongedtoouractual

experiencesofweakness,