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

THE ETHICAL FALLACY

137

inertia,andthehypocrisyofadeadconvention. It

promisednothing,and inthe commercialmonotony

ofthetimethejoythathadbeeninithaddiedout.

*

ThebaseRenaissancearchitectsofVenice,'remarks

Ruskin bitterly,

'

liked

masquing and fiddling, so

theycoveredtheirworkwithcomicmasksandmusical

instruments.

Eventhatwas

betterthanourEnglish

wayoflikingnothingandprofessingtolike

triglyphs.'

*

Agloomystyle,then

;

averitableBastilleofoppres-

sivememories

;

astyletobecast

downandthedust

ofitshaken

'

fromourfeetforever.'

On

itsconstructivesidethe new

criticism wasno

lessflatteringtoademocraticsentiment. It

setout

toestablish, anddelighted its public by providing,

a

'

universalandconclusivelaw

ofright

'

thatshould

be

'

easilyapplicabletoallpossible

architecturalin-

ventionsofthehumanmind

'

; andthisinthe

*

full

belief'thatin these matters

'

menareintendedwith-

outexcessivedifficultytoknowgoodthings

frombad.'

Good

andbad,

infact,weretobeasgailydistinguish-

ableinarchitectureastheynotoriously

areinconduct.

And

the

same criterion should doservice forboth.

Becauseaknowledge ofthe

Orders, which wasthe

basisofarchitecturaltraining,isnot,of

itself,apass-

porteithertoarchitectural tasteor

practice, itwas

argued

that

training assuch was corrupting.

The

exactitudesof taste, the

trained and organiseddis-

• TheStones
  of

Venice,

vol.i.chap.ii.

p.13.