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

ARTAND

THOUGHT

251

enjoyalogicalsimplicity.
Forhim
theMuses,duly

ranged in order,

are more

aloof than the

gods of

Epicurusfromthewarring

instinctsof

mankind. He

discoversinall

ofthemalucidunity

ofpurpose: he

provides them with

principles that can

be clearly

and dogmatically

defined. Each

will separately

appearastheproper

instrument ofasolefunction

;

therealisation

ofasingleidea. Above

all,theywill

togetherconstituteaformal

andconsistenthierarchy,

which,if

itbearslittlerelationtowhatthe

racehas

actually created and enjoyed, will

make a perfect

epilogue

to

previous

conclusions,andfurnishthelast

phantomtouchestoasymmetrical

metaphysic. Those

whofeel

abletovindicatethe essentialharmonyof

human motives, or else to construct

a

completely

rationalpatternto which theyshould conform, will

-nothesitate to demand ofthe arts this reasonable

contributiontothemajesty

andlogic

oftheirsystem.

Butthearts,onadueanalysis,willbefound

to

have

refused.

Hence the impatience of those concerned

intheartswithallformsofabstractaesthetic

;

and

hence,

too,the

povertyoftheharvest,whichaesthetic

philosophy

—

^when,tardily

in

the

historyof

thought,

itcomesto

life—^isenabledtobringin.

IntheGreekmind,inde.d,there

existedinunusual

combinationa

self-conscioussensitivenesstoartand

a disinterestedcuriosityofunderstanding

calculated

tobringsuccessto

theirinquiriesinthisfield

;

and.