24 PROSERPINA. 



— bright leaves above that never wither, leaves 

 beneath, that exist only to wither. 



15. I have hitherto spoken only of the fading 

 moss as it is needed for change into earth. But I 

 am not sure whether a yet more important office, 

 in its days of age, be not its use as a colour. 



We are all thankful enough — as far as we ever 

 are so — for green moss, and yellow moss. But we 

 are never enough grateful for black moss. The 

 golden would be nothing without it, nor even the 

 grey. 



It is true that there are black lichens enough, 

 and brown ones : nevertheless, the chief use of 

 lichens is for silver and gold colour on rocks ; and 

 it is the dead moss which gives the leopard-like 

 touches of black. And yet here again — as to a 

 thing I have been looking at and painting all my 

 life — I am brought to pause, the moment I think 

 of it carefully. The black moss which gives the 

 precious Velasquez touches, lies, much of it, flat on 

 the rocks ; radiating from its centres — powdering in 

 the fingers, if one breaks it off, like dry tea. Is it 

 a black species ? or a black-parched state of other 

 species, perishing for the sake of Velasquez effects, 

 instead of accumulation of earth ? and, if so, does 

 it die of drought, accidentally, or, in a sere old age, 

 naturally ? and how is it related to the rich green 



