THE MASTER-BUILDER 223 



The danger of this attitude is obvious from the 

 mere standpoint of critical justice alone. What signify 

 values, tonality, technique, if truth itself be lacking ? 

 And who shall dare to praise or blame if he knows 

 not whether the things set down are true to the 

 circumstances they claim to represent ? 



I possess a drawing by an Associate of the Royal 

 Academy. It illustrates a story of the olden time, 

 and the scene is Dartmoor at mid-winter. A fox- 

 glove in full bloom occupies a prominent position. 

 Some object was required to balance the composition ; 

 it was necessary that certain light and shade should 

 be blended thus at the point where this hibernal fox- 

 glove flourishes ; and people who understand pictures 

 admire the piece and see no fault in it: the naked 

 trees and the luxuriant foxglove alike win their 

 admiration. But those who merely understand fox- 

 gloves are surprised at such a flagrant and careless 

 error. For them the achievement ceases seriously to 

 exist, because a man who thus errs in what they know, 

 may err also in what they do not know. 



This is a trifle, and my prelude to a larger question. 

 Urban philosophers, and such as have no special 

 sympathy with natural things, appear as unfamiliar 

 with the inner life of the country as many rural 

 painters are unskilled concerning natural principles. 

 Yet, despite their ignorance of the earth, they in- 

 veigh against the gospel of earth with utmost possible 

 bitterness. They damn natural religion, though of 

 Nature they know nothing whatever. Their con- 



