按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
。 Precisely the same articles are to be found at every lodging…house all over the kingdom； and they are never seen anywhere else。 There are the twowhat do you call them？ they stand one at each end of the mantel…piece； where they are never safe； and they are hung round with long triangular slips of glass that clank against one another and make you nervous。 In the commoner class of rooms these works of art are supplemented by a couple of pieces of china which might each be meant to represent a cow sitting upon its hind legs； or a model of the temple of Diana at Ephesus； or a dog； or anything else you like to fancy。 Somewhere about the room you come across a bilious…looking object； which at first you take to be a lump of dough left about by one of the children； but which on scrutiny seems to resemble an underdone cupid。 This thing the landlady calls a statue。 Then there is a 〃sampler〃 worked by some idiot related to the family； a picture of the 〃Huguenots；〃 two or three Scripture texts； and a highly framed and glazed certificate to the effect that the father has been vaccinated； or is an Odd Fellow； or something of that sort。
You examine these various attractions and then dismally ask what the rent is。
〃That's rather a good deal；〃 you say on hearing the figure。
〃Well； to tell you the truth；〃 answers the landlady with a sudden burst of candor； 〃I've always had〃 （mentioning a sum a good deal in excess of the first…named amount）； 〃and before that I used to have〃 （a still higher figure）。
What the rent of apartments must have been twenty years ago makes one shudder to think of。 Every landlady makes you feel thoroughly ashamed of yourself by informing you； whenever the subject crops up； that she used to get twice as much for her rooms as you are paying。 Young men lodgers of the last generation must have been of a wealthier class than they are now； or they must have ruined themselves。 I should have had to live in an attic。
Curious； that in lodgings the rule of life is reversed。 The higher you get up in the world the lower you come down in your lodgings。 On the lodging…house ladder the poor man is at the top； the rich man underneath。 You start in the attic and work your way down to the first floor。
A good many great men have lived in attics and some have died there。 Attics； says the dictionary； are 〃places where lumber is stored；〃 and the world has used them to store a good deal of its lumber in at one time or another。 Its preachers and painters and poets； its deep…browed men who will find out things； its fire…eyed men who will tell truths that no one wants to hearthese are the lumber that the world hides away in its attics。 Haydn grew up in an attic and Chatterton starved in one。 Addison and Goldsmith wrote in garrets。 Faraday and De Quincey knew them well。 Dr。 Johnson camped cheerfully in them； sleeping soundlytoo soundly sometimesupon their trundle…beds； like the sturdy old soldier of fortune that he was； inured to hardship and all careless of himself。 Dickens spent his youth among them； Morland his old agealas！ a drunken； premature old age。 Hans Andersen； the fairy king； dreamed his sweet fancies beneath their sloping roofs。 Poor； wayward…hearted Collins leaned his head upon their crazy tables； priggish Benjamin Franklin； Savage； the wrong…headed； much troubled when he could afford any softer bed than a doorstep； young Bloomfield； 〃Bobby〃 Burns； Hogarth； Watts the engineerthe roll is endless。 Ever since the habitations of men were reared two stories high has the garret been the nursery of genius。
No one who honors the aristocracy of mind can feel ashamed of acquaintanceship with them。 Their damp…stained walls are sacred to the memory of noble names。 If all the wisdom of the world and all its artall the spoils that it has won from nature； all the fire that it has snatched from heavenwere gathered together and divided into heaps； and we could point and say； for instance； these mighty truths were flashed forth in the brilliant _salon_ amid the ripple of light laughter and the sparkle of bright eyes； and this deep knowledge was dug up in the quiet study； where the bust of Pallas looks serenely down on the leather…scented shelves； and this heap belongs to the crowded street； and that to the daisied fieldthe heap that would tower up high above the rest as a mountain above hills would be the one at which we should look up and say： this noblest pile of allthese glorious paintings and this wondrous music； these trumpet words； these solemn thoughts； these daring deeds； they were forged and fashioned amid misery and pain in the sordid squalor of the city garret。 There； from their eyries； while the world heaved and throbbed below； the kings of men sent forth their eagle thoughts to wing their flight through the ages。 There； where the sunlight streaming through the broken panes fell on rotting boards and crumbling walls； there； from their lofty thrones； those rag…clothed Joves have hurled their thunderbolts and shaken； before now； the earth to its foundations。
Huddle them up in your lumber…rooms； oh； world！ Shut them fast in and turn the key of poverty upon them。 Weld close the bars； and let them fret their hero lives away within the narrow cage。 Leave them there to starve； and rot； and die。 Laugh at the frenzied beatings of their hands against the door。 Roll onward in your dust and noise and pass them by； forgotten。
But take care lest they turn and sting you。 All do not； like the fabled phoenix； warble sweet melodies in their agony； sometimes they spit venomvenom you must breathe whether you will or no； for you cannot seal their mouths； though you may fetter their limbs。 You can lock the door upon them； but they burst open their shaky lattices and call out over the house…tops so that men cannot but hear。 You hounded wild Rousseau into the meanest garret of the Rue St。 Jacques and jeered at his angry shrieks。 But the thin； piping tones swelled a hundred years later into the sullen roar of the French Revolution； and civilization to this day is quivering to the reverberations of his voice。
As for myself； however； I like an attic。 Not to live in： as residences they are inconvenient。 There is too much getting up and down stairs connected with them to please me。 It puts one unpleasantly in mind of the tread…mill。 The form of the ceiling offers too many facilities for bumping your head and too few for shaving。 And the note of the tomcat as he sings to his love in the stilly night outside on the tiles becomes positively distasteful when heard so near。
No； for living in give me a suit of rooms on the first floor of a Piccadilly mansion （I wish somebody would！）； but for thinking in let me have an attic up ten flights of stairs in the densest quarter of the city。 I have all Herr Teufelsdrockh's affection for attics。 There is a sublimity about their loftiness。 I love to 〃sit at ease and look down upon the wasps' nest beneath；〃 to listen to the dull murmur of the human tide ebbing and flowing ceaselessly through the narrow streets and lanes below。 How small men seem； how like a swarm of ants sweltering in endless confusion on their tiny hill！ How petty seems the work on which they are hurrying and skurrying！ How childishly they jostle against one another and turn to snarl and scratch！ They jabber and screech and curse； but their puny voices do not reach up here。 They fret； and fume； and rage； and pant； and die； 〃but I； mein Werther； sit above it all； I am alone with the stars。〃
The most extraordinary attic I ever came across was one a friend and I once shared many years ago。 Of all eccentrically planned things； from Bradshaw to the maze at Hampton Court； that room was the most eccentric。 The architect who designed it must have been a genius； though I cannot help thinking that his talents would have been better employed in contriving puzzles than in shaping human habitations。 No figure in Euclid could give any idea of that apartment。 It contained seven corners； two of the walls sloped to a point； and the window was just over the fireplace。 The only possible position for the bedstead was between the door and the cupboard。 To get anything out of the cupboard we had to scramble over t