study of ancient art, and even he would be much hindered if he
lacked it. If you think that this contradicts what I said about the
death of that ancient art, and the necessity I implied for an art
that should be characteristic of the present day, I can only say
that, in these times of plenteous knowledge and meagre performance,
if we do not study the ancient work directly and learn to understand
it, we shall find ourselves influenced by the feeble work all round
us, and shall be copying the better work through the copyists and
WITHOUT understanding it, which will by no means bring about
intelligent art. Let us therefore study it wisely, be taught by it,
kindled by it; all the while determining not to imitate or repeat
it; to have either no art at all, or an art which we have made our
own.

Yet I am almost brought to a stand-still when bidding you to study
nature and the history of art, by remembering that this is London,
and what it is like: how can I ask working-men passing up and down
these hideous streets day by day to care about beauty? If it were
politics, we must care about that; or science, you could wrap
yourselves up in the study of facts, no doubt, without much caring
what goes on about you--but beauty! do you not see what terrible
difficulties beset art, owing to a long neglect of art--and neglect
of reason, too, in this matter? It is such a heavy question by what
effort, by what dead-lift, you can thrust this difficulty from you,
that I must perforce set it aside for the present, and must at least
hope that the study of history and its monuments will help you
somewhat herein. If you can really fill your minds with memories of
great works of art, and great times of art, you will, I think, be
able to a certain extent to look through the aforesaid ugly
surroundings, and will be moved to discontent of what is careless