OldChina
查爾斯·蘭姆/CharlesLamb
Ihaveanalmostfemininepartialityforoldchina.WhenIgotoseeanygreathouse,Iinquireforthechinacloset,andnextforthepicturegallery.Icannotdefendtheorderofpreference,butbysayingthatwehaveallsometasteorother,oftooancientadatetoadmitofourrememberingdistinctlythatitwasanacquiredone.Icancalltomindthef?irstplay,andthef?irstexhibition,thatIwastakento;butIamnotconsciousofatimewhenchinajarsandsaucerswereintroducedintomyimagination.
Ihadnorepugnancethen—whyshouldInowhave?—tothoselittle,lawless,azure-tincturedgrotesques,thatunderthenotionofmenandwomenf?loatabout,uncircumscribedbyanyelement,inthatworldbeforeperspective—achinateacup.
Iliketoseemyoldfriends—whomdistancecannotdiminish—f?iguringupintheair(sotheyappeartoouroptics),yetonterraf?irmastill—forsowemustincourtesyinterpretthatspeckofdeeperblue,whichthedecorousartist,topreventabsurdity,hadmadetospringupbeneaththeirsandals.
Ilovethemenwithwomen』sfaces,andthewomen,ifpossible,withstillmorewomanishexpressions.
Hereisayoungandcourtlymandarin,handingteatoaladyfromasalver—twomilesoff.Seehowdistanceseemstosetoffrespect!Andherethesamelady,oranother—forlikenessisidentityonteacups—issteppingintoalittlefairyboat,mooredonthehithersideofthiscalmgardenriver,withadaintymincingfoot,whichinarightangleofincidence(asanglesgoinourworld)mustinfalliblylandherinthemidstofaf?lowerymead—furlongoffontheothersideofthesamestrangestream!
Fartheron—iffarornearcanbepredicatedoftheirworld—seehorses,trees,pagodas,dancingthehays.
Here—acowandrabbitcouchant,andcoextensive—soobjectsshow,seenthroughthelucidatmosphereoff?ineCathay.
Iwaspointingouttomycousinlastevening,overourHyson(whichweareold-fashionedenoughtodrinkunmixedstillofanafternoon),someofthesespeciosamiraculauponasetofextraordinaryoldbluechina(arecentpurchase)whichwewerenowforthef?irsttimeusing;andcouldnothelpremarkinghowfavorablecircumstanceshadbeentousoflateyearsthatwecouldaffordtopleasetheeyesometimeswithtrif?lesofthissort—whenapassingsentimentseemedtoovershadethebrowsofmycompanion.IamquickatdetectingthesesummercloudsinBridget.
「Iwishthegoodoldtimeswouldcomeagain,」shesaid,「whenwewerenotquitesorich.IdonotmeanthatIwanttobepoor;buttherewasamiddlestate」—soshewaspleasedtorambleon—「inwhichIamsurewewereagreatdealhappier.Apurchaseisbutapurchase,nowthatyouhavemoneyenoughandtospare.Formerlyitusedtobeatriumph.Whenwecovetedacheapluxury(and,O!HowmuchadoIhadtogetyoutoconsentinthosetimes!)—wewereusedtohaveadebatetwoorthreedaysbefore,andtoweightheforandagainst,andthinkwhatwemightspareitoutof,andwhatsavingwecouldhitupon,thatshouldbeanequivalent.Athingwasworthbuyingthen,whenwefeltthemoneythatwepaidforit.
「Doyourememberthebrownsuit,whichyoumadetohanguponyou,tillallyourfriendscriedshameuponyou,itgrewsothreadbare—andallbecauseofthatfolioBeaumontandF?letcher,whichyoudraggedhomelateatnightfromBarker』sinCoventGarden?Doyourememberhowweeyeditforweeksbeforewecouldmakeupourmindstothepurchase,andhadnotcometoadeterminationtillitwasnearteno』clockoftheSaturdaynight,whenyousetofffromlslington,fearingyoushouldbetoolate—andwhentheoldbooksellerwithsomegrumblingopenedhisshop,andbythetwinklingtaper(forhewassettingbedwards)lightedouttherelicfromhisdustytreasures—andwhenyouluggedithome,wishingitweretwiceascumbersome—andwhenyoupresentedittome—andwhenwewereexploringtheperfectnessofit(collating,youcalledit)—andwhileIwasrepairingsomeoftheselooseleaveswithpaste,whichyourimpatiencewouldnotsuffertobelefttilldaybreak—wastherenopleasureinbeingapoorman?Orcanthoseneatblackclotheswhichyouwearnow,andaresocarefultokeepbrushed,sincewehavebecomerichandf?inical,giveyouhalfthehonestvanitywithwhichyouf?launteditaboutinthatoverwornsuit—youroldcorbeau—forfourorf?iveweekslongerthanyoushouldhavedone,topacifyyourconscienceforthemightysumoff?ifteen—orsixteenshillingswasit?—agreataffairwethoughtitthen—whichyouhadlavishedontheoldfolio.Nowyoucanaffordtobuyanybookthatpleasesyou,butIdonotseethatyoueverbringmehomeanyniceoldpurchasesnow.
「WhenyoucamehomewithtwentyapologiesforlayingoutalessnumberofshillingsuponthatprintafterLeonardo,whichwechristenedthe『LadyBlanch』;whenyoulookatthepurchase,andthoughtofthemoney—andthoughtofthemoney,andlookedagainatthepicture—wastherenopleasureinbeingapoorman?Now,youhavenothingtodobuttowalkintoColnaghi』s,andbuyawildernessofLeonardos.Yetdoyou?