Narrowed down to this, I think but very few men would be found who
would not sacrifice in the loss of hand in preference to its gain at
the loss of head.
_Kosmon._ But, Christian, in advocating a return to this
pre-Raffaelle art, are you not--you yourself--urging the committal
of "ruthless restorations" and "improvements," new and vile as any
that you have denounced? You tell the artist, that he should restore
the sacred edifice to its first purity--the same as it was bequeathed
by its pious and earnest builders. But can he do this and be himself
original? For myself, I would above all things urge him to study how
to _reproduce_, and not how to represent--to imitate no past
perfection, but to create for himself another, as beautiful, wise,
and true. I would say to him, "build not on old ground, profaned,
polluted, trod into slough by filthy animals; but break new
ground--virgin ground--ground that thought has never imagined or eye
seen, and dig into our hearts a foundation, deep and broad as our
humanity. Let it not be a temple formed of hands only, but built up
of _us_--us of the present--body of our body, soul of our soul."
_Christian._ When men wish to raise a piece of stone, or to move it
along, they seek for a fulcrum to use their lever from; and, this
obtained, they can place the stone wheresoever they please.
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