第6部分(第5/7 頁)

few　days　gave　me　a　clearer　idea　than　I　had　ever

had　what　it　is　to　be　blinded　suddenly；　helplessly。　With　a　little　stretch

of　the　imagination　I　knew　then　what　it　must　be　when　the　great　curtain

shuts　out　suddenly　the　light　of　day；　the　stars；　and　the　firmament

itself。　I　see　the　blind　man's　eyes　strain　for　the　light；　as　he　fearfully

tries　to　walk　his　old　rounds；　until　the　unchanging　blank　that

everywhere　spreads　before　him　stamps　the　reality　of　the　dark　upon　his

consciousness。

My　temporary　loss　of　smell　proved　to　me；　too；　that　the　absence　of　a

sense　need　not　dull　the　mental　faculties　and　does　not　distort　one's　view

of　the　world；　and　so　I　reason　that　blindness　and　deafness　need　not

pervert　the　inner　order　of　the　intellect。　I　know　that　if　there　were　no

odours　for　me　I　should　still　possess　a　considerable　part　of　the　world。

Novelties　and　surprises　would　abound；　adventures　would　thicken　in　the

dark。

In　my　classification　of　the　senses；　smell　is　a　little　the　ear's

inferior；　and　touch　is　a　great　deal　the　eye's　superior。　I　find　that

great　artists　and　philosophers　agree　with　me　in　this。　Diderot　says：

Je　trouvais　que　de　tous　les　sens；　l'oeil　etait　le

plus　superficiel；　l'oreille；　le　plus　orgueilleux；

l'odorat；　le　plus　voluptueux；　le　gout；　le　plus

superstitieux　et　le　plus　inconstant；　le　toucher；

le　plus　profond　et　le　plus　philosophe。＇C＇

A　friend　whom　I　have　never　seen　sends　me　a　quotation　from　Symonds's

〃Renaissance　in　Italy〃：

Lorenzo　Ghiberti；　after　describing　a　piece　of

antique　sculpture　he　saw　in　Rome　adds；　〃To　express

the　perfection　of　learning；　mastery；　and　art

displayed　in　it　is　beyond　the