Портрет художника в юности

           HefeltwithasmartofdejectionthatthemantowhomhewasspeakingwasacountrymanofBenJonson.Hethought:

           —Thelanguageinwhichwearespeakingishisbeforeitismine.HowdifferentarethewordsHOME,CHRIST,ALE,MASTER,onhislipsandonmine!Icannotspeakorwritethesewordswithoutunrestofspirit.Hislanguage,sofamiliarandsoforeign,willalwaysbeformeanacquiredspeech.Ihavenotmadeoraccepteditswords.Myvoiceholdsthematbay.Mysoulfretsintheshadowofhislanguage.

           —Andtodistinguishbetweenthebeautifulandthesublime,thedeanadded,todistinguishbetweenmoralbeautyandmaterialbeauty.Andtoinquirewhatkindofbeautyispropertoeachofthevariousarts.Thesearesomeinterestingpointswemighttakeup.

           Stephen,disheartenedsuddenlybythedean’sfirm,drytone,wassilent;andthroughthesilenceadistantnoiseofmanybootsandconfusedvoicescameupthestaircase.

           —Inpursuingthesespeculations,saidthedeanconclusively,thereis,however,thedangerofperishingofinanition.Firstyoumusttakeyourdegree.Setthatbeforeyouasyourfirstaim.Then,littlebylittle,youwillseeyourway.Imeanineverysense,yourwayinlifeandinthinking.Itmaybeuphillpedallingatfirst.TakeMrMoonan.Hewasalongtimebeforehegottothetop.Buthegotthere.

           —Imaynothavehistalent,saidStephenquietly.

           —Youneverknow,saidthedeanbrightly.