the　Far　West。
  Thus　the　Teuton；　because　of　his　very　shyness；　is　the　true
  colonizer。　　English；　Scotch；　Germans；　and　Americans　are　alike
  ready　to　accept　solitude；　provided　they　can　but　establish　a　home
  and　maintain　a　family。　　Thus　their　comparative　indifference　to
  society　has　tended　to　spread　this　race　over　the　earth；　to　till　and
  to　subdue　it；　while　the　intense　social　instincts　of　the　French；
  though　issuing　in　much　greater　gracefulness　of　manner；　has　stood
  in　their　way　as　colonizers；　so　that；　in　the　countries　in　which
  they　have　planted　themselvesas　in　Algiers　and　elsewherethey
  have　remained　little　more　than　garrisons。　（16）
  There　are　other　qualities　besides　these；　which　grow　out　of　the
  comparative　unsociableness　of　the　Englishman。　　His　shyness　throws
  him　back　upon　himself；　and　renders　him　self…reliant　and　self…
  dependent。　　Society　not　being　essential　to　his　happiness；　he　takes
  refuge　in　reading；　in　study；　in　invention；　or　he　finds　pleasure　in
  industrial　work；　and　becomes　the　best　of　mechanics。　　He　does　not
  fear　to　entrust　himself　to　the　solitude　of　the　ocean；　and　he
  becomes　a　fisherman；　a　sailor；　a　discoverer。　　Since　the　early
  Northmen　scoured　the　northern　seas；　discovered　America；　and　sent
  their　fleets　along　the　shores　of　Europe　and　up　the　Mediterranean；
  the　seamanship　of　the　men　of　Teutonic　race　has　always　been
  in　the　ascendant。
  The　English　are　inartistic　for　the　same　reason　that　they　are
  unsociable。　　They　may　make　good　colonists；　sailors；　and　mechanics；
  but　they　do　not　make　good　singers；　dancers；　actors；　artistes；　or
  modistes。　　They　neither　dress　well；　act　well；　speak　well；　nor
  write　well。　　They　want　stylethey　want　elegance。　　What　they　have
  to　do　they　do　in　a　straightforward　manner；　but　without　grace。
  This　was　strikingly　exhibited　at　an　International　Cattle
  Exhibition　held　at　Paris　a　few　years　ago。　　At　the　close　of　the
  Exhibition；　the　competitors　came　up　with　the　prize　animals　to
  receive　the　prizes。　　First　came　a　gay　and　gallant　Spaniard；　a
  magnificent　man；　beautifully　dressed；　who　received　a　prize　of　the
  lowest　class　with　an　air　and　attitude　that　would　have　become　a
  grandee　of　the　highest　order。　　Then　came　Frenchmen　and　Italians；
  full　of　grace；　politeness；　and　CHICthemselves　elegantly
  dressed；　and　their　animals　decorated　to　the　horns　with　flowers　and
  coloured　ribbons　harmoniously　blended。　　And　last　of　all　came　the
  exhibitor　who　was　to　receive　the　first　prizea　slouching　man；
  plainly　dressed；　with　a　pair　of　farmer's　gaiters　on；　and　without
  even　a　flower　in　his　buttonhole。　　〃Who　is　he？〃　asked　the
  spectators。　　〃Why；　he　is　the　Englishman；〃　was　the　reply。　　〃The
  Englishman！that　the　representative　of　a　great　country！〃　was　the
  general　exclamation。　　But　it　was　the　Englishman　all　over。　　He　was
  sent　there；　not　to　exhibit　himself；　but　to　show　〃the　best　beast；〃
  and　he　did　it；　carrying　away　the　first　prize。　　Yet　he　would　have
  been　nothing　the　worse　for　the　flower　in　his　buttonhole。
  To　remedy　this　admitted　defect　of　grace　and　want　of　artistic　taste
  in　the　English　people；　a　school　has　sprung　up　amongst　us　for　the
  more　general　diffusion　of　fine　art。　　The　Beautiful　has　now　its
  teachers　and　preachers；　and　by　some　it　is　almost　regarded　in　the
  light　of　a　religion。　　〃The　Beautiful　is　the　Good〃〃The　Beautiful
  is　the　True〃〃The　Beautiful　is　the　priest　of　the　Benevolent；〃
  are　among　their　texts。　　It　is　believed　that　by　the　study　of　art
  the　tastes　of　the　people　may　be　improved；　that　by　contemplating
  objects　of　beauty　their　nature　will　become　purified；　and　that　by
  being　thereby　withdrawn　from　sensual　enjoyments；　their　character
  will　be　refined　and　elevated。
  But　though　such　culture　is　calculated　to　be　elevating　and
  purifying　in　a　certain　degree；　we　must　not　expect　too　much　from
  it。　　Grace　is　a　sweetener　and　embellisher　of　life；　and　as　such　is
  worthy　of　cultivation。　　Music；　painting；　dancing；　and　the　fine
  arts；　are　all　sources　of　pleasure；　and　though　they　may　not　be
  sensual；　yet　they　are　sensuous；　and　often　nothing　more。　　The
  cultivation　of　a　taste　for　beauty　of　form　or　colour；　of　sound　or
  attitude；　has　no　necessary　effect　upon　the　cultivation　of　the　mind
  or　the　development　of　the　character。　　The　contemplation　of　fine
  works　of　art　will　doubtless　improve　the　taste；　and　excite
  admiration；　but　a　single　noble　action　done　in　the　sight　of　men
  will　more　influence　the　mind；　and　stimulate　the　character　to
  imitation；　than　the　sight　of　miles　of　statuary　or　acres　of
  pictures。　　For　it　is　mind；　soul；　and　heartnot　taste　or　art
  that　make　men　great。
  It　is　indeed　doubtful　whether　the　cultivation　of　artwhich
  usually　ministers　to　luxuryhas　done　so　much　for　human　progress
  as　is　generally　supposed。　　It　is　even　possible　that　its　too
  exclusive　culture　may　effeminate　rather　than　strengthen　the
  character；　by　laying　it　more　open　to　the　temptations　of　the
  senses。　　〃It　is　the　nature　of　the　imaginative　temperament
  cultivated　by　the　arts；〃　says　Sir　Henry　Taylor；　〃to　undermine　the
  courage；　and；　by　abating　strength　of　character；　to　render　men　more
  easily　subservientSEQUACES；　CEREOS；　ET　AD　MANDATA　DUCTILES。〃
  （17）　　The　gift　of　the　artist　greatly　differs　from　that　of　the
  thinker；　his　highest　idea　is　to　mould　his　subjectwhether　it　be
  of　painting；　or　music；　or　literatureinto　that　perfect　grace　of
  form　in　which　thought　（it　may　not　be　of　the　deepest）　finds　its
  apotheosis　and　immortality。
  Art　has　usually　flourished　most　during　the　decadence　of　nations；
  when　it　has　been　hired　by　wealth　as　the　minister　of　luxury。
  Exquisite　art　and　degrading　corruption　were　contemporary　in　Greece
  as　well　as　in　Rome。　　Phidias　and　Iktinos　had　scarcely　completed
  the　Parthenon；　when　the　glory　of　Athens　had　departed；　Phidias　died
  in　prison；　and　the　Spartans　set　up　in　the　city　the　memorials　of
  their　own　triumph　and　of　Athenian　defeat。　　It　was　the　same　in
  ancient　Rome；　where　art　was　at　its　greatest　height　when　the　people
  were　in　their　most　degraded　condition。　　Nero　was　an　artist；　as
  well　as　Domitian；　two　of　the　greatest　monsters　of　the　Empire。
  If　the　〃Beautiful〃　had　been　the　〃Good；〃　Commodus　must　have
  been　one　of　the　best　of　men。　　But　according　to　history　he　was
  one　of　the　worst。
  Again；　the　greatest　period　of　modern　Roman　art　was　that　in　which
  Pope　Leo　X。　flourished；　of　whose　reign　it　has　been　said；　that
  〃profligacy　and　licentiousness　prevailed　amongst　the　people　and
  clergy；　as　they　had　done　almost　uncontrolled　ever　since　the
  pontificate　of　Alexander　VI。〃　　In　like　manner；　the　period　at　which
  art　reached　its　highest　point　in　the　Low　Countries　was　that　which
  immediately　succeeded　the　destruction　of　civil　and　religious
  liberty；　and　the　prostration　of　the　national　life　under　the
  despotism　of　Spain。　　If　art　could　elevate　a　nation；　and　the
  contemplation　of　The　Beautiful　were　calculated　to　make　men　The
  Goodthen　Paris　ought　to　contain　a　population　of　the　wisest　and
  best　of　human　beings。　　Rome　also　is　a　great　city　of　art；　and　yet
  there；　the　VIRTUS　or　valour　of　the　ancient　Romans　has
  characteristically　degenerated　into　VERTU；　or　a　taste　for
  knicknacks；　whilst；　according　to　recent　accounts；　the　city　itself
  is　inexpressibly　foul。　（18）
  Art　would　sometimes　even　appear　to　have　a　close　connection　with
  dirt；　and　it　is　said　of　Mr。　Ruskin；　that　when　searching　for　works
  of　art　in　Venice；　his　attendant　in　his　explorations　would　sniff　an
  ill…odour；　and　when　it　was　strong　would　say；　〃Now　we　are　coming　to
  something　very　old　and　fine！〃meaning　in　art。　（19）　　A　little
  common　education　in　cleanliness；　where　it　is　wanting；　would
  probably　be　much　more　improving；　as　well　as　wholesome；　than　any
  amount　of　education　in　fine　art。　　Ruffles　are　all　very　well；　but
  it　is　folly　to　cultivate　them　to　the　neglect　of　the　shirt。
  Whilst；　therefore；　grace　of　manner；　politeness　of　behaviour；
  elegance　of　demeanour；　and　all　the　arts　that　contribute　to　make
  life　pleasant　and　beautiful；　are　worthy　of　cultivation；　it　must
  not　be　at　the　expense　of　the　more　solid　and　enduring　qualities　of
  honesty；　sincerity；　and　truthfulness。　　The　fountain　of　beauty　must
  be　in　the　heart；　more　than　in　the　eye；　and　if　art　do　not　tend　to
  produce　beautiful　life　and　noble　practice；　it　will　be　of
  comparatively　little　avail。　　Politeness　of　manner　is　not　worth
  much；　unless　accompanied　by　polite　action。　　Grace　may　be　but　skin…
  deepvery　pleasant　and　attractive；　and　yet　very　heartless。　　Art
  is　a　source　of　innocent　enjoyment；　and　an　important　aid　to　higher
  culture；　but　unless　it　leads　to　higher　culture；　it　will　probably
  be　merely　sensuous。　　And　when　art　is　merely　sensuous；　it　is
  enfeebling　and　demoralizing　rather　than　strengthening　or
  elevating。　　Honest　courage　is　of　greater　worth　than　any　amount　of
  grace；　purity　is　better　than　elegance；　and　cleanliness　of　body；
  mind；　and　heart；　than　any　amount　of　fine　art。
  In　fine；　while　the　cultivation　of　the　graces　is　not　to　be
  neglected；　it　should　ever　be　held　in　mind　that　there　is　something
  far　higher　and　noble