This　is　crying　for　the　moon；　or　rather　pretending　to　cry　for　it；　for
  the　writer　is　obviously　insincere。　　I　see　the　Saturday　Review　says
  the　passage　I　have　just　quoted　〃reaches　almost　to　poetry；〃　and
  indeed　I　find　many　blank　verses　in　it；　some　of　them　very　aggressive。
  No　prose　is　free　from　an　occasional　blank　verse；　and　a　good　writer
  will　not　go　hunting　over　his　work　to　rout　them　out；　but　nine　or　ten
  in　little　more　than　as　many　lines　is　indeed　reaching　too　near　to
  poetry　for　good　prose。　　This；　however；　is　a　trifle；　and　might　pass
  if　the　tone　of　the　writer　was　not　so　obviously　that　of　cheap
  pessimism。　　I　know　not　which　is　cheapest；　pessimism　or　optimism。
  One　forces　lights；　the　other　darks；　both　are　equally　untrue　to　good
  art；　and　equally　sure　of　their　effect　with　the　groundlings。　　The　one
  extenuates；　the　other　sets　down　in　malice。　　The　first　is　the　more
  amiable　lie；　but　both　are　lies；　and　are　known　to　be　so　by　those　who
  utter　them。　　Talk　about　catching　the　tone　of　a　vanished　society　to
  understand　Rembrandt　or　Giovanni　Bellini！　　It's　nonsensethe　folds
  do　not　thicken　in　front　of　these　men；　we　understand　them　as　well　as
  those　among　whom　they　went　about　in　the　flesh；　and　perhaps　better。
  Homer　and　Shakespeare　speak　to　us　probably　far　more　effectually　than
  they　did　to　the　men　of　their　own　time；　and　most　likely　we　have　them
  at　their　best。　　I　cannot　think　that　Shakespeare　talked　better　than
  we　hear　him　now　in　〃Hamlet〃　or　〃Henry　the　Fourth〃；　like　enough　he
  would　have　been　found　a　very　disappointing　person　in　a　drawing…room。
  People　stamp　themselves　on　their　work；　if　they　have　not　done　so　they
  are　naught；　if　they　have　we　have　them；　and　for　the　most　part　they
  stamp　themselves　deeper　in　their　work　than　on　their　talk。　　No　doubt
  Shakespeare　and　Handel　will　be　one　day　clean　forgotten；　as　though
  they　had　never　been　born。　　The　world　will　in　the　end　die；　mortality
  therefore　itself　is　not　immortal；　and　when　death　dies　the　life　of
  these　men　will　die　with　itbut　not　sooner。　　It　is　enough　that　they
  should　live　within　us　and　move　us　for　many　ages　as　they　have　and
  will。　　Such　immortality；　therefore；　as　some　men　and　women　are　born
  to；　achieve；　or　have　thrust　upon　them；　is　a　practical　if　not　a
  technical　immortality；　and　he　who　would　have　more　let　him　have
  nothing。
  I　see　I　have　drifted　into　speaking　rather　of　how　to　make　the　best　of
  death　than　of　life；　but　who　can　speak　of　life　without　his　thoughts
  turning　instantly　to　that　which　is　beyond　it？　　He　or　she　who　has
  made　the　best　of　the　life　after　death　has　made　the　best　of　the　life
  before　it；　who　cares　one　straw　for　any　such　chances　and　changes　as
  will　commonly　befall　him　here　if　he　is　upheld　by　the　full　and
  certain　hope　of　everlasting　life　in　the　affections　of　those　that
  shall　come　after？　　If　the　life　after　death　is　happy　in　the　hearts　of
  others；　it　matters　little　how　unhappy　was　the　life　before　it。
  And　now　I　leave　my　subject；　not　without　misgiving　that　I　shall　have
  disappointed　you。　　But　for　the　great　attention　which　is　being　paid
  to　the　work　from　which　I　have　quoted　above；　I　should　not　have
  thought　it　well　to　insist　on　points　with　which　you　are；　I　doubt　not；
  as　fully　impressed　as　I　am：　　but　that　book　weakens　the　sanctions　of
  natural　religion；　and　minimises　the　comfort　which　it　affords　us；
  while　it　does　more　to　undermine　than　to　support　the　foundations　of
  what　is　commonly　called　belief。　　Therefore　I　was　glad　to　embrace
  this　opportunity　of　protesting。　　Otherwise　I　should　not　have　been　so
  serious　on　a　matter　that　transcends　all　seriousness。　　Lord
  Beaconsfield　cut　it　shorter　with　more　effect。　　When　asked　to　give　a
  rule　of　life　for　the　son　of　a　friend　he　said；　〃Do　not　let　him　try
  and　find　out　who　wrote　the　letters　of　Junius。〃　　Pressed　for　further
  counsel　he　added；　〃Nor　yet　who　was　the　man　in　the　iron　mask〃and　he
  would　say　no　more。　　Don't　bore　people。　　And　yet　I　am　by　no　means
  sure　that　a　good　many　people　do　not　think　themselves　ill…used　unless
  he　who　addresses　them　has　thoroughly　well　bored　themespecially　if
  they　have　paid　any　money　for　hearing　him。　　My　great　namesake　said；
  〃Surely　the　pleasure　is　as　great　of　being　cheated　as　to　cheat；〃　and
  great　as　the　pleasure　both　of　cheating　and　boring　undoubtedly　is；　I
  believe　he　was　right。　　So　I　remember　a　poem　which　came　out　some
  thirty　years　ago　in　Punch；　about　a　young　lady　who　went　forth　in
  quest　to　〃Some　burden　make　or　burden　bear；　but　which　she　did　not
  greatly　care；　oh　Miserie。〃　　So；　again；　all　the　holy　men　and　women
  who　in　the　Middle　Ages　professed　to　have　discovered　how　to　make　the
  best　of　life　took　care　that　being　bored；　if　not　cheated；　should　have
  a　large　place　in　their　programme。　　Still　there　are　limits；　and　I
  close　not　without　fear　that　I　may　have　exceeded　them。
  THE　SANCTUARY　OF　MONTRIGONE　｛6｝
  The　only　place　in　the　Valsesia；　except　Varallo；　where　I　at　present
  suspect　the　presence　of　Tabachetti　｛7｝　is　at　Montrigone；　a　little…
  known　sanctuary　dedicated　to　St。　Anne；　about　three…quarters　of　a
  mile　south　of　Borgo…Sesia　station。　　The　situation　is；　of　course；
  lovely；　but　the　sanctuary　does　not　offer　any　features　of
  architectural　interest。　　The　sacristan　told　me　it　was　founded　in
  1631；　and　in　1644　Giovanni　d'Enrico；　while　engaged　in　superintending
  and　completing　the　work　undertaken　here　by　himself　and　Giacomo
  Ferro；　fell　ill　and　died。　　I　do　not　know　whether　or　no　there　was　an
  earlier　sanctuary　on　the　same　site；　but　was　told　it　was　built　on　the
  demolition　of　a　stronghold　belonging　to　the　Counts　of　Biandrate。
  The　incidents　which　it　illustrates　are　treated　with　even　more　than
  the　homeliness　usual　in　works　of　this　description　when　not　dealing
  with　such　solemn　events　as　the　death　and　passion　of　Christ。　　Except
  when　these　subjects　were　being　represented；　something　of　the
  latitude；　and　even　humour；　allowed　in　the　old　mystery　plays　was
  permitted；　doubtless　from　a　desire　to　render　the　work　more
  attractive　to　the　peasants；　who　were　the　most　numerous　and　most
  important　pilgrims。　　It　is　not　until　faith　begins　to　be　weak　that　it
  fears　an　occasionally　lighter　treatment　of　semi…sacred　subjects；　and
  it　is　impossible　to　convey　an　accurate　idea　of　the　spirit　prevailing
  at　this　hamlet　of　sanctuary　without　attuning　oneself　somewhat　to　the
  more　pagan　character　of　the　place。　　Of　irreverence；　in　the　sense　of
  a　desire　to　laugh　at　things　that　are　of　high　and　serious　import；
  there　is　not　a　trace；　but　at　the　same　time　there　is　a　certain
  unbending　of　the　bow　at　Montrigone　which　is　not　perceivable　at
  Varallo。
  The　first　chapel　to　the　left　on　entering　the　church　is　that　of　the
  Birth　of　the　Virgin。　　St。　Anne　is　sitting　up　in　bed。　　She　is　not　at
  all　illin　fact；　considering　that　the　Virgin　has　only　been　born
  about　five　minutes；　she　is　wonderful；　still　the　doctors　think　it　may
  be　perhaps　better　that　she　should　keep　her　room　for　half　an　hour
  longer；　so　the　bed　has　been　festooned　with　red　and　white　paper
  roses；　and　the　counterpane　is　covered　with　bouquets　in　baskets　and
  in　vases　of　glass　and　china。　　These　cannot　have　been　there　during
  the　actual　birth　of　the　Virgin；　so　I　suppose　they　had　been　in
  readiness；　and　were　brought　in　from　an　adjoining　room　as　soon　as　the
  baby　had　been　born。　　A　lady　on　her　left　is　bringing　in　some　more
  flowers；　which　St。　Anne　is　receiving　with　a　smile　and　most　gracious
  gesture　of　the　hands。　　The　first　thing　she　asked　for；　when　the　birth
  was　over；　was　for　her　three　silver　hearts。　　These　were　immediately
  brought　to　her；　and　she　has　got　them　all　on；　tied　round　her　neck
  with　a　piece　of　blue　silk　ribbon。
  Dear　mamma　has　come。　　We　felt　sure　she　would；　and　that　any　little
  misunderstandings　between　her　and　Joachim　would　ere　long　be
  forgotten　and　forgiven。　　They　are　both　so　good　and　sensible　if　they
  would　only　understand　one　another。　　At　any　rate；　here　she　is；　in
  high　state　at　the　right　hand　of　the　bed。　　She　is　dressed　in　black；
  for　she　has　lost　her　husband　some　few　years　previously；　but　I　do　not
  believe　a　smarter；　sprier　old　lady　for　her　years　could　be　found　in
  Palestine；　nor　yet　that　either　Giovanni　d'Enrico　or　Giacomo　Ferro
  could　have　conceived　or　executed　such　a　character。　　The　sacristan
  wanted　to　have　it　that　she　was　not　a　woman　at　all；　but　was　a
  portrait　of　St。　Joachim；　the　Virgin's　father。　　〃Sembra　una　donna；〃
  he　pleaded　more　than　once；　〃ma　non　e　donna。〃　　Surely；　however；　in
  works　of　art　even　more　than　in　other　things；　there　is　no　〃is〃　but
  seeming；　and　if　a　figure　seems　female　it　must　be　taken　as　such。
  Besides；　I　asked　one　of　the　leading　doctors　at　Varallo　whether　the
  figure　was　man　or　woman。　　He　said　it　was　evident　I　was　not　married；
  for　that　if　I　had　been　I　should　have　seen　at　once　that　she　was　not
  only　a　woman　but　a　mother…in…law　of　the　first　magnitude；　or；　as　he
  called　it；　〃una　suocera　tremenda；〃　and　this　without　knowing　that　I
  wanted　her　to　be　a　mother…in…law　myself。　　Unfortunately　she　had　no
  real　drapery；　so　I　could　not　settle　the　question　as　my　friend　Mr。　H。
  F。　Jones　and　I　had　been　able　to　do　at　Varallo　with　the　figure　of　Eve
  that　had　been　turned　into　a　Roman　soldier　assisting　at　the　capture
  of　Christ。　　I　am　not；　however；　disposed　to　waste　more　time　upon
  anything　so　obvious；　and　will　content　myself　with　saying　that　we
  have　he