The Nature of Gothic: A Chapter of the Stones of Venice (Classic Reprint) - Softcover

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Excerpt from The Nature of Gothic: A Chapter of the Stones of Venice

If this be true, as I for one most firmly believe, it follows that the hallowing of labour by art is the one aim for us at the present day. If politics are to be anything else than an empty game, more exciting but less innocent than those which are confessedly games of skill or chance, it is toward this goal of the happiness of labour that they must make. Science has in these latter days made such stupendous strides, and is attended by such a crowd of votaries, many of whom are doubtless single-hearted, and worship in her not the purse of riches and power, but the casket of knowledge, that she seems to need no more than a little humility to temper the insolence of her triumph, which has taught us everything except how to be happy. Man has gained mechanical victory over nature, which in time to come he may be able to enjoy, instead of starving amidst of it. In those days science also may be happy; yet not before the second birth of art, accompanied by the happiness of labour, has given her rest from the toil of dragging the car of commerce. Lastly, it may well be that the human race will never cease striving to solve the problem of the reason for its own existence 5 yet it seems to me that it may do this in a calmer and more satis factory mood when it has not to ask the question, Why were we born to be so miserable? But rather, Why were we born to be so happy? At least it may be said that there is time enough for us to deal with this problem, and that it need not engross the best energies of mankind, when there is so much to do otherwhere.

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