, 1870-05-16
NEW BOOKS.

~ NEW BOOKS.
TIE QUEEN OF TIE AIR; beng study Of U
Sk N1,hs r. g. g. Geaa SeM fo1k aod s'o JOIN q s9 s9n
TIE 1: MYsTEkf SsSs Of LIFE F:s ANp = rs Ais
JoHs RUsk1s. author thor, q I,.a nMo.1ssn en- Pointers
S c. Gr1sgs Co 1870.
Whatever Mr.. Ruakin msy write will alwa,
bo read with pleasure; first, because he ie a
ways human, conscientious in his opinion
| and honest in his intentions; second, becaus
his style is 60 remarkably graphic and beaut
fu1; and, third, because he Erote those sple1
did aft works, The Stones Of yeuican An
"The Modern Painters" It is undenisb1
that he is groninG to be an iconoclsst and
dogmatist; that his work is desulto,,. An
sometimes almost purposeless; bus hin Inv
for art is none the less eincere and dear
rooted, and, upon the who1e, his cynical q,
er7ac,sm' although it 1uns in ruts, from Hhic
ne WILL never get out, cannot but be health
because 1t 's honest The reader VIII
has fingered with delight over tho CLOWN
passages IN the "stones Of Venice " m
"Modarn Painters" " will find them also il
these later works, although he will miss tb
connecting links Of a awell-dehned purpose, an
mhJ sometimes be offended at the harsh dog
1nsuam which outcrops here and there, and a
the apparently object1ess manner in which h
diverges from his topic, and wande1s abou
among facts and opinions which have nothing
to do with the matter in hand. But in word
painting, in .ivacity Of style, in a noble hu
man1ty, and in sincere love for art, and NOBLE
endeayor to strengthen ita growth, he is JUS
as admirable as ever.
The "Queen Of the AIR is NEUROLOGICAL il
character, and consists OF three essays, callcd
respectively, Athena Cha1initis, Athena Kera.
mitis, and Athena Ergane; or Athena in the
Heavens, in the Earth, and in the Heart
These essays conatituto an inquiry into the
origin and attributes Of the Greek goddess
| Athens, who inspired the Parthenon, which
only result in 3 severe shock to those who
havo invested the Goddess OF Wisdom viii,
poetic1 interest
The preface to his work is in his most
charming style, and graphically pleads for na.
ture. He sayr:
This first day Of May, 1869, am writing
where mF work WAS begun thirty-tlve wears
nEo-Nlthln sight of the snoEa Of tho higher
Alps In that half Of the permitted life Of
man, lave seen strange evil brought upon
every scene that best loved, or tried to mske
those pale submits with it's rose at dawn
and purple at sunset, is now numbered and
faint; the air Which once inlaid the c1eftg OF
all their golden czags with azuro is now dcfled
with 1anguid coils OF smoke, belched from
worse than volcanic fires; their very glscier
waves arc chung, and their SHOWS fading, a.
II Hell had brcathed upon them; tho waters
that once sank ut their feet into crystalline
rest arc now dimmcd and foul, from deep to
deep, from shore to shore. These arc nc
careless words they are accurately-houibly
-truc- know what tho Swiss lakes we're:
no pool Of Alpine fountain at it's source was
clearer. This morning, at the Lake of Geneva,
at haf mile from the beach, could scarcely
see my car blade fathom deep.
"The light, The air, tie waters all defiled!
How Of the earth itse1f7 Take this ona fact
for type OF honor done by the modern
SWISS to the earth Of his native land: There
used to be little rock at the end Of the
avenue py the port Of Ee1chatel; there, the
last marble Of the foot Of Ju1a, slipping to the
blue water, and lat this time OF year, covered
with bright pink tufts Of s.ponaria- I went,
three days zince, to gather = blossom at the
place. The good]y native rock and its flowers
were covered with the dust and refuse Of the
town but, in the middle Of the avenue, WIS
newly constructed artificial rockery. with a
fountain tnlsted through spinning spout,
and an inscription on one of its loose-tumblca
stones,-
41Au1 Botanlstes
Lc Club Jurasstque.7
ALI! masters OF modern science, give mo
back my Athena out Of your vials and seal, If
It may be. once more, Asuodeus therein. You
have divided the elements, md united them ::
ens1ayed them upon the earth, and discerned
them IN the stars. Teach rs, now, but this of
them, which is all that man need knov-that
the Air is given to him for his life; and the
Tain to his thirst md for his baptism and the
Fire for warmth and the Sun for sight aud
the Earth for his meat-anl lis Rest
After briefly a1luaing to the three divinities
Of the earth 0e1ueter), tho waters Poscdon),
and the fire (Apo1lo), Ar. Ruskin comes to
the story Of Athena and Of the deities subortli-
nate to her. he paints her rs the Queen ct
tho Air, having supreme power
both over its pleasing Of calm
and wrath OF storm and, spir-
itusl'y, she is the queen Of the breath of
man, first Of the bodily breathing, which Is
life to his blood, and strength to his arm in
battle; and then Of the mental breathing or
inaTirafs"~-, ~h'sh "a hsa tnara1 haa1th and
habitual wisdom; wisdom OF conduct and OF
tho heart, as opposed to the wisdom OF in
agination and the brain; moral, as distinct
from Intellectual; inspired, as dis tinct from
In the opening essay ho
traces ct her subordinates in the heavens
Eolus, the sage, Hjppotades of Milton,
Bo1cas the benefeent sto1m-power, Herinea
he highest cloud-deity, and Semele, the
mother OF Baechua, who ais the cloud
With the strength OF the vine in its bosom.
BY the Light which natures the
rult," Athena, in the heavens, il thus prac-
lcahzed by Mr. Iuskin- s'She is the air, Civ
ng Life and health to all animals; the mir Civ
ng vegetstire power to tho earth; the air Civ
ng motion to the sea and rendering navigation
aossible; the air nourishing artificial light
orch on 1ampfight, as opposed to that Of the
uu On the one hand and Of consuming fire or
he other; and the air conveying vibrations Of
,Qund," Each OF these realistic functions Of |
athena he di1Atee upon, and then passes to
Athe11, and here We have Athena with refer |
snce to men and animals snd vegetables In |
shcir relation to air. In this connection occur
Two paragraphs Of exquisite beauty:
"Also into the voice Of the bird is given the /
voice Of the air. AL that in the wind itself |
Is weak, wild, useless in sweetness. is knit |
together In its song As We may imagine tie
Wild form OF the cloud closed into the perfect
form Of the birds wings, 60 the Wild voice Of
he cloud into its ordered and commanded
Ioices INV carried, Hppliug through tho clear
heaven in it's gladness, Interpreting all in
!cnse passion through the soft spring nights,
bursting into acclaira and rapture Of choir at
bougbs and hedgea through heat Of DAY, Ike
little winds that only maka the cowslip bells |
shake and ruffle the petals OF the wild nose.
Also upon the plumes Of the bind arc put |
the coloss OF the air; on theee the gold Of the
cloud, that cannot be gathered bS any covet-
business; the 1ubics of the clouds, that are NOT
the price Athena, but are Athena; the YER
million Of the cloud-bar, and the flame Of the !
clond-crest, and the SNOW of the cloud, and it's
shadow, and the melted blue OF the deep wells
Of the skE-al these, seized By the creating
spirit. and woven By Athena herself into films
and t1rends Of plume; with name on name,
and fading along breast, and throat, |
md opening wings, infinite as the dividing OF /
the foam and the Sitting Of the sea-sand ~
even the white down Of the cloud seeming to 1
Gutter mp between the stronger plumes, seen,
but too soft for touch.
"And 80, the Spirit Of Air is put into, and
1pon, this created form, and it becomes,
though twenty centurics, tho symbol OF divine
help, descending as the Fire to spenk, but as
The Dove to b1ess."
On the last essay, "Athena in tho Heart,'
ho pays glowing tribute to his friend Turner.
Speaking Of the co1ors in one..of his pictures,
he says:
SHE took pleasure in them because he had
been bred among English fields and hills; be-
.ause the gcnucuess Of great 1ace was in his
heart and its powers Of thought in his brain;
because he knew the stories Of the Alps, md OF
:sea he cities at 1r their feet; because DO hid
LIQUIDS, and beheld the gods Of dawn,
md tho givcrs of dew to the
leldsi because he knew the faces Of the cragB,
md the Imagery Of the passionate mountains,
IS man Knows the face OF his friend; be-
:ause be had in him the wonder and eo.1ov
'oncerning life md death, which are the in-
,eritanco Of tho Gothic soul from tho days Of
Is first sea-klngs; and also the compaasion |