north america-2-第4章

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three　fronts。　　These　are　approached　by　flights　of　steps；　more　gratifying　to　the　eye　than　to　the　legs。　　The　whole　structure　is　massive　and　grand；　and；　if　the　streets　round　it　were　finished；　would　be　imposing。　　The　utilitarian　spirit　of　the　nation　has；　however；　done　much　toward　marring　the　appearance　of　the　building；　by　piercing　it　with　windows　altogether　unsuited　to　it；　both　in　number　and　size。　　The　walls；　even　under　the　porticoes；　have　been　so　pierced；　in　order　that　the　whole　space　might　be　utilized　without　loss　of　light；　and　the　effect　is　very　mean。　　The　windows　are　small；　and　without　ornamentsomething　like　a　London　window　of　the　time　of　George　III。　　The　effect　produced　by　a　dozen　such　at　the　back　of　a　noble　Doric　porch；　looking　down　among　the　pillars；　may　be　imagined。　In　the　interior　of　this　building　the　Minister　of　the　Interior　holds　his　court；　and；　of　course；　also　the　Commissioners　of　Patents。　　Here　is；　in　accordance　with　the　name　of　the　building；　a　museum　of　models　of　all　patents　taken　out。　　I　wandered　through　it；　gazing　with　listless　eye　now　upon　this　and　now　upon　that；　but　to　me；　in　my　ignorance；　it　was　no　better　than　a　large　toy…shop。　　When　I　saw　an　ancient；　dusty　white　hat；　with　some　peculiar　appendage　to　it　which　was　unintelligible；　it　was　no　more　to　me　than　any　other　old　white　hat。　　But　had　I　been　a　man　of　science；　what　a　tale　it　might　have　told！　　Wandering　about　through　the　Patent…office　I　also　found　a　hospital　for　soldiers。　　A　British　officer　was　with　me　who　pronounced　it　to　be；　in　its　kind；　very　good。　　At　any　rate　it　was　sweet；　airy；　and　large。　　In　these　days　the　soldiers　had　got　hold　of　everything。　The　Treasury　chambers　is　as　yet　an　unfinished　building。　　The　front　to　the　south　has　been　completed；　but　that　to　the　north　has　not　been　built。　　Here　at　the　north　stands　as　yet　the　old　Secretary　of　State's　office。　　This　is　to　come　down；　and　the　Secretary　of　State　is　to　be　located　in　the　new　building；　which　will　be　added　to　the　Treasury。　This　edifice　will　probably　strike　strangers　more　forcibly　than　any　other　in　the　town；　both　from　its　position　and　from　its　own　character。　　It　Stands　with　its　side　to　Pennsylvania　Avenue；　but　the　avenue　here；　has　turned　round；　and　runs　due　north　and　south；　having　taken　a　twist；　so　as　to　make　way　for　the　Treasury　and　for　the　President's　house；　through　both　of　which　it　must　run　had　it　been　carried　straight　on　throughout。　　These　public　offices　stand　with　their　side　to　the　street；　and　the　whole　length　is　ornamented　with　an　exterior　row　of　Ionic　columns　raised　high　above　the　footway。　　This　is　perhaps　the　prettiest　thing　in　the　city；　and　when　the　front　to　the　north　has　been　completed；　the　effect　will　be　still　better。　　The　granite　monoliths　which　have　been　used；　and　which　are　to　be　used；　in　this　building　are　very　massive。　　As　one　enters　by　the　steps　to　the　south　there　are　two　flat　stones；　one　on　each　side　of　the　ascent；　the　surface　of　each　of　which　is　about　twenty　feet　by　eighteen。　　The　columns　are；　I　think；　all　monoliths。　　Of　those　which　are　still　to　be　erected；　and　which　now　lie　about　in　the　neighboring　streets；　I　measured　one　or　twoone　which　was　still　in　the　rough　I　found　to　be　thirty…two　feet　long　by　five　feet　broad；　and　four　and　a　half　deep。　These　granite　blocks　have　been　brought　to　Washington　from　the　State　of　Maine。　　The　finished　front　of　this　building；　looking　down　to　the　Potomac；　is　very　good；　but　to　my　eyes　this　also　has　been　much　injured　by　the　rows　of　windows　which　look　out　from　the　building　into　the　space　of　the　portico。　The　President's　houseor　the　White　House　as　it　is　now　called　all　the　world　overis　a　handsome　mansion　fitted　for　the　chief　officer　of　a　great　republic；　and　nothing　more。　　I　think　I　may　say　that　we　have　private　houses　in　London　considerably　larger。　　It　is　neat　and　pretty；　and　with　all　its　immediate　outside　belongings　calls　down　no　adverse　criticism。　　It　faces　on　to　a　small　garden；　which　seems　to　be　always　accessible　to　the　public；　and　opens　out　upon　that　everlasting　Pennsylvania　Avenue；　which　has　now　made　another　turn。　　Here　in　front　of　the　White　House　is　President's　Square；　as　it　is　generally　called。　The　technical　name　is；　I　believe；　La　Fayette　Square。　　The　houses　round　it　are　few　in　numbernot　exceeding　three　or　four　on　each　side；　but　they　are　among　the　best　in　Washington；　and　the　whole　place　is　neat　and　well　kept。　　President's　Square　is　certainly　the　most　attractive　part　of　the　city。　　The　garden　of　the　square　is　always　open；　and　does　not　seem　to　suffer　from　any　public　ill　usage；　by　which　circumstance　I　am　again　led　to　suggest　that　the　gardens　of　our　London　squares　might　be　thrown　open　in　the　same　way。　　In　the　center　of　this　one　at　Washington；　immediately　facing　the　President's　house；　is　an　equestrian　statue　of　General　Jackson。　　It　is　very　bad；　but　that　it　is　not　nearly　as　bad　as　it　might　be　is　proved　by　another　equestrian　statueof　General　Washingtonerected　in　the　center　of　a　small　garden　plat　at　the　end　of　Pennsylvania　Avenue；　near　the　bridge　leading　to　Georgetown。　　Of　all　the　statues　on　horseback　which　I　ever　saw；　either　in　marble　or　bronze；　this　is　by　far　the　worst　and　most　ridiculous。　　The　horse　is　most　absurd；　but　the　man　sitting　on　the　horse　is　manifestly　drunk。　　I　should　think　the　time　must　come　when　this　figure　at　any　rate　will　be　removed。　I　did　not　go　inside　the　President's　house；　not　having　had　while　at　Washington　an　opportunity　of　paying　my　personal　respects　to　Mr。　Lincoln。　　I　had　been　told　that　this　was　to　be　done　without　trouble；　but　when　I　inquired　on　the　subject　I　found　that　this　was　not　exactly　the　case。　　I　believe　there　are　times　when　anybody　may　walk　into　the　President's　house　without　an　introduction；　but　that；　I　take　it；　is　not　considered　to　be　the　proper　way　of　doing　the　work。　　I　found　that　something　like　a　favor　would　be　incurred；　or　that　some　disagreeable　trouble　would　be　given；　if　I　made　a　request　to　be　presented；　and　therefore　I　left　Washington　without　seeing　the　great　man。　The　President's　house　is　nice　to　look　at；　but　it　is　built　on　marshy　ground；　not　much　above　the　level　of　the　Potomac；　and　is　very　unhealthy。　　I　was　told　that　all　who　live　there　become　subject　to　fever　and　ague；　and　that　few　who　now　live　there　have　escaped　it　altogether。　　This　comes　of　choosing　the　site　of　a　new　city；　and　decreeing　that　it　shall　be　built　on　this　or　on　that　spot。　　Large　cities；　especially　in　these　latter　days；　do　not　collect　themselves　in　unhealthy　places。　　Men　desert　such　localitiesor　at　least　do　not　congregate　at　them　when　their　character　is　once　known。　　But　the　poor　President　cannot　desert　the　White　House。　　He　must　make　the　most　of　the　residence　which　the　nation　has　prepared　for　him。　Of　the　other　considerable　public　building　of　Washington；　called　the　Smithsonian　Institution；　I　have　said　that　its　style　was　bastard　Gothic；　by　this　I　mean　that　its　main　attributes　are　Gothic；　but　that　liberties　have　been　taken　with　it；　which；　whether　they　may　injure　its　beauty　or　no；　certainly　are　subversive　of　architectural　purity。　It　is　built　of　red　stone；　and　is　not　ugly　in　itself。　　There　is　a　very　nice　Norman　porch　to　it；　and　little　bits　of　Lombard　Gothic　have　been　well　copied　from　Cologne。　　But　windows　have　been　fitted　in　with　stilted　arches；　of　which　the　stilts　seem　to　crack　and　bend；　so　narrow　are　they　and　so　high。　　And　then　the　towers　with　high　pinnacled　roofs　are　a　mistakeunless　indeed　they　be　needed　to　give　to　the　whole　structure　that　name　of　Romanesque　which　it　has　assumed。　The　building　is　used　for　museums　and　lectures；　and　was　given　to　the　city　by　one　James　Smithsonian；　an　Englishman。　　I　cannot　say　that　the　City　of　Washington　seems　to　be　grateful；　for　all　to　whom　I　spoke　on　the　subject　hinted　that　the　Institution　was　a　failure。　　It　is　to　be　remarked　that　nobody　in　Washington　is　proud　of　Washington；　or　of　anything　in　it。　　If　the　Smithsonian　Institution　were　at　New　York　or　at　Boston；　one　would　have　a　different　story　to　tell。　There　has　been　an　attempt　made　to　raise　at　Washington　a　vast　obelisk　to　the　memory　of　Washingtonthe　first　in　war　and　first　in　peace；　as　the　country　is　proud　to　call　him。　　This　obelisk　is　a　fair　type　of　the　city。　　It　is　unfinishednot　a　third　of　it　having　as　yet　been　erectedand　in　all　human　probability　ever　will　remain　so。　　If　finished；　it　would　be　the　highest　monument　of　its　kind　standing　on　the　face　of　the　globe；　and　yet；　after　all；　what　would　it　be　even　then　as　compared　with　one　of　the　great　pyramids？　　Modern　attempts　cannot　bear　comparison　with　those　of　the　old　world　in　simple　vastness。　　But　in　lieu　of　simple　vastness；　the　modern　world　aims　to　achieve　either　beauty　or　utility。　　By　the　Washington　monument；　if　completed；　neither　would　be　achieved。　　An　obelisk　with　the　proportions　of　a　needle　may　be　very　graceful；　but　an　obelisk　which　requires　an　expanse　of　flat…roofed；　sprawling　buildings　for　its　base；　and　of　which　the　shaft　shall　be　as　big　as　a　cathedral　tower；　cannot　be　graceful。　　At　present　some　third　portion　of　the　shaft　has　been　built；　and　there　it　stands。　　No　one　has　a　word　to　say　for　it。　No　one　thinks　that　money　will　ever　again　be　subscribed　for　its　completion。　　I　saw　somewhere　a　box　of　plate…glass　kept　for　contributions　for　this　purpose；　and　looking　in　perceived　that　two　half…dollar　pieces　had　been　givenbut　both　of　them　were　bad。　　I　was　told　also　that　t