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the doctor to have white bread to eat instead of the coarse black
or brown bread of ordinary prison fare。 It is a great delicacy。
It will sound strange that dry bread could possibly be a delicacy
to any one。 To me it is so much so that at the close of each meal
I carefully eat whatever crumbs may be left on my tin plate； or
have fallen on the rough towel that one uses as a cloth so as not
to soil one's table； and I do so not from hunger … I get now quite
sufficient food … but simply in order that nothing should be wasted
of what is given to me。 So one should look on love。
Christ； like all fascinating personalities； had the power of not
merely saying beautiful things himself； but of making other people
say beautiful things to him； and I love the story St。 Mark tells us
about the Greek woman； who； when as a trial of her faith he said to
her that he could not give her the bread of the children of Israel；
answered him that the little dogs … （＇Greek text which cannot be
reproduced＇； 'little dogs' it should be rendered） … who are under
the table eat of the crumbs that the children let fall。 Most
people live for love and admiration。 But it is by love and
admiration that we should live。 If any love is shown us we should
recognise that we are quite unworthy of it。 Nobody is worthy to be
loved。 The fact that God loves man shows us that in the divine
order of ideal things it is written that eternal love is to be
given to what is eternally unworthy。 Or if that phrase seems to be
a bitter one to bear； let us say that every one is worthy of love；
except him who thinks that he is。 Love is a sacrament that should
be taken kneeling； and DOMINE； NON SUM DIGNUS should be on the lips
and in the hearts of those who receive it。
If ever I write again； in the sense of producing artistic work；
there are just two subjects on which and through which I desire to
express myself： one is 'Christ as the precursor of the romantic
movement in life'： the other is 'The artistic life considered in
its relation to conduct。' The first is； of course； intensely
fascinating； for I see in Christ not merely the essentials of the
supreme romantic type； but all the accidents； the wilfulnesses
even； of the romantic temperament also。 He was the first person
who ever said to people that they should live 'flower…like lives。'
He fixed the phrase。 He took children as the type of what people
should try to become。 He held them up as examples to their elders；
which I myself have always thought the chief use of children； if
what is perfect should have a use。 Dante describes the soul of a
man as coming from the hand of God 'weeping and laughing like a
little child；' and Christ also saw that the soul of each one should
be A GUISA DI FANCIULLA CHE PIANGENDO E RIDENDO PARGOLEGGIA。 He
felt that life was changeful； fluid； active； and that to allow it
to be stereotyped into any form was death。 He saw that people
should not be too serious over material； common interests： that to
be unpractical was to be a great thing： that one should not bother
too much over affairs。 The birds didn't； why should man？ He is
charming when he says； 'Take no thought for the morrow； is not the
soul more than meat？ is not the body more than raiment？' A Greek
might have used the latter phrase。 It is full of Greek feeling。
But only Christ could have said both； and so summed up life
perfectly for us。
His morality is all sympathy； just what morality should be。 If the
only thing that he ever said had been； 'Her sins are forgiven her
because she loved much；' it would have been worth while dying to
have said it。 His justice is all poetical justice； exactly what
justice should be。 The beggar goes to heaven because he has been
unhappy。 I cannot conceive a better reason for his being sent
there。 The people who work for an hour in the vineyard in the cool
of the evening receive just as much reward as those who have toiled
there all day long in the hot sun。 Why shouldn't they？ Probably
no one deserved anything。 Or perhaps they were a different kind of
people。 Christ had no patience with the dull lifeless mechanical
systems that treat people as if they were things； and so treat
everybody alike： for him there were no laws： there were
exceptions merely； as if anybody； or anything； for that matter； was
like aught else in the world！
That which is the very keynote of romantic art was to him the
proper basis of natural life。 He saw no other basis。 And when
they brought him one； taken in the very act of sin and showed him
her sentence written in the law； and asked him what was to be done；
he wrote with his finger on the ground as though he did not hear
them； and finally； when they pressed him again； looked up and said；
'Let him of you who has never sinned be the first to throw the
stone at her。' It was worth while living to have said that。
Like all poetical natures he loved ignorant people。 He knew that
in the soul of one who is ignorant there is always room for a great
idea。 But he could not stand stupid people； especially those who
are made stupid by education： people who are full of opinions not
one of which they even understand； a peculiarly modern type； summed
up by Christ when he describes it as the type of one who has the
key of knowledge； cannot use it himself； and does not allow other
people to use it； though it may be made to open the gate of God's
Kingdom。 His chief war was against the Philistines。 That is the
war every child of light has to wage。 Philistinism was the note of
the age and community in which he lived。 In their heavy
inaccessibility to ideas； their dull respectability； their tedious
orthodoxy； their worship of vulgar success； their entire
preoccupation with the gross materialistic side of life； and their
ridiculous estimate of themselves and their importance； the Jews of
Jerusalem in Christ's day were the exact counterpart of the British
Philistine of our own。 Christ mocked at the 'whited sepulchre' of
respectability； and fixed that phrase for ever。 He treated worldly
success as a thing absolutely to be despised。 He saw nothing in it
at all。 He looked on wealth as an encumbrance to a man。 He would
not hear of life being sacrificed to any system of thought or
morals。 He pointed out that forms and ceremonies were made for
man； not man for forms and ceremonies。 He took sabbatarianism as a
type of the things that should be set at nought。 The cold
philanthropies； the ostentatious public charities； the tedious
formalisms so dear to the middle…class mind； he exposed with utter
and relentless scorn。 To us； what is termed orthodoxy is merely a
facile unintelligent acquiescence； but to them； and in their hands；
it was a terrible and paralysing tyranny。 Christ swept it aside。
He showed that the spirit alone was of value。 He took a keen
pleasure in pointing out to them that though they were always
reading the law and the prophets； they had not really the smallest
idea of what either of them meant。 In opposition to their tithing
of each separate day into the fixed routine of prescribed duties；
as they tithe mint and rue； he preached the enormous importance of
living completely for the moment。
Those whom he saved from their sins are saved simply for beautiful
moments in their lives。 Mary Magdalen； when she sees Christ；
breaks the rich vase of alabaster that one of her seven lovers had
given her； and spills the odorous spices over his tired dusty feet；
and for that one moment's sake sits for ever with Ruth and Beatrice
in the tresses of the snow…white rose of Paradise。 All that Christ
says to us by the way of a little warning is that every moment
should be beautiful； that the soul should always be ready for the
coming of the bridegroom； always waiting for the voice of the
lover； Philistinism being simply that side of man's nature that is
not illumined by the imagination。 He sees all the lovely
influences of life as modes of light： the imagination itself is
the world of light。 The world is made by it； and yet the world
cannot understand it： that is because the imagination is simply a
manifestation of love； and it is love and the capacity for it that
distinguishes one human being from another。
But it is when he deals with a sinner that Christ is most romantic；
in the sense of most real。 The world had always loved the saint as
being the nearest possible approach to the perfection of God。
Christ； through some divine instinct in him； seems to have always
loved the sinner as being the nearest possible approach to the
perfection of man。 His primary desire was not to reform people；
any more than his primary desire was to a relieve suffering。 To
turn an interesting thief into a tedious honest man was not his
aim。 H