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The Spirit of Place and Other Essays
The Spirit of Place and
Other Essays
by Alice Meynell
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The Spirit of Place and Other Essays
THE SPIRIT OF PLACE
With mimicry； with praises； with echoes； or with answers； the poets
have all but outsung the bells。 The inarticulate bell has found too much
interpretation； too many rhymes professing to close with her inaccessible
utterance； and to agree with her remote tongue。 The bell； like the bird； is
a musician pestered with literature。
To the bell； moreover； men do actual violence。 You cannot shake
together a nightingale's notes； or strike or drive them into haste； nor can
you make a lark toll for you with intervals to suit your turn； whereas
wedding…bells are compelled to seem gay by mere movement and hustling。
I have known some grim bells； with not a single joyous note in the whole
peal； so forced to hurry for a human festival； with their harshness made
light of； as though the Bishop of Hereford had again been forced to dance
in his boots by a merry highwayman。
The clock is an inexorable but less arbitrary player than the bellringer；
and the chimes await their appointed time to flywild prisonersby twos
or threes； or in greater companies。 Fugitives one or twelve taking
wingthey are sudden； they are brief； they are gone； they are delivered
from the close hands of this actual present。 Not in vain is the sudden
upper door opened against the sky； they are away； hours of the past。
Of all unfamiliar bells； those which seem to hold the memory most
surely after but one hearing are bells of an unseen cathedral of France
when one has arrived by night； they are no more to be forgotten than the
bells in 〃Parsifal。〃 They mingle with the sound of feet in unknown
streets； they are the voices of an unknown tower； they are loud in their
own language。 The spirit of place； which is to be seen in the shapes of
the fields and the manner of the crops； to be felt in a prevalent wind；
breathed in the breath of the earth； overheard in a far street…cry or in the
tinkle of some black…smith； calls out and peals in the cathedral bells。 It
speaks its local tongue remotely； steadfastly； largely； clamorously； loudly；
and greatly by these voices； you hear the sound in its dignity； and you
know how familiar； how childlike； how lifelong it is in the ears of the
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The Spirit of Place and Other Essays
people。 The bells are strange； and you know how homely they must be。
Their utterances are； as it were； the classics of a dialect。
Spirit of place！ It is for this we travel； to surprise its subtlety； and
where it is a strong and dominant angel； that place； seen once； abides
entire in the memory with all its own accidents； its habits； its breath； its
name。 It is recalled all a lifetime； having been perceived a week； and is
not scattered but abides； one living body of remembrance。 The
untravelled spirit of placenot to be pursued； for it never flies； but always
to be discovered； never absent； without variationlurks in the by…ways and
rules over the towers； indestructible； an indescribable unity。 It awaits us
always in its ancient and eager freshness。 It is sweet and nimble within
its immemorial boundaries； but it never crosses them。 Long white roads
outside have mere suggestions of it and prophecies； they give promise not
of its coming； for it abides； but of a new and singular and unforeseen goal
for our present pilgrimage； and of an intimacy to be made。 Was ever
journey too hard or too long that had to pay such a visit？ And if by good
fortune it is a child who is the pilgrim； the spirit of place gives him a
peculiar welcome； for antiquity and the conceiver of antiquity （who is only
a child） know one another； nor is there a more delicate perceiver of
locality than a child。 He is well used to words and voices that he does
not understand； and this is a condition of his simplicity； and when those
unknown words are bells； loud in the night； they are to him as homely and
as old as lullabies。
If； especially in England； we make rough and reluctant bells go in gay
measures； when we whip them to run down the scale to ring in a wedding…
…bells that would step to quite another and a less agile march with a better
gracethere are belfries that hold far sweeter companies。 If there is no
music within Italian churches； there is a most curious local immemorial
music in many a campanile on the heights。 Their way is for the ringers to
play a tune on the festivals； and the tunes are not hymn tunes or popular
melodies； but proper bell…tunes； made for bells。 Doubtless they were
made in times better versed than ours in the sub…divisions of the arts； and
better able to understand the strength that lies ready in the mere little
submission to the means of a little art； and to the limits nay； the very
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The Spirit of Place and Other Essays
embarrassmentsof those means。 If it were but possible to give here a
real bell…tunewhich cannot be； for those melodies are rather longthe
reader would understand how some village musician of the past used his
narrow means as a composer for the bells； with what freshness；
completeness； significance； fancy； and what effect of liberty。
These hamlet…bells are the sweetest； as to their own voices； in the
world。 Then I speak of their antiquity I use the word relatively。 The
belfries are no older than the sixteenth or seventeenth century； the time
when Italy seems to have been generally rebuilt。 But； needless to say；
this is antiquity for music； especially in Italy。 At that time they must have
had foundries for bells of tender voices； and pure； warm； light； and golden
throats； precisely tuned。 The hounds of Theseus had not a more just scale；
tuned in a peal； than a North Italian belfry holds in leash。 But it does not
send them out in a mere scale； it touches them in the order of the game of
a charming melody。 Of all cheerful sounds made by man this is by far
the most light…hearted。 You do not hear it from the great churches。
Giotto's coloured tower in Florence； that carries the bells for Santa Maria
del Fiore and Brunelleschi's silent dome； does not ring more than four
contralto notes； tuned with sweetness； depth； and dignity； and swinging
one musical phrase which softly fills the country。
The village belfry it is that grows so fantastic and has such nimble
bells。 Obviously it stands alone with its own village； and can therefore
hear its own tune from beginning to end。 There are no other bells in
earshot。 Other such dovecote…doors are suddenly set open to the cloud；
on a festa morning； to let fly those soft…voiced flocks； but the nearest is
behind one of many mountains； and our local tune is uninterrupted。
Doubtless this is why the little； secluded； sequestered art of composing
melodies for bellscharming division of an art； having its own ends and
means； and keeping its own wings for unfolding by lawdwells in these
solitary places。 No tunes in a town would get this hearing； or would be
made clear to the end of their frolic amid such a wide and lofty silence。
Nor does every inner village of Italy hold a bell…tune of its own； the
custom is Ligurian。 Nowhere so much as in Genoa does the nervous
tourist complain of church bells in the morning； and in fact he is made to