the works of edgar allan poe-5-第2部分

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Kaleidoscope；　and　then　established　joint…stock　companies　to　twirl　it　by
steam。

　_　　　Glare　is　_a　leading　error　in　the　philosophy　of　American　household
decoration　…　an　error　easily　recognised　as　deduced　from　the　perversion　of
taste　just　specified。；　We　are　violently　enamoured　of　gas　and　of　glass。　The
former　is　totally　inadmissible　within　doors。　Its　harsh　and　unsteady　light
offends。　No　one　having　both　brains　and　eyes　will　use　it。　A　mild；　or　what
artists　term　a　cool　light；　with　its　consequent　warm　shadows；　will　do
wonders　for　even　an　ill…furnished　apartment。　Never　was　a　more　lovely
thought　than　that　of　the　astral　lamp。　We　mean；　of　course；　the　astral　lamp
proper　…　the　lamp　of　Argand；　with　its　original　plain　ground…glass　shade；
and　its　tempered　and　uniform　moonlight　rays。　The　cut…glass　shade　is　a　weak
invention　of　the　enemy。　The　eagerness　with　which　we　have　adopted　it；
partly　on　account　of　its　_flashiness；　_but　principally　on　account　of　its
_greater　rest；　is　_a　good　commentary　on　the　proposition　with　which　we
began。　It　is　not　too　much　to　say；　that　the　deliberate　employer　of　a
cut…glass　shade；　is　either　radically　deficient　in　taste；　or　blindly
subservient　to　the　caprices　of　fashion。　The　light　proceeding　from　one　of
these　gaudy　abominations　is　unequal　broken；　and　painful。　It　alone　is
sufficient　to　mar　a　world　of　good　effect　in　the　furniture　subjected　to　its
influence。　Female　loveliness；　in　especial；　is　more　than　one…half
disenchanted　beneath　its　evil　eye。

　　　　In　the　matter　of　glass；　generally；　we　proceed　upon　false　principles。
Its　leading　feature　is　_glitter　…　_and　in　that　one　word　how　much　of　all
that　is　detestable　do　we　express　！　Flickering；　unquiet　lights；　are
_sometimes　_pleasing　…　to　children　and　idiots　always　so　…　but　in　the
embellishment　of　a　room　they　should　be　scrupulously　avoided。　In　truth；
even　strong　_steady　_lights　are　inadmissible。　The　huge　and　unmeaning　glass
chandeliers；　prism…cut；　gas…lighted；　and　without　shade；　which　dangle　in
our　most　fashionable　drawing…rooms；　may　be　cited　as　the　quintessence　of
all　that　is　false　in　taste　or　preposterous　in　folly。

　　　　The　rage　for　_glitter…_because　its　idea　has　become　as　we　before
observed；　confounded　with　that　of　magnificence　in　the　abstract…has　led　us；
also；　to　the　exaggerated　employment　of　mirrors。　We　line　our　dwellings　with
great　British　plates；　and　then　imagine　we　have　done　a　fine　thing。　Now　the
slightest　thought　will　be　sufficient　to　convince　any　one　who　has　an　eye　at
all；　of　the　ill　effect　of　numerous　looking…glasses；　and　especially　of
large　ones。　Regarded　apart　from　its　reflection；　the　mirror　presents　a
continuous；　flat；　colourless；　unrelieved　surface；　…　a　thing　always　and
obviously　unpleasant。　Considered　as　a　reflector；　it　is　potent　in　producing
a　monstrous　and　odious　uniformity：　and　the　evil　is　here　aggravated；　not　in
merely　direct　proportion　with　the　augmentation　of　its　sources；　but　in　a
ratio　constantly　increasing。　In　fact；　a　room　with　four　or　five　mirrors
arranged　at　random；　is；　for　all　purposes　of　artistic　show；　a　room　of　no
shape　at　all。　If　we　add　to　this　evil；　the　attendant　glitter　upon　glitter；
we　have　a　perfect　farrago　of　discordant　and　displeasing　effects。　The
veriest　bumpkin；　on　entering　an　apartment　so　bedizzened；　would　be
instantly　aware　of　something　wrong；　although　he　might　be　altogether　unable
to　assign　a　cause　for　his　dissatisfaction。　But　let　the　same　person　be　led
into　a　room　tastefully　furnished；　and　he　would　be　startled　into　an
exclamation　of　pleasure　and　surprise。

　　　　It　is　an　evil　growing　out　of　our　republican　institutions；　that　here　a
man　of　large　purse　has　usually　a　very　little　soul　which　he　keeps　in　it。
The　corruption　of　taste　is　a　portion　or　a　pendant　of　the　dollar…manufac
sure。　As　we　grow　rich；　our　ideas　grow　rusty。　It　is；　therefore；　not　among
_our　_aristocracy　that　we　must　look　（if　at　all；　in　Appallachia）；　for　the
spirituality　of　a　British　_boudoir。　_But　we　have　seen　apartments　in　the
tenure　of　Americans　of　moderns　＇possibly　〃modest〃　or　〃moderate〃＇　means；
which；　in　negative　merit　at　least；　might　vie　with　any　of　the　_or…molu'd
_cabinets　of　our　friends　across　the　water。　Even　_now_；　there　is　present　to
our　mind's　eye　a　small　and　not；　ostentatious　chamber　with　whose
decorations　no　fault　can　be　found。　The　proprietor　lies　asleep　on　a　sofa　…
the　weather　is　cool　…　the　time　is　near　midnight：　arc　will　make　a　sketch　of
the　room　during　his　slumber。

　　　　It　is　oblong　…　some　thirty　feet　in　length　and　twenty…five　in　breadth　…
a　shape　affording　the　best（ordinary）　opportunities　for　the　adjustment　of
furniture。　It　has　but　one　door　…　by　no　means　a　wide　one　…　which　is　at　one
end　of　the　parallelogram；　and　but　two　windows；　which　are　at　the　other。
These　latter　are　large；　reaching　down　to　the　floor　…　have　deep　recesses　…
and　open　on　an　Italian　_veranda。　_Their　panes　are　of　a　crimson…tinted
glass；　set　in　rose…wood　framings；　more　massive　than　usual。　They　are
curtained　within　the　recess；　by　a　thick　silver　tissue　adapted　to　the　shape
of　the　window；　and　hanging　loosely　in　small　volumes。　Without　the　recess
are　curtains　of　an　exceedingly　rich　crimson　silk；　fringed　with　a　deep
network　of　gold；　and　lined　with　silver　tissue；　which　is　the　material　of
the　exterior　blind。　There　are　no　cornices；　but　the　folds　of　the　whole
fabric　（which　are　sharp　rather　than　massive；　and　have　an　airy　appearance）；
issue　from　beneath　a　broad　entablature　of　rich　giltwork；　which　encircles
the　room　at　the　junction　of　the　ceiling　and　walls。　The　drapery　is　thrown
open　also；　or　closed；　by　means　of　a　thick　rope　of　gold　loosely　enveloping
it；　and　resolving　itself　readily　into　a　knot；　no　pins　or　other　such
devices　are　apparent。　The　colours　of　the　curtains　and　their　fringe　…　the
tints　of　crimson　and　gold　…　appear　everywhere　in　profusion；　and　determine
the　_character　_of　the　room。　The　carpet　…　of　Saxony　material　…　is　quite
half　an　inch　thick；　and　is　of　the　same　crimson　ground；　relieved　simply　by
the　appearance　of　a　gold　cord　（like　that　festooning　the　curtains）　slightly
relieved　above　the　surface　of　the　_ground；　_and　thrown　upon　it　in　such　a
manner　as　to　form　a　succession　of　short　irregular　curves　…　one
occasionally　overlaying　the　other。　The　walls　are　prepared　with　a　glossy
paper　of　a　silver　gray　tint；　spotted　with　small　Arabesque　devices　of　a
fainter　hue　of　the　prevalent　crimson。　Many　paintings　relieve　the　expanse
of　paper。　These　are　chiefly　landscapes　of　an　imaginative　cast…such　as　the
fairy　grottoes　of　Stanfield；　or　the　lake　of　the　Dismal　Swamp　of　Chapman。
There　are；　nevertheless；　three　or　four　female　heads；　of　an　ethereal
beauty…portraits　in　the　manner　of　Sully。　The　tone　of　each　picture　is　warm；
but　dark。　There　are　no　〃brilliant　effects。〃　_Repose　_speaks　in　all。　Not
one　is　of　small　size。　Diminutive　paintings　give　that　_spotty　_look　to　a
room；　which　is　the　blemish　of　so　many　a　fine　work　of　Art　overtouched。　The
frames　are　broad　but　not　deep；　and　richly　carved；　without　being　_dulled
_or　filagreed。　They　have　the　whole　lustre　of　burnished　gold。　They　lie　flat
on　the　walls；　and　do　not　hang　off　with　cords。　The　designs　themselves　are
often　seen　to　better　advantage　in　this　latter　position；　but　the　general
appearance