第52章 CRITICISMS(9)

Wherever he touches on the black side of the supernatural his pencil grows more daring and incisive.He has many true inventions in the perilous and diabolic;he has many startling nightmares realised.It is not easy to select the best;some may like one and some another;the nude,depilated devil bounding and casting darts against the Wicket Gate;the scroll of flying horrors that hang over Christian by the Mouth of Hell;the horned shade that comes behind him whispering blasphemies;the daylight breaking through that rent cave-mouth of the mountains and falling chill adown the haunted tunnel;Christian's further progress along the causeway,between the two black pools,where,at every yard or two,a gin,a pitfall,or a snare awaits the passer-by -loathsome white devilkins harbouring close under the bank to work the springes,Christian himself pausing and pricking with his sword's point at the nearest noose,and pale discomfortable mountains rising on the farther side;or yet again,the two ill-favoured ones that beset the first of Christian's journey,with the frog-like structure of the skull,the frog-like limberness of limbs -crafty,slippery,lustful-looking devils,drawn always in outline as though possessed of a dim,infernal luminosity.Horrid fellows are they,one and all;horrid fellows and horrific scenes.In another spirit that Good-Conscience 'to whom Mr.Honest had spoken in his lifetime,'a cowled,grey,awful figure,one hand pointing to the heavenly shore,realises,I will not say all,but some at least of the strange impressiveness of Bunyan's words.It is no easy nor pleasant thing to speak in one's lifetime with Good-Conscience;he is an austere,unearthly friend,whom maybe Torquemada knew;and the folds of his raiment are not merely claustral,but have something of the horror of the pall.Be not afraid,however;with the hand of that appearance Mr.Honest will get safe across.

Yet perhaps it is in sequences that this artist best displays himself.He loves to look at either side of a thing:as,for instance,when he shows us both sides of the wall -'Grace Inextinguishable'on the one side,with the devil vainly pouring buckets on the flame,and 'The Oil of Grace'on the other,where the Holy Spirit,vessel in hand,still secretly supplies the fire.He loves,also,to show us the same event twice over,and to repeat his instantaneous photographs at the interval of but a moment.So we have,first,the whole troop of pilgrims coming up to Valiant,and Great-heart to the front,spear in hand and parleying;and next,the same cross-roads,from a more distant view,the convoy now scattered and looking safely and curiously on,and Valiant handing over for inspection his 'right Jerusalem blade.'It is true that this designer has no great care after consistency:Apollyon's spear is laid by,his quiver of darts will disappear,whenever they might hinder the designer's freedom;and the fiend's tail is blobbed or forked at his good pleasure.But this is not unsuitable to the illustration of the fervent Bunyan,breathing hurry and momentary inspiration.He,with his hot purpose,hunting sinners with a lasso,shall himself forget the things that he has written yesterday.He shall first slay Heedless in the Valley of the Shadow,and then take leave of him talking in his sleep,as if nothing had happened,in an arbour on the Enchanted Ground.And again,in his rhymed prologue,he shall assign some of the glory of the siege of Doubting Castle to his favourite Valiant-for-the-Truth,who did not meet with the besiegers till long after,at that dangerous corner by Deadman's Lane.