CHAPTER	O
I	O
When	O
I	O
was	O
a	O
small	O
boy	O
at	O
the	O
beginning	O
of	O
the	O
century	O
I	O
remember	O
an	O
old	O
man	O
who	O
wore	O
knee-breeches	O
and	O
worsted	O
stockings	O
,	O
and	O
who	O
used	O
to	O
hobble	O
about	O
the	O
street	O
of	O
our	O
village	O
with	O
the	O
help	O
of	O
a	O
stick	O
.	O

He	O
must	O
have	O
been	O
getting	O
on	O
for	O
eighty	O
in	O
the	O
year	O
1807	O
,	O
earlier	O
than	O
which	O
date	O
I	O
suppose	O
I	O
can	O
hardly	O
remember	O
him	O
,	O
for	O
I	O
was	O
born	O
in	O
1802	O
.	O

A	O
few	O
white	O
locks	O
hung	O
about	O
his	O
ears	O
,	O
his	O
shoulders	O
were	O
bent	O
and	O
his	O
knees	O
feeble	O
,	O
but	O
he	O
was	O
still	O
hale	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
much	O
respected	O
in	O
our	O
little	O
world	O
of	O
Paleham	O
.	O

His	O
name	O
was	O
Pontifex	O
.	O

His	O
wife	O
was	O
said	O
to	O
be	O
his	O
master	O
;	O
I	O
have	O
been	O
told	O
she	O
brought	O
him	O
a	O
little	O
money	O
,	O
but	O
it	O
can	O
not	O
have	O
been	O
much	O
.	O

She	O
was	O
a	O
tall	O
,	O
square-shouldered	O
person	O
(	O
I	O
have	O
heard	O
my	O
father	O
call	O
her	O
a	O
Gothic	O
woman	O
)	O
who	O
had	O
insisted	O
on	O
being	O
married	O
to	O
Mr	O
Pontifex	O
when	O
he	O
was	O
young	O
and	O
too	O
good-natured	O
to	O
say	O
nay	O
to	O
any	O
woman	O
who	O
wooed	O
him	O
.	O

The	O
pair	O
had	O
lived	O
not	O
unhappily	O
together	O
,	O
for	O
Mr	O
Pontifex	O
's	O
temper	O
was	O
easy	O
and	O
he	O
soon	O
learned	O
to	O
bow	O
before	O
his	O
wife	O
's	O
more	O
stormy	O
moods	O
.	O

Mr	O
Pontifex	O
was	O
a	O
carpenter	O
by	O
trade	O
;	O
he	O
was	O
also	O
at	O
one	O
time	O
parish	O
clerk	O
;	O
when	O
I	O
remember	O
him	O
,	O
however	O
,	O
he	O
had	O
so	O
far	O
risen	O
in	O
life	O
as	O
to	O
be	O
no	O
longer	O
compelled	O
to	O
work	O
with	O
his	O
own	O
hands	O
.	O

In	O
his	O
earlier	O
days	O
he	O
had	O
taught	O
himself	O
to	O
draw	O
.	O

I	O
do	O
not	O
say	O
he	O
drew	O
well	O
,	O
but	O
it	O
was	O
surprising	O
he	O
should	O
draw	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
he	O
did	O
.	O

My	O
father	O
,	O
who	O
took	EVENT
the	O
living	O
of	O
Paleham	O
about	O
the	O
year	O
1797	O
,	O
became	O
possessed	O
of	O
a	O
good	O
many	O
of	O
old	O
Mr	O
Pontifex	O
's	O
drawings	O
,	O
which	O
were	O
always	O
of	O
local	O
subjects	O
,	O
and	O
so	O
unaffectedly	O
painstaking	O
that	O
they	O
might	O
have	O
passed	O
for	O
the	O
work	O
of	O
some	O
good	O
early	O
master	O
.	O

I	O
remember	O
them	O
as	O
hanging	O
up	O
framed	O
and	O
glazed	O
in	O
the	O
study	O
at	O
the	O
Rectory	O
,	O
and	O
tinted	O
,	O
as	O
all	O
else	O
in	O
the	O
room	O
was	O
tinted	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
green	O
reflected	O
from	O
the	O
fringe	O
of	O
ivy	O
leaves	O
that	O
grew	O
around	O
the	O
windows	O
.	O

I	O
wonder	EVENT
how	O
they	O
will	O
actually	O
cease	O
and	O
come	O
to	O
an	O
end	O
as	O
drawings	O
,	O
and	O
into	O
what	O
new	O
phases	O
of	O
being	O
they	O
will	O
then	O
enter	O
.	O

Not	O
content	O
with	O
being	O
an	O
artist	O
,	O
Mr	O
Pontifex	O
must	O
needs	O
also	O
be	O
a	O
musician	O
.	O

He	O
built	O
the	O
organ	O
in	O
the	O
church	O
with	O
his	O
own	O
hands	O
,	O
and	O
made	O
a	O
smaller	O
one	O
which	O
he	O
kept	O
in	O
his	O
own	O
house	O
.	O

He	O
could	O
play	O
as	O
much	O
as	O
he	O
could	O
draw	O
,	O
not	O
very	O
well	O
according	O
to	O
professional	O
standards	O
,	O
but	O
much	O
better	O
than	O
could	O
have	O
been	O
expected	O
.	O

I	O
myself	O
showed	O
a	O
taste	O
for	O
music	O
at	O
an	O
early	O
age	O
,	O
and	O
old	O
Mr	O
Pontifex	O
on	O
finding	EVENT
it	O
out	O
,	O
as	O
he	O
soon	O
did	O
,	O
became	O
partial	EVENT
to	O
me	O
in	O
consequence	O
.	O

It	O
may	O
be	O
thought	O
that	O
with	O
so	O
many	O
irons	O
in	O
the	O
fire	O
he	O
could	O
hardly	O
be	O
a	O
very	O
thriving	O
man	O
,	O
but	O
this	O
was	O
not	O
the	O
case	O
.	O

His	O
father	O
had	O
been	O
a	O
day	O
labourer	O
,	O
and	O
he	O
had	O
himself	O
begun	EVENT
life	O
with	O
no	O
other	O
capital	O
than	O
his	O
good	O
sense	O
and	O
good	O
constitution	O
;	O
now	O
,	O
however	O
,	O
there	O
was	O
a	O
goodly	O
show	O
of	O
timber	O
about	O
his	O
yard	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
look	O
of	O
solid	O
comfort	O
over	O
his	O
whole	O
establishment	O
.	O

Towards	O
the	O
close	O
of	O
the	O
eighteenth	O
century	O
and	O
not	O
long	O
before	O
my	O
father	O
came	EVENT
to	O
Paleham	O
,	O
he	O
had	O
taken	EVENT
a	O
farm	O
of	O
about	O
ninety	O
acres	O
,	O
thus	O
making	O
a	O
considerable	O
rise	O
in	O
life	O
.	O

Along	O
with	O
the	O
farm	O
there	O
went	O
an	O
old-fashioned	O
but	O
comfortable	O
house	O
with	O
a	O
charming	O
garden	O
and	O
an	O
orchard	O
.	O

The	O
carpenter	O
's	O
business	O
was	O
now	O
carried	O
on	O
in	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
outhouses	O
that	O
had	O
once	O
been	O
part	O
of	O
some	O
conventual	O
buildings	O
,	O
the	O
remains	O
of	O
which	O
could	O
be	O
seen	O
in	O
what	O
was	O
called	O
the	O
Abbey	O
Close	O
.	O

The	O
house	O
itself	O
,	O
embosomed	O
in	O
honeysuckles	O
and	O
creeping	O
roses	O
,	O
was	O
an	O
ornament	O
to	O
the	O
whole	O
village	O
,	O
nor	O
were	O
its	O
internal	O
arrangements	O
less	O
exemplary	O
than	O
its	O
outside	O
was	O
ornamental	O
.	O

Report	O
said	O
that	O
Mrs	O
Pontifex	O
starched	O
the	O
sheets	O
for	O
her	O
best	O
bed	O
,	O
and	O
I	O
can	O
well	O
believe	O
it	O
.	O

How	O
well	O
do	O
I	O
remember	EVENT
her	O
parlour	O
half	O
filled	O
with	O
the	O
organ	O
which	O
her	O
husband	O
had	O
built	O
,	O
and	O
scented	O
with	O
a	O
withered	O
apple	O
or	O
two	O
from	O
the	O
_	O
pyrus	O
japonica	O
_	O
that	O
grew	O
outside	O
the	O
house	O
;	O
the	O
picture	O
of	O
the	O
prize	O
ox	O
over	O
the	O
chimney-piece	O
,	O
which	O
Mr	O
Pontifex	O
himself	O
had	O
painted	O
;	O
the	O
transparency	O
of	O
the	O
man	O
coming	O
to	O
show	O
light	O
to	O
a	O
coach	O
upon	O
a	O
snowy	O
night	O
,	O
also	O
by	O
Mr	O
Pontifex	O
;	O
the	O
little	O
old	O
man	O
and	O
little	O
old	O
woman	O
who	O
told	O
the	O
weather	O
;	O
the	O
china	O
shepherd	O
and	O
shepherdess	O
;	O
the	O
jars	O
of	O
feathery	O
flowering	O
grasses	O
with	O
a	O
peacock	O
's	O
feather	O
or	O
two	O
among	O
them	O
to	O
set	O
them	O
off	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
china	O
bowls	O
full	O
of	O
dead	O
rose	O
leaves	O
dried	O
with	O
bay	O
salt	O
.	O

All	O
has	O
long	O
since	O
vanished	O
and	O
become	O
a	O
memory	O
,	O
faded	O
but	O
still	O
fragrant	O
to	O
myself	O
.	O

Nay	O
,	O
but	O
her	O
kitchen	O
--	O
and	O
the	O
glimpses	O
into	O
a	O
cavernous	O
cellar	O
beyond	O
it	O
,	O
wherefrom	O
came	O
gleams	O
from	O
the	O
pale	O
surfaces	O
of	O
milk	O
cans	O
,	O
or	O
it	O
may	O
be	O
of	O
the	O
arms	O
and	O
face	O
of	O
a	O
milkmaid	O
skimming	O
the	O
cream	O
;	O
or	O
again	O
her	O
storeroom	O
,	O
where	O
among	O
other	O
treasures	O
she	O
kept	O
the	O
famous	O
lipsalve	O
which	O
was	O
one	O
of	O
her	O
especial	O
glories	O
,	O
and	O
of	O
which	O
she	O
would	O
present	O
a	O
shape	O
yearly	O
to	O
those	O
whom	O
she	O
delighted	O
to	O
honour	O
.	O

She	O
wrote	EVENT
out	O
the	O
recipe	O
for	O
this	O
and	O
gave	EVENT
it	O
to	O
my	O
mother	O
a	O
year	O
or	O
two	O
before	O
she	O
died	EVENT
,	O
but	O
we	O
could	O
never	O
make	O
it	O
as	O
she	O
did	O
.	O

When	O
we	O
were	O
children	O
she	O
used	O
sometimes	O
to	O
send	O
her	O
respects	O
to	O
my	O
mother	O
,	O
and	O
ask	O
leave	O
for	O
us	O
to	O
come	O
and	O
take	O
tea	O
with	O
her	O
.	O

Right	O
well	O
she	O
used	O
to	O
ply	O
us	O
.	O

As	O
for	O
her	O
temper	O
,	O
we	O
never	O
met	O
such	O
a	O
delightful	O
old	O
lady	O
in	O
our	O
lives	O
;	O
whatever	O
Mr	O
Pontifex	O
may	O
have	O
had	O
to	O
put	O
up	O
with	O
,	O
we	O
had	O
no	O
cause	O
for	O
complaint	O
,	O
and	O
then	O
Mr	O
Pontifex	O
would	O
play	O
to	O
us	O
upon	O
the	O
organ	O
,	O
and	O
we	O
would	O
stand	O
round	O
him	O
open-mouthed	O
and	O
think	O
him	O
the	O
most	O
wonderfully	O
clever	O
man	O
that	O
ever	O
was	O
born	O
,	O
except	O
of	O
course	O
our	O
papa	O
.	O

Mrs	O
Pontifex	O
had	O
no	O
sense	O
of	O
humour	O
,	O
at	O
least	O
I	O
can	O
call	O
to	O
mind	O
no	O
signs	O
of	O
this	O
,	O
but	O
her	O
husband	O
had	O
plenty	O
of	O
fun	O
in	O
him	O
,	O
though	O
few	O
would	O
have	O
guessed	O
it	O
from	O
his	O
appearance	O
.	O

I	O
remember	EVENT
my	O
father	O
once	O
sent	EVENT
me	O
down	O
to	O
his	O
workship	O
to	O
get	O
some	O
glue	O
,	O
and	O
I	O
happened	O
to	O
come	EVENT
when	O
old	O
Pontifex	O
was	O
in	O
the	O
act	O
of	O
scolding	EVENT
his	O
boy	O
.	O

He	O
had	O
got	EVENT
the	O
lad	O
--	O
a	O
pudding-headed	O
fellow	O
--	O
by	O
the	O
ear	O
and	O
was	O
saying	EVENT
,	O
"	O
What	O
?	O

Lost	O
again	O
--	O
smothered	O
o	O
'	O
wit	O
.	O
"	O

(	O
I	O
believe	O
it	O
was	O
the	O
boy	O
who	O
was	O
himself	O
supposed	O
to	O
be	O
a	O
wandering	O
soul	O
,	O
and	O
who	O
was	O
thus	O
addressed	EVENT
as	O
lost	O
.	O
)	O

"	O
Now	O
,	O
look	O
here	O
,	O
my	O
lad	O
,	O
"	O
he	O
continued	EVENT
,	O
"	O
some	O
boys	O
are	O
born	O
stupid	O
,	O
and	O
thou	O
art	O
one	O
of	O
them	O
;	O
some	O
achieve	O
stupidity	O
--	O
that	O
's	O
thee	O
again	O
,	O
Jim	O
--	O
thou	O
wast	O
both	O
born	O
stupid	O
and	O
hast	O
greatly	O
increased	O
thy	O
birthright	O
--	O
and	O
some	O
"	O
(	O
and	O
here	O
came	O
a	O
climax	EVENT
during	O
which	O
the	O
boy	O
's	O
head	O
and	O
ear	O
were	O
swayed	EVENT
from	O
side	O
to	O
side	O
)	O
"	O
have	O
stupidity	O
thrust	O
upon	O
them	O
,	O
which	O
,	O
if	O
it	O
please	O
the	O
Lord	O
,	O
shall	O
not	O
be	O
thy	O
case	O
,	O
my	O
lad	O
,	O
for	O
I	O
will	O
thrust	O
stupidity	O
from	O
thee	O
,	O
though	O
I	O
have	O
to	O
box	O
thine	O
ears	O
in	O
doing	O
so	O
,	O
"	O
but	O
I	O
did	O
not	O
see	O
that	O
the	O
old	O
man	O
really	O
did	O
box	O
Jim	O
's	O
ears	O
,	O
or	O
do	O
more	O
than	O
pretend	EVENT
to	O
frighten	O
him	O
,	O
for	O
the	O
two	O
understood	O
one	O
another	O
perfectly	O
well	O
.	O

Another	O
time	O
I	O
remember	EVENT
hearing	EVENT
him	O
call	EVENT
the	O
village	O
rat-catcher	O
by	O
saying	EVENT
,	O
"	O
Come	O
hither	O
,	O
thou	O
three-days-and-three-nights	O
,	O
thou	O
,	O
"	O
alluding	EVENT
,	O
as	O
I	O
afterwards	O
learned	EVENT
,	O
to	O
the	O
rat-catcher	O
's	O
periods	O
of	O
intoxication	O
;	O
but	O
I	O
will	O
tell	O
no	O
more	O
of	O
such	O
trifles	O
.	O

My	O
father	O
's	O
face	O
would	O
always	O
brighten	O
when	O
old	O
Pontifex	O
's	O
name	O
was	O
mentioned	O
.	O

"	O
I	O
tell	EVENT
you	O
,	O
Edward	O
,	O
"	O
he	O
would	O
say	O
to	O
me	O
,	O
"	O
old	O
Pontifex	O
was	O
not	O
only	O
an	O
able	O
man	O
,	O
but	O
he	O
was	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
very	O
ablest	O
men	O
that	O
ever	O
I	O
knew	O
.	O
"	O

This	O
was	O
more	O
than	O
I	O
as	O
a	O
young	O
man	O
was	O
prepared	O
to	O
stand	O
.	O

"	O
My	O
dear	O
father	O
,	O
"	O
I	O
answered	EVENT
,	O
"	O
what	O
did	O
he	O
do	O
?	O

He	O
could	O
draw	O
a	O
little	O
,	O
but	O
could	O
he	O
to	O
save	O
his	O
life	O
have	O
got	O
a	O
picture	O
into	O
the	O
Royal	O
Academy	O
exhibition	O
?	O

He	O
built	O
two	O
organs	O
and	O
could	O
play	O
the	O
Minuet	O
in	O
_	O
Samson	O
_	O
on	O
one	O
and	O
the	O
March	O
in	O
_	O
Scipio	O
_	O
on	O
the	O
other	O
;	O
he	O
was	O
a	O
good	O
carpenter	O
and	O
a	O
bit	O
of	O
a	O
wag	O
;	O
he	O
was	O
a	O
good	O
old	O
fellow	O
enough	O
,	O
but	O
why	O
make	O
him	O
out	O
so	O
much	O
abler	O
than	O
he	O
was	O
?	O
"	O

"	O
My	O
boy	O
,	O
"	O
returned	EVENT
my	O
father	O
,	O
"	O
you	O
must	O
not	O
judge	O
by	O
the	O
work	O
,	O
but	O
by	O
the	O
work	O
in	O
connection	O
with	O
the	O
surroundings	O
.	O

Could	O
Giotto	O
or	O
Filippo	O
Lippi	O
,	O
think	O
you	O
,	O
have	O
got	O
a	O
picture	O
into	O
the	O
Exhibition	O
?	O

Would	O
a	O
single	O
one	O
of	O
those	O
frescoes	O
we	O
went	O
to	O
see	O
when	O
we	O
were	O
at	O
Padua	O
have	O
the	O
remotest	O
chance	O
of	O
being	O
hung	O
,	O
if	O
it	O
were	O
sent	O
in	O
for	O
exhibition	O
now	O
?	O

Why	O
,	O
the	O
Academy	O
people	O
would	O
be	O
so	O
outraged	O
that	O
they	O
would	O
not	O
even	O
write	O
to	O
poor	O
Giotto	O
to	O
tell	O
him	O
to	O
come	O
and	O
take	O
his	O
fresco	O
away	O
.	O

Phew	O
!	O
"	O

continued	EVENT
he	O
,	O
waxing	EVENT
warm	O
,	O
"	O
if	O
old	O
Pontifex	O
had	O
had	O
Cromwell	O
's	O
chances	O
he	O
would	O
have	O
done	O
all	O
that	O
Cromwell	O
did	O
,	O
and	O
have	O
done	O
it	O
better	O
;	O
if	O
he	O
had	O
had	O
Giotto	O
's	O
chances	O
he	O
would	O
have	O
done	O
all	O
that	O
Giotto	O
did	O
,	O
and	O
done	O
it	O
no	O
worse	O
;	O
as	O
it	O
was	O
,	O
he	O
was	O
a	O
village	O
carpenter	O
,	O
and	O
I	O
will	O
undertake	O
to	O
say	O
he	O
never	O
scamped	O
a	O
job	O
in	O
the	O
whole	O
course	O
of	O
his	O
life	O
.	O
"	O

"	O
But	O
,	O
"	O
said	EVENT
I	O
,	O
"	O
we	O
can	O
not	O
judge	O
people	O
with	O
so	O
many	O
'	O
ifs	O
.	O
'	O

If	O
old	O
Pontifex	O
had	O
lived	O
in	O
Giotto	O
's	O
time	O
he	O
might	O
have	O
been	O
another	O
Giotto	O
,	O
but	O
he	O
did	O
not	O
live	O
in	O
Giotto	O
's	O
time	O
.	O
"	O

"	O
I	O
tell	EVENT
you	O
,	O
Edward	O
,	O
"	O
said	EVENT
my	O
father	O
with	O
some	O
severity	O
,	O
"	O
we	O
must	O
judge	O
men	O
not	O
so	O
much	O
by	O
what	O
they	O
do	O
,	O
as	O
by	O
what	O
they	O
make	O
us	O
feel	O
that	O
they	O
have	O
it	O
in	O
them	O
to	O
do	O
.	O

If	O
a	O
man	O
has	O
done	O
enough	O
either	O
in	O
painting	O
,	O
music	O
or	O
the	O
affairs	O
of	O
life	O
,	O
to	O
make	O
me	O
feel	O
that	O
I	O
might	O
trust	O
him	O
in	O
an	O
emergency	O
he	O
has	O
done	O
enough	O
.	O

It	O
is	O
not	O
by	O
what	O
a	O
man	O
has	O
actually	O
put	O
upon	O
his	O
canvas	O
,	O
nor	O
yet	O
by	O
the	O
acts	O
which	O
he	O
has	O
set	O
down	O
,	O
so	O
to	O
speak	O
,	O
upon	O
the	O
canvas	O
of	O
his	O
life	O
that	O
I	O
will	O
judge	O
him	O
,	O
but	O
by	O
what	O
he	O
makes	O
me	O
feel	O
that	O
he	O
felt	O
and	O
aimed	O
at	O
.	O

If	O
he	O
has	O
made	O
me	O
feel	O
that	O
he	O
felt	O
those	O
things	O
to	O
be	O
loveable	O
which	O
I	O
hold	O
loveable	O
myself	O
I	O
ask	O
no	O
more	O
;	O
his	O
grammar	O
may	O
have	O
been	O
imperfect	O
,	O
but	O
still	O
I	O
have	O
understood	O
him	O
;	O
he	O
and	O
I	O
are	O
_	O
en	O
rapport	O
_	O
;	O
and	O
I	O
say	EVENT
again	O
,	O
Edward	O
,	O
that	O
old	O
Pontifex	O
was	O
not	O
only	O
an	O
able	O
man	O
,	O
but	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
very	O
ablest	O
men	O
I	O
ever	O
knew	O
.	O
"	O