"Love is the sum of genius," the writer further quotes from Schiller, _apropos_ of this astonishing outbreak of romantic thought. "The formula," he says, "is this: to live, that is, to love life, to attain a mastery of life, without allowing it to crush or dominate us.... In those days they sincerely studied to love life; they loved it, rejecting all negations and obstructions, all that overwhelms and paralyses...."
To treat existence--as some tried to treat it in the sixteenth century in Italy--from the point of view of the artist, must at least bring rich fruits--though it depends perilously upon the artist!
It was to the newly liberated women of the chivalrous age that all instinctively turned for the realisation of the universal longing. It was for them to add some treasure to the world that they had so lately entered. And more was done than perhaps we shall ever realise to make life liveable and human by the women of the troubadour days and their successors of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.
Unhappily they lived too near to barbaric times, with the blood of mediæval savages still running in their veins, to be able to understand one essential ingredient in the magic philtre that they sought so eagerly.
They could not follow the counsel of their historian, who says "the woman must steep her hands in beauty, fill her eyes with love, and then look at things courageously and truthfully."[33] They followed and worshipped Beauty, but they terribly sinned against Love.
"The first duty of woman," the author says, "is to exhibit in themselves every lovable quality."
"Oh! is that all?" asked Barbara, with genial sarcasm.
"They overlaid life," he adds, "with that varnish of wonderful singular sweetness which has never been wholly rubbed off."
Barbara listened in silence, whilst I read on.
"Love, and go straight on your way--that is the new formula--a very effective one, since it converts dogmas into sentiments." Again this definition: "The kingdom of God--that is a state in which every one's actions would be prompted by love."
"It sounds nice," said Barbara, with a sceptical note in her voice.
"All the possible definitions of beauty apply also to life; life and beauty are one and the same thing."