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第6部分（第4页）

My　temporary　loss　of　smell　proved　to　me；　too；　that　the　absence　of　a

sense　need　not　dull　the　mental　faculties　and　does　not　distort　ones　view

of　the　world；　and　so　I　reason　that　blindness　and　deafness　need　not

pervert　the　inner　order　of　the　intellect。　I　know　that　if　there　were　no

odours　for　me　I　should　still　possess　a　considerable　part　of　the　world。

Novelties　and　surprises　would　abound；　adventures　would　thicken　in　the

dark。

In　my　classification　of　the　senses；　smell　is　a　little　the　ears

inferior；　and　touch　is　a　great　deal　the　eyes　superior。　I　find　that

great　artists　and　philosophers　agree　with　me　in　this。　Diderot　says：

Je　trouvais　que　de　tous　les　sens；　loeil　etait　le

plus　superficiel；　loreille；　le　plus　orgueilleux；

lodorat；　le　plus　voluptueux；　le　gout；　le　plus

superstitieux　et　le　plus　inconstant；　le　toucher；

le　plus　profond　et　le　plus　philosophe。＇C＇

A　friend　whom　I　have　never　seen　sends　me　a　quotation　from　Symondss

〃Renaissance　in　Italy〃：

Lorenzo　Ghiberti；　after　describing　a　piece　of

antique　sculpture　he　saw　in　Rome　adds；　〃To　express

the　perfection　of　learning；　mastery；　and　art

displayed　in　it　is　beyond　the　power　of　language。

Its　more　exquisite　beauties　could　not　be

discovered　by　the　sight；　but　only　by　the　touch　of

the　hand　passed　over　it。〃　Of　another　classic

marble　at　Padua　he　says；　〃This　statue；　when　the

Christian　faith　triumphed；　was　hidden　in　that

place　by　some　gentle　soul；　who；　seeing　it　so

perfect；　fashioned　with　art　so　wonderful；　and　with

such　power　of　genius；　and　being　moved　to　reverent

pity；　caused　a　sepulchre　of　bricks　to　be　built；

and　there　within　buried　the　statue；　and　covered　it

with　a　broad　slab　of　stone；　that　it　might　not　in

any　way　be　injured。　It　has　very　many　sweet

beauties　which　the　eyes　alone　can　prehend　not；

either　by　strong　or　tempered　light；　only　the　hand

by　touching　them　finds　them　out。〃