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The Spirit of Place and Other Essays
by Alice Meynell
Contents：
The Spirit of Place
Mrs。 Dingley
Solitude
The Lady of the Lyrics
July
Wells
The Foot
Have Patience； Little Saint
The Ladies of the Idyll
A Derivation
A Counterchange
Rain
Letters of Marceline Valmore
The Hours of Sleep
The Horizon
Habits and Consciousness
Shadows
THE SPIRIT OF PLACE
With mimicry； with praises； with echoes； or with answers； the poets
have all but outsung the bells。 The inarticulate bell has found too
much interpretation； too many rhymes professing to close with her
inaccessible utterance； and to agree with her remote tongue。 The
bell； like the bird； is a musician pestered with literature。
To the bell； moreover； men do actual violence。 You cannot shake
together a nightingale's notes； or strike or drive them into haste；
nor can you make a lark toll for you with intervals to suit your
turn； whereas wedding…bells are compelled to seem gay by mere
movement and hustling。 I have known some grim bells； with not a
single joyous note in the whole peal； so forced to hurry for a human
festival； with their harshness made light of； as though the Bishop
of Hereford had again been forced to dance in his boots by a merry
highwayman。
The clock is an inexorable but less arbitrary player than the
bellringer； and the chimes await their appointed time to flywild
prisonersby twos or threes； or in greater companies。 Fugitives
one or twelve taking wingthey are sudden； they are brief； they are
gone； they are delivered from the close hands of this actual
present。 Not in vain is the sudden upper door opened against the
sky； they are away； hours of the past。
Of all unfamiliar bells； those which seem to hold the memory most
surely after but one hearing are bells of an unseen cathedral of
France when one has arrived by night； they are no more to be
forgotten than the bells in 〃Parsifal。〃 They mingle with the sound
of feet in unknown streets； they are the voices of an unknown tower；
they are loud in their own language。 The spirit of place； which is
to be seen in the shapes of the fields and the manner of the crops；
to be felt in a prevalent wind； breathed in the breath of the earth；
overheard in a far street…cry or in the tinkle of some black…smith；
calls out and peals in the cathedral bells。 It speaks its local
tongue remotely； steadfastly； largely； clamorously； loudly； and
greatly by these voices； you hear the sound in its dignity； and you
know how familiar； how childlike； how lifelong it is in the ears of
the people。 The bells are strange； and you know how homely they
must be。 Their utterances are； as it were； the classics of a
dialect。
Spirit of place！ It is for this we travel； to surprise its
subtlety； and where it is a strong and dominant angel； that place；
seen once； abides entire in the memory with all its own accidents；
its habits； its breath； its name。 It is recalled all a lifetime；
having been perceived a week； and is not scattered but abides； one
living body of remembrance。 The untravelled spirit of placenot to
be pursued； for it never flies； but always to be discovered； never
absent； without variationlurks in the by…ways and rules over the
towers； indestructible； an indescribable unity。 It awaits us always
in its ancient and eager freshness。 It is sweet and nimble within
its immemorial boundaries； but it never crosses them。 Long white
roads outside have mere suggestions of it and prophecies； they give
promise not of its coming； for it abides； but of a new and singular
and unforeseen goal for our present pilgrimage； and of an intimacy
to be made。 Was ever journey too hard or too long that had to pay
such a visit？ And if by good fortune it is a child who is the
pilgrim； the spirit of place gives him a peculiar welcome； for
antiquity and the conceiver of antiquity （who is only a child） know
one another； nor is there a more delicate perceiver of locality than
a child。 He is well used to words and voices that he does not
understand； and this is a condition of his simplicity； and when
those unknown words are bells； loud in the night； they are to him as
homely and as old as lullabies。
If； especially in England； we make rough and reluctant bells go in
gay measures； when we whip them to run down the scale to ring in a
weddingbells that would step to quite another and a less agile
march with a better gracethere are belfries that hold far sweeter
companies。 If there is no music within Italian churches； there is a
most curious local immemorial music in many a campanile on the
heights。 Their way is for the ringers to play a tune on the
festivals； and the tunes are not hymn tunes or popular melodies； but
proper bell…tunes； made for bells。 Doubtless they were made in
times better versed than ours in the sub…divisions of the arts； and
better able to understand the strength that lies ready in the mere
little submission to the means of a little art； and to the limits
nay； the very embarrassmentsof those means。 If it were but
possible to give here a real bell…tunewhich cannot be； for those
melodies are rather longthe reader would understand how some
village musician of the past used his narrow means as a composer for
the bells； with what freshness； completeness； significance； fancy；
and what effect of liberty。
These hamlet…bells are the sweetest； as to their own voices； in the
world。 Then I speak of their antiquity I use the word relatively。
The belfries are no older than the sixteenth or seventeenth century；
the time when Italy seems to have been generally rebuilt。 But；
needless to say； this is antiquity for music； especially in Italy。
At that time they must have had foundries for bells of tender
voices； and pure； warm； light； and golden throats； precisely tuned。
The hounds of Theseus had not a more just scale； tuned in a peal；
than a North Italian belfry holds in leash。 But it does not send
them out in a mere scale； it touches them in the order of the game
of a charming melody。 Of all cheerful sounds made by man this is by
far the most light…hearted。 You do not hear it from the great
churches。 Giotto's coloured tower in Florence； that carries the
bells for Santa Maria del Fiore and Brunelleschi's silent dome； does
not ring more than four contralto notes； tuned with sweetness；
depth； and dignity； and swinging one musical phrase which softly
fills the country。
The village belfry it is that grows so fantastic and has such nimble
bells。 Obviously it stands alone with its own village； and can
therefore hear its own tune from beginning to end。 There are no
other bells in earshot。 Other such dovecote…doors are suddenly set
open to the cloud； on a festa morning； to let fly those soft…voiced
flocks； but the nearest is behind one of many mountains； and our
local tune is uninterrupted。 Doubtless this is why the little；
seclude