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done from its own place； aloft。 Thence does it distribute the sun。
Thence does it lock away between the hills and valleys more mysteries
than a poet conceals； but； like him； not by interception。 Thence it writes
out and cancels all the tracery of Monte Rosa； or lets the pencils of the sun
renew them。 Thence； hiding nothing； and yet making dark； it sheds deep
colour upon the forest land of Sussex； so that； seen from the hills； all the
country is divided between grave blue and graver sunlight。
And all this is but its influence； its secondary work upon the world。
Its own beauty is unaltered when it has no earthly beauty to improve。 It
is always great： above the street； above the suburbs； above the gas…works
and the stucco； above the faces of painted white houses … the painted
surfaces that have been devised as the only things able to vulgarise light；
as they catch it and reflect it grotesquely from their importunate gloss。
This is to be well seen on a sunny evening in Regent Street。
Even here the cloud is not so victorious as when it towers above some
little landscape of rather paltry interest … a conventional river heavy with
water； gardens with their little evergreens； walks； and shrubberies； and
thick trees impervious to the light； touched； as the novelists always have it；
with 〃autumn tints。〃 High over these rises； in the enormous scale of the
scenery of clouds； what no man expected … an heroic sky。 Few of the
things that were ever done upon earth are great enough to be done under
such a heaven。 It was surely designed for other days。 It is for an epic
world。 Your eyes sweep a thousand miles of cloud。 What are the
distances of earth to these； and what are the distances of the clear and
cloudless sky？ The very horizons of the landscape are near； for the round
world dips so soon； and the distances of the mere clear sky are
unmeasured … you rest upon nothing until you come to a star； and the star
itself is immeasurable。
But in the sky of 〃sunny Alps〃 of clouds the sight goes farther； with
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conscious flight； than it could ever have journeyed otherwise。 Man would
not have known distance veritably without the clouds。 There are
mountains indeed； precipices and deeps； to which those of the earth are
pigmy。 Yet the sky…heights； being so far off； are not overpowering by
disproportion； like some futile building fatuously made too big for the
human measure。 The cloud in its majestic place composes with a little
Perugino tree。 For you stand or stray in the futile building； while the
cloud is no mansion for man； and out of reach of his limitations。
The cloud； moreover； controls the sun； not merely by keeping the
custody of his rays； but by becoming the counsellor of his temper。 The
cloud veils an angry sun； or； more terribly； lets fly an angry ray； suddenly
bright upon tree and tower； with iron…grey storm for a background。 Or
when anger had but threatened； the cloud reveals him； gentle beyond hope。
It makes peace； constantly； just before sunset。
It is in the confidence of the winds； and wears their colours。 There is a
heavenly game； on south…west wind days； when the clouds are bowled by
a breeze from behind the evening。 They are round and brilliant； and
come leaping up from the horizon for hours。 This is a frolic and
haphazard sky。
All unlike this is the sky that has a centre； and stands composed about
it。 As the clouds marshalled the earthly mountains； so the clouds in turn
are now ranged。 The tops of all the celestial Andes aloft are swept at
once by a single ray； warmed with a single colour。 Promontory after
league…long promontory of a stiller Mediterranean in the sky is called out
of mist and grey by the same finger。 The cloudland is very great； but a
sunbeam makes all its nations and continents sudden with light。
All this is for the untravelled。 All the winds bring him this scenery。
It is only in London； for part of the autumn and part of the winter； that the
unnatural smoke…fog comes between。 And for many and many a day no
London eye can see the horizon； or the first threat of the cloud like a man's
hand。 There never was a great painter who had not exquisite horizons；
and if Corot and Crome were right； the Londoner loses a great thing。
He loses the coming of the cloud； and when it is high in air he loses its
shape。 A cloud…lover is not content to see a snowy and rosy head piling
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into the top of the heavens； he wants to see the base and the altitude。 The
perspective of a cloud is a great part of its design … whether it lies so that
you can look along the immense horizontal distances of its floor； or
whether it rears so upright a pillar that you look up its mountain steeps in
the sky as you look at the rising heights of a mountain that stands； with
you； on the earth。
The cloud has a name suggesting darkness； nevertheless； it is not
merely the guardian of the sun's rays and their director。 It is the sun's
treasurer； it holds the light that the world has lost。 We talk of sunshine
and moonshine； but not of cloud…shine； which is yet one of the
illuminations of our skies。 A shining cloud is one of the most majestic of
all secondary lights。 If the reflecting moon is the bride； this is the friend
of the bridegroom。
Needless to say； the cloud of a thunderous summer is the most
beautiful of all。 It has spaces of a grey for which there is no name； and
no other cloud looks over at a vanishing sun from such heights of blue air。
The shower…cloud； too； with its thin edges； comes across the sky with so
influential a flight that no ship going out to sea can be better worth
watching。 The dullest thing perhaps in the London streets is that people
take their rain there without knowing anything of the cloud that drops it。
It is merely rain； and means wetness。 The shower…cloud there has limits
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