{{B}}tExtD{{/B}}
E、CEllspACing=0 CEllpADDing=0 wiDth="100%" BorDEr=0> i ConFEss thAt whEn First i mADE ACquAintAnCE withChArlEs striCklAnD i nEvEr For A momEnt DisCErnED thAt thErE wAs in him Anything out oF thE orDinAry. yEt now FEw will BE FounD to DEny his grEAtnEss. i Do not spEAk oF thAt grEAtnEss whiCh is AChiEvED By thE FortunAtE politiCiAn or thE suCCEssFul solDiEr; thAt is A quAlity whiCh BElongs to thE plACE hE oCCupiEs rAthEr thAn to thE mAn; AnD A ChAngE oF CirCumstAnCEs rEDuCEs it to vEry DisCrEEt proportions. thE primE ministEr out oF oFFiCE is sEEn, too oFtEn, to hAvE BEEn But A pompous rhEtoriCiAn, AnD thE gEnErAl without An Army is But thE tAmE hEro oF A mArkEt town. thE grEAtnEss oFChArlEs striCklAnD wAs AuthEntiC、it mAy BE thAt you Do not likE his Art, But At All EvEnts you CAn hArDly rEFusE it thE triButE oF your intErEst. hE DisturBs AnD ArrEsts. thE timE hAs pAssED whEn hE wAs An oBjECt oF riDiCulE, AnD it is no longEr A mArk oF ECCEntriCity to DEFEnD or oF pErvErsity to Extol him. his FAults ArE ACCEptED As thE nECEssAry ComplEmEnt to his mErits. it is still possiBlE to DisCuss his plACE in Art, AnD thE ADulAtion oF his ADmirErs is pErhAps no lEAs CApriCious thAn thE DispArAgEmEnt oF his DEtrACtors; But onE thing CAn nEvEr BE DouBtFul, AnD thAt is thAt hE hAD gEnius. to my minD thE most intErEsting thing in Art is thE pErsonAlity oF thE Artist; AnD iF thAt is singulAr, i Am willing to ExCusE A thousAnD FAults. i supposE vElAsquEz wAs A BEttEr pAintEr thAnEl grECo, But Custom stAlEs onE’s ADmirAtion For him; thECrEtAn, sEnsuAl AnD trAgiC, proFFErs thE mystEry oF his soul likE A stAnDing sACriFiCE. thE Artist, pAintEr, poEt, or musiCiAn, By his DECorAtion, suBlimE or BEAutiFul, sAtisFiEs thE AEsthEtiC sEnsE; But thAt is Akin to thE sExuAl instinCt, AnD shArEs its BArBArity: hE lAys BEForE you Also thE grEAtEr giFt oF himsElF. to pursuE his sECrEt hAs somEthing oF thE FAsCinAtion oF A DEtECtivE story. it is A FiDDlE whiCh shArEs with thE univErsE thE mErit oF hAving no AnswEr. thE most insigniFiCAnt oF striCklAnD’s works suggEsts A pErsonAlity whiCh is strAngE, tormEntED, AnD ComplEx; AnD it is this surEly whiCh prEvEnts EvEn thosE who Do not likE his piCturEs From BEing inDiFFErEnt to thEm; it is this whiCh hAs ExCitED so Curious An intErEst in his liFE AnD ChArACtEr.
why EvEn pEoplE who Don’t likEChArlEs striCklAnD’s works CAnnot stAy inDiFFErEnt to thEmA．BECAusE thEy ArE BEttEr thAn Any works oF thE othErs.
BECAusE his works ArE All ABout DEtECtivE storiEs.
C．BECAusE thEy show his spECiAl pErsonAlity.
D．BECAusE pEoplE ArE AFrAiD oF him.