ing of precious stones, in all ordinary
cases, requires little exertion of any mental faculty; some tact and
judgment in avoiding flaws, and so on, but nothing to bring out the
whole mind. Every person who wears cut jewels merely for the sake of
their value is, therefore, a slave-driver.

But the working of the goldsmith, and the various designing of grouped
jewellery and enamel-work, may become the subject of the most noble
human intelligence. Therefore, money spent in the purchase of
well-designed plate, of precious engraved vases, cameos, or enamels,
does good to humanity; and, in work of this kind, jewels may be employed
to heighten its splendor; and their cutting is then a price paid for the
attainment of a noble end, and thus perfectly allowable.

Sec. XIX. I shall perhaps press this law farther elsewhere, but our
immediate concern is chiefly with the second, namely, never to demand an
exact finish, when it does not lead to a noble end. For observe, I have
only dwelt upon the rudeness of Gothic, or any other kind of
imperfectness, as admirable, where it was impossible to get design or
thought without it. If you are to have the thought of a rough and
untaught man, you must have it in a rough and untaught way; but from an
educated man, who can without effort express his thoughts in an educated
way, take the graceful expression, and be thankful. Only _get_ the
thought, and do not silence the peasant because he cannot speak good
grammar, or until you have taught him his grammar. Grammar and
refinement are good things, both, only be sure of the better thing
first. And thus in art, delicate finish is desirable from the greatest
masters, and is always given by them. In some places Michael Angelo,
Leonardo, Phidias, Perugino, Turner, all finished with the most
exquisite care; and the finish they give always leads to the fuller
accomplishment of their noble purposes. But lower men than these cannot
finish, for it requires consummate knowledge to finish consummately, and
then we must take their thoughts as they are able to give them. So the
rule is simple: Always look for invention first, and after that, for
such execution as will help the invention, and as the inventor is
capable of without painful effort, and _no more_. Above all, demand no
refinement of execution where there is no thought, for that is slaves'
work, unredeemed. Rather choose rough work than smooth work, so only
that the practical purpose be answered, and