Book contents
- Frontmatter
- GENERAL PREFACE TO THIS EDITION
- EARLY PROSE WRITINGS
- Contents
- LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
- INTRODUCTION TO THIS VOLUME
- 1 “THE POETRY OF ARCHITECTURE; OR THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE NATIONS OF EUROPE CONSIDERED IN ITS ASSOCIATION WITH NATURAL SCENERY AND NATIONAL CHARACTER” BY KATA PHUSIN (1837, 1838)
- 2 CONTRIBUTIONS TO LOUDON'S “MAGAZINE OF NATURAL HISTORY” (1834, 1836), AND OTHER NOTES ON NATURAL SCIENCE
- 3 FURTHER CONTRIBUTIONS TO LOUDON'S “ARCHITECTURAL MAGAZINE” (1838, 1839), WITH A PAPER FROM LOUDON'S EDITION OF REPTON'S “LANDSCAPE GARDENING” (1840)
- 4 ESSAY ON THE RELATIVE DIGNITY OF THE STUDIES OF PAINTING AND MUSIC, AND THE ADVANTAGES TO BE DERIVED FROM THEIR PURSUIT (1838)
- 5 LEONI; A LEGEND OF ITALY (1836)
- 6 THE KING OF THE GOLDEN RIVER (1841)
- 7 THREE LETTERS AND AN ESSAY. BY JOHN RUSKIN, 1836—1841 FOUND IN HIS TUTOR'S DESK
- 8 LETTERS TO A COLLEGE FRIEND (1840—45)
- APPENDIX
- THE ASCENT OF THE ST. BERNARD (1835—36)
- “CHRONICLES OF ST. BERNARD” (1835—36)
- Plate Section
“CHRONICLES OF ST. BERNARD” (1835—36)
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 07 September 2011
- Frontmatter
- GENERAL PREFACE TO THIS EDITION
- EARLY PROSE WRITINGS
- Contents
- LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
- INTRODUCTION TO THIS VOLUME
- 1 “THE POETRY OF ARCHITECTURE; OR THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE NATIONS OF EUROPE CONSIDERED IN ITS ASSOCIATION WITH NATURAL SCENERY AND NATIONAL CHARACTER” BY KATA PHUSIN (1837, 1838)
- 2 CONTRIBUTIONS TO LOUDON'S “MAGAZINE OF NATURAL HISTORY” (1834, 1836), AND OTHER NOTES ON NATURAL SCIENCE
- 3 FURTHER CONTRIBUTIONS TO LOUDON'S “ARCHITECTURAL MAGAZINE” (1838, 1839), WITH A PAPER FROM LOUDON'S EDITION OF REPTON'S “LANDSCAPE GARDENING” (1840)
- 4 ESSAY ON THE RELATIVE DIGNITY OF THE STUDIES OF PAINTING AND MUSIC, AND THE ADVANTAGES TO BE DERIVED FROM THEIR PURSUIT (1838)
- 5 LEONI; A LEGEND OF ITALY (1836)
- 6 THE KING OF THE GOLDEN RIVER (1841)
- 7 THREE LETTERS AND AN ESSAY. BY JOHN RUSKIN, 1836—1841 FOUND IN HIS TUTOR'S DESK
- 8 LETTERS TO A COLLEGE FRIEND (1840—45)
- APPENDIX
- THE ASCENT OF THE ST. BERNARD (1835—36)
- “CHRONICLES OF ST. BERNARD” (1835—36)
- Plate Section
Summary
A NIGHT AT LE HOSPICE
It was a delicious day in the beginning of July, when after a laborious climb I gained the highest ridge of the pass of the Great St. Bernard, and stood beside the celebrated Hospice. The outside of this building is remarkable for little except its ponderous strength; and frequent descriptions of it have made it familiar to every reader. As I ascended the high steps which afford access to the elevated door, I was received and welcomed by one of the good monks, with whom I had become acquainted on a previous expedition, and who will be remembered with gratitude, affection, and respect, by every one who has had an opportunity of intercourse with him, however short, or who has afforded an opportunity to him of exercising his overflowing benevolence.
Two of the dogs, the oldest, were as usual beside him. They appear to consider it incumbent upon them to do the honours of the house to every traveller, and express their welcome with look and gesture in the true spirit of hospitality. The dogs of St. Bernard are perhaps the most efficient humane society in the world. I patted the enormous head of the largest, and he lifted up his dark eye, with a singular expression—marvellous sad, I thought; it was not exactly philosophical, it was not a reasoning light, but a kind of calm melancholy—as if the animal was in the habit of feeling deeply.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The Works of John Ruskin , pp. 522 - 551Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2010First published in: 1903