beacon lights of history-iii-2-第30章

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world　is　moving　on　and　perpetually　changing；　nor　can　we　tell　what

new　vanity　will　next　arise；vanity　or　glory；　according　to　our

varying　notions　of　the　dignity　and　destiny　of　man。　　We　may　predict

that　it　will　not　be　any　mechanical　improvement；　for　ere　long　the

limit　will　be　reached；and　it　will　be　reached　when　the　great　mass

cannot　find　work　to　do；　for　the　everlasting　destiny　of　man　is　toil

and　labor。　　But　it　will　be　some　sublime　wonders　of　which　we　cannot

now　conceive；　and　which　in　time　will　pass　away　for　other　wonders

and　novelties；　until　the　great　circle　is　completed；　and　all　human

experiments　shall　verify　the　moral　wisdom　of　the　eternal

revelation。　　Then　all　that　man　has　done；　all　that　man　can　do；　in

his　own　boastful　thought；　will　be　seen；　in　the　light　of　the

celestial　verities；　to　be　indeed　a　vanity　and　a　failure；　not　of

human　ingenuity　and　power；　but　to　realize　the　happiness　which　is

only　promised　as　the　result　of　supernatural；　not　mortal；　strength；

yet　which　the　soul　in　its　restless　aspirations　never　ceases　its

efforts　to　secure；everlasting　Babel…building　to　reach　the

unattainable　on　earth。



Now　the　revival　of　art　in　Italy　was　one　of　the　great　movements　in

the　series　of　human　development。　　It　peculiarly　characterized　the

fifteenth　and　sixteenth　centuries。　　It　was　an　age　of　artistic

wonders；　of　great　creations。



Italy；　especially；　was　glorious　when　Michael　Angelo　was　born；　1474；

when　the　rest　of　Europe　was　comparatively　rude；　and　when　no　great

works　in　art；　in　poetry；　in　history；　or　philosophy　had　yet

appeared。　　He　was　descended　from　an　illustrious　family；　and　was

destined　to　one　of　the　learned　professions；　but　he　could　not　give

up　his　mind　to　anything　but　drawing；as　annoying　to　his　father　as

Galileo's　experiments　were　to　his　parent；　as　unmeaning　to　him　as

Gibbon's　History　was　to　George　III。；〃Scribble；　scribble；

scribble；　Mr。　Gibbon；　I　perceive；　sir；　you　are　always　a…

scribbling。〃　　No　perception　of　a　new　power；　no　sympathy　with　the

abandonment　to　a　specialty　not　indorsed　by　fashions　and　traditions；

but　without　which　abandonment　genius　cannot　easily　be　developed。

At　last　the　father　yielded；　and　the　son　was　apprenticed　to　a

paintera　degradation　in　the　eyes　of　Mediaeval　aristocracy。



The　celebrated　Lorenzo　de'　Medici　was　then　in　the　height　of　power

and　fame　in　Florence；　adored　by　Roscoe　as　the　patron　of　artists　and

poets；　although　he　subverted　the　liberties　of　his　country。　　This

over…lauded　prince；　heir　of　the　fortunes　of　a　great　family　of

merchants；　wishing　to　establish　a　school　for　sculpture；　filled　a

garden　with　statues；　and　freely　admitted　to　it　young　scholars　in

art。　　Michael　Angelo　was　one　of　the　most　frequent　and　enthusiastic

visitors　to　this　garden；　where　in　due　time　he　attracted　the

attention　of　the　magnificent　Lord　of　Florence　by　a　head　chiselled

so　remarkably　that　he　became　an　inmate　of　the　palace；　sat　at　the

table　of　Lorenzo；　and　at　last　was　regularly　adopted　as　one　of　the

Prince's　family；　with　every　facility　for　prosecuting　his　studies。

Before　he　was　eighteen　the　youth　had　sculptured　the　battle　of

Hercules　with　the　Centaurs；　which　he　would　never　part　with；　and

which　still　remains　in　his　family；　so　well　done　that　he　himself；　at

the　age　of　eighty；　regretted　that　he　had　not　given　up　his　whole

life　to　sculpture。



It　was　then　as　a　sculptor　that　Michael　Angelo　first　appears　to　the

historical　student；about　the　year　1492；　when　Columbus　was

crossing　the　great　unknown　ocean　to　realize　his　belief　in　a　western

passage　to　India。　　Thus　commercial　enterprise　began　with　the

revival　of　art；　and　was　destined　never　to　be　separated　in　its

alliance　with　it；　since　commerce　brings　wealth；　and　wealth　seeks　to

ornament　the　palaces　and　gardens　which　it　has　created　or　purchased。

The　sculptor's　art　was　not　born　until　piety　had　already　edifices　in

which　to　worship　God；　or　pride　the　monuments　in　which　it　sought　the

glories　of　a　name；　but　it　made　rapid　progress　as　wealth　increased

and　taste　became　refined；　as　the　need　was　felt　for　ornaments　and

symbols　to　adorn　naked　walls　and　empty　spaces；　especially　statuary；

grouped　or　single；　of　men　or　animals；a　marble　history　to

interpret　or　reproduce　consecrated　associations。　　Churches　might　do

without　them；　the　glass　stained　in　every　color　of　the　rainbow；　the

altar　shining　with　gold　and　silver　and　precious　stones；　the　pillars

multiplied　and　diversified；　and　rich　in　foliated　circles；　mullions；

mouldings；　groins；　and　bosses；　and　bearing　aloft　the　arched　and

ponderous　roof；one　scene　of　dazzling　magnificence；these　could

do　without　them；　but　the　palaces　and　halls　and　houses　of　the　rich

required　the　image　of　man；and　of　man　not　emaciated　and　worn　and

monstrous；　but　of　man　as　he　appeared　to　the　classical　Greeks；　in

the　perfection　of　form　and　physical　beauty。　　So　the　artists　who

arose　with　the　revival　of　commerce；　with　the　multiplication　of

human　wants　and　the　study　of　antiquity；　sought　to　restore　the

buried　statues　with　the　long…neglected　literature　and　laws。　　It　was

in　sculptured　marbles　that　enthusiasm　was　most　marked。　　These　were

found　in　abundance　in　various　parts　of　Italy　whenever　the　vast

debris　of　the　ancient　magnificence　was　removed；　and　were

universally　admired　and　prized　by　popes；　cardinals；　and　princes；

and　formed　the　nucleus　of　great　museums。



The　works　of　Michael　Angelo　as　a　sculptor　were　not　numerous；　but　in

sublimity　they　have　never　been　surpassed；non　multa；　sed　multum。

His　unfinished　monument　of　Julius　II。；　begun　at　that　pontiff's

request　as　a　mausoleum；　is　perhaps　his　greatest　work；　and　the

statue　of　Moses；　which　formed　a　part　of　it；　has　been　admired　for

three　hundred　years。　　In　this；　as　in　his　other　masterpieces；

grandeur　and　majesty　are　his　characteristics。　　It　may　have　been　a

reproduction；　and　yet　it　is　not　a　copy。　　He　made　character　and

moral　force　the　first　consideration；　and　form　subservient　to

expression。　　And　here　he　differed；　it　is　said　by　great　critics；

from　the　ancients；　who　thought　more　of　form　than　of　moral

expression；as　may　be　seen　in　the　faces　of　the　Venus　de　Medici　and

the　Apollo　Belvedere；　matchless　and　inimitable　as　these　statues　are

in　grace　and　beauty。　　The　Laocoon　and　the　Dying　Gladiator　are

indeed　exceptions；　for　it　is　character　which　constitutes　their

chief　merit；the　expression　of　pain；　despair；　and　agony。　　But

there　is　almost　no　intellectual　or　moral　expression　in　the　faces　of

other　famous　and　remarkable　antique　statues；　only　beauty　and

variety　of　form；　such　as　Powers　exhibited　in　his　Greek　Slave；an

inferior　excellence；　since　it　is　much　easier　to　copy　the　beautiful

in　the　nude　statues　which　people　Italy；　than　to　express　such

intellectual　majesty　as　Michael　Angelo　conceivedthat　intellectual

expression　which　Story　has　succeeded　in　giving　to　his　African

Sibyl。　　Thus　while　the　great　artist　retained　the　antique；　he

superadded　a　loftiness　such　as　the　ancients　rarely　produced；　and

sculpture　became　in　his　hands；　not　demoralizing　and　Pagan；

resplendent　in　sensual　charms；　but　instructive　and　exalting；

instructive　for　the　marvellous　display　of　anatomical　knowledge；　and

exalting　from　grand　conceptions　of　dignity　and　power。　　His

knowledge　of　anatomy　was　so　remarkable　that　he　could　work　without

models。　　Our　artists；　in　these　days；　must　always　have　before　their

eyes　some　nude　figure　to　copy。



The　same　peculiarities　which　have　given　him　fame　as　a　sculptor　he

carried　out　into　painting；　in　which　he　is　even　more　remarkable；　for

the　artists　of　Italy　at　this　period　often　combined　a　skill　for　all

the　fine　arts。　　In　sculpture　they　were　much　indebted　to　the

ancients；　but　painting　seems　to　have　been　purely　a　development。　　In

the　Middle　Ages　it　was　comparatively　rude。　　No　noted　painter　arose

until　Cimabue　in　the　middle　of　the　thirteenth　century。　　Before　him；

painting　was　a　lifeless　imitation　of　models　afforded　by　Greek

workers　in　mosaics；　but　Cimabue　abandoned　this　servile　copying；　and

gave　a　new　expression　to　heads；