beacon lights of history-iii-2-第32章

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inventor　of　epic　painting；　in　that　sublime　circle　of　the　Sistine

Chapel　which　exhibits　the　origin；　progress；　and　final　dispensation

of　the　theocracy。　　He　has　personified　motion　in　the　cartoon　of

Pisa；　portrayed　meditation　in　the　prophets　and　sibyls　of　the

Sistine　Chapel　and　in　the　Last　Judgment；　traced　every　attitude

which　varies　the　human　body；　with　every　passion　which　sways　the

human　soul。〃　　His　supremacy　is　in　the　mighty　soaring　of　his

intellectual　conceptions。　　Marvellous　as　a　creator；　like

Shakspeare；　profound　and　solemn；　like　Dante；　representing　power

even　in　repose；　and　giving　to　the　Cyclopean　forms　which　he　has

called　into　being　a　charm　of　moral　excellence　which　secures　our

sympathy；　a　firm　believer　in　a　supreme　and　personal　God；

disciplined　in　worldly　trials；　and　glowing　in　lofty　conceptions　of

justice；he　delights　in　portraying　the　stern　prophets　of　Israel；

surrounded　with　an　atmosphere　of　holiness；　yet　breathing　compassion

on　those　whom　they　denounce；　august　in　dignity；　yet　melting　with

tenderness；　solemn；　sad；　profound。　　Thus　was　his　influence　pure　and

exalted　in　an　art　which　has　too　often　been　prostituted　to　please

the　perverted　taste　of　a　sensual　age。　　The　most　refined　and

expressive　of　all　the　arts；as　it　sometimes　is；　and　always　should

be；is　the　one　which　oftenest　appeals　to　that　which　Christianity

teaches　us　to　shun。　　You　may　say；　〃Evil　to　him　who　evil　thinks；〃

especially　ye　pure　and　immaculate　persons　who　have　walked

uncorrupted　amid　the　galleries　of　Paris；　Dresden；　Florence；　and

Rome；　but　I　fancy　that　pictures；　like　books；　are　what　we　choose　to

make　them；　and　that　the　more　exquisite　the　art　by　which　vice　is

divested　of　its　grossness；　but　not　of　its　subtle　poisons；like　the

New　Heloise　of　Rousseau　or　the　Wilhelm　Meister　of　Goethe；the　more

fatally　will　it　lead　astray　by　the　insidious　entrance　of　an　evil

spirit　in　the　guise　of　an　angel　of　light。　　Art；　like　literature；　is

neither　good　nor　evil　abstractly；　but　may　become　a　savor　of　death

unto　death；　as　well　as　of　life　unto　life。　　You　cannot　extinguish　it

without　destroying　one　of　the　noblest　developments　of　civilization；

but　you　cannot　have　civilization　without　multiplying　the

temptations　of　human　society；　and　hence　must　be　guarded　from　those

destructive　cankers　which；　as　in　old　Rome；　eat　out　the　virtues　on

which　the　strength　of　man　is　based。　　The　old　apostles；　and　other

great　benefactors　of　the　world；　attached　more　value　to　the　truths

which　elevate　than　to　the　arts　which　soften。　　It　was　the　noble

direction　which　Michael　Angelo　gave　to　art　which　made　him　a　great

benefactor　not　only　of　civilization；　but　also　of　art；　by　linking

with　it　the　eternal　ideas　of　majesty　and　dignity；　as　well　as　the

truths　which　are　taught　by　divine　inspiration；another

illustration　of　the　profound　reverence　which　the　great　master　minds

of　the　world；　like　Augustine；　Pascal；　and　Bacon；　have　ever

expressed　for　the　ideas　which　were　revealed　by　Christianity　and　the

old　prophets　of　Jehovah；　ideas　which　many　bright　but　inferior

intellects；　in　their　egotistical　arrogance；　have　sought　to　subvert。



Yet　it　was　neither　as　sculptor　nor　painter　that　Michael　Angelo　left

the　most　enduring　influence；　but　as　architect。　　Painting　and

sculpture　are　the　exclusive　ornaments　and　possession　of　the　rich

and　favored。　　But　architecture　concerns　all　men；　and　most　men　have

something　to　do　with　it　in　the　course　of　their　lives。　　What　boots

it　that　a　man　pays　two　thousand　pounds　for　a　picture　to　be　shut　up

in　his　library；　and　probably　more　valued　for　its　rarity；　or　from

the　caprices　of　fashion；　than　for　its　real　merits？　　But　it　is

something　when　a　nation　pays　a　million　for　a　ridiculous　building；

without　regard　to　the　object　for　which　it　is　intended；to　be

observed　and　criticised　by　everybody　and　for　succeeding

generations。　　A　good　picture　is　the　admiration　of　a　few；　a

magnificent　edifice　is　the　pride　of　thousands。　　A　picture

necessarily　cultivates　the　taste　of　a　family　circle；　a　public

edifice　educates　the　minds　of　millions。　　Even　the　Moses　of　Michael

Angelo　is　a　mere　object　of　interest　to　those　who　visit　the　church

of　San　Pietro　in　Vincoli；　but　St。　Peter's　is　a　monument　to　be　seen

by　large　populations　from　generation　to　generation。　　All　London

contemplates　St。　Paul's　Church　or　the　Palace　of　Westminster；　but

the　National　Gallery　may　be　visited　by　a　small　fraction　of　the

people　only　once　a　year。　　Of　the　thousands　who　stand　before　the

Tuileries　or　the　Madeleine　not　one　in　a　hundred　has　visited　the

gallery　of　the　Louvre。　　What　material　works　of　man　so　grand　as

those　hoary　monuments　of　piety　or　pride　erected　three　thousand

years　ago；　and　still　magnificent　in　their　very　ruins！　　How　imposing

are　the　pyramids；　the　Coliseum；　and　the　Gothic　cathedrals　of　the

Middle　Ages！　　And　even　when　architecture　does　not　rear　vaulted

roofs　and　arches　and　pinnacles；　or　tower　to　dazzling　heights；　or

inspire　reverential　awe　from　the　associations　which　cluster　around

it；　how　interesting　are　even　its　minor　triumphs！　　Who　does　not　stop

to　admire　a　beautiful　window；　or　porch；　or　portico？　　Who　does　not

criticise　his　neighbor's　house；　its　proportions；　its　general

effect；　its　adaptation　to　the　uses　designed？　　Architecture　appeal

to　the　common　eye；　and　have　reference　to　the　necessities　of　man；

and　sometimes　express　the　consecrated　sentiments　of　an　age　or　a

nation。　　Nor　can　it　be　prostituted；　like　painting　and　sculpture；　it

never　corrupts　the　mind；　and　sometimes　inspires　it；　and　if　it　makes

an　appeal　to　the　senses　or　the　imagination；　it　is　to　kindle

perceptions　of　the　severe　beauty　of　geometrical　forms。



Whoever；　then；　has　done　anything　in　architecture　has　contributed　to

the　necessities　of　man；　and　stimulated　an　admiration　for　what　is

venerable　and　magnificent。　　Now　Michael　Angelo　was　not　only　the

architect　of　numerous　palaces　and　churches；　but　also　one　of　the

principal　architects　of　that　great　edifice　which　is；　on　the　whole；

the　noblest　church　in　Christendom；a　perpetual　marvel　and　study；

not　faultless；　but　so　imposing　that　it　will　long　remain；　like　the

old　temple　of　Ephesus；　one　of　the　wonders　of　the　world。　　He

completed　the　church　without　great　deviation　from　the　plan　of　the

first　architect；　Bramante；　whom　he　regarded　as　the　greatest

architect　that　had　lived；altering　Bramante's　plans　from　a　Latin

to　a　Greek　cross；　the　former　of　which　was　retained　after　Michael

Angelo's　death。　　But　it　is　the　interior；　rather　than　the　exterior

of　St。　Peter's；　which　shows　its　vast　superiority　over　all　other

churches　for　splendor　and　effect；　and　surprises　all　who　are　even

fresh　from　Cologne　and　Milan　and　Westminster。　　It　impresses　us　like

a　wonder　of　nature　rather　than　as　the　work　of　man；a　great　work　of

engineering　as　well　as　a　marvel　of　majesty　and　beauty。　　We　are

surprised　to　see　so　vast　a　structure；　covering　nearly　five　acres；

so　elaborately　finished；　nothing　neglected；　the　lofty　walls　covered

with　precious　marbles；　the　side　chapels　filled　with　statues　and

monuments；　the　altars　ornamented　with　pictures；and　those　pictures

not　painted　in　oil；　but　copied　in　mosaic；　so　that　they　will　neither

decay　nor　fade；　but　last　till　destroyed　by　violence。　　What　feelings

overpower　the　poetic　mind　when　the　glories　of　that　interior　first

blaze　upon　the　brain；　what　a　world　of　brightness；　softness；　and

richness；　what　grandeur；　solidity；　and　strength；　what　unnumbered

treasures　around　the　altars；　what　grand　mosaics　relieve　the　height

of　the　wondrous　dome；larger　than　the　Pantheon；　rising　two　hundred

feet　from　the　intersection　of　those　lofty　and　massive　piers　which

divide　transept　from　choir　and　nave；　what　effect　of　magnitude　after

the　eye　gets　accustomed　to　the　vast　proportions！　　Oh；　what　silence

reigns　around！　　How　difficult；　even　for　the　sonorous　chants　of

choristers　and　priests　to　disturb　that　silence；to　be　more　than

echoes　of　a　distant　music　which　seems　to　come　from　the　very　courts

of　heaven　itself：　to　some　a　holy　sanctuary；　where　one