beacon lights of history-iii-2-第33章

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

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

among　crowds　and　feel　alone；　where　one　breathes　an　atmosphere　which

changes　not　with　heat　or　cold；　and　where　the　ever…burning　lamps　and

clouds　of　incense　diffusing　the　fragrance　of　the　East；　and　the　rich

dresses　of　the　mitred　priests；　and　the　unnumbered　symbols；　suggest

the　ritualism　of　that　imposing　worship　when　Solomon　dedicated　to

Jehovah　the　grandest　temple　of　antiquity！



Truly　was　St。　Peter's　Church　the　last　great　achievement　of　the

popes；　the　crowning　demonstration　of　their　temporal　dominion；

suggestive　of　their　wealth　and　power；　a　marble　history　of　pride　and

pomp；　a　fitting　emblem　of　that　worship　which　appeals　to　sense

rather　than　to　God。　　And　singular　it　was；　when　the　great　artist

reared　that　gigantic　pile；　even　though　it　symbolized　the　cross；　he

really　gave　a　vital　wound　to　that　cause　to　which　he　consecrated　his

noblest　energies；　for　its　lofty　dome　could　not　be　completed　without

the　contributions　of　Christendom；　and　those　contributions　could　not

be　made　without　an　appeal　to　perversions　which　grew　out　of

Mediaeval　Catholicism；even　penance　and　self…expiation；　which

stirred　the　holy　indignation　of　a　man　who　knew　and　declared　on　what

different　ground　justification　should　be　based。　　Thus　was　Luther；

in　one　sense；　called　into　action　by　the　labors　of　Michael　Angelo；

thus　was　the　erection　of　St。　Peter's　Church　overruled　in　the

preaching　of　reformers；　who　would　show　that　the　money　obtained　by

misinterpreted　〃indulgences〃　could　never　purchase　an　acceptable

offering　to　God；　even　though　the　monument　were　filled　with

Christian　emblems；　and　consecrated　by　those　prayers　and　anthems

which　had　been　the　life　of　blessed　saints　and　martyrs　for　more　than

a　thousand　years。



St。　Peter's　is　not　Gothic；　it　is　a　restoration　of　the　Greek；　it

belongs　to　what　artists　call　the　Renaissance；a　style　of

architecture　marked　by　a　return　to　the　classical　models　of

antiquity。　　Michael　Angelo　brought　back　to　civilization　the　old

ideas　of　Grecian　grace　and　Roman　majesty；typical　of　the　original

inspirations　of　the　men　who　lived　in　the　quiet　admiration　of

eternal　beauty　and　grace；　the　men　who　built　the　Parthenon；　and　who

shaped　pillars　and　capitals　and　entablatures　in　the　severest

proportions；　and　fitted　them　with　ornaments　drawn　from　the　living

world；plants　and　animals；　especially　images　of　God's　highest

work；　even　of　man；　and　of　man　not　worn　and　macerated　and　dismal　and

monstrous；　but　of　man　when　most　resplendent　in　the　perfections　of

the　primeval　strength　and　beauty。　　He　returned　to　a　style　which

classical　antiquity　carried　to　great　perfection；　but　which　had　been

neglected　by　the　new　Teutonic　nations。



Nor　is　there　evidence　that　Michael　Angelo　disdained　the　creations

especially　seen　in　those　Gothic　monuments　which　are　still　the

objects　of　our　admiration。　　Who　does　not　admire　the　church

architecture　of　the　Middle　Ages？　　Of　its　kind　it　has　never　been

surpassed。　　Geometry　and　artthe　true　and　the　beautifulmeet。

Nothing　ever　erected　by　the　hand　of　man　surpasses　the　more　famous

cathedrals　of　the　twelfth　and　thirteenth　centuries；　in　the　richness

and　variety　of　their　symbolic　decorations。　　They　typify　the　great

ideas　of　Christianity；　they　inspire　feelings　of　awe　and　reverence；

they　are　astonishing　structures；　in　their　magnitude　and　in　their

effect。　　Monuments　are　they　of　religious　zeal　and　poetical

inspiration；the　creations　of　great　artists；　although　we　scarcely

know　their　names；　adapted　to　the　uses　designed；　the　expression　of

consecrated　sentiments；　the　marble　history　of　the　ages　in　which

they　were　erected；now　heavy　and　sombre　when　society　was　enslaved

and　mournful；　and　then　cheerful　and　lofty　when　Christianity　was

joyful　and　triumphant。　　Who　ever　was　satisfied　in　contemplating　the

diversified　wonders　of　those　venerable　structures？　　Who　would　lose

the　impression　which　almost　overwhelmed　the　mind　when　York　minster；

or　Cologne；　or　Milan；　or　Amiens　was　first　beheld；　with　their　lofty

spires　and　towers；　their　sculptured　pinnacles；　their　flying

buttresses；　their　vaulted　roofs；　their　long　arcades；　their　purple

windows；　their　holy　altars；　their　symbolic　carvings；　their　majestic

outlines；　their　grand　proportions！



But　beautiful；　imposing；　poetical；　and　venerable　as　are　these　hoary

piles；　they　are　not　the　all　in　all　of　art。　　Suppose　all　the

buildings　of　Europe　the　last　four　hundred　years　had　been　modelled

from　these　churches；　how　gloomy　would　be　our　streets；　how　dark　and

dingy　our　shops；　how　dismal　our　dwellings；　how　inconvenient　our

hotels！　　A　new　style　was　needed；　at　least　as　a　supplement　of　the

old；as　lances　and　shields　were　giving　place　to　fire…arms；　and　the

line　and　the　plummet　for　the　mariner's　compass；　as　a　new

civilization　was　creating　new　wants　and　developing　the　material

necessities　of　man。



So　Michael　Angelo　arose；　and　revived　the　imperishable　models　of　the

classical　ages；to　be　applied　not　merely　to　churches　but　to

palaces；　civic　halls；　theatres；　libraries；　museums；　banks；all　of

which　have　mundane　purposes。　　The　material　world　had　need　of

conveniences；　as　much　as　the　Mediaeval　age　had　need　of　shrines。

Humanity　was　to　be　developed　as　well　as　the　Deity　to　be　worshipped。

The　artist　took　the　broadest　views；　looking　upon　Gothic

architecture　as　but　one　division　of　art；even　as　truth　is　greater

than　any　system；　and　Christianity　wider　than　any　sect。　　O；　how　this

Shakspeare　of　art　would　have　smiled　on　the　vague　and　transcendental

panegyrics　of　Michelet　or　Ruskin；　and　other　sentimental　admirers　of

an　age　which　never　can　return！　　And　how　he　might　have　laughed　at

some　modern　enthusiasts；　who　trace　religion　to　the　disposition　of

stones　and　arches；　forgetting　that　religion　is　an　inspiration　which

comes　from　God；　and　never　from　the　work　of　man's　hands；　which　can

be　only　a　form　of　idolatry。



Michael　Angelo　found　that　the　ornamentations　of　the　ancient　temples

were　as　rich　and　varied　as　those　of　Mediaeval　churches。　　Mouldings

were　discovered　of　incomparable　elegance；　the　figures　on

entablatures　were　found　to　be　chiselled　accurately　from　nature；　the

pillars　were　of　matchless　proportions；　the　capitals　of　graceful

curvatures。　　He　saw　beauty　in　the　horizontal　lines　of　the

Parthenon；　as　much　as　in　the　vertical　lines　of　Cologne。　　He　would

not　pull　down　the　venerable　monuments　of　religious　zeal；　but　he

would　add　to　them。　　〃Because　the　pointed　arch　was　sacred；　he　would

not　despise　the　humble　office　of　the　lintel。〃　　And　in　southern

climates　especially　there　was　no　need　of　those　steep　Gothic　roofs

which　were　intended　to　prevent　a　great　weight　of　rain　and　snow；　and

where　the　graceful　portico　of　the　Greeks　was　more　appropriate　than

the　heavy　tower　of　the　Lombards。　　He　would　seize　on　everything　that

the　genius　of　past　ages　had　indorsed；　even　as　Christianity　itself

appropriates　everything　human；science；　art；　music；　poetry；

eloquence；　literature；sanctifies　it；　and　dedicates　it　to　the

Lord；　not　for　the　pride　of　builders；　but　the　improvement　of

humanity。　　Civilization　may　exist　with　Paganism；　but　only　performs

its　highest　uses　when　tributary　to　Christianity。　　And　Christianity

accepts　the　tribute　which　even　Pagan　civilization　offers　for　the

adornment　of　our　race；expelled　from　Paradise；　and　doomed　to　hard

and　bitter　toils；without　abdicating　her　more　glorious　office　of

raising　the　soul　to　heaven。



Nor　was　Michael　Angelo　responsible　for　the　vile　mongrel

architecture　which　followed　the　Renaissance；　and　which　disfigures

the　modern　capitals　of　Europe；　any　more　than　for　the　perversion　of

painting　in　the　hands　of　Titian。　　But　the　indiscriminate　adoption

of　pillars　for　humble　houses；　shops　with　Roman　arches；　spires　and

towers　erected　on　Grecian　porticoes；　are　no　worse　than　schoolhouses

built　like　convents；　and　chapels　designed　for　preaching　as　much　as

for　choral　chants　made　dark　and　gloomy；　wh