beacon lights of history-iii-2-第4章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



was　important；　it　was　already　a　capital；　and　a　centre　of　industry。

He　represented　its　interests　in　various　courts。　　He　lived　with

princes　and　nobles。　　He　took　an　active　part　in　all　public　matters

and　disputations；　he　was　even　familiar　with　the　intrigues　of

parties；　he　was　a　politician　as　well　as　scholar。　　He　entered　into

the　contests　between　Popes　and　Emperors　respecting　the　independence

of　Italy。　　He　was　not　conversant　with　art；　for　the　great　sculptors

and　painters　had　not　then　arisen。　　The　age　was　still　dark；　the

mariner's　compass　had　not　been　invented；　chimneys　had　not　been

introduced；　the　comforts　of　life　were　few。　　Dames　of　highest　rank

still　spent　their　days　over　the　distaff　or　in　combing　flax。　　There

were　no　grand　structures　but　cathedral　churches。　　Life　was

laborious；　dismal；　and　turbulent。　　Law　and　order　did　not　reign　in

cities　or　villages。　　The　poor　were　oppressed　by　nobles。　　Commerce

was　small　and　manufactures　scarce。　　Men　lived　in　dreary　houses；

without　luxuries；　on　coarse　bread　and　fruit　and　vegetables。　　The

crusades　had　not　come　to　an　end。　　It　was　the　age　of　quarrelsome

popes　and　cruel　nobles；　and　lazy　monks　and　haughty　bishops；　and

ignorant　people；　steeped　in　gloomy　superstitions；　two　hundred　years

before　America　was　discovered；　and　two　hundred　and　fifty　years

before　Michael　Angelo　erected　the　dome　of　St。　Peter's。



But　there　was　faith　in　the　world；　and　rough　virtues；　sincerity；　and

earnestness　of　character；　though　life　was　dismal。　　Men　believed　in

immortality　and　in　expiation　for　sin。　　The　rising　universities　had

gifted　scholars　whose　abstruse　speculations　have　never　been

rivalled　for　acuteness　and　severity　of　logic。　　There　were　bards　and

minstrels；　and　chivalric　knights　and　tournaments　and　tilts；　and

village　fetes　and　hospitable　convents　and　gentle　ladies；gentle

and　lovely　even　in　all　states　of　civilization；　winning　by　their

graces　and　inspiring　men　to　deeds　of　heroism　and　gallantry。



In　one　of　those　domestic　revolutions　which　were　so　common　in　Italy

Dante　was　banished；　and　his　property　was　confiscated；　and　he　at　the

age　of　thirty…five；　about　the　year　1300；　when　Giotto　was　painting

portraits；　was　sent　forth　a　wanderer　and　an　exile；　now　poor　and

unimportant；　to　eat　the　bread　of　strangers　and　climb　other　people's

stairs；　and　so　obnoxious　was　he　to　the　dominant　party　in　his　native

city　for　his　bitter　spirit；　that　he　was　destined　never　to　return　to

his　home　and　friends。　　His　ancestors；　boasting　of　Roman　descent；

belonged　to　the　patriotic　party；the　Guelphs；　who　had　the

ascendency　in　his　early　years；that　party　which　defended　the

claims　of　the　Popes　against　the　Emperors　of　Germany。　　But　this

party　had　its　divisions　and　rival　families；those　that　sided　with

the　old　feudal　nobles　who　had　once　ruled　the　city；　and　the　new

mercantile　families　that　surpassed　them　in　wealth　and　popular

favor。　　So；　expelled　by　a　fraction　of　his　own　party　that　had　gained

power；　Dante　went　over　to　the　Ghibellines；　and　became　an　adherent

of　imperial　authority　until　he　died。



It　was　in　his　wanderings　from　court　to　court　and　castle　to　castle

and　convent　to　convent　and　university　to　university；　that　he

acquired　that　profound　experience　with　men　and　the　world　which

fitted　him　for　his　great　task。　　〃Not　as　victorious　knight　on　the

field　of　Campaldino；　not　as　leader　of　the　Guelph　aristocracy　at

Florence；　not　as　prior；　not　as　ambassador；〃　but　as　a　wanderer　did

he　acquire　his　moral　wisdom。　　He　was　a　striking　example　of　the

severe　experiences　to　which　nearly　all　great　benefactors　have　been

subjected；Abraham　the　exile；　in　the　wilderness；　in　Egypt；　among

Philistines；　among　robbers　and　barbaric　chieftains；　the　Prince

Siddartha；　who　founded　Buddhism；　in　his　wanderings　among　the

various　Indian　nations　who　bowed　down　to　Brahma；　and；　still

greater；　the　Apostle　Paul；　in　his　protracted　martyrdom　among　Pagan

idolaters　and　boastful　philosophers；　in　Asia　and　in　Europe。　　These

and　others　may　be　cited；　who　led　a　life　of　self…denial　and　reproach

in　order　to　spread　the　truths　which　save　mankind。　　We　naturally

call　their　lot　hard；　even　though　they　chose　it；　but　it　is　the

school　of　greatness。　　It　was　sad　to　see　the　wisest　and　best　man　of

his　day；a　man　of　family；　of　culture；　of　wealth；　of　learning；

loving　leisure；　attached　to　his　home　and　country；　accustomed　to

honor　and　independence；doomed　to　exile；　poverty；　neglect；　and

hatred；　without　those　compensations　which　men　of　genius　in　our　time

secure。　　But　I　would　not　attempt　to　excite　pity　for　an　outward

condition　which　developed　the　higher　virtues；for　a　thorny　path

which　led　to　the　regions　of　eternal　light。　　Dante　may　have　walked

in　bitter　tears　to　Paradise；　but　after　the　fashion　of　saints　and

martyrs　in　all　ages　of　our　world。　　He　need　but　cast　his　eyes　on

that　emblem　which　was　erected　on　every　pinnacle　of　Mediaeval

churches　to　symbolize　passing　suffering　with　salvation　infinite；

the　great　and　august　creed　of　the　age　in　which　he　lived；　though　now

buried　amid　the　triumphs　of　an　imposing　material　civilization　whose

end　is　the　adoration　of　the　majesty　of　man　rather　than　the　majesty

of　God；　the　wonders　of　creation　rather　than　the　greatness　of　the

Creator。



But　something　more　was　required　in　order　to　write　an　immortal　poem

than　even　native　genius；　great　learning；　and　profound　experience。

The　soul　must　be　stimulated　to　the　work　by　an　absorbing　and

ennobling　passion。　　This　passion　Dante　had；　and　it　is　as　memorable

as　the　mortal　loves　of　Abelard　and　Heloise；　and　infinitely　more

exalting；　since　it　was　spiritual　and　immortal；even　the　adoration

of　his　lamented　and　departed　Beatrice。



I　wish　to　dwell　for　a　moment；　perhaps　longer　than　to　some　may　seem

dignified；　on　this　ideal　or　sentimental　love。　　It　may　seem　trivial

and　unimportant　to　the　eye　of　youth；　or　a　man　of　the　world；　or　a

woman　of　sensual　nature；　or　to　unthinking　fools　and　butterflies；

but　it　is　invested　with　dignity　to　one　who　meditates　on　the

mysteries　of　the　soul；　the　wonders　of　our　higher　nature；one　of

the　things　which　arrest　the　attention　of　philosophers。



It　is　recorded　and　attested；　even　by　Dante　himself；　that　at　the

early　age　of　nine　he　fell　in　love　with　Beatrice；a　little　girl　of

one　of　his　neighbors；and　that　he　wrote　to　her　sonnets　as　the

mistress　of　his　devotion。　　How　could　he　have　written　sonnets

without　an　inspiration；　unless　he　felt　sentiments　higher　than　we

associate　with　either　boys　or　girls？　　The　boy　was　father　of　the

man。　　〃She　appeared　to　me；〃　says　the　poet；　〃at　a　festival；　dressed

in　that　most　noble　and　honorable　color；　scarlet；girded　and

ornamented　in　a　manner　suitable　to　her　age；　and　from　that　moment

love　ruled　my　soul。　　And　after　many　days　had　passed；　it　happened

that；　passing　through　the　street；　she　turned　her　eyes　to　the　spot

where　I　stood；　and　with　ineffable　courtesy　she　greeted　me；　and　this

had　such　an　effect　on　me　that　it　seemed　I　had　reached　the　furthest

limit　of　blessedness。　　I　took　refuge　in　the　solitude　of　my　chamber；

and；　thinking　over　what　had　happened　to　me；　I　proposed　to　write　a

sonnet；　since　I　had　already　acquired　the　art　of　putting　words　into

rhyme。〃　　This；　from　his　〃Vita　Nuova；〃　his　first　work；　relating　to

the　〃new　life〃　which　this　love　awoke　in　his　young　soul。



Thus；　according　to　Dante's　own　statement；　was　the　seed　of　a　never…

ending　passion　planted　in　his　soul；the　small　beginning；　so

insignificant　to　cynical　eyes；　that　it　would　almost　seem

preposterous　to　allude　to　it；　as　if　this　fancy　for　a　little　girl　in

scarlet；　and　in　a　boy　but　nine　years　of　age；　could　ripen　into

anything　worthy　to　be　soberly　mentioned　by　a　grave　and　earnest

poet；　in　the　full　maturity　of　his　genius；worthy　to　give　direction

to　his　lofty　intellect；　worthy　to　be　the　occasion　of　the　greatest

poem　the　world　has　seen　from　Homer　to　modern　times。　　Absurd！

ridiculous！　　Great　rivers　cannot　rise　from　such　a　spring；　tall

trees　cannot　grow　from　such　a　little　acorn。　　Thus　reasons　the　man

who　does　not　take