beacon lights of history-iii-2-第6章

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genius　itself；　which　almost　every　human　being　possesses；　in　some

form　or　other；　to　a　greater　or　less　degree；one　of　the　kindest

gifts　of　Deity　to　man。



The　great　artist；　kindled　by　his　visions　of　imperishable　loveliness

in　the　person　of　his　departed　Beatrice；　now　resolves　to　dedicate　to

her　honor　his　great　life…labor；even　his　immortal　poem；　which

should　be　a　transcript　of　his　thoughts；　a　mirror　of　his　life；　a

record　of　his　sorrows；　a　painting　of　his　experiences；　a　description

of　what　he　saw；　a　digest　of　his　great　meditations；　a　thesaurus　of

the　treasures　of　the　Mediaeval　age；　an　exposition　of　its　great　and

leading　ideas　in　philosophy　and　in　religion。　　Every　great　man

wishes　to　leave　behind　some　monument　of　his　labors；　to　bless　or

instruct　mankind。　　Any　man　without　some　form　of　this　noble　ambition

lives　in　vain；　even　if　his　monument　be　no　more　than　a　cultivated

farm　rescued　from　wildness　and　sterility。



Now　Dante's　monument　is　〃the　marvellous；　mystic；　unfathomable

song；〃　in　which　he　sang　his　sorrows　and　his　joys；　revealed　his

visions；　and　recorded　the　passions　and　sentiments　of　his　age。　　It

never　can　be　popular；　because　it　is　so　difficult　to　be　understood；

and　because　its　leading　ideas　are　not　in　harmony　with　those　which

are　now　received。　　I　doubt　if　anybody　can　delight　in　that　poem；

unless　he　sympathizes　with　the　ideas　of　the　Middle　Ages；　or；　at

least；　unless　he　is　familiar　with　them；　and　with　the　historical

characters　who　lived　in　those　turbulent　and　gloomy　times。　　There　is

more　talk　and　pretension　about　that　book　than　any　one　that　I　know

of。　　Like　the　〃Faerie　Queene〃　or　the　〃Paradise　Lost；〃　it　is　a　study

rather　than　a　recreation；　one　of　those　productions　which　an

educated　person　ought　to　read　in　the　course　of　his　life；　and　which

if　he　can　read　in　the　original；　and　has　read；　is　apt　to　boast　of；

like　climbing　a　lofty　mountain；　enjoyable　to　some　with　youth　and

vigor　and　enthusiasm　and　love　of　nature；　but　a　very　toilsome　thing

to　most　people；　especially　if　old　and　short…winded　and　gouty。



In　the　year　1309　the　first　part　of　the　〃Divine　Comedy；〃　the

Inferno；　was　finished　by　Dante；　at　the　age　of　forty…four；　in　the

tenth　year　of　his　pilgrimage；　under　the　roof　of　the　Marquis　of

Lunigiana；　and　it　was　intrusted　to　the　care　of　Fra　Ilario；　a　monk

living　on　the　beautiful　Ligurian　shores。　　As　everybody　knows；　it　is

a　vivid；　graphic　picture　of　what　was　supposed　to　be　the　infernal

regions；　where　great　sinners　are　punished　with　various　torments

forever　and　ever。　　It　is　interesting　for　the　excellence　of　the

poetry；　the　brilliant　analyses　of　characters；　the　allusion　to

historical　events；　the　bitter　invectives；　the　intense　sarcasms；　and

the　serious；　earnest　spirit　which　underlies　the　descriptions。　　But

there　is　very　little　of　gentleness　or　compassion；　in　view　of　the

protracted　torments　of　the　sufferers。　　We　stand　aghast　in　view　of

the　miseries　and　monsters；　furies　and　gorgons；　snakes　and　fires；

demons；　filth；　lakes　of　pitch；　pools　of　blood；　plains　of　scorching

sands；　circles；　and　chimeras　dire；a　physical　hell　of　utter　and

unspeakable　dreariness　and　despair；　awfully　and　powerfully

described；　but　still　repulsive。　　In　each　of　the　dismal　abodes；　far

down　in　the　bowels　of　the　earth；　which　Dante　is　supposed　to　have

visited　with　Virgil　as　a　guide；　in　which　some　infernal　deity

presides；　all　sorts　of　physical　tortures　are　accumulated；　inflicted

on　traitors；　murderers；　robbers；men　who　have　committed　great

crimes；　unpunished　in　their　lifetime；　such　men　as　Cain；　Judas；

Ugolino；men　consigned　to　an　infamous　immortality。　　On　the　great

culprits　of　history；　and　of　Italy　especially；　Dante　virtually　sits

in　judgment；　and　he　consigns　them　equally　to　various　torments　which

we　shudder　to　think　of。



And　here　let　me　say；　as　a　general　criticism；　that　in　the　Inferno

are　brought　out　in　tremendous　language　the　opinions　of　the　Middle

Ages　in　reference　to　retribution。　　Dante　does　not　rise　above　them；

with　all　his　genius；　he　is　not　emancipated　from　them。　　It　is　the

rarest　thing　in　this　world　for　any　man；　however　profound　his

intellect　and　bold　his　spirit；　to　be　emancipated　from　the　great　and

leading　ideas　of　his　age。　　Abraham　was；　and　Moses；　and　the　founder

of　Buddhism；　and　Socrates；　and　Mohammed；　and　Luther；　but　they　were

reformers；　more　or　less　divinely　commissioned；　with　supernatural

aid　in　many　instances　to　give　them　wisdom。　　But　Homer　was　not；　nor

Euripides；　nor　the　great　scholastics　of　the　Middle　Ages；　nor　even

popes。　　The　venerated　doctors　and　philosophers；　prelates；　scholars；

nobles；　kings；　to　say　nothing　of　the　people；　thought　as　Dante　did

in　reference　to　future　punishment；that　it　was　physical；　awful；

accumulative；　infinite；　endless；　the　wrath　of　avenging　deity

displayed　in　pains　and　agonies　inflicted　on　the　body；　like　the

tortures　of　inquisitors；　thus　appealing　to　the　fears　of　men；　on

which　chiefly　the　power　of　the　clergy　was　based。　　Nor　in　these

views　of　endless　physical　sufferings；　as　if　the　body　itself　were

eternal　and　indestructible；　is　there　the　refinement　of　Milton；　who

placed　misery　in　the　upbraidings　of　conscience；　in　mental　torture

rather　than　bodily；　in　the　everlasting　pride　and　rebellion　of　the

followers　of　Satan　and　his　fallen　angels。　　It　was　these　awful　views

of　protracted　and　eternal　physical　torments；not　the　hell　of　the

Bible；　but　the　hell　of　ingenious　human　invention；which　gives　to

the　Middle　Ages　a　sorrowful　and　repulsive　light；　thus　nursing

superstition　and　working　on　the　fears　of　mankind；　rather　than　on

the　conscience　and　the　sense　of　moral　accountability。　　But　how

could　Dante　have　represented　the　ideas　of　the　Middle　Ages；　if　he

had　not　painted　his　Inferno　in　the　darkest　colors　that　the

imagination　could　conceive；　unless　he　had　soared　beyond　what　is

revealed　into　the　unfathomable　and　mysterious　and　unrevealed

regions　of　the　second　death？



After　various　wanderings　in　France　and　Italy；　and　after　an　interval

of　three　years；　Dante　produced　the　second　part　of　the　poem；the

Purgatorio；in　which　he　assumes　another　style；　and　sings　another

song。　　In　this　we　are　introduced　to　an　illustrious　company；many

beloved　friends；　poets；　musicians；　philosophers；　generals；　even

prelates　and　popes；　whose　deeds　and　thoughts　were　on　the　whole

beneficent。　　These　illustrious　men　temporarily　expiate　the　sins　of

anger；　of　envy；　avarice；　gluttony；　pride；　ambition；the　great

defects　which　were　blended　with　virtues；　and　which　are　to　be　purged

out　of　them　by　suffering。　　Their　torments　are　milder；　and　amid　them

they　discourse　on　the　principles　of　moral　wisdom。　　They　utter　noble

sentiments；　they　discuss　great　themes；　they　show　how　vain　is　wealth

and　power　and　fame；　they　preach　sermons。　　In　these　discourses；

Dante　shows　his　familiarity　with　history　and　philosophy；　he　unfolds

that　moral　wisdom　for　which　he　is　most　distinguished。　　His　scorn　is

now　tempered　with　tenderness。　　He　shows　a　true　humanity；　he　is　more

forgiving；　more　generous；　more　sympathetic。　　He　is　more　lofty；　if

he　is　not　more　intense。　　He　sees　the　end　of　expiations：　the

sufferers　will　be　restored　to　peace　and　joy。



But　even　in　his　purgatory；　as　in　his　hell；　he　paints　the　ideas　of

his　age。　　He　makes　no　new　or　extraordinary　revelations。　　He　arrives

at　no　new　philosophy。　　He　is　the　Christian　poet；　after　the　pattern

of　his　age。



It　is　plain　that　the　Middle　Ages　must　have　accepted　or　invented

some　relief　from　punishment；　or　every　Christian　country　would　have

been　overwhelmed　with　the　blackness　of　despair。　　Men　could　not

live；　if　they　felt　they　could　not　expiate　their　sins。　　Who　could

smile　or　joke　or　eat　or　sleep　or　have　any　pleasure；　if　he　thought

seriously　there　would　be　no　cessation　or　release　from　endless

pains？　　Who　could　discharge　his　ordinary　duties　or　perform　his

daily　occupations；　if　his　father　or　his　mother　or　his　sister　or　his

brother　or　his　wife　or　his　son　or　his　daughter　might　not　be　finally

forgiven　for　the　frailties　of　an　imperfect　na