beacon lights of history-iii-2-第7章

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

forgiven　for　the　frailties　of　an　imperfect　nature　which　he　had

inherited？　　The　Catholic　Church；　in　its　benignity；at　what　time　I

do　not　know；opened　the　future　of　hope　amid　the　speculations　of

despair。　　She　saved　the　Middle　Ages　from　universal　gloom。　　If

speculation　or　logic　or　tradition　or　scripture　pointed　to　a　hell　of

reprobation；　there　must　be　also　a　purgatory　as　the　field　of

expiation；　for　expiation　there　must　be　for　sin；　somewhere；　somehow；

according　to　immutable　laws；　unless　a　mantle　of　universal

forgiveness　were　spread　over　sinners　who　in　this　life　had　given　no

sufficient　proofs　of　repentance　and　faith。　　Expiation　was　the　great

element　of　Mediaeval　theology。　　It　may　have　been　borrowed　from

India；　but　it　was　engrafted　on　the　Christian　system。　　Sometimes　it

was　made　to　take　place　in　this　life；　when　the　sinner；　having

pleased　God；　entered　at　once　upon　heavenly　beatitudes。　　Hence

fastings；　scourgings；　self…laceration；　ascetic　rigors　in　dress　and

food；　pilgrimages；all　to　purchase　forgiveness；　which　idea　of

forgiveness　was　scattered　to　the　winds　by　Luther；　and　replaced　by

grace；faith　in　Christ　attested　by　a　righteous　life。　　I　allude　to

this　notion　of　purgatory；　which　early　entered　into　the　creeds　of

theologians；　and　which　was　adopted　by　the　Catholic　Church；　to　show

how　powerful　it　was　when　human　consciousness　sought　a　relief　from

the　pains　of　endless　physical　torments。



After　Dante　had　written　his　Purgatorio；　he　retired　to　the

picturesque　mountains　which　separate　Tuscany　from　Modena　and

Bologna；　and　in　the　hospitium　of　an　ancient　monastery；　〃on　the

woody　summit　of　a　rock　from　which　he　might　gaze　on　his　ungrateful

country；　he　renewed　his　studies　in　philosophy　and　theology。〃

There；　too；　in　that　calm　retreat；　he　commenced　his　Paradiso；　the

subject　of　profound　meditations　on　what　was　held　in　highest　value

in　the　Middle　Ages。　　The　themes　are　theological　and　metaphysical。

They　are　such　as　interested　Thomas　Aquinas　and　Bonaventura；　Anselm

and　Bernard。　　They　are　such　as　do　not　interest　this　age；even　the

most　gifted　minds；for　our　times　are　comparatively　indifferent　to

metaphysical　subtleties　and　speculations。　　Beatrice　and　Peter　and

Benedict　alike　discourse　on　the　recondite　subjects　of　the　Bible　in

the　style　of　Mediaeval　doctors。　　The　themes　are　great；the

incarnation；　the　immortality　of　the　soul；　the　resurrection　of　the

body；　salvation　by　faith；　the　triumph　of　Christ；　the　glory　of

Paradise；　the　mysteries　of　the　divine　and　human　natures；　and　with

these　disquisitions　are　reproofs　of　bad　popes；　and　even　of　some　of

the　bad　customs　of　the　Church；　like　indulgences；　and　the

corruptions　of　the　monastic　system。　　The　Paradiso　is　a　thesaurus　of

Mediaeval　theology；obscure；　but　lofty；　mixed　up　with　all　the

learning　of　the　age；　even　of　the　lives　of　saints　and　heroes　and

kings　and　prophets。　　Saint　Peter　examines　Dante　upon　faith；　James

upon　hope；　and　John　upon　charity。　　Virgil　here　has　ceased　to　be　his

guide；　but　Beatrice；　robed　in　celestial　loveliness；　conducts　him

from　circle　to　circle；　and　explains　the　sublimest　doctrines　and

resolves　his　mortal　doubts；the　object　still　of　his　adoration；　and

inferior　only　to　the　mother　of　our　Lord；　regina　angelorum；　mater

carissima；　whom　the　Church　even　then　devoutly　worshipped；　and　to

whom　the　greatest　sages　prayed。





　　　　〃Thou　virgin　mother；　daughter　of　thy　Son；

　　　　　Humble　and　high　beyond　all　other　creatures；

　　　　　The　limit　fixed　of　the　eternal　counsel；

　　　　　Thou　art　the　one　who　such　nobility

　　　　　To　human　nature　gave；　that　its　Creator

　　　　　Did　not　disdain　to　make　himself　its　creature。

　　　　　Not　only　thy　benignity　gives　succor

　　　　　To　him　who　asketh　it；　but　oftentimes

　　　　　Forerunneth　of　its　own　accord　the　asking。

　　　　　In　thee　compassion　is；　in　thee　is　pity

　　　　　In　thee　magnificence；　in　thee　unites

　　　　　Whate'er　of　goodness　is　in　any　creature。〃





In　the　glorious　meditation　of　those　grand　subjects　which　had　such　a

charm　for　Benedict　and　Bernard；　and　which　almost　offset　the

barbarism　and　misery　of　the　Middle　Ages；to　many　still　regarded　as

〃ages　of　faith；〃Dante　seemingly　forgets　his　wrongs；　and　in　the

company　of　her　whom　he　adores　he　seems　to　revel　in　the　solemn

ecstasy　of　a　soul　transported　to　the　realms　of　eternal　light。　　He

lives　now　with　the　angels　and　the　mysteries；





　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Like　to　the　fire

　　　　　That　in　a　cloud　imprisoned　doth　break　out　expansive。

　　　　　　　。　　　。　　　。　　　。　　　。　　　。　　　。　　　。　　　。　　　。　　　。　　　。　　　。

　　　　　Thus；　in　that　heavenly　banqueting　his　soul

　　　　　Outgrew　himself；　and；　in　the　transport　lost；

　　　　　Holds　no　remembrance　now　of　what　she　was。〃





The　Paradise　of　Dante　is　not　gloomy；　although　it　be　obscure　and

indefinite。　　It　is　the　unexplored　world　of　thought　and　knowledge；

the　explanation　of　dogmas　which　his　age　accepted。　　It　is　a

revelation　of　glories　such　as　only　a　lofty　soul　could　conceive；　but

could　not　paint；a　supernal　happiness　given　only　to　favored

mortals；　to　saints　and　martyrs　who　have　triumphed　over　the

seductions　of　sense　and　the　temptations　of　life；a　beatified　state

of　blended　ecstasy　and　love。





〃Had　I　a　tongue　in　eloquence　as　rich　as　is　the　coloring　in　fancy's　loom；

'Twere　all　too　poor　to　utter　the　least　part　of　that　enchantment。〃





Such　is　this　great　poem；　in　all　its　parts　and　exposition　of　the

ideas　of　the　age；sometimes　fierce　and　sometimes　tender；　profound

and　infantine；　lofty　and　degraded；　like　the　Church　itself；　which

conserved　these　sentiments。　　It　is　an　intensely　religious　poem；　and

yet　more　theological　than　Christian；　and　full　of　classical

allusions　to　pagan　heroes　and　sages；a　most　remarkable　production

considering　the　age；　and；　when　we　remember　that　it　is　without　a

prototype　in　any　language；　a　glorious　monument　of　reviving

literature；　both　original　and　powerful。



Its　appearance　was　of　course　an　epoch；　calling　out　the　admiration

of　Italians；　and　of　all　who　could　understand　it；of　all　who

appreciated　its　moral　wisdom　in　every　other　country　of　Europe。　　And

its　fame　has　been　steadily　increasing；　although　I　fear　much　of　the

popular　enthusiasm　is　exaggerated　and　unfelt。　　One　who　can　read

Italian　well　may　see　its　〃fiery　emphasis　and　depth；〃　its　condensed

thought　and　language；　its　supernal　scorn　and　supernal　love；　its

bitterness　and　its　forgiveness；　but　few　modern　readers　accept　its

theology　or　its　philosophy；　or　care　at　all　for　the　men　whose　crimes

he　punishes；　and　whose　virtues　he　rewards。



But　there　is　great　interest　in　the　man；　as　well　as　in　the　poem

which　he　made　the　mirror　of　his　life；　and　the　register　of　his

sorrows　and　of　those　speculations　in　which　he　sought　to　banish　the

remembrance　of　his　misfortunes。　　His　life；　like　his　poem；　is　an

epic。　　We　sympathize　with　his　resentments；　〃which　exile　and　poverty

made　perpetually　fresh。〃　　〃The　sincerity　of　his　early　passion　for

Beatrice；〃　says　Hallam；　〃pierces　through　the　veil　of　allegory　which

surrounds　her；　while　the　memory　of　his　injuries　pursues　him　into

the　immensity　of　eternal　light；　and　even　in　the　company　of　saints

and　angels　his　unforgiving　spirit　darkens　at　the　name　of　Florence。　。　。　。

He　combines　the　profoundest　feelings　of　religion　with　those

patriotic　recollections　which　were　suggested　by　the　reappearance　of

the　illustrious　dead。〃



Next　to　Michael　Angelo　he　was　the　best　of　all　famous　Italians；

stained　by　no　marked　defects　but　bitterness；　pride；　and　scorn；

while　his　piety；　his　patriotism；　and　elevation　of　soul　stand　out　in

marked　contrast　with　the　selfishness　and　venality　and　hypocrisy　and

cruelty　of　the　leading　men　in　the　history　of　his　times。　　〃He　wrote

with　his　heart's　blood；〃　he　wrote　in　poverty；　exile；　grief；　and

neglect；　he　wrote　like　an　inspired　prophet　of　old。　　He　seems　to

have　been　specially　raised　up　to　exalt　virtue；　and　vindicate　the

ways　of　God　to　man；　and　prepare　the　way　for　a　new　civilization。　　He

breathes　angry