essays on life, art and science-第13章

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it　is　impossible　to　convey　an　accurate　idea　of　the　spirit　prevailing
at　this　hamlet　of　sanctuary　without　attuning　oneself　somewhat　to　the
more　pagan　character　of　the　place。　　Of　irreverence；　in　the　sense　of
a　desire　to　laugh　at　things　that　are　of　high　and　serious　import；
there　is　not　a　trace；　but　at　the　same　time　there　is　a　certain
unbending　of　the　bow　at　Montrigone　which　is　not　perceivable　at
Varallo。

The　first　chapel　to　the　left　on　entering　the　church　is　that　of　the
Birth　of　the　Virgin。　　St。　Anne　is　sitting　up　in　bed。　　She　is　not　at
all　illin　fact；　considering　that　the　Virgin　has　only　been　born
about　five　minutes；　she　is　wonderful；　still　the　doctors　think　it　may
be　perhaps　better　that　she　should　keep　her　room　for　half　an　hour
longer；　so　the　bed　has　been　festooned　with　red　and　white　paper
roses；　and　the　counterpane　is　covered　with　bouquets　in　baskets　and
in　vases　of　glass　and　china。　　These　cannot　have　been　there　during
the　actual　birth　of　the　Virgin；　so　I　suppose　they　had　been　in
readiness；　and　were　brought　in　from　an　adjoining　room　as　soon　as　the
baby　had　been　born。　　A　lady　on　her　left　is　bringing　in　some　more
flowers；　which　St。　Anne　is　receiving　with　a　smile　and　most　gracious
gesture　of　the　hands。　　The　first　thing　she　asked　for；　when　the　birth
was　over；　was　for　her　three　silver　hearts。　　These　were　immediately
brought　to　her；　and　she　has　got　them　all　on；　tied　round　her　neck
with　a　piece　of　blue　silk　ribbon。

Dear　mamma　has　come。　　We　felt　sure　she　would；　and　that　any　little
misunderstandings　between　her　and　Joachim　would　ere　long　be
forgotten　and　forgiven。　　They　are　both　so　good　and　sensible　if　they
would　only　understand　one　another。　　At　any　rate；　here　she　is；　in
high　state　at　the　right　hand　of　the　bed。　　She　is　dressed　in　black；
for　she　has　lost　her　husband　some　few　years　previously；　but　I　do　not
believe　a　smarter；　sprier　old　lady　for　her　years　could　be　found　in
Palestine；　nor　yet　that　either　Giovanni　d'Enrico　or　Giacomo　Ferro
could　have　conceived　or　executed　such　a　character。　　The　sacristan
wanted　to　have　it　that　she　was　not　a　woman　at　all；　but　was　a
portrait　of　St。　Joachim；　the　Virgin's　father。　　〃Sembra　una　donna；〃
he　pleaded　more　than　once；　〃ma　non　e　donna。〃　　Surely；　however；　in
works　of　art　even　more　than　in　other　things；　there　is　no　〃is〃　but
seeming；　and　if　a　figure　seems　female　it　must　be　taken　as　such。
Besides；　I　asked　one　of　the　leading　doctors　at　Varallo　whether　the
figure　was　man　or　woman。　　He　said　it　was　evident　I　was　not　married；
for　that　if　I　had　been　I　should　have　seen　at　once　that　she　was　not
only　a　woman　but　a　mother…in…law　of　the　first　magnitude；　or；　as　he
called　it；　〃una　suocera　tremenda；〃　and　this　without　knowing　that　I
wanted　her　to　be　a　mother…in…law　myself。　　Unfortunately　she　had　no
real　drapery；　so　I　could　not　settle　the　question　as　my　friend　Mr。　H。
F。　Jones　and　I　had　been　able　to　do　at　Varallo　with　the　figure　of　Eve
that　had　been　turned　into　a　Roman　soldier　assisting　at　the　capture
of　Christ。　　I　am　not；　however；　disposed　to　waste　more　time　upon
anything　so　obvious；　and　will　content　myself　with　saying　that　we
have　here　the　Virgin's　grandmother。　　I　had　never　had　the　pleasure；
so　far　as　I　remembered；　of　meeting　this　lady　before；　and　was　glad　to
have　an　opportunity　of　making　her　acquaintance。

Tradition　says　that　it　was　she　who　chose　the　Virgin's　name；　and　if
so；　what　a　debt　of　gratitude　do　we　not　owe　her　for　her　judicious
selection！　　It　makes　one　shudder　to　think　what　might　have　happened
if　she　had　named　the　child　Keren…Happuch；　as　poor　Job's　daughter　was
called。　　How　could　we　have　said；　〃Ave　Keren…Happuch！〃　　What　would
the　musicians　have　done？　　I　forget　whether　Maher…Shalal…Hash…Baz　was
a　man　or　a　woman；　but　there　were　plenty　of　names　quite　as
unmanageable　at　the　Virgin's　grandmother's　option；　and　we　cannot
sufficiently　thank　her　for　having　chosen　one　that　is　so　euphonious
in　every　language　which　we　need　take　into　account。　　For　this　reason
alone　we　should　not　grudge　her　her　portrait；　but　we　should　try　to
draw　the　line　here。　　I　do　not　think　we　ought　to　give　the　Virgin's
great…grandmother　a　statue。　　Where　is　it　to　end？　　It　is　like　Mr。
Crookes's　ultimissimate　atoms；　we　used　to　draw　the　line　at　ultimate
atoms；　and　now　it　seems　we　are　to　go　a　step　farther　back　and　have
ultimissimate　atoms。　　How　long；　I　wonder；　will　it　be　before　we　feel
that　it　will　be　a　material　help　to　us　to　have　ultimissimissimate
atoms？　　Quavers　stopped　at　demi…semi…demi；　but　there　is　no　reason　to
suppose　that　either　atoms　or　ancestresses　of　the　Virgin　will　be　so
complacent。

I　have　said　that　on　St。　Anne's　left　hand　there　is　a　lady　who　is
bringing　in　some　flowers。　　St。　Anne　was　always　passionately　fond　of
flowers。　　There　is　a　pretty　story　told　about　her　in　one　of　the
Fathers；　I　forget　which；　to　the　effect　that　when　a　child　she　was
asked　which　she　liked　bestcakes　or　flowers？　　She　could　not　yet
speak　plainly　and　lisped　out；　〃Oh　fowses；　pretty　fowses〃；　she　added；
however；　with　a　sigh　and　as　a　kind　of　wistful　corollary；　〃but　cakes
are　very　nice。〃　　She　is　not　to　have　any　cakes；　just　now；　but　as　soon
as　she　has　done　thanking　the　lady　for　her　beautiful　nosegay；　she　is
to　have　a　couple　of　nice　new…laid　eggs；　that　are　being　brought　her
by　another　lady。　　Valsesian　women　immediately　after　their
confinement　always　have　eggs　beaten　up　with　wine　and　sugar；　and　one
can　tell　a　Valsesian　Birth　of　the　Virgin　from　a　Venetian　or　a
Florentine　by　the　presence　of　the　eggs。　　I　learned　this　from　an
eminent　Valsesian　professor　of　medicine；　who　told　me　that；　though
not　according　to　received　rules；　the　eggs　never　seemed　to　do　any
harm。　　Here　they　are　evidently　to　be　beaten　up；　for　there　is　neither
spoon　nor　egg…cup；　and　we　cannot　suppose　that　they　were　hard…boiled。
On　the　other　hand；　in　the　Middle　Ages　Italians　never　used　egg…cups
and　spoons　for　boiled　eggs。　　The　mediaeval　boiled　egg　was　always
eaten　by　dipping　bread　into　the　yolk。

Behind　the　lady　who　is　bringing　in　the　eggs　is　the　under…under…nurse
who　is　at　the　fire　warming　a　towel。　　In　the　foreground　we　have　the
regulation　midwife　holding　the　regulation　baby　（who；　by　the　way；　was
an　astonishingly　fine　child　for　only　five　minutes　old）。　　Then　comes
the　under…nursea　good　buxom　creature；　who；　as　usual；　is　feeling
the　water　in　the　bath　to　see　that　it　is　of　the　right　temperature。
Next　to　her　is　the　head…nurse；　who　is　arranging　the　cradle。　　Behind
the　head…nurse　is　the　under…under…nurse's　drudge；　who　is　just　going
out　upon　some　errands。　　Lastlyfor　by　this　time　we　have　got　all
round　the　chapelwe　arrive　at　the　Virgin's　grandmother's…body…
guard；　a　stately；　responsible…looking　lady；　standing　in　waiting　upon
her　mistress。　　I　put　it　to　the　readeris　it　conceivable　that　St。
Joachim　should　have　been　allowed　in　such　a　room　at　such　a　time；　or
that　he　should　have　had　the　courage　to　avail　himself　of　the
permission；　even　though　it　had　been　extended　to　him？　　At　any　rate；
is　it　conceivable　that　he　should　have　been　allowed　to　sit　on　St。
Anne's　right　hand；　laying　down　the　law　with　a　〃Marry；　come　up　here；〃
and　a　〃Marry；　go…down　there；〃　and　a　couple　of　such　unabashed　collars
as　the　old　lady　has　put　on　for　the　occasion？

Moreover　（for　I　may　as　well　demolish　this　mischievous　confusion
between　St。　Joachim　and　his　mother…in…law　once　and　for　all）；　the
merest　tyro　in　hagiology　knows　that　St。　Joachim　was　not　at　home　when
the　Virgin　was　born。　　He　had　been　hustled　out　of　the　temple　for
having　no　children；　and　had　fled　desolate　and　dismayed　into　the
wilderness。　　It　shows　how　silly　people　are；　for　all　the　time　he　was
going；　if　they　had　only　waited　a　little；　to　be　the　father　of　the
most　remarkable　person　of　purely　human　origin　who　had　ever　been
born；　and　such　a　parent　as　this　should　surely　not　be　hurried。　　The
story　is　told　in　the　frescoes　of　the　chapel　of　Loreto；　only　a
quarter　of　an　hour's　walk　from　Varallo；　and　no　one　can　have　known　it
better　than　D'Enrico。　　The　frescoes　are　explained　by　written
passages　that　tell　us　how；　when　Joachim　was　in　the　desert；　an　angel
came　to　him　in　the　guise　of　a　fair；　civil　young　gentleman；　and　told
him　the　Virgin　was　to　be　born。　　Then；　later　on；　the　same　young
gentleman　appeared　to　him　again；　an