the story of mankind-第88章

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told　the　stories　of　the　Holy　Book　in　little　bits　of　brilliantly

coloured　window…pane；　which　were　caught　in　a　long　framework

of　lead。



Behold；　therefore；　the　new　and　glorious　house　of　God；

filled　with　an　eager　multitude；　‘‘living''　its　religion　as　no　people

have　ever　done　either　before　or　since！　Nothing　is　considered

too　good　or　too　costly　or　too　wondrous　for　this　House　of　God

and　Home　of　Man。　The　sculptors；　who　since　the　destruction

of　the　Roman　Empire　have　been　out　of　employment；　haltingly

return　to　their　noble　art。　Portals　and　pillars　and　buttresses

and　cornices　are　all　covered　with　carven　images　of　Our　Lord

and　the　blessed　Saints。　The　embroiderers　too　are　set　to　work

to　make　tapestries　for　the　walls。　The　jewellers　offer　their

highest　art　that　the　shrine　of　the　altar　may　be　worthy　of　complete

adoration。　Even　the　painter　does　his　best。　Poor　man；

he　is　greatly　handicapped　by　lack　of　a　suitable　medium。



And　thereby　hangs　a　story。



The　Romans　of　the　early　Christian　period　had　covered　the

floors　and　the　walls　of　their　temples　and　houses　with　mosaics；

pictures　made　of　coloured　bits　of　glass。　But　this　art　had　been

exceedingly　difficult。　It　gave　the　painter　no　chance　to　express

all　he　wanted　to　say；　as　all　children　know　who　have　ever　tried　to

make　figures　out　of　coloured　blocks　of　wood。　The　art　of

mosaic　painting　therefore　died　out　during　the　late　Middle

Ages　except　in　Russia；　where　the　Byzantine　mosaic　painters

had　found　a　refuge　after　the　fall　of　Constantinople　and　continued

to　ornament　the　walls　of　the　orthodox　churches　until

the　day　of　the　Bolsheviki；　when　there　was　an　end　to　the　building

of　churches。



Of　course；　the　mediaeval　painter　could　mix　his　colours　with

the　water　of　the　wet　plaster　which　was　put　upon　the　walls　of

the　churches。　This　method　of　painting　upon　‘‘fresh　plaster''

（which　was　generally　called　‘‘fresco''　or　‘‘fresh''　painting）

was　very　popular　for　many　centuries。　To…day；　it　is　as　rare

as　the　art　of　painting　miniatures　in　manuscripts　and　among

the　hundreds　of　artists　of　our　modern　cities　there　is　perhaps

one　who　can　handle　this　medium　successfully。　But　during　the

Middle　Ages　there　was　no　other　way　and　the　artists　were

‘‘fresco''　workers　for　lack　of　something　better。　The　method

however　had　certain　great　disadvantages。　Very　often　the

plaster　came　off　the　walls　after　only　a　few　years；　or　dampness

spoiled　the　pictures；　just　as　dampness　will　spoil　the　pattern

of　our　wall　paper。　People　tried　every　imaginable　expedient

to　get　away　from　this　plaster　background。　They　tried　to　mix

their　colours　with　wine　and　vinegar　and　with　honey　and　with

the　sticky　white　of　egg；　but　none　of　these　methods　were　satisfactory。

For　more　than　a　thousand　years　these　experiments

continued。　In　painting　pictures　upon　the　parchment　leaves

of　manuscripts　the　mediaeval　artists　were　very　successful。　But

when　it　came　to　covering　large　spaces　of　wood　or　stone　with

paint　which　would　stick；　they　did　not　succeed　very　well。



At　last；　during　the　first　half　of　the　fifteenth　century；　the

problem　was　solved　in　the　southern　Netherlands　by　Jan　and

Hubert　van　Eyck。　The　famous　Flemish　brothers　mixed　their

paint　with　specially　prepared　oils　and　this　allowed　them　to　use

wood　and　canvas　or　stone　or　anything　else　as　a　background　for

their　pictures。



But　by　this　time　the　religious　ardour　of　the　early　Middle

Ages　was　a　thing　of　the　past。　The　rich　burghers　of　the　cities

were　succeeding　the　bishops　as　patrons　of　the　arts。　And　as

art　invariably　follows　the　full　dinner…pail；　the　artists　now　began

to　work　for　these　worldly　employers　and　painted　pictures　for

kings；　for　grand…dukes　and　for　rich　bankers。　Within　a　very

short　time；　the　new　method　of　painting　with　oil　spread　through

Europe　and　in　every　country　there　developed　a　school　of

special　painting　which　showed　the　characteristic　tastes　of　the

people　for　whom　these　portraits　and　landscapes　were　made。



In　Spain；　for　example；　Velasquez　painted　court…dwarfs

and　the　weavers　of　the　royal　tapestry…factories；　and　all　sorts

of　persons　and　subjects　connected　with　the　king　and　his　court。

But　in　Holland；　Rembrandt　and　Frans　Hals　and　Vermeer

painted　the　barnyard　of　the　merchant's　house；　and　they　painted

his　rather　dowdy　wife　and　his　healthy　but　bumptious　children

and　the　ships　which　had　brought　him　his　wealth。　In　Italy　on

the　other　hand；　where　the　Pope　remained　the　largest　patron

of　the　arts；　Michelangelo　and　Correggio　continued　to　paint

Madonnas　and　Saints；　while　in　England；　where　the　aristocracy

was　very　rich　and　powerful　and　in　France　where　the

kings　had　become　uppermost　in　the　state；　the　artists　painted

distinguished　gentlemen　who　were　members　of　the　government；

and　very　lovely　ladies　who　were　friends　of　His　Majesty。



The　great　change　in　painting；　which　came　about　with　the

neglect　of　the　old　church　and　the　rise　of　a　new　class　in　society；

was　reflected　in　all　other　forms　of　art。　The　invention　of　printing

had　made　it　possible　for　authors　to　win　fame　and　reputation

by　writing　books　for　the　multitudes。　In　this　way　arose

the　profession　of　the　novelist　and　the　illustrator。　But　the

people　who　had　money　enough　to　buy　the　new　books　were　not

the　sort　who　liked　to　sit　at　home　of　nights；　looking　at　the　ceiling

or　just　sitting。　They　wanted　to　be　amused。　The　few　minstrels

of　the　Middle　Ages　were　not　sufficient　to　cover　the　demand　for

entertainment。　For　the　first　time　since　the　early　Greek　city…

states　of　two　thousand　years　before；　the　professional　playwright

had　a　chance　to　ply　his　trade。　The　Middle　Ages　had

known　the　theatre　merely　as　part　of　certain　church　celebrations。

The　tragedies　of　the　thirteenth　and　fourteenth　centuries

had　told　the　story　of　the　suffering　of　our　Lord。　But

during　the　sixteenth　century　the　worldly　theatre　made　its

reappearance。　It　is　true　that；　at　first；　the　position　of　the

professional　playwright　and　actor　was　not　a　very　high　one。

William　Shakespeare　was　regarded　as　a　sort　of　circus…fellow

who　amused　his　neighbours　with　his　tragedies　and　comedies。

But　when　he　died　in　the　year　1616　he　had　begun　to　enjoy　the

respect　of　his　neighbours　and　actors　were　no　longer　subjects

of　police　supervision。



William's　contemporary；　Lope　de　Vega；　the　incredible

Spaniard　who　wrote　no　less　than　1800　worldly　and　400　religious

plays；　was　a　person　of　rank　who　received　the　papal　approval

upon　his　work。　A　century　later；　Moliere；　the　Frenchman；

was　deemed　worthy　of　the　companionship　of　none　less

than　King　Louis　XIV。



Since　then；　the　theatre　has　enjoyed　an　ever　increasing

affection　on　the　part　of　the　people。　To…day　a　‘‘theatre''　is　part

of　every　well…regulated　city；　and　the　‘‘silent　drama''　of　the

movies　has　penetrated　to　the　tiniest　of　our　prairie　hamlets。



Another　art；　however；　was　to　become　the　most　popular　of

all。　That　was　music。　Most　of　the　old　art…forms　demanded　a

great　deal　of　technical　skill。　It　takes　years　and　years　of　practice

before　our　clumsy　hand　is　able　to　follow　the　commands　of

the　brain　and　reproduce　our　vision　upon　canvas　or　in　marble。

It　takes　a　life…time　to　learn　how　to　act　or　how　to　write　a　good

novel。　And　it　takes　a　great　deal　of　training　on　the　part　of　the

public　to　appreciate　the　best　in　painting　and　writing　and

sculpture。　But　almost　any　one；　not　entirely　tone…deaf；　can

follow　a　tune　and　almost　everybody　can　get　enjoyment　out　of

some　sort　of　music。　The　Middle　Ages　had　heard　a　little　music

but　it　had　been　entirely　the　music　of　the　church。　The　holy

chants　were　subject　to　very　severe　laws　of　rhythm　and　harmony

and　soon　these　became　monotonous。　Besides；　they　could　not

well　be　sung　in　the　street　or　in　the　market…place。



The　Renaissance　changed　this。　Music　once　more　came

into　its　own　as　the　best　friend　of　man；　both　in　his　happiness　and

in　his　sorrows。



The　Egyptians　and　the　Babylonians　and　the　ancient　Jews

had　all　been　great　lovers　of　music。　They　had　even　combined

different　instruments　into　regular　orchestra