beacon lights of history-iii-2-第23部分

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in　another　age；　and　burn　with　inextinguishable　brightness　to

remotest　generations；　as　examples　of　the　power　of　faith　and　truth

in　this　wicked　and　rebellious　world；a　world　to　be　finally

redeemed　by　the　labors　and　religion　of　just　such　men；　whose　days

are　days　of　sadness；　protest；　and　suffering；　and　whose　hours　of

triumph　and　exaltation　are　not　like　those　of　conquerors；　nor　like

those　whose　eyes　stand　out　with　fatness；　but　few　and　far　between。

〃I　have　loved　righteousness；　I　have　hated　iniquity；〃　said　the　great

champion　of　the　Mediaeval　Church；　〃and　therefore　I　die　in　exile。〃



In　ten　years　after　this　ignominious　execution；　Raphael　painted　the

martyr　among　the　sainted　doctors　of　the　Church　in　the　halls　of　the

Vatican；　and　future　popes　did　justice　to　his　memory；　for　he

inaugurated　that　reform　movement　in　the　Catholic　Church　itself

which　took　place　within　fifty　years　after　his　death。　　In　one　sense

he　was　the　precursor　of　Loyola；　of　Xavier；　and　of　Aquaviva；those

illustrious　men　who　headed　the　counter…reformation；　Jesuits　indeed；

but　ardent　in　piety；　and　enlightened　by　the　spirit　of　a　progressive

age。　　〃He　was　the　first；〃　says　Villari；　〃in　the　fifteenth　century；

to　make　men　feel　that　a　new　light　had　awakened　the　human　race；　and

thus　he　was　a　prophet　of　a　new　civilization；the　forerunner　of

Luther；　of　Bacon；　of　Descartes。　　Hence　the　drama　of　his　life

became；　after　his　death；　the　drama　of　Europe。　　In　the　course　of　a

single　generation　after　Luther　had　declared　his　mission；　the　spirit

of　the　Church　of　Rome　underwent　a　change。　　From　the　halls　of　the

Vatican　to　the　secluded　hermitages　of　the　Apennines　this　revival

was　felt。　　Instead　of　a　Borgia　there　reigned　a　Caraffa。〃　　And　it　is

remarkable　that　from　the　day　that　the　counter…reformation　in　the

Catholic　Church　was　headed　by　the　early　Jesuits；　Protestantism

gained　no　new　victories；　and　in　two　centuries　so　far　declined　in

piety　and　zeal　that　the　cities　which　witnessed　the　noblest　triumphs

of　Luther　and　Calvin　were　disgraced　by　a　boasting　rationalism；　to

be　succeeded　again　in　our　times　by　an　arrogance　of　scepticism　which

has　had　no　parallel　since　the　days　of　Democritus　and　Lucretius。

〃It　was　the　desire　of　Savonarola　that　reason；　religion；　and　liberty

might　meet　in　harmonious　union；　but　he　did　not　think　a　new　system

of　religious　doctrines　was　necessary。〃



The　influence　of　such　a　man　cannot　pass　away；　and　has　not　passed

away；　for　it　cannot　be　doubted　that　his　views　have　been　embraced　by

enlightened　Catholics　from　his　day　to　ours；by　such　men　as　Pascal；

Fenelon；　and　Lacordaire；　and　thousands　like　them；　who　prefer

ritualism　and　auricular　confession；　and　penance；　monasticism；　and

an　ecclesiastical　monarch；　and　all　the　machinery　of　a　complicated

hierarchy；　with　all　the　evils　growing　out　of　papal　domination；　to

rationalism；　sectarian　dissensions；　irreverence；　license；　want　of

unity；　want　of　government；　and　even　dispensation　from　the　marriage

vow。　　Which　is　worse；　the　physical　arm　of　the　beast；　or　the　maniac

soul　of　a　lying　prophet？　　Which　is　worse；　the　superstition　and

narrowness　which　darken　the　mind　and　the　spirit；　or　that　unbounded

toleration　which　smiles　on　those　audacious　infidels　who　cloak　their

cruel　attacks　on　the　faith　of　Christians　with　the　name　of　a

progressive　civilization？and　so　far　advanced　that　one　of　these

new　lights；　ignorant；　perhaps；　of　everything　except　of　the　fossils

and　shells　and　bugs　and　gases　of　the　hole　he　has　bored　in；　assumes

to　know　more　of　the　mysteries　of　creation　and　the　laws　of　the

universe　than　Moses　and　David　and　Paul；　and　all　the　Bacons　and

Newtons　that　ever　lived？　　Names　are　nothing；　it　is　the　spirit；　the

animus；　which　is　everything。　　It　is　the　soul　which　permeates　a

system；　that　I　look　at。　　It　is　the　Devil　from　which　I　would　flee；

whatever　be　his　name；　and　though　he　assume　the　form　of　an　angel　of

light；　or　cunningly　try　to　persuade　me；　and　ingeniously　argue；　that

there　is　no　God。　　True　and　good　Catholics　and　true　and　good

Protestants　have　ever　been　united　in　one　thing；IN　THIS　BELIEF；

that　there　is　a　God　who　made　the　heaven　and　the　earth；　and　that

there　is　a　Christ　who　made　atonement　for　the　sins　of　the　world。　　It

is　good　morals；　faith；　and　love　to　which　both　Catholics　and

Protestants　are　exhorted　by　the　Apostles。　　When　either　Catholics　or

Protestants　accept　the　one　faith　and　the　one　Lord　which

Christianity　alone　reveals；　then　they　equally　belong　to　the　grand

army　of　spiritual　warriors　under　the　banner　of　the　Cross；　though

they　may　march　under　different　generals　and　in　different　divisions

and　they　will　receive　the　same　consolations　in　this　world；　and　the

same　rewards　in　the　world　to　come。





AUTHORITIES。





Villari's　Life　of　Savonarola；　Biographie　Universelle；　Ranke's

History　of　the　Popes。　　There　is　much　in　〃Romola；〃　by　George　Eliot。

Life　of　Savonarola；　by　the　Prince　of　Mirandola。







MICHAEL　ANGELO。



A。D。　1475…1564。



THE　REVIVAL　OF　ART。





Michael　Angelo　Buonarrotione　of　the　Great　Lights　of　the　new

civilizationmay　stand　as　the　most　fitting　representative　of

reviving　art　in　Europe；　also　as　an　illustrious　example　of　those

virtues　which　dignify　intellectual　pre…eminence。　　He　was　superior；

in　all　that　is　sterling　and　grand　in　character；　to　any　man　of　his

age；certainly　in　Italy；　exhibiting　a　rugged；　stern　greatness

which　reminds　us　of　Dante；　and　of　other　great　benefactors；　nurtured

in　the　school　of　sorrow　and　disappointment；　leading　a　checkered

life；　doomed　to　envy；　ingratitude；　and　neglect；　rarely　understood；

and　never　fully　appreciated　even　by　those　who　employed　and　honored

him。　　He　was　an　isolated　man；　grave；　abstracted；　lonely；　yet　not

unhappy；　since　his　world　was　that　of　glorious　and　exalting　ideas；

even　those　of　grace；　beauty；　majesty；　and　harmony；the　world　which

Plato　lived　in；　and　in　which　all　great　men　live　who　seek　to　rise

above　the　transient；　the　false；　and　puerile　in　common　life。　　He　was

also　an　original　genius；　remarkable　in　everything　he　attempted；

whether　as　sculptor；　painter；　or　architect；　and　even　as　poet。　　He

saw　the　archetypes　of　everything　beautiful　and　grand；　which　are

invisible　except　to　those　who　are　almost　divinely　gifted；　and　he

had　the　practical　skill　to　embody　them　in　permanent　forms；　so　that

all　ages　may　study　those　forms；　and　rise　through　them　to　the　realms

in　which　his　soul　lived。



Michael　Angelo　not　only　created；　but　he　reproduced。　　He　reproduced

the　glories　of　Grecian　and　Roman　art。　　He　restored　the　old

civilization　in　his　pictures；　his　statues；　and　his　grand　edifices。

He　revived　a　taste　for　what　is　imperishable　in　antiquity。　　As　such

he　is　justly　regarded　as　an　immortal　benefactor；　for　it　is　art

which　gives　to　nations　culture；　refinement；　and　the　enjoyment　of

the　beautiful。　　Art　diverts　the　mind　from　low　and　commonplace

pursuits；　exalts　the　imagination；　and　makes　its　votary　indifferent

to　the　evils　of　life。　　It　raises　the　soul　into　regions　of　peace　and

bliss。



But　art　is　most　ennobling　when　it　is　inspired　by　lofty　and

consecrated　sentiments；like　those　of　religion；　patriotism；　and

love。　　Now　ancient　art　was　consecrated　to　Paganism。　　Of　course

there　were　noble　exceptions；　but　as　a　general　rule　temples　were

erected　in　honor　of　heathen　deities。　　Statues　represented　mere

physical　strength　and　beauty　and　grace。　　Pictures　portrayed　the

charms　of　an　unsanctified　humanity。　　Hence　ancient　art　did　very

little　to　arrest　human　degeneracy；　facilitated　rather　than　retarded

the　ruin　of　states　and　empires；　since　it　did　not　stimulate　the

virtues　on　which　the　strength　of　man　is　based：　it　did　not　check

those　depraved　tastes　and　habits　which　are　based　on　egotism。



Now　the　restorers　of　ancient　art　cannot　be　said　to　have　contributed

to　the　moral　elevation　of　the　new　races；　unless　they　avoided　the

sensualism　of　Greece　and　Rome；　and　appealed　purely　to　those　eternal

ideas　which　the　human　mind；　even　under　Pagan　influences；　sometimes

conceived；　and　which　do　not　conflict　with　Christianity　itself。



In　considering　the　life　and　labors　of　Michael　Angelo；　then；　we　are

to　examine　whether；　in　the　classical　glories　of　antiquity　which　he

substituted　for　the　Gothic　and　Mediaeval；　he　advanced　civilization

in　the　noblest　sense；　and　moreover；　whether　he　carried　art　to　a

higher　degree　than　was　ever　attained　by　the　Greeks　and　Romans；　and

hence　became　a　benefactor　of　the　world。



In　considering　these　points　I　shall　not　attempt　a　minute　criticism

of　his　works。　　I　can　only　seize　on　the　great　outlines；　the　salient

points　of　those　productions　which　have　given　him　immortality。　　No

lecture　can　be　exhaustive。　　If　it　only　prove　suggestive；　it　has

reached　its　end。



Michael　Angelo　stands　out　in　history　in　the　three　aspects　of

sculptor；　painter；　and　architect；　and　that　too　in　a　country　devoted

to　art；　and　in　an　age　when　Italy　won　all　her　modern　glories；

arising　from　the　matchless　works　which　that　age　produced。　　Indeed；

those　works　will　probably　never　be　surpassed；　since　all　the

energies　of　a　great　nation　were　concentrated　upon　their　production；

even　as　our　own　age　confines　itself　chiefly　to　mechanical

inventions　and　scientific　research　and　speculation。　　What　railroads

and　telegraphs　and　spindles　and　chemical　tests　and　compounds　are　to

us；　what　philosophy　was　to　the　Greeks；　what　government　and

jurisprudence　were　to　the　Romans；　what　cathedrals　and　metaphysical

subtilties　were　to　the　Middle　Ages；　what　theological　inquiries　were

to　the　divines　of　the　seventeenth　century；　what　social　urbanities

and　refinements　were　to　the　French　in　the　eighteenth　century；the

fine　arts　were　to　the　Italians　in　the　sixteenth　century：　a　fact　too

commonplace　to　dwell　upon；　and　which　will　be　conceded　when　we　bear

in　mind　that　no　age　has　been　distinguished　for　everything；　and　that

nations　can　try　satisfactorily　but　one　experiment　at　a　time；　and

are　not　likely　to　repeat　it　with　the　same　enthusiasm。　　As　the　mind

is　unbounde