the civilization of the renaissance in italy-第86部分

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had　no　existence。　The　sound　of　it　was　only　overpowered　by　the　need　of　　representation　and　creation　in　all　departments　that　is；　by　the　　artistic　instinct；　and　it　was　further　checked；　whenever　it　tried　to　　express　itself　theoretically；　by　the　already　existing　despotism　of　the　　Church。　This　spirit　of　doubt　must；　for　reasons　too　obvious　to　need　　discussion；　have　inevitably　and　chiefly　busied　itself　with　the　question　　of　the　state　of　man　after　death。

And　here　came　in　the　influence　of　antiquity；　and　worked　in　a　twofold　　fashion　on　the　argument。　In　the　first　place　men　set　themselves　to　　master　the　psychology　of　the　ancients；　and　tortured　the　letter　of　　Aristotle　for　a　decisive　answer。　In　one　of　the　Lucianic　dialogues　of　　the　time；　Charon　tells　Mercury　how　he　questioned　Aristotle　on　his　　belief　in　immortality；　when　the　philosopher　crossed　in　the　Stygian　　boat；　but　the　prudent　sage；　although　dead　in　the　body　and　nevertheless　　living　on；　declined　to　compromise　himself　by　a　definite　answerand　　centuries　later　how　was　it　likely　to　fare　with　the　interpretation　of　　his　writings？　All　the　more　eagerly　did　men　dispute　about　his　opinion　　and　that　of　others　on　the　true　nature　of　the　soul；　its　origin；　its　　pre…existence；　its　unity　in　all　men；　its　absolute　eternitY；　even　its　　transformations；　and　there　were　men　who　treated　of　these　things　in　the　　pulpit。　The　dispute　was　warmly　carried　on　even　in　the　fifteenth　　century；　some　proved　that　Aristotle　taught　the　doctrine　of　an　immortal　　soul；　others　complained　of　the　hardness　of　men's　hearts；　who　would　not　　believe　that　there　was　a　soul　at　all；　till　they　saw　it　sitting　down　on　　a　chair　before　them；　Filelfo；　in　his　funeral　oration　on　Francesco　　Sforza；　brings　forward　a　long　list　of　opinions　of　ancient　and　even　of　　Arab　philosophers　in　favour　of　immortality；　and　closes　the　mixture；　　which　covers　a　folio　page　and　a　half　of　print；　with　the　words；　'Besides　　all　this　we　have　the　Old　and　New　Testaments；　which　are　above　all　　truth。'　Then　came　the　Florentine　Platonists　with　their　master's　　doctrine　of　the　soul；　supplemented　at　times；　as　in　the　case　of　Pico；　by　　Christian　teaching。　But　the　opposite　opinion　prevailed　in　the　　instructed　world。　At　the　beginning　of　the　sixteenth　century　the　　stumbling…block　which　it　put　in　the　way　of　the　Church　was　so　serious　　that　Leo　X　set　forth　a　Constitution　at　the　Lateran　Council　in　1513；　in　　defence　of　the　immortality　and　individuality　of　the　soul；　the　latter　　against　those　who　asserted　that　there　was　but　one　soul　in　all　men。　A　　few　years　later　appeared　the　work　of　Pomponazzo；　in　which　the　　impossibility　of　a　philosophical　proof　of　immortality　is　maintained；　　and　the　contest　was　now　waged　incessantly　with　replies　and　'apologies；'　　till　it　was　silenced　by　the　Catholic　reaction。　The　pre…existence　of　the　　soul　in　God；　conceived　more　or　less　in　accordance　with　Plato's　theory　　of　ideas；　long　remained　a　common　belief；　and　proved　of　service　even　to　　the　poets。　The　consequences　which　followed　from　it　as　to　the　mode　of　　the　soul's　continued　existence　after　death　were　not　more　closely　　considered。

There　was　a　second　way　in　which　the　influence　of　antiquity　made　itself　　felt；　chiefly　by　means　of　that　remarkable　fragment　of　the　sixth　book　of　　Cicero's　'Republic；'　known　by　the　name　of　Scipio's　Dream。　Without　the　　commentary　of　Macrobius　it　would　probably　have　perished　like　the　rest　　of　the　second　part　of　the　work；　it　was　now　diffused　in　countless　　manuscript　copies；　and；　after　the　discovery　of　typography；　in　a　printed　　form　and　edited　afresh　by　various　commentatOrs。　It　is　the　description　　of　a　transfigured　hereafter　for　great　men；　pervaded　by　the　harmony　of　　the　spheres。　This　pagan　heaven；　for　which　many　other　testimonies　were　　gradually　extracted　from　the　writings　of　the　ancients；　came　step　by　　step　to　supplant　the　Christian　heaven　in　proportion　as　the　ideal　of　　fame　and　historical　greatness　threw　into　the　shade　the　ideal　of　the　　Christian　life；　without；　nevertheless；　the　public　feeling　being　thereby　　offended　as　it　was　by　the　doctrine　of　personal　annihilation　after　　death。　Even　Petrarch　founds　his　hope　chiefly　on　this　Dream　of　Scipio；　　on　the　declarations　found　in　other　Ciceronian　works；　and　on　Plato's　　'Phaedo；'　without　making　any　mention　of　the　Bible。　'Why；'　he　asks　　elsewhere；　'should　not　I　as　a　Catholic　share　a　hope　which　was　　demonstrably　cherished　by　the　heathen？'　Soon　afterwards　Coluccio　　Salutati　wrote　his　'Labors　of　Hercules'　（still　existing　in　manuscript）；　　in　which　it　is　proved　at　the　end　that　the　valorous　man；　who　has　well　　endured　the　great　labors　of　earthly　life；　is　justly　entitled　to　a　　dwelling　among　the　stars。　If　Dante　still　firmly　maintained　that　the　　great　pagans；　whom　he　would　have　gladly　welcomed　in　Paradise；　　nevertheless　must　not　come　beyond　the　Limbo　at　the　entrance　to　Hell；　　the　poetry　of　a　later　time　accepted　joyfully　the　new　liberal　ideas　of　a　　future　life。　Cosimo　the　Elder；　according　to　Bernardo　Pulci's　poem　on　　his　death；　was　received　in　heaven　by　Cicero；　who　had　also　been　called　　the　'father　of　his　country；'　by　the　Fabii；　by　Curius；　Fabricius　and　　many　others；　with　them　he　would　adorn　the　choir　where　only　blameless　　spirits　sing。

But　in　the　old　writers　there　was　another　and　less　pleasing　picture　of　　the　world　to　comethe　shadowy　realms　of　Homer　and　of　those　poets　who　　had　not　sweetened　and　humanized　the　conception。　This　made　an　impression　　on　certain　temperaments。　Gioviano　Pontano　somewhere　attributes　to　　Sannazaro　the　story　of　a　vision　which　he　beheld　one　morning　early　while　　half　awake。　He　seemed　to　see　a　departed　friend；　Ferrandus　Januarius；　　with　whom　he　had　often　discoursed　on　the　immortality　of　the　soul；　and　　whom　he　now　asked　whether　it　was　true　that　the　pains　of　Hell　were　　really　dreadful　and　eternal。　The　shadow　gave　an　answer　like　that　of　　Achilles　when　Odysseus　questioned　him。　'So　much　I　tell　and　aver　to　　thee；　that　we　who　are　parted　from　earthly　life　have　the　strongest　　desire　to　return　to　it　again。'　He　then　saluted　his　friend　and　　disappeared。

It　cannot　but　be　recognized　that　such　views　of　the　state　of　man　after　　death　partly　presuppose　and　partly　promote　the　dissolution　of　the　most　　essential　dogmas　of　Christianity。　The　notion　of　sin　and　of　salvation　　must　have　almost　entirely　evaporated。　We　must　not　be　misled　by　the　　effects　of　the　great　preachers　of　repentance　or　by　the　epidemic　　revivals　which　have　been　described　above。　For　even　granting　that　the　　individually　developed　classes　had　shared　in　them　like　the　rest；　the　　cause　of　their　participation　was　rather　the　need　of　emotional　　excitement；　the　rebound　of　passionate　natures；　the　horror　felt　at　great　　national　calamities；　the　cry　to　heaven　for　help。　The　awakening　of　the　　conscience　had　by　no　means　necessarily　the　sense　of　sin　and　the　felt　　need　of　salvation　as　its　consequence　and　even　a　very　severe　outward　　penance　did　not　perforce　involve　any　repentance　in　the　Christian　　meaning　of　the　word。　When　the　powerful　natures　of　the　Renaissance　tell　　us　that　their　principle　is　to　repent　of　nothing；　they　may　have　in　their　　minds　only　matters　that　are　morally　indifferent；　faults　of　unreason　or　　imprudence；　but　in　the　nature　of　the　case　this　contempt　for　repentance　　must　extend　to　the　sphere　of　morals；　because　its　origin；　namely　the　　consciousness　of　individual　force；　is　common　to　both　sides　of　human　　nature。　The　passive　and　contemplative　form　of　Christianity；　with　its　　constant　reference　to　a　higher　world　beyond　the　grave；　could　no　longer　　control　these　men。　Machiavelli　ventured　still　further；　and　maintained　　that　it　could　not　be　serviceable　to　the　State　and　to　the　maintenance　of　　public　freedom。

The　form　assumed　by　the　strong　religious　instinct　which；　　notwithstanding　all；　survived　in　many　natures；　was　Theism　or　Deism；　as　　we　may　please　to　call　it。　The　latter　name　may　be　applied　to　that　mode　　of　thought　which　simply　wiped　away　the　Christian　element　out　of　　religion；　without　either　seeking　or　finding　any　other　substitute　for　　the　feelings　to　rest　upon。　Theism　may　be　considered　that　definite　　heightened　devotion　to　the　one　Supreme　Being　which　the　Middle　Ages　were　　not　acquainted　with。　This　mode　of　faith　does　not　exclude　Christianity；　　and　can　either　ally　itself　with　the　Christian　doctrines　of　sin；　　redemption；　and　immortality；　or　else　exist　and　flour；sh　without　them。

Sometimes　this　belief　presents　itself　with　childish_naivete　and　even　　with　a　half…pagan　air；　God　appearing　as　the　almighty　fulfiller　of　human　　wishes。　Agnolo　Pandolfini　tells　us　how；　after　his　wedding；　he　shut　　himself　in　with　his　wife；　and　knelt　down　before　the　family　altar　with　　the　picture　of　the　Madonna；　and　prayed；　not　to　her；　but　to　God；　that　He　　would　vouchsafe　to　them　the　right　use　of　their　property；　a　long　life　in　　joy　and　unity　with　one　another；　and　many　male　descendants：　'For　myself　　I　prayed　for　wealth；　honour；　and　friends；　for　her　blamelessness；　　honesty；　and　that　she　might　be　a　good　housekeeper。'　When　the　language　　used　has　a　strong　antique　flavor；　it　is　not　always　easy　to　keep　apart　　the　pagan　style　and　the　theistic　belief。

This　temper　sometimes　manifests　itself　in　times　of　misfortune　with　a　　striking　sincerity。　Some　addresses　to　God　are　left　us　from　the　latter　　period　of　Firenzuola；　when　for　years　he　lay　ill　of　fever；　in　which；　　though　he　expressly　declares　himself　a　believing　Christian；　he　shows　　that　his　religious　consciousness　is　essentially　theistic。　Hie　　sufferings　seem　to　him　neither　as　the　punishment　of　sin；　nor　as　　preparation　for　a　higher　world；　they　are　an　affair　between　him　and　God　　only；　who　has　put　the　strong　love　of　life　between　man　and　his　despair。　　'I　curse；　but　only　curse　Nature；　since　Thy　greatness　forbids　me　to　　utter　Thy　name。。。。　Give　me　death；　Lord；　I　beseech　Thee；　give　it　me　　now！'

In　these　utterances　and　the　like；　it　would　be　vain　to　look　for　a　　conscious　and　consistent　Theism；　the　speakers　partly　believed　　themselves　to　be　still　Christians；　and　for　various　other　reasons　　respected　the　existing　doctrines　of　the　Church。　But　at　the　time　of　the　　Reformation；　when　men　were　driven　to　come　to　a　distinct　conclusion　on　　such　points；　this　mode　of　thought　was　accepted　with　a　fuller　　consciousness；　a　number　of　the　Italian　Protestants　came　forward　as　　Anti…Trinitarians　and　Socinians；　and　even　as　exiles　in　dista