the civilization of the renaissance in italy-第72节

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　and　keys　of　the　city；　which　they　then　delivered　to　the　　Duke；　while　saints　and　angels　held　forth　in　his　praise。　A　chariot　drawn　　by　concealed　horses　now　advanced；　bearing　an　empty　throne；　behind　which　　stood　a　figure　of　Justice　attended　by　a　genius。　At　the　corners　of　the　　chariot　sat　four　grey…headed　lawgivers；　encircled　by　angels　with　　banners；　by　its　side　rode　standard…bearers　in　complete　armor。　It　need　　hardly　be　added　that　the　goddess　and　the　genius　did　not　suffer　the　Duke　　to　pass　by　without　an　address。　A　second　car；　drawn　by　a　unicorn；　bore　a　　Caritas　with　a　burning　torch；　between　the　two　came　the　classical　　spectacle　of　a　car　in　the　form　of　a　ship；　moved　by　men　concealed　within　　it。　The　whole　procession　now　advanced　before　the　Duke。　In　front　of　the　　church　of　St。　Pietro；　a　halt　was　again　made。　The　saint；　attended　by　two　　angels；　descended　in　an　aureole　from　the　facade；　placed　a　wreath　of　　laurel　on　the　head　of　the　Duke；　and　then　floated　back　to　his　former　　position。　The　clergy　provided　another　allegory　of　a　purely　religious　　kind。　Idolatry　and　Faith　stood　on　two　lofty　pillars；　and　after　Faith；　　represented　by　a　beautiful　girl；　had　uttered　her　welcome；　the　other　　column　fell　to　pieces　with　the　lay　figure　upon　it。　Further　on；　Borso　　was　met　by　a　Caesar　with　seven　beautiful　women；　who　were　presented　to　　him　as　the　Virtues　which　he　was　exhorted　to　pursue。　At　last　the　　Cathedral　was　reached；　but　after　the　service　the　Duke　again　took　his　　seat　on　a　lofty　golden　throne；　and　a　second　time　received　the　homage　of　　some　of　the　masks　already　mentioned。　To　conclude　all；　three　angels　flew　　down　from　an　adjacent　building；　and；　amid　songs　of　joy；　delivered　to　　him　palm　branches；　as　symbols　of　peace。

Let　us　now　give　a　glance　at　those　festivals　the　chief　feature　of　which　　was　the　procession　itself。

There　is　no　doubt　that　from　an　early　period　of　the　Middle　Ages　the　　religious　processions　gave　rise　to　the　use　of　masks。　Little　angels　　accompanied　the　sacrament　or　the　sacred　pictures　and　relics　on　their　　way　through　the　streets；　or　characters　in　the　Passionsuch　as　Christ　　with　the　cross；　the　thieves　and　the　soldiers；　or　the　faithful　women　were　represented　for　public　edification。　But　the　great　feasts　of　the　　Church　were　from　an　early　time　accompanied　by　a　civic　procession；　and　　the　_naivete　_of　the　Middle　Ages　found　nothing　unfitting　in　the　many　　secular　elements　which　it　contained。　We　may　mention　especially　the　　naval　car　_（carrus　navalis）；　_which　had　been　inherited　from　pagan　　times；　and　which；　as　an　instance　already　quoted　shows；　was　admissible　　at　festivals　of　very　various　kinds；　and　is　associated　with　one　of　them　　in　particular　the　Carnival。　Such　ships；　decorated　with　all　possible　　splendor；　delighted　the　eyes　of　spectators　long　after　the　original　　meaning　of　them　was　forgotten。　When　Isabella　of　England　met　her　　bridegroom；　the　Emperor　Frederick　II；　at　Cologne；　she　was　met　by　a　　number　of　such　chariots；　drawn　by　invisible　horses；　and　filled　with　a　　crowd　of　priests　who　welcomed　her　with　music　and　singing。

But　the　religious　processions　were　not　only　mingled　with　secular　　accessories　of　all　kinds；　but　were　often　replaced　by　processions　of　　clerical　masks。　Their　origin　is　perhaps　to　be　found　in　the　parties　of　　actors　who　wound　their　way　through　the　streets　of　the　city　to　the　place　　where　they　were　about　to　act　the　mystery；　but　it　is　possible　that　at　an　　early　per；od　the　clerical　procession　may　have　constituted　itself　as　a　　distinct　species。　Dante　described　the　'Trionfo'　of　Beatrice；　with　the　　twenty…four　Elders　of　the　Apocalypse；　with　the　four　mystical　Beasts；　　with　the　three　Christian　and　four　Cardinal　Virtues；　and　with　Saint　　Luke；　Saint　Paul；　and　other　Apostles；　in　a　way　which　almost　forces　us　　to　conclude　that　such　processions　actually　occurred　before　his　time。　We　　are　chiefly　led　to　this　conclusion　by　the　chariot　in　which　Beatrice　　drives；　and　which　in　the　miraculous　forest　of　the　vision　would　have　　been　unnecessary　or　rather　out　of　place。　It　is　possible；　on　the　other　　hand；　that　Dante　looked　on　the　chariot　as　a　symbol　of　victory　and　　triumph；　and　that　his　poem　rather　served　to　give　rise　to　these　　processions；　the　form　of　which　was　borrowed　from　the　triumph　of　the　　Roman　Emperors。　However　this　may　be；　poetry　and　theology　continued　to　　make　free　use　of　the　symbol。　Savonarola　in　his　'Triumph　of　the　Cross'　　represents　Christ　on　a　Chariot　of　Victory；　above　his　head　the　shining　　sphere　of　the　Trinity；　in　his　left　hand　the　Cross；　in　his　right　the　Old　　and　New　Testaments；　below　him　the　Virgin　Mary；　on　both　sides　the　　Martyrs　and　Doctors　of　the　Church　with　open　books；　behind　him　all　the　　multitude　of　the　saved；　and　in　the　distance　the　countless　host　of　his　　enemiesemperors；　princes；　philosophers；　hereticsall　vanquished；　　their　idols　broken；　and　their　books　burned。　A　great　picture　of　Titian；　　which　is　known　only　as　a　woodcut；　has　a　good　deal　in　common　with　this　　description。　The　ninth　and　tenth　of　Sabellico's　thirteen　Elegies　on　the　　Mother　of　God　contain　a　minute　account　of　her　triumph；　richly　adorned　　with　allegories；　and　especially　interesting　from　that　matter…of…fact　　air　which　also　characterizes　the　realistic　painting　of　the　fifteenth　　century。

Nevertheless；　the　secular　'Trionfi'　were　far　more　frequent　than　the　　religious。　They　were　modelled　on　the　procession　of　the　Roman　Imperator；　　as　it　was　known　from　the　old　reliefs　and　the　writings　of　ancient　　authors。　The　historical　conceptions　then　prevalent　in　Italy；　with　which　　these　shows　were　closely　connected；　have　already　been　discussed。

We　now　and　then　read　of　the　actual　triumphal　entrance　of　a　victorious　　general；　which　was　organized　as　far　as　possible　on　the　ancient　pattern；　　even　against　the　will　of　the　hero　himself。　Francesco　Sforza　had　the　　courage　（1450）　to　refuse　the　triumphal　chariot　which　had　been　prepared　　for　his　return　to　Milan；　on　the　ground　that　such　things　were　monarchial　　superstitions。　Alfonso　the　Great；　on　his　entrance　into　Naples　（1443）；　　declined　the　wreath　of　laurel；　which　Napoleon　did　not　disdain　to　wear　　at　his　coronation　in　Notre…Dame。　For　the　rest；　Alfonso's　procession；　　which　passed　by　a　breach　in　the　wall　through　the　city　to　the　cathedral；　　was　a　strange　mixture　of　antique；　allegorical；　and　purely　comic　　elements。　The　car；　drawn　by　four　white　horses；　on　which　he　sat　　enthroned；　was　lofty　and　covered　with　gilding；　twenty　patricians　　carried　the　poles　of　the　canopy　of　cloth　of　gold　which　shaded　his　head。　　The　part　of　the　procession　which　the　Florentines　then　present　in　Naples　　had　undertaken　was　composed　of　elegant　young　cavaliers；　skillfully　　brandishing　their　lances；　of　a　chariot　with　the　figure　of　Fortune；　and　　of　seven　Virtues　on　horseback。　The　goddess　herself；　in　accordance　with　　the　inexorable　logic　of　allegory　to　which　even　the　painters　at　that　　time　conformed；　wore　hair　only　on　the　front　part　of　her　head；　while　the　　back　part　was　bald；　and　the　genius　who　sat　on　the　lower　steps　of　the　　car；　and　who　symbolized　the　fugitive　character　of　fortune；　had　his　feet　　immersed　in　a　basin　of　water　Then　followed；　equipped　by　the　same　　Florentines；　a　troop　of　horsemen　in　the　costumes　of　various　nations；　　dressed　as　foreign　princes　and　nobles；　and　then；　crowned　with　laurel　　and　standing　above　a　revolving　globe；　a　Julius　Caesar；　who　explained　to　　the　king　in　Italian　verse　the　meaning　of　the　allegories；　and　then　took　　his　place　in　the　procession。　Sixty　Florentines；　all　in　purple　and　　scarlet；　closed　this　splendid　display　of　what　their　home　could　achieve。　　Then　a　band　of　Catalans　advanced　on　foot；　with　lay　figures　of　horses　　fastened　on　to　them　before　and　behind；　and　engaged　in　a　mock　combat　　with　a　body　of　Turks；　as　though　in　derision　of　the　Florentine　　sentimentalism。　Last　of　all　came　a　gigantic　tower；　the　door　guarded　by　　an　angel　with　a　drawn　sword；　on　it　stood　four　Virtues；　who　each　　addressed　the　king　with　a　song。　The　rest　of　the　show　had　nothing　　specially　characteristic　about　it。

At　the　entrance　of　Louis　XII　into　Milan　in　the　year　1507　we　find；　　besides　the　inevitable　chariot　with　Virtues；　a　living　group　　representing　Jupiter；　Mars；　and　a　figure　of　Italy　caught　in　a　net。　　After　which　came　a　car　laden　with　trophies；　and　so　forth。

And　when　there　were　in　reality　no　triumphs　to　celebrate；　the　poets　　found　a　compensation　for　themselves　and　their　patrons。　Petrarch　and　　Boccaccio　had　described　the　representation　of　every　sort　of　fame　as　　attendants　each　of　an　allegorical　figure；　the　celebrities　of　past　ages　　were　now　made　attendants　of　the　prince。　The　poetess　Cleofe　Gabrielli　of　　Gubbio　paid　this　honour　to　Borso　of　Ferrara。　She　gave　him　seven　queens…　…the　seven　liberal　artsas　his　handmaids；　with　whom　he　mounted　a　　chariot；　further；　a　crowd　of　heroes；　distinguished　by　names　written　on　　their　foreheads；　then　followed　all　the　famous　poets；　and　after　them　the　　gods　driving　in　their　chariots。　There　is；　in　fact；　at　this　time　simply　　no　end　to　the　mythological　and　allegorical　charioteering；　and　the　most　　important　work　of　art　of　Borso's　timethe　frescoes　in　the　Palazzo　　Schifanoiashows　us　a　whole　frieze　filled　with　these　motives。　Raphael；　　when　he　had　to　paint　the　Camera　della　Segnatura；　found　this　mode　of　　artistic　thought　completely　vulgarized　and　worn　out。　The　new　and　fina