the civilization of the renaissance in italy-第93节

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irits；　the　　narrative　of　Palingenius　may　be　given　as　one　instance　out　of　many。

At　San　Silvestro；　on　Soracte；　he　had　been　receiving　instruction　from　a　　pious　hermit　on　the　nothingness　of　earthly　things　and　the　worthlessness　　of　human　life；　and　when　the　night　drew　near　he　set　out　on　his　way　back　　to　home。　On　the　road；　in　the　full　light　of　the　moon；　he　was　joined　by　　three　men；　one　of　whom　called　him　by　name；　and　asked　him　whence　he　　came。　Palingenius　made　answer：　'From　the　wise　man　on　the　mountain。'　'O　　fool；'　replied　the　stranger；　'dost　thou　in　truth　believe　that　anyone　on　　earth　is　wise？　Only　higher　beings　（Divi）　have　wisdom；　and　such　are　we　　three；　although　we　wear　the　shapes　of　men。　I　am　named　Saracil；　and　　these　two　Sathiel　and　Jana。　Our　kingdom　lies　near　the　moon；　where　dwell　　that　multitude　of　intermediate　beings　who　have　sway　over　earth　and　　sea。'　Palingenius　then　asked；　not　without　an　inward　tremor；　what　they　　were　going　to　do　at　Rome。　The　answer　was：　'One　of　our　comrades；　Ammon；　　is　kept　in　servitude　by　the　magic　arts　of　a　youth　from　Narni；　one　of　　the　attendants　of　Cardinal　Orsini；　for　mark　it；　O　men；　there　is　proof　　of　your　own　immortality　therein；　that　you　can　control　one　of　us：　I　　myself　shut　up　in　crystal；　was　once　forced　to　serve　a　German；　till　a　　bearded　monk　set　me　free。　This　is　the　service　which　we　wish　to　render　　at　Rome　to　our　friend；　and　he　shall　also　take　the　opportunity　of　　sending　one　or　two　distinguished　Romans　to　the　nether　world。'　At　these　　words　a　light　breeze　arose；　and　Sathiel　said：　'Listen；　our　messenger　is　　coming　back　from　Rome；　and　this　wind　announces　him。'　And　then　another　　being　appeared；　whom　they　greeted　joyfully　and　then　asked　about　Rome。　　His　utterances　are　strongly　anti…papal：　Clement　VII　was　again　allied　　with　the　Spaniards　and　hoped　to　root　out　Luther's　doctrines；　not　with　　arguments；　but　by　the　Spanish　sword。　This　is　wholly　in　the　interest　of　　the　demons；　whom　the　impending　bloodshed　would　enable　to　carry　away　the　　souls　of　thousands　into　hell。　At　the　close　of　this　conversation；　in　　which　Rome　with　all　its　guilt　is　represented　as　wholly　given　over　to　　the　Evil　One；　the　apparitions　vanish；　and　leave　the　poet　sorrowfully　to　　pursue　his　way　alone。　

Those　who　would　form　a　conception　of　the　extent　of　the　belief　in　those　　relations　to　the　demons　which　could　be　openly　avowed　in　spite　of　the　　penalties　attaching　to　witchcraft；　may　be　referred　to　the　much…read　　work　of　Agrippa　of　Nettesheim　'On　secret　Philosophy。'　He　seems　　originally　to　have　written　it　before　he　was　in　Italy；　but　in　the　　dedication　to　Trithemius　he　mentions　Italian　authorities　among　others；　　if　only　by　way　of　disparagement。　In　the　case　of　equivocal　persons　like　　Agrippa；　or　of　the　knaves　and　fools　into　whom　the　majority　of　the　rest　　may　be　divided；　there　is　little　that　is　interesting　in　the　system　they　　profess；　with　its　formula；　fumigations；　ointments；　and　the　rest　of　it。　　But　this　system　was　filled　with　quotations　from　the　superstitions　of　　antiquity；　the　influence　of　which　on　the　life　and　the　passions　of　　Italians　is　at　times　most　remarkable　and　fruitful。　We　might　think　that　　a　great　mind　must　be　thoroughly　ruined；　before　it　surrendered　itself　to　　such　influences；　but　the　violence　of　hope　and　desire　led　even　vigorous　　and　original　men　of　all　classes　to　have　recourse　to　the　magician；　and　　the　belief　that　the　thing　was　feasible　at　all　weakened　to　some　extent　　the　faith；　even　of　those　who　kept　at　a　distance；　in　the　moral　order　of　　the　world。　At　the　cost　of　a　little　money　and　danger　it　seemed　possible　　to　defy　with　impunity　the　universal　reason　and　morality　of　mankind；　and　　to　spare　oneself　the　intermediate　steps　which　otherwise　lie　between　a　　man　and　his　lawful　or　unlawful　ends。

Let　us　here　glance　for　a　moment　at　an　older　and　now　decaying　form　of　　superstition。　From　the　darkest　period　of　the　Middle　Ages；　or　even　from　　the　days　of　antiquity；　many　cities　of　Italy　had　kept　the　remembrance　of　　the　connection　of　their　fate　with　certain　buildings；　statues；　or　other　　material　objects。　The　ancients　had　left　records　of　consecrating　priests　　or　Telestae；　who　were　present　at　the　solemn　foundation　of　cities；　and　　magically　guaranteed　their　prosperity　by　erecting　certain　monuments　or　　by　burying　certain　objects　（Telesmata）。　Traditions　of　this　sort　were　　more　likely　than　anything　else　to　live　on　in　the　form　of　popular；　　unwritten　legend；　but　in　the　course　of　centuries　the　priest　naturally　　became　transformed　into　the　magician；　since　the　religious　side　of　his　　function　was　no　longer　understood。　In　some　of　the　Virgilian　miracles　at　　Naples；　the　ancient　remembrance　of　one　of　these　Telestae　is　clearly　　preserved；　his　name　being　in　course　of　time　supplanted　by　that　of　　Virgil。　The　enclosing　of　the　mysterious　picture　of　the　city　in　a　vessel　　is　neither　more　nor　less　than　a　genuine　ancient　Telesma；　and　Virgil；　as　　founder　of　Naples；　is　but　the　officiating　priest　who　took　part　in　the　　ceremony；　presented　in　another　dress。　The　popular　imagination　went　on　　working　at　these　themes；　till　Virgil　became　also　responsible　for　the　　brazen　horse；　for　the　heads　at　the　Nolan　gate；　for　the　brazen　fly　over　　another　gate；　and　even　for　the　Grotto　of　Posilippoall　of　them　things　　which　in　one　respect　or　other　served　to　put　a　magical　constraint　upon　　fate；　and　the　first　two　of　which　seemed　to　determine　the　whole　fortune　　of　the　city。　Medieval　Rome　also　preserved　confused　recollections　of　the　　same　kind。　At　the　church　of　Sant'　Ambrogio　at　Milan；　there　was　an　　ancient　marble　Hercules；　so　long；　it　was　said；　as　this　stood　in　its　　place；　so　long　would　the　Empire　last。　That　of　the　Germans　is　probably　　meant；　as　the　coronation　of　their　emperors　at　Milan　took　place　in　this　　church。　The　Florentines　were　convinced　that　the　temple　of　Mars；　　afterwards　transformed　into　the　Baptistery；　would　stand　to　the　end　of　　time；　according　to　the　constellation　under　which　it　had　been　built；　　they　had；　as　Christians；　removed　from　it　the　marble　equestrian　statue；　　but　since　the　destruction　of　the　latter　would　have　brought　some　great　　calamity　on　the　cityalso　according　to　a　constellationthey　set　it　　upon　a　tower　by　the　Arno。　When　Totila　conquered　Florence；　the　statue　　fell　into　the　river；　and　was　not　fished　out　again　till　Charlemagne　　refounded　the　city。　It　was　then　placed　on　a　pillar　at　the　entrance　to　　the　Ponte　Vecchio；　and　on　this　spot　Buondelmonti　was　slain　in　1215。　The　　origin　of　the　great　feud　between　Guelph　and　Ghibelline　was　thus　　associated　with　the　dreaded　idol。　During　the　inundation　of　1333　the　　statue　vanished　for　ever。

But　the　same　Telesma　reappears　elsewhere。　Guido　Bonatto；　already　　mentioned；　was　not　satisfied；　at　the　refounding　of　the　walls　of　Forli；　　with　requiring　certain　symbolic　acts　of　reconciliation　from　the　two　　parties。　By　burying　a　bronze　or　stone　equestrian　statue；　which　he　had　　produced　by　astrological　or　magical　arts；　he　believed　that　he　had　　defended　the　city　from　ruin；　and　even　from　capture　and　plunder。　When　　Cardinal　Albornoz　was　governor　of　Romagna　some　sixty　years　later；　the　　statue　was　accidentally　dug　up　and　then　shown　to　the　people；　probably　　by　the　order　of　the　Cardinal；　that　it　might　be　known　by　what　means　the　　cruel　Montefeltro　had　defended　himself　against　the　Roman　Church。　And　　again；　half　a　century　later；　when　an　attempt　to　surprise　Forli　had　　failed；　men　began　to　talk　afresh　of　the　virtue　of　the　statue；　which　had　　perhaps　been　saved　and　reburied。　It　was　the　last　time　that　they　could　　do　so；　for　a　year　later　Forli　was　really　taken。　The　foundation　of　　buildings　all　through　the　fifteenth　century　was　associated　not　only　　with　astrology　but　also　with　magic。　The　large　number　of　gold　and　silver　　medals　which　Paul　II　buried　in　the　foundation　of　his　buildings　was　　noticed；　and　Platina　was　by　no　means　displeased　to　recognize　an　old　　pagan　Telesma　in　the　fact。　Neither　Paul　nor　his　biographer　were　in　any　　way　conscious　of　the　mediaeval　religious　significance　of　such　an　　offering。

But　this　official　magic；　which　in　many　cases　only　rests　on　hearsay；　was　　comparatively　unimportant　by　the　side　of　the　secret　arts　practiced　for　　personal　ends。

The　form　which　these　most　often　took　in　daily　life　is　shown　by　Ariosto　　in　his　comedy　of　the　necromancers。　His　hero　is　one　of　the　many　Jewish　　exiles　from　Spain；　although　he　also　gives　himself　out　for　a　Greek；　an　　Egyptian；　and　an　African；　and　is　constantly　changing　his　name　and　　costume。　He　pretends　that　his　incantations　can　darken　the　day　and　　lighten　the　darkness；　that　he　can　move　the　earth；　make　himself　　invisible；　and　change　men　into　beasts；　but　these　vaunts　are　only　an　　advertisement。　His　true　object　is　to　make　his　account　out　of　unhappy　　and　troubled　marriages；　and　the　traces　which　he　leaves　behind　him　in　　his　course　are　like　the　slime　of　a　snail；　or　often　like　the　ruin　　wrought　by　a　hailstorm。　To　attain　his　ends　he　can　persuade　people　that　　the　box　in　which　a　lover　is　hidden　is　full　of　ghosts；　or　that　he　can　　make　a　corpse　talk。　It　is　at　all　events　a　good　sign　that　poets　and　　novelists　could　reckon　on　popular　applause　in　holding　up　this　class　of　　men　to　ridicule。　Bandello　not　only　treats　this　sorcery　of　a　Lombard　　monk　as　a　miserable；　and　in　its　consequences　terrible；　piece　of　　knavery；　but　he　also　describes　with　una