the civilization of the renaissance in italy-第96节

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　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　distant　　countries　made　the　memorable　attempt　to　found　a　church　on　these　　principles。　From　the　foregoing　exposition　it　will　be　clear　that；　apart　　from　humanistic　rationalism；　other　spirits　were　at　work　in　this　field。

One　chief　centre　of　theistic　modes　of　thought　lay　in　the　Platonic　　Academy　at　Florence；　and　especially　in　Lorenzo　il　Magnifico　himself。　　The　theoretical　works　and　even　the　letters　of　these　men　show　us　only　　half　their　nature。　It　is　true　that　Lorenzo；　from　his　youth　till　he　　died；　expressed　himself　dogmatically　as　a　Christian；　and　that　Pico　was　　drawn　by　Savonarola's　influence　to　accept　the　point　of　view　of　a　　monkish　ascetic。　But　in　the　hymns　of　Lorenzo；　which　we　are　tempted　to　　regard　as　the　highest　product　of　the　spirit　of　this　school；　an　　unreserved　Theism　is　set　forth　a　Theism　which　strives　to　treat　the　　world　as　a　great　moral　and　physical　Cosmos。

While　the　men　of　the　Middle　Ages　look　on　the　world　as　a　vale　of　tears；　　which　Pope　and　Emperor　are　set　to　guard　against　the　coming　of　　Antichrist；　while　the　fatalists　of　the　Renaissance　oscillate　between　　seasons　of　overflowing　energy　and　seasons　of　superstition　or　of　stupid　　resignation）　here；　in　this　circle　of　chosen　spirits；　the　doctrine　is　　upheld　that　the　visible　world　was　created　by　God　in　love；　that　it　is　　the　copy　of　a　pattern　pre…existing　in　Him；　and　that　He　will　ever　remain　　its　eternal　mover　and　restorer。　The　soul　of　man　can　by　recognizing　God　　draw　Him　into　its　narrow　boundaries；　but　also　by　love　of　Him　expand　　itself　into　the　Infiniteand　this　is　blessedness　on　earth。

Echoes　of　medieval　mysticism　here　flow　into　one　current　with　Platonic　　doctrines　and　with　a　characteristically　modern　spirit。　One　of　the　most　　precious　fruits　of　the　knowledge　of　the　world　and　of　man　here　comes　to　　maturity；　on　whose　account　alone　the　Italian　Renaissance　must　be　called　　the　leader　of　modern　ages。





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