the story of mankind-第78节

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great　ceremony　before　the　High　Altar。　And　finally；　when　the

end　of　the　journey　had　come；　you　were　buried　beneath　the

stones　of　this　familiar　building；　that　all　your　children　and　their

grandchildren　might　pass　over　your　grave　until　the　Day　of

Judgement。



Because　the　Church　was　not　only　the　House　of　God　but

also　the　true　centre　of　all　common　life；　the　building　had　to　be

different　from　anything　that　had　ever　been　constructed　by

the　hands　of　man。　The　temples　of　the　Egyptians　and　the

Greeks　and　the　Romans　had　been　merely　the　shrine　of　a　local

divinity。　As　no　sermons　were　preached　before　the　images　of

Osiris　or　Zeus　or　Jupiter；　it　was　not　necessary　that　the　interior

offer　space　for　a　great　multitude。　All　the　religious　processions

of　the　old　Mediterranean　peoples　took　place　in　the　open。　But

in　the　north；　where　the　weather　was　usually　bad；

most　functions　were　held　under　the　roof　of　the　church。



During　many　centuries　the　architects　struggled　with

this　problem　of　constructing　a　building　that　was　large

enough。　The　Roman　tradition　taught　them　how　to　build　heavy

stone　walls　with　very　small　windows　lest　the　walls　lose

their　strength。　On　the　top　of　this　they　then　placed　a

heavy　stone　roof。　But　in　the　twelfth　century；　after　the

beginning　of　the　Crusades；　when　the　architects　had　seen　the

pointed　arches　of　the　Mohammedan　builders；　the　western　builders

discovered　a　new　style　which　gave　them　their　first　chance　to　make

the　sort　of　building　which　those　days　of　an　intense　religious

life　demanded。　And　then　they　developed　this　strange　style　upon

which　the　Italians　bestowed　the　contemptuous　name　of　‘‘Gothic''or　barbaric。

They　achieved　their　purpose　by　inventing　a　vaulted　roof　which

was　supported　by　‘‘ribs。''　But　such　a　roof；　if　it　became

too　heavy；　was　apt　to　break　the　walls；　just　as　a　man

of　three　hundred　pounds　sitting　down　upon　a　child's　chair

will　force　it　to　collapse。　To　overcome　this　difficulty；　certain

French　architects　then　began　to　re…enforce　the　walls　with

‘‘buttresses''　which　were　merely　heavy　masses　of　stone　against

which　the　walls　could　lean　while　they　supported　the　roof。　And

to　assure　the　further　safety　of　the　roof　they　supported　the　ribs

of　the　roof　by　so…called　‘‘flying　buttresses；''　a　very　simple

method　of　construction　which　you　will　understand　at　once　when

you　look　at　our　picture。



This　new　method　of　construction　allowed　the　introduction

of　enormous　windows。　In　the　twelfth　century；　glass　was　still

an　expensive　curiosity；　and　very　few　private　buildings　possessed

glass　windows。　Even　the　castles　of　the　nobles　were

without　protection　and　this　accounts　for　the　eternal　drafts

and　explains　why　people　of　that　day　wore　furs　in…doors　as

well　as　out。



Fortunately；　the　art　of　making　coloured　glass；　with　which

the　ancient　people　of　the　Mediterranean　had　been　familiar；

had　not　been　entirely　lost。　There　was　a　revival　of　stained

glass…making　and　soon　the　windows　of　the　Gothic　churches

told　the　stories　of　the　Holy　Book　in　little　bits　of　brilliantly

coloured　window…pane；　which　were　caught　in　a　long　framework

of　lead。



Behold；　therefore；　the　new　and　glorious　house　of　God；

filled　with　an　eager　multitude；　‘‘living''　its　religion　as　no　people

have　ever　done　either　before　or　since！　Nothing　is　considered

too　good　or　too　costly　or　too　wondrous　for　this　House　of　God

and　Home　of　Man。　The　sculptors；　who　since　the　destruction

of　the　Roman　Empire　have　been　out　of　employment；　haltingly

return　to　their　noble　art。　Portals　and　pillars　and　buttresses

and　cornices　are　all　covered　with　carven　images　of　Our　Lord

and　the　blessed　Saints。　The　embroiderers　too　are　set　to　work

to　make　tapestries　for　the　walls。　The　jewellers　offer　their

highest　art　that　the　shrine　of　the　altar　may　be　worthy　of　complete

adoration。　Even　the　painter　does　his　best。　Poor　man；

he　is　greatly　handicapped　by　lack　of　a　suitable　medium。



And　thereby　hangs　a　story。



The　Romans　of　the　early　Christian　period　had　covered　the

floors　and　the　walls　of　their　temples　and　houses　with　mosaics；

pictures　made　of　coloured　bits　of　glass。　But　this　art　had　been

exceedingly　difficult。　It　gave　the　painter　no　chance　to　express

all　he　wanted　to　say；　as　all　children　know　who　have　ever　tried　to

make　figures　out　of　coloured　blocks　of　wood。　The　art　of

mosaic　painting　therefore　died　out　during　the　late　Middle

Ages　except　in　Russia；　where　the　Byzantine　mosaic　painters

had　found　a　refuge　after　the　fall　of　Constantinople　and　continued

to　ornament　the　walls　of　the　orthodox　churches　until

the　day　of　the　Bolsheviki；　when　there　was　an　end　to　the　building

of　churches。



Of　course；　the　mediaeval　painter　could　mix　his　colours　with

the　water　of　the　wet　plaster　which　was　put　upon　the　walls　of

the　churches。　This　method　of　painting　upon　‘‘fresh　plaster''

（which　was　generally　called　‘‘fresco''　or　‘‘fresh''　painting）

was　very　popular　for　many　centuries。　To…day；　it　is　as　rare

as　the　art　of　painting　miniatures　in　manuscripts　and　among

the　hundreds　of　artists　of　our　modern　cities　there　is　perhaps

one　who　can　handle　this　medium　successfully。　But　during　the

Middle　Ages　there　was　no　other　way　and　the　artists　were

‘‘fresco''　workers　for　lack　of　something　better。　The　method

however　had　certain　great　disadvantages。　Very　often　the

plaster　came　off　the　walls　after　only　a　few　years；　or　dampness

spoiled　the　pictures；　just　as　dampness　will　spoil　the　pattern

of　our　wall　paper。　People　tried　every　imaginable　expedient

to　get　away　from　this　plaster　background。　They　tried　to　mix

their　colours　with　wine　and　vinegar　and　with　honey　and　with

the　sticky　white　of　egg；　but　none　of　these　methods　were　satisfactory。

For　more　than　a　thousand　years　these　experiments

continued。　In　painting　pictures　upon　the　parchment　leaves

of　manuscripts　the　mediaeval　artists　were　very　successful。　But

when　it　came　to　covering　large　spaces　of　wood　or　stone　with

paint　which　would　stick；　they　did　not　succeed　very　well。



At　last；　during　the　first　half　of　the　fifteenth　century；　the

problem　was　solved　in　the　southern　Netherlands　by　Jan　and

Hubert　van　Eyck。　The　famous　Flemish　brothers　mixed　their

paint　with　specially　prepared　oils　and　this　allowed　them　to　use

wood　and　canvas　or　stone　or　anything　else　as　a　background　for

their　pictures。



But　by　this　time　the　religious　ardour　of　the　early　Middle

Ages　was　a　thing　of　the　past。　The　rich　burghers　of　the　cities

were　succeeding　the　bishops　as　patrons　of　the　arts。　And　as

art　invariably　follows　the　full　dinner…pail；　the　artists　now　began

to　work　for　these　worldly　employers　and　painted　pictures　for

kings；　for　grand…dukes　and　for　rich　bankers。　Within　a　very

short　time；　the　new　method　of　painting　with　oil　spread　through

Europe　and　in　every　country　there　developed　a　school　of

special　painting　which　showed　the　characteristic　tastes　of　the

people　for　whom　these　portraits　and　landscapes　were　made。



In　Spain；　for　example；　Velasquez　painted　court…dwarfs

and　the　weavers　of　the　royal　tapestry…factories；　and　all　sorts

of　persons　and　subjects　connected　with　the　king　and　his　court。

But　in　Holland；　Rembrandt　and　Frans　Hals　and　Vermeer

painted　the　barnyard　of　the　merchant's　house；　and　they　painted

his　rather　dowdy　wife　and　his　healthy　but　bumptious　children

and　the　ships　which　had　brought　him　his　wealth。　In　Italy　on

the　other　hand；　where　the　Pope　remained　the　largest　patron

of　the　arts；　Michelangelo　and　Correggio　continued　to　paint

Madonnas　and　Saints；　while　in　England；　where　the　aristocracy

was　very　rich　and　powerful　and　in　France　where　the

kings　had　become　uppermost　in　the　state；　the　artists　painted

distinguished　gentlemen　who　were　members　of　the　government；

and　very　lovely　ladies　who　were　friends　of　His　Majesty。



The　great　change　in　painting；　which　came　about　with　the

neglect　of　the　old　church　and　the　rise　of　a　new　class　in　society；

was　reflected　in　all　other　forms　of　art。　The　invention　of　printing

had　made　it　possible　for　authors　to　win　fame　and　reputation

by　writing　books　for　the　multitudes。　In　this　way　arose

the　profession　of　the　novelist　and　the　illustrator。　But　the

people　who　had　money　enough　to　buy　the　new　books　were　not

the　sort　who　liked　to　sit　at　home　of　nights；　looking　at　the　ceiling

or　just　sitting。　They　wanted　to　be　amused。　The　few　minstrels

of　the　Middle　Ages　were　not　sufficient　to　cover　the　demand　for

entertainment。　For　the　first　time　since　the　early　Greek　city…

states　of　two　thousand　years　before；　the　professional　playwright

had　a　chance　to　ply　his　trade。　The　Middle　Ages　had

known　the　theatre　merely　as　part　of　certain　church　celebrations。

The　tragedies　of　the　thirteenth　and　fourteenth　centuries

had　told　the　story　of　the　suffering　of　our　Lord。　But

during　the　sixteenth　century　the　worldly　theatre　made　its

reappearance。　It　is　true　that；　at　first；　the　position　of　the

professional　playwright　and　actor　was　not　a　very　high　one。

William　Shakespeare　was　regarded　as　a　sort　of　circus…fellow

who　am