beacon lights of history-iii-2-第29节

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necessarily　cultivates　the　taste　of　a　family　circle；　a　public

edifice　educates　the　minds　of　millions。　　Even　the　Moses　of　Michael

Angelo　is　a　mere　object　of　interest　to　those　who　visit　the　church

of　San　Pietro　in　Vincoli；　but　St。　Peter's　is　a　monument　to　be　seen

by　large　populations　from　generation　to　generation。　　All　London

contemplates　St。　Paul's　Church　or　the　Palace　of　Westminster；　but

the　National　Gallery　may　be　visited　by　a　small　fraction　of　the

people　only　once　a　year。　　Of　the　thousands　who　stand　before　the

Tuileries　or　the　Madeleine　not　one　in　a　hundred　has　visited　the

gallery　of　the　Louvre。　　What　material　works　of　man　so　grand　as

those　hoary　monuments　of　piety　or　pride　erected　three　thousand

years　ago；　and　still　magnificent　in　their　very　ruins！　　How　imposing

are　the　pyramids；　the　Coliseum；　and　the　Gothic　cathedrals　of　the

Middle　Ages！　　And　even　when　architecture　does　not　rear　vaulted

roofs　and　arches　and　pinnacles；　or　tower　to　dazzling　heights；　or

inspire　reverential　awe　from　the　associations　which　cluster　around

it；　how　interesting　are　even　its　minor　triumphs！　　Who　does　not　stop

to　admire　a　beautiful　window；　or　porch；　or　portico？　　Who　does　not

criticise　his　neighbor's　house；　its　proportions；　its　general

effect；　its　adaptation　to　the　uses　designed？　　Architecture　appeal

to　the　common　eye；　and　have　reference　to　the　necessities　of　man；

and　sometimes　express　the　consecrated　sentiments　of　an　age　or　a

nation。　　Nor　can　it　be　prostituted；　like　painting　and　sculpture；　it

never　corrupts　the　mind；　and　sometimes　inspires　it；　and　if　it　makes

an　appeal　to　the　senses　or　the　imagination；　it　is　to　kindle

perceptions　of　the　severe　beauty　of　geometrical　forms。



Whoever；　then；　has　done　anything　in　architecture　has　contributed　to

the　necessities　of　man；　and　stimulated　an　admiration　for　what　is

venerable　and　magnificent。　　Now　Michael　Angelo　was　not　only　the

architect　of　numerous　palaces　and　churches；　but　also　one　of　the

principal　architects　of　that　great　edifice　which　is；　on　the　whole；

the　noblest　church　in　Christendom；a　perpetual　marvel　and　study；

not　faultless；　but　so　imposing　that　it　will　long　remain；　like　the

old　temple　of　Ephesus；　one　of　the　wonders　of　the　world。　　He

completed　the　church　without　great　deviation　from　the　plan　of　the

first　architect；　Bramante；　whom　he　regarded　as　the　greatest

architect　that　had　lived；altering　Bramante's　plans　from　a　Latin

to　a　Greek　cross；　the　former　of　which　was　retained　after　Michael

Angelo's　death。　　But　it　is　the　interior；　rather　than　the　exterior

of　St。　Peter's；　which　shows　its　vast　superiority　over　all　other

churches　for　splendor　and　effect；　and　surprises　all　who　are　even

fresh　from　Cologne　and　Milan　and　Westminster。　　It　impresses　us　like

a　wonder　of　nature　rather　than　as　the　work　of　man；a　great　work　of

engineering　as　well　as　a　marvel　of　majesty　and　beauty。　　We　are

surprised　to　see　so　vast　a　structure；　covering　nearly　five　acres；

so　elaborately　finished；　nothing　neglected；　the　lofty　walls　covered

with　precious　marbles；　the　side　chapels　filled　with　statues　and

monuments；　the　altars　ornamented　with　pictures；and　those　pictures

not　painted　in　oil；　but　copied　in　mosaic；　so　that　they　will　neither

decay　nor　fade；　but　last　till　destroyed　by　violence。　　What　feelings

overpower　the　poetic　mind　when　the　glories　of　that　interior　first

blaze　upon　the　brain；　what　a　world　of　brightness；　softness；　and

richness；　what　grandeur；　solidity；　and　strength；　what　unnumbered

treasures　around　the　altars；　what　grand　mosaics　relieve　the　height

of　the　wondrous　dome；larger　than　the　Pantheon；　rising　two　hundred

feet　from　the　intersection　of　those　lofty　and　massive　piers　which

divide　transept　from　choir　and　nave；　what　effect　of　magnitude　after

the　eye　gets　accustomed　to　the　vast　proportions！　　Oh；　what　silence

reigns　around！　　How　difficult；　even　for　the　sonorous　chants　of

choristers　and　priests　to　disturb　that　silence；to　be　more　than

echoes　of　a　distant　music　which　seems　to　come　from　the　very　courts

of　heaven　itself：　to　some　a　holy　sanctuary；　where　one　may　meditate

among　crowds　and　feel　alone；　where　one　breathes　an　atmosphere　which

changes　not　with　heat　or　cold；　and　where　the　ever…burning　lamps　and

clouds　of　incense　diffusing　the　fragrance　of　the　East；　and　the　rich

dresses　of　the　mitred　priests；　and　the　unnumbered　symbols；　suggest

the　ritualism　of　that　imposing　worship　when　Solomon　dedicated　to

Jehovah　the　grandest　temple　of　antiquity！



Truly　was　St。　Peter's　Church　the　last　great　achievement　of　the

popes；　the　crowning　demonstration　of　their　temporal　dominion；

suggestive　of　their　wealth　and　power；　a　marble　history　of　pride　and

pomp；　a　fitting　emblem　of　that　worship　which　appeals　to　sense

rather　than　to　God。　　And　singular　it　was；　when　the　great　artist

reared　that　gigantic　pile；　even　though　it　symbolized　the　cross；　he

really　gave　a　vital　wound　to　that　cause　to　which　he　consecrated　his

noblest　energies；　for　its　lofty　dome　could　not　be　completed　without

the　contributions　of　Christendom；　and　those　contributions　could　not

be　made　without　an　appeal　to　perversions　which　grew　out　of

Mediaeval　Catholicism；even　penance　and　self…expiation；　which

stirred　the　holy　indignation　of　a　man　who　knew　and　declared　on　what

different　ground　justification　should　be　based。　　Thus　was　Luther；

in　one　sense；　called　into　action　by　the　labors　of　Michael　Angelo；

thus　was　the　erection　of　St。　Peter's　Church　overruled　in　the

preaching　of　reformers；　who　would　show　that　the　money　obtained　by

misinterpreted　〃indulgences〃　could　never　purchase　an　acceptable

offering　to　God；　even　though　the　monument　were　filled　with

Christian　emblems；　and　consecrated　by　those　prayers　and　anthems

which　had　been　the　life　of　blessed　saints　and　martyrs　for　more　than

a　thousand　years。



St。　Peter's　is　not　Gothic；　it　is　a　restoration　of　the　Greek；　it

belongs　to　what　artists　call　the　Renaissance；a　style　of

architecture　marked　by　a　return　to　the　classical　models　of

antiquity。　　Michael　Angelo　brought　back　to　civilization　the　old

ideas　of　Grecian　grace　and　Roman　majesty；typical　of　the　original

inspirations　of　the　men　who　lived　in　the　quiet　admiration　of

eternal　beauty　and　grace；　the　men　who　built　the　Parthenon；　and　who

shaped　pillars　and　capitals　and　entablatures　in　the　severest

proportions；　and　fitted　them　with　ornaments　drawn　from　the　living

world；plants　and　animals；　especially　images　of　God's　highest

work；　even　of　man；　and　of　man　not　worn　and　macerated　and　dismal　and

monstrous；　but　of　man　when　most　resplendent　in　the　perfections　of

the　primeval　strength　and　beauty。　　He　returned　to　a　style　which

classical　antiquity　carried　to　great　perfection；　but　which　had　been

neglected　by　the　new　Teutonic　nations。



Nor　is　there　evidence　that　Michael　Angelo　disdained　the　creations

especially　seen　in　those　Gothic　monuments　which　are　still　the

objects　of　our　admiration。　　Who　does　not　admire　the　church

architecture　of　the　Middle　Ages？　　Of　its　kind　it　has　never　been

surpassed。　　Geometry　and　artthe　true　and　the　beautifulmeet。

Nothing　ever　erected　by　the　hand　of　man　surpasses　the　more　famous

cathedrals　of　the　twelfth　and　thirteenth　centuries；　in　the　richness

and　variety　of　their　symbolic　decorations。　　They　typify　the　great

ideas　of　Christianity；　they　inspire　feelings　of　awe　and　reverence；

they　are　astonishing　structures；　in　their　magnitude　and　in　their

effect。　　Monuments　are　they　of　religious　zeal　and　poetical

inspiration；the　creations　of　great　artists；　although　we　scarcely

know　their　names；　adapted　to　the　uses　designed；　the　expression　of

consecrated　sentiments；　the　marble　history　of　the　ages　in　which

they　were　erected；now　heavy　and　sombre　when　society　was　enslaved

and　mournful；　and　then　cheerful　and　lofty　when　Christianity　was

joyful　and　triumphant。　　Who　ever　was　satisfied　in　contemplating　the

diversified　wonders　of　those　venerable　structures？　　Who　would　lose

the　impression　which　almost　overwhelmed　the　mind　when　York　minster；

or　Cologne；　or　Milan；　or　Amiens　was　first　beheld；　with　their　lofty

spires　and　towers；　their　sculptured　pinnacles；　their　flying

buttresses；　their　vaulted　roofs；　their　long　arcades；　their　purple

windows；　their　holy　altars；　their　symbolic　carvings；　their　majestic

outlines；　their　grand　proportions！



But　beautiful；　imposing；　poetical；　and　venerable　as　are　these　hoary

piles；　they　are　not　the　all　in　all　of　art。　　Suppose　all　the

buildings　of　Europe　the　last　four　hundred　years　had　been　modelled

from　these　churches；　how　gloomy　would　be　our　streets；　how　dark　and

dingy　our　shops；　how　dismal　our　dwellings；　how　inconvenient　our

hotels！　　A　new　style　was　needed；　at　least　as　a　supplement　of　the

old；as　lances　and　shields　were　giving　place　to　fire…arms；　and　the

line　and　the　plummet　for　the　mariner's　compass；　as　a　new

civilization　was　creating　new　wants　and　developing　the　material

necessities　of　man。



So　Michael　Angelo　arose；　and　revived　the　imperishable　models　of　the

classical　ages；to　be　applied　not　me