beacon lights of history-iii-2-第3节

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powers；　even　if　I　were　an　Italian。　　It　takes　a　poet　to　reveal　a

poet。　　Nor　is　criticism　interesting　to　ordinary　minds；　even　in　the

hands　of　masters。　　I　should　make　critics　laugh　if　I　were　to　attempt

to　dissect　the　Divine　Comedy。　　Although；　in　an　English　dress；　it　is

known　to　most　people　who　pretend　to　be　cultivated；　yet　it　is　not

more　read　than　the　〃Paradise　Lost〃　or　the　〃Faerie　Queene；〃　being

too　deep　and　learned　for　some；　and　understood　by　nobody　without　a

tolerable　acquaintance　with　the　Middle　Ages；　which　it　interprets；

the　superstitions；　the　loves；　the　hatreds；　the　ideas　of　ages　which

can　never　more　return。　　All　I　can　doall　that　is　safe　for　me　to

attemptis　to　show　the　circumstances　and　conditions　in　which　it

was　written；　the　sentiments　which　prompted　it；　its　historical

results；　its　general　scope　and　end；　and　whatever　makes　its　author

stand　out　to　us　as　a　living　man；　bearing　the　sorrows　and　revelling

in　the　joys　of　that　high　life　which　gave　to　him　extraordinary　moral

wisdom；　and　made　him　a　prophet　and　teacher　to　all　generations。　　He

was　a　man　of　sorrows；　of　resentments；　fierce　and　implacable；　but

whose　〃love　was　as　transcendent　as　his　scorn；〃a　man　of　vast

experiences　and　intense　convictions　and　superhuman　earnestness；

despising　the　world　which　he　sought　to　elevate；　living　isolated　in

the　midst　of　society；　a　wanderer　and　a　sage；　meditating　constantly

on　the　grandest　themes；　lost　in　ecstatic　reveries；　familiar　with

abstruse　theories；　versed　in　all　the　wisdom　of　his　day　and　in　the

history　of　the　past；　a　believer　in　God　and　immortality；　in　rewards

and　punishments；　and　perpetually　soaring　to　comprehend　the

mysteries　of　existence；　and　those　ennobling　truths　which　constitute

the　joy　and　the　hope　of　renovated　and　emancipated　and　glorified

spirits　in　the　realms　of　eternal　bliss。　　All　this　is　history；　and

it　is　history　alone　which　I　seek　to　teach；the　outward　life　of　a

great　man；　with　glimpses；　if　I　can；　of　those　visions　of　beauty　and

truth　in　which　his　soul　lived；　and　which　visions　and　experiences

constitute　his　peculiar　greatness。　　Dante　was　not　so　close　an

observer　of　human　nature　as　Shakspeare；　nor　so　great　a　painter　of

human　actions　as　Homer；　nor　so　learned　a　scholar　as　Milton；　but　his

soul　was　more　serious　than　either；he　was　deeper；　more　intense

than　they；　while　in　pathos；　in　earnestness；　and　in　fiery　emphasis

he　has　been　surpassed　only　by　Hebrew　poets　and　prophets。



It　would　seem　from　his　numerous　biographies　that　he　was　remarkable

from　a　boy；　that　he　was　a　youthful　prodigy；　that　he　was　precocious；

like　Cicero　and　Pascal；　that　he　early　made　great　attainments；

giving　utterance　to　living　thoughts　and　feelings；　like　Bacon；　among

boyish　companions；　lisping　in　numbers；　like　Pope；　before　he　could

write　prose；　different　from　all　other　boys；　since　no　time　can　be

fixed　when　he　did　not　think　and　feel　like　a　person　of　maturer

years。　　Born　in　Florence；　of　the　noble　family　of　the　Alighieri；　in

the　year　1265；　his　early　education　devolved　upon　his　mother；　his

father　having　died　while　the　boy　was　very　young。　　His　mother's

friend；　Brunetto　Latini；　famous　as　statesman　and　scholarly　poet；

was　of　great　assistance　in　directing　his　tastes　and　studies。　　As　a

mere　youth　he　wrote　sonnets；　such　as　Sordello　the　Troubadour　would

not　disdain　to　own。　　He　delights；　as　a　boy；　in　those　inquiries

which　gave　fame　to　Bonaventura。　　He　has　an　intuitive　contempt　for

all　quacks　and　pretenders。　　At　Paris　he　maintains　fourteen

different　theses；　propounded　by　learned　men；　on　different　subjects；

and　gains　universal　admiration。　　He　is　early　selected　by　his　native

city　for　important　offices；　which　he　fills　with　honor。　　In　wit　he

encounters　no　superiors。　　He　scorches　courts　by　sarcasms　which　he

can　not　restrain。　　He　offends　the　great　by　a　superiority　which　he

does　not　attempt　to　veil。　　He　affects　no　humility；　for　his　nature

is　doubtless　proud；　he　is　even　offensively　conscious　and　arrogant。

When　Florence　is　deliberating　about　the　choice　of　an　ambassador　to

Rome；　he　playfully；　yet　still　arrogantly；　exclaims：　〃If　I　remain

behind；　who　goes？　and　if　I　go；　who　remains　behind？〃　　His

countenance；　so　austere　and　thoughtful；　impresses　all　beholders

with　a　sort　of　inborn　greatness；　his　lip；　in　Giotto's　portrait；　is

curled　disdainfully；　as　if　he　lived　among　fools　or　knaves。　　He　is

given　to　no　youthful　excesses；　he　lives　simply　and　frugally。　　He

rarely　speaks　unless　spoken　to；　he　is　absorbed　apparently　in

thought。　　Without　a　commanding　physical　person；　he　is　a　marked　man

to　everybody；　even　when　he　deems　himself　a　stranger。　　Women　gaze　at

him　with　wonder　and　admiration；　though　he　disdains　their　praises

and　avoids　their　flatteries。　　Men　make　way　for　him　as　he　passes

them；　unconsciously。　　〃Behold；〃　said　a　group　of　ladies；　as　he

walked　slowly　by　them；　〃there　is　a　man　who　has　visited　hell！〃　　To

the　close　of　his　life　he　was　a　great　devourer　of　books；　and

digested　their　contents。　　His　studies　were　as　various　as　they　were

profound。　　He　was　familiar　with　the　ancient　poets　and　historians

and　philosophers；　he　was　still　better　acquainted　with　the　abstruse

speculations　of　the　schoolmen。　　He　delighted　in　universities　and

scholastic　retreats；　from　the　cares　and　duties　of　public　life　he

would　retire　to　solitary　labors；　and　dignify　his　retirement　by

improving　studies。　　He　did　not　live　in　a　cell；　like　Jerome；　or　a

cave；　like　Mohammed；　but　no　man　was　ever　more　indebted　to　solitude

and　meditation　than　he　for　that　insight　and　inspiration　which

communion　with　God　and　great　ideas　alone　can　give。



And　yet；　though　recluse　and　student；　he　had　great　experiences　with

life。　　He　was　born　among　the　higher　ranks　of　society。　　He　inherited

an　ample　patrimony。　　He　did　not　shrink　from　public　affairs。　　He　was

intensely　patriotic；　like　Michael　Angelo；　he　gave　himself　up　to　the

good　of　his　country；　like　Savonarola。　　Florence　was　small；　but　it

was　important；　it　was　already　a　capital；　and　a　centre　of　industry。

He　represented　its　interests　in　various　courts。　　He　lived　with

princes　and　nobles。　　He　took　an　active　part　in　all　public　matters

and　disputations；　he　was　even　familiar　with　the　intrigues　of

parties；　he　was　a　politician　as　well　as　scholar。　　He　entered　into

the　contests　between　Popes　and　Emperors　respecting　the　independence

of　Italy。　　He　was　not　conversant　with　art；　for　the　great　sculptors

and　painters　had　not　then　arisen。　　The　age　was　still　dark；　the

mariner's　compass　had　not　been　invented；　chimneys　had　not　been

introduced；　the　comforts　of　life　were　few。　　Dames　of　highest　rank

still　spent　their　days　over　the　distaff　or　in　combing　flax。　　There

were　no　grand　structures　but　cathedral　churches。　　Life　was

laborious；　dismal；　and　turbulent。　　Law　and　order　did　not　reign　in

cities　or　villages。　　The　poor　were　oppressed　by　nobles。　　Commerce

was　small　and　manufactures　scarce。　　Men　lived　in　dreary　houses；

without　luxuries；　on　coarse　bread　and　fruit　and　vegetables。　　The

crusades　had　not　come　to　an　end。　　It　was　the　age　of　quarrelsome

popes　and　cruel　nobles；　and　lazy　monks　and　haughty　bishops；　and

ignorant　people；　steeped　in　gloomy　superstitions；　two　hundred　years

before　America　was　discovered；　and　two　hundred　and　fifty　years

before　Michael　Angelo　erected　the　dome　of　St。　Peter's。



But　there　was　faith　in　the　world；　and　rough　virtues；　sincerity；　and

earnestness　of　character；　though　life　was　dismal。　　Men　believed　in

immortality　and　in　expiation　for　sin。　　The　rising　universities　had

gifted　scholars　whose　abstruse　speculations　have　never　been

rivalled　for　acuteness　and　severity　of　logic。　　There　were　bards　and

minstrels；　and　chivalric　knights　and　tournaments　and　tilts；　and

village　fetes　and　hospitable　convents　and　gentle　ladies；gentle

and　lovely　even　in　all　states　of　civilization；　winning　by　their

graces　and　inspiring　men　to　deeds　of　heroism　and　gallantry。



In　one　of　those　domestic　revolutions　which　were　so　common　in　Italy

Dante　was　banished；　and　his　property　was　confiscated；　and　he　at　the

age　of　thirty…five；　about　the　year　1300；　when　Giotto　was　painting

portraits；　was　sent　forth　a　wanderer　and　an　exile；　now　poor　and

unimportant；　to　eat　the　bread　of　strangers　and　climb　other　people's

stairs；　and　so　obnoxious　was　he　to　the　dominant　party　in　his　native

city　for　his　bitter　spirit；　that　he　was　destined　never　to　return　to

his　home　and　friends。　　His　ancestors；　boasting　of　Roman　descent；

belonged　to　the　patriotic　party；the　Guelphs；　who　had　the

ascendency　in　his　early　years；that　party　which　defended　the

claims　of　the　Popes　against　the　Emperors　of　Germany。　　But　this

party　had　its　divisions　and　rival　families；those　that　sided　with

the　old　feudal　nobles　who　had　once　ruled　the　city；　and　the　new

mercantile　families　that　surpassed　them　in　wealth　and　popular

favor。　　So；　expelled　by　a　fraction　of　his　own　party　that　had　gained

power；　Dante　went　over　to　the　Ghibellines；　and　became　an　adherent

of　imperial　authority　until　he　died。



It　was　in　his　wanderings