beacon lights of history-iii-2-第30节

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

classical　ages；to　be　applied　not　merely　to　churches　but　to

palaces；　civic　halls；　theatres；　libraries；　museums；　banks；all　of

which　have　mundane　purposes。　　The　material　world　had　need　of

conveniences；　as　much　as　the　Mediaeval　age　had　need　of　shrines。

Humanity　was　to　be　developed　as　well　as　the　Deity　to　be　worshipped。

The　artist　took　the　broadest　views；　looking　upon　Gothic

architecture　as　but　one　division　of　art；even　as　truth　is　greater

than　any　system；　and　Christianity　wider　than　any　sect。　　O；　how　this

Shakspeare　of　art　would　have　smiled　on　the　vague　and　transcendental

panegyrics　of　Michelet　or　Ruskin；　and　other　sentimental　admirers　of

an　age　which　never　can　return！　　And　how　he　might　have　laughed　at

some　modern　enthusiasts；　who　trace　religion　to　the　disposition　of

stones　and　arches；　forgetting　that　religion　is　an　inspiration　which

comes　from　God；　and　never　from　the　work　of　man's　hands；　which　can

be　only　a　form　of　idolatry。



Michael　Angelo　found　that　the　ornamentations　of　the　ancient　temples

were　as　rich　and　varied　as　those　of　Mediaeval　churches。　　Mouldings

were　discovered　of　incomparable　elegance；　the　figures　on

entablatures　were　found　to　be　chiselled　accurately　from　nature；　the

pillars　were　of　matchless　proportions；　the　capitals　of　graceful

curvatures。　　He　saw　beauty　in　the　horizontal　lines　of　the

Parthenon；　as　much　as　in　the　vertical　lines　of　Cologne。　　He　would

not　pull　down　the　venerable　monuments　of　religious　zeal；　but　he

would　add　to　them。　　〃Because　the　pointed　arch　was　sacred；　he　would

not　despise　the　humble　office　of　the　lintel。〃　　And　in　southern

climates　especially　there　was　no　need　of　those　steep　Gothic　roofs

which　were　intended　to　prevent　a　great　weight　of　rain　and　snow；　and

where　the　graceful　portico　of　the　Greeks　was　more　appropriate　than

the　heavy　tower　of　the　Lombards。　　He　would　seize　on　everything　that

the　genius　of　past　ages　had　indorsed；　even　as　Christianity　itself

appropriates　everything　human；science；　art；　music；　poetry；

eloquence；　literature；sanctifies　it；　and　dedicates　it　to　the

Lord；　not　for　the　pride　of　builders；　but　the　improvement　of

humanity。　　Civilization　may　exist　with　Paganism；　but　only　performs

its　highest　uses　when　tributary　to　Christianity。　　And　Christianity

accepts　the　tribute　which　even　Pagan　civilization　offers　for　the

adornment　of　our　race；expelled　from　Paradise；　and　doomed　to　hard

and　bitter　toils；without　abdicating　her　more　glorious　office　of

raising　the　soul　to　heaven。



Nor　was　Michael　Angelo　responsible　for　the　vile　mongrel

architecture　which　followed　the　Renaissance；　and　which　disfigures

the　modern　capitals　of　Europe；　any　more　than　for　the　perversion　of

painting　in　the　hands　of　Titian。　　But　the　indiscriminate　adoption

of　pillars　for　humble　houses；　shops　with　Roman　arches；　spires　and

towers　erected　on　Grecian　porticoes；　are　no　worse　than　schoolhouses

built　like　convents；　and　chapels　designed　for　preaching　as　much　as

for　choral　chants　made　dark　and　gloomy；　where　the　voice　of　the

preacher　is　lost　and　wasted　amid　vaulted　roofs　and　useless　pillars。

Michael　Angelo　encouraged　no　incongruities；　he　himself　conceived

the　beautiful　and　the　true；　and　admired　it　wherever　found；　even

amid　the　excavations　of　ruined　cities。　　He　may　have　overrated　the

buried　monuments　of　ancient　art；　but　how　was　he　to　escape　the

universal　enthusiasm　of　his　age　for　the　remains　of　a　glorious　and

forgotten　civilization？　　Perhaps　his　mind　was　wearied　with　the

Middle　Ages；　from　which　he　had　nothing　more　to　learn；　and　sought　a

greater　fulness　and　a　more　perfect　unity　in　the　expanding　forces　of

a　new　and　grander　era　than　was　ever　seen　by　Pagan　heroes　or　by

Gothic　saints。





But　I　need　not　expatiate　on　the　new　ideas　which　Michael　Angelo

accepted；　or　the　impulse　he　gave　to　art　in　all　its　forms；　and　to

the　revival　of　which　civilization　is　so　much　indebted。　　Let　us　turn

and　give　a　parting　look　at　the　man；that　great　creative　genius　who

had　no　superior　in　his　day　and　generation。　　Like　the　greatest　of

all　Italians；　he　is　interesting　for　his　grave　experiences；　his

dreary　isolations；　his　vast　attainments；　his　creative　imagination；

and　his　lofty　moral　sentiments。　　Like　Dante；　he　stands　apart　from；

and　superior　to；　all　other　men　of　his　age。　　He　never　could　sport

with　jesters；　or　laugh　with　buffoons；　or　chat　with　fools；　and

because　of　this　he　seemed　to　be　haughty　and　disdainful。　　Like

Luther；　he　had　no　time　for　frivolities；　and　looked　upon　himself　as

commissioned　to　do　important　work。　　He　rejoiced　in　labor；　and　knew

no　rest　until　he　was　eighty…nine。　　He　ate　that　he　might　live；　not

lived　that　he　might　eat。　　For　seventeen　years　after　he　was　seventy…

two　he　worked　on　St。　Peter's　church；　worked　without　pay；　that　he

might　render　to　God　his　last　earthly　tribute　without　alloy；as

religious　as　those　unknown　artists　who　erected　Rheims　and

Westminster。　　He　was　modest　and　patient；　yet　could　not　submit　to

the　insolence　of　little　men　in　power。　　He　even　left　the　papal

palace　in　disdain　when　he　found　his　labors　unappreciated。　　Julius

II。　was　forced　to　bend　to　the　stern　artist；　not　the　artist　to　the

Pope。　　Yet　when　Leo　X。　sent　him　to　quarry　marbles　for　nine　years；

he　submitted　without　complaint。　　He　had　no　craving　for　riches　like

Rubens；　no　love　of　luxury　like　Raphael；　no　envy　like　Da　Vinci。　　He

never　over…tasked　his　brain；　or　suffered　himself；　like　Raphael；

who　died　exhausted　at　thirty…seven；to　crowd　three　days　into　one；

knowing　that　over…work　exhausts　the　nervous　energies　and　shortens

life。　　He　never　attempted　to　open　the　doors　which　Providence　had

plainly　shut　against　him；　but　waited　patiently　for　his　day；　knowing

it　would　come；　yet　whether　it　came　or　not；　it　was　all　the　same　to

him；a　man　with　all　the　holy　rapture　of　a　Kepler；　and　all　the

glorious　self…reliance　of　a　Newton。　　He　was　indeed　jealous　of　his

fame；　but　he　was　not　greedy　of　admiration。　　He　worked　without　the

stimulus　of　praise；one　of　the　rarest　things；urged　on　purely　by

love　of　art。　　He　loved　art　for　its　own　sake；　as　good　men　love

virtue；　as　Palestrina　loved　music；　as　Bacon　loved　truth；　as　Kant

loved　philosophy；satisfied　with　itself　as　its　own　reward。　　He

disliked　to　be　patronized；　but　always　remembered　benefits；　and

loved　the　tribute　of　respect　and　admiration；　even　as　he　scorned　the

empty　flatterer　of　fashion。　　He　was　the　soul　of　sincerity　as　well

as　of　magnanimity；　and　hence　had　great　capacity　for　friendship；　as

well　as　great　power　of　self…sacrifice。　　His　friendship　with

Vittoria　Colonna　is　as　memorable　as　that　of　Jerome　and　Paula；　or

that　of　Hildebrand　and　The　Countess　Matilda。　　He　was　a　great

patriot；　and　clung　to　his　native　Florence　with　peculiar　affection。

Living　in　habits　of　intimacy　with　princes　and　cardinals；　he　never

addressed　them　in　adulatory　language；　but　talked　and　acted　like　a

nobleman　of　nature；　whose　inborn　and　superior　greatness　could　be

tested　only　by　the　ages。　　He　placed　art　on　the　highest　pinnacle　of

the　temple　of　humanity；　but　dedicated　that　temple　to　the　God　of

heaven　in　whom　he　believed。　　His　person　was　not　commanding；　but

intelligence　radiated　from　his　features；　and　his　earnest　nature

commanded　respect。　　In　childhood　he　was　feeble；　but　temperance　made

him　strong。　　He　believed　that　no　bodily　decay　was　incompatible　with

intellectual　improvement。　　He　continued　his　studies　until　he　died；

and　felt　that　he　had　mastered　nothing。　　He　was　always　dissatisfied

with　his　own　productions。　　Excelsior　was　his　motto；　as　Alp　on　Alp

arose　upon　his　view。　　His　studies　were　diversified　and　vast。　　He

wrote　poetry　as　well　as　carved　stone；　his　sonnets　especially

holding　a　high　rank。　　He　was　engineer　as　well　as　architect；　and

fortified　Florence　against　her　enemies。　　When　old　he　showed　all　the

fire　of　youth；　and　his　eye；　like　that　of　Moses；　never　became　dim；

since　his　strength　and　his　beauty　were　of　the　soul；ever

expanding；　ever　adoring。　　His　temper　was　stern；　but　affectionate。

He　had　no　mercy　on　a　fool　or　a　dunce；　and　turned　in　disgust　from

those　who　loved　trifles　and　lies。　　He　was　guilty　of　no　immoralities

like　Raphael　and　Titian；　being　universally　venerated　for　his　stern

integrity　and　allegiance　to　duty；as　one　who　believes　that　there

really　is　a　God　to　whom　he　is　personally　responsible。　　He　gave　away

his　riches；　like　Ambrose　and　Gregory；　valuing　money　only　as　a　means

of　usefulness。　　Sickened　with　the　world；　he　still　labored　for　the

world；　and　died　in　1564；　over　eighty…nine　years　of　age；　in　the　full

assurance　of　eternal　blessedness　in　heaven。



His　marbles　may　crumble　down；　in　spite　of　all　that　we　can　do　to

preserve　them　as　models　of　hopeless　imitation；　but　the　exalted

ideas　he　sought　to　represent　by　them；　are　imperishable　and　divine；

and　will　be　subjects　of　contemplation　when





　　　　〃Seas　shall　waste；　the　skies　to　smoke　decay；

　　　　　Rocks　fall　to　dust；　and　mountains　melt　away。〃





AUTHORITIES。



G