beacon lights of history-iii-2-第4节

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

of　imperial　authority　until　he　died。



It　was　in　his　wanderings　from　court　to　court　and　castle　to　castle

and　convent　to　convent　and　university　to　university；　that　he

acquired　that　profound　experience　with　men　and　the　world　which

fitted　him　for　his　great　task。　　〃Not　as　victorious　knight　on　the

field　of　Campaldino；　not　as　leader　of　the　Guelph　aristocracy　at

Florence；　not　as　prior；　not　as　ambassador；〃　but　as　a　wanderer　did

he　acquire　his　moral　wisdom。　　He　was　a　striking　example　of　the

severe　experiences　to　which　nearly　all　great　benefactors　have　been

subjected；Abraham　the　exile；　in　the　wilderness；　in　Egypt；　among

Philistines；　among　robbers　and　barbaric　chieftains；　the　Prince

Siddartha；　who　founded　Buddhism；　in　his　wanderings　among　the

various　Indian　nations　who　bowed　down　to　Brahma；　and；　still

greater；　the　Apostle　Paul；　in　his　protracted　martyrdom　among　Pagan

idolaters　and　boastful　philosophers；　in　Asia　and　in　Europe。　　These

and　others　may　be　cited；　who　led　a　life　of　self…denial　and　reproach

in　order　to　spread　the　truths　which　save　mankind。　　We　naturally

call　their　lot　hard；　even　though　they　chose　it；　but　it　is　the

school　of　greatness。　　It　was　sad　to　see　the　wisest　and　best　man　of

his　day；a　man　of　family；　of　culture；　of　wealth；　of　learning；

loving　leisure；　attached　to　his　home　and　country；　accustomed　to

honor　and　independence；doomed　to　exile；　poverty；　neglect；　and

hatred；　without　those　compensations　which　men　of　genius　in　our　time

secure。　　But　I　would　not　attempt　to　excite　pity　for　an　outward

condition　which　developed　the　higher　virtues；for　a　thorny　path

which　led　to　the　regions　of　eternal　light。　　Dante　may　have　walked

in　bitter　tears　to　Paradise；　but　after　the　fashion　of　saints　and

martyrs　in　all　ages　of　our　world。　　He　need　but　cast　his　eyes　on

that　emblem　which　was　erected　on　every　pinnacle　of　Mediaeval

churches　to　symbolize　passing　suffering　with　salvation　infinite；

the　great　and　august　creed　of　the　age　in　which　he　lived；　though　now

buried　amid　the　triumphs　of　an　imposing　material　civilization　whose

end　is　the　adoration　of　the　majesty　of　man　rather　than　the　majesty

of　God；　the　wonders　of　creation　rather　than　the　greatness　of　the

Creator。



But　something　more　was　required　in　order　to　write　an　immortal　poem

than　even　native　genius；　great　learning；　and　profound　experience。

The　soul　must　be　stimulated　to　the　work　by　an　absorbing　and

ennobling　passion。　　This　passion　Dante　had；　and　it　is　as　memorable

as　the　mortal　loves　of　Abelard　and　Heloise；　and　infinitely　more

exalting；　since　it　was　spiritual　and　immortal；even　the　adoration

of　his　lamented　and　departed　Beatrice。



I　wish　to　dwell　for　a　moment；　perhaps　longer　than　to　some　may　seem

dignified；　on　this　ideal　or　sentimental　love。　　It　may　seem　trivial

and　unimportant　to　the　eye　of　youth；　or　a　man　of　the　world；　or　a

woman　of　sensual　nature；　or　to　unthinking　fools　and　butterflies；

but　it　is　invested　with　dignity　to　one　who　meditates　on　the

mysteries　of　the　soul；　the　wonders　of　our　higher　nature；one　of

the　things　which　arrest　the　attention　of　philosophers。



It　is　recorded　and　attested；　even　by　Dante　himself；　that　at　the

early　age　of　nine　he　fell　in　love　with　Beatrice；a　little　girl　of

one　of　his　neighbors；and　that　he　wrote　to　her　sonnets　as　the

mistress　of　his　devotion。　　How　could　he　have　written　sonnets

without　an　inspiration；　unless　he　felt　sentiments　higher　than　we

associate　with　either　boys　or　girls？　　The　boy　was　father　of　the

man。　　〃She　appeared　to　me；〃　says　the　poet；　〃at　a　festival；　dressed

in　that　most　noble　and　honorable　color；　scarlet；girded　and

ornamented　in　a　manner　suitable　to　her　age；　and　from　that　moment

love　ruled　my　soul。　　And　after　many　days　had　passed；　it　happened

that；　passing　through　the　street；　she　turned　her　eyes　to　the　spot

where　I　stood；　and　with　ineffable　courtesy　she　greeted　me；　and　this

had　such　an　effect　on　me　that　it　seemed　I　had　reached　the　furthest

limit　of　blessedness。　　I　took　refuge　in　the　solitude　of　my　chamber；

and；　thinking　over　what　had　happened　to　me；　I　proposed　to　write　a

sonnet；　since　I　had　already　acquired　the　art　of　putting　words　into

rhyme。〃　　This；　from　his　〃Vita　Nuova；〃　his　first　work；　relating　to

the　〃new　life〃　which　this　love　awoke　in　his　young　soul。



Thus；　according　to　Dante's　own　statement；　was　the　seed　of　a　never…

ending　passion　planted　in　his　soul；the　small　beginning；　so

insignificant　to　cynical　eyes；　that　it　would　almost　seem

preposterous　to　allude　to　it；　as　if　this　fancy　for　a　little　girl　in

scarlet；　and　in　a　boy　but　nine　years　of　age；　could　ripen　into

anything　worthy　to　be　soberly　mentioned　by　a　grave　and　earnest

poet；　in　the　full　maturity　of　his　genius；worthy　to　give　direction

to　his　lofty　intellect；　worthy　to　be　the　occasion　of　the　greatest

poem　the　world　has　seen　from　Homer　to　modern　times。　　Absurd！

ridiculous！　　Great　rivers　cannot　rise　from　such　a　spring；　tall

trees　cannot　grow　from　such　a　little　acorn。　　Thus　reasons　the　man

who　does　not　take　cognizance　of　the　mighty　mysteries　of　human　life。

If　anything　tempted　the　boy　to　write　sonnets　to　a　little　girl；　it

must　have　been　the　chivalric　element　in　society　at　that　period；

when　even　boys　were　required　to　choose　objects　of　devotion；　and　to

whom　they　were　to　be　loyal；　and　whose　honor　they　were　bound　to

defend。　　But　the　grave　poet；　in　the　decline　of　his　life；　makes　this

simple　confession；　as　the　beginning　of　that　sentiment　which　never

afterwards　departed　from　him；　and　which　inspired　him　to　his

grandest　efforts。



But　this　youthful　attachment　was　unfortunate。　　Beatrice　did　not

return　his　passion；　and　had　no　conception　of　its　force；　and　perhaps

was　not　even　worthy　to　call　it　forth。　　She　may　have　been　beautiful；

she　may　have　been　gifted；　she　may　have　been　commonplace。　　It

matters　little　whether　she　was　intellectual　or　not；　beautiful　or

not。　　It　was　not　the　flesh　and　blood　he　saw；　but　the　image　of

beauty　and　loveliness　which　his　own　mind　created。　　He　idealized　the

girl；　she　was　to　him　all　that　he　fancied。　　But　she　never　encouraged

him；　she　denied　his　greetings；　and　even　avoided　his　society。　　At

last　she　died；　when　he　was　twenty…seven；　and　left　himto　use　his

own　expression〃to　ruminate　on　death；　and　envy　whomsoever　dies。〃

To　console　himself；　he　read　Boethius；　and　religious　philosophy　was

ever　afterwards　his　favorite　study。　　Nor　did　serenity　come；　so　deep

were　his　sentiments；　so　powerful　was　his　imagination；　until　he　had

formed　an　exalted　purpose　to　write　a　poem　in　her　honor；　and　worthy

of　his　love。　　〃If　it　please　Him　through　whom　all　things　come；〃　said

Dante；　〃that　my　life　be　spared；　I　hope　to　tell　such　things　of　her

as　never　before　have　been　seen　by　any　one。〃



Now　what　inspired　so　strange　a　purpose？　　Was　it　a　Platonic

sentiment；　like　the　love　of　Petrarch　for　Laura；　or　something　that

we　cannot　explain；　and　yet　real；a　mystery　of　the　soul　in　its

deepest　cravings　and　aspirations？　　And　is　love；　among　mortals

generally；　based　on　such　a　foundation？　　Is　it　flesh　and　blood　we

love；　is　it　the　intellect；　is　it　the　character；　is　it　the　soul；　is

it　what　is　inherently　interesting　in　woman；　and　which　everybody　can

see；the　real　virtues　of　the　heart　and　charms　of　physical　beauty？

Or　is　it　what　we　fancy　in　the　object　of　our　adoration；　what　exists

already　in　our　own　minds；the　archetypes　of　eternal　ideas　of

beauty　and　grace？　　And　do　all　men　worship　these　forms　of　beauty

which　the　imagination　creates？　　Can　any　woman；　or　any　man；　seen

exactly　as　they　are；　incite　a　love　which　is　kindred　to　worship？

And　is　any　love　worthy　to　be　called　love；　if　it　does　not　inspire

emotions　which　prompt　to　self…sacrifice；　labor；　and　lofty　ends？

Can　a　woman's　smiles　incite　to　Herculean　energies；　and　drive　the

willing　worshipper　to　Aonian　heights；　unless　under　these　smiles　are

seen　the　light　of　life　and　the　blessedness　of　supernatural　fervor？

Is　there；　and　can　there　be；　a　perpetuity　in　mortal　charms　without

the　recognition　or　the　supposition　of　a　moral　beauty　connected　with

them；　which　alone　is　pure　and　imperishable；　and　which　alone　creates

the　sacred　ecstasy　that　revels　in　the　enjoyment　of　what　is　divine；

or　what　is　supposed　to　be　divine；　not　in　man；　but　in　the

conceptions　of　man；the　ever…blazing　glories　of　goodness　or　of

truth　which　the　excited　soul　doth　see　in　the　eyes　and　expression　of

the　adored　image？　　It　is　these　archetypes　of　divinity；　real　or

fancied；　which　give　to　love　all　that　is　enduring。　　Destroy　these；

take　away　the　real　or　fancied　glories　of　the　soul　and　mind；　and　the

holy　flame　soon　burns　out。　　No　mortal　love　can　last；　no　mortal　love

is　beautiful；　unless　the　visions　which　the　mind　creates　are　not

more　or　less　realized　in　the　object　of　it；　or　when　a　person；　either

man　or　woman；　is　not　capable　of　seeing　ideal　perfections。　　The

loves　of　savages　are　the　loves　of　brutes。　　The　more　exalted　the

character　and　the　soul；　the　greater　is　the　capacity　of　l