beacon lights of history-iii-2-第5节

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

the　deeper　its　fervor。　　It　is　not　the　object　of　love　which　creates

this　fervor；　but　the　mind　which　is　capable　of　investing　it　with

glories。　　There　could　not　have　been　such　intensity　in　Dante's　love

had　he　not　been　gifted　with　the　power　of　creating　so　lofty　and

beautiful　an　ideal；　and　it　was　this　he　worshipped；not　the　real

Beatrice；　but　the　angelic　beauty　he　thought　he　saw　in　her。　　Why

could　he　not　see　the　perfections　he　adored　shining　in　other　women；

who　perhaps　had　a　higher　claim　to　them？　　Ah；　that　is　the　mystery！

And　you　cannot　solve　it　any　easier　than　you　can　tell　why　a　flower

blooms　or　a　seed　germinates。　　And　why　was　it　that　Dante；　with　his

great　experience；　could　in　later　life　see　the　qualities　he　adored

in　no　other　woman　than　in　the　cold　and　unappreciative　girl　who

avoided　him？　　Suppose　she　had　become　his　wife；　might　he　not　have

been　disenchanted；　and　his　veneration　been　succeeded　by　a　bitter

disappointment？　　Yet；　while　the　delusion　lasted；　no　other　woman

could　have　filled　her　place；　in　no　other　woman　could　he　have　seen

such　charms；　no　other　love　could　have　inspired　his　soul　to　make

such　labors。



I　would　not　be　understood　as　declaring　that　married　love　must　be

necessarily　a　disenchantment。　　I　would　not　thus　libel　humanity；　and

insult　plain　reason　and　experience。　　Many　loves　ARE　happy；　and　burn

brighter　and　brighter　to　the　end；　but　it　is　because　there　are　many

who　are　worthy　of　them；　both　men　and　women；because　the　ideal；

which　the　mind　created；　IS　realized　to　a　greater　or　less　degree；

although　the　loftier　the　archetype；　the　less　seldom　is　it　found。

Nor　is　it　necessary　that　perfection　should　be　found。　　A　person　may

have　faults　which　alienate　and　disenchant；　but　with　these　there　may

be　virtues　so　radiant　that　the　worship；　though　imperfect；　remains；

a　respect；　on　the　whole；　so　great　that　the　soul　is　lifted　to

admiration。　　Who　can　love　this　perishable　form；　unless　one　sees　in

it　some　traits　which　belong　to　superior　and　immortal　natures？　　And

hence　the　sentiment；　when　pure；　creates　a　sort　of　companionship　of

beings　robed　in　celestial　light　and　exorcises　those　degrading

passions　which　belong　to　earth。　　But　Dante　saw　no　imperfections　in

Beatrice：　perhaps　he　had　no　opportunity　to　see　them。　　His　own　soul

was　so　filled　with　love；　his　mind　soared　to　such　exalted　regions　of

adoration；　that　when　she　passed　away　he　saw　her　only　in　the

beatified　state；　in　company　with　saints　and　angels；　and　he　was

wrapped　in　ecstasies　which　knew　no　end；the　unbroken　adoration　of

beauty；　grace；　and　truth；　even　of　those　eternal　ideas　on　which

Plato　based　all　that　is　certain；　and　all　that　is　worth　living　for；

that　sublime　realism　without　which　life　is　a　failure；　and　this

world　is　〃a　mockery；　a　delusion；　and　a　snare。〃



This　is　the　history　and　exposition　of　that　love　for　Beatrice　with

which　the　whole　spiritual　life　of　Dante　is　identified；　and　without

which　the　〃Divine　Comedy〃　might　not　have　been　written。　　I　may　have

given　to　it　disproportionate　attention；　and　it　is　true　I　might　have

allegorized　it；　and　for　love　of　a　woman　I　might　have　substituted

love　for　an　art；even　the　art　of　poetry；　in　which　his　soul

doubtless　lived；　even　as　Michael　Angelo；　his　greatest　fellow…

countryman；　lived　in　the　adoration　of　beauty；　grace；　and　majesty。

Oh；　happy　and　favored　is　the　person　who　lives　in　the　enjoyment　of

an　art！　　It　may　be　humble；　it　may　be　grand。　　It　may　be　music；　it

may　be　painting；　or　sculpture；　or　architecture；　or　poetry；　or

oratory；　or　landscape　gardening；　yea；　even　farming；　or　needle…work；

or　house　decoration；anything　which　employs　the　higher　faculties

of　the　mind；　and　brings　order　out　of　confusion；　and　takes　one　from

himself；　from　the　drudgery　of　mechanical　labors；　even　if　it　be　no

higher　than　carving　a　mantelpiece　or　making　a　savory　dish；　for　all

these　things　imply　creation；　alike　the　test　and　the　reward　of

genius　itself；　which　almost　every　human　being　possesses；　in　some

form　or　other；　to　a　greater　or　less　degree；one　of　the　kindest

gifts　of　Deity　to　man。



The　great　artist；　kindled　by　his　visions　of　imperishable　loveliness

in　the　person　of　his　departed　Beatrice；　now　resolves　to　dedicate　to

her　honor　his　great　life…labor；even　his　immortal　poem；　which

should　be　a　transcript　of　his　thoughts；　a　mirror　of　his　life；　a

record　of　his　sorrows；　a　painting　of　his　experiences；　a　description

of　what　he　saw；　a　digest　of　his　great　meditations；　a　thesaurus　of

the　treasures　of　the　Mediaeval　age；　an　exposition　of　its　great　and

leading　ideas　in　philosophy　and　in　religion。　　Every　great　man

wishes　to　leave　behind　some　monument　of　his　labors；　to　bless　or

instruct　mankind。　　Any　man　without　some　form　of　this　noble　ambition

lives　in　vain；　even　if　his　monument　be　no　more　than　a　cultivated

farm　rescued　from　wildness　and　sterility。



Now　Dante's　monument　is　〃the　marvellous；　mystic；　unfathomable

song；〃　in　which　he　sang　his　sorrows　and　his　joys；　revealed　his

visions；　and　recorded　the　passions　and　sentiments　of　his　age。　　It

never　can　be　popular；　because　it　is　so　difficult　to　be　understood；

and　because　its　leading　ideas　are　not　in　harmony　with　those　which

are　now　received。　　I　doubt　if　anybody　can　delight　in　that　poem；

unless　he　sympathizes　with　the　ideas　of　the　Middle　Ages；　or；　at

least；　unless　he　is　familiar　with　them；　and　with　the　historical

characters　who　lived　in　those　turbulent　and　gloomy　times。　　There　is

more　talk　and　pretension　about　that　book　than　any　one　that　I　know

of。　　Like　the　〃Faerie　Queene〃　or　the　〃Paradise　Lost；〃　it　is　a　study

rather　than　a　recreation；　one　of　those　productions　which　an

educated　person　ought　to　read　in　the　course　of　his　life；　and　which

if　he　can　read　in　the　original；　and　has　read；　is　apt　to　boast　of；

like　climbing　a　lofty　mountain；　enjoyable　to　some　with　youth　and

vigor　and　enthusiasm　and　love　of　nature；　but　a　very　toilsome　thing

to　most　people；　especially　if　old　and　short…winded　and　gouty。



In　the　year　1309　the　first　part　of　the　〃Divine　Comedy；〃　the

Inferno；　was　finished　by　Dante；　at　the　age　of　forty…four；　in　the

tenth　year　of　his　pilgrimage；　under　the　roof　of　the　Marquis　of

Lunigiana；　and　it　was　intrusted　to　the　care　of　Fra　Ilario；　a　monk

living　on　the　beautiful　Ligurian　shores。　　As　everybody　knows；　it　is

a　vivid；　graphic　picture　of　what　was　supposed　to　be　the　infernal

regions；　where　great　sinners　are　punished　with　various　torments

forever　and　ever。　　It　is　interesting　for　the　excellence　of　the

poetry；　the　brilliant　analyses　of　characters；　the　allusion　to

historical　events；　the　bitter　invectives；　the　intense　sarcasms；　and

the　serious；　earnest　spirit　which　underlies　the　descriptions。　　But

there　is　very　little　of　gentleness　or　compassion；　in　view　of　the

protracted　torments　of　the　sufferers。　　We　stand　aghast　in　view　of

the　miseries　and　monsters；　furies　and　gorgons；　snakes　and　fires；

demons；　filth；　lakes　of　pitch；　pools　of　blood；　plains　of　scorching

sands；　circles；　and　chimeras　dire；a　physical　hell　of　utter　and

unspeakable　dreariness　and　despair；　awfully　and　powerfully

described；　but　still　repulsive。　　In　each　of　the　dismal　abodes；　far

down　in　the　bowels　of　the　earth；　which　Dante　is　supposed　to　have

visited　with　Virgil　as　a　guide；　in　which　some　infernal　deity

presides；　all　sorts　of　physical　tortures　are　accumulated；　inflicted

on　traitors；　murderers；　robbers；men　who　have　committed　great

crimes；　unpunished　in　their　lifetime；　such　men　as　Cain；　Judas；

Ugolino；men　consigned　to　an　infamous　immortality。　　On　the　great

culprits　of　history；　and　of　Italy　especially；　Dante　virtually　sits

in　judgment；　and　he　consigns　them　equally　to　various　torments　which

we　shudder　to　think　of。



And　here　let　me　say；　as　a　general　criticism；　that　in　the　Inferno

are　brought　out　in　tremendous　language　the　opinions　of　the　Middle

Ages　in　reference　to　retribution。　　Dante　does　not　rise　above　them；

with　all　his　genius；　he　is　not　emancipated　from　them。　　It　is　the

rarest　thing　in　this　world　for　any　man；　however　profound　his

intellect　and　bold　his　spirit；　to　be　emancipated　from　the　great　and

leading　ideas　of　his　age。　　Abraham　was；　and　Moses；　and　the　founder

of　Buddhism；　and　Socrates；　and　Mohammed；　and　Luther；　but　they　were

reformers；　more　or　less　divinely　commissioned；　with　supernatural

aid　in　many　instances　to　give　them　wisdom。　　But　Homer　was　not；　nor

Euripides；　nor　the　great　scholastics　of　the　Middle　Ages；　nor　even

popes。　　The　venerated　doctors　and　philosophers；　prelates；　scholars；

nobles；　kings；　to　say　nothing　of　the　people；　thought　as　Dante　did

in　reference　to　future　punishment；that　it　was　physical；　awful；

accumulative；　infinite；　endless；　the　wrath　of　avenging　deity

displayed　in　pains　and　agonies　inflicted　on　the　body；　like　the

tortures　of　inquisitors；　thus　appealing　to　the　fears　of　men；　on

which　chiefly　the　power　of　the　clergy　was　based。　　Nor　in　these

views　of　endless　physical　sufferings；　as　if　the　body　itself　were

eternal