beacon lights of history-iii-2-第6节

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

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

eternal　and　indestructible；　is　there　the　refinement　of　Milton；　who

placed　misery　in　the　upbraidings　of　conscience；　in　mental　torture

rather　than　bodily；　in　the　everlasting　pride　and　rebellion　of　the

followers　of　Satan　and　his　fallen　angels。　　It　was　these　awful　views

of　protracted　and　eternal　physical　torments；not　the　hell　of　the

Bible；　but　the　hell　of　ingenious　human　invention；which　gives　to

the　Middle　Ages　a　sorrowful　and　repulsive　light；　thus　nursing

superstition　and　working　on　the　fears　of　mankind；　rather　than　on

the　conscience　and　the　sense　of　moral　accountability。　　But　how

could　Dante　have　represented　the　ideas　of　the　Middle　Ages；　if　he

had　not　painted　his　Inferno　in　the　darkest　colors　that　the

imagination　could　conceive；　unless　he　had　soared　beyond　what　is

revealed　into　the　unfathomable　and　mysterious　and　unrevealed

regions　of　the　second　death？



After　various　wanderings　in　France　and　Italy；　and　after　an　interval

of　three　years；　Dante　produced　the　second　part　of　the　poem；the

Purgatorio；in　which　he　assumes　another　style；　and　sings　another

song。　　In　this　we　are　introduced　to　an　illustrious　company；many

beloved　friends；　poets；　musicians；　philosophers；　generals；　even

prelates　and　popes；　whose　deeds　and　thoughts　were　on　the　whole

beneficent。　　These　illustrious　men　temporarily　expiate　the　sins　of

anger；　of　envy；　avarice；　gluttony；　pride；　ambition；the　great

defects　which　were　blended　with　virtues；　and　which　are　to　be　purged

out　of　them　by　suffering。　　Their　torments　are　milder；　and　amid　them

they　discourse　on　the　principles　of　moral　wisdom。　　They　utter　noble

sentiments；　they　discuss　great　themes；　they　show　how　vain　is　wealth

and　power　and　fame；　they　preach　sermons。　　In　these　discourses；

Dante　shows　his　familiarity　with　history　and　philosophy；　he　unfolds

that　moral　wisdom　for　which　he　is　most　distinguished。　　His　scorn　is

now　tempered　with　tenderness。　　He　shows　a　true　humanity；　he　is　more

forgiving；　more　generous；　more　sympathetic。　　He　is　more　lofty；　if

he　is　not　more　intense。　　He　sees　the　end　of　expiations：　the

sufferers　will　be　restored　to　peace　and　joy。



But　even　in　his　purgatory；　as　in　his　hell；　he　paints　the　ideas　of

his　age。　　He　makes　no　new　or　extraordinary　revelations。　　He　arrives

at　no　new　philosophy。　　He　is　the　Christian　poet；　after　the　pattern

of　his　age。



It　is　plain　that　the　Middle　Ages　must　have　accepted　or　invented

some　relief　from　punishment；　or　every　Christian　country　would　have

been　overwhelmed　with　the　blackness　of　despair。　　Men　could　not

live；　if　they　felt　they　could　not　expiate　their　sins。　　Who　could

smile　or　joke　or　eat　or　sleep　or　have　any　pleasure；　if　he　thought

seriously　there　would　be　no　cessation　or　release　from　endless

pains？　　Who　could　discharge　his　ordinary　duties　or　perform　his

daily　occupations；　if　his　father　or　his　mother　or　his　sister　or　his

brother　or　his　wife　or　his　son　or　his　daughter　might　not　be　finally

forgiven　for　the　frailties　of　an　imperfect　nature　which　he　had

inherited？　　The　Catholic　Church；　in　its　benignity；at　what　time　I

do　not　know；opened　the　future　of　hope　amid　the　speculations　of

despair。　　She　saved　the　Middle　Ages　from　universal　gloom。　　If

speculation　or　logic　or　tradition　or　scripture　pointed　to　a　hell　of

reprobation；　there　must　be　also　a　purgatory　as　the　field　of

expiation；　for　expiation　there　must　be　for　sin；　somewhere；　somehow；

according　to　immutable　laws；　unless　a　mantle　of　universal

forgiveness　were　spread　over　sinners　who　in　this　life　had　given　no

sufficient　proofs　of　repentance　and　faith。　　Expiation　was　the　great

element　of　Mediaeval　theology。　　It　may　have　been　borrowed　from

India；　but　it　was　engrafted　on　the　Christian　system。　　Sometimes　it

was　made　to　take　place　in　this　life；　when　the　sinner；　having

pleased　God；　entered　at　once　upon　heavenly　beatitudes。　　Hence

fastings；　scourgings；　self…laceration；　ascetic　rigors　in　dress　and

food；　pilgrimages；all　to　purchase　forgiveness；　which　idea　of

forgiveness　was　scattered　to　the　winds　by　Luther；　and　replaced　by

grace；faith　in　Christ　attested　by　a　righteous　life。　　I　allude　to

this　notion　of　purgatory；　which　early　entered　into　the　creeds　of

theologians；　and　which　was　adopted　by　the　Catholic　Church；　to　show

how　powerful　it　was　when　human　consciousness　sought　a　relief　from

the　pains　of　endless　physical　torments。



After　Dante　had　written　his　Purgatorio；　he　retired　to　the

picturesque　mountains　which　separate　Tuscany　from　Modena　and

Bologna；　and　in　the　hospitium　of　an　ancient　monastery；　〃on　the

woody　summit　of　a　rock　from　which　he　might　gaze　on　his　ungrateful

country；　he　renewed　his　studies　in　philosophy　and　theology。〃

There；　too；　in　that　calm　retreat；　he　commenced　his　Paradiso；　the

subject　of　profound　meditations　on　what　was　held　in　highest　value

in　the　Middle　Ages。　　The　themes　are　theological　and　metaphysical。

They　are　such　as　interested　Thomas　Aquinas　and　Bonaventura；　Anselm

and　Bernard。　　They　are　such　as　do　not　interest　this　age；even　the

most　gifted　minds；for　our　times　are　comparatively　indifferent　to

metaphysical　subtleties　and　speculations。　　Beatrice　and　Peter　and

Benedict　alike　discourse　on　the　recondite　subjects　of　the　Bible　in

the　style　of　Mediaeval　doctors。　　The　themes　are　great；the

incarnation；　the　immortality　of　the　soul；　the　resurrection　of　the

body；　salvation　by　faith；　the　triumph　of　Christ；　the　glory　of

Paradise；　the　mysteries　of　the　divine　and　human　natures；　and　with

these　disquisitions　are　reproofs　of　bad　popes；　and　even　of　some　of

the　bad　customs　of　the　Church；　like　indulgences；　and　the

corruptions　of　the　monastic　system。　　The　Paradiso　is　a　thesaurus　of

Mediaeval　theology；obscure；　but　lofty；　mixed　up　with　all　the

learning　of　the　age；　even　of　the　lives　of　saints　and　heroes　and

kings　and　prophets。　　Saint　Peter　examines　Dante　upon　faith；　James

upon　hope；　and　John　upon　charity。　　Virgil　here　has　ceased　to　be　his

guide；　but　Beatrice；　robed　in　celestial　loveliness；　conducts　him

from　circle　to　circle；　and　explains　the　sublimest　doctrines　and

resolves　his　mortal　doubts；the　object　still　of　his　adoration；　and

inferior　only　to　the　mother　of　our　Lord；　regina　angelorum；　mater

carissima；　whom　the　Church　even　then　devoutly　worshipped；　and　to

whom　the　greatest　sages　prayed。





　　　　〃Thou　virgin　mother；　daughter　of　thy　Son；

　　　　　Humble　and　high　beyond　all　other　creatures；

　　　　　The　limit　fixed　of　the　eternal　counsel；

　　　　　Thou　art　the　one　who　such　nobility

　　　　　To　human　nature　gave；　that　its　Creator

　　　　　Did　not　disdain　to　make　himself　its　creature。

　　　　　Not　only　thy　benignity　gives　succor

　　　　　To　him　who　asketh　it；　but　oftentimes

　　　　　Forerunneth　of　its　own　accord　the　asking。

　　　　　In　thee　compassion　is；　in　thee　is　pity

　　　　　In　thee　magnificence；　in　thee　unites

　　　　　Whate'er　of　goodness　is　in　any　creature。〃





In　the　glorious　meditation　of　those　grand　subjects　which　had　such　a

charm　for　Benedict　and　Bernard；　and　which　almost　offset　the

barbarism　and　misery　of　the　Middle　Ages；to　many　still　regarded　as

〃ages　of　faith；〃Dante　seemingly　forgets　his　wrongs；　and　in　the

company　of　her　whom　he　adores　he　seems　to　revel　in　the　solemn

ecstasy　of　a　soul　transported　to　the　realms　of　eternal　light。　　He

lives　now　with　the　angels　and　the　mysteries；





　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Like　to　the　fire

　　　　　That　in　a　cloud　imprisoned　doth　break　out　expansive。

　　　　　　　。　　　。　　　。　　　。　　　。　　　。　　　。　　　。　　　。　　　。　　　。　　　。　　　。

　　　　　Thus；　in　that　heavenly　banqueting　his　soul

　　　　　Outgrew　himself；　and；　in　the　transport　lost；

　　　　　Holds　no　remembrance　now　of　what　she　was。〃





The　Paradise　of　Dante　is　not　gloomy；　although　it　be　obscure　and

indefinite。　　It　is　the　unexplored　world　of　thought　and　knowledge；

the　explanation　of　dogmas　which　his　age　accepted。　　It　is　a

revelation　of　glories　such　as　only　a　lofty　soul　could　conceive；　but

could　not　paint；a　supernal　happiness　given　only　to　favored

mortals；　to　saints　and　martyrs　who　have　triumphed　over　the

seductions　of　sense　and　the　temptations　of　life；a　beatified　state

of　blended　ecstasy　and　love。





〃Had　I　a　tongue　in　eloquence　as　rich　as　is　the　coloring　in　fancy's　loom；

'Twere　all　too　poor　to　utter　the　least　part　of　that　enchantment。〃





Such　is　this　great　poem；　in　all　its　parts　and　exposition　of　the

ideas　of　the　age；sometimes　fierce　and　sometimes　tender；　profound

and　infantine；　lofty　and　degraded；　like　the　Church　itself；　which

conserved　these　sentiments。　　It　is　an　intensely　religious　poem；　and

yet　more　theological　than　Christian；　and　full　of　classical

allusions　to　pagan　heroes　and　sages；a　most　remarkable　production

considering　the　age；　and；　when　we　remember　that　it　is　without　a

prototype　in　any　language；　a　glorious　monument　of　reviving

literature；　both　original　and　powerful。



Its　appearance　was　of　course　an　epoch；　calling　out　the　admiration

of　Italia