beacon lights of history-iii-2-第7节

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

of　Italians；　and　of　all　who　could　understand　it；of　all　who

appreciated　its　moral　wisdom　in　every　other　country　of　Europe。　　And

its　fame　has　been　steadily　increasing；　although　I　fear　much　of　the

popular　enthusiasm　is　exaggerated　and　unfelt。　　One　who　can　read

Italian　well　may　see　its　〃fiery　emphasis　and　depth；〃　its　condensed

thought　and　language；　its　supernal　scorn　and　supernal　love；　its

bitterness　and　its　forgiveness；　but　few　modern　readers　accept　its

theology　or　its　philosophy；　or　care　at　all　for　the　men　whose　crimes

he　punishes；　and　whose　virtues　he　rewards。



But　there　is　great　interest　in　the　man；　as　well　as　in　the　poem

which　he　made　the　mirror　of　his　life；　and　the　register　of　his

sorrows　and　of　those　speculations　in　which　he　sought　to　banish　the

remembrance　of　his　misfortunes。　　His　life；　like　his　poem；　is　an

epic。　　We　sympathize　with　his　resentments；　〃which　exile　and　poverty

made　perpetually　fresh。〃　　〃The　sincerity　of　his　early　passion　for

Beatrice；〃　says　Hallam；　〃pierces　through　the　veil　of　allegory　which

surrounds　her；　while　the　memory　of　his　injuries　pursues　him　into

the　immensity　of　eternal　light；　and　even　in　the　company　of　saints

and　angels　his　unforgiving　spirit　darkens　at　the　name　of　Florence。　。　。　。

He　combines　the　profoundest　feelings　of　religion　with　those

patriotic　recollections　which　were　suggested　by　the　reappearance　of

the　illustrious　dead。〃



Next　to　Michael　Angelo　he　was　the　best　of　all　famous　Italians；

stained　by　no　marked　defects　but　bitterness；　pride；　and　scorn；

while　his　piety；　his　patriotism；　and　elevation　of　soul　stand　out　in

marked　contrast　with　the　selfishness　and　venality　and　hypocrisy　and

cruelty　of　the　leading　men　in　the　history　of　his　times。　　〃He　wrote

with　his　heart's　blood；〃　he　wrote　in　poverty；　exile；　grief；　and

neglect；　he　wrote　like　an　inspired　prophet　of　old。　　He　seems　to

have　been　specially　raised　up　to　exalt　virtue；　and　vindicate　the

ways　of　God　to　man；　and　prepare　the　way　for　a　new　civilization。　　He

breathes　angry　defiance　to　all　tyrants；　he　consigns　even　popes　to

the　torments　he　created。　　He　ridicules　fools；　he　exposes　knaves。

He　detests　oppression；　he　is　a　prophet　of　liberty。　　He　sees　into

all　shams　and　all　hypocrisies；　and　denounces　lies。　　He　is　temperate

in　eating　and　drinking；　he　has　no　vices。　　He　believes　in

friendship；　in　love；　in　truth。　　He　labors　for　the　good　of　his

countrymen。　　He　is　affectionate　to　those　who　comprehend　him。　　He

accepts　hospitalities；　but　will　not　stoop　to　meanness　or　injustice。

He　will　not　return　to　his　native　city；　which　he　loves　so　well；　even

when　permitted；　if　obliged　to　submit　to　humiliating　ceremonies。　　He

even　refuses　a　laurel　crown　from　any　city　but　from　the　one　in　which

he　was　born。　　No　honors　could　tempt　him　to　be　untrue　unto　himself；

no　tasks　are　too　humble　to　perform；　if　he　can　make　himself　useful。

At　Ravenna　he　gives　lectures　to　the　people　in　their　own　language；

regarding　the　restoration　of　the　Latin　impossible；　and　wishing　to

bring　into　estimation　the　richness　of　the　vernacular　tongue。　　And

when　his　work　is　done　he　dies；　before　he　becomes　old　（1321）；　having

fulfilled　his　vow。　　His　last　retreat　was　at　Ravenna；　and　his　last

days　were　soothed　with　gentle　attentions　from　Guido　da　Polenta；

that　kind　duke　who　revived　his　fainting　hopes。　　It　was　in　his

service；　as　ambassador　to　Venice；　that　Dante　sickened　and　died。　　A

funeral　sermon　was　pronounced　upon　him　by　his　friend　the　duke；　and

beautiful　monuments　were　erected　to　his　memory。　　Too　late　the

Florentines　begged　for　his　remains；　and　did　justice　to　the　man　and

the　poet；　as　well　they　might；　since　his　is　the　proudest　name

connected　with　their　annals。　　He　is　indeed　one　of　the　great

benefactors　of　the　world　itself；　for　the　richness　of　his　immortal

legacy。



Could　the　proscribed　and　exiled　poet；　as　he　wandered；　isolated　and

alone；　over　the　vine…clad　hills　of　Italy；　and　as　he　stopped　here

and　there　at　some　friendly　monastery；　wearied　and　hungry；　have　cast

his　prophetic　eye　down　the　vistas　of　the　ages；　could　he　have　seen

what　honors　would　be　bestowed　upon　his　name；　and　how　his　poem；

written　in　sorrow；　would　be　scattered　in　joy　among　all　nations；

giving　a　new　direction　to　human　thought；　shining　as　a　fixed　star　in

the　realms　of　genius；　and　kindling　into　shining　brightness　what　is

only　a　reflection　of　its　rays；　yea；　how　it　would　be　committed　to

memory　in　the　rising　universities；　and　be　commented　on　by　the　most

learned　expositors　in　all　the　schools　of　Europe；　lauded　to　the

skies　by　his　countrymen；　received　by　the　whole　world　as　a　unique；

original；　unapproachable　production；　suggesting　grand　thoughts　to

Milton；　reappearing　even　in　the　creations　of　Michael　Angelo；

coloring　art　itself　whenever　art　seeks　the　sublime　and　beautiful；

inspiring　all　subsequent　literature；　dignifying　the　life　of

letters；　and　gilding　philosophy　as　well　as　poetry　with　new

glories；could　he　have　seen　all　this；　how　his　exultant　soul　would

have　rejoiced；　even　as　did　Abraham；　when；　amid　the　ashes　of　the

funeral　pyre　he　had　prepared　for　Isaac；　he　saw　the　future　glories

of　his　descendants；　or　as　Bacon；　when；　amid　calumnies；　he　foresaw

that　his　name　and　memory　would　be　held　in　honor　by　posterity；　and

that　his　method　would　be　received　by　all　future　philosophers　as　one

of　the　priceless　boons　of　genius　to　mankind！





AUTHORITIES。



Vita　Nuova；　Divina　Commedia；Translations　by　Carey　and　Longfellow；

Boccaccio's　Life　of　Dante；　Wright's　St。　Patrick's　Purgatory；　Dante

et　la　Philosophie　Catholique　du　Treizieme　Siecle；　par　Ozinan；

Labitte；　La　Divine　Comedie　avant　Dante；　Balbo's　Life　and　Times　of

Dante；　Hallam's　Middle　Ages；　Napier's　Florentine　History；　Villani；

Leigh　Hunt's　Stories　from　the　Italian　Poets；　Botta's　Life　of　Dante；

J。　R。　Lowell's　article　on　Dante　in　American　Cyclopaedia；　Milman's

Latin　Christianity；　Carlyle's　Heroes　and　Hero…worship；　Macaulay's

Essays；　The　Divina　Commedia　from　the　German　of　Schelling；

Voltaire's　Dictionnaire　Philosophique；　La　Divine　Comedie；　by

Lamennais；　Dante；　by　Labitte。







GEOFFREY　CHAUCER



A。D。　1340…1400。



ENGLISH　LIFE　IN　THE　FOURTEENTH　CENTURY。





The　age　which　produced　Chaucer　was　a　transition　period　from　the

Middle　Ages　to　modern　times；　midway　between　Dante　and　Michael

Angelo。　　Chaucer　was　the　contemporary　of　Wyclif；　with　whom　the

Middle　Ages　may　appropriately　be　said　to　close；　or　modern　history

to　begin。



The　fourteenth　century　is　interesting　for　the　awakening；　especially

in　Italy；　of　literature　and　art；　for　the　wars　between　the　French

and　English；　and　the　English　and　the　Scots；　for　the　rivalry　between

the　Italian　republics；　for　the　efforts　of　Rienzi　to　establish

popular　freedom　at　Rome；　for　the　insurrection　of　the　Flemish

weavers；　under　the　Van　Arteveldes；　against　their　feudal　oppressors；

for　the　terrible　〃Jacquerie〃　in　Paris；　for　the　insurrection　of　Wat

Tyler　in　England；　for　the　Swiss　confederation；　for　a　schism　in　the

Church　when　the　popes　retired　to　Avignon；　for　the　aggrandizement　of

the　Visconti　at　Milan　and　the　Medici　at　Florence；　for　incipient

religious　reforms　under　Wyclif　in　England　and　John　Huss　in　Bohemia；

for　the　foundation　of　new　colleges　at　Oxford　and　Cambridge；　for　the

establishment　of　guilds　in　London；　for　the　exploration　of　distant

countries；　for　the　dreadful　pestilence　which　swept　over　Europe；

known　in　England　as　the　Black　Death；　for　the　development　of　modern

languages　by　the　poets；　and　for　the　rise　of　the　English　House　of

Commons　as　a　great　constitutional　power。



In　most　of　these　movements　we　see　especially　a　simultaneous　rising

among　the　people；　in　the　more　civilized　countries　of　Europe；　to

obtain　charters　of　freedom　and　municipal　and　political　privileges；

extorted　from　monarchs　in　their　necessities。　　The　fourteenth

century　was　marked　by　protests　and　warfare　equally　against　feudal

institutions　and　royal　tyranny。　　The　way　was　prepared　by　the　wars

of　kings；　which　crippled　their　resources；　as　the　Crusades　had　done

a　century　before。　　The　supreme　miseries　of　the　people　led　them　to

political　revolts　and　insurrections；blind　but　fierce　movements；

not　inspired　by　ideas　of　liberty；　but　by　a　sense　of　oppression　and

degradation。　　Accompanying　these　popular　insurrections　were

religions　protests　against　the　corrupted　institutions　of　the

Church。





In　the　midst　of　these　popular　agitations；　aggressive　and　needless

wars；　public　miseries　and　calamities；　baronial　aggrandizement；

religious　inquiries；　parliamentary　encroachment；　and　reviving　taste

for　literature　and　art；　Chaucer　arose。



His　remarkable　career　extended　over　the　last　half　of　the　fourteenth

century；　when　public　events　were　of　considerable　historical

importance。　　It　was　then　that　parliamentary　history　became

interesting。　　Until　then　the　barons；　clergy；　knights　of　the　shire；

and　burgesses　of　the　town；　summoned　to　assist　the　royal　councils；