essays on life, art and science-第13节

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and　did　not　know　too　much。　　Where　this　is　the　case　no　work　can　fail
to　please。　　Some　of　the　figures　have　real　hair　and　some　terra　cotta。
There　is　no　fresco　background　worth　mentioning。　　A　man　sitting　on
the　steps　of　the　altar　with　a　book　on　his　lap；　and　holding　up　his
hand　to　another；　who　is　leaning　over　him　and　talking　to　him；　is
among　the　best　figures；　some　of　the　disappointed　suitors　who　are
breaking　their　wands　are　also　very　good。

The　angel　in　the　Annunciation　chapel；　which　comes　next　in　order；　is
a　fine；　burly；　ship's…figurehead；　commercial…hotel　sort　of　being
enough；　but　the　Virgin　is　very　ordinary。　　There　is　no　real　hair　and
no　fresco　background；　only　three　dingy　old　blistered　pictures　of　no
interest　whatever。

In　the　visit　of　Mary　to　Elizabeth　there　are　three　pleasing
subordinate　lady　attendants；　two　to　the　left　and　one　to　the　right　of
the　principal　figures；　but　these　figures　themselves　are　not
satisfactory。　　There　is　no　fresco　background。　　Some　of　the　figures
have　real　hair　and　some　terra　cotta。

In　the　Circumcision　and　Purification　chapelfor　both　these　events
seem　contemplated　in　the　one　that　followsthere　are　doves；　but
there　is　neither　dog　nor　knife。　　Still　Simeon；　who　has　the　infant
Saviour　in　his　arms；　is　looking　at　him　in　a　way　which　can　only　mean
that；　knife　or　no　knife；　the　matter　is　not　going　to　end　here。　　At
Varallo　they　have　now　got　a　dreadful　knife　for　the　Circumcision
chapel。　　They　had　none　last　winter。　　What　they　have　now　got　would　do
very　well　to　kill　a　bullock　with；　but　could　not　be　used
professionally　with　safety　for　any　animal　smaller　than　a　rhinoceros。
I　imagine　that　some　one　was　sent　to　Novara　to　buy　a　knife；　and　that；
thinking　it　was　for　the　Massacre　of　the　Innocents　chapel；　he　got　the
biggest　he　could　see。　　Then　when　he　brought　it　back　people　said
〃chow〃　several　times；　and　put　it　upon　the　table　and　went　away。

Returning　to　Montrigone；　the　Simeon　is　an　excellent　figure；　and　the
Virgin　is　fairly　good；　but　the　prophetess　Anna；　who　stands　just
behind　her；　is　by　far　the　most　interesting　in　the　group；　and　is
alone　enough　to　make　me　feel　sure　that　Tabachetti　gave　more　or　less
help　here；　as　he　had　done　years　before　at　Orta。　　She；　too；　like　the
Virgin's　grandmother；　is　a　widow　lady；　and　wears　collars　of　a　cut
that　seems　to　have　prevailed　ever　since　the　Virgin　was　born　some
twenty　years　previously。　　There　is　a　largeness　and　simplicity　of
treatment　about　the　figure　to　which　none　but　an　artist　of　the
highest　rank　can　reach；　and　D'Enrico　was　not　more　than　a　second　or
third…rate　man。　　The　hood　is　like　Handel's　Truth　sailing　upon　the
broad　wings　of　Time；　a　prophetic　strain　that　nothing　but　the　old
experience　of　a　great　poet　can　reach。　　The　lips　of　the　prophetess
are　for　the　moment　closed；　but　she　has　been　prophesying　all　the
morning；　and　the　people　round　the　wall　in　the　background　are　in
ecstasies　at　the　lucidity　with　which　she　has　explained　all　sorts　of
difficulties　that　they　had　never　been　able　to　understand　till　now。
They　are　putting　their　forefingers　on　their　thumbs　and　their　thumbs
on　their　forefingers；　and　saying　how　clearly　they　see　it　all　and
what　a　wonderful　woman　Anna　is。　　A　prophet　indeed　is　not　generally
without　honour　save　in　his　own　country；　but　then　a　country　is
generally　not　without　honour　save　with　its　own　prophet；　and　Anna　has
been　glorifying　her　country　rather　than　reviling　it。　　Besides；　the
rule　may　not　have　applied　to　prophetesses。

The　Death　of　the　Virgin　is　the　last　of　the　six　chapels　inside　the
church　itself。　　The　Apostles；　who　of　course　are　present；　have　all　of
them　real　hair；　but；　if　I　may　say　so；　they　want　a　wash　and　a　brush…
up　so　very　badly　that　I　cannot　feel　any　confidence　in　writing　about
them。　　I　should　say　that；　take　them　all　round；　they　are　a　good
average　sample　of　apostle　as　apostles　generally　go。　　Two　or　three　of
them　are　nervously　anxious　to　find　appropriate　quotations　in　books
that　lie　open　before　them；　which　they　are　searching　with　eager
haste；　but　I　do　not　see　one　figure　about　which　I　should　like　to　say
positively　that　it　is　either　good　or　bad。　　There　is　a　good　bust　of　a
man；　matching　the　one　in　the　Birth　of　the　Virgin　chapel；　which　is
said　to　be　a　portrait　of　Giovanni　d'Enrico；　but　it　is　not　known　whom
it　represents。

Outside　the　church；　in　three　contiguous　cells　that　form　part　of　the
foundations；　are：…


1。　　A　dead　Christ；　the　head　of　which　is　very　impressive　while　the
rest　of　the　figure　is　poor。　　I　examined　the　treatment　of　the　hair；
which　is　terra…cotta；　and　compared　it　with　all　other　like　hair　in
the　chapels　above　described；　I　could　find　nothing　like　it；　and　think
it　most　likely　that　Giacomo　Ferro　did　the　figure；　and　got　Tabachetti
to　do　the　head；　or　that　they　brought　the　head　from　some　unused
figure　by　Tabachetti　at　Varallo；　for　I　know　no　other　artist　of　the
time　and　neighbourhood　who　could　have　done　it。

2。　　A　Magdalene　in　the　desert。　　The　desert　is　a　little　coal…cellar
of　an　arch；　containing　a　skull　and　a　profusion　of　pink　and　white
paper　bouquets；　the　two　largest　of　which　the　Magdalene　is　hugging
while　she　is　saying　her　prayers。　　She　is　a　very　self…sufficient
lady；　who　we　may　be　sure　will　not　stay　in　the　desert　a　day　longer
than　she　can　help；　and　while　there　will　flirt　even　with　the　skull　if
she　can　find　nothing　better　to　flirt　with。　　I　cannot　think　that　her
repentance　is　as　yet　genuine；　and　as　for　her　praying　there　is　no
object　in　her　doing　so；　for　she　does　not　want　anything。

3。　　In　the　next　desert　there　is　a　very　beautiful　figure　of　St。　John
the　Baptist　kneeling　and　looking　upwards。　　This　figure　puzzles　me
more　than　any　other　at　Montrigone；　it　appears　to　be　of　the　fifteenth
rather　than　the　sixteenth　century；　it　hardly　reminds　me　of
Gaudenzio；　and　still　less　of　any　other　Valsesian　artist。　　It　is　a
work　of　unusual　beauty；　but　I　can　form　no　idea　as　to　its　authorship。


I　wrote　the　foregoing　pages　in　the　church　at　Montrigone　itself；
having　brought　my　camp…stool　with　me。　　It　was　Sunday；　the　church　was
open　all　day；　but　there　was　no　mass　said；　and　hardly　any　one　came。
The　sacristan　was　a　kind；　gentle；　little　old　man；　who　let　me　do
whatever　I　wanted。　　He　sat　on　the　doorstep　of　the　main　door；　mending
vestments；　and　to　this　end　was　cutting　up　a　fine　piece　of　figured
silk　from　one　to　two　hundred　years　old；　which；　if　I　could　have　got
it；　for　half　its　value；　I　should　much　like　to　have　bought。　　I　sat　in
the　cool　of　the　church　while　he　sat　in　the　doorway；　which　was　still
in　shadow；　snipping　and　snipping；　and　then　sewing；　I　am　sure　with
admirable　neatness。　　He　made　a　charming　picture；　with　the　arched
portico　over　his　head；　the　green　grass　and　low　church　wall　behind
him；　and　then　a　lovely　landscape　of　wood　and　pasture　and　valleys　and
hillside。　　Every　now　and　then　he　would　come　and　chirrup　about
Joachim；　for　he　was　pained　and　shocked　at　my　having　said　that　his
Joachim　was　some　one　else　and　not　Joachim　at　all。　　I　said　I　was　very
sorry；　but　I　was　afraid　the　figure　was　a　woman。　　He　asked　me　what　he
was　to　do。　　He　had　known　it；　man　and　boy；　this　sixty　years；　and　had
always　shown　it　as　St。　Joachim；　he　had　never　heard　any　one　but
myself　question　his　ascription；　and　could　not　suddenly　change　his
mind　about　it　at　the　bidding　of　a　stranger。　　At　the　same　time　he
felt　it　was　a　very　serious　thing　to　continue　showing　it　as　the
Virgin's　father　if　it　was　really　her　grandmother。　　I　told　him　I
thought　this　was　a　case　for　his　spiritual　director；　and　that　if　he
felt　uncomfortable　about　it　he　should　consult　his　parish　priest　and
do　as　he　was　told。

On　leaving　Montrigone；　with　a　pleasant　sense　of　having　made
acquaintance　with　a　new　and；　in　many　respects；　interesting　work；　I
could　not　get　the　sacristan　and　our　difference　of　opinion　out　of　my
head。　　What；　I　asked　myself；　are　the　differences　that　unhappily
divide　Christendom；　and　what　are　those　that　divide　Christendom　from
modern　schools　of　thought；　but　a　seeing　of　Joachims　as　the　Virgin's
grandmothers　on　a　larger　scale？　　True；　we　cannot　call　figures
Joachim　when　we　know　perfectly　well　that　they　are　nothing　of　the
kind；　but　I　registered　a　vow　that　henceforward　when　I　called
Joachims　the　Virgin's　grandmothers　I　would　bear　more　in　mind　than　I
have　perhaps　always　hitherto　done；　how　hard　it　is　for　those　who　have
been　taught　to　see　them　as　Joachims　to　think　of　them　as　something
different。　　I　trust　that　I　have　not　been　unfaithful　to　this　vow　in
the　preceding　article。　　If　the　reader　differs　from　me；　let　me　ask
him　to　remember　how　hard　it　is　for　one　who　has　got　a　figure　well
into　his　head　as　the　Virgin's　grandmother　to　see　it　as　Joachim。



A　MEDIEVAL　GIRL　SCHOOL　｛8｝



This　last　summer　I　revisited　Oropa；　near　Biella；　to　see　what
connection　I　could　find　between　the　Oropa　chapels　and　those　at
Varallo。　　I　will　take　this　opportunity　of　describing　the　chapels　at
Oropa；　and　more　especially　the　remarkable　fossil；　or　petrified　girl
school；　commonly　known　as　the　Dimora；　or　Sojourn　of　the　Virgin　Mary
in　the　Temple。

If　I　do　not　take　these　works　so　seriously　as　the　reader　may　expect；
let　me　beg　him；　before　he　blames　me；　to　go　to　Oropa　and　see　the
originals　for　himself。　　Have　the　good　people　of　Oropa　themselves
taken　th