the civilization of the renaissance in italy-第103章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ersons　were　probably　accused　of　doing　so　before　the　time　when　it　　was　actually　attempted　by　many；　but　when　the　so…called　magicians　and　　witches　began　to　be　burned；　the　deliberate　practice　of　the　black　art　　became　more　frequent。　With　the　smoke　of　the　fires　in　which　the　　suspected　victims　were　sacrificed；　were　spread　the　narcotic　fumes　by　　which　numbers　of　ruined　characters　were　drugged　into　magic；　and　with　　them　many　calculating　impostors　became　associated。

The　primitive　and　popular　form　in　which　the　superstition　had　probably　　lived　on　uninterruptedly　from　the　time　of　the　Romans；　was　the　art　of　　the　witch_（strege）。_The　witch；　so　long　as　she　limited　herself　to　mere　　divination；　might　be　innocent　enough。　were　it　not　that　the　transition　　from　prophecy　to　active　help　could　easily；　though　often　imperceptibly；　　be　a　fatal　downward　step。　She　was　credited　in　such　a　case　not　only　with　　the　power　of　exciting　love　or　hatred　between　man　and　woman；　but　also　　with　purely　destructive　and　malignant　arts；　and　was　especially　charged　　with　the　sickness　of　little　children；　even　when　the　malady　obviously　　came　from　the　neglect　and　stupidity　of　the　parents。　It　is　still　　questionable　how　far　she　was　supposed　to　act　by　mere　magical　ceremonies　　and　formula；　or　by　a　conscious　alliance　with　the　fiends；　apart　from　the　　poisons　and　drugs　which　she　administered　with　a　full　knowledge　of　their　　effect。

The　more　innocent　form　of　the　superstition；　in　which　the　mendicant　　friar　could　venture　to　appear　as　the　competitor　of　the　witch；　is　shown　　in　the　case　of　the　witch　of　Gaeta　whom　we　read　of　in　Pontano。　His　　traveller　Suppatius　reaches　her　dwelling　while　she　is　giving　audience　　to　a　girl　and　a　servingmaid；　who　come　to　her　with　a　black　hen；　nine　　eggs　laid　on　a　Friday；　a　duck；　and　some　white　thread；　for　it　is　the　　third　day　since　the　new　moon。　They　are　then　sent　away；　and　bidden　to　　come　again　at　twilight。　It　is　to　be　hoped　that　nothing　worse　than　　divination　is　intended。　The　mistress　of　the　servant…maid　is　pregnant　by　　a　monk；　the　girl's　lover　has　proved　untrue　and　has　gone　into　a　　monastery。　The　witch　complains：　'Since　my　husband's　death　I　support　　myself　in　this　way；　and　should　make　a　good　thing　of　it；　since　the　　Gaetan　women　have　plenty　of　faith；　were　it　not　that　the　monks　balk　me　　of　my　gains　by　explaining　dreams；　appeasing　the　anger　of　the　saints　for　　money；　promising　husbands　to　the　girls；　men…children　to　the　pregnant　　women；　offspring　to　the　barren；　and　besides　all　this　visiting　the　women　　at　night　when　their　husbands　are　away　fishing；　in　accordance　with　the　　assignations　made　in　daytime　at　church。'　Suppatius　warns　her　against　　the　envy　of　the　monastery；　but　she　has　no　fear；　since　the　guardian　of　　it　is　an　old　acquaintance　of　hers。

But　the　superstition　further　gave　rise　to　a　worse　sort　of　witches；　　namely　those　who　deprived　men　of　their　health　and　life。　In　these　cases　　the　mischief；　when　not　sufficiently　accounted　for　by　the　evil　eye　and　　the　like；　was　naturally　attributed　to　the　aid　of　powerful　spirits。　The　　punishment；　as　we　have　seen　in　the　case　of　Finicella；　was　the　stake；　　and　yet　a　compromise　with　fanaticism　was　sometimes　practicable。　　According　to　the　laws　of　Perugia；　for　example；　a　witch　could　settle　the　　affair　by　paying　down　400　pounds。　The　matter　was　not　then　treated　with　　the　seriousness　and　consistency　of　later　times。　In　the　territories　of　　the　Church？　at　Norcia　（Nursia）；　the　home　of　St。　Benedict　in　the　upper　　Apennines；　there　was　a　perfect　nest　of　witches　and　sorcerers；　and　no　　secret　was　made　of　it。　It　is　spoken　of　in　one　of　the　most　remarkable　　letters　of　Aeneas　Sylvius；　belonging　to　his　earlier　period。　He　writes　　to　his　brother：　'The　bearer　of　this　came　to　me　to　ask　if　I　knew　of　a　　Mount　of　Venus　in　Italy；　for　in　such　a　place　magical　arts　were　taught；　　and　his　master；　a　Saxon　and　a　great　astronomer；　was　anxious　to　learn　　them。　I　told　him　that　I　knew　of　a　Porto　Venere　not　far　from　Carrara；　on　　the　rocky　coast　of　Liguria；　where　I　spent　three　nights　on　the　way　to　　Basle；　I　also　found　that　there　was　a　mountain　called　Eryx；　in　Sicily；　　which　was　dedicated　to　Venus；　but　I　did　not　know　whether　magic　was　　taught　here。　But　it　came　into　my　mind　while　talking；　that　in　Umbria；　in　　the　old　Duchy　（Spoleto）？　near　the　town　of　Nursia；　there　is　a　cave　　beneath　a　steep　rock；　in　which　water　flows。　There；　as　I　remember　to　　have　heard；　are　witches　（striges）；　demons；　and　nightly　shades；　and　he　　that　has　the　courage　can　see　and　speak　to　ghosts　（spiritus）；　and　learn　　magical　arts。　I　have　not　seen　it；　nor　taken　any　trouble　about　it；　for　　that　which　is　learned　with　sin　is　better　not　learned　at　all。'　He　　nevertheless　names　his　informant；　and　begs　his　brother　to　take　the　　bearer　of　the　letter　to　him；　should　he　be　still　alive。　Aeneas　goes　far　　enough　here　in　his　politeness　to　a　man　of　position；　but　personally　he　　was　not　only　freer　from　superstition　than　his　contemporaries；　but　he　　also　stood　a　test　on　the　subject　which　not　every　educated　man　of　our　　own　day　could　endure。　At　the　time　of　the　Council　of　Basle；　when　he　lay　　sick　of　the　fever　for　seventy…five　days　at　Milan；　he　could　never　be　　persuaded　to　listen　to　the　magic　doctors；　though　a　man　was　brought　to　　his　bedside　who　a　short　time　before　had　marvelously　cured　2；000　　soldiers　of　fever　in　the　camp　of　Piccinino。　While　still　an　invalid；　　Aeneas　rode　over　the　mountains　to　Basle；　and　got　well　on　the　journey。

We　learn　something　more　about　the　neighborhood　of　Norcia　through　the　　necromancer　who　tried　to　get　Benvenuto　Cellini　into　his　power。　A　new　　book　of　magic　was　to　be　consecrated；　and　the　best　place　for　the　　ceremony　was　among　the　mountains　in　that　district。　The　master　of　the　　magician　had　once；　it　is　true；　done　the　same　thing　near　the　abbey　of　　Farfa；　but　had　there　found　difficulties　which　did　not　present　　themselves　at　Norcia；　further；　the　peasants　in　the　latter　neighborhood　　were　trustworthy　people　who　had　had　practice　in　the　matter；　and　who　　could　afford　considerable　help　in　case　of　need。　The　expedition　did　not　　take　place；　else　Benvenuto　would　probably　have　been　able　to　tell　us　　something　of　the　impostor's　assistants。　The　whole　neighborhood　was　then　　proverbial。　Aretino　says　somewhere　of　an　enchanted　well；　'there　dwell　　the　sisters　of　the　sibyl　of　Norcia　and　the　aunt　of　the　Fata　Gloriana。'　　And　about　the　same　time　Trissino　could　still　celebrate　the　place　in　his　　great　epic　with　all　the　resources　of　poetry　and　allegory　as　the　home　of　　authentic　prophecy。

After　the　notorious　Bull　of　Innocent　VIII　（1484）；　witchcraft　and　the　　persecution　of　witches　grew　into　a　great　and　revolting　system。　The　　chief　representatives　of　this　system　of　persecution　were　German　　Dominicans；　and　Germany　and；　curiously　enough；　those　parts　of　Italy　　nearest　Germany　were　the　countries　most　afflicted　by　this　plague。　The　　bulls　and　injunctions　of　the　Popes　themselves　refer；　for　example；　to　　the　Dominican　Province　of　Lombardy；　to　Cremona；　to　the　dioceses　of　　Brescia　and　Bergamo。　We　learn　from　Sprenger's　famous　theoretico…　practical　guide；　the　'Malleus　Maleficarum；'　that　forty…one　witches　were　　burnt　at　Como　in　the　first　year　after　the　publication　of　the　bull；　　crowds　of　Italian　women　took　refuge　in　the　territory　of　the　Archduke　　Sigismund；　where　they　believed　themselves　to　be　still　safe。　Witchcraft　　ended　by　taking　firm　root　in　a　few　unlucky　Alpine　valleys；　especially　　in　the　Val　Camonica；　the　system　of　persecution　had　succeeded　in　　permanently　infecting　with　the　delusion　those　populations　which　were　in　　any　way　predisposed　for　it。　This　essentially　German　form　of　witchcraft　　is　what　we　should　think　of　when　reading　the　stories　and　novels　of　Milan　　or　Bologna。　That　it　did　not　make　further　progress　in　Italy　is　probably　　due　to　the　fact　that　here　a　highly　developed　'stregheria'　was　already　　in　existence；　resting　on　a　different　set　of　ideas。　The　Italian　witch　　practiced　a　trade；　and　needed　for　it　money　and；　above　all；　sense。　We　　find　nothing　about　her　of　the　hysterical　dreams　of　the　Northern　witch；　　of　marvelous　journeys　through　the　air；　of　Incubus　and　Succubus；　the　　business　of　the　'strega'　was　to　provide　for　other　people's　pleasures。　　If　she　was　credited　with　the　power　of　assuming　different　shapes；　or　of　　transporting　herself　suddenly　to　dis