the civilization of the renaissance in italy-第94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！


'　of　Pulci；　and　Petrarch；　partly　in　the　　form　of　valuable　printed　parchments　and　illuminated　manuscripts；　then　　women's　ornaments　and　toilet　articles；　scents；　mirrors；　veils　and　false　　hair；　higher　up；　lutes；　harps；　chessboards；　playing…cards；　and　finally；　　on　the　two　uppermost　tiers；　paintings　only；　especially　of　female　　beauties；　partly　fancy　pictures；　bearing　the　classical　names　of　　Lucretia；　Cleopatra；　or　Faustina；　partly　portraits　of　the　beautiful　　Bencina；　Lena　Morella；　Bina　and　Maria　de'　Lenzi。　On　the　first　occasion　　a　Venetian　merchant　who　happened　to　be　present　offered　the　Signoria　　22；000　gold　florins　for　the　objects　on　the　pyramid；　but　the　only　answer　　he　received　was　that　his　portrait；　too；　was　painted；　and　burned　along　　with　the　rest。　When　the　pile　was　lighted；　the　Signoria　appeared　on　the　　balcony；　and　the　air　echoed　with　song；　the　sound　of　trumpets；　and　the　　pealing　of　bells。　The　people　then　adjourned　to　the　Piazza　di　San　Marco；　　where　they　danced　round　in　three　concentric　circles。　The　innermost　was　　composed　of　monks　of　the　monastery；　alternating　with　boys；　dressed　as　　angels；　then　came　young　laymen　and　ecclesiastics；　and　on　the　outside；　　old　men；　citizens；　and　priests；　the　latter　crowned　with　wreaths　of　　olive。

All　the　ridicule　of　his　victorious　enemies；　who　in　truth　bad　no　lack　of　　justification　or　of　talent　for　ridicule；　was　unable　to　discredit　the　　memory　of　Savonarola。　The　more　tragic　the　fortunes　of　Italy　became；　the　　brighter　grew　the　halo　which　in　the　recollection　of　the　survivors　　surrounded　the　figure　of　the　great　monk　and　prophet。　Though　his　　predictions　may　not　have　been　confirmed　in　detail；　the　great　and　　general　calamity　which　he　foretold　was　fulfilled　with　appalling　truth。

Great；　however；　as　the　influence　of　all　these　preachers　may　have　been；　　and　brilliantly　as　Savonarola　justified　the　claim　of　the　monks　to　this　　office；　nevertheless　the　order　as　a　while　could　not　escape　the　contempt　　and　condemnation　of　the　people。　Italy^　showed　that　she　could　give　her　　enthusiasm　only　to　individuals。

Strength　of　the　Old　Faith

If；　apart　from　all　that　concerns　the　priests　and　the　monks；　we　　attempt　to　measure　the　strength　of　the　old　faith；　it　will　be　found　　great　or　small　according　to　the　light　in　which　it　is　considered。　We　　have　spoken　already　of　the　need　felt　for　the　Sacraments　as　something　　indispensable。　Let　us　now　glance　for　a　moment　at　the　position　of　faith　　and　worship　in　daily　life。　Both　were　determined　partly　by　the　habits　of　　the　people　and　partly　by　the　policy　and　example　of　the　rulers。

All　that　has　to　do　with　penitence　and　the　attainment　of　salvation　by　　means　of　good　works　was　in　much　the　one　stage　of　development　or　　corruption　as　in　the　North　of　Europe；　both　among　the　peasantry　and　　among　the　poorer　inhabitants　of　the　cities。　The　instructed　classes　were　　sometimes　influenced　by　the　same　motives。　Those　sides　of　popular　　Catholicism　which　had　their　origin　in　the　old　pagan　ways　of　invoking；　　rewarding；　and　propitiating　the　gods　have　fixed　themselves　ineradicably　　in　the　consciousness　of　the　people。　The　eighth　eclogue　of　Battista　　Mantovano；　which　has　already　been　quoted　elsewhere；　contains　the　prayer　　of　a　peasant　to　the　Madonna；　in　which　she　is　called　upon　as　the　special　　patroness　of　all　rustic　and　agricultural　interests。　And　what　　conceptions　they　were　which　the　people　formed　of　their　protectress　in　　heaven。　What　was　in　the　mind　of　the　Florentine　woman　who　gave　'ex　voto'　　a　keg　of　wax　to　the　Annunziata；　because　her　lover；　a　monk；　had　　gradually　emptied　a　barrel　of　wine　without　her　absent　husband　finding　　it　out。　Then；　too；　as　still　in　our　own　days；　different　departments　of　　human　life　were　presided　over　by　their　respective　patrons。

The　attempt　has　often　been　made　to　explain　a　number　of　the　commonest　　rites　of　the　Catholic　Church　as　remnants　of　pagan　ceremonies；　and　no　　one　doubts　that　many　local　and　popular　usages；　which　are　associated　　with　religious　festivals；　are　forgotten　fragments　of　the　old　pre…　Christian　faiths　of　Europe。　In　Italy；　on　the　contrary；　we　find　　instances　in　which　the　affiliation　of　the　new　faith　to　the　old　seems　　consciously　recognized。　So；　for　example；　the　custom　of　setting　out　food　　for　the　dead　four　days　before　the　feast　of　the　Chair　of　St。　Peter；　that　　is　to　say；　on　February　18；　the　date　of　the　ancient　Feralia。　Many　other　　practices　of　this　kind　may　then　have　prevailed　and　have　since　then　been　　extirpated。　Perhaps　the　paradox　is　only　apparent　if　we　say　that　the　　popular　faith　in　Italy　had　a　solid　foundation　just　in　proportion　as　it　　was　pagan。

The　extent　to　which　this　form　of　belief　prevailed　in　the　upper　classes　　can　to　a　certain　point　be　shown　in　detail。　It　had；　as　we　have　said　in　　speaking　of　the　influence　of　the　clergy；　the　power　of　custom　and　early　　impressions　on　its　side。　The　love　for　ecclesiastical　pomp　and　display　　helped　to　confirm　it；　and　now　and　then　there　came　one　of　those　　epidemics　of　revivalism；　which　few　even　among　the　scoffers　and　the　　sceptics　were　able　to　withstand。

But　in　questions　of　this　kind　it　is　perilous　to　grasp　too　hastily　at　　absolute　results。　We　might　fancy；　for　example；　that　the　feeling　of　　educated　men　towards　the　relics　of　the　saints　would　be　a　key　by　which　　some　chambers　of　their　religious　consciousness　might　be　opened。　And　in　　fact；　some　difference　of　degree　may　be　demonstrable；　though　by　no　means　　as　clearly　as　might　be　wished。　The　Government　of　Venice　in　the　　fifteenth　century　seems　to　have　fully　shared　in　the　reverence　felt　　throughout　the　rest　of　Europe　for　the　remains　of　the　bodies　of　the　　saints。　Even　strangers　who　lived　in　Venice　found　it　well　to　adapt　　themselves　to　this　superstition。　If　we　can　judge　of　scholarly　Padua　　from　the　testimony　of　its　topographer　Michele　Savonarola；　things　must　　have　been　much　the　same　there。　With　a　mixture　of　pride　and　pious　awe；　　Michele　tells　us　how　in　times　of　great　danger　the　saints　were　heard　to　　sigh　at　night　along　the　streets　of　the　city；　how　the　hair　and　nails　on　　the　corpse　of　a　holy　nun　in　Santa　Chiara　kept　continually　growing；　and　　how　the　same　corpse。　when　any　disaster　was　impending；　used　to　make　a　　noise　and　lift　up　the　arms。　When　he　sets　to　work　to　describe　the　chapel　　of　St。　Anthony　in　the　Santo；　the　writer　loses　himself　in　ejaculations　　and　fantastic　dreams。　In　Milan　the　people　at　least　showed　a　fanatical　　devotion　to　relics；　and　when　once；　in　the　year　1517；　the　monks　of　San　　Simpliciano　were　careless　enough　to　expose　six　holy　corpses　during　　certain　alterations　of　the　high　altar；　which　event　was　followed　by　　heavy　floods　of　rain；　the　people　attributed　the　visitation　to　this　　sacrilege；　and　gave　the　monks　a　sound　beating　whenever　they　met　them　in　　the　street。　In　other　parts　of　Italy；　and　even　in　the　case　of　the　Popes　　themselves；　the　sincerity　of　this　feeling　is　much　more　dubious；　though　　here；　too；　a　positive　conclusion　is　hardly　attainable。　It　is　well　known　　amid　what　general　enthusiasm　Pius　II　solemnly　deposited　the　head　of　the　　Apostle　Andrew；　which　had　been　brought　from　Greece；　and　then　from　San

Maura；　in　the　Church　of　St。　Peter　（1462）；　but　we　gather　from　his　own　　narrative　that　he　only　did　it　from　a　kind　of　shame；　as　so　many　princes　　were　competing　for　the　relic。　It　was　not　till　afterwards　that　the　idea　　struck　him　of　making　Rome　the　common　refuge　for　all　the　remains　of　the　　saints　which　had　been　driven　from　their　own　churches。　Under　Sixtus　IV；　　the　population　of　the　city　was　still　more　zealous　in　this　cause　than　　the　Pope　himself；　and　the　magistracy　（1483）　complained　bitterly　that　　Sixtus　had　sent　to　Louis　XI；　the　dying　King　of　France；　some　specimens　　of　the　Lateran　relics。　A　courageous　voice　was　raised　about　thin　time　at　　Bologna；　advising　the　sale　of　the　skull　of　St。　Dominic　to　the　King　of　　Spain；　and　the　application　of　the　money　to　some　useful　public　object。　　But　those　who　had　the　least　reverence　of　all　for　the　relics　were　the　　Florentines。　Between　the　decision　to　honour　their　saint；　St。　Zanobi；　　with　a　new　sarcophagus　and　the　final　execution　of　the　project　by　　Ghiberti；　ten　years　elapsed　（1432…42）　and　then　it　only　happened　by　　chance；　because　the　master　had　executed　a　smaller　order　of　the　same　　kind　with　great　skill　（1428）。

Perhaps　through　being　tricked　by