essays on life, art and science-第10章

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anything　so　obvious；　and　will　content　myself　with　saying　that　we
have　here　the　Virgin's　grandmother。　　I　had　never　had　the　pleasure；
so　far　as　I　remembered；　of　meeting　this　lady　before；　and　was　glad　to
have　an　opportunity　of　making　her　acquaintance。

Tradition　says　that　it　was　she　who　chose　the　Virgin's　name；　and　if
so；　what　a　debt　of　gratitude　do　we　not　owe　her　for　her　judicious
selection！　　It　makes　one　shudder　to　think　what　might　have　happened
if　she　had　named　the　child　Keren…Happuch；　as　poor　Job's　daughter　was
called。　　How　could　we　have　said；　〃Ave　Keren…Happuch！〃　　What　would
the　musicians　have　done？　　I　forget　whether　Maher…Shalal…Hash…Baz　was
a　man　or　a　woman；　but　there　were　plenty　of　names　quite　as
unmanageable　at　the　Virgin's　grandmother's　option；　and　we　cannot
sufficiently　thank　her　for　having　chosen　one　that　is　so　euphonious
in　every　language　which　we　need　take　into　account。　　For　this　reason
alone　we　should　not　grudge　her　her　portrait；　but　we　should　try　to
draw　the　line　here。　　I　do　not　think　we　ought　to　give　the　Virgin's
great…grandmother　a　statue。　　Where　is　it　to　end？　　It　is　like　Mr。
Crookes's　ultimissimate　atoms；　we　used　to　draw　the　line　at　ultimate
atoms；　and　now　it　seems　we　are　to　go　a　step　farther　back　and　have
ultimissimate　atoms。　　How　long；　I　wonder；　will　it　be　before　we　feel
that　it　will　be　a　material　help　to　us　to　have　ultimissimissimate
atoms？　　Quavers　stopped　at　demi…semi…demi；　but　there　is　no　reason　to
suppose　that　either　atoms　or　ancestresses　of　the　Virgin　will　be　so
complacent。

I　have　said　that　on　St。　Anne's　left　hand　there　is　a　lady　who　is
bringing　in　some　flowers。　　St。　Anne　was　always　passionately　fond　of
flowers。　　There　is　a　pretty　story　told　about　her　in　one　of　the
Fathers；　I　forget　which；　to　the　effect　that　when　a　child　she　was
asked　which　she　liked　bestcakes　or　flowers？　　She　could　not　yet
speak　plainly　and　lisped　out；　〃Oh　fowses；　pretty　fowses〃；　she　added；
however；　with　a　sigh　and　as　a　kind　of　wistful　corollary；　〃but　cakes
are　very　nice。〃　　She　is　not　to　have　any　cakes；　just　now；　but　as　soon
as　she　has　done　thanking　the　lady　for　her　beautiful　nosegay；　she　is
to　have　a　couple　of　nice　new…laid　eggs；　that　are　being　brought　her
by　another　lady。　　Valsesian　women　immediately　after　their
confinement　always　have　eggs　beaten　up　with　wine　and　sugar；　and　one
can　tell　a　Valsesian　Birth　of　the　Virgin　from　a　Venetian　or　a
Florentine　by　the　presence　of　the　eggs。　　I　learned　this　from　an
eminent　Valsesian　professor　of　medicine；　who　told　me　that；　though
not　according　to　received　rules；　the　eggs　never　seemed　to　do　any
harm。　　Here　they　are　evidently　to　be　beaten　up；　for　there　is　neither
spoon　nor　egg…cup；　and　we　cannot　suppose　that　they　were　hard…boiled。
On　the　other　hand；　in　the　Middle　Ages　Italians　never　used　egg…cups
and　spoons　for　boiled　eggs。　　The　mediaeval　boiled　egg　was　always
eaten　by　dipping　bread　into　the　yolk。

Behind　the　lady　who　is　bringing　in　the　eggs　is　the　under…under…nurse
who　is　at　the　fire　warming　a　towel。　　In　the　foreground　we　have　the
regulation　midwife　holding　the　regulation　baby　（who；　by　the　way；　was
an　astonishingly　fine　child　for　only　five　minutes　old）。　　Then　comes
the　under…nursea　good　buxom　creature；　who；　as　usual；　is　feeling
the　water　in　the　bath　to　see　that　it　is　of　the　right　temperature。
Next　to　her　is　the　head…nurse；　who　is　arranging　the　cradle。　　Behind
the　head…nurse　is　the　under…under…nurse's　drudge；　who　is　just　going
out　upon　some　errands。　　Lastlyfor　by　this　time　we　have　got　all
round　the　chapelwe　arrive　at　the　Virgin's　grandmother's…body…
guard；　a　stately；　responsible…looking　lady；　standing　in　waiting　upon
her　mistress。　　I　put　it　to　the　readeris　it　conceivable　that　St。
Joachim　should　have　been　allowed　in　such　a　room　at　such　a　time；　or
that　he　should　have　had　the　courage　to　avail　himself　of　the
permission；　even　though　it　had　been　extended　to　him？　　At　any　rate；
is　it　conceivable　that　he　should　have　been　allowed　to　sit　on　St。
Anne's　right　hand；　laying　down　the　law　with　a　〃Marry；　come　up　here；〃
and　a　〃Marry；　go…down　there；〃　and　a　couple　of　such　unabashed　collars
as　the　old　lady　has　put　on　for　the　occasion？

Moreover　（for　I　may　as　well　demolish　this　mischievous　confusion
between　St。　Joachim　and　his　mother…in…law　once　and　for　all）；　the
merest　tyro　in　hagiology　knows　that　St。　Joachim　was　not　at　home　when
the　Virgin　was　born。　　He　had　been　hustled　out　of　the　temple　for
having　no　children；　and　had　fled　desolate　and　dismayed　into　the
wilderness。　　It　shows　how　silly　people　are；　for　all　the　time　he　was
going；　if　they　had　only　waited　a　little；　to　be　the　father　of　the
most　remarkable　person　of　purely　human　origin　who　had　ever　been
born；　and　such　a　parent　as　this　should　surely　not　be　hurried。　　The
story　is　told　in　the　frescoes　of　the　chapel　of　Loreto；　only　a
quarter　of　an　hour's　walk　from　Varallo；　and　no　one　can　have　known　it
better　than　D'Enrico。　　The　frescoes　are　explained　by　written
passages　that　tell　us　how；　when　Joachim　was　in　the　desert；　an　angel
came　to　him　in　the　guise　of　a　fair；　civil　young　gentleman；　and　told
him　the　Virgin　was　to　be　born。　　Then；　later　on；　the　same　young
gentleman　appeared　to　him　again；　and　bade　him　〃in　God's　name　be
comforted；　and　turn　again　to　his　content；〃　for　the　Virgin　had　been
actually　born。　　On　which　St。　Joachim；　who　seems　to　have　been　of
opinion　that　marriage　after　all　WAS　rather　a　failure；　said　that；　as
things　were　going　on　so　nicely　without　him；　he　would　stay　in　the
desert　just　a　little　longer；　and　offered　up　a　lamb　as　a　pretext　to
gain　time。　　Perhaps　he　guessed　about　his　mother…in…law；　or　he　may
have　asked　the　angel。　　Of　course；　even　in　spite　of　such　evidence　as
this　I　may　be　mistaken　about　the　Virgin's　grandmother's　sex；　and　the
sacristan　may　be　right；　but　I　can　only　say　that　if　the　lady　sitting
by　St。　Anne's　bedside　at　Montrigone　is　the　Virgin's　fatherwell；　in
that　case　I　must　reconsider　a　good　deal　that　I　have　been　accustomed
to　believe　was　beyond　question。

Taken　singly；　I　suppose　that　none　of　the　figures　in　the　chapel；
except　the　Virgin's　grandmother；　should　be　rated　very　highly。　　The
under…nurse　is　the　next　best　figure；　and　might　very　well　be
Tabachetti's；　for　neither　Giovanni　d'Enrico　nor　Giacomo　Ferro　was
successful　with　his　female　characters。　　There　is　not　a　single　really
comfortable　woman　in　any　chapel　by　either　of　them　on　the　Sacro　Monte
at　Varallo。　　Tabachetti；　on　the　other　hand；　delighted　in　women；　if
they　were　young　he　made　them　comely　and　engaging；　if　they　were　old
he　gave　them　dignity　and　individual　character；　and　the　under…nurse
is　much　more　in　accordance　with　Tabachetti's　habitual　mental
attitude　than　with　D'Enrico's　or　Giacomo　Ferro's。　　Still　there　are
only　four　figures　out　of　the　eleven　that　are　mere　otiose　supers；　and
taking　the　work　as　a　whole　it　leaves　a　pleasant　impression　as　being
throughout　naive　and　homely；　and　sometimes；　which　is　of　less
importance；　technically　excellent。

Allowance　must；　of　course；　be　made　for　tawdry　accessories　and
repeated　coats　of　shiny　oleaginous　paintvery　disagreeable　where　it
has　peeled　off　and　almost　more　so　where　it　has　not。　　What　work　could
stand　against　such　treatment　as　the　Valsesian　terra…cotta　figures
have　had　to　put　up　with？　　Take　the　Venus　of　Milo；　let　her　be　done　in
terra…cotta；　and　have　run；　not　much；　but　still　something；　in　the
baking；　paint　her　pink；　two　oils；　all　over；　and　then　varnish　herit
will　help　to　preserve　the　paint；　glue　a　lot　of　horsehair　on　to　her
pate；　half　of　which　shall　have　come　off；　leaving　the　glue　still
showing；　scrape　her；　not　too　thoroughly；　get　the　village　drawing…
master　to　paint　her　again；　and　the　drawing…master　in　the　next
provincial　town　to　put　a　forest　background　behind　her　with　the
brightest　emerald…green　leaves　that　he　can　do　for　the　money；　let
this　painting　and　scraping　and　repainting　be　repeated　several　times
over；　festoon　her　with　pink　and　white　flowers　made　of　tissue　paper；
surround　her　with　the　cheapest　German　imitations　of　the　cheapest
decorations　that　Birmingham　can　produce；　let　the　night　air　and
winter　fogs　get　at　her　for　three　hundred　years；　and　how　easy；　I
wonder；　will　it　be　to　see　the　goddess　who　will　be　still　in　great
part　there？　　True；　in　the　case　of　the　Birth　of　the　Virgin　chapel　at
Montrigone；　there　is　no　real　hair　and　no　fresco　background；　but　time
has　had　abundant　opportunities　without　these。　　I　will　conclude　my
notice　of　this　chapel　by　saying　that　on　the　left；　above　the　door
through　which　the　under…under…nurse's　drudge　is　about　to　pass；　there
is　a　good　painted　terra…cotta　bust；　saidbut　I　believe　on　no
authorityto　be　a　portrait　of　Giovanni　d'Enrico。　　Others　say　that
the　Virgin's　grandmother　is　Giovanni　d'Enrico；　but　this　is　even　more
absurd　than　supposing　her　to　be　St。　Joachim。

The　next　chapel　to　the　Birth　of　the　Virgin　is　that　of　the
Sposalizio。　　There　is　no　figure　here　which　suggests　Tabachetti；　but
still　there　are　some　very　good　ones。　　The　best　have　no　taint　of
barocco；　the　man　who　did　them；　whoever　he　may　have　been；　had
evidently　a　good　deal　of　life　and　go；　was　taking　reasonable　pains；
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