essays on life, art and science-第11章

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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　them　very　seriously？　　Are　we　in　an　atmosphere　where　we　need　be
at　much　pains　to　speak　with　bated　breath？　　We；　as　is　well　known；
love　to　take　even　our　pleasures　sadly；　the　Italians　take　even　their
sadness　allegramente；　and　combine　devotion　with　amusement　in　a
manner　that　we　shall　do　well　to　study　if　not　imitate。　　For　this　best
agrees　with　what　we　gather　to　have　been　the　custom　of　Christ
himself；　who；　indeed；　never　speaks　of　austerity　but　to　condemn　it。
If　Christianity　is　to　be　a　living　faith；　it　must　penetrate　a　man's
whole　life；　so　that　he　can　no　more　rid　himself　of　it　than　he　can　of
his　flesh　and　bones　or　of　his　breathing。　　The　Christianity　that　can
be　taken　up　and　laid　down　as　if　it　were　a　watch　or　a　book　is
Christianity　in　name　only。　　The　true　Christian　can　no　more　part　from
Christ　in　mirth　than　in　sorrow。　　And；　after　all；　what　is　the　essence
of　Christianity？　　What　is　the　kernel　of　the　nut？　　Surely　common
sense　and　cheerfulness；　with　unflinching　opposition　to　the
charlatanisms　and　Pharisaisms　of　a　man's　own　times。　　The　essence　of
Christianity　lies　neither　in　dogma；　nor　yet　in　abnormally　holy　life；
but　in　faith　in　an　unseen　world；　in　doing　one's　duty；　in　speaking
the　truth；　in　finding　the　true　life　rather　in　others　than　in
oneself；　and　in　the　certain　hope　that　he　who　loses　his　life　on　these
behalfs　finds　more　than　he　has　lost。　　What　can　Agnosticism　do
against　such　Christianity　as　this？　　I　should　be　shocked　if　anything
I　had　ever　written　or　shall　ever　write　should　seem　to　make　light　of
these　things。　　I　should　be　shocked　also　if　I　did　not　know　how　to　be
amused　with　things　that　amiable　people　obviously　intended　to　be
amusing。

The　reader　may　need　to　be　reminded　that　Oropa　is　among　the　somewhat
infrequent　sanctuaries　at　which　the　Madonna　and　infant　Christ　are
not　white；　but　black。　　I　shall　return　to　this　peculiarity　of　Oropa
later　on；　but　will　leave　it　for　the　present。　　For　the　general
characteristics　of　the　place　I　must　refer　the　reader　to　my　book；
〃Alps　and　Sanctuaries。〃　｛9｝　　I　propose　to　confine　myself　here　to　the
ten　or　a　dozen　chapels　containing　life…sized　terra…cotta　figures；
painted　up　to　nature；　that　form　one　of　the　main　features　of　the
place。　　At　a　first　glance；　perhaps；　all　these　chapels　will　seem
uninteresting；　I　venture　to　think；　however；　that　some；　if　not　most
of　them；　though　falling　a　good　deal　short　of　the　best　work　at
Varallo　and　Crea；　are　still　in　their　own　way　of　considerable
importance。　　The　first　chapel　with　which　we　need　concern　ourselves
is　numbered　4；　and　shows　the　Conception　of　the　Virgin　Mary。　　It
represents　St。　Anne　as　kneeling　before　a　terrific　dragon　or；　as　the
Italians　call　it；　〃insect；〃　about　the　size　of　a　Crystal　Palace
pleiosaur。　　This　〃insect〃　is　supposed　to　have　just　had　its　head
badly　crushed　by　St。　Anne；　who　seems　to　be　begging　its　pardon。　　The
text　〃Ipsa　conteret　caput　tuum〃　is　written　outside　the　chapel。　　The
figures　have　no　artistic　interest。　　As　regards　dragons　being　called
insects；　the　reader　may　perhaps　remember　that　the　island　of　S。
Giulio；　in　the　Lago　d'Orta；　was　infested　with　insetti；　which　S。
Giulio　destroyed；　and　which　appear；　in　a　fresco　underneath　the
church　on　the　island；　to　have　been　monstrous　and　ferocious　dragons；
but　I　cannot　remember　whether　their　bodies　are　divided　into　three
sections；　and　whether　or　no　they　have　exactly　six　legswithout
which；　I　am　told；　they　cannot　be　true　insects。

The　fifth　chapel　represents　the　birth　of　the　Virgin。　　Having
obtained　permission　to　go　inside　it；　I　found　the　date　1715　cut　large
and　deep　on　the　back　of　one　figure　before　baking；　and　I　imagine　that
this　date　covers　the　whole。　　There　is　a　Queen　Anne　feeling
throughout　the　composition；　and　if　we　were　told　that　the　sculptor
and　Francis　Bird；　sculptor　of　the　statue　in　front　of　St。　Paul's
Cathedral；　had　studied　under　the　same　master；　we　could　very　well
believe　it。　　The　apartment　in　which　the　Virgin　was　born　is　spacious；
and　in　striking　contrast　to　the　one　in　which　she　herself　gave　birth
to　the　Redeemer。　　St。　Anne　occupies　th