penguin island-第15部分

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A　learned　critic　of　the　eighteenth　century；　the　Abbe　Lanzi；　has　treated　Margaritone's　works　with　profound　disdain。　〃They　are；〃　he　says。　〃merely　crude　daubs。　In　those　unfortunate　times　people　could　neither　draw　nor　paint。〃　Such　was　the　common　opinion　of　the　connoisseurs　of　the　days　of　powdered　wigs。　But　the　great　Margaritone　and　his　contemporaries　were　soon　to　be　avenged　for　this　cruel　contempt。　There　was　born　in　the　nineteenth　century；　in　the　biblical　villages　and　reformed　cottages　of　pious　England；　a　multitude　of　little　Samuels　and　little　St。　Johns；　with　hair　curling　like　lambs；　who；　about　1840；　and　1850；　became　spectacled　professors　and　founded　the　cult　of　the　primitives。

That　eminent　theorist　of　Pre…Raphaelitism；　Sir　James　Tuckett；　does　not　shrink　from　placing　the　Madonna　of　the　National　Gallery　on　a　level　with　the　masterpieces　of　Christian　art。　〃By　giving　to　the　Virgin's　head；〃　says　Sir　James　Tuckett；　〃a　third　of　the　total　height　of　the　figure；　the　old　master　attracts　the　spectator's　attention　and　keeps　it　directed　towards　the　more　sublime　parts　of　the　human　figure；　and　in　particular　the　eyes；　which　we　ordinarily　describe　as　the　spiritual　organs。　In　this　picture；　colouring　and　design　conspire　to　produce　an　ideal　and　mystical　impression。　The　vermilion　of　the　cheeks　does　not　recall　the　natural　appearance　of　the　skin；　it　rather　seems　as　if　the　old　master　has　applied　the　roses　of　Paradise　to　the　faces　of　the　Mother　and　the　Child。〃

We　see；　in　such　a　criticism　as　this；　a　shining　reflection；　so　to　speak；　of　the　work　which　it　exalts；　yet　MacSilly；　the　seraphic　aesthete　of　Edinburgh；　has　expressed　in　a　still　more　moving　and　penetrating　fashion　the　impression　produced　upon　his　mind　by　the　sight　of　this　primitive　painting。　〃The　Madonna　of　Margaritone；〃　says　the　revered　MacSilly；　〃attains　the　transcendent　end　of　art。　It　inspires　its　beholders　with　feelings　of　innocence　and　purity；　it　makes　them　like　little　children。　And　so　true　is　this；　that　at　the　age　of　sixty…six；　after　having　had　the　joy　of　contemplating　it　closely　for　three　hours；　I　felt　myself　suddenly　transformed　into　a　little　child。　While　my　cab　was　taking　me　through　Trafalgar　Square　I　kept　laughing　and　prattling　and　shaking　my　spectacle…case　as　if　it　were　a　rattle。　And　when　the　maid　in　my　boarding…house　had　served　my　meal　I　kept　pouring　spoonfuls　of　soup　into　my　ear　with　all　the　artlessness　of　childhood。〃

〃It　is　by　such　results；〃　adds　MacSilly；　〃that　the　excellence　of　a　work　of　art　is　proved。〃

Margaritone；　according　to　Vasari；　died　at　the　age　of　seventy…seven；　〃regretting　that　he　had　lived　to　see　a　new　form　of　art　arising　and　the　new　artists　crowned　with　fame。〃

These　lines；　which　I　translate　literally；　have　inspired　Sir　James　Tuckett　with　what　are　perhaps　the　finest　pages　in　his　work。　They　form　part　of　his　〃Breviary　for　Aesthetes〃；　all　the　Pre…Raphaelites　know　them　by　heart。　I　place　them　here　as　the　most　precious　ornament　of　this　book。　You　will　agree　that　nothing　more　sublime　has　been　written　since　the　days　of　the　Hebrew　prophets。

MARGARITONE'S　VISION

Margaritone；　full　of　years　and　labours；　went　one　day　to　visit　the　studio　of　a　young　painter　who　had　lately　settled　in　the　town。　He　noticed　in　the　studio　a　freshly　painted　Madonna；　which；　although　severe　and　rigid；　nevertheless；　by　a　certain　exactness　in　the　proportions　and　a　devilish　mingling　of　light　and　shade；　assumed　an　appearance　of　relief　and　life。　At　this　sight　the　artless　and　sublime　worker　of　Arezzo　perceived　with　horror　what　the　future　of　painting　would　be。　With　his　brow　clasped　in　his　hands　he　exclaimed：

〃What　things　of　shame　does　not　this　figure　show　forth！　I　discern　in　it　the　end　of　that　Christian　art　which　paints　the　soul　and　inspires　the　beholder　with　an　ardent　desire　for　heaven。　Future　painters　will　not　restrain　themselves　as　does　this　one　to　portraying　on　the　side　of　a　wall　or　on　a　wooden　panel　the　cursed　matter　of　which　our　bodies　are　formed；　they　will　celebrate　and　glorify　it。　They　will　clothe　their　figures　with　dangerous　appearances　of　flesh；　and　these　figures　will　seem　like　real　persons。　Their　bodies　will　be　seen；　their　forms　will　appear　through　their　clothing。　St。　Magdalen　will　have　a　bosom。　St。　Martha　a　belly；　St。　Barbara　hips；　St。　Agnes　buttocks；　St。　Sebastian　will　unveil　his　youthful　beauty；　and　St。　George　will　display　beneath　his　armour　the　muscular　wealth　of　a　robust　virility；　apostles；　confessors；　doctors；　and　God　the　Father　himself　will　appear　as　ordinary　beings　like　you　and　me；　the　angels　will　affect　an　equivocal；　ambiguous；　mysterious　beauty　which　will　trouble　hearts。　What　desire　for　heaven　will　these　representations　impart？　None；　but　from　them　you　will　learn　to　take　pleasure　in　the　forms　of　terrestrial　life。　Where　will　painters　stop　in　their　indiscreet　inquiries？　They　will　stop　nowhere。　They　will　go　so　far　as　to　show　men　and　women　naked　like　the　idols　of　the　Romans。　There　will　be　a　sacred　art　and　a　profane　art；　and　the　sacred　art　will　not　be　less　profane　than　the　other。〃

〃Get　ye　behind　me；　demons；〃　exclaimed　the　old　master。　For　in　prophetic　vision　he　saw　the　righteous　and　the　saints　assuming　the　appearance　of　melancholy　athletes。　He　saw　Apollos　playing　the　lute　on　a　flowery　hill；　in　the　midst　of　the　Muses　wearing　light　tunics。　He　saw　Venuses　lying　under　shady　myrtles　and　the　Danae　exposing　their　charming　sides　to　the　golden　rain。　He　saw　pictures　of　Jesus　under　the　pillar's　of　the　temple　amidst　patricians；　fair　ladies；　musicians；　pages；　negroes；　dogs；　and　parrots。　He　saw　in　an　inextricable　confusion　of　human　limbs；　outspread　wings；　and　flying　draperies；　crowds　of　tumultuous　Nativities；　opulent　Holy　Families；　emphatic　Crucifixions。　He　saw　St。　Catherines；　St。　Barbaras；　St。　Agneses　humiliating　patricians　by　the　sumptuousness　of　their　velvets；　their　brocades；　and　their　pearls；　and　by　the　splendour　of　their　breasts。　He　saw　Auroras　scattering　roses；　and　a　multitude　of　naked　Dianas　and　Nymphs　surprised　on　the　banks　of　retired　streams。　And　the　great　Margaritone　died；　strangled　by　so　horrible　a　presentiment　of　the　Renaissance　and　the　Bolognese　School。



VI。　MARBODIUS

We　possess　a　precious　monument　of　the　Penguin　literature　of　the　fifteenth　century。　It　is　a　narrative　of　a　journey　to　hell　undertaken　by　the　monk　Marbodius；　of　the　order　of　St。　Benedict；　who　professed　a　fervent　admiration　for　the　poet　Virgil。　This　narrative；　written　in　fairly　good　Latin；　has　been　published　by　M。　du　Clos　des　Limes。　It　is　here　translated　for　the　first　time。　I　believe　that　I　am　doing　a　service　to　my　fellow…countrymen　in　making　them　acquainted　with　these　pages；　though　doubtless　they　are　far　from　forming　a　unique　example　of　this　class　of　mediaeval　Latin　literature。　Among　the　fictions　that　may　be　compared　with　them　we　may　mention　〃The　Voyage　of　St。　Brendan；〃　〃The　Vision　of　Albericus；〃　and　〃St。　Patrick's　Purgatory；〃　imaginary　descriptions；　like　Dante　Alighieri's　〃Divine　Comedy；〃　of　the　supposed　abode　of　the　dead。　The　narrative　of　Marbodius　is　one　of　the　latest　works　dealing　with　this　theme；　but　it　is　not　the　least　singular。

THE　DESCENT　OF　MARBODIUS　INTO　HELL

In　the　fourteen　hundred　and　fifty…third　year　of　the　incarnation　of　the　Son　of　God；　a　few　days　before　the　enemies　of　the　Cross　entered　the　city　of　Helena　and　the　great　Constantine；　it　was　given　to　me；　Brother　Marbodius；　an　unworthy　monk；　to　see　and　to　hear　what　none　had　hitherto　seen　or　heard。　I　have　composed　a　faithful　narrative　of　those　things　so　that　their　memory　may　not　perish　with　me；　for　man's　time　is　short。

On　the　first　day　of　May　in　the　aforesaid　year；　at　the　hour　of　vespers；　I　was　seated　in　the　Abbey　of　Corrigan　on　a　stone　in　the　cloisters　and；　as　my　custom　was；　I　read　the　verses　of　the　poet　whom　I　love　best　of　all；　Virgil；　who　has　sung　of　the　labours：　of　the　field；　of　shepherds；　and　of　heroes。　Evening　was　hanging　its　purple　folds　from　the　arches　of　the　cloisters　and　in　a　voice　of　emotion　I　was　murmuring　the　verses　which　describe　how　Dido；　the　Phoenician　queen；　wanders　with　her　ever…bleeding　wound　beneath　the　myrtles　of　hell。　At　that　moment　Brother　Hilary　happened　to　pass　by；　followed　by　Brother　Jacinth；　the　porter。

Brought　up　in　the　barbarous　ages　before　the　resurrection　of　the　Muses；　Brother　Hilary　has　not　been　initiated　into　the　wisdom　of　the　ancients；　nevertheless；　the　poetry　of　the　Mantuan　has；　like　a　subtle　torch；　shed　some　gleams　of　light　into　his　understanding。

〃Brother　Marbodius；〃　he　asked　me；　〃do　those　verses　that　you　utter　with　swelling　breast　and　sparkling　eyesdo　they　belong　to　that　great　'Aeneid'　from　which　morning　or　evening　your　glances　are　never　withheld？〃

I　answered　that　I　was　reading　in　Virgil　how　the　son　of　Anchises　perceived　Dido　like　a　moon　behind　the　foliage。*

*　The　text　runs

　　　　。　。　。qualem　primo　qui　syrgere　mense　　　Aut　videt　aut　vidisse　putat　per　nubila　lunam。

Brother　Marbodius；　by　a　strange　misunderstanding；　substitutes　an　entirely　different　image　for　the　one　created　by　the　poet。


〃Brother　Marbodius；〃　he　replied；　〃I　am　certain　that　on　all　occasions　Virgil　gives　expression　to　wise　maxims　and　profound　thoughts。　But　the　songs　that　he　modulates　on　his　Syracusan　flute　hold　such　a　lofty　meaning　and　such　exalted　doctrine　that　I　am　continually　puzzled　by　them。〃

〃Take　care；　father；〃　cried　Brother　Jacinth；　in　an　agitated　voice。　〃Virgil　was　a　magician　who　wrought　marvels　by　the　help　of　demons。　It　is　thus　he　pierced　through　a　mountain　near　Naples　and　fashioned　a　bronze　horse　that　had　power　to　heal　all　the　diseases　of　horses。　He　was　a　necromancer；　and　there　is　still　shown；　in　a　certain　town　in　Italy；　the　mirror　in　which　he　made　the　dead　appear。　And　yet　a　woman　deceived　this　great　sorcerer。　A　Neapolitan　courtesan　invited　him　to　hoist　himself　up　to　her　window　in　the　basket　that　was　used　to　bring　the　provisions；　and　she　left　him　all　night　suspended　between　two　storeys。〃

Brother　Hilary　did　not　appear　to　hear　these　observations。

〃Virgil　is　a　prophet；〃　he　replied；　〃and　a　prophet　who　leaves　far　behind　him　the　sibyls　with　their　sacred　verses　as　well　as　the　daughter　of　King　Priam；　and　that　great　diviner　of　future　things；　Plato　of　Athens。　You　will　find　in　the　fourth　of　his　Syracusan　cantos　the　birth　of　our　Lord　foretold　in　a　lancune　that　seems　of　heaven　rather　than　of　earth。*　In　the　time　of　my　early　studies；　when