the story of mankind-第70部分

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But　by　this　time；　his　own　art；　which　he　had　brought　with

him　from　the　east；　had　developed　into　something　very　beautiful

and　he　made　up　for　his　past　neglect　and　indifference　by　the　so…

called　‘‘art　of　the　Middle　Ages''　which　as　far　as　northern　Europe

is　concerned　was　a　product　of　the　Germanic　mind　and　had

borrowed　but　little　from　the　Greeks　and　the　Latins　and　nothing

at　all　from　the　older　forms　of　art　of　Egypt　and　Assyria；　not

to　speak　of　India　and　China；　which　simply　did　not　exist；　as　far

as　the　people　of　that　time　were　concerned。　Indeed；　so　little

had　the　northern　races　been　influenced　by　their　southern　neighbours

that　their　own　architectural　products　were　completely

misunderstood　by　the　people　of　Italy　and　were　treated　by

them　with　downright　and　unmitigated　contempt。



You　have　all　heard　the　word　Gothic。　You　probably　associate

it　with　the　picture　of　a　lovely　old　cathedral；　lifting　its　slender

spires　towards　high　heaven。　But　what　does　the　word　really

mean？



It　means　something　‘‘uncouth''　and　‘‘barbaric''something

which　one　might　expect　from　an　‘‘uncivilised　Goth；''　a　rough

backwoods…man　who　had　no　respect　for　the　established　rules　of

classical　art　and　who　built　his　‘‘modern　horrors''　to　please　his

own　low　tastes　without　a　decent　regard　for　the　examples　of

the　Forum　and　the　Acropolis。



And　yet　for　several　centuries　this　form　of　Gothic　architecture

was　the　highest　expression　of　the　sincere　feeling　for　art

which　inspired　the　whole　northern　continent。　From　a　previous

chapter；　you　will　remember　how　the　people　of　the　late　Middle

Ages　lived。　Unless　they　were　peasants　and　dwelt　in　villages；

they　were　citizens　of　a　‘‘city''　or　‘‘civitas；''　the　old　Latin　name

for　a　tribe。　And　indeed；　behind　their　high　walls　and　their　deep

moats；　these　good　burghers　were　true　tribesmen　who　shared

the　common　dangers　and　enjoyed　the　common　safety　and　prosperity

which　they　derived　from　their　system　of　mutual　protection。



In　the　old　Greek　and　Roman　cities　the　market…place；　where

the　temple　stood；　had　been　the　centre　of　civic　life。　During

the　Middle　Ages；　the　Church；　the　House　of　God；　became　such　a

centre。　We　modern　Protestant　people；　who　go　to　our　church

only　once　a　week；　and　then　for　a　few　hours　only；　hardly　know

what　a　mediaeval　church　meant　to　the　community。　Then；　before

you　were　a　week　old；　you　were　taken　to　the　Church　to　be

baptised。　As　a　child；　you　visited　the　Church　to　learn　the　holy

stories　of　the　Scriptures。　Later　on　you　became　a　member

of　the　congregation；　and　if　you　were　rich　enough　you　built

yourself　a　separate　little　chapel　sacred　to　the　memory　of　the

Patron　Saint　of　your　own　family。　As　for　the　sacred　edifice；

it　was　open　at　all　hours　of　the　day　and　many　of　the　night。　In

a　certain　sense　it　resembled　a　modern　club；　dedicated　to　all　the

inhabitants　of　the　town。　In　the　church　you　very　likely　caught

a　first　glimpse　of　the　girl　who　was　to　become　your　bride　at　a

great　ceremony　before　the　High　Altar。　And　finally；　when　the

end　of　the　journey　had　come；　you　were　buried　beneath　the

stones　of　this　familiar　building；　that　all　your　children　and　their

grandchildren　might　pass　over　your　grave　until　the　Day　of

Judgement。



Because　the　Church　was　not　only　the　House　of　God　but

also　the　true　centre　of　all　common　life；　the　building　had　to　be

different　from　anything　that　had　ever　been　constructed　by

the　hands　of　man。　The　temples　of　the　Egyptians　and　the

Greeks　and　the　Romans　had　been　merely　the　shrine　of　a　local

divinity。　As　no　sermons　were　preached　before　the　images　of

Osiris　or　Zeus　or　Jupiter；　it　was　not　necessary　that　the　interior

offer　space　for　a　great　multitude。　All　the　religious　processions

of　the　old　Mediterranean　peoples　took　place　in　the　open。　But

in　the　north；　where　the　weather　was　usually　bad；

most　functions　were　held　under　the　roof　of　the　church。



During　many　centuries　the　architects　struggled　with

this　problem　of　constructing　a　building　that　was　large

enough。　The　Roman　tradition　taught　them　how　to　build　heavy

stone　walls　with　very　small　windows　lest　the　walls　lose

their　strength。　On　the　top　of　this　they　then　placed　a

heavy　stone　roof。　But　in　the　twelfth　century；　after　the

beginning　of　the　Crusades；　when　the　architects　had　seen　the

pointed　arches　of　the　Mohammedan　builders；　the　western　builders

discovered　a　new　style　which　gave　them　their　first　chance　to　make

the　sort　of　building　which　those　days　of　an　intense　religious

life　demanded。　And　then　they　developed　this　strange　style　upon

which　the　Italians　bestowed　the　contemptuous　name　of　‘‘Gothic''or　barbaric。

They　achieved　their　purpose　by　inventing　a　vaulted　roof　which

was　supported　by　‘‘ribs。''　But　such　a　roof；　if　it　became

too　heavy；　was　apt　to　break　the　walls；　just　as　a　man

of　three　hundred　pounds　sitting　down　upon　a　child's　chair

will　force　it　to　collapse。　To　overcome　this　difficulty；　certain

French　architects　then　began　to　re…enforce　the　walls　with

‘‘buttresses''　which　were　merely　heavy　masses　of　stone　against

which　the　walls　could　lean　while　they　supported　the　roof。　And

to　assure　the　further　safety　of　the　roof　they　supported　the　ribs

of　the　roof　by　so…called　‘‘flying　buttresses；''　a　very　simple

method　of　construction　which　you　will　understand　at　once　when

you　look　at　our　picture。



This　new　method　of　construction　allowed　the　introduction

of　enormous　windows。　In　the　twelfth　century；　glass　was　still

an　expensive　curiosity；　and　very　few　private　buildings　possessed

glass　windows。　Even　the　castles　of　the　nobles　were

without　protection　and　this　accounts　for　the　eternal　drafts

and　explains　why　people　of　that　day　wore　furs　in…doors　as

well　as　out。



Fortunately；　the　art　of　making　coloured　glass；　with　which

the　ancient　people　of　the　Mediterranean　had　been　familiar；

had　not　been　entirely　lost。　There　was　a　revival　of　stained

glass…making　and　soon　the　windows　of　the　Gothic　churches

told　the　stories　of　the　Holy　Book　in　little　bits　of　brilliantly

coloured　window…pane；　which　were　caught　in　a　long　framework

of　lead。



Behold；　therefore；　the　new　and　glorious　house　of　God；

filled　with　an　eager　multitude；　‘‘living''　its　religion　as　no　people

have　ever　done　either　before　or　since！　Nothing　is　considered

too　good　or　too　costly　or　too　wondrous　for　this　House　of　God

and　Home　of　Man。　The　sculptors；　who　since　the　destruction

of　the　Roman　Empire　have　been　out　of　employment；　haltingly

return　to　their　noble　art。　Portals　and　pillars　and　buttresses

and　cornices　are　all　covered　with　carven　images　of　Our　Lord

and　the　blessed　Saints。　The　embroiderers　too　are　set　to　work

to　make　tapestries　for　the　walls。　The　jewellers　offer　their

highest　art　that　the　shrine　of　the　altar　may　be　worthy　of　complete

adoration。　Even　the　painter　does　his　best。　Poor　man；

he　is　greatly　handicapped　by　lack　of　a　suitable　medium。



And　thereby　hangs　a　story。



The　Romans　of　the　early　Christian　period　had　covered　the

floors　and　the　walls　of　their　temples　and　houses　with　mosaics；

pictures　made　of　coloured　bits　of　glass。　But　this　art　had　been

exceedingly　difficult。　It　gave　the　painter　no　chance　to　express

all　he　wanted　to　say；　as　all　children　know　who　have　ever　tried　to

make　figures　out　of　coloured　blocks　of　wood。　The　art　of

mosaic　painting　therefore　died　out　during　the　late　Middle

Ages　except　in　Russia；　where　the　Byzantine　mosaic　painters

had　found　a　refuge　after　the　fall　of　Constantinople　and　continued

to　ornament　the　walls　of　the　orthodox　churches　until

the　day　of　the　Bolsheviki；　when　there　was　an　end　to　the　building

of　churches。



Of　course；　the　mediaeval　painter　could　mix　his　colours　with

the　water　of　the　wet　plaster　which　was　put　upon　the　walls　of

the　churches。　This　method　of　painting　upon　‘‘fresh　plaster''

（which　was　generally　called　‘‘fresco''　or　‘‘fresh''　painting）

was　very　popular　for　many　centuries。　To…day；　it　is　as　rare

as　the　art　of　painting　miniatures　in　manuscripts　and　among

the　hundreds　of　artists　of　our　modern　cities　there　is　perhaps

one　who　can　handle　this　medium　successfully。　But　during　the

Middle　Ages　there　was　no　other　way　and　the　artists　were

‘‘fresco''　workers　for　lack　of　something　better。　The　method

however　had　certain　great　disadvantages。　Very　often　the

plaster　came　off　the　walls　after　only　a　few　years；　or　dampness

spoiled　the　pictures；　just　as　dampness　will　spoil　the　pattern

of　our　wall　paper。　People　tried　every　imaginable　expedient

to　get　away　from　this　plaster　background。　They　tried　to　mix

their　colours　with　wine　and　vinegar　and　with　honey　and　with

the　sticky　white　of　egg；　but　none　of　these　methods　were　satisfactory。

For　more　than　a　thousand　years　these　experiments

continued。　In　painting　pictures　upon　the　parchment　leaves

of　manuscripts　the　mediaeval　artists　were　very　successful。　But

when　it　came　to　covering　large　spaces　of　wood　or　stone　with

paint　which　would　stick；　they　did　not　succeed　very　well。



At　last；　during　the　first　half　of　the　fifteenth　century；　the

problem　was　solved　in　the　southern　Netherlands　by　Jan　and

Hubert　van　Eyck。　The　famous　Flemish　brothers　mixed　their

paint　with　specially　prepared　oils　and　this　allowed　them　to　use

wood　and　canvas　or　stone　or　anything　else　as　a　background　for

their　pictures。



But　by　this　time　the　religious　ardour　of　the　early　Middle

Ages　was　a　thing　of　the　past。　The　rich　burghers　of　the　cities

were　succeeding　the　bishops　as　patrons　of　the　arts。　And　as

art　invariably　follows　the　full　dinner…pail；　the　artists　now　began

to　work　for　these　worldly　employers　and　painted　pictures　for

kings；　for　grand…dukes　and　for　rich　bankers。　Within　a　very

short　time；　the　new　method　of　painting　with　oil　spread　through

Europe　and　in　every　country　there　developed　a　school　of

special　painting　which　showed　the　characteristic　tastes　of　the

people　for　whom　these　portraits　and　landscapes　were　made。



In　Spain；　for　example；　Velasquez　painted　court…dwarfs

and　the　weavers　of　the　royal　tapestry…factories；　and　al