beacon lights of history-iii-2- 第3部分

truth　in　which　his　soul　lived；　and　which　visions　and　experiences

constitute　his　peculiar　greatness。　　Dante　was　not　so　close　an

observer　of　human　nature　as　Shakspeare；　nor　so　great　a　painter　of

human　actions　as　Homer；　nor　so　learned　a　scholar　as　Milton；　but　his

soul　was　more　serious　than　either；he　was　deeper；　more　intense

than　they；　while　in　pathos；　in　earnestness；　and　in　fiery　emphasis

he　has　been　surpassed　only　by　Hebrew　poets　and　prophets。



It　would　seem　from　his　numerous　biographies　that　he　was　remarkable

from　a　boy；　that　he　was　a　youthful　prodigy；　that　he　was　precocious；

like　Cicero　and　Pascal；　that　he　early　made　great　attainments；

giving　utterance　to　living　thoughts　and　feelings；　like　Bacon；　among

boyish　companions；　lisping　in　numbers；　like　Pope；　before　he　could

write　prose；　different　from　all　other　boys；　since　no　time　can　be

fixed　when　he　did　not　think　and　feel　like　a　person　of　maturer

years。　　Born　in　Florence；　of　the　noble　family　of　the　Alighieri；　in

the　year　1265；　his　early　education　devolved　upon　his　mother；　his

father　having　died　while　the　boy　was　very　young。　　His　mother's

friend；　Brunetto　Latini；　famous　as　statesman　and　scholarly　poet；

was　of　great　assistance　in　directing　his　tastes　and　studies。　　As　a

mere　youth　he　wrote　sonnets；　such　as　Sordello　the　Troubadour　would

not　disdain　to　own。　　He　delights；　as　a　boy；　in　those　inquiries

which　gave　fame　to　Bonaventura。　　He　has　an　intuitive　contempt　for

all　quacks　and　pretenders。　　At　Paris　he　maintains　fourteen

different　theses；　propounded　by　learned　men；　on　different　subjects；

and　gains　universal　admiration。　　He　is　early　selected　by　his　native

city　for　important　offices；　which　he　fills　with　honor。　　In　wit　he

encounters　no　superiors。　　He　scorches　courts　by　sarcasms　which　he

can　not　restrain。　　He　offends　the　great　by　a　superiority　which　he

does　not　attempt　to　veil。　　He　affects　no　humility；　for　his　nature

is　doubtless　proud；　he　is　even　offensively　conscious　and　arrogant。

When　Florence　is　deliberating　about　the　choice　of　an　ambassador　to

Rome；　he　playfully；　yet　still　arrogantly；　exclaims：　〃If　I　remain

behind；　who　goes？　and　if　I　go；　who　remains　behind？〃　　His

countenance；　so　austere　and　thoughtful；　impresses　all　beholders

with　a　sort　of　inborn　greatness；　his　lip；　in　Giotto's　portrait；　is

curled　disdainfully；　as　if　he　lived　among　fools　or　knaves。　　He　is

given　to　no　youthful　excesses；　he　lives　simply　and　frugally。　　He

rarely　speaks　unless　spoken　to；　he　is　absorbed　apparently　in

thought。　　Without　a　commanding　physical　person；　he　is　a　marked　man

to　everybody；　even　when　he　deems　himself　a　stranger。　　Women　gaze　at

him　with　wonder　and　admiration；　though　he　disdains　their　praises

and　avoids　their　flatteries。　　Men　make　way　for　him　as　he　passes

them；　unconsciously。　　〃Behold；〃　said　a　group　of　ladies；　as　he

walked　slowly　by　them；　〃there　is　a　man　who　has　visited　hell！〃　　To

the　close　of　his　life　he　was　a　great　devourer　of　books；　and

digested　their　contents。　　His　studies　were　as　various　as　they　were

profound。　　He　was　familiar　with　the　ancient　poets　and　historians

and　philosophers；　he　was　still　better　acquainted　with　the　abstruse

speculations　of　the　schoolmen。　　He　delighted　in　universities　and

scholastic　retreats；　from　the　cares　and　duties　of　public　life　he

would　retire　to　solitary　labors；　and　dignify　his　retirement　by

improving　studies。　　He　did　not　live　in　a　cell；　like　Jerome；　or　a

cave；　like　Mohammed；　but　no　man　was　ever　more　indebted　to　solitude

and　meditation　than　he　for　that　insight　and　inspiration　which

communion　with　God　and　great　ideas　alone　can　give。



And　yet；　though　recluse　and　student；　he　had　great　experiences　with

life。　　He　was　born　among　the　higher　ranks　of　society。　　He　inherited

an　ample　patrimony。　　He　did　not　shrink　from　public　affairs。　　He　was

intensely　patriotic；　like　Michael　Angelo；　he　gave　himself　up　to　the

good　of　his　country；　like　Savonarola。　　Florence　was　small；　but　it

was　important；　it　was　already　a　capital；　and　a　centre　of　industry。

He　represented　its　interests　in　various　courts。　　He　lived　with

princes　and　nobles。　　He　took　an　active　part　in　all　public　matters

and　disputations；　he　was　even　familiar　with　the　intrigues　of

parties；　he　was　a　politician　as　well　as　scholar。　　He　entered　into

the　contests　between　Popes　and　Emperors　respecting　the　independence

of　Italy。　　He　was　not　conversant　with　art；　for　the　great　sculptors

and　painters　had　not　then　arisen。　　The　age　was　still　dark；　the

mariner's　compass　had　not　been　invented；　chimneys　had　not　been

introduced；　the　comforts　of　life　were　few。　　Dames　of　highest　rank

still　spent　their　days　over　the　distaff　or　in　combing　flax。　　There

were　no　grand　structures　but　cathedral　churches。　　Life　was

laborious；　dismal；　and　turbulent。　　Law　and　order　did　not　reign　in

cities　or　villages。　　The　poor　were　oppressed　by　nobles。　　Commerce

was　small　and　manufactures　scarce。　　Men　lived　in　dreary　houses；

without　luxuries；　on　coarse　bread　and　fruit　and　vegetables。　　The

crusades　had　not　come　to　an　end。　　It　was　the　age　of　quarrelsome

popes　and　cruel　nobles；　and　lazy　monks　and　haughty　bishops；　and

ignorant　people；　steeped　in　gloomy　superstitions；　two　hundred　years

before　America　was　discovered；　and　two　hundred　and　fifty　years

before　Michael　Angelo　erected　the　dome　of　St。　Peter's。



But　there　was　faith　in　the　world；　and　rough　virtues；　sincerity；　and

earnestness　of　character；　though　life　was　dismal。　　Men　believed　in

immortality　and　in　expiation　for　sin。　　The　rising　universities　had

gifted　scholars　whose　abstruse　speculations　have　never　been

rivalled　for　acuteness　and　severity　of　logic。　　There　were　bards　and

minstrels；　and　chivalric　knights　and　tournaments　and　tilts；　and

village　fetes　and　hospitable　convents　and　gentle　ladies；gentle

and　lovely　even　in　all　states　of　civilization；　winning　by　their

graces　and　inspiring　men　to　deeds　of　heroism　and　gallantry。



In　one　of　those　domestic　revolutions　which　were　so　common　in　Italy

Dante　was　banished；　and　his　property　was　confiscated；　and　he　at　the

age　of　thirty…five；　about　the　year　1300；　when　Giotto　was　painting

portraits；　was　sent　forth　a　wanderer　and　an　exile；　now　poor　and

unimportant；　to　eat　the　bread　of　strangers　and　climb　other　people's

stairs；　and　so　obnoxious　was　he　to　the　dominant　party　in　his　native

city　for　his　bitter　spirit；　that　he　was　destined　never　to　return　to

his　home　and　friends。　　His　ancestors；　boasting　of　Roman　descent；

belonged　to　the　patriotic　party；the　Guelphs；　who　had　the

ascendency　in　his　early　years；that　party　which　defended　the

claims　of　the　Popes　against　the　Emperors　of　Germany。　　But　this

party　had　its　divisions　and　rival　families；those　that　sided　with

the　old　feudal　nobles　who　had　once　ruled　the　city；　and　the　new

mercantile　families　that　surpassed　them　in　wealth　and　popular

favor。　　So；　expelled　by　a　fraction　of　his　own　party　that　had　gained

power；　Dante　went　over　to　the　Ghibellines；　and　became　an　adherent

of　imperial　authority　until　he　died。



It　was　in　his　wanderings　from　court　to　court　and　castle　to　castle

and　convent　to　convent　and　university　to　university；　that　he

acquired　that　profound　experience　with　men　and　the　world　which

fitted　him　for　his　great　task。　　〃Not　as　victorious　knight　on　the

field　of　Campaldino；　not　as　leader　of　the　Guelph　aristocracy　at

Florence；　not　as　prior；　not　as　ambassador；〃　but　as　a　wanderer　did

he　acquire　his　moral　wisdom。　　He　was　a　striking　example　of　the

severe　experiences　to　which　nearly　all　great　benefactors　have　been

subjected；Abraham　the　exile；　in　the　wilderness；　in　Egypt；　among

Philistines；　among　robbers　and　barbaric　chieftains；　the　Prince

Siddartha；　who　founded　Buddhism；　in　his　wanderings　among　the

various　Indian　nations　who　bowed　down　to　Brahma；　and；　still

greater；　the　Apostle　Paul；　in　his　protracted　martyrdom　among　Pagan

idolaters　and　boastful　philosophers；　in　Asia　and　in　Europe。　　These

and　others　may　be　cited；　who　led　a　life　of　self…denial　and　reproach

in　order　to　spread　the　truths　which　save　mankind。　　We　naturally

call　their　lot　hard；　even　though　they　chose　it；　but　it　is　the

school　of　greatness。　　It　was　sad　to　see　the　wisest　and　best　man　of

his　day；a　man　of　family；　of　culture；　of　wealth；　of　learning；

loving　leisure；　attached　to　his　home　and　country；　accustomed　to

honor　and　independence；doomed　to　exile；　poverty；　neglect；　and

hatred；　without　those　compensations　which　men　of　genius　in　our　time

secure。　　But　I　would　not　attempt　to　excite　pity　for　an　outward

condition　which　developed　the　higher　virtues；for　a　thorny　path

which　led　to　the　regions　of　eternal　light。　　Dante　may　have　walked

in　bitter　tears　to　Paradise；　but　after　the　fashion　of　saints　and

martyrs　in　all　ages　of　our　world。　　He　need　but　cast　his　eyes　on

that　emblem　which　was　erected　on　every　pinnacle　of　Mediaeval

churches　to　symbolize　passing　suffering　with　salvation　infinite；

the　great　and　august　creed　of　the　age　in　which　he　lived；　though　now

buried　amid　the　triumphs　of　an　imposing　material　civilization　whose

end　is　the　adoration　of　the　majesty　of　man　rather　than　the　majesty

of　God；　the　wonders　of　creation　rather　than　the　greatness　of　the

Creator。



But　something　more　was　required　in　order　to　write　an　immortal　poem

than　even　native　genius；　great　learning；　and　profound　experience。

The　soul　must　be　stimulated　to　the　work　by　an　absorbing　and

ennobling　passion。　　This　passion　Dante　had；　and　it　is　as　memorable

as　the　mortal　loves　of　Abelard　and　Heloise；　and　infinitely　more

exalting；　since　it　was　spiritual　and　immortal；even　the　adoration

of　his　lamented　and　departed　Beatrice。



I　wish　to　dwell　for　a　moment；　perhaps　longer　than　to　some　may　seem

dignified；　on　this　ideal　or　sentimental　love。　　It　may　seem　trivial

and　unimportant　to　the　eye　of　youth；　or　a　man　of　the　world；　or　a

woman　of　sensual　nature；　or　to　unthinking　fools　and　butterflies；

but　it　is　invested　with　dignity　to　one　who　meditates　on　the

mysteries　of　the　soul；　the　wonders　of　our　higher　nature；one　of