essays on life, art and science-第12章

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and　in　striking　contrast　to　the　one　in　which　she　herself　gave　birth
to　the　Redeemer。　　St。　Anne　occupies　the　centre　of　the　composition；
in　an　enormous　bed；　on　her　right　there　is　a　lady　of　the　George
Cruikshank　style　of　beauty；　and　on　the　left　an　older　person。　　Both
are　gesticulating　and　impressing　upon　St。　Anne　the　enormous
obligation　she　has　just　conferred　upon　mankind；　they　seem　also　to　be
imploring　her　not　to　overtax　her　strength；　but；　strange　to　say；　they
are　giving　her　neither　flowers　nor　anything　to　eat　and　drink。　　I
know　no　other　birth　of　the　Virgin　in　which　St。　Anne　wants　so　little
keeping　up。

I　have　explained　in　my　book　〃Ex　Voto；〃　｛10｝　but　should　perhaps
repeat　here；　that　the　distinguishing　characteristic　of　the　Birth　of
the　Virgin；　as　rendered　by　Valsesian　artists；　is　that　St。　Anne
always　has　eggs　immediately　after　the　infant　is　born；　and　usually　a
good　deal　more；　whereas　the　Madonna　never　has　anything　to　eat　or
drink。　　The　eggs　are　in　accordance　with　a　custom　that　still　prevails
among　the　peasant　classes　in　the　Valsesia；　where　women　on　giving
birth　to　a　child　generally　are　given　a　sabaglionean　egg　beaten　up
with　a　little　wine；　or　rum；　and　sugar。　　East　of　Milan　the　Virgin's
mother　does　not　have　eggs；　and　I　suppose；　from　the　absence　of　the
eggs　at　Oropa；　that　the　custom　above　referred　to　does　not　prevail　in
the　Biellese　district。　　The　Virgin　also　is　invariably　washed。　　St。
John　the　Baptist；　when　he　is　born　at　all；　which　is　not　very　often；
is　also　washed；　but　I　have　not　observed　that　St。　Elizabeth　has
anything　like　the　attention　paid　her　that　is　given　to　St。　Anne。
What；　however；　is　wanting　here　at　Oropa　in　meat　and　drink　is　made　up
in　Cupids；　they　swarm　like　flies　on　the　walls；　clouds；　cornices；　and
capitals　of　columns。

Against　the　right…hand　wall　are　two　lady…helps；　each　warming　a　towel
at　a　glowing　fire；　to　be　ready　against　the　baby　should　come　out　of
its　bath；　while　in　the　right…hand　foreground　we　have　the　levatrice；
who　having　discharged　her　task；　and　being　now　so　disposed；　has
removed　the　bottle　from　the　chimney…piece；　and　put　it　near　some
bread；　fruit　and　a　chicken；　over　which　she　is　about　to　discuss　the
confinement　with　two　other　gossips。　　The　levatrice　is　a　very
characteristic　figure；　but　the　best　in　the　chapel　is　the　one　of　the
head　nurse；　near　the　middle　of　the　composition；　she　has　now　the
infant　in　full　charge；　and　is　showing　it　to　St。　Joachim；　with　an
expression　as　though　she　were　telling　him　that　her　husband　was　a
merry　man。　　I　am　afraid　Shakespeare　was　dead　before　the　sculptor　was
born；　otherwise　I　should　have　felt　certain　that　he　had　drawn
Juliet's　nurse　from　this　figure。　　As　for　the　little　Virgin　herself；
I　believe　her　to　be　a　fine　boy　of　about　ten　months　old。　　Viewing　the
work　as　a　whole；　if　I　only　felt　more　sure　what　artistic　merit　really
is；　I　should　say　that；　though　the　chapel　cannot　be　rated　very　highly
from　some　standpoints；　there　are　others　from　which　it　may　be　praised
warmly　enough。　　It　is　innocent　of　anatomy…worship；　free　from
affectation　or　swagger；　and　not　devoid　of　a　good　deal　of　homely
naivete。　　It　can　no　more　be　compared　with　Tabachetti　or　Donatello
than　Hogarth　can　with　Rembrandt　or　Giovanni　Bellini；　but　as　it　does
not　transcend　the　limitations　of　its　age；　so　neither　is　it　wanting
in　whatever　merits　that　age　possessed；　and　there　is　no　age　without
merits　of　some　kind。　　There　is　no　inscription　saying　who　made　the
figures；　but　tradition　gives　them　to　Pietro　Aureggio　Termine；　of
Biella；　commonly　called　Aureggio。　　This　is　confirmed　by　their　strong
resemblance　to　those　in　the　Dimora　Chapel；　in　which　there　is　an
inscription　that　names　Aureggio　as　the　sculptor。

The　sixth　chapel　deals　with　the　Presentation　of　the　Virgin　in　the
Temple。　　The　Virgin　is　very　small；　but　it　must　be　remembered　that
she　is　only　seven　years　old；　and　she　is　not　nearly　so　small　as　she
is　at　Crea；　where；　though　a　life…sized　figure　is　intended；　the　head
is　hardly　bigger　than　an　apple。　　She　is　rushing　up　the　steps　with
open　arms　towards　the　High　Priest；　who　is　standing　at　the　top。　　For
her　it　is　nothing　alarming；　it　is　the　High　Priest　who　appears
frightened；　but　it　will　all　come　right　in　time。　　The　Virgin　seems　to
be　saying；　〃Why；　don't　you　know　me？　　I'm　the　Virgin　Mary。〃　　But　the
High　Priest　does　not　feel　so　sure　about　that；　and　will　make　further
inquiries。　　The　scene；　which　comprises　some　twenty　figures；　is
animated　enough；　and　though　it　hardly　kindles　enthusiasm；　still　does
not　fail　to　please。　　It　looks　as　though　of　somewhat　older　date　than
the　Birth　of　the　Virgin　chapel；　and　I　should　say　shows　more　signs　of
direct　Valsesian　influence。　　In　Marocco's　book　about　Oropa　it　is
ascribed　to　Aureggio；　but　I　find　it　difficult　to　accept　this。

The　seventh；　and　in　many　respects　most　interesting　chapel　at　Oropa；
shows　what　is　in　reality　a　medieval　Italian　girl　school；　as　nearly
like　the　thing　itself　as　the　artist　could　make　it；　we　are　expected；
however；　to　see　in　this　the　high…class　kind　of　Girton　College　for
young　gentlewomen　that　was　attached　to　the　Temple　at　Jerusalem；
under　the　direction　of　the　Chief　Priest's　wife；　or　some　one　of　his
near　female　relatives。　　Here　all　well…to…do　Jewish　young　women
completed　their　education；　and　here　accordingly　we　find　the　Virgin；
whose　parents　desired　she　should　shine　in　every　accomplishment；　and
enjoy　all　the　advantages　their　ample　means　commanded。

I　have　met　with　no　traces　of　the　Virgin　during　the　years　between　her
Presentation　in　the　Temple　and　her　becoming　head　girl　at　Temple
College。　　These　years；　we　may　be　assured；　can　hardly　have　been　other
than　eventful；　but　incidents；　or　bits　of　life；　are　like　living
formsit　is　only　here　and　here；　as　by　rare　chance；　that　one　of　them
gets　arrested　and　fossilised；　the　greater　number　disappear　like　the
greater　number　of　antediluvian　molluscs；　and　no　one　can　say　why　one
of　these　flies；　as　it　were；　of　life　should　get　preserved　in　amber
more　than　another。　　Talk；　indeed；　about　luck　and　cunning；　what　a
grain　of　sand　as　against　a　hundredweight　is　cunning's　share　here　as
against　luck's。　　What　moment　could　be　more　humdrum　and　unworthy　of
special　record　than　the　one　chosen　by　the　artist　for　the　chapel　we
are　considering？　　Why　should　this　one　get　arrested　in　its　flight　and
made　immortal　when　so　many　worthier　ones　have　perished？　　Yet
preserved　it　assuredly　is；　it　is　as　though　some　fairy's　wand　had
struck　the　medieval　Miss　Pinkerton；　Amelia　Sedley；　and　others　who　do
duty　instead　of　the　Hebrew　originals。　　It　has　locked　them　up　as
sleeping　beauties；　whose　charms　all　may　look　upon。　　Surely　the　hours
are　like　the　women　grinding　at　the　millthe　one　is　taken　and　the
other　left；　and　none　can　give　the　reason　more　than　he　can　say　why
Gallio　should　have　won　immortality　by　caring　for　none　of　〃these
things。〃

It　seems　to　me；　moreover；　that　fairies　have　changed　their　practice
now　in　the　matter　of　sleeping　beauties；　much　as　shopkeepers　have
done　in　Regent　Street。　　Formerly　the　shopkeeper　used　to　shut　up　his
goods　behind　strong　shutters；　so　that　no　one　might　see　them　after
closing　hours。　　Now　he　leaves　everything　open　to　the　eye　and　turns
the　gas　on。　　So　the　fairies；　who　used　to　lock　up　their　sleeping
beauties　in　impenetrable　thickets；　now　leave　them　in　the　most　public
places　they　can　find；　as　knowing　that　they　will　there　most　certainly
escape　notice。　　Look　at　De　Hooghe；　look　at　〃The　Pilgrim's　Progress；〃
or　even　Shakespeare　himselfhow　long　they　slept　unawakened；　though
they　were　in　broad　daylight　and　on　the　public　thoroughfares　all　the
time。　　Look　at　Tabachetti；　and　the　masterpieces　he　left　at　Varallo。
His　figures　there　are　exposed　to　the　gaze　of　every　passer…by；　yet
who　heeds　them？　　Who；　save　a　very　few；　even　know　of　their　existence？
Look　again　at　Gaudenzio　Ferrari；　or　the　〃Danse　des　Paysans；〃　by
Holbein；　to　which　I　ventured　to　call　attention　in　the　Universal
Review。　　No；　no；　if　a　thing　be　in　Central　Africa；　it　is　the　glory　of
this　age　to　find　it　out；　so　the　fairies　think　it　safer　to　conceal
their　proteges　under　a　show　of　openness；　for　the　schoolmaster　is
much　abroad；　and　there　is　no　hedge　so　thick　or　so　thorny　as　the
dulness　of　culture。

It　may　be；　again；　that　ever　so　many　years　hence；　when　Mr。　Darwin's
earth…worms　shall　have　buried　Oropa　hundreds　of　feet　deep；　some　one
sinking　a　well　or　making　a　railway…cutting　will　unearth　these
chapels；　and　will　believe　them　to　have　been　houses；　and　to　contain
the　exuviae　of　the　living　forms　that　tenanted　them。　　In　the
meantime；　however；　let　us　return　to　a　consideration　of　the　chapel　as
it　may　now　be　seen　by　any　one　who　cares　to　pass　that　way。

The　work　consists　of　about　forty　figures　in　all；　not　counting
Cupids；　and　is　divided　into　four　main　divisions。　　First；　there　is
the　large　public　sitting…room　or　drawing…room　of　the　College；　where
the　elder　young　ladies　are　engaged　in　various　elegant　employments。
Three；　at　a　table　to　the　left；　are　making　a　mitre　for　the　Bishop；　as
may　be　seen　from　the　model　on　the　table。　　Some　are　merely　spinning
or　about　to　spin。　　One　young　lady；　sitting　rather　apart　from　the
others；　is　doing　an　elaborate　piece　of　needlework　at　a　tambour…frame
near　the　window；　others　are　making　lace　or　slippers；　probably　for
the　new　curate；　another　is　struggling　with　a　letter；　or　perhaps　a
theme；　which　seems　to　be　giving　her　a　good　deal　of　trouble；　but
which；　when　done；　will；　I　am　sure；　be　beautiful。　　One　dear　little
girl　is　simply　reading　〃Paul　and　Virginia〃　underneath　the　window；
and　is　so　concealed　that　I　hardly　think　she　can　be　seen　from　the
outside　at　all；　though　from　inside　she　is　delightful；　it　was　with
great　regret　that　I　could　not　get　her　into　any　photograph。　　One　most
amiable　young　woman　has　got　a　child's　head　on　her　lap；　the　child
having　played　itself　to　sleep。　　All　are　industriously　and　agreeably
employed　in　some　way　or　other；　all　are　plump；　all　are　nice　looking；
there　is　not　one　Becky　Sharp　in　the　whole　school；　on　the　contrary；
as　in　〃Pious　Orgies；〃　all　is　piousor　sub…piousand　all；　if　not
great；　is　at　least　eminently　respectable。　　One　feels　that　St。
Joachim　and　St。　Anne　could　not　have　chosen　a　school　more
judiciously；　and　that　if　one　had　daughter　oneself　this　is　exactly
where　one　would　wish　to　place　her。　　If　there　is　a　fault　of　any　kind
in　the　arrangements；　it　is　that　they　do　not　keep　cats　enough。　　The
place　is　overrun　with　mice；　though　what　these　can　find　to　eat　I　know
not。　　It　occurs　to　me　also　that　the　young　ladies　might　be　kept　a
little　more　free　of　spiders'　webs；　but　in　all　these　chapels；　bats；
mice　and　spiders　are　troublesome。

Off　the　main　drawing…room　on　the　side　facing　the　window　there　is　a
dais；　which　is　approached　by　a　large　raised　semicircular　step；
higher　than　the　rest　of　the　floor；　but　lower　than　the　dais　itself。
The　dais　is；　of　course；　reserved　for　the　venerable　Lady　Principal
and　the　under…mistresses；　one　of　whom；　by　the　way；　is　a　little　more
mondaine　than　might　have　been　expected；　and　is　admiring　herself　in　a
looking…glassunless；　indeed；　she　is　only　looking　to　see　if　there
is　a　spot　of　ink　on　her　face。　　The　Lady　Principal　is　seated　near　a
table；　on　which　lie　some　books　in　expensive　bindings；　which　I
imagine　to　have　been　presented　to　her　by　the　parents　o