Thechurchhasbeenagooddealrestoredduringthelastfewyears,andaninterestingoldchapel——withanaltarinit——atwhichmasswassaidduringatimeofplague,whilethepeoplestoodsomewayoffinameadow,hasjustbeenentirelyrenovated;butaswithsomeEnglishchurches,themorecloselyapieceofoldworkiscopiedthemorepalpablydoesthemodernspiritshowthroughit,soheretheoppositeoccurs,fortheold-worldlinessoftheplacehasnotbeenimpairedbymuchrenovation,thoughtheintentionhasbeentomakeeverythingasmodernaspossible。
IknowfewthingsmoretouchingintheirwaythantheporchofRossurachurch。Itisdatedearlyinthelastcentury,andisabsolutelywithoutornament;theflightofstepsinsideitleaduptothelevelofthefloorofthechurch。OnelovelysummerSundaymorning,passingthechurchbetimes,Isawthepeoplekneelinguponthesesteps,thechurchwithinbeingcrammed。Inthedarkerlightoftheporch,theytoldoutagainsttheskythatshowedthroughtheopenarchbeyondthem;farawaytheeyerestedonthemountains——
deepbluesavewherethesnowstilllingered。Ineversawanythingmorebeautiful——andtheseforsootharethepeoplewhomsomanyofusthinktobetterbydistributingtractsaboutProtestantismamongthem!
WhileIwaslooking,therecameasoundofmusicthroughtheopendoor——thepeopleliftinguptheirvoicesandsinging,asnearasI
canremember,somethingwhichonthepianowouldcomethus:-
[Atthispointinthebookamusicscoreisgiven]
Ilikedtheporchalmostbestunderanaspectwhichitnolongerpresents。Onesummeranopeningwasmadeinthewestwall,whichwasafterwardsclosedbecausethewindblewthroughittoomuchandmadethechurchtoocold。Whileitwasopen,onecouldsitonthechurchstepsandlookdownthroughitontothebottomoftheTicinovalley;andthroughthewindowsonecouldseetheslopesaboutDalpeandCornone。BetweenthetwowindowsthereisapictureofaustereoldS。CarloBorromeowithhishandsjoinedinprayer。
ItwasatRossurathatImadetheacquaintanceofawordwhichI
havesincefoundverylargelyusedthroughoutNorthItaly。Itispronounced\"chow\"pureandsimple,butiswritten,ifwrittenatall,\"ciau,\"or\"ciao,\"the\"a\"beingkeptverybroad。Ibelievethewordisderivedfrom\"schiavo,\"aslave,which,becamecorruptedinto\"schiao,\"and\"ciao。\"Itisusedwithtwomeanings,bothofwhich,however,arededuciblefromthewordslave。Initsfirstandmorecommonuseitissimplyasalute,eitherongreetingortakingleave,andmeans,\"Iamyourveryobedientservant。\"
Thus,ifonehasbeentalkingtoasmallchild,itsmotherwilltellittosay\"chow\"beforeitgoesaway,andwillthennodherheadandsay\"chow\"herself。Theotheruseisakindofpiousexpletive,intending\"Imustendureit,\"\"Iamtheslaveofahigherpower。\"ItwasinthissenseIfirsthearditatRossura。
AwomanwaswashingatafountainwhileIwaseatingmylunch。ShesaidshehadlostherdaughterinParisafewweeksearlier。\"Shewasabeautifulwoman,\"saidthebereavedmother,\"but——chow。Shehadgreattalents——chow。IhadhereducatedbythenunsofBellinzona——chow。Herknowledgeofgeographywasconsummate——chow,chow,\"&c。Here\"chow\"means\"pazienza,\"\"IhavedoneandsaidallthatIcan,andmustnowbearitasbestImay。\"
Itriedtocomforther,butcoulddonothing,tillatlastitoccurredtometosay\"chow\"too。Ididso,andwasastonishedatthesoothingeffectithaduponher。Howsubtlearethelawsthatgovernconsolation!Isupposetheymustultimatelybeconnectedwithreproduction——theconsolingideabeingakindofsmallcrosswhichRE-GENERATESorRE-CREATESthesufferer。Itisimportant,therefore,thatthenewideaswithwhichtheoldaretobecrossedshoulddifferfromtheselastsufficientlytodiverttheattention,andyetnotsomuchastocauseapainfulshock。
Thereshouldbealittleshock,ortherewillbenovariationinthenewideasthataregenerated,buttheywillresemblethosethatprecededthem,andgriefwillbecontinued;theremustnotbetoogreatashockortherewillbenoillusion——noconfusionandfusionbetweenthenewsetofideasandtheold,andinconsequence,therewillbenoresultatall,or,ifany,anincreaseinmentaldiscord。Weknowverylittle,however,uponthissubject,andarecontinuallyshowntobeatfaultbyfindinganunexpectedlysmallcrossproduceawidediversionofthementalimages,whileinothercasesawideonewillproducehardlyanyresult。Sometimesagain,acrosswhichweshouldhavesaidwasmuchtoowidewillhaveanexcellenteffect。Ididnotanticipate,forexample,thatmysaying\"chow\"wouldhavedonemuchforthepoorwomanwhohadlostherdaughter;thecrossdidnotseemwideenough;shewasalready,asIthought,saturatedwith\"chow。\"Icanonlyaccountfortheeffectmyapplicationofitproducedbysupposingthewordtohavederivedsomeelementofstrangenessandnoveltyascomingfromaforeigner——justaslandwhichwillgiveapoorcrop,ifplantedwithsetsfrompotatoesthathavebeengrownforthreeorfouryearsonthissamesoil,willyetyieldexcellentlyifsimilarsetsbebroughtfromtwentymilesoff。Forthepotato,sofarasIhavestudiedit,isagood-tempered,frivolousplant,easilyamusedandeasilybored,andone,moreover,whichifbored,yawnshorribly。
AsanexampleofacrossprovingsatisfactorywhichIhadexpectedwouldbetoowide,Iwouldquotethefollowing,whichcameundermynoticewhenIwasinAmerica。Ayoungmancalleduponmeinafloodoftearsoverthelossofhisgrandmother,ofwhosedeathattheageofninety-threehehadjustheard。Icoulddonothingwithhim;Itriedalltheordinarypanaceaswithouteffect,andwasgivinghimupindespair,whenIthoughtofcrossinghimwiththewell-knownballadofWednesburyCocking。{7}Hebrightenedupinstantly,andleftmeinascheerfulastateashehadbeenbeforeinadespondingone。\"Chow\"seemstodofortheItalianswhatWednesburyCockingdidformyAmericanfriend;itisakindofsmallspiritualpick-me-up,orcupoftea。
FromRossuraIwentontoTengia,aboutahundredandfiftyfeethigherthanRossura。FromTengiathepathtoCalonico,thenextvillage,isalittlehardtofind,andaboyhadbetterbetakenfortenminutesorsobeyondTengia,Calonicochurchshowswellforsometimebeforeitisactuallyreached。Thepastureshereareveryrichinflowers,thetigerliliesbeingmoreabundantbeforethehayismown,thanperhapsevenatFusioitself。Thewholewalkislovely,andtheGribbiascawaterfall,themostgracefulintheValLeventina,isjustopposite。
HowoftenhaveInotsatabouthereintheshadesketching,andwatchedtheblueuponthemountainswhichTitianwatchedfromunderthechestnutsofCadore。Nosoundexceptthedistantwater,orthecroakofaraven,ortheboomingofthegreatgunsinthatbattlewhichisbeingfoughtoutbetweenmanandnatureontheBiaschinaandtheMontePiottino。ItisalwaysapleasuretometofeelthatIhaveknowntheValLeventinaintimatelybeforethegreatchangeinitwhichtherailwaywilleffect,andthatImayhopetoseeitafterthepresentturmoilisover。Ourdescendantsahundredyearshencewillnotthinkoftheincessantnoiseasthoughofcannonadingwithwhichweweresofamiliar。FromnowherewasitmorestrikingthanfromCalonico,theMontePiottinohavingnosoonerbecomesilentthantheBiaschinawouldopenfire,andsometimesbothwouldbefiringatonce。Posteritymaycaretoknowthatanotherandlessagreeablefeatureofthepresenttimewasthequantityofstonesthatwouldcomeflyingaboutinplaceswhichonewouldhavethoughtwereoutofrange。Allalongtheroad,forexample,betweenGiornicoandLavorgo,therewasincessantblastinggoingon,anditwassurprisingtoseetheheighttowhichstonesweresometimescarried。Thedwellersinhousesneartheblastingwouldcovertheirroofswithboughsandleavestosoftenthefallofthestones。Afewpeoplewerehurt,butmuchlessdamagewasdonethanmighthavebeenexpected。ImaymentionforthebenefitofEnglishreadersthatthetunnelsthroughMontePiottinoandtheBiaschinaaremarvelsofengineeringskill,beingbothofthemspiral;theroaddescribesacompletecircle,anddescendsrapidlyallthewhile,sothatthepointofegressasonegoesfromAirolotowardsFaidoisatamuchlowerlevelthanthatofingress。
Ifanaccidentdoeshappen,theycallitadisgrazia,thusconfirmingthesoundnessofaphilosophywhichIputforwardinanearlierwork。Everymisfortunetheyholdandquiterightlytobeadisgracetothepersonwhosuffersit;\"Sondisgraziato\"istheItalianfor\"Ihavebeenunfortunate。\"Iwasoncegoingtogiveapennytoapoorwomanbytheroadside,whentwootherwomenstoppedme。\"Nonmerita,\"theysaid;\"Sheisnodeservingobjectforcharity\"——thefactbeingthatshewasanidiot。Neverthelesstheywereverykindtoher。
CHAPTERV——CalonicocontinuedandGiornicoOurinventionsincreaseingeometricalratio。Theyarelikelivingbeings,eachoneofwhichmaybecomeparentofadozenothers——somegoodandsomene\'er-do-weels;buttheydifferfromanimalsandvegetablesinasmuchastheynotonlyincreaseinageometricalratio,buttheperiodoftheirgestationdecreasesingeometricalratioalso。TakethismatterofAlpineroadsforexample。ForhowmanymillionsofyearswastherenoapproachtoaroadovertheSt。
Gothard,savetheuntutoredwatercoursesoftheTicinoandtheReuss,andthetrackofthebouquetinorthechamois?Forhowmanymoreagesafterthiswastherenotamereshepherd\'sorhuntsman\'spathbytheriverside——withoutsomuchasalogthrownoversoastoformarudebridge?Noonewouldprobablyhaveeverthoughtofmakingabridgeoutofhisownunaidedimagination,morethananymonkeythatweknowofhasdoneso。Butanavalancheorafloodoncesweptapineintopositionandleftitthere;onthisagenius,whowasdoubtlessthoughttobedoingsomethingveryinfamous,venturedtomakeuseofit。Anothertimeapinewasfoundnearlyacrossthestream,butnotquite,andnotquite,again,intheplacewhereitwaswanted。Asecondgenius,tothehorrorofhisfellow-tribesmen——whodeclaredthatthistimetheworldreallywouldcometoanend——shiftedthepineafewfeetsoastobringitacrossthestreamandintotheplacewhereitwaswanted。Thismanwastheinventorofbridges——hisfamilyrepudiatedhim,andhecametoabadend。Fromthistocuttingdownthepineandbringingitfromsomedistanceisaneasystep。
Toavoiddetail,letuscometotheoldRomanhorseroadovertheAlps。Thetimebetweentheshepherd\'spathandtheRomanroadisprobablyshortincomparisonwiththatbetweenthemerechamoistrackandthefirstthingthatcanbecalledapathofmen。FromtheRomanwegoontothemediaevalroadwithmorefrequentstonebridges,andfromthemediaevaltotheNapoleoniccarriageroad。
Thecloseofthelastcenturyandthefirstquarterofthispresentonewasthegreateraforthemakingofcarriageroads。Fiftyyearshavehardlypassedandherewearealreadyintheageoftunnellingandrailroads。Thefirstperiod,fromthechamoistracktothefootroad,wasoneofmillionsofyears;thesecond,fromthefirstfootroadtotheRomanmilitaryway,wasoneofmanythousands;thethird,fromtheRomantothemediaeval,wasperhapsathousand;fromthemediaevaltotheNapoleonic,fivehundred;
fromtheNapoleonictotherailroad,fifty。Whatwillcomenextweknownot,butitshouldcomewithintwentyyears,andwillprobablyhavesomethingtodowithelectricity。
Itfollowsbyaneasyprocessofreasoningthat,afteranothercoupleofhundredyearsorso,greatsweepingchangesshouldbemadeseveraltimesinanhour,orindeedinasecond,orfractionofasecond,tilltheypassunnoticedastherevolutionsweundergointheembryonicstages,orarefeltsimplyasvibrations。Thiswouldundoubtedlybethecasebutfortheexistenceofafrictionwhichinterferesbetweentheoryandpractice。Thisfrictioniscausedpartlybythedisturbanceofvestedinterestswhicheveryinventioninvolves,andwhichwillbefoundintolerablewhenmenbecomemillionairesandpaupersalternatelyonceafortnight——
livingoneweekinapalaceandthenextinaworkhouse,andhavingperpetuallytobesoldup,andthentobuyanewhouseandrefurnish,&c——sothatartificialmeansforstoppinginventionswillbeadopted;andpartlybythefactthatthoughallinventionsbreedingeometricalratio,yetsomemultiplymorerapidlythanothers,andthebackwardnessofoneartwillimpedetheforwardnessofanother。Atanyrate,sofarasIcansee,thepresentisabouttheonlycomfortabletimeforamantolivein,thateithereverhasbeenoreverwillbe。Thepastwastooslow,andthefuturewillbemuchtoofast。
AnotherthingwhichwedonotbearinmindwhenthinkingoftheAlpsistheirnarrowness,andthesmallextentofgroundtheyreallycover。FromGoschenen,forexample,toAiroloseemsaverylongdistance。OnemustgouptotheDevil\'sBridge,andthentoAndermatt。FromherebyHospenthaltothetopofthepassseemsalongway,andagainitisalongwaydowntoAirolo;butallthiswouldeasilygoontothegroundbetweenKensingtonandStratford。
FromGoschenentoAndermattisaboutasfarasfromHollandHousetoHydeParkCorner。FromAndermatttoHospenthalismuchthesamedistanceasfromHydeParkCornertotheOxfordStreetendofTottenhamCourtRoad。FromHospenthaltothehospiceonthetopofthepassisaboutequaltothespacebetweenTottenhamCourtRoadandBow;andfromBowyoumustgodownthreethousandfeetofzig-
zagsintoStratford,forAirolo。Ihavemadethedeviationfromthestraightlineaboutthesameinonecaseasintheother;ineach,thedirectdistanceisnineandahalfmiles。ThewholedistancefromFluelen,ontheLakeofLucerne,toBiasca,whichisalmostonthesamelevelwiththeLagoMaggiore,isonlyfortymiles,andcouldbeallgotinbetweenLondonandLewes,whilefromLucernetoLocarno,actuallyontheLagoMaggioreitself,wouldgo,withagoodlargemargintospare,betweenLondonandDover。Wecanhardlyfancy,however,peoplegoingbackwardsandforwardstobusinessdailybetweenFluelenandBiasca,assomedoubtlessdobetweenLondonandLewes。
ButhowsmallallEuropeis。Weseemalmostabletotakeitinatasinglecoupd\'oeil。FromMontBlancwecanseethemountainsontheParissideofDijonontheonehand,andthoseaboveFlorenceandBolognaontheother。WhataholewouldnotbemadeinEuropeifthisgreateyefulwerescoopedoutofit。
ThefactisbutitissoobviousthatIamashamedtosayanythingaboutit,scienceisrapidlyreducingspacetothesameunsatisfactorystatethatithasalreadyreducedtime。Takelamb:
wecangetlamballtheyearround。Thisisperpetualspring;butperpetualspringisnospringatall;itisnotaseason;therearenomoreseasons,andbeingnoseasons,thereisnotime。Takerhubarb,again。Rhubarbtothephilosopheristhebeginningofautumn,ifindeed,thephilosophercanseeanythingasthebeginningofanything。Ifanyoneaskswhy,Isupposethephilosopherwouldsaythatrhubarbisthebeginningofthefruitseason,whichisclearlyautumnal,accordingtoourpresentclassification。Fromrhubarbtothegreengooseberrythestepissosmallastorequirenobridging——withone\'seyesshut,andplentyofcreamandsugar,theyarealmostindistinguishable——butthegooseberryisquiteanautumnalfruit,andonlyalittleearlierthanapplesandplums,whichlastarealmostwinter;
clearly,therefore,forscientificpurposesrhubarbisautumnal。
Assoonaswecanfindgradations,orasufficientnumberofunitinglinksbetweentwothings,theybecomeunitedormadeonething,andanyclassificationofthemmustbeillusory。
Classificationisonlypossiblewherethereisashockgiventothesensesbyreasonofaperceiveddifference,which,ifitisconsiderable,canbeexpressedinwords。Whentheworldwasyoungerandlessexperienced,peoplewereshockedatwhatappearedgreatdifferencesbetweenlivingforms;butspecies,whetherofanimalsorplants,arenowseentobesounited,eitherinferentiallyorbyactualfindingofthelinks,thatallclassificationisfelttobearbitrary。Theseasonsarelikespecies——theywereatonetimethoughttobeclearlymarked,andcapableofbeingclassifiedwithsomeapproachtosatisfaction。Itisnowseenthattheyblendeitherinthepresentorthepastinsensiblyintooneanother,andcannotbeclassifiedexceptbycuttingGordianknotsinawaywhichnonebutplainsensiblepeoplecantolerate。Strictlyspeaking,thereisonlyoneplace,onetime,oneaction,andoneindividualorthing;ofthisthingorindividualeachoneofusisapart。Itisperplexing,butitisphilosophy;andmodemphilosophylikemodernmusicisnothingifitisnotperplexing。
Asimpleverificationoftheautumnalcharacterofrhubarbmay,atfirstsight,appeartobefoundinCoventGardenMarket,wherewecanactuallyseetherhubarbtowardstheendofOctober。Butthiswayoflookingatthematterarguesafatalineptitudeforthepursuitoftruephilosophy。ItwouldbeamostseriouserrortoregardtherhubarbthatwillappearinCoventGardenMarketnextOctoberasbelongingtotheautumnthensupposedtobecurrent。
Practically,nodoubt,itdoesso,buttheoreticallyitmustbeconsideredasthefirst-fruitsoftheautumnifanyofthefollowingyear,whichbeginsbeforetheprecedingsummeror,perhaps,morestrictly,theprecedingsummerbutone——andhence,butanynumber,haswellended。Whetherthis,however,issoorno,therhubarbcanbeseeninCoventGarden,andIamafraiditmustbeadmittedthattothephilosophicallymindedtherelurkswithinitatheoryofevolution,andevenPantheism,assurelyasTheismwaslurkinginBishopBerkeley\'starwater。
Toreturn,however,toCalonico。Thechurchisbuiltontheextremeedgeofacliffthathasbeenformedbythebreakingawayofalargefragmentofthemountain。Thisfragmentmaybeseenlyingdownbelowshatteredintocountlesspieces。Thereisafissureinthecliffwhichsuggeststhatatnoverydistantdaysomemorewillfollow,andIamafraidcarrythechurchtoo。Myfavouriteviewofthechurchisfromtheothersideofthesmallvalleywhichseparatesitfromthevillage,seeprecedingpage。
Anotherverygoodviewisfromcloseruptothechurch。
ThecuratoofCalonicowasverykindtome。Wehadlongtalkstogether。IcouldseeitpainedhimthatwasnotaCatholic。Hecouldneverquitegetoverthis,buthewasverygoodandtolerant。
HewasanxioustobeassuredthatIwasnotoneofthoseEnglishwhowentaboutdistributingtracts,andtryingtoconvertpeople。
ThisofcoursewasthelastthingIshouldhavewishedtodo;andwhenItoldhimso,heviewedmewithsorrow,buthenceforthwithoutalarm。
AllthetimeIwaswithhimIfelthowmuchIwishedcouldbeaCatholicinCatholiccountries,andaProtestantinProtestantones。Surelytherearesomethingswhich,likepolitics,aretooserioustobetakenquiteseriously。Surtoutpointdezeleisnotthesayingofacynic,buttheconclusionofasensibleman;andthemoredeepourfeelingisaboutanymatter,themoreoccasionhavewetobeonourguardagainstzeleinthisparticularrespect。
Thereisbutonestepfromthe\"earnest\"tothe\"intense。\"WhenSt。Paultoldustobeallthingstoallmenheletinthethinendofthewedge,nordidhemarkittosayhowfaritwastobedriven。
IhaveItalianfriendswhomIgreatlyvalue,andwhotellmetheythinkIflirtjustatrifletoomuchwithilpartitonerowhenIaminItaly,fortheyknowthatinthemainIthinkastheydo。
\"Thesepeople,\"theysay,\"makethemselvesveryagreeabletoyou,andshowyoutheirsmoothside;we,whoseemoreofthem,knowtheirroughone。Knuckleundertothem,andtheywillperhapscondescendtopatroniseyou;haveanyindividualityofyourown,andtheyknowneitherscruplenorremorseintheirattemptstogetyououtoftheirway。\"Ilprete,\"theysay,withasignificantlook,\"esempreprete。Forthefutureletushaveprofessorsandmenofscienceinsteadofpriests。\"Ismiletomyselfatthislast,andreply,thatIamaforeignercomeamongthemforrecreation,andanxioustokeepclearoftheirinternaldiscords。
Idonotwishtocutmyselfofffromonesideoftheirnationalcharacter——asidewhich,insomerespects,isnolessinterestingthantheonewithwhichIsupposeIamonthewholemoresympathetic。IfIwereanItalian,Ishouldfeelboundtotakeaside;asitis,Iwishtoleaveallquarrellingbehindme,havingasmuchofthatinEnglandassufficestokeepmeingoodhealthandtemper。
InoldtimespeoplegavetheirspiritualandintellectualsoptoNemesis。Evenwhenmostpositive,theyadmittedapercentageofdoubt。Mr。Tennysonhassaidwell,\"Therelivesmoredoubt\"——I
quotefrommemory——\"inhonestfaith,believeme,thaninhalfthe\"
systemsofphilosophy,orwordstothateffect。Thevictorhadaslaveathisearduringhistriumph;theslavesduringtheRomanSaturnaliadressedintheirmasters\'clothes,satatmeatwiththem,toldthemoftheirfaults,andblackedtheirfacesforthem。
Theymadetheirmasterswaituponthem。Intheagesoffaith,anassdressedinsacerdotalrobeswasgravelyconductedtothecathedralchoiratacertainseason,andmasswassaidbeforehim,andhymnschanteddiscordantly。TheelderD\'Israeli,fromwhomI
amquoting,writes:\"Onotheroccasions,theyputburntoldshoestofumeinthecensers;ranaboutthechurchleaping,singing,dancing,andplayingatdiceuponthealtar,whileaBOYBISHOPorPOPEOFFOOLSburlesquedthedivineservice;\"andlateronhesays:
\"Solateas1645,apupilofGassendi,writingtohismasterwhathehimselfwitnessedatAixonthefeastofInnocents,says——\'I
haveseeninsomemonasteriesinthisprovinceextravagancessolemnised,whichpaganswouldnothavepractised。Neithertheclergynortheguardiansindeedgotothechoironthisday,butallisgivenuptothelaybrethren,thecabbagecutters,errandboys,cooks,scullions,andgardeners;inaword,allthemenialsfilltheirplacesinthechurch,andinsistthattheyperformtheofficesproperfortheday。Theydressthemselveswithallthesacerdotalornaments,buttorntorags,orweartheminsideout;
theyholdintheirhandsthebooksreversedorsideways,whichtheypretendtoreadwithlargespectacleswithoutglasses,andtowhichtheyfixtherindsofscoopedoranges……;particularlywhiledanglingthecenserstheykeepshakingtheminderision,andlettingtheashesflyabouttheirheadsandfaces,oneagainsttheother。Inthisequipagetheyneithersinghymnsnorpsalmsnormasses,butmumbleacertaingibberishasshrillandsqueakingasaherdofpigswhippedontomarket。Thenonsenseversestheychantaresingularlybarbarous:-
Haecestclaradies,clararumclaradierum,Haecestfestadiesfestarumfestadierum。\'\"{8}
Faithwasfarmoreassuredinthetimeswhenthespiritualsaturnaliawereallowedthannow。Theirreverencewhichwasnotdangerousthen,isnowintolerable。Itisabadsignforaman\'speaceinhisownconvictionswhenhecannotstandturningthecanvasofhislifeoccasionallyupsidedown,orreversingitinamirror,aspaintersdowiththeirpicturesthattheymayjudgethebetterconcerningthem。IwouldpersuadeallJews,Mohammedans,Comtists,andfreethinkerstoturnhighAnglicans,orbetterstill,downrightCatholicsforaweekineveryyear,andIwouldsendpeoplelikeMr。GladstonetoattendMr。Bradlaugh\'slecturesintheforenoon,andtheGrecianpantomimeintheevening,twoorthreetimeseverywinter。IshouldperhapstellthemthattheGrecianpantomimehasnothingtodowithGreekplays。TheylittleknowhowmuchmorekeenlytheywouldrelishtheirnormalopinionsduringtherestoftheyearforthelittlespiritualoutingwhichIwouldprescribeforthem,which,afterall,isbutanotherphaseofthewisesaying——Surtoutpointdezele。St。PaulattemptedanobviouslyhopelesstaskastheChurchofRomeverywellunderstandswhenhetriedtoputdownseasonarianism。Peoplemustandwillgotochurchtobealittlebetter,tothetheatretobealittlenaughtier,totheRoyalInstitutiontobealittlemorescientific,thantheyareinactuallife。Itisonlybypulsationsofgoodness,naughtiness,andwhateverelseweaffectthatwecangetonatall。Igrantthatwheninhisoffice,amanshouldbeexactandprecise,butourholidaysareourgarden,andtoomuchprecisionhereisamistake。
Surelytruces,withoutevenanarrierepenseeofdifferenceofopinion,betweenthosewhoarecompelledtotakewidelydifferentsidesduringthegreaterpartoftheirlives,mustbeofinfiniteservicetothosewhocanenteronthem。Therearefewmerelyspiritualpleasurescomparabletothatderivedfromthetemporarylayingdownofaquarrel,eventhoughwemayknowthatitmustberenewedshortly。ItisagreatgrieftomethatthereisnoplacewhereIcangoamongMr。Darwin,ProfessorsHuxley,Tyndall,andRayLankester,MissBuckley,Mr。Romanes,Mr。Allen,andotherswhomIcannotcalltomindatthismoment,asIcangoamongtheItalianpriests。IrememberinonemonasterybutthiswasnotintheCantonTicinothenovicetaughtmehowtomakesacramentalwafers,andIplayedhimHandelontheorganaswellasIcould。I
toldhimthatHandelwasaCatholic;hesaidhecouldtellthatbyhismusicatonce。Thereisnochanceofgettingamongourscientistsinthisway。
SomefriendssayIwastellingaliewhenItoldthenoviceHandelwasaCatholic,andoughtnottohavedoneso。Imakeitaruletoswallowafewgnatsaday,lestIshouldcometostrainatthem,andsoboltcamels;butthewholequestionoflyingisdifficult。
WhatIS\"lying\"?Turningformoralguidancetomycousinstheloweranimals,whoseunsophisticatednatureproclaimswhatGodhastaughtthemwithadirectnesswemaysometimesstudy,Ifindtheploverlyingwhensheluresusfromheryoungonesunderthefictionofabrokenwing。IsGodangry,thinkyou,withthisprettydeviationfromtheletterofstrictaccuracy?orwasitnotHewhowhisperedtohertotellthefalsehood——totellitwithacircumstance,withoutconscientiousscruple,notonceonly,buttomakeapracticeofit,soastobeaplausible,habitual,andprofessionalliarforsomesixweeksorsointheyear?Iimagineso。WhenIwasyoungIusedtoreadingoodbooksthatitwasGodwhotaughtthebirdtomakehernest,andifsoHeprobablytaughteachspeciestheotherdomesticarrangementsbestsuitedtoit。Ordidthenest-buildinginformationcomefromGod,andwasthereaneviloneamongthebirdsalsowhotaughtthematanyratetosteerclearofpriggishness?
Thinkofthespideragain——anuglycreature,butIsupposeGodlikesit。Whatameanandodiouslieisthatwebwhichnaturalistsextolassuchamarvelofingenuity!
OnceonasummerafternooninafarcountryImetoneofthoseorchidswhomakeittheirbusinesstoimitateaflywiththeirpetals。Thislietheydisposesocunninglythatrealflies,thinkingthehoneyisbeingalreadyplundered,passthemwithoutmolestingthem。Watchingintentlyandkeepingverystill,methoughtIheardthisorchidspeakingtotheoffspringwhichshefeltwithinher,thoughIsawthemnot。\"Mychildren,\"sheexclaimed,\"Imustsoonleaveyou;thinkuponthefly,mylovedones,forthisistruth;clingtothisgreatthoughtinyourpassagethroughlife,foritistheonethingneedful;oncelosesightofitandyouarelost!\"Overandoveragainshesangthisburdeninasmallstillvoice,andsoIlefther。ThenstraightwayIcameuponsomebutterflieswhoseprofessionitwastopretendtobelieveinallmannerofvitaltruthswhichintheirinnerpracticetheyrejected;thus,assertingthemselvestobecertainotherandhatefulbutterflieswhichnobirdwilleatbyreasonoftheirabominablesmell,thesecunningonesconcealtheirownsweetness,andlivelonginthelandandseegooddays。No:lyingissodeeplyrootedinnaturethatwemayexpelitwithafork,andyetitwillalwayscomebackagain:itislikethepoor,wemusthaveitalwayswithus;wemustalleatapeckofmoraldirtbeforewedie。
Alldependsuponwhoitisthatislying。Onemanmaystealahorsewhenanothermaynotlookoverahedge。Thegoodmanwhotellsnolieswittinglytohimselfandisneverunkindly,maylieandlieandliewheneverhechoosestootherpeople,andhewillnotbefalsetoanyman:hisliesbecometruthsastheypassintothehearers\'ear。Ifamandeceiveshimselfandisunkind,thetruthisnotinhim,itturnstofalsehoodwhileyetinhismouth,likethequailsintheWildernessofSinai。Howthisissoorwhy,Iknownot,butthattheLordhathmercyonwhomHewillhavemercyandwhomHewillethHehardeneth。
MyItalianfriendsaredoubtlessinthemainrightaboutthepriests,buttherearemanyexceptions,astheythemselvesgladlyadmit。FormyownpartIhavefoundthecuratointhesmallsubalpinevillagesofNorthItalytobemoreoftenthannotakindlyexcellentmantowhomIamattractedbysympathiesdeeperthananymeresuperficialdifferencesofopinioncancounteract。
Withmonks,however,asageneralruleIamlessabletogeton:
nevertheless,Ihavereceivedmuchcourtesyatthehandsofsome。
Myyoungfriendthenovicewasdelightful——onlyitwassosadtothinkofthefuturethatisbeforehim。HewantedtoknowallaboutEngland,andwhenItoldhimitwasanisland,claspedhishandsandsaid,\"OhcheProvvidenza!\"Hetoldmehowtheotheryoungmenofhisownageplaguedhimashetrudgedhisroundshighupamongthemostdistanthamletsbeggingalmsforthepoor。\"Beagoodfellow,\"theywouldsaytohim,\"dropallthisnonsenseandcomebacktous,andwewillneverplagueyouagain。\"Thenhewouldturnuponthemandputtheirwordsfromhim。Ofcoursemysympathieswerewiththeotheryoungmenratherthanwithhim,butitwasimpossiblenottobesorryforthemannerinwhichhehadbeenhumbuggedfromthedayofhisbirth,tillhewasnowincapableofseeingthingsfromanyotherstandpointthanthatofauthority。
WhathesaidtomeaboutknowingthatHandelwasaCatholicbyhismusic,putmeinmindofwhatanothergoodCatholiconcesaidtomeaboutapicture。HewasaFrenchmanandverynice,butadevot,andanxioustoconvertme。Hepaidafewdays\'visittoLondon,soIshowedhimtheNationalGallery。WhilethereIpointedouttohimSebastiandelPiombo\'spictureoftheraisingofLazarusasoneofthesupposedmasterpiecesofourcollection。Hehadtheproperorthodoxfitofadmirationoverit,andthenwewentthroughtheotherrooms。AfterawhilewefoundourselvesbeforeWest\'spictureof\"Christhealingthesick。\"MyFrenchfrienddidnot,I
suppose,examineitverycarefully,atanyratehebelievedhewasagainbeforetheraisingofLazarusbySebastiandelPiombo;hepausedbeforeitandhadhisfitofadmirationoveragain:thenturningtomehesaid,\"Ah!youwouldunderstandthispicturebetterifyouwereaCatholic。\"Ididnottellhimofthemistakehehadmade,butIthoughtevenaProtestantafteracertainamountofexperiencewouldlearntoseesomedifferencebetweenBenjaminWestandSebastiandelPiombo。
FromCalonicoIwentdownintothemainroadandwalkedtoGiornico,takingtherightbankoftheriverfromthebridgeatthetopoftheBiaschina。Notasodoftherailwaywasasyetturned。
AtGiornicoIvisitedthegrandoldchurchofS。Nicolao,which,thoughalaterfoundationthanthechurchatMairengo,retainsitsoriginalcondition,andappears,therefore,tobemuchtheolderofthetwo。Thestonesareverymassive,andthecoursesarehereandthereirregularasinCyclopeanwalls;theendwallisnotbondedintothesidewallsbutsimplybuiltbetweenthem;themaindoorisveryfine,andthereisasidedooralsoverygood。Therearetwoaltarsoneabovetheother,asinthechurchesofS。AbbondioandS。CristoforoatComo,butIcouldnotmaketheloweraltarintelligibleinmysketch,andindeedcouldhardlyseeit,sowasobligedtoleaveitout。Theremainsofsomeveryearlyfrescoescanbeseen,butIdidnotthinkthemremarkable。Altogether,however,thechurchisonewhichnooneshouldmissseeingwhotakesaninterestinearlyarchitecture。
Whilepaintingthestudyfromwhichthefollowingsketchistaken,Iwasstruckwiththewonderfullyvividgreenwhichthewhitewashedvaultofthechancelandthearchdividingthechancelfromthebodyofthechurchtookbywayofreflectionfromthegrassandtreesoutside。Itisnoteasyatfirsttoseehowthegreenmanagestofinditswayinsidethechurch,butthegrassseemstogetineverywhere。Ihadalreadyoftenseengreenreflectedfrombrilliantpasturageontotheshadowundertheeavesofwhitewashedhouses,butIneversawitsuffuseawholeinteriorasitdoesonafinesummer\'sdayatGiornico。IdonotremembertohaveseenthiseffectinEngland。
Lookingupagainagainstthemountainthroughtheopendoorofthechurchwhenthesunwasinacertainposition,Icouldseeaninfinityofinsectlifeswarmingthroughouttheair。Noonecouldhavesuspecteditsexistence,tillthesun\'sraysfellonthewingsofthesesmallcreaturesataproperangle;onthistheybecamerevealedagainstthedarknessofthemountainbehindthem。Theswallowsthatwereflyingamongthemcannothavetohuntthem,theyneedonlyflywiththeirmouthswideopenandtheymustrunagainstasmanyaswillbegoodforthem。Isawthisincrediblymultitudinousswarmextendingtoagreatheight,andamsatisfiedthatitwasnomorethanwhatisalwayspresentduringthesummermonths,thoughitisonlyvisibleincertainlights。TotheseminutecreaturesthespacebetweenthemountainsonthetwosidesoftheTicinovalleymustbeasgreatasthatbetweenEnglandandAmericatoacodfish。Many,doubtless,liveinthemid-air,andnevertouchthebottomorsidesofthevalley,exceptatbirthanddeath,ifthen。Nodoubtsomeatmosphericeffectsofhazeonasummer\'safternoonareduetonothingbuttheseinsects。What,again,dothesmallerofthemliveupon?Ongerms,whichtothemarecomfortablemouthfuls,thoughtousinvisibleevenwithamicroscope?
IfindnothingmoreinmynotesaboutGiornicoexceptthatthepeopleareveryhandsome,and,asIthought,ofaRomantype。TheplacewasaRomanmilitarystation,butitdoesnotfollowthatthesoldierswereRomans;nevertheless,thereisastrainofbullet-
headedbloodintheplace。AlsoIrememberbeingtoldin1869thattwobearshadbeenkilledinthemountainsaboveGiornicotheprecedingyear。AtGiornicothevinebeginstogrowlustily,andwineismade。Thevinesaretrellised,andlookingdownuponthemonewouldthinkonecouldwalkuponthemasuponasolidsurface,socloselyandluxuriantlydotheygrow。
FromGiornicoIbegantoturnmystepshomewardincompanywithanengineerwhowasalsoabouttowalkbacktoFaido,butweresolvedtotakeChironicoonourway,andkeptthereforetotherightbankoftheriver。AfteraboutthreeorfourkilometresfromGiornicowereachedChironico,whichiswellplaceduponafilled-uplakeandenviedasapaesericco,butisnotsocaptivatingassomeothers。HenceweascendedtillatlastwereachedGribbio3960
ft。,acollectionofchaletsinhabitedonlyforashorttimeintheyear,butaniceplaceinsummer,richingentiansandsulphur-
colouredanemones。FromGribbiothereisapathtoDalpe,offeringnodifficultywhateverandperfectinitsway。Onthisoccasion,however,wewentstraightbacktoFaidobyarathershorterwaythantheordinarypath,andthiscertainlywasalittledifficult,orasmycompanioncalledit,\"untantinodifficoltoso,\"inoneortwoplaces;Iatleastdidnotquitelikethem。
AnotherdayIwenttoLavorgo,belowCalonico,andthenceuptoAnzonico。ThechurchandchurchyardatAnzonicoareverygood;
fromAnzonicothereisapathtoCavagnago——whichisalsofullofgoodbitsforsketching——andSobrio。ThehighestvillagesintheimmediateneighbourhoodofFaidoareCampelloandMolare;theycanbeseenfromthemarket-placeofthetown,andarewellworththetroubleofaclimb。
CHAPTERVI——PioraAnexcursionwhichmaybeverywellmadefromFaidoistotheValPiora,whichIhavealreadymorethanoncementioned。Thereisalargehotelherewhichhasbeenopenedsomeyears,buthasnothithertoprovedthesuccesswhichitwashopeditwouldbe。Ihavestayedtheretwoorthreetimesandfounditverycomfortable;
doubtless,nowthatSignorLombardioftheHotelProsahastakenit,itwillbecomeamorepopularplaceofresort。
ItookatrapfromFaidotoAmbri,andthencewalkedovertoQuinto;herethepathbeginstoascend,andafteranhourRoncoisreached。ThereisahouseatRoncowhererefreshmentsandexcellentFaidobeercanbehad。TheoldladywhokeepsthehousewouldmakeaperfectFate;Isawhersittingatherwindowspinning,andlookingdownovertheTicinovalleyasthoughitweretheworldandshewerespinningitsdestiny。Shehadasomewhatsternexpression,thinlips,iron-greyeyes,andanaquilinenose;
herscantylocksstraggledfromunderthehandkerchiefwhichsheworeroundherhead。Heremploymentandthewistfulfar-awaylookshecastupontheexpansebelowmadeaveryfineensemble。\"Shewouldhaveafforded,\"asSirWalterScottsays,\"astudyforaRembrandt,hadthatcelebratedpainterexistedattheperiod,\"{9}
butshemusthavebeenasmart-lookinghandsomegirlonce。
Shebrightenedupinconversation。ItalkedaboutPiora,whichI
alreadyknew,andtheLagoTom,thehighestofthethreelakes。
ShesaidsheknewtheLagoTom。Isaidlaughingly,\"Oh,Ihavenodoubtyoudo。We\'vehadmanyagooddayattheLagoTom,Iknow。\"
Shelookeddownatonce。
Inspiteofhernearlyeightyyearsshewasactiveasawomanofforty,andaltogethershewasaverygrandoldlady。Herhouseisscrupulouslyclean。WhileIwatchedherspinning,Ithoughtofwhatmustsooftenoccurtosummervisitors。Imeanwhatsortofalook-outtheoldwomanmusthaveinwinter,whenthewindroarsandwhistles,andthesnowdrivesdownthevalleywithafuryofwhichweinEnglandcanhavelittleconception。Whataplacetoseeasnowstormfrom!andwhataplacefromwhichtosurveythelandscapenextmorningafterthestormisoverandtheairiscalmandbrilliant。Therearesuchmornings:Isawoneonce,butIwasatthebottomofthevalleyandnothighup,asatRonco。Roncowouldtakealittlesuneveninmidwinter,butatthebottomofthevalleythereisnosunforweeksandweekstogether;allisindeepshadowbelow,thoughtheupperhillsidesmaybeseentohavethesunuponthem。Iwalkedonceonafrostywinter\'smorningfromAirolotoGiornico,andcancalltomindnothinginitswaymorebeautiful:everythingwaslockedinfrost——therewasnotawaterwheelbutwassheetedandcoatedwithice:theroadwashardasgranite——allwasquietandseenasthroughadarkbutincrediblytransparentmedium。NearPiottaImetthewholevillagedraggingalargetree;thereweremanymenandwomendraggingatit,buttheyhadtopullhardandtheyweresilent;asIpassedthemIthoughtwhatcomely,well-begottenpeopletheywere。Then,lookingup,therewasasky,cloudlessandofthedeepestblue,againstwhichthesnow-cladmountainsstoodoutsplendidly。Noonewillregretawalkinthesevalleysduringthedepthofwinter。ButIshouldhavelikedtohavelookeddownfromthesunintothesunlessness,astheoldFatewomanatRoncocandowhenshesitsinwinteratherwindow;oragain,Ishouldliketoseehowthingswouldlookfromthissamewindowonaleadenmorninginmidwinteraftersnowhasfallenheavilyandtheskyismurkyandmuchdarkerthantheearth。Whenthestormisatitsheight,thesnowmustsearchandsearchandsearcheventhroughthedoublewindowswithwhichthehousesareprotected。Itmustrestupontheframesofthepicturesofsaints,andofthesister\'s\"grab,\"andofthelasthoursofCountUgolino,whichadornthewallsoftheparlour。NowonderthereisaS。MariadellaNeve——a\"St。MaryoftheSnow\";butIdowonderthatshehasnotbeenpainted。
FromRoncothepathkeepslevelandthendescendsalittlesoastocrossthestreamthatcomesdownfromPiora。ThisisnearthevillageofAltanca,thechurchofwhichlooksremarkablywellfromhere。Thenthereisanhourandahalf\'srapidascent,andatlastallonasuddenonefindsone\'sselfontheLagoRitom,closetothehotel。
Thelakeisaboutamile,oramileandahalf,long,andhalfamilebroad。Itis6000feetabovethesea,verydeepatthelowerend,anddoesnotfreezewherethestreamissuesfromit,sothatthemagnificenttroutinthe,lakecangetairandlivethroughthewinter。Inmanyotherlakes,asforexampletheLagodiTremorgio,theycannotdothis,andhenceperish,thoughthelakeshavebeenrepeatedlystocked。ThetroutintheLagoRitomaresaidtobethefinestintheworld,andcertainlyIknownonesofinemyself。
Theygrowtobeaslargeasmoderate-sizedsalmon,andhaveadeepredflesh,veryfirmandfullofflavour。IhadtwocutletsoffoneforbreakfastandshouldhavesaidtheyweresalmonunlessI
hadknownotherwise。Inwinter,whenthelakeisfrozenover,thepeoplebringtheirhayfromthefartherLakeofCadagnoinsledgesacrosstheLakeRitom。Here,again,wintermustbeworthseeing,butonaroughsnowydayPioramustbeanawfulplace。Thereareafewstuntedpinesnearthehotel,butthehillsidesareforthemostpartbareandgreen。Piorainfactisafinebreezyopenuplandvalleyofsingularbeauty,andwithasweetatmosphereofcowaboutit;itisrichinrhododendrons,andallmannerofAlpineflowers,justatriflebleak,butasbracingastheEngadineitself。
ThefirstnightIwaseverinPioratherewasabrilliantmoon,andtheunruffledsurfaceofthelaketookthereflectionofthemountains。Icouldseethecattleamileoff,andhearthetinklingoftheirbellswhichdancedmultitudinouslybeforetheearasfirefliescomeandgobeforetheeyes;forallthroughafinesummer\'snightthecattlewillfeedasthoughitwereday。A
littleabovethelakeIcameuponamaninacavebeforeafurnace,burninglime,andhesatlookingintothefirewithhisbacktothemoonlight。Hewasaquietmoodyman,andIamafraidIboredhim,forIcouldgethardlyanythingoutofhimbut\"Ohaltro\"——politebutnotcommunicative。SoafterawhileIlefthimwithhisfaceburnishedaswithgoldfromthefire,andhisbacksilverwiththemoonbeams;behindhimwerethepasturesandthereflectionsinthelakeandthemountains;andthedistantcowbellswereringing。
ThenIwanderedontillIcametothechapelofS。Carlo;andinafewminutesfoundmyselfontheLagodiCadagno。HereIheardthattherewerepeople,andthepeoplewerenotsomuchasleepasthesimplepeasantryoftheseuplandvalleysareexpectedtobebynineo\'clockintheevening。FornowwasthetimewhentheyhadmovedupfromRonco,Altanca,andothervillagesinsomenumberstocutthehay,andwerelivingforafortnightorthreeweeksinthechaletsupontheLagodiCadagno。AsIhavesaid,thereisachapel,butIdoubtwhetheritisattendedduringthisseasonwiththeregularitywithwhichtheparishchurchesofRonco,Altanca,&c。,areattendedduringtherestoftheyear。Theyoungpeople,I
amsure,liketheseannualvisitstothehighplaces,andwillbehardlyweanedfromthem。Happilythehaywillbealwaysthere,andwillhavetobecutbysomeone,andtheoldpeoplewillsendtheyoungones。
AsIwasthinkingofthesethings,Ifoundmyselfgoingoffintoadoze,andthoughttheburnishedmanfromthefurnacecameupandsatbesideme,andlaidhishanduponmyshoulder。ThenIsawthegreenslopesthatriseallroundthelakeweremuchhigherthanI
hadthought;theywentupthousandsoffeet,andtherewerepineforestsuponthem,whiletwolargeglacierscamedowninstreamsthatendedinaprecipiceofice,fallingsheerintothelake。Theedgesofthemountainsagainsttheskywereruggedandfullofclefts,throughwhichIsawthickcloudsofdustbeingblownbythewindasthoughfromtheothersideofthemountains。
AndasIlooked,Isawthatthiswasnotdust,butpeoplecomingincrowdsfromtheotherside,butsosmallastobevisibleatfirstonlyasdust。Andthepeoplebecamemusicians,andthemountainousamphitheatreahugeorchestra,andtheglaciersweretwonoblearmiesofwomen-singersinwhiterobes,rangedtierabovetierbehindeachother,andthepinesbecameorchestralplayers,whilethethickdust-likecloudofchorus-singerskeptpouringinthroughthecleftsintheprecipicesininconceivablenumbers。WhenI
turnedmytelescopeuponthemIsawtheywerecrowdeduptotheextremeedgeofthemountains,sothatIcouldseeunderneaththesolesoftheirbootsastheirlegsdangledintheair。Inthemidstofall,aprecipicethatrosefromoutoftheglaciersshapeditselfsuddenlyintoanorgan,andtherewasonewhosefaceIwellknewsittingatthekeyboard,smilingandpluminghimselflikeabirdashethunderedforthagiantfuguebywayofoverture。I
heardthegreatpedalnotesinthebassstalkmajesticallyupanddown,liketheraysoftheAurorathatgoaboutuponthefaceoftheheavensoffthecoastofLabrador。Thenpresentlythepeopleroseandsangthechorus\"Venuslaughingfromtheskies;\"buterethesoundhadwelldiedaway,Iawoke,andallwaschanged;alightfleecycloudhadfilledthewholebasin,butIstillthoughtI
heardasoundofmusic,andascampering-offofgreatcrowdsfromthepartwheretheprecipicesshouldbe。Themusicwentthus:-
{10}
[Atthispointinthebookamusicscoreisgiven]
Byandbythecantering,gallopingmovementbecameatrottingone,thus:-
[Atthispointinthebookamusicscoreisgiven]
AfterthatIheardnomorebutalittlesingingfromthechalets,andturnedhomewards。WhenIgottothechapelofS。Carlo,Iwasinthemoonlightagain,andwhennearthehotel,Ipassedthemanatthemouthofthefurnacewiththemoonstillgleaminguponhisback,andthefireuponhisface,andhewasverygraveandquiet。
NextmorningIwentalongthelaketillIcametoagood-sizedstreamletonthenorthside。Ifthisisfollowedforhalf-an-hourorso——andthewalkisaverygoodone——LakeTomisreached,about7500feetabovethesea。Thelakeisnotlarge,andtherearenotsomanychaletsasatCadagno;stilltherearesome。TheviewofthemountaintopsontheothersidetheTicinovalley,asseenfromacrossthelake,isveryfine。Itriedtosketch,butwasfairlydrivenbackbyacloudofblackgnats。Theridgesimmediatelyatthebackofthelake,andnogreatheightaboveit,arethemaindividinglineofthewatershed;soarethosethatrisefromtheLagodiCadagno;infact,about600feetabovethislakeisthetopofapasswhichgoesthroughthePianodeiPorci,andleadsdowntoS。MariaMaggiore,ontheGermansideoftheLukmanier。IdonotknowtheshortpiecebetweentheLagodiCadagnoandS。Maria,butitissuretobegood。ItisapitythereisnoplaceatS。Mariawhereonecanputupforanightortwo。Thereisasmallinnthere,butitdidnotlooktempting。
BeforeleavingtheValLeventina,IwouldcallattentiontothebeautifuloldparishchurchatBiasca,wherethereisnowanexcellentinn,theHotelBiasca。ThischurchisnotsooldastheoneatGiornico,butitisagoodthoughplainexampleofearlyLombardarchitecture。
CHAPTERVII——S。MicheleandtheMontePirchirianoSometimeafterthetravellerfromParistoTurinhaspassedthroughtheMontCenistunnel,andshortlybeforehearrivesatBussolenostation,thelineturnseastward,andaviewisobtainedofthevalleyoftheDora,withthehillsbeyondTurin,andtheSuperga,inthedistance。Ontheright-handsideofthevalleyandabouthalf-waybetweenSusaandTurintheeyeisstruckbyanabruptly-descendingmountainwithalargebuildinglikeacastleuponthetopofit,andtheneareritisapproachedthemoreimposingdoesitprovetobe。Presentlythemountainisseenmoreedgeways,andtheshapechanges。Inhalf-an-hourorsofromthispoint,S。Ambrogioisreached,onceathrivingtown,wherecarriagesusedtobreakthejourneybetweenTurinandSusa,butleftstrandedsincetheopeningoftherailway。HereweareattheveryfootoftheMontePirchiriano,forsothemountainiscalled,andcanseethefrontofthebuilding——whichisnoneotherthanthefamoussanctuaryofS。Michele,commonlycalled\"dellaChiusa,\"
fromthewallbuiltherebyDesiderius,kingoftheLombards,toprotecthiskingdomfromCharlemagne。
Thehistoryofthesanctuaryisbrieflyasfollows:-
Atthecloseofthetenthcentury,whenOthoIIIwasEmperorofGermany,acertainHughdeMontboissier,anobleofAuvergne,commonlycalled\"HughtheUnsewn\"losdruscito,wascommandedbythePopetofoundamonasteryinexpiationofsomegraveoffence。
HechoseforhissitethesummitoftheMontePirchirianointhevalleyofSusa,beingattractedpartlybythefameofachurchalreadybuilttherebyarecluseofRavenna,GiovanniVincenzobyname,andpartlybythestrikingnatureofthesituation。HughdeMontboissierwhenreturningfromRometoFrancewithIsengardehiswife,would,asamatterofcourse,passthroughthevalleyofSusa。Thetwo——perhapswhenstoppingtodineatS。Ambrogio——wouldlookupandobservethechurchfoundedbyGiovanniVincenzo:theyhadgottobuildamonasterysomewhere;itwouldverylikely,therefore,occurtothemthattheycouldnotperpetuatetheirnamesbetterthanbychoosingthissite,whichwasonamuchtravelledroad,andonwhichafinebuildingwouldshowtoadvantage。Ifmyviewiscorrect,wehavehereanillustrationofafactwhichiscontinuallyobservable——namely,thatallthingswhichcometomuch,whethertheybebooks,buildings,pictures,music,orlivingbeings,aresuggestedbyothersoftheirownkind。Itis;alwaysthemostsuccessful,likeHandelandShakespeare,whoowemosttotheirforerunners,inspiteofthemodificationswithwhichtheirworksdescend。
GiovanniVincenzohadbuilthischurchabouttheyear987。ItismaintainedbysomethathehadbeenBishopofRavenna,butClarettagivessufficientreasonforthinkingotherwise。Inthe\"CronacaClusina\"itissaidthathehadforsomeyearspreviouslylivedasarecluseontheMonteCaprasio,tothenorthofthepresentMontePirchiriano;butthatonenighthehadavision,inwhichhesawthesummitofMontePirchirianoenvelopedinheaven-descendedflames,andonthisfoundedachurchthere,anddedicatedittoSt。
Michael。ThisistheoriginofthenamePirchiriano,whichmeans[Greektext],ortheLord\'sfire。
Thefameoftheheavenlyflamesandthepietyofpilgrimsbroughtinenoughmoneytocompletethebuilding——which,tojudgefromtheremainsofitembodiedinthelaterwork,musthavebeensmall,butstillachurch,andmorethanamerechapelororatory。Itwas,asIhavealreadysuggested,probablyimposingenoughtofiretheimaginationofHughdeMontboissier,andmakehimfeelthecapabilitiesofthesituation,whichamereordinarywaysidechapelmightperhapshavefailedtodo。Havingbuilthischurch,GiovanniVincenzoreturnedtohissolitudeonthetopofMonteCaprasio,andthenceforthwentbackwardsandforwardsfromoneplaceofabodetotheother。
AvogadroisamongthosewhomakeGiovanniBishop,orratherArchbishop,ofRavenna,andgivesthefollowingaccountofthecircumstanceswhichledtohisresigninghisdioceseandgoingtoliveatthetopoftheinhospitableMonteCaprasio。ItseemstherehadbeenaconfirmationatRavenna,duringwhichhehadaccidentallyforgottentoconfirmthechildofacertainwidow。