We Think It Well That Our
People Should Have An Opportunity Of Realising These Birds And
Beasts To Themselves, But
We are shocked at the notion of giving
them a similar aid to the realisation of events which, as we
Say,
concern them more nearly than any others, in the history of the
world. A stuffed rabbit or blackbird is a good thing. A stuffed
Charge of Balaclava again is quite legitimate; but a stuffed
Nativity is, according to Protestant notions, offensive.
Over and above the desire to help the masses to realise the events
in Christ's life more vividly, something is doubtless due to the
wish to attract people by giving them what they like. This is both
natural and legitimate. Our own rectors find the prettiest psalm
and hymn tunes they can for the use of their congregations, and
take much pains generally to beautify their churches. Why should
not the Church of Rome make herself attractive also? If she knows
better how to do this than Protestant churches do, small blame to
her for that. For the people delight in these graven images.
Listen to the hushed "oh bel!" which falls from them as they peep
through grating after grating; and the more tawdry a chapel is, the
better, as a general rule, they are contented. They like them as
our own people like Madame Tussaud's. Granted that they come to
worship the images; they do; they hardly attempt to conceal it.
The writer of the authorised handbook to the Sacro Monte at
Locarno, for example, speaks of "the solemn coronation of the image
that is there revered" - "la solenne coronazione del simulacro ivi
venerato" (p. 7). But how, pray, can we avoid worshipping images?
or loving images? The actual living form of Christ on earth was
still not Christ, it was but the image under which His disciples
saw Him; nor can we see more of any of those we love than a certain
more versatile and warmer presentment of them than an artist can
counterfeit. The ultimate "them" we see not.
How far these chapels have done all that their founders expected of
them is another matter. They have undoubtedly strengthened the
hands of the Church in their immediate neighbourhood, and they have
given an incalculable amount of pleasure, but I think that in the
Middle Ages people expected of art more than art can do. They
hoped a fine work of art would exercise a deep and permanent effect
upon the lives of those who lived near it. Doubtless it does have
some effect - enough to make it worth while to encourage such works,
but nevertheless the effect is, I imagine, very transient. The
only thing that can produce a deep and permanently good influence
upon a man's character is to have been begotten of good ancestors
for many generations - or at any rate to have reverted to a good
ancestor - and to live among nice people.
The chapels themselves at Varese, apart from their contents, are
very beautiful.
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