XIII. MYSTIC THEOLOGY. [Footnote: Blunderingly in the guide-books called
'Faith!'] Monastic science, above dogma, and attaining to new revelation
by reaching higher spiritual states.
In white robes, her left hand gloved (I don't know why)--holding
chalice. She wears a nun's veil fastened under her chin, her hair
fastened close, like Grammar's, showing her necessary monastic life;
all states of mystic spiritual life involving retreat from much that is
allowable in the material and practical world.
There is no possibility of denying this fact, infinite as the evils are
which have arisen from misuse of it. They have been chiefly induced by
persons who falsely pretended to lead monastic life, and led it without
having natural faculty for it. But many more lamentable errors have
arisen from the pride of really noble persons, who have thought it would
be a more pleasing thing to God to be a sibyl or a witch, than a useful
housewife. Pride is always somewhat involved even in the true effort:
the scarlet head-dress in the form of a horn on the forehead in the
fresco indicates this, both here, and in the Contemplative Theology.
Under St. John.
Medallion unintelligible, to me. A woman laying hands on the shoulders
of two small figures.
_Technical Points_.--More of the minute folds of the white dress left
than in any other of the repainted draperies. It is curious that minute
division has always in drapery, more or less, been understood as an
expression of spiritual life, from the delicate folds of Athena's peplus
down to the rippled edges of modern priests' white robes; Titian's
breadth of fold, on the other hand, meaning for the most part bodily
power. The relation of the two modes of composition was lost by Michael
Angelo, who thought to express spirit by making flesh colossal.
For the rest, the figure is not of any interest, Memmi's own mind being
intellectual rather than mystic.
XIV. POLEMIC THEOLOGY.[Footnote: Blunderingly called 'Charity' in the
guide-books.]
"Who goes forth, conquering and to conquer?" "For we war, not with flesh
and blood," etc.
In red, as sign of power, but not in armour, because she is herself
invulnerable. A close red cap, with cross for crest, instead of helmet.
Bow in left hand; long arrow in right.
She partly means Aggressive Logic: compare the set of her shoulders and
arms with Logic's.
She is placed the last of the Divine sciences, not as their culminating
power, but as the last which can be rightly learned. You must know all
the others, before you go out to battle. Whereas the general principle
of modern Christendom is to go out to battle without knowing _any one_
of the others; one of the reasons for this error, the prince of errors,
being the vulgar notion that truth may be ascertained by debate! Truth
is never learned, in any department of industry, by arguing, but by
working, and observing. And when you have got good hold of one
truth, for certain, two others will grow out of it, in a beautifully
dicotyledonous fashion, (which, as before noticed, is the meaning of
the branch in Logic's right hand). Then, when you have got so much true
knowledge as is worth fighting for, you are bound to fight for it. But
not to debate about it, any more.
There is, however, one further reason for Polemic Theology being put
beside Mystic. It is only in some approach to mystic science that any
man becomes aware of what St. Paul means by "spiritual wickedness in
heavenly [Footnote: With cowardly intentional fallacy, translated 'high'
in the English Bible.] places;" or, in any true sense, knows the enemies
of God and of man.
Beneath St. Augustine. Showing you the proper method of
controversy;--perfectly firm; perfectly gentle.
You are to distinguish, of course, controversy from rebuke. The
assertion of truth is to be always gentle: the chastisement of wilful
falsehood may be--very much the contrary indeed. Christ's sermon on the
Mount is full of polemic theology, yet perfectly gentle:--"Ye have heard
that it hath been said--but _I_ say unto you";--"And if ye salute your
brethren only, what do ye more than others?" and the like. But His "Ye
fools and blind, for whether is greater," is not merely the exposure of
error, but rebuke of the avarice which made that error possible.
Under the throne of St. Thomas; and next to Arithmetic, of the
terrestrial sciences.
Medallion, a soldier, but not interesting.
Technical Points.--Very genuine and beautiful throughout. Note the use
of St. Augustine's red bands, to connect him with the full red of the
upper figures; and compare the niche formed by the dress of Canon Law,
above the Pope, for different artistic methods of attaining the same
object,--unity of composition.
But lunch time is near, my friends, and you have that shopping to do,
you know.