the complete writings-2- 第32部分

RAVENNA

A　DEAD　CITY

Ravenna　is　so　remote　from　the　route　of　general　travel　in　Italy；　that　I　am　certain　you　can　have　no　late　news　from　there；　nor　can　I　bring　you　anything　much　later　than　the　sixth　century。　　Yet；　if　you　were　to　see　Ravenna；　you　would　say　that　that　is　late　enough。　　I　am　surprised　that　a　city　which　contains　the　most　interesting　early　Christian　churches　and　mosaics；　is　the　richest　in　undisturbed　specimens　of　early　Christian　art；　and　contains　the　only　monuments　of　Roman　emperors　still　in　their　original　positions；　should　be　so　seldom　visited。　　Ravenna　has　been　dead　for　some　centuries；　and　because　nobody　has　cared　to　bury　it；　its　ancient　monuments　are　yet　above　ground。　　Grass　grows　in　its　wide　streets；　and　its　houses　stand　in　a　sleepy；　vacant　contemplation　of　each　other：　the　wind　must　like　to　mourn　about　its　silent　squares。　　The　waves　of　the　Adriatic　once　brought　the　commerce　of　the　East　to　its　wharves；　but　the　deposits　of　the　Po　and　the　tides　have；　in　process　of　time；　made　it　an　inland　town；　and　the　sea　is　four　miles　away。

In　the　time　of　Augustus；　Ravenna　was　a　favorite　Roman　port　and　harbor　for　fleets　of　war　and　merchandise。　　There　Theodoric；　the　great　king　of　the　Goths；　set　up　his　palace；　and　there　is　his　enormous　mausoleum。　As　early　as　A。　D。　44　it　became　an　episcopal　see；　with　St。　Apollinaris；　a　disciple　of　St。　Peter；　for　its　bishop。　　There　some　of　the　later　Roman　emperors　fixed　their　residences；　and　there　they　repose。　　In　and　about　it　revolved　the　adventurous　life　of　Galla　Placidia；　a　woman　of　considerable　talent　and　no　principle；　the　daughter　of　Theodosius　（the　great　Theodosius；　who　subdued　the　Arian　heresy；　the　first　emperor　baptized　in　the　true　faith　of　the　Trinity；　the　last　who　had　a　spark　of　genius）；　the　sister　of　one　emperor；　and　the　mother　of　another；twice　a　slave；　once　a　queen；　and　once　an　empress；　and　she；　too；　rests　there　in　the　great　mausoleum　builded　for　her。　　There；　also；　lies　Dante；　in　his　tomb　〃by　the　upbraiding　shore；〃　rejected　once　of　ungrateful　Florence；　and　forever　after　passionately　longed　for。　　There；　in　one　of　the　earliest　Christian　churches　in　existence；　are　the　fine　mosaics　of　the　Emperor　Justinian　and　Theodora；　the　handsome　courtesan　whom　he　raised　to　the　dignity　and　luxury　of　an　empress　on　his　throne　in　Constantinople。　　There　is　the　famous　forest　of　pines；　stretchingunbroken　twenty　miles　down　the　coast　to　Rimini；　in　whose　cool　and　breezy　glades　Dante　and　Boccaccio　walked　and　meditated；　which　Dryden　has　commemorated；　and　Byron　has　invested　with　the　fascination　of　his　genius；　and　under　the　whispering　boughs　of　which　moved　the　glittering　cavalcade　which　fetched　the　bride　to　Rimini；the　fair　Francesca；　whose　sinful　confession　Dante　heard　in　hell。

We　went　down　to　Ravenna　from　Bologna　one　afternoon；　through　a　country　level　and　rich；　riding　along　toward　hazy　evening；　the　land　getting　flatter　as　we　proceeded　（you　know；　there　is　a　difference　between　level　and　flat）；　through　interminable　mulberry…trees　and　vines；　and　fields　with　the　tender　green　of　spring；　with　church　spires　in　the　rosy　horizon；　on　till　the　meadows　became　marshes；　in　which　millions　of　frogs　sang　the　overture　of　the　opening　year。　　Our　arrival；　I　have　reason　to　believe；　was　an　event　in　the　old　town。　We　had　a　crowd　of　moldy　loafers　to　witness　it　at　the　station；　not　one　of　whom　had　ambition　enough　to　work　to　earn　a　sou　by　lifting　our　traveling…bags。　We　had　our　hotel　to　ourselves；　and　wished　that　anybody　else　had　it。　The　rival　house　was　quite　aware　of　our　advent；　and　watched　us　with　jealous　eyes；　and　we；　in　turn；　looked　wistfully　at　it；　for　our　own　food　was　so　scarce　that；　as　an　old　traveler　says；　we　feared　that　we　shouldn't　have　enough；　until　we　saw　it　on　the　table；　when　its　quality　made　it　appear　too　much。　The　next　morning；　when　I　sallied　out　to　hire　a　conveyance；　I　was　an　object　of　interest　to　the　entire　population；　who　seemed　to　think　it　very　odd　that　any　one　should　walk　about　and　explore　the　quiet　streets。　　If　I　were　to　describe　Ravenna；　I　should　say　that　it　is　as　flat　as　Holland　and　as　lively　as　New　London。　　There　are　broad　streets；　with　high　houses；　that　once　were　handsome；　palaces　that　were　once　the　abode　of　luxury；　gardens　that　still　bloom；　and　churches　by　the　score。　　It　is　an　open　gate　through　which　one　walks　unchallenged　into　the　past；　with　little　to　break　the　association　with　the　early　Christian　ages；　their　monuments　undimmed　by　time；　untouched　by　restoration　and　innovation；　the　whole　struck　with　ecclesiastical　death。　　With　all　that　we　saw　that　day；churches；　basilicas；　mosaics；　statues；　mausoleums；I　will　not　burden　these　pages；　but　I　will　set　down　　　　　　is　enough　to　give　you　the　local　color；　and　to　recall　some　of　the　most　interesting　passages　in　Christian　history　in　this　out…　of…the…way　city　on　the　Adriatic。

Our　first　pilgrimage　was　to　the　Church　of　St。　Apollinare　Nuova；　but　why　it　is　called　new　I　do　not　know；　as　Theodoric　built　it　for　an　Arian　cathedral　in　about　the　year　500。　　It　is　a　noble　interior；　having　twenty…four　marble　columns　of　gray　Cippolino；　brought　from　Constantinople；　with　composite　capitals；　on　each　of　which　is　an　impost　with　Latin　crosses　sculptured　on　it。　　These　columns　support　round　arches；　which　divide　the　nave　from　the　aisles；　and　on　the　whole　length　of　the　wall　of　the　nave　so　supported　are　superb　mosaics；　full…length　figures；　in　colors　as　fresh　as　if　done　yesterday；　though　they　were　executed　thirteen　hundred　years　ago。　　The　mosaic　on　the　left　sidewhich　is；　perhaps；　the　finest　one　of　the　period　in　existenceis　interesting　on　another　account。　　It　represents　the　city　of　Classis；　with　sea　and　ships；　and　a　long　procession　of　twenty…two　virgins　presenting　offerings　to　the　Virgin　and　Child；　seated　on　a　throne。　　The　Virgin　is　surrounded　by　angels；　and　has　a　glory　round　her　head；　which　shows　that　homage　is　being　paid　to　her。　　It　has　been　supposed；　from　the　early　monuments　of　Christian　art；　that　the　worship　of　the　Virgin　is　of　comparatively　recent　origin；　but　this　mosaic　would　go　to　show　that　Mariolatry　was　established　before　the　end　of　the　sixth　century。　　Near　this　church　is　part　of　the　front　of　the　palace　of　Theodoric；　in　which　the　Exarchs　and　Lombard　kings　subsequently　resided。　　Its　treasures　and　marbles　Charlemagne　carried　off　to　Germany。




DOWN　TO　THE　PINETA

We　drove　three　miles　beyond　the　city；　to　the　Church　of　St。　Apollinare　in　Classe；　a　lonely　edifice　in　a　waste　of　marsh；　a　grand　old　basilica；　a　purer　specimen　of　Christian　art　than　Rome　or　any　other　Italian　town　can　boast。　　Just　outside　the　city　gate　stands　a　Greek　cross　on　a　small　fluted　column；　which　marks　the　site　of　the　once　magnificent　Basilica　of　St。　Laurentius；　which　was　demolished　in　the　sixteenth　century；　its　stone　built　into　a　new　church　in　town；　and　its　rich　marbles　carried　to　all…absorbing　Rome。　　It　was　the　last　relic　of　the　old　port　of　Caesarea；　famous　since　the　time　of　Augustus。　　A　marble　column　on　a　green　meadow　is　all　that　remains　of　a　once　prosperous　city。　　Our　road　lay　through　the　marshy　plain；　across　an　elevated　bridge　over　the　sluggish　united　stream　of　the　Ronco　and　Montone；　from　which　there　is　a　wide　view；　including　the　Pineta　（or　Pine　Forest）；　the　Church　of　St。　Apollinare　in　the　midst　of　rice…fields　and　marshes；　and　on　a　clear　day　the　Alps　and　Apennines。

I　can　imagine　nothing　more　desolate　than　this　solitary　church；　or　the　approach　to　it。　　Laborers　were　busy　spading　up　the　heavy；　wet　ground；　or　digging　trenches；　which　instantly　filled　with　water；　for　the　whole　country　was　afloat。　　The　frogs　greeted　us　with　clamorous　chorus　out　of　their　slimy　pools；　and　the　mosquitoes　attacked　us　as　we　rode　along。　　I　noticed　about　on　the　bogs；　wherever　they　could　find　standing…room；　half…naked　wretches；　with　long　spears；　having　several　prongs　like　tridents；　which　they　thrust　into　the　grass　and　shallow　water。　　Calling　one　of　them　to　us；　we　found　that　his　business　was　fishing；　and　that　he　forked　out　very　fat　and　edible…looking　fish　with　his　trident。　　Shaggy；　undersized　horses　were　wading　in　the　water；　nipping　off　the　thin　spears　of　grass。　　Close　to　the　church　is　a　rickety　farmhouse。　　If　I　lived　there；　I　would　as　lief　be　a　fish　as　a　horse。

The　interior　of　this　primitive　old　basilica　is　lofty　and　imposing；　with　twenty…four　handsome　columns　of　the　gray　Cippolino　marble；　and　an　elevated　high　altar　and　tribune；　decorated　with　splendid　mosaics　of　the　sixth　century；biblical　subjects；　in　all　the　stiff　faithfulness　of　the　holy　old　times。　　The　marble　floor　is　green　and　damp　and　slippery。　　Under　the　tribune　is　the　crypt；　where　the　body　of　St。　Apollinaris　used　to　lie　（it　is　now　under　the　high　altar　above）；　and　as　I　desired　to　see　where　he　used　to　rest；　I　walked　in。　　I　also　walked　into　about　six　inches　of　water；　in　the　dim；　irreligious　light；　and　so　made　a　cold…water　Baptist　devotee　of　myself。　　In　the　side　aisles　are　wonderful　old　sarcophagi；　containing　the　ashes　of　archbishops　of　Ravenna；　so　old　that　the　owners'　names　are　forgotten　of　two　of　them；　which　shows　that　a　man　may　build　a　tomb　more　enduring　than　his　memory。　　The　sculptured　bas…reliefs　are　very　interesting；　being　early　Christian　emblems　and　curious　devices；symbols　of　sheep；　palms；　peacocks；　crosses；　and　the　four　rivers　of　Paradise　flowing　down　in　stony　streams　from　stony　sources；　and