and did not know too much。 Where this is the case no work can fail
to please。 Some of the figures have real hair and some terra cotta。
There is no fresco background worth mentioning。 A man sitting on
the steps of the altar with a book on his lap； and holding up his
hand to another； who is leaning over him and talking to him； is
among the best figures； some of the disappointed suitors who are
breaking their wands are also very good。
The angel in the Annunciation chapel； which comes next in order； is
a fine； burly； ship's…figurehead； commercial…hotel sort of being
enough； but the Virgin is very ordinary。 There is no real hair and
no fresco background； only three dingy old blistered pictures of no
interest whatever。
In the visit of Mary to Elizabeth there are three pleasing
subordinate lady attendants； two to the left and one to the right of
the principal figures； but these figures themselves are not
satisfactory。 There is no fresco background。 Some of the figures
have real hair and some terra cotta。
In the Circumcision and Purification chapelfor both these events
seem contemplated in the one that followsthere are doves； but
there is neither dog nor knife。 Still Simeon； who has the infant
Saviour in his arms； is looking at him in a way which can only mean
that； knife or no knife； the matter is not going to end here。 At
Varallo they have now got a dreadful knife for the Circumcision
chapel。 They had none last winter。 What they have now got would do
very well to kill a bullock with； but could not be used
professionally with safety for any animal smaller than a rhinoceros。
I imagine that some one was sent to Novara to buy a knife； and that；
thinking it was for the Massacre of the Innocents chapel； he got the
biggest he could see。 Then when he brought it back people said
〃chow〃 several times； and put it upon the table and went away。
Returning to Montrigone； the Simeon is an excellent figure； and the
Virgin is fairly good； but the prophetess Anna； who stands just
behind her； is by far the most interesting in the group； and is
alone enough to make me feel sure that Tabachetti gave more or less
help here； as he had done years before at Orta。 She； too； like the
Virgin's grandmother； is a widow lady； and wears collars of a cut
that seems to have prevailed ever since the Virgin was born some
twenty years previously。 There is a largeness and simplicity of
treatment about the figure to which none but an artist of the
highest rank can reach； and D'Enrico was not more than a second or
third…rate man。 The hood is like Handel's Truth sailing upon the
broad wings of Time； a prophetic strain that nothing but the old
experience of a great poet can reach。 The lips of the prophetess
are for the moment closed； but she has been prophesying all the
morning； and the people round the wall in the background are in
ecstasies at the lucidity with which she has explained all sorts of
difficulties that they had never been able to understand till now。
They are putting their forefingers on their thumbs and their thumbs
on their forefingers； and saying how clearly they see it all and
what a wonderful woman Anna is。 A prophet indeed is not generally
without honour save in his own country； but then a country is
generally not without honour save with its own prophet； and Anna has
been glorifying her country rather than reviling it。 Besides； the
rule may not have applied to prophetesses。
The Death of the Virgin is the last of the six chapels inside the
church itself。 The Apostles； who of course are present； have all of
them real hair； but； if I may say so； they want a wash and a brush…
up so very badly that I cannot feel any confidence in writing about
them。 I should say that； take them all round； they are a good
average sample of apostle as apostles generally go。 Two or three of
them are nervously anxious to find appropriate quotations in books
that lie open before them； which they are searching with eager
haste； but I do not see one figure about which I should like to say
positively that it is either good or bad。 There is a good bust of a
man； matching the one in the Birth of the Virgin chapel； which is
said to be a portrait of Giovanni d'Enrico； but it is not known whom
it represents。
Outside the church； in three contiguous cells that form part of the
foundations； are：…
1。 A dead Christ； the head of which is very impressive while the
rest of the figure is poor。 I examined the treatment of the hair；
which is terra…cotta； and compared it with all other like hair in
the chapels above described； I could find nothing like it； and think
it most likely that Giacomo Ferro did the figure； and got Tabachetti
to do the head； or that they brought the head from some unused
figure by Tabachetti at Varallo； for I know no other artist of the
time and neighbourhood who could have done it。
2。 A Magdalene in the desert。 The desert is a little coal…cellar
of an arch； containing a skull and a profusion of pink and white
paper bouquets； the two largest of which the Magdalene is hugging
while she is saying her prayers。 She is a very self…sufficient
lady； who we may be sure will not stay in the desert a day longer
than she can help； and while there will flirt even with the skull if
she can find nothing better to flirt with。 I cannot think that her
repentance is as yet genuine； and as for her praying there is no
object in her doing so； for she does not want anything。
3。 In the next desert there is a very beautiful figure of St。 John
the Baptist kneeling and looking upwards。 This figure puzzles me
more than any other at Montrigone； it appears to be of the fifteenth
rather than the sixteenth century； it hardly reminds me of
Gaudenzio； and still less of any other Valsesian artist。 It is a
work of unusual beauty； but I can form no idea as to its authorship。
I wrote the foregoing pages in the church at Montrigone itself；
having brought my camp…stool with me。 It was Sunday； the church was
open all day； but there was no mass said； and hardly any one came。
The sacristan was a kind； gentle； little old man； who let me do
whatever I wanted。 He sat on the doorstep of the main door； mending
vestments； and to this end was cutting up a fine piece of figured
silk from one to two hundred years old； which； if I could have got
it； for half its value； I should much like to have bought。 I sat in
the cool of the church while he sat in the doorway； which was still
in shadow； snipping and snipping； and then sewing； I am sure with
admirable neatness。 He made a charming picture； with the arched
portico over his head； the green grass and low church wall behind
him； and then a lovely landscape of wood and pasture and valleys and
hillside。 Every now and then he would come and chirrup about
Joachim； for he was pained and shocked at my having said that his
Joachim was some one else and not Joachim at all。 I said I was very
sorry； but I was afraid the figure was a woman。 He asked me what he
was to do。 He had known it； man and boy； this sixty years； and had
always shown it as St。 Joachim； he had never heard any one but
myself question his ascription； and could not suddenly change his
mind about it at the bidding of a stranger。 At the same time he
felt it was a very serious thing to continue showing it as the
Virgin's father if it was really her grandmother。 I told him I
thought this was a case for his spiritual director； and that if he
felt uncomfortable about it he should consult his parish priest and
do as he was told。
On leaving Montrigone； with a pleasant sense of having made
acquaintance with a new and； in many respects； interesting work； I
could not get the sacristan and our difference of opinion out of my
head。 What； I asked myself； are the differences that unhappily
divide Christendom； and what are those that divide Christendom from
modern schools of thought； but a seeing of Joachims as the Virgin's
grandmothers on a larger scale？ True； we cannot call figures
Joachim when we know perfectly well that they are nothing of the
kind； but I registered a vow that henceforward when I called
Joachims the Virgin's grandmothers I would bear more in mind than I
have perhaps always hitherto done； how hard it is for those who have
been taught to see them as Joachims to think of them as something
different。 I trust that I have not been unfaithful to this vow in
the preceding article。 If the reader differs from me； let me ask
him to remember how hard it is for one who has got a figure well
into his head as the Virgin's grandmother to see it as Joachim。
A MEDIEVAL GIRL SCHOOL ｛8｝
This last summer I revisited Oropa； near Biella； to see what
connection I could find between the Oropa chapels and those at
Varallo。 I will take this opportunity of describing the chapels at
Oropa； and more especially the remarkable fossil； or petrified girl
school； commonly known as the Dimora； or Sojourn of the Virgin Mary
in the Temple。
If I do not take these works so seriously as the reader may expect；
let me beg him； before he blames me； to go to Oropa and see the
originals for himself。 Have the good people of Oropa themselves
taken th