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THE MISCELLANEOUS WRITINGS AND SPEECHES OF LORD MACAULAY
God；the judgment；the retribution；the eternity of happiness or torment。
Thus； while； like the ancient religions； it received incalculable support
from policy and ceremony； it never wholly became； like those religions； a
merely political and ceremonial institution。
The beginning of the thirteenth century was； as Machiavelli has
remarked； the era of a great revival of this extraordinary system。 The
policy of Innocent；the growth of the Inquisition and the mendicant
orders；the wars against the Albigenses； the Pagans of the East； and the
unfortunate princes of the house of Swabia； agitated Italy during the two
following generations。 In this point Dante was completely under the
influence of his age。 He was a man of a turbid and melancholy spirit。 In
early youth he had entertained a strong and unfortunate passion； which；
long after the death of her whom he loved； continued to haunt him。
Dissipation； ambition； misfortunes had not effaced it。 He was not only a
sincere； but a passionate； believer。 The crimes and abuses of the Church
of Rome were indeed loathsome to him； but to all its doctrines and all its
rites he adhered with enthusiastic fondness and veneration； and； at length；
driven from his native country； reduced to a situation the most painful to a
man of his disposition； condemned to learn by experience that no food is
so bitter as the bread of dependence （〃Tu proverai si come sa di sale Lo
pane altrui； e come e duro calle Lo scendere e'l sa'ir per l'altrui scale。〃
Paradiso； canto xvii。）；
and no ascent so painful as the staircase of a patron；his wounded
spirit took refuge in visionary devotion。 Beatrice； the unforgotten object
of his early tenderness； was invested by his imagination with glorious and
mysterious attributes； she was enthroned among the highest of the celestial
hierarchy： Almighty Wisdom had assigned to her the care of the sinful
and unhappy wanderer who had loved her with such a perfect love。
（〃L'amico mio； e non della ventura。〃 Inferno； canto ii。） By a confusion；
like that which often takes place in dreams； he has sometimes lost sight of
her human nature； and even of her personal existence； and seems to
consider her as one of the attributes of the Deity。
But those religious hopes which had released the mind of the sublime
enthusiast from the terrors of death had not rendered his speculations on
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human life more cheerful。 This is an inconsistency which may often be
observed in men of a similar temperament。 He hoped for happiness
beyond the grave： but he felt none on earth。 It is from this cause； more
than from any other； that his description of Heaven is so far inferior to the
Hell or the Purgatory。 With the passions and miseries of the suffering
spirits he feels a strong sympathy。 But among the beatified he appears as
one who has nothing in common with them；… …as one who is incapable of
comprehending； not only the degree； but the nature of their enjoyment。
We think that we see him standing amidst those smiling and radiant spirits
with that scowl of unutterable misery on his brow； and that curl of bitter
disdain on his lips； which all his portraits have preserved； and which might
furnish Chantrey with hints for the head of his projected Satan。
There is no poet whose intellectual and moral character are so closely
connected。 The great source； as it appears to me； of the power of the
Divine Comedy is the strong belief with which the story seems to be told。
In this respect； the only books which approach to its excellence are
Gulliver's Travels and Robinson Crusoe。 The solemnity of his
asseverations； the consistency and minuteness of his details； the
earnestness with which he labours to make the reader understand the exact
shape and size of everything that he describes； give an air of reality to his
wildest fictions。 I should only weaken this statement by quoting
instances of a feeling which pervades the whole work； and to which it
owes much of its fascination。 This is the real justification of the many
passages in his poem which bad critics have condemned as grotesque。 I
am concerned to see that Mr Cary； to whom Dante owes more than ever
poet owed to translator； has sanctioned an accusation utterly unworthy of
his abilities。 〃His solicitude；〃 says that gentleman； 〃to define all his
images in such a manner as to bring them within the circle of our vision；
and to subject them to the power of the pencil； renders him little better
than grotesque； where Milton has since taught us to expect sublimity。〃 It
is true that Dante has never shrunk from embodying his conceptions in
determinate words； that he has even given measures and numbers； where
Milton would have left his images to float undefined in a gorgeous haze of
language。 Both were right。 Milton did not profess to have been in
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heaven or hell。 He might therefore reasonably confine himself to
magnificent generalities。 Far different was the office of the lonely
traveller； who had wandered through the nations of the dead。 Had he
described the abode of the rejected spirits in language resembling the
splendid lines of the English Poet；had he told us of
〃An universe of death； which God by curse Created evil； for evil only
good； Where all life dies； death lives； and Nature breeds Perverse all
monstrous； all prodigious things； Abominable； unutterable； and worse
Than fables yet have feigned； or fear conceived； Gorgons； and hydras； and
chimaeras dire〃
this would doubtless have been noble writing。 But where would have
been that strong impression of reality； which； in accordance with his plan；
it should have been his great