The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1860-02-01
From the independently
Letter from Mrs. StOwc-MIIan
Cathedral.


spires and battlements, and looking off on
the most magnificent panorama Of the dis
tant Alps that exist in the world.
dimly understand that there be critics
who look coldly on Milan Cathedral, who
bring to it certain pre- conceived theories Of
art, or some technical rules by which they
try and find it wanting. I should as soon
think Of testing Niagara Falls by code OF
criticism, remarking that the spray wants
soldity, and that the colors Of the rainbow
over the arch ore too vivid for the solemnity
of the scene-or | should as soon try by the
rules of.technica art the deep arches, check
cred shadows, viue-twined trees, flower
embroidered ground of an aboriginal Amer
ican forest. II person does not feel it and
does not like it, why he does mott may be
no fault of his-Only his misfortune, but let
him not interrupt those who do, with any
nonsense about art. Milan Cathedral is
growth of the Christianized esthetic mind of
Northern Italy; it ia just the point Of conau
ence where meet the strong, reverential ear
nest pirit of the northern races with the airy
genius, brilliant fancy, and tender sentiment
of summer skies and warmer blooded races.
We have all the religious sentiment with.
out its gloom. There is no haggard, dark
subimity, but sublimity melting into beauty
the sublimty Of the ocean when every
wave is breaking into crests of snowy foam.
In the midst of the city-amid common and
ordinary houses it stands pure and glitteri0g
as piece of winter fro5t.work; and the
whteness of its thousand spires against
blue Italian sky has a loveliness of effect
the oft.repeated yet ever new miracles Of
nature.
Who can describe it! So vast and yet so
fine, so thread-like and ace-like in its light
ness, so full and ornate in its regal abund'
once of detail. The marble below is some
what stained and blackened by time, but as
you look upward and follow the line Of arch
itectural ornament, it is beautiful to see how
the marble purifes itself from the stains ol
earth, till all its battlements and snowy
spires, crowned with figures of saints and
: angels, seem to dwell in the regions G.
snow purity, to have the dazzling whitenes
! Of TRANSPORTATION.
But you 60 upon the roof, and you wall
upon the battlements or ascend the highes
tower, and you seem to have passed mig
out of the region of commonplace things
The beautiful plains Of Lombardy lie arount
you like map, and the horizon is gIitterns
: with the entire sweep Of the Alps, like ,
solemn senate of archangels with diomont
mail and glttering crowns. The Mont
L Blanc, Monte Rosa with his copntennnce o
light, the Jupgfrau, and all the weird breth
e rem of the Oberland, rise one after anothe
to your delighted gaze, and the range of th
Tyrol goes far off Into the blue Of the sky
a All around, wherever you turn, is the unbro
ken phalanx of mountains; and this temple
with it's ten thousand statues ell standin
in attitudes OF ecstacy or praise or prayer
seems like q worthy altar, fitting shrine
for the great plain which these beautfr
monuments inclose. 1t seems to give q
o. Northern Italy God.
To speak of ten thousand statues is NJ
. mere poetical phrase. When all is con
e pleted there will be ten thousand-at pr
~ sent they number only seven thousand.
The effect Of these statues in this hig
pure air, in this solemn and glorious scener
% is peculiar. They seem meet compano
ship for these high regions. They seem
10 stand exultant on their spires, poised light
as ethereal creatures, the fit inhabitants
~ the blue, pure sky. One feels that tn
have done with earth-one can fancy the
w, band Of white.robed kings and priests fl
~ ~, ever ministering in that great temple
''0 which the Alps are the walls, and the Cat
edral the heart and center.
" This afternoon | was there, it was
'' time of evening service, and the whc
building at times seemed to vibrate with
swell of the organ, and the rising and swe
iv. ing of the Ambrosian chant seemed surgi
and diving like the distant sound of ma
or waters. | stood and leaned against
marble right over the choir ,'where | COT
feel the vibrations of the organ, snt arou
ent me were noble and thoughtful figures
ess men and women who had been exal
rd. there by no false or earthly standard
honor, but for having led noble and h
ng, lives-for humility, patience, fortitude, CT
stancy, for the victory that overcometh
world-and ] thought to myself how h
nee and characterstically Christian the VIII
OBJ thing was. Suppose an old Roman 1
and Cato or Cicero for instance, to hsve fal
led asleep in his day and suddenly awakened
de ours, and placed silently on the top of
no. vast building, how would he be puzz
d to know what it commemorated. Tha
aid. was a solemn commemoration of someth
h he could at once see. That crowds both
,np men and women were exalted to be had
perpetual remembrance would also be pl
but for what One universal express
the in every face, whether uplifted or downc'
the must have struck him as something NJ
hat something different from what sntique seu
the ture ever dreamed. Who were these t
I II pressed the cross to the breast with
the hand, and bore the palm-branch in the 9th
La xx1L =. -. ,hosa with this strange, sweet