Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1898-10-01
ANEOD0TkI LITER AZURE.
Contributed 10 the Independent
BY w. G..
TIE DARK AGE FOR ARTISTS.


i. is curious but sud to ref ct
that mistaken views religion have,
in all times, been Tie prime use Of
the rain Of art. 1t Yves not Alar,c
or theodore, bit an cdict from
Honorius, that ord,iel the early
Christians to destroy such images, il
any remained.
Flaxman says, "The commands
for destroying sacred paintings and
sculpture prevented the artists fr5 IN
suffering their minds to rise to tue
contemplation or execution of any
sublime effort, as they dreaded the
prison or stake. and reduced them
to the lowest dradgery in their pro-
fession. Flaxman proceeds to re-
mark, that "the civil wars complet-
ed what fana,icism had begun and
English art was so completely ex-
tinguished that foreign artists we're
always employed for public or pri-
vate undertakings.
In the reign of Elizabeth, it be-
came fashionable taste to sally
forth and knock pictures to pieces
and in the state trials is curious
trial of Henry Sheffield, esq, re-
oorder of Salisbury, who concealed
himself in the church, and with
long pike knocked picture window
to pieces. lie was fined five hun
drei pounds, and imprisoned in the
Fleet and the attorney general for
the crown (l632) said there were
people, he verify believed, who
would have knocked off the cherubin
from the ark. By the witnesses ex-
amined, it was evidently matter OF
religious conscience in Sheffield,
who complained that his pew was
opposite the window, and that the
representation of Gud by human
figure disturbed him at prayer.
Queen Elizabeth was the btterest
prosecutor. She ordered all walls
to be whitewashed, ard all candle
sticks and pictures to be utterly de-
stroyed, so that no memorial might
remain OF the same.
In Charles sit time, on the jour-
nails of the house is found (l645,
July 23) "ordered, that all pictures
having the second person in the
Trinity shall be burnt" Walpall
relates, that one Blessie was hired
at half a crown day TO break the
painted glass window at Croydon
Church. A certain Dowsing was
appointed to demolish superstitious
pictures and ornaments OF church,
etc.; and by calculation, he and his
agents were found to have destroyed
about 1850 pictures from June 8
1913, to Oct. 4, 1914.
The result of this continued raid
uPon pictures and costly paintings,
says Hayden, was the ruin of "high
art for the people had not taste
enough to feel any sympathy for it
independently of religion, and
every man who hes pursued it since,
who has 10 private fortune, and was
not supported by pension, like
West, became infelibly ruined
Historical painters, left without
employment, began to complain
In the time of Edward VI, and
Elizabeth, we find them petitioning
for bread. They revivel little
with Charles I, and II. Thomhill
got employment in the early part of
that century then came the Society
in st. Martins Lane, 1900 and in
1853 was established the Royal
Academy, to help high art; but
there being still no employment for
it, the power in art fell into the
hands of portrait painters, who have
welded it ever since, with individ-
ual exceptions, to the further decay
and destruction Of this eminent
style.
DESTRUCTION OF VALUABLE LIBRARIES.
The loss of valuable libraries has
been due 10 great measure to the
devastation of conquering armies, in
which men have exhibited, after all
that can be said by way of glory,
more of the character of the animal
than of the intellectual, to say moth.
ing Of the moral nature. Conquer
ors have not been content with de-
stroying the vanquished, but have
extended their vengeance to the
valuables and especially the books.
The Romans, Greeks, Jews and
Christians, virtually burnt the
books of each other, the Spaniards
those of the Moors, the Puritans
those of the Cath 1lics, and even
Cromwell, in his fantic zeal, set fire
to the Library of Oxford, one of the
most valuable in Europe. The Flor.
entines burnt the books of the