The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-07-17
"A CALIFORNIAN
ABROAD.
By Thomas Fitch
copyright 1901
M1I AN
MILAN.
Copyright 1901

Milan is the cathedral, or rather the
cathedral is Milan. ] viii not say it
is beautiful, first because it is not. and
again because it is so much more than
that The spirit Of this edifce is I'M
tanned, and flushed with the weird and
wild romance of an anti-civiIization. It
is enthusiastically imperfect, probably
because inspirations are not mathe-
NAUTICAL. There is a pr,2digaIity of i'm
agination, a squandering Of iTnprob-
able effects. which IT Is only possible
TO resolve by separating one from an
other, and individuaIiz4ng every sepa-
rate feature There is enough Of
genius in a single section to furnish
material for dozen churches such as
we are accustomed to see. And it is
this sense Of prohligacy which strikes
the mind of the behoIeier with bewild-
errnent and leads him to object to it
as a confused mass. It is too much
for the mental digestion, and the brain
like the stomach, rebels. Americans
especially have neither the time nor
the inclination to take art in small
doses, and when they have once seen
! the Last Supper" after De Yinci, they
| would prefer another piece by another
master.
It is as impossible to describe this
awful work as it is to comprehend ii.
The exterior Of the cathedral is a his
toricaI recital, fashioned in speaking
but voiceless histories Of the deeds Of
men for six thousand years. For the
style of architecture there is no name.
1t incIines, indeed, in its needed tur-
rets, and numberless spires, to the
Gothic, but such host of irresistible
suggestions have interposed that the
fancy is beguiled at every step. We
are first struck by the marble fingers
pointing to the sky; then the building
seems too low; then two massive tas-
sells arrest the attention, and after
wards the inefrable work in statuary.
Withal so overwhelming, so absolutely
dwelling is a sense OF superior power
how to question inteIIgibly.
After entering the church we stood
stupidity gazing about for some min
utes uncertain IN which direction to
start and unwilling to take that which
was before US first, always reserving
that for leisure and study, when we
were awakened by a voice asking IN
very bad English if we would wish TO
descend into the tomb of St Carlos
Borromeo, the cardinal and saint who,
in the time of the plague, three CEN
turies ago, gave all his goods to the
poor-a princeIy fortune of four mill
lions of dollars. I preferred to see the
spirit of the good man in the nagnii-
cent edifice about US, rather than TO
look at his skeleton at a cost OF five
francs, stin I followed the torch
bearer down echoless stone steps, the
very marble of which is scooped out
by the feet of curious ghost hunters,
far into the uusty depths Of the chapel
below the light of day. The hooded
priest held up a dim candle to guide
our cropping feet, and entering a crypt
we stood before a massive silver sar-
cophagus. The man of God asked US
# we would like to look upon the body.
we assented, and with three or four
turns Of a crank the casing divided
IongitudinaIly, the crimson silken cur
tains were withdrawn in front, and we
were in the presence of a coffin con-
tanning a very gorgeously- bedizened.
dark looking corpse. The coffin is Of
pure crystal, cut in angles, and quad
angles. and octagonals, and furnished
with gold and silver and precious
stones The head of the distinguished
deceased was covered with a cap of the
cloth of gold, and the gorgeous crown
think what a glory to some breathing
aspirant-was suspended above his
face; but, il may be needless to add,
the shrunken grinning yisage and the
sightless orbs seemed in no sense ami
mated by the glittering object. The
hands were gauntletted and the feet
shodden in golden slippers. A beauti-
ful emerald and diamond cross, worth
one hundred thousand dollars. was sus-
pended above this show party
what else is il than a catch-penny
concern Here are upwards of a mil
lion dollars in gems and gold locked up
in a tomb. profitless to the world Of
suffering outside, and more than profit (
less to the cruu1bling skeleton which
for three centuries has had its poor
bones exposed TO curious and idle eyes. (
If the good Saint Carlos Borromeo
could be consulted. IS II not probable
that he would order that these gew-
gaws should be sold, and their pro-
ceeds given to alleviate human misery,
and that his tired ashes be left in
peace?
The center walls and ceilings Of this .
crypt are pendant with figures and /.
groups in pure silver. scenes from sac
red history. which confess myself too .
much preoccupied to remember, hay- F
ing my mind mostly upon the corpse /
and his associates.
DO you know Senator Stewart OF
Nevada % said I to the guide.
NO. monsieur replied he. politely. !