Rights for this book: Public domain in the USA. This edition is published by Project Gutenberg. Originally issued by Project Gutenberg on 2011-01-28. To support the work of Project Gutenberg, visit their Donation Page. This free ebook has been produced by GITenberg, a program of the Free Ebook Foundation. If you have corrections or improvements to make to this ebook, or you want to use the source files for this ebook, visit the book's github repository. You can support the work of the Free Ebook Foundation at their Contributors Page. The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Century of Columbus, by James J. Walsh This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net Title: The Century of Columbus Author: James J. Walsh Release Date: January 28, 2011 [EBook #35095] Language: English *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CENTURY OF COLUMBUS *** Produced by Don Kostuch [Transcriber's notes] This is derived from a copy on the Internet Archive: http://www.archive.org/details/centurycolumbus01walsgoog Page numbers in this book are indicated by numbers enclosed in curly braces, e.g. {99}. They have been located where page breaks occurred in the original book. Obvious spelling or typographical errors have been corrected. Extended quotations and citations are indented. Footnotes have been renumbered to avoid ambiguity, and relocated to the end of the enclosing paragraph. The page links in the Table of Illustrations have been adjusted to always land above the image. Scroll down if the image is not in the viewing window. [End transcriber's notes] BY THE SAME AUTHOR FORDHAM UNIVERSITY PRESS SERIES MAKERS OF MODERN MEDICINE Lives of the men to whom nineteenth century medical science owes most. Second Edition. New York, 1910. $2.00 net. THE POPES AND SCIENCE The story of Papal patronage of the sciences and especially medicine. 45th thousand. New York, 1911. $2.00 net. MAKERS OF ELECTRICITY Lives of the men to whom important advances in electricity are due. In collaboration with Brother Potamian, F.S.C., Sc.D. (London), Professor of Physics at Manhattan College. New York, 1909. $2.00 net. EDUCATION, HOW OLD THE NEW Addresses in the history of education on various occasions. 3rd thousand. New York, 1911. $2.00 net. OLD-TIME MAKERS OF MEDICINE The story of the students and teachers of the sciences related to medicine during the Middle Ages. New York 1911. $2.00 net. MODERN PROGRESS AND HISTORY Academic addresses on How Old the New. New York, 1911. $2.00 net. THE THIRTEENTH GREATEST OF CENTURIES 5th edition (50,000). 116 illustrations, 600 pages. Catholic Summer School Press, 1911. Postpaid $3.50. IN PREPARATION MAKERS OF ASTRONOMY THE DOLPHIN PRESS SERIES CATHOLIC CHURCHMEN IN SCIENCE First and second series, each $1.00 net. PSYCHOTHERAPY Lectures on The Influence of the Mind on the Body delivered at Fordham University School of Medicine. Appletons, New York, 1912, $6.00 net. SEBASTIANO DEL PIOMBO, CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS (METROPOLITAN MUSEUM. NEW YORK) The Century of Columbus BY JAMES J. WALSH, K.C.St.G., M.D., Ph.D., LL.D. LITT.D. (Georgetown), Sc.D. (Notre Dame) PROFESSOR OP PHYSIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY AT THE CATHEDRAL COLLEGE; LIFE MEMBER OF THE NEW YORK HISTORICAL SOCIETY, MEMBER OF THE NEW YORK ACADEMY OF MEDICINE. OF THE GERMAN AND FRENCH SOCIETIES OF THE HISTORY OF MEDICINE. OF THE ITALIAN SOCIETY FOR THE HISTORY OF THE NATURAL AND THE MEDICAL SCIENCES, OF THE ST. LOUIS MEDICAL HISTORY CLUB, THE NEW ORLEANS PARISH MEDICAL SOCIETY, A.M.A., A.A.A.S., ETC. WITH EIGHTY-SIX ILLUSTRATIONS CATHOLIC SUMMER SCHOOL PRESS New York, 1914 Copyright, 1914 James J. Walsh THE QUINN & BODEN CO. PRESS RAMWAY, N. J. To The Knights of Columbus for whom the material here presented in book form was originally gathered for lectures in many parts of the country and whose hearty interest in the dissemination of historical truth has encouraged its completion, this book is fraternally and respectfully dedicated by the author. "There come from time to time, eras of more favorable conditions, in which the thoughts of men draw nearer together than is their wont, and the many interests of the intellectual world combine in one complete type of general culture. The fifteenth century ... is one of these happier eras; and what is sometimes said of the age of Pericles is true of that of Lorenzo--it is an age productive of personalities, many-sided, centralized, complete. Here, artists and philosophers and those whom the action of the world has elevated and made keen, do not live in isolation, but breathe a common air, and catch light and heat from each other's thoughts. There is a spirit of general elevation and enlightenment in which all alike communicate. ... That solemn fifteenth century can hardly be studied too much, not merely for its positive results in the things of the intellect and the imagination, its concrete works of art, its special and prominent personalities, with their profound aesthetic charm, but for its general spirit and character, for the ethical qualities of which it is a consummate type." Walter Pater, The Renaissance. {vii} PREFACE In a previous book, "The Thirteenth Greatest of Centuries," I described the period of human activity in which, as it appears to me, more was accomplished that is of significance in the expression of what is best in man and for the development of humanity than during any corresponding period of the world's history. To many people it may now seem that I am setting up a rival to the Thirteenth Century in what is here called The Century of Columbus, the period from 1450 to 1550. I may as a foreword say, then, that there is no thought of that and that I still feel quite sure that the Thirteenth is the Greatest of Centuries, though it must be admitted that probably more supremely great men were at work in Columbus' Century than in the preceding period. The Thirteenth Century is greatest, however, because its achievements were more widely diffused in their influence and because more of mankind had the opportunity and the incentive to bring out the highest that was in them, than at any other period in the world's history. As a consequence a greater proportion of mankind was happy than ever before or since, for happiness comes only with the consciousness of good work done and the satisfaction of personal achievement. And that is the greatest period of human history when man is the happiest. The Renaissance, however, for it is practically the period in history usually known by that name which is here called the Century of Columbus, achieved results in every mode of human endeavor that have been inspiring models for all succeeding generations, most of all our own. Just why greatness in human achievement should thus occur in periods long separated from each other is hard to understand. I have sometimes suggested that there is probably a biological law in the matter, the factors of which are not well understood as yet. Every third or fourth year the farmer expects to have an apple or fruit year, as it is called--that is, to reap a fine fruit harvest, the {viii} fruit product of the intervening years having often been quite indifferent. Man is much more complex than the fruits and so it takes a longer interval to prepare a great human harvest, hence humanity has its supreme fruitage only every third or fourth century. Undoubtedly Columbus' Century is one of the finest fruit periods of human history. There was nothing that the men of the time did not do supremely well, and a great many of them did nearly everything that they took in hand better than any of their successors. As a curious contrast to our time, very few of them limited themselves to any one mode of expression. Because of its very contradiction of a great many of our prevalent impressions, as for instance the universal persuasion of constant human evolution and the supposed progress of mankind from year to year but surely from century to century, and the thought so common, that after all we must now be far ahead of the past,--though there is abundant evidence of the vanity of this self-complacency--the story of Columbus' Century should be interesting to our generation. Since it furnishes the background of history on which alone the real significance of the discovery of our continent just after the end of the Middle Ages can be properly seen, it should have a special appeal to Americans. These are the reasons for writing the book. Owing to the large field that is covered, the author can scarcely hope to have escaped errors of detail. His only thought is that the broad view of the whole range of achievement may be sufficiently helpful to those interested in the history of human culture to compensate for faults that were almost inevitable. Its comprehensiveness may give the book a suggestive and retrospective value. It is addressed not to the special student but to the general reader interested in all phases of human accomplishment who wishes to fill in the outlines of political history with the story of the intellectual and ethical life of a great epoch. Thanks are due to Mr. Stephen Horgan for material aid in the selection of illustrations, no easy task because of the immense material to choose from. A definite effort has been made to avoid the well-known masterpieces and have the illustrations add to the knowledge of the time. {ix} CONTENTS INTRODUCTION xxv The discovery of America but one of a series of notable achievements in Columbus' time. His century, 1450 to 1550, had more great men than any other in human history. In the arts it is unsurpassed. In its deeds it rivals every other century, above all in social work, in scholarship, in education and in its achievements in the sciences, physical as well as biological, and in medicine and surgery. Its literature is behind that of certain other periods of history, but this is the age of Leo X and one of the most interesting epochs of world literature in every European country. BOOK I. THE BOOK OF THE ARTS CHAPTER I GREAT PAINTERS; RAPHAEL 1 Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo the world's greatest painters. Raphael, greatest of religious painters. Born at Urbino. Duke Frederick patron of art. Studies with Timotheo Viti and Perugino. Influence of Fra Bartolommeo. Work at Rome. Stanze of the Vatican. Camera della Segnatura. Cartoons for Sistine tapestries. Sistine Madonna. Raphael, art director and archaeologist. CHAPTER II LEONARDO DA VINCI 15 "Mona Lisa." Walter Pater's tribute. The "Last Supper" disclosed genius and methods of artist. The "Madonna of the Rocks." Sculptor, engineer, geologist, anatomist, zoologist, botanist and biologist. Dissections and proposed text-book of anatomy. Career as artist. Surpasses his master Verrocchio. Scientific interests. Inventor. Personality, philosophy of life. Burckhardt's summary--"colossal genius" {x} CHAPTER III MICHELANGELO 32 Humble origin of world's greatest genius. Little interest in books. Studio of Ghirlandajo. Academy of Lorenzo de' Medici. Dissections. Early works. Pietà, reason for youthfulness of mother. David. Tomb of Pope Julius. Galley Slaves. Decoration of the Sistine Chapel. Moses. Sacristy of San Lorenzo. "Four-souled" Michelangelo's sonnets. Practical genius. Family cares. Advice on marriage. Friendship with Vittoria Colonna. Attitude toward religion. Influence waxes with time CHAPTER IV SECONDARY ITALIAN PAINTERS OF THE CENTURY: FRA ANGELICO, PERUGINO, FRA BARTOLOMMEO, BOTTICELLI, BELLINI, TITIAN, CORREGGIO, TINTORETTO, VERONESE AND OTHERS 53 A century rich in painters. Fra Angelico the mystic. Perugino the teacher of Raphael; at the Sistine Chapel; pictures mistaken for Raphael's. Fra Bartolommeo's greatest works. Botticelli's mythology and psychology; Madonnas; illustrations of Dante. Bellini's portraits; Madonnas. Titian's wonderful color; religious pictures; portraits; mythological scenes. Piero dei Franceschi. Luca Signorelli. Melozzo da Forli. Correggio a middle-term between the various Italian schools; "Most skilful artist since the ancient Greeks." Tintoretto master of drawing and world artist. "The composition of Michelangelo and the coloring of Titian." Veronese's magnificent large pictures. CHAPTER V PAINTING OUTSIDE OF ITALY 71 The Netherlands: The brothers Van Eyck forerunners; Roger van der Weyden; Memling's paintings at the Hospital of St. John, Bruges; Dirk Bouts; Quentin Matsys; Lucas van Leyden; Gerard David; Justus of Ghent; Jan van Mabuse; Bernard van Orley; Blondeel. Nuremberg rival of Bruges; Dürer; the Holbeins. France: The Clouets; Cousin; Fouquet Spain: Navarrete; Juan de Borgona; Luis de Vargas; Pablo de Cespedes. Women painters in Spain CHAPTER VI SCULPTURE IN ITALY 85 Ghiberti's doors for the Baptistery at Florence. Donatello. The great equestrian statues of Gatamelata and Colleoni. Donatello's St. George, St. Francis, Bambino Gesu, St. John the Baptist Donatello's personality. His paralysis. {xi} Luca della Robbia, sculptor, worker in terra-cotta. Andrea del Verrocchio, goldsmith, painter, sculptor: "The Incredulity of St. Thomas," "The Colleoni." Benvenuto Cellini, sculptor, goldsmith, writer. John of Bologna: Neptune, Mercury. The sculpture in the Certosa at Pavia. Decadence in sculpture CHAPTER VII SCULPTURE AND MINOR ARTS AND CRAFTS OUTSIDE OF ITALY 97 Names of sculptors of Low Countries often unknown. Tombs of Mary of Burgundy and Charles the Bold. Wood-carving, Bruges, Leyden, Haarlem. Germany: Nuremberg, Veit Stoss, Dürer, Adam Kraft, the Vischers. St. Sebald's shrine; Maximilian's Tomb at Innsbrück. France: Colombe. Tours a great centre of art: Jean Fouchet and the Tomb of Agnes Sorel: Jean Goujon and Germain Pilon. Flemish and French tapestry. Golden Age of tapestry. Recent appreciation. Beautiful altar vessels, enamels, furniture, locks and keys, jewel boxes, armor, clocks CHAPTER VIII THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE CENTURY 114 Brunelleschi's dome. Alberti's "De re aedificatoria": Church of San Francesco. Florence, Rucellai, Ricardi and Pitti Palace. Venice; Library of St Mark; Palace of the Doge and of the Grimani. Palladio at Vicenza. Genoa, the city of palaces. Vignola, Villa of Pope Julius, Palace of Caprarola. Façade of the Certosa. Sistine Chapel and King's College, Cambridge. Louvain, Hotel de Ville. Brussels the grande place. Spain: University of Alcalá. Cloister of Lupiana. Alcazar, Toledo. Giralda tower. France: Louvre, Pavillon de l'Horloge; the Chateaux. Architecture of the Renaissance a living force CHAPTER IX MUSIC 134 Renaissance music as original as art and literature. Beginning in Netherlands, Ockenheim, Josquin, Arcadelt. Degrees in music, England. German music, Hans Sachs. Roman music, Claude Goudimel, the brothers Animuccia, the brothers Nanini, Orlando di Lasso. Church reform of music. Palestrina, career, achievement, recent restoration as Catholic standard. Oratorio. Dominant seventh. Development of musical instruments--organ, violin CHAPTER X BOOKS AND PRINTS: WOOD AND METAL ENGRAVING 146 Renaissance appreciation of beautiful books. Artistic manuscripts. Invention of printing. Most beautiful printed books in the world {xii} Our imitation. Books of Hours. Illustrations. Type-cutting. William Caxton: his place in English prose. Aldus Manutius: Editiones principes of all the classics; career; business troubles; achievements. Geoffrey Tory. Simon de Collines. Champ Fleury. Tory, King's printer. The dream of Poliphilo. Fra Giocondo's illustrations. Dürer and German wood-engraving. Burgkmaier. Holbein. French wood-engraving. German metal-engraving. Italian illustrations. Vesalius' anatomy. Artistic bookbinding. Grolier. Decadence in bookmaking arts