History of art . istianity was itstender human myths, they accepted without questionits belief in the supernatural, and, in consequence, theywere not too severe with themselves for the acts whichthey committed. Aslong as they did theirwork well, they con-sidered that their sinof gluttony had theadvantage of renew-ing their strength andthat their sins of in-continence compen-sated for many otherdisagreeable churchmen wereno more offended thanthe laymen by the in-genuous wantonnessof the stories whichthe popular imagina-tion never ceased tobring forth. Wemust remember thatin these cen
History of art . istianity was itstender human myths, they accepted without questionits belief in the supernatural, and, in consequence, theywere not too severe with themselves for the acts whichthey committed. Aslong as they did theirwork well, they con-sidered that their sinof gluttony had theadvantage of renew-ing their strength andthat their sins of in-continence compen-sated for many otherdisagreeable churchmen wereno more offended thanthe laymen by the in-genuous wantonnessof the stories whichthe popular imagina-tion never ceased tobring forth. Wemust remember thatin these centuries, morals were not very edifying.^ Almost all of thepriests themselves had concubines, and not one ofthem made a secret of it. Life was too rich in re-juvenated strength to be restrained by any man of this time brought to the service of thechurch his greatest and his simplest love; but it wasthe spirit which he adored, and the very power of hisfaith set free his power of action by rescuing him from. School of Rheims (xiii Century).Angel, detail. {Louvre.) ^ See in Lavisses Histoire de France: The Thirteenth Century, by 310 MEDIiEVAL ART the letter of the law. There was many a nudge of theelbow, many a slap exchanged during the preaching,and sometimes it was the priest who got the now it was no longer monks who continuallyrepresented the virtues on the lintels and the tym-panums. Much more frequently it was the virtues,with the enchanted smile of a feminine face, that wel-comed the poor people. It was thought very naturalto see demons pushing into the caldrons a gesticulatingtroop of soldiers, bishops, and kings, all shudderingwith fear. The people, in France, was too sure of itselfnot to pardon injuries, for it said what it thought withperfect candor, and although its hell was more comicthan terrifying, it opened the gates, in its malice, tothose who did not respect the task the accomplishmentof which they pretended was their sacred missio
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