. The marble faun; or, The romance of Monte Beni . n account of its ponderous piers andother obstructions, it is only by this fragmentary proc-ess that you get an idea of the cathedral. There is no answering such objections. The greatchurch smiles calmly upon its critics, and, for all re-sponse, says, Look at me! and if you still murmurfor the loss of your shadowy perspective, there comesno reply, save, Look at me! in endless repetition,as the one thing to be said. And, after looking manytimes, with long intervals between, you discover thatthe cathedral has gradually extended itself over thewh
. The marble faun; or, The romance of Monte Beni . n account of its ponderous piers andother obstructions, it is only by this fragmentary proc-ess that you get an idea of the cathedral. There is no answering such objections. The greatchurch smiles calmly upon its critics, and, for all re-sponse, says, Look at me! and if you still murmurfor the loss of your shadowy perspective, there comesno reply, save, Look at me! in endless repetition,as the one thing to be said. And, after looking manytimes, with long intervals between, you discover thatthe cathedral has gradually extended itself over thewhole* compass of your idea; it covers all the site ofyour visionary temple, and has room for its cloudypinnacles beneath the dome. One afternoon, as Hilda entered St. Peters in som-bre mood, its interior beamed upon her with all theeffect of a new creation. It seemed an embodimentof whatever the imagination covdd conceive, or theheart desire, as a magnificent, comprehensive, majesticsymbol of religious faith. All splendor was included Saint Betels. ALTARS AND INCENSE. 399 within its verge, and there was space for all. Shegazed with delight even at the multiplicity of orna-ment. She was glad at the cherubim that flutteredupon the pilasters, and of the marble doves, hoveringunexpectedly, wath green olive-branches of preciousstones. She could spare nothing, now, of the mani-fold magnificence that had been lavished, in a hun-dred places, richly enough to have made world-famousshrines in any other chuich, but which here meltedaway into the vast sunny breadth, and were of no sep-arate account. Yet each contributed its little all to-wards the grandeur of the whole. She would not have banished one of those grimpopes, who sit each over his own tomb scattering coldbenedictions out of their marble hands ; nor a singlefrozen sister of the Allegoric family, to whom — as,like hired mourners at an English funeral, it costs themno wear and tear of heart — is assigned the office ofweeping fo
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