Through Portugal . ds of old. And I turn back and contemplate the grave oldmediaeval cathedral close by, with its modern addi-tion covered with flourishing cardinals hats andsaintly frippery ; and I see there, too, the templeof a creed that is losing its hold upon the heartsand minds of men. For the great cathedral I havejust left is as empty and silent now as the templeto the unknown God before me. In successiveages surely the same old yearning is re-born fordirect appeal and nearer personal access to God,free from the trammels and man-made media-tions with which all creeds in time burden the
Through Portugal . ds of old. And I turn back and contemplate the grave oldmediaeval cathedral close by, with its modern addi-tion covered with flourishing cardinals hats andsaintly frippery ; and I see there, too, the templeof a creed that is losing its hold upon the heartsand minds of men. For the great cathedral I havejust left is as empty and silent now as the templeto the unknown God before me. In successiveages surely the same old yearning is re-born fordirect appeal and nearer personal access to God,free from the trammels and man-made media-tions with which all creeds in time burden thesimplicity of their faith. Here in this temple—called of Diana with no historical warrant—devout souls offered their sacrifice withoutmisgiving; and in the old S6 hearts have piercedthe church-raised clouds and reached the Throneany day this nine hundred years. But as thethirst for equal direct appeal for all soulsoverthrew the gods of the temple, so the same longing empties the great fane that has departed 300. SETUBAL, TROYA, AND EVORA from the severe sincerity of the age that foundedit; and thus the gods do come and go, whilstGod lives on for ever. It is difficult to shake oneself free from re-trospective visions when standing between thisstately ruin and the cathedral that has supplantedit; but regarded simply as a Roman materialrelic, the ruin is remarkable. It is of a similarperiod and much resembles the Maison Carreeat Nimes, although as I recollect it appearedmuch larger. The temple at Evora is abouteighty feet long and nearly fifty feet broad, theheight of the columns being twenty-five the temple there is a pretty shady publicgarden, ending in a balustrade where the hilldrops suddenly away to the plain spread outat the foot for miles to the mountains faraway. It was a spot which will linger in mymemory to the last ; and I left it sorrow-fully. Opposite the temple is the Archasological Museum of Evora, containing a large collection of Roman and mediasval
Size: 1369px × 1825px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookauthorhumemartinandrewsharp, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900
