Paganina [pp. 803-813]

Paganina.
Iosophers themselves. Yet he does
not show the origin of the greater
zeal, nor its character; and he entirely misapprehends the enthusiasm of
the early Christians. They were, in
no received sense of the word, enthusiasts, nor were they, in his sense of
the word, even zealots. They in no
sense corresponded to the character
given them in The Last Days of
Pompeii. They were neither enthusiasts nor fanatics; and their zeal,
springing from true charity, was never obtrusive nor annoying. We find
in the earlier and later sects enthusiasts, fanatics, and zealots, who are
excessively offensive, and yet are able
to carry away the simple, the ignorant, and the undisciplined; but we
never find them among the early or
thodox Christians, any more than you
do among Catholics at the present
day. The early Christians did not
"creep into houses and lead away
silly women," nor assault people in
the streets or market-place, and seek
to cram Christianity down their
throats, whether they would or not,
but were singularly sober, quiet, orderly, and regular in their proceedings, as Catholics have always been,
compelling not people to hear them
against their will, and instructing in
the faith only those who manifested
a desire to be instructed. The author
entirely mistakes both the Christian
order of thought and the character
of the early Christians who suffered
from and finally triumphed over the
pagan empire.
TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH.
PAGANINA.
1.
MASTER ALOYSIUS SWIBERT was
an organist in a small Austrian town;
but from afar his perfect knowledge
of harmony, and freshness and delicacy of inspiration, were known and
praised; and many a stranger artist,
having heard him, wondered that he
did not seek renown and even glory
in larger cities, and saw with astonishment how his art and his simple
friendships contented and ornamented a life requiring nothing more.
He gave his time to the study of
the great masters, a study full of pure
enjoyment, but laborious and difficult,
and, with a singular simplicity of
character, he never approached them
without the greatest reserve and respect.
Obstinately he worked, allowing
imself but little respite to indulge
the flights of his fancy, or the inspiration which, now and then, came to
him so luininously, so brightly that
the brave artist cried out his thanks
in ecstasy, in the fulness of his joy.
His musical thoughts are all in a
tiny volume. No long fantasies —
half pages mostly-sometimes only
lines, short and excellent and original; blessed originality, not coarse or
confusing, but healthy and true-the
daughter and messenger of inspiration!
II.
Thus rolled the weeks, returning
ever the Sunday so ardently desired;
for to Master Swibert each Sunday
was an event. He thought of the
80.3