Dr.

Robert Hickson 6 July 2014

Saint John Fisher
Saint Thomas More

An Unexpected Request for Alms in a Southern Harbor:
Hilaire Belloc Under Sail in Palma of Majorca
Epiraphs
!" kne# a man once #ho ma$e a %reat case o& Death' sayin% that he esteeme$ a
country accor$in% to its re%ar$ &or the conce(t o& Death' an$ accor$in% to the
res(ect #hich it (ai$ to that conce(tion....This #as u(on a ri)er calle$
*outonne' in +en$,e' and at the time ! did not understand "hat he meant
because as #et ! had had no experience of these thins. *ut this man to
#hom " s(oke ha$ ha$ three kin$s o& e-(erience. &irst' he ha$ himsel& been
)ery (robably the occasion o& Death in others' &or he ha$ been a sol$ier in a
#ar o& con/uest #here the 0uro(eans #ere &e# an$ the *arbarians many1
secon$ly' he ha$ been himsel& )ery o&ten #oun$e$' an$ more than once all but
kille$. thir$ly' he #as at the time he tol$ me this an ol$ man #ho must in any
case soon come to that e-(erience or catastro(he 2o& Death3 o& #hich he
s(oke.4 5Hilaire *elloc' &rom his essay6n Death'4 in his 1708 9ntholo%y' On
Nothing & Kindred Subjects' ((. 24:248 ; my em(hasis a$$e$<
1
===
!"t so ha((ene$ that one $ay " #as ri$in% my horse Monster in the *erkshire
Hills ri%ht u( abo)e that 2chalk3 >hite Horse #hich #as $u%...no one kno#s by
#hom....>ell' then' " #as ri$in% my horse an$ e-(lorin% the "slan$ o& 0n%lan$'
%oin% east#ar$ o& a summer a&ternoon..."hen ! came$$$upon a %er#
extraordinar# bein$ He "as a man li&e m#self 'a poet and an exile() but
his horse...#as /uite unlike my o#n 2it bein% *a "ined horse+ li&e Peasus)
the Horse of the Muses' the #in%e$ $i)ine stallion o& ?reek
Mytholo%y3....The man #ho #as the companion rather than the master o&
this charmin% animal sat u(on a lum( o& tur& sinin entl# to himsel& an$
lookin% o)er the (lain o& @entral 0n%lan$....He looke$ at it "ith a mixture of
curiosit#) of memor#) and of desire....9n$ as he looke$ at it he #ent on
croonin% his little son% until he sa" me) "hen "ith reat courtes# he ceased
and as&ed me in the Enlish lanuae "hether ! did not desire
companionship....AHo# $i$ you come by this horse'A sai$ " 2to him3. A if it is not
trespassin upon #our courtes# to as& so delicate a question.A ABot at all. not
at all'A he ans#ere$....AThis kin$ o& horse runs #il$ upon the heaths of
mornin and can be cauht onl# b# Exiles: and ! am one 'as "ell as a
1 >ithin se)en years' on @an$lemas 1714' Hilaire *elloc #as himsel& to kno# the intimate %rie& o& loss an$ to be )ery
$ee(ly (ierce$ by the $eath o& a belo)e$ com(anionC the $eath o& his belo)e$ #i&e' 0lo$ie' &rom #hich he himsel& barely
reco)ere$' e)en #ith the (rom(t an$ sustainin%ly consolin% hel( o& his cherishe$ &rien$' Father +incent McBabb' 6.D.
1
poet,(....Moreo)er'...a pestilent stricture of the imaination' or rather' of the
compositi%e facult# so constrains me that " ha)e not yet &inishe$ the poem !
ha%e been "ritin "ith reard to the disco%er# and ser%ice of this
'inspirin( beast.A A" ha)e %reat sym(athy #ith you'A " ans#ere$....A>ell' then'A
he sai$' Ayou #ill be (atient #ith me #hen " tell you that " ha)e but three )erses
com(lete$.A >hereu(on #ithout &urther in)itation he 2the !0-ile43 san% in a
lou$ an$ clear )oice the &ollo#in% )erse 2the last stanEa o& #hich is this3C
AFor you [Oxford U?] that too& the all and all the things you left !ere threeC
A loud -oice for sinin) and &een E#es to see'
And a spoutin .ell of /o# "ithin that ne%er #et "as dried1
And ! ride,A
!He san% this last 2stanEa3 in so &ierce an$ so e-ultant a manner that ! "as
impressed more than ! cared to sa#) but not more than ! cared to sho". 9s
&or him' he care$ little #hether " #as im(resse$ or not. he "as exalted and
detached from the "orld. There #ere no stirru(s u(on the 2#in%e$3 beast. He
)aulte$ u(on it' an$ sai$ as he $i$ soC AFou ha)e (ut me into the mood' an$ "
must %et a#ay1A And thouh the "ords "ere abrupt) he did spea& them "ith
such a race that ! "ill al"a#s remember them1....
!2They3 ma$e out south#ar$ 2to $early belo)e$ Susse-G3 an$ u(#ar$ into the
sunlit air' a (leasin% an$ a %lorious si%ht. "n a )ery little #hile they ha$
$#in$le$ to a (oint o& li%ht an$ #ere soon mi-e$ #ith the sky. But ! "ent on
more lonel# alon the crest of the hills) %er# human' ri$in% my horse
Monster' a mortal horse;" ha$ almost #ritten a human horse. M# mind "as
full of silence.4 5Hilaire *ellocAs 0ssay !6n a >in%e$ Horse an$ the 0-ile
>ho Ro$e Him'4 in his 1708 9ntholo%y' On Nothing & Kindred Subjects'
(a%es 1:11:H' 1:61:7 ; my bol$ em(hasis a$$e$. italics in the ori%inal
te-t<
2
===
>hile recently on the oceanseacoast islan$ o& my boyhoo$ home' " $eci$e$ to rea$ a%ain
ami$st the ins(irin% cool sea breeEes my o#n &ra%ile &irst e$ition o& Hilaire *ellocAs 1708 collection o&
essays' entitle$ On Nothing and Kindred Subjects' #hich #as $e$icate$ to his &rien$ Maurice *arin%
#ho #as not yet' but almost' a @atholic.
H
2 For the com(lete 4stanEa (oem' entitle$ ane# !The >in%e$ Horse'4 see' also' H. *elloc' Sonnets and "erse 5Shee$ I
>ar$' 1744<' ((. 1HJ1H6.
H Hilaire *elloc' On Nothing and Kindred Subjects 5Kon$onC Methuen I @o.' 1708<' 262 (a%es. "n 170:' #hen most o&
the essays #ere #ritten' *elloc #as a )i%orous thirtyse)en years o& a%e' an$ se)eral o& his essays still ha)e a robust
Rabelaisian an$ an ele%iac Homeric s(irit su&&usin% them' #hile also bein% (ermeate$ by his @atholic Faith. Maurice
2
"n this 9ntholo%y' " ha)e es(ecially #ante$ to consi$er our *ellocAs essay !6n a Southern
Harbour4 522J2H1<' &or it subtly (re(ares an$ %ra$ually con)eys another s(ecial atmos(here. an$ it
antici(ates not only his 172J e-(erience at Mass in Barbonne' France' on the Hi%h Feast o& the Holy
?host in 172J
4
; but also somethin% that un&or%ettably came into my o#n li&e /uite une-(ecte$ly' &i&ty
years later 5in 17:J< at the @athe$ral o& Santa Rosalia' in Dalermo' Sicily. 5Santa Rosalia is the Datron
Saint o& Sicilian Mariners an$ o& that harbor city o& Dalermo in north#estern Sicily. Dalermo #as ma$e
the ne# ca(ital city o& Sicily ; because o& its s(acious an$ (rotecte$ harbor &or their many marau$in%
corsairs ; a&ter the Mohamme$ans an$ their (irates ha$ con/uere$ Sicily in the 7
th
century 58H:702<
an$ strate%ically trans&erre$ the tra$itional ca(ital to Dalermo &rom Siracusa 5Syracuse<' #hich lay on
the more con&ine$ an$ con&inin% east coast o& Sicily' an$ there&ore inherently took a#ay an acti)e
na)yAs &ree$om o& action an$ maneu)erroom.<
Hilaire *elloc be%ins his essay #ith a hint o& mystery' as #ell as a sense o& (oetic #on$erC
The shi( ha$ saile$ north#ar$ in an e)en manner an$ un$er a sky that #as &ull
o& stars' #hen the $a#n broke an$ the &ull $ay /uickly broa$ene$ o)er the
Me$iterranean. .ith the ad%ent of the liht the salt of the sea seemed
stroner' an$ there certainly arose a ne" freshness in the follo"in air 2i#e.'
the shi( #as runnin% #ith the #in$' an$ a &air #in$ it #as13. but as yet no lan$
a((eare$. Lntil at last seated as ! "as alone in the fore part of the %essel' "
clearly sa# a small unchan%in% sha(e &ar o&& be&ore me' (eake$ u(on the
horiEon an$ %rey like a clou$. This " #atche$ #on$erin% #hat its name mi%ht
be' #ho li)e$ u(on it' or #hat its &ame #as. &or it #as certainly lan$. 522J;my
em(hasis a$$e$<
*elloc remaine$ in the (ro# &or an e-ten$e$ (erio$ until the &eatures an$ nature o& that sha(e
mi%ht $isclose itsel&' to inclu$e its more s(eci&ic location in the Me$iterraneanC
" #atche$ in this manner &or some hours ; (erha(s &or t#o ; #hen the islan$'
no# %ro#n hi%her' #as so near that " coul$ see trees u(on it. but they #ere set
s(arsely' as trees are on a $ry lan$' an$ most o& them seeme$ to be thorn trees.
"t #as at this moment that a man "ho had been sinin to himself in a lo"
tone a&t came u( to me an$ tol$ me that the islan$ #as calle$ the "slan$ o&
*arin% #as to enter the @atholic @hurch %rate&ully almost t#o years later' in 1707;on 1 February 1707 at *rom(ton
6ratory in Kon$on' one $ay be&ore the Feast o& @an$lemas. Further (a%e re&erences to Hilaire *ellocAs 1708 collection
o& )arie$ essays #ill be (lace$ abo)e in (arentheses in the main bo$y o& this a((reciati)e commentary.
4 See H. *elloc' $o!ns of %estiny 5Be# ForkC Robert M. Mc *ri$e I @om(any' 172:<' #herein the :(a%e essay'
!Barbonne'4 may be &oun$ on (a%es 22H227 5@ha(ter H2<.
H
?oats an$ that there #ere no men upon it to his &no"lede' that it #as a
lonely (lace an$ #orth little. *ut by this time there ha$ arisen beyon$ the
"slan$ o& ?oats another an$ much lar%er lan$. 522J226 ; my em(hasis a$$e$<
>ill #e soon come to kno#' in *ellocAs com(anionshi(' #here #e are %eo%ra(hicallyG He
$ra#s us &urther on' be&ore he tells us more' an$ it is the #ay "' too' once &irst a((roache$ this "slan$C
"t 2that !lar%er lan$43 lay all alon% the north in a mountainous belt o& blue' an$
any man comin% to it &or the &irst time or unac/uainte$ #ith ma(s #oul$ ha)e
sai$ to himsel&C !" ha)e &oun$ a consi$erable (lace.4 9n$' in$ee$' the name o&
the islan$ in$icates this' &or it is calle$ MaMorca' !the Kar%er Kan$4 2one o& the
beauti&ul *alearic "slan$s o&& the coast o& S(ain' almost $irectly o&&shore to the
east o& +alencia3. To#ar$s this' (ast the "slan$ o& ?oats' an$ (ast the Strait' #e
continue$ to sail #ith a li%ht breeEe &or hours' until at last #e coul$ see on this
shore also s(arse trees. but most of them "ere oli%e trees' an$ they #ere
relie%ed "ith the reen of culti%ation up the hih mountain sides an$ #ith
the "hite houses of men. 5226 ; my em(hasis a$$e$<
*elloc then une-(ecte$ly returns to the theme o& e-ile' an$ he makes it touch us more
(ersonally an$ intimately' es(ecially i& #e ha)e an$ cherish little chil$renC
The $eck #as no# cro#$e$ #ith (eo(le' most of "hom "ere comin bac& to
their o"n countr# after an exile in Africa amon un01hristian and
danerous thins$ 2he little children "ho had not #et &no"n Europe)
ha%in been born be#ond the sea) "ere full of "onder3 but their parents
"ho &ne" the shortness of human life and its trouble) "ere happ# because
the# had come bac& at last and sa" before them &no"n jetties and the
familiar hills of home. 9s " #as surrounded "ith so much happiness) !
m#self felt as thouh ! had come to the end of a lon journe# and "as
reachin m# o"n place' thou%h " #as' in realit#' boun$ &or *arcelona 2to the
north#est' on the mainlan$ o& S(anish @atalonia3' an$ a&ter that u( north#ar$
throu%h the @er$a%ne' an$ a&ter that to Deri%or$' an$ a&ter that to the 20n%lish3
@hannel' and then to Sussex) "here all journe#s end. 522622: ; my
em(hasis a$$e$<
Then he #ill $escribe his entrance by sea' an$ un$er sail' into Dalma o& MaMorcaC
>e neare$ this harbour' but #e &le# no &la% an$ ma$e no si%nal. *eneath us the
#ater #as so clear that all one nee$ to ha)e $one to ha)e brou%ht the )essel in
i& one ha$ not kno#n the channel #oul$ ha)e been to lean o)er the si$e an$ to
kee( the boy at the helm o&& the )ery e)i$ent shallo#s 2shoals3 an$ the cruste$
rocks by %estures o& oneAs han$s' &or the &air#ay #as like a trench' $ee( an$
blue. So #e sli$ into Dalma ha)en' an$ as #e roun$e$ the (ier the li%ht #in$
took us &irst abeam an$ then &or#ar$. then #e let %o 2o& the sails3 an$ she
4
s#un% u( an$ #as still. They lo#ere$ the sails. 522:<
*elloc sho#s us then a %lim(se o& those #ho are returnin% home or seein% Dalma &or the &irst
timeC
The (eo(le #ho #ere returnin% #ere so &ull o& acti)ity an$ Moy that it #as like a
hi)e o& bees. but " no lon%er &elt this as " ha$ &elt their earlier and more
subdued emotion' &or this (lace #as no lon%er $istant or mysterious as it ha$
been "hen first its sons and dauhters had come up on dec& to "elcome it
and had i%en me part of their deliht. "t #as no# an e)i$ent an$ noisy
to#n...."ts streets' #here they ran $o#n to#ar$s the sea' #ere charmin%ly clean
an$ care$ &or' an$ the architecture o& its #ealthier mansions seeme$ to me at
once unusual an$ beauti&ul' for ! had not #et seen Spain. 0ach house' so &ar as
" coul$ make out &rom the #ater' #as entere$ by a &ine scul(ture$ (orch #hich
%a)e into a cool courtyar$ #ith arca$es un$er it' an$ most o& the lar%er houses
ha$ escutcheons car)e$ in stone u(on their #alls. 5228 ; my em(hasis a$$e$<
9ll o& this is (re(aration &or the @athe$ral an$ its settin% an$ history ; an$ &or the man #ho
so abi$in%ly touche$ *ellocAs heartC
*ut #hat most (lease$ me an$ also seeme$ most stran%e #as to see a%ainst the
0ast a %ast cathedral /uite Borthern in outline' e-ce(t &or a se%erit# and
discipline o& #hich the Borth is inca(able sa)e "hen it has steeped itself in
the terseness of the classics 2the ?recoRoman @lassics3. 5228 ; my
em(hasis a$$e$<
The @athe$ral #as !&ar lar%er than anythin% in the to#n4 an$ !it stoo$ out se(arate &rom the
to#n an$ $ominate$ it upon its sea"ard side' some#hat as mi%ht an isolated hill' a shore fortress of
roc&.4 5228227;my em(hasis a$$e$< Moreo)er'
"t #as almost bare o& ornament. its stones #ere )ery care&ully #orke$ an$
closely &itte$' an$ little #a)es broke ceaselessly alon% the base o& its ram(art.
Kan$#ar$s' a mass o& lo# houses #hich seeme$ to touch the bo$y o& the
buil$in% 2cathe$ral3 $i$ but em(hasiEe its hei%ht. >hen " ha$ lan$e$ " ma$e at
once &or this cathe$ral an$ #ith e)ery ste( it %re# %reater. 5227<
"n *ellocAs Mu$%ment' the @athe$ralAs hi%h roo& !ha$ not been raise$ un$er the in&luence o& the
islan$4 5227<' but' rather'
"t ha$ surely been $esi%ne$ Must a&ter the 21112
th
centuryG3 recon/uest &rom
the Mohamme$ans' #hen a turbulent army' not only o& ?ascons an$ @atalans'
but o& Bormans also an$ o& Frisians' an$ o& Rhenish men 2&rom the Rhine
J
+alley3' ha$ (oure$ across the #ater an$ ha$ storme$ the sea#alls. 6n this
account the cathe$ral ha$ about it in its skyline an$ in its immensity' an$ in the
2earlyG3 ?othic (oint o& its #in$o#s' a Borthern air. *ut in its austerity an$ in
its ma%ni&icence it #as S(aniar$. 5227<
For' *elloc ha$ earlier sai$' #ith some e-ce(tions o& course' that !The Southern men see
nothin% but mis(ro(ortion in #hat is enormous4 5227< an$ !They lo)e to ha)e thin%s in or$er' an$
)iolence in art is o$ious to them.4 5227< 5For' e-am(le' look at the coruscatin% %em o& the @athe$ral in
Se)ille an$ its scale an$ (ro(ortions.<
Bo# #e are to meet another sur(rise #hich #ill haunt himC
9s " (asse$ a little (orch o& entry in the si$e #all 2o& the cathe$ral3 " sa# a
man. He "as standin silent and alone. he #as not blin$ an$ (erha(s not
2materially3 (oor' and as ! passed he beed the charit# not of mone# but of
pra#ers. >hen " entere$ the cool an$ $arkness o& the na)e' his fiure still
remained in m# mind and ! could not foret it....." remembere$...the rouh
staff of "ood in his hand$ ! "as especiall# haunted b# his expression' #hich
#as patient and masqued as thouh he "ere endurin a pain and chose to
hide it. 52H0 ; my em(hasis a$$e$<
The )ery /ualities o& the na)e o& the cathe$ral enhance$ *ellocAs (oi%nant remembrance o&
this humble men$icant. &or' sur(risin%lyC
The na)e #as em(ty. "t #as a %reat hollo# that echoe$ an$ reechoe$. there
#ere no shrines an$ no lam(s' an$ no men or #omen (rayin%' and therefore
the fiure at the door filled m# mind more and more' until " #ent out an$
aske$ him i& he #as in nee$ o& money' o& #hich at that moment " ha$ none. He
ans"ered that his need "as not for mone# but onl# for pra#ers.
!>hy'4 sai$ "' !$o you nee$ (rayersG4 He said it "as because his fate "as
upon him. " think he s(oke the truth. He "as standin erect and "ith dinit#)
his e#es "ere not disturbed) and he repeatedl# refused the 'material( alms
of passers0b#. 52H0 ; my em(hasis a$$e$<
Then *elloc thou%ht to a$monish' an$ (erha(s also to console him. an$ sai$ to that man o&
su&&erin% an$ $i%nityC !4o one'4 sai$ "' !should #ield to those moods 2(erha(s o& $es(on$ency' or
e)en $es(airG3.4 52H1 ; my em(hasis a$$e$< Ho#e)er' in res(onse'
6
He ans"ered nothin) but loo&ed pensi%e li&e a man a5in at a landscape
2like the 0-ile o& the >in%e$ Horse3 and rememberin his life.
*ut it #as the hour #hen the ship "as to be sailin aain 2&or *arcelona3' and
! could not liner) thouh ! "ished %er# much to tal& more "ith him. "
beed him to name a shrine #here a ift mi%ht be o& es(ecial )alue to him.
He sai$ that he #as attache$ to no one shrine more than to any other' and then
! "ent a"a# reretfull#) rememberin ho" earnestl# he had as&ed for
pra#ers.
This #as in Dalma o& MaMorca not t#o years a%o. 2here are man# such men)
but fe" "ho spea& so humbl#. 52H1 ; my em(hasis a$$e$<
"t #as in Dalermo' Sicily' that "' too' met such a humble (erson ; but it #as' in this case' a
$i%ni&ie$ #oman #ith un&or%ettable eyes ; an$ " met her as " #as &irst enterin% the beauti&ul
@athe$ral' #hich #as $e$icate$ to Santa Rosalia. 9ll that this some#hat el$erly an$ ra$iantly beauti&ul
#oman sai$ to me as " (asse$ #as !Mercy' Sir. Mercy' Sir4 ; an$ the (urity an$ sincerity o& her eyes
an$ o& her stea$y' serene look (ierce$ me throu%h ; as it $i$ #hen " s(oke to her later a%ain' %i)in%
her a &urther an$ but mo$est alms an$ smile a&ter " ha$ reemer%e$ &rom the @athe$ral an$ #as to
$e(art u(on the sea. "nsi$e that @athe$ral' her bearin% ha$ also haunte$ me' as the other &i%ure o& a man
ha$ haunte$ *elloc ; an$ " #as es(ecially haunte$ by her humble e-ten$e$ han$ an$ by her )oice an$
the look o& her eyes. " kno# no# a little more #hat Hilaire *elloc com(arably e-(erience$ both outsi$e
an$ #ithin the @athe$ral o& Dalma o& MaMorca in 1706 or so.
9ll these years since the mi$17:0s' " still )i)i$ly see the %racious la$y be%%in% alms in
Dalermo on the ste(s o& the @athe$ral' an$ " see her in my min$ not only #hen " (ray &or the
intercession o& Santa Rosalia on her behal&. Her &ace an$ her look still haunt me ; an$ the humble
)oice an$ e-ten$e$ han$ re/uestin% mercy. May she' too' be blesse$ more &ully in the en$. 9n$ (erha(s
e)en remember the little mercy an$ #arm smile she once recei)e$ &rom' as #ell as %a)e to me.
Finis N 2014 Robert D. Hickson
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