other。 Moreover； in the Gliss triptych the intention of the
designer is carried out （whether by himself or no） with admirable
skill； whereas at Saas the wisdom of the workman is rather of Ober…
Ammergau than of the Egyptians； and the voice of the poet is not a
little drowned in that of his mouthpiece。 If； however； the reader
will bear in mind these somewhat obvious considerations； and will
also remember the pathetic circumstances under which the chapels
were designedfor Tabachetti when he reached Saas was no doubt
shattered in body and mind by his four years' imprisonmenthe will
probably be not less attracted to them than I observed were many of
the visitors both at Saas…Grund and Saas…Fee with whom I had the
pleasure of examining them。
I will now run briefly through the other principal works in the
neighbourhood to which I think the reader would be glad to have his
attention directed。
At Saas…Fee itself the main altar…piece is without interest； as also
one with a figure of St。 Sebastian。 The Virgin and Child above the
remaining altar are； so far as I remember them； very good； and
greatly superior to the smaller figures of the same altar…piece。
At Almagel； an hour's walk or so above Saas…Grunda village； the
name of which； like those of the Alphubel； the Monte Moro； and more
than one other neighbouring site； is supposed to be of Saracenic
originthe main altar…piece represents a female saint with folded
arms being beheaded by a vigorous man to the left。 These two
figures are very good。 There are two somewhat inferior elders to
the right； and the composition is crowned by the Assumption of the
Virgin。 I like the work； but have no idea who did it。 Two bishops
flanking the composition are not so good。 There are two other
altars in the church： the right…hand one has some pleasing figures；
not so the left…hand。
In St。 Joseph's Chapel； on the mule…road between Saas…Grund and
Saas…Fee； the St。 Joseph and the two children are rather nice。 In
the churches and chapels which I looked into between Saas and
Stalden； I saw many florid extravagant altar…pieces； but nothing
that impressed me favourably。
In the parish church at Saas…Grund there are two altar…pieces which
deserve attention。 In the one over the main altar the arrangement
of the Last Supper in a deep recess half…way up the composition is
very pleasing and effective； in that above the right…hand altar of
the two that stand in the body of the church there are a number of
round lunettes； about eight inches in diameter； each containing a
small but spirited group of wooden figures。 I have lost my notes on
these altar…pieces and can only remember that the main one has been
restored； and now belongs to two different dates； the earlier date
being； I should imagine； about 1670。 A similar treatment of the
Last Supper may be found near Brieg in the church of Naters； and no
doubt the two altar…pieces are by the same man。 There are； by the
way； two very ambitious altars on either side the main arch leading
to the chance in the church at Naters； of which the one on the south
side contains obvious reminiscences of Gaudenzio Ferrari's Sta。
Maria frescoes at Varallo； but none of the four altar…pieces in the
two transepts tempted me to give them much attention。 As regards
the smaller altar…piece at Saas…Grund； analogous work may be found
at Cravagliana； half…way between Varallo and Fobello； but this last
has suffered through the inveterate habit which Italians have of
showing their hatred towards the enemies of Christ by mutilating the
figures that represent them。 Whether the Saas work is by a
Valsesian artist who came over to Switzerland； or whether the
Cravagliana work is by a Swiss who had come to Italy； I cannot say
without further consideration and closer examination than I have
been able to give。 The altar…pieces of Mairengo； Chiggiogna； and； I
am told； Lavertezzo； all in the Canton Ticino； are by a Swiss or
German artist who has migrated southward； but the reverse migration
was equally common。
Being in the neighbourhood； and wishing to assure myself whether the
sculptor of the Saas…Fee chapels had or had not come lower down the
valley； I examined every church and village which I could hear of as
containing anything that might throw light on this point。 I was
thus led to Vispertimenen； a village some three hours above either
Visp or Stalden。 It stands very high； and is an almost untouched
example of a medieval village。 The altar…piece of the main church
is even more floridly ambitious in its abundance of carving and
gilding than the many other ambitious altar…pieces with which the
Canton Valais abounds。 The Apostles are receiving the Holy Ghost on
the first storey of the composition； and they certainly are
receiving it with an overjoyed alacrity and hilarious ecstasy of
allegria spirituale which it would not be easy to surpass。 Above
the village； reaching almost to the limits beyond which there is no
cultivation； there stands a series of chapels like those I have been
describing at Saas…Fee； only much larger and more ambitious。 They
are twelve in number； including the church that crowns the series。
The figures they contain are of wood （so I was assured； but I did
not go inside the chapels）： they are life…size； and in some chapels
there are as many as a dozen figures。 I should think they belonged
to the later half of the last century； and here； one would say；
sculpture touches the ground； at least； it is not easy to see how
cheap exaggeration can sink an art more deeply。 The only things
that at all pleased me were a smiling donkey and an ecstatic cow in
the Nativity chapel。 Those who are not allured by the prospect of
seeing perhaps the very worst that can be done in its own line； need
not be at the pains of climbing up to Vispertimenen。 Those； on the
other hand； who may find this sufficient inducement will not be
disappointed； and they will enjoy magnificent views of the Weisshorn
and the mountains near the Dom。
I have already referred to the triptych at Gliss。 This is figured
in Wolf's work on Chamonix and the Canton Valais； but a larger and
clearer reproduction of such an extraordinary work is greatly to be
desired。 The small wooden statues above the triptych； as also those
above its modern companion in the south transept； are not less
admirable than the triptych itself。 I know of no other like work in
wood； and have no clue whatever as to who the author can have been
beyond the fact that the work is purely German and eminently
Holbeinesque in character。
I was told of some chapels at Rarogne； five or six miles lower down
the valley than Visp。 I examined them； and found they had been
stripped of their figures。 The few that remained satisfied me that
we have had no loss。 Above Brieg there are two other like series of
chapels。 I examined the higher and more promising of the two； but
found not one single figure left。 I was told by my driver that the
other series； close to the Pont Napoleon on the Simplon road； had
been also stripped of its figures； and； there being a heavy storm at
the time； have taken his word for it that this was so。
THOUGHT AND LANGUAGE ｛16｝
Three well…known writers； Professor Max Muller； Professor Mivart；
and Mr。 Alfred Russel Wallace have lately maintained that though the
theory of descent with modification accounts for the development of
all vegetable life； and of all animals lower than man； yet that man
cannotnot at least in respect of the whole of his naturebe held
to have descended from any animal lower than himself； inasmuch as
none lower than man possesses even the germs of language。 Reason；
it is contendedmore especially by Professor Max Muller in his
〃Science of Thought；〃 to which I propose confining our attention
this eveningis so inseparably connected with language； that the
two are in point of fact identical； hence it is argued that； as the
lower animals have no germs of language； they can have no germs of
reason； and the inference is drawn that man cannot be conceived as
having derived his own reasoning powers and command of language
through descent from beings in which no germ of either can be found。
The relations therefore between thought and language； interesting in
themselves； acquire additional importance from the fact of their
having become the battle…ground between those who say that the
theory of descent breaks down with man； and those who maintain that
we are descended from some ape…like ancestor long since extinct。
The contention of those who refuse to admit man unreservedly into
the scheme of evolution is comparatively recent。 The great
propounders of evolution； Buffon； Erasmus Darwin and Lamarcknot to
mention a score of others who wrote at the close of the last and
early part of this present centuryhad no qualms about admitting
man into their system。 They have been followed in this respect by
the late Mr。 Charles Darwin； and by the greatly more influential
part of our modern biologists； who hold that whatever loss of
dignity we may incur through being proved to be of humble origin； is
compensated by the credit we may claim for having advanced ourselves