Page images
PDF
EPUB
[graphic][merged small][merged small]

by her beauty, and deeply struck by her earnestness and learning, Maximin seems at last to be constrained to order her to prison. As St. Katharine enters one door of the "sentry-box" prison, her guardian angel stands at the other.

We have to suppose an interval to occur between what is represented in the first and second panel, during which time the learning, wisdom and beauty of St. Katharine have so much impressed the Emperor, that he determines to use every means to confute her Christianity. With this object he seeks the wise far and wide. This introduces us to the second panel.

Fifty of the wisest philosophers are collected together to convince St. Katharine of her folly. We see her standing crowned and nimbed, strong in her faith though alone, and she so far prevails that those who had come with the set purpose of confuting her Christianity, are themselves converted in a body in the very presence of the Emperor who has summoned them to his help.

It was an easy matter for the cruel and now infuriated tyrant to give vent to his anger, and this he did by ordering the immediate execution of the newly converted Christians, the while her beauty and royal blood once more protected the life of St. Katharine.

We see her immediately after the scene of the massacre, behind the grilled window of a prison into which the Emperor has commanded her to be cast. Still no means must be left unused if it be possible to convince the princess.

It is clear that argument and kindness have both alike failed against her; the tyrant must now have recourse to severity. The Saint is next seen stripped to the waist with a soldier standing on either side of her, one with a staff and the other with a birch. The Emperor himself sits on his throne on the west side, and watches with cruel interest the agonies of his victim, whose faith however remains altogether unshaken.

In the panel beneath this, we see St. Katharine once more entering the prison, whilst an officer is in attendance and presides over her incarceration. Immediately after this, we have a repetition of the sentry-box prison, and notice that the Saint has now been joined by the Empress Faustina, who in gratitude for her conversion gives every comfort to

the prisoner, and now joins her in prayer. In answer to their prayer, two Angels with bright vermilion wings appear bearing a vessel surmounted by a cross and minister both bodily and spiritual comfort.

The failure of this cruel imprisonment only embitters the Emperor, who holds the wheel in reserve as a further means of torture.

In the next scene, the Princess is once more stripped to the waist, and executioners are seen busily turning the four wheels which were designed to be the ultimate instrument of her death. Two Angels from Heaven come, however, with a sword on either side, and break the wheels into fragments, which as they are splintered off overthrow the surrounding attendants. The Emperor, as is usual, watches the scene of cruelty from his throne. The last and lowest panel now alone remains to be described. This had been much damaged and partially destroyed by the insertion of a marble memorial slab, and here, more than anywhere, I ask for the lenient consideration of the antiquary for any error of judgment of which I may have been unwittingly guilty.

Where, in the paintings above described, so much had remained almost perfect, I did not like in the lowest panel to leave the story incomplete if this could be avoided. The question then remains on what I had to work. The officer at the prison door, with a sword over his shoulder, was as he' is at present. The Angel's wing remained much as it is, but the Angel was almost destroyed; the Emperor's attendant officer was in his place; part of the Emperor's head remained, but only part, whilst the slab had totally annihilated every sign of St. Katharine herself. What is painted now is a reproduction of the Saint's figure taken from above and placed in a kneeling posture.

I have followed Alban Butler in this most uncertain part of the painting, because he seemed best to fulfil the requirements of the subject. The executioner's sword is raised to strike the fatal blow, but strange though it may seem, Maximin raises his hand in very doubtful mercy, and will not behead St. Katharine when he sees her so ready to die, but is content to strip her of all her estates and goods and to send her into banishment. It seems as if it would have been happier to have left St. Katharine at the point of execution, and in joyful prospect of receiving the martyr's

crown; but in any case, I now leave the matter in the same uncertainty in which I found it.

Leaving the history of St. Katharine, we come next to the paintings occupying the space between the crown of the nave arches and the clerestory windows. Though there may be slight points of uncertainty here, still the principal feature is undoubtedly the painting of the seven corporal acts of mercy.

The drawing is generally of a rude and imperfect kind.

1st. Two pilgrims are seen standing staff in hand, one in black and the other in white, and they ask hospitality of a man wearing a red tunic, who stands at the door of his house, and gives in response ring-loaves of bread. Here we clearly enough have

"The feeding of the hungry."

We see next, and immediately after "Feeding the hungry," another of the acts of mercy, where the two pilgrims again stand begging, but it is this time for water which they ask, and they are given apparently skins containing water as in a flask, whence they might quench their thirst. Here plainly enough we find

"Giving drink to the thirsty."

With regard to the next picture, there is undoubtedly some uncertainty as to what is especially intended, but it apparently represents a stranger reluctantly and almost forcibly compelled to enter a house that he may receive hospitable kindness.

"They compelled him to come in."

Nor is the fourth scene one easier of comprehension or of final judgment, but after long consideration I am still inclined to believe that we have here a representation of

"Clothing the naked."

I think there is enough to satisfy the claims of this subject when we see one fastening a girdle round his waist, and another by his side standing with bare and naked arms.

« PreviousContinue »