134 THE STONES OF VENICE

unbaptized persons and new converts. It was thought right that, before their baptism, these persons should be led to contemplate the great facts of the Old Testament history; the history of the Fall of Man, and of the lives of Patriarchs up to the period of the covenant by Moses; the order of the subjects in this series being very nearly the same as in many Northern churches, but significantly closing¹ with the Fall of the Manna in order to mark to the catechumen the insufficiency of the Mosaic covenant for salvation,-“Our fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead,”-and to turn his thoughts to the true Bread of which that manna was the type.²

§ 66. Then, when after his baptism he was permitted to enter the church, over its main entrance he saw, on looking back, a mosaic of Christ enthroned, with the Virgin on one side and St. Mark on the other, in attitudes of adoration. Christ is represented as holding a book open upon His knee, on which is written: “I AM THE DOOR; BY ME IF ANY MAN ENTER IN, HE SHALL BE SAVED.”³ On the red marble moulding which surrounds the mosaic is written: “I AM THE GATE OF LIFE; LET THOSE WHO ARE MINE ENTER BY ME.” Above, on the red marble fillet which forms the cornice of the west end of the church, is written, with reference to the figure of Christ below: “WHO HE WAS, AND FROM WHOM HE CAME, AND AT WHAT PRICE HE REDEEMED THEE, AND WHY HE MADE THEE, AND GAVE THEE ALL THINGS, DO THOU CONSIDER.”

Now observe, this was not to be seen and read only by the catechumen when he first entered the church; every one who at any time entered was supposed to look back and to read this writing; their daily entrance into the church was thus made a daily memorial of their first entrance

¹ [Ruskin had intended to enumerate the subjects, for in the MS. the passage reads:-

“I have merely placed an enumeration of them in the appendix in order that the reader may judge of their fulness, but I would especially direct his attention to the significant close of the series....”]

² [John vi. 49-58.]

³ [John x. 9.]

[Version 0.04: March 2008]