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X. THE SHRINE OF THE SLAVES 345
“Yea! to the death;” and absconds from his desk in that electric manner on the instant, leaving his cash-box unlocked, and his books for whoso list to balance!-a very remarkable kind of person indeed, it seems to me.
Carpaccio takes him, as I said, for a type of such sacrifice at its best. Everything (observe in passing) is here given you of the best. Dragon deadliest-knight purest-parrot scarletest-basilisk absurdest-publican publicanest;-a perfect type of the life spent in taxing one’s neighbour, exacting duties, per-centages, profits in general, in a due and virtuous manner.
175. For do not think Christ would have called a bad or corrupt publican-much less that a bad or corrupt publican would have obeyed the call. Your modern English evangelical doctrine that Christ has a special liking for the souls of rascals is the absurdest basilisk of a doctrine that ever pranced on judgment steps. That which is lost He comes to save,1-yes; but not that which is defiantly going the way He has forbidden. He showed you plainly enough what kind of publican He would call, having chosen two, both of the best: “Behold, Lord, if I have taken anything from any man, I restore it fourfold!”2-a beautiful manner of trade. Carpaccio knows well that there were no defalcations from Levi’s chest-no oppressions in his tax-gathering. This whom he has painted is a true merchant of Venice, uprightest and gentlest of the merchant race; yet with a glorious pride in him. What merchant but one of Venice would have ventured to take Christ’s hand, as his friend’s-as one man takes another’s? Not repentant, he, of anything he has done; not crushed or terrified by Christ’s call; but rejoicing in it, as meaning Christ’s praise and love. “Come up higher then, for there are nobler treasures than these to count, and a nobler King than this to render account to. Thou hast been faithful over a few things; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”3
1 [See Matthew xviii. 11.]
2 [Luke xix. 8.]
3 [See Luke xiv. 10; Matthew xxv. 21.]
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[Version 0.04: March 2008]
