X. THE SHRINE OF THE SLAVES 349

And if with the last picture of St. Jerome in his study,-his happy white dog watching his face-you will mentally compare a hunting piece by Rubens, or Snyders, with the torn dogs rolled along the ground in their blood,-you may perhaps begin to feel that there is something more serious in this kaleidoscope of St. George’s Chapel than you at first believed-which if you now care to follow out with me, let us think over this ludicrous subject more quietly.

180. What account have we here given, voluntarily or involuntarily, of monastic life, by a man of the keenest perception, living in the midst of it? That all the monks who have caught sight of the lion should be terrified out of their wits-what a curious witness to the timidity of Monasticism! Here are people professing to prefer Heaven to earth-preparing themselves for the change as the reward of all their present self-denial. And this is the way they receive the first chance of it that offers!

181. Evidently Carpaccio’s impression of monks¹ must be, not that they were more brave or good than other men; but that they liked books, and gardens, and peace, and were afraid of death-therefore, retiring from the warrior’s danger of chivalry somewhat selfishly and meanly. He clearly takes the knight’s view of them. What he may afterwards tell us of good concerning them, will not be from a witness prejudiced in their favour. Some good he tells us, however, even here. The pleasant order in wildness of the trees; the buildings for agricultural and religious use, set down as if in an American clearing, here and there, as the

fledde, and Jherome came agaynst hym as he sholde come agaynst his ghest. And thenne the lyon shewed to hym his foote beynge hurte. Thenne he called his brethern, and comanded them to weishe his feete, and dylygently to leche and serche for the wonde, and that done the plante of the foote of the lyon was sore hurte and pryked with a thorne. Then this holy man put thereto dylyngente cure and helyd him, and he abode ever after as a tame best with them. Then saynt Jherome sawe that God had sente hym to theym, not only for the helth of his foot, but also for theyre prouffyte, and joyned to the lyon an offyce by th’ accorde of his brethern, and that offyce was that he sholde conduyte and lede an asse to his pasture, which brought home wood, and should kepe hym goynge and comynge”: see vol. iii. pp. 881-882 in the Kelmscott Press edition of The Golden Legend.]

¹ [Compare with this passage “The School of Florence” in Vol. XX. p. 365.]

[Version 0.04: March 2008]