X. THE SHRINE OF THE SLAVES 353

evidence, abstracted for us by Mr. Anderson from his complete account of the whole series, now in preparation.¹

I. “The position of the picture seems to show that it sums up the whole matter. The St. George series reads from left to right. So, chronologically, the two others of St. Jerome; but this, which should according to the story have been first, appears after the death.

II. “The figure on the altar is-most unusually-our Lord with the Resurrection-banner. The shadow of this figure falls on the wall so as to make a crest for the mitre on the altar-‘Helmet of Salvation.’² ... The mitre (by comparison with St. Ursula’s arrival in Rome³ it is a cardinal’s mitre), censer, and crosier, are laid aside.

III. “The Communion and Baptismal vessels are also laid aside under this altar, not of the dead but of the Risen Lord. The curtain falling from the altar is drawn aside that we may notice this.

IV. “In the mosaic-covered recess above the altar there is prominently inlaid the figure of a cherub or seraph ‘che in Dio più l’occhio ha fisso.’⁴

V. “Comparing the colours of the winged and fourfooted parts of the ‘animal binato’ in the Purgatory,⁵ it is I believe important to notice that the statue of our Lord is gold, the dress of St. Jerome red and white, and over the shoulders a cape of the brown colour of earth.

VI. “While candles blaze round the dead Jerome in the previous picture, the candlesticks on the altar here are empty-‘they need no candle.’⁶

VII. “The two round-topped windows in line behind the square one through which St. Jerome gazes, are the ancient tables bearing the message of light, delivered ‘of angels’⁷ to

¹ [The account of the whole series was not completed; but see chapter xi.]

² [Ephesians vi. 17.]

³ [No. 577 in the Accademia (above, p. 167).]

⁴ [Paradiso, xxi. 92.]

⁵ [Purgatorio, xxxii. 47; xxix. 108-110 (Cary): “the members, far as he was bird, were golden; white the rest, with vermeil intervein’d.”]

⁶ [Revelation xxii. 5.]

⁷ [See Acts vii. 53.]

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