396 ST. MARK’S REST

237. Of these hieroglyphics, only the figure of the princess now remains for our reading. The expression on her face, ineffable by descriptive words,* is translated into more tangible symbols by the gesture of her hands and arms. These repeat, with added grace and infinitely deepened meaning, the movement of maidens who encourage Theseus or Cadmus in their battle with monsters on many a Greek vase. They have been clasped in agony and prayer, but are now parting-still just a little doubtfully-into a gesture of joyous gratitude to this captain of the army of salvation and to the captain’s Captain. Raphael † has painted her running from the scene of battle. Even with Tintoret ‡ she turns away for flight; and if her hands are raised to heaven, and her knees fall to the earth, it is more that she stumbles in a woman’s weakness, than that she abides in faith or sweet self-surrender. Tintoret sees the scene as in the first place a matter of fact, and paints accordingly, following his judgment of girl nature.§ Carpaccio sees it as above all things a matter of faith, and paints mythically for our teaching. Indeed, doing this, he repeats the old legend with more literal accuracy. The princess was offered as a sacrifice for her people. If not willing, she was at least submissive; not for herself did she dream of flight. No chains in the rock were required for the Christian Andromeda.

238. “And the king said, ... ‘Daughter, I would you

* Suppose Caliban had conquered Prospero, and fettered him in a figtree or elsewhere; that Miranda, after watching the struggle from the cave, had seen him coming triumphantly to seize her; and that the first appearance of Ferdinand is, just at that moment, to her rescue. If we conceive how she would have looked then, it may give some parallel to the expression on the princess’s face in this picture, but without a certain light of patient devotion here well marked.

† Louvre.

‡ National Gallery.

§ And perhaps from a certain ascetic feeling, a sense growing with the growing license of Venice, that the soul must rather escape from this monster by flight, than hope to see it subdued and made serviceable (vide § 219).

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