94 GIOTTO AND HIS WORKS IN PADUA

The passage in St. John’s account¹ is a curious one, and little noticed; but it marks very distinctly the paralysed state of the man’s mind. He had talked with the priests, covenanted with them, and even sought opportunity² to bring Jesus into their hands; but while such opportunity was wanting, the act had never presented itself fully to him for adoption or rejection. He had toyed with it, dreamed over it, hesitated, and procrastinated over it, as a stupid and cowardly person would, such as traitors are apt to be.³ But the way of retreat was yet open; the conquest of the tempter not complete. Only after receiving the sop the idea finally presented itself clearly, and was accepted, “To-night, while He is in the garden, I can do it; and I will.” And Giotto has indicated this distinctly by giving Judas still the Apostle’s nimbus, both in this subject and in that of the Washing of the Feet; while it is taken away in the previous subject of the Hiring, and the following one of the Seizure: thus it fluctuates, expires, and reillumines itself, until his fall is consummated. This being the general state of the Apostles’ knowledge, the words, “One of you shall betray Me,”⁴ would excite no feeling in their minds correspondent to that with which we now read the prophetic sentence. What this “giving up” of their Master meant became a question of bitter and self-searching thought with them,-gradually of intense sorrow and questioning. But had they understood it in the sense we now understand it, they would never have each asked, “Lord, is it I?” Peter believed himself incapable even of denying Christ:⁵ and of giving Him up to death for money, every one of His true disciples knew themselves incapable; the thought never occurred to them. In slowly-increasing wonder and sorrow (hranto lupeisqai), Mark xiv. 19), not knowing what was

¹ [John xiii. 26 seq.]

² [Matthew xxvi. 16.]

³ [Compare, below, p. 97; and see the description of Judas in Crown of Wild Olive, § 33 (Vol. XVIII. p. 414).]

⁴ [Matthew xxvi. 21, 22]

⁵ [Matthew xxvi. 35.]

[Version 0.04: March 2008]