Part 2 (1/2)
Then the Italians, struck by the power with which the effect of midnight was produced, called it ”La Notte,” The Night. When it came to a German gallery the Germans called it ”Die Heilige Nacht,” The Holy Night. An old German Christmas carol interprets it so perfectly that it seems as if the author must have known the picture. These are the verses:--
”Silent night! Holy Night!
All is calm, all is bright Round you, virgin mother and child; Holy infant, so tender and mild, Sleep in heavenly peace, Sleep in heavenly peace.
”Silent Night! Holy Night!
Shepherds quake at the sight.
Glories stream from Heaven afar, Heavenly hosts sing alleluia.
Christ the Saviour is born!
Christ the Saviour is born!
”Silent Night! Holy Night!
Son of G.o.d, love's pure light Radiant beams from Thy holy face With the dawn of redeeming grace, Jesus, Lord, at thy birth, Jesus, Lord, at thy birth.”
II
ST. CATHERINE READING
The story of St. Catherine is very quaintly told in the old legend.[4]
She was the daughter of ”a n.o.ble and prudent king,” named Costus, ”who reigned in Cyprus at the beginning of the third century,” and ”had to his wife a queen like to himself in virtuous governance.” Though good people according to their light, they were pagans and wors.h.i.+ppers of idols.
[Footnote 4: The life of St. Catherine is related in the _Golden Legend._ See Caxton's translation in the _Temple Cla.s.sics_, volume vii., page 1. Mrs. Jameson also gives an outline of the story in _Sacred and Legendary Art_, p. 459.]
Even in her babyhood the child Catherine was ”so fair of visage” that all the people rejoiced at her beauty. At seven years of age she was sent to school, where ”she drank plenteously of the well of wisdom.”
Her father was so delighted with her precocity that he had built a tower containing divers chambers where she might pursue her studies.
Seven masters were engaged to teach her, the best and ”wisest in conning” that could be found. So rapid was their pupil's progress that she soon outstripped them in knowledge, and from being her masters they became her disciples.
When the princess was fourteen, her father died, leaving her heir to his kingdom. A parliament was convened, and the young queen was crowned with great solemnity. Then arose a committee of lords and commons, pet.i.tioning her to allow them to seek some n.o.ble knight or prince to marry her and defend the kingdom. Now Catherine had secretly resolved not to marry, but she answered with a wisdom not learned altogether from books. She agreed to marry if they would bring her a bridegroom possessing certain qualifications which she knew were impossible to fulfil. This silenced the counsellors, and she continued to reign alone.
In the course of time Queen Catherine became a Christian and devoted herself to works of religion and charity. Under her teaching many of her people were converted to the faith. It was a happy kingdom until the Emperor Maxentius chanced to visit the royal city. He was a tyrant who persecuted Christians. Upon his arrival he ordered public sacrifices to idols, and all who would not join in the heathen ceremony were slain. Then Catherine went boldly to meet the emperor and set forth to him the errors of paganism. Though confounded by her eloquence he was not to be convinced by the words of a mere woman.
Accordingly he summoned from divers provinces fifty masters ”which surmounted all mortal men in worldly wisdom.” They were to hold a discussion with the queen and put her to confusion. For all their arguments, however, Catherine had an answer. So complete was her victory that the entire company declared themselves Christians. The angry emperor caused them all to be burned and cast Catherine into prison.
[Ill.u.s.tration: ST. CATHERINE READING _Hampton Court Gallery, London_]
Even here she continued her good works, converting the empress and a prince who came to visit her. A new torment was then devised for her.
Iron wheels were made, bound with sharp razors, and she was placed between these while they were turned in opposite directions. ”And anon as this blessed virgin was set in this torment, the angel of the Lord brake the wheels by so great force that it slew four thousand paynims.” Maxentius then commanded that she should be beheaded, and St. Catherine went cheerfully to her death.
Other virgin martyrs may have been as good and as beautiful as St.
Catherine, but none were so wise. We know her in our picture by the book she holds. Eager to acquire all the treasures of knowledge, she fixes her eyes on the page, absorbed in her occupation. Already she has read more than half the thick volume, smiling with quiet enjoyment as she reads. There is little in the face to suggest the scholar or the bookworm. Were this a modern picture, we should fancy it a young lady reading her favorite poet. As it is, however, we must believe that the book is some work by Plato or another of the ancient writers whom St. Catherine could quote so readily. We need not wonder that she does not knit her brow over any difficult pa.s.sages. What might be hard for another to grasp is perfectly clear to her understanding.
The beautiful hair coiled over her head is the only coronet the princess wears. There is no sign of her royalty, and we may infer that the picture represents her in those early days of girlhood before the cares of government were laid on the young shoulders. As we study the position of the figure we see that the left arm rests on the rim of a wheel, making a support for the hand holding the book. The wheel is the emblem most frequently a.s.sociated with St. Catherine, as the reminder of the tortures inflicted by Maxentius. The palm branch caught in the fingers of the left hand is the symbol used alike for all the martyrs. The reference is to that pa.s.sage in the book of Revelation which describes the saints standing before the throne ”with palms in their hands.”[5]