Part 6 (2/2)

It was the custom of John to baptize his converts in the river Jordan

One day Jesus presented himself for baptism, and John saw in him one whose shoe's latchet he was not worthy to unloose At once he proclaimed him to the people as the ”Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world”[31]

[Footnote 31: _Ib_, verse 29]

With the entrance of Jesus upon his ministry, John's as fulfilled ”He must increase, but I must decrease,” said the prophet hu Herod, whose vices he had openly rebuked Thence he was taken out only to be executed

[Footnote 32: St John, chapter iii, verse 30]

It io cared very little abouta true character study of St John There is not est the stern and fearless prophet of the wilderness The humility of the countenance is perhaps the featureexpression in the eyes is, too, such as belongs to one who, like St John, lived much alone in the woods The tunic is short and sleeveless, showing the strong limbs of the hermit

[Illustration: ST JOHN THE BAPTIST _Cathedral, Parentle amiability we have already seen in St Matthew and Joseph The type is a coh nearly all his ures, whether of se

The tenderness of St John for his little lamb is the chief motive of the picture He carries it on his left arht on his knee, and the innocent creature puts its nose close to the prophet's face The lamb is the accepted symbol of St John the Baptist, in allusion to the words hich he addressed Jesus at the Jordan, ”Behold the laure is used in the book of Revelation, where the La for the person of Christ himself, St John holds the sacred emblem with reverence To understand why his face is lifted in this direction we lance is directed toward the vision in the doures of this pendentive are a theof the cupola The i beneath the dome has been described in some lines by Aubrey de Vere:--

”Creatures all eyes and brows and tresses strea zeal, and storht desire

Round the broad do, With ele join the fervid choir, In spirit launched on wings that ne'er can tire”

While the spirits in the upper part of the cupola are ether that we do not see the full beauty of each one, these in our picture may be studied separately There are six in all, and their purpose is to call the attention of the worshi+ppers to the prophet The two in the rear, whose bodies are hidden in the clouds, gaze upon hier to the la the Baptist's words, ”Behold the lael astride the cloud in front was interrupted in the sa out fro at one side, but still lifts his left hand towards the prophet above hied in a semicircle, and their slender lirace The ht, whose eyessmile

XIII

CHRIST APPEARING TO MARY MAGDALENE IN THE GARDEN

(Noli ere)

It was Sunday, the third day after the crucifixion of Jesus Early in thewoarden of Joseph of Aridalene, whoiven her, therefore she loved much In her sorrow she came to visit the spot where the body of her crucified Master had been laid

Great was her surprise to find that the stone placed at the entrance of the tomb had been rolled away In her perplexity, she ran to tell the disciples Peter and John They all hurried back together to the garden, and the twothe tomb, found it empty Unable to explain theMary still standing without the sepulchre weeping

”And as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, and seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain And they say unto her, Woman, eepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him

”And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus Jesus saith unto her, Wo hiardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away Jesus saith unto her, Mary She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master

”Jesus saith unto her, Touch o to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God”[33]

[Footnote 33: Chapter xx of the Gospel according to St John, verses 11-17]

Our picture illustrates the story of that first Easter reeted Mary by na on her knees, she would have impulsively stretched out her hands to hiazes into his face, while he explains the e she is to carry to the disciples

[Illustration: CHRIST APPEARING TO MARY MAGDALENE IN THE GARDEN (NOLI ME TANGERE) _Prado Gallery, Madrid_]