5. In the altar-piece by Domenichino at Windsor, she stands leaning on a pedestal, in the likeness of a young girl of about twelve or thirteen, magnificently attired, and her long hair confined by a tiara; her hands are joined in supplication, yet she looks up to heaven as one trusting and assured; at her side an angel caresses a lamb; another angel descends from above with the palm: - a splendid picture, well remembered by all who have visited the Windsor collection, and universally known by the famous engraving of Strange. I do not admire it, however; it is not in character; it is too regal, too sumptuous, too triumphant; and the portrait-like head, and rather heavy figure, deficient altogether in ideal sanctity and elevation. There is a tradition that it is the portrait of the artist's daughter.

Domenichino professed an especial veneration for St. Agnes, and was often called upon to paint her. Besides the single figure at Windsor, he painted for her church at Bologna the famous Martyrdom which is now in the Gallery there. The saint kneels upon the pile of fagots; the fire has just been extinguished by divine interposition; two of the executioners lie prostrate on the ground; a third has seized her hair, and, drawing back her head, plunges the sword into her bosom: there are several spectators, and among them the usual group of the frightened women and children. Above, the heavens open in glory, and Christ delivers to an angel the palm and crown which are to recompense the martyr. This picture, which has always been reckoned amongst the most celebrated productions of the Bologna school, as a masterpiece of dramatic arrangement and expression, is to me sovereignly displeasing. In the first place, there is something not only shocking, but positively unnatural, in the stupid, brutal indifference with which the executioner slaughters the young and beautiful saint. It is a murder, and not a martyrdom, which we see before us; - the women who look on ought to fly, or hide their faces, from such a spectacle. To complete the discordant feeling, and in contrast with the cold-blooded horror of the lower part of the picture, we behold a chorus of angels piping and fiddling up in the sky, with the most unsympathising self-complacency. The Martyrdom of St. Agnes, by Tintoretto, in the S. Maria dell' Orto at Venice, is treated like a theatrical scene: there is a flight of steps, on which are a number of spectators, and on the summit is the

saint, kneeling, attired in virgin white, and prepared to receive the stroke of the executioner.

The same subject by Joanes, at Madrid, "contains some beautiful Raphaelesque heads." I know not how the action is represented.

With St. Agnes is sometimes introduced her friend and foster sister Ermentiana, who was stoned because she reproved the pagans for their barbarity.

Other subjects from the life of St. Agnes must occur rarely. I remember but one: she restores the son of Sempronius to life. The vision of the glorified saint to the Christian mourners appears to me capable of the most beautiful treatment, but I have not met with one example. It is generally as the patron saint of innocence, or as the virgin martyr, that St. Agnes is brought before us.'

Richardson describes a picture of a young saint kneeling, and protected from violence by the apparition of an angel, who fills the whole chamber with light. He calls the subject St. Cecilia, but it is evidently St. Agnes. In his time this picture was in the Borghese Palace, and attributed to Correggio. I have no recollection of such a picture.

Sr. AGATHA, VIRGIN AND MARTYR.

Lat. Sancta Agatha. Fr. Sainte Agathe. Ital. Santa Agata. Ger. Die Heilige Agatha. Patroness against fire, and all diseases of the breast. Patroness of Malta and of Catania. Feb. 5. A.D. 251.

"THERE dwelt in the city of Catania, in Sicily, a certain Christian maiden whose name was Agatha. In those days reigned the emperor Decius, who had strangled his predecessor Philip; and, to make it believed by all that he had put him to death out of great zeal and for being a Christian, not from motives of ambition, this Decius sent his emissaries throughout the empire to oppress and persecute the Christians, and many were put to death. And to Sicily Decius sent his creature Quintianus, and made him king over the whole island. Not long had Quintianus reigned in Sicily when he heard of the great beauty and perfection of the maiden Agatha, and he sent to have her brought

We have only two churches in England dedicated in her name.

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before him; and he tempted her with rich presents, and flatteries, and promises, but she rejected all with disdain. Then Quintianus sent for a courtesan, named Frondisia, who had nine daughters, more wicked and abandoned than herself, and he delivered Agatha into their hands, and he said, Subdue this damsel to my will, and I will give ye great riches.' Then Frondisia took Agatha home to her house, and kept her there for thirty-three days, and tempted her with great promises, and flattered and cajoled her; and seeing this availed not, they persecuted her day and night: but her heart was fixed as a rock in the faith of Jesus Christ, and all their promises and all their threats were as the empty air. At the end of thirty-three days, Frondisia returned to Quintianus and said to him, Sooner shall that sword at thy side become like liquid lead, and the rocks dissolve and flow like water, than the heart of this damsel be subdued to thy will.' Then Quintianus in a fury commanded her to be brought to him, and said, ' Who, and what art thou, audacious girl?' And Agatha replied, I am a free woman, and the servant of Jesus Christ.' And he said, Dost thou call thyself free who art constrained to serve?' And she said, 'I am the handmaid. of Christ, whom to serve is perfect freedom.' Then Quintianus said, 'Abjure thy master, and serve our gods, or I will have thee tortured.' To which St. Agatha replied, 'If thou shouldst throw me to the wild beasts, the power of Christ would render them meek as lambs; if thou shouldst kindle a fire to consume me, the augels would quench it with dews from heaven; if thou shouldst tear me with scourges, the Holy Spirit within me would render thy tortures harmless.' Then this accursed tyrant ordered St. Agatha to be bound and beaten with rods; and he commanded two of his slaves to tear her tender bosom cruelly with iron shears; and as her blood flowed forth, she said to him, 'O thou tyrant! shamest thou not to treat me so-thou who hast been nourished and fed from the breast of a mother?' And this was her only plaint. Then she was carried from the place of torture into a dark dungeon. And about midnight there came to her a man of a fair and venerable aspect, carrying in his hand a vase of ointment; and before him walked a youth bearing a waxen torch: it was the holy apostle Peter, and the youth was one of the angels of God; but St. Agatha knew it not, and such a glorious light filled the prison, that the

guards were seized with terror, and fled, leaving the door open. Then came one to St. Agatha and cried, Arise and fly!' But she said, God forbid that I should fly from my crown of martyrdom, and be the occasion that my keepers should suffer, for my flight, tortures and death: I will not fly!' Then St. Peter said to her, I am come to heal thee, O my daughter!' But she drew her veil more closely over her wounded bosom, and replied with virgin modesty, If it be the will of my Saviour Christ that I should be healed, he will himself heal me.' St. Peter answered Fear not, for Christ has sent me to minister to thee!' So he ministered to her, restoring with celestial medicines her mutilated bosom, and her body torn with stripes; and when he had done so, he vanished, and St. Agatha knelt and blessed the power of Christ, who had visited her with this great mercy.

"The rage and fury of Quintianus not being appeased, he sent again to have her brought before him, and being astonished to behold her restored, he said, 'Who hath healed thee?' She replied, He, whom I confess and adore with my heart and with my lips, hath sent his apostle and healed me and delivered me!' Then Quintianus ordered a great fire to be kindled, and they bound the holy maiden hand and foot and flung her upon it; and in that moment a terrible earthquake ensued, which made the city quake, and the people ran armed to the palace, and cried out, This has fallen upon us because of the sufferings of this Christian damsel!' and they threatened, that if Quintianus did not desist from tormenting her they would burn him in his palace with all his family. So Quintianus ordered her to be taken from the flames, and again cast into the dungeon, scorched and in miserable pain; and she prayed that, having thus far suffered and proved her faith, she might be permitted to see the glory of God; which prayer was heard, for her pure spirit immediately departed and ascended to eternal glory. The Christians who dwelt in Catania came to the prison and carried away her sacred remains, and embalmed them, and buried her with great devotion in a tomb of porphyry.

"Now you shall know that nigh to the city of Catania in Sicily there is a huge mountain, and on the summit a vast gaping chasm, whence are vomited fire and smoke: the blessed St. Gregory saith that it is one of the mouths of hell, but the people call it Mongibello (Mount

Etna). In about a year after the martyrdom of St. Agatha, this mountain opened itself, and there flowed forth a stream of fire, consuming all before it; and the inhabitants of the city of Catania, men and women, Christians and Pagans, fled for refuge to the tomb of the martyr Agatha, and taking her silken veil, which lay upon it, they fixed it on the top of a lance, and went forth in long procession to meet the torrent of fire, which had already reached the walls of the city; but it pleased God that by the virtue of this sacred relic the fire was turned aside, and the mountain ceased to bellow, and there was calm. On beholding this great miracle, all the heathens who dwelt in the city were converted to the faith of Christ, and received baptism."1

When represented as patron saint, either as a single figure or grouped with other saints, St. Agatha bears in one hand the palm, in the other a dish or salver, on which is the female breast, in allusion to her martyrdom: if she wear the crown, as in some early representations, it is the crown of the bride and martyr of Christ. The shears, the instrument of her cruel martyrdom, are sometimes in her hand, or beside her. She generally wears a long veil, in allusion to her legend. The expression should be that of majesty as well as modesty.

Over the high altar of her church at Brescia is a large picture by Calisto da Lodi, representing St. Agatha suspended on a cross. She is dressed in a dark olive-green tunic; the attitude fine and simple; and the expression of complete but dying resignation in the head most lovely; the manner of her suffering 154 indicated by a few spots of blood on her

bosom, which, however, is delicately veiled. At the foot of the cross