Legends of the Madonna, as represented in the fine artsForming the third series of Sacred and legendary art . Ancient Nativity. 222 LEGENDS OF THE MADONNA. Isaiah, i. 3. The angelic choristers in the sky, or perched upon theroof of the stable, sing the Gloria in Excelsis Deo; they arenever, I believe, omitted, and in early pictures are alwaysthree in number; but in later pictures, the mystic threebecome a chorus of musicians. Joseph is generally sitting by,leaning on his staff in profound meditation, or asleep as oneovercome by fatigue; or with a taper or a lantern in his hand,to express the n
Legends of the Madonna, as represented in the fine artsForming the third series of Sacred and legendary art . Ancient Nativity. 222 LEGENDS OF THE MADONNA. Isaiah, i. 3. The angelic choristers in the sky, or perched upon theroof of the stable, sing the Gloria in Excelsis Deo; they arenever, I believe, omitted, and in early pictures are alwaysthree in number; but in later pictures, the mystic threebecome a chorus of musicians. Joseph is generally sitting by,leaning on his staff in profound meditation, or asleep as oneovercome by fatigue; or with a taper or a lantern in his hand,to express the night-time. Among the accessories, the ox and the ass are introduction of these animals rests on an antique traditionmentioned by St. Jerome, and also on two texts of prophecy: The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his masters crib;and Habakkuk, iii. 4., is rendered in the Vulgate, He shall liedown between the ox and the ass. From the sixth century,. 108 Lorenzo di Credi. which is the supposed date of the earliest extant, to thesixteenth century, there w^as never any representation of the THE NATIVITY. 223 Nativity without these two animals; thus in the old carol sooften quoted— Agnovit bos et asinusQuod Piier erat Dominus ! In some of the earliest pictures the animals kneel, con- the Lord. In some instances they stare into themanger with a most nawe expression of amazement at whatthey find there. One of the old Latin hymns, De NativitateDomini, describes them, in that wintry night, as warming thenew-born Infant with their breath; and they have alwaysbeen interpreted as symbols, the ox as emblem of the Jews,the ass of the Gentiles. I wonder if it has ever occurred to those who have studiedthe inner life and meaning of these old representations,—owed to them, perhaps, homilies of wisdom, as well as visionsof poetry, —that the introduction of the ox and the ass,those symbols of animal servitude and inferio
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