Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1871-07-22

examination proves that while i
could not possibly have been done a
the time specified, is is yet of grea
antiquity. 1t is painted ON q pane
of cyprus wood; the features are
strongly marked, the face long, The
eyes large and brilliant, the eyelidf
dropping and the brows finely arch.
ed. In the monastery of St. Prax-
ides is O picture which dates back
before the days of Constantine, but il
is enshrined in a silver case, and the
jealons keepers will not permit 9
close examination. What is known
as the Genoese portrait is unqucs.
tionably of remote origin, and repre-.
sents Christ with o trifurcated beard
and q full, round Bayzantine face. AT
the promulgation Of the dogma OF
the Immaculate Conception, Deem
ber s, 1854, there were exhibited in
the chapelo of the blessed sacrament
at st. Peters a:number. of, relics OF
the passion of Christ; and among
them the famous veil of St. Varoni-
ca, on which are said, to be impressed
the lineaments Of the Savior. None
but bishops were allowed to enter
the chapel, and to the crowd gazing
through the grating nothing could
be clearly distinguished BY special
favor however, NJ. Barber dc Mont
ault, canon of the Basilica Of Anagni,
was permitted to approach the shrine
and carefully scrutinize the mysteri-
Gus picture. We give his own des-
cription:
"The holy face is enclosed in q
frame of silver partially gilt, and
square, of severe character, and
little adorned. The simplicity Of
the bordering gives prominence to
the interior Of the picture, which is
protected by a thin plato Of crystal,
Unfortunately, by one Of those Gus
toms so common in Italy, sheet Of
metal covers the field, and only
leaves apparent the figure indicating
its outline. By this outline one is
led to conjecture flowing hair reach
ing to the shoulders, and O short
beard, bifurcated and small. The
other features are so vaguely indica.
ted or so completely etfaced that il
requires the liveliest imagination in
the world to perceive traces of eyes
or nose. In short, one docs not see
the material of the substance because
of tho useless Intervention of meta.
plate, and the place Of impression
exhibits only q blackish surface, moi
giving any evidence Of human fca'
lures.
But the face of Christ is not always
delineated on wood or canvas, but il
to be found in various shapes upon
the earliest Christian sarcophagi al
so done in enamel and mosaic, ant
frescoed ON the walls and ceiling o.
the Roman catacombs. These sarco'
phagi arc of white marble, generally
highly ornamented with elaborate
bas reliefs, and evidence, by the care
bestowed upon their preparation, thu
respect in which the dead were helt
even in that era ofcorruption, tyran
ny and violence. Except in the ma
ture of the symbols carved thereon
there is no particular difference be
tween the Christian and pagan sarco
phagi. That of Junius Bassus, whC
died in the year 259, has the face o.
the Saviour four times repeated. 1
is youthful almost to childishness
with flaming hair and beardless chin
the features of the ordinary classi,
types. Embedded in the mortar o
the tomb of Eutychia in the cata
combs, whom the inscription dc
clares to be 'the happiest ofwomen,
was found q beautiful glass goblet
On this goblet is portrayed in ename
a representation Of the resurrection
of Lazarus. Christ is there showI
young and beautiful with curled hair
but bcardless while in another COB
let from the same tomb he is seel
bearing the fruit of the tree Of life
bearded with long and flowin!
hair parted on the crown, and long
straight nose. But the ceiling of tn
fourth chamber in the catacomb o
st. Calixtus is frescoed large media
lion, surrounded by curious orna
mentation of doves and arabesques
In the centre of this medallion is
bust of Christ. The figure is partial
Iy nude, some draping being fun
| over the left shoulder. The face
oval, the brow smooth and lofty, th
| eyebrows arched, the nose straight
| and the whole countenance beamini
an expression of mingled gravit
and mildness. The parted hair drop
in curls upon the shoulders; til
beard is short, sCanty and bifurcated
and the general appearance indicate
q person between the ages of thirt
and forty. The catacomb of Nercu
and Achilles has full length figur
| of Christ not differing material
from the above, and in the catacom
of st. Agnes is q representation G
Him of "the Resurrection and th
Life" In the latter the brow is higl
tho face oval but not long, the lowe
lip somewhat coarse, a light NOUS
tache, q small pointed beard and eye
obliterated. On the tomb of s.
Cecilia is q life-size bust of Chris
showing a pear-shaped face, sma
moustache and no beard. In tn
cemetery of Pr@textati there is on
of the latest discovered frescoes {
our Lord, which represents hir
teaching as o philosopher the face
of the usual style but has no divide
beard. The arch offs. Paolo-fuori-lt
Muir at Rome, has a representatio
| in Mosaic of the four and twent
elders offering their crowns. In u
dome the Saviour appears in glor
with founders of the church in ado
alton on either side. His right han
. is raised in benedictiOn, while IL
. left holds the sceptre, The figure
clothed to the neck ; the face Is cal
and grave, the eyes largo, luminoV
} and tender.
We might enumeratc many 9TH
delineations of the divine count
! nance, but enough have been mentiO
J cd to show a marked.resemblanCe
! the main characteristics manifesto
+ in all, thereby proving that the lik
: ness recognized by ChristendOm res
; on we'll established tradition, al
! not on vague imagination.
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