The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1910-08-06
"THE LAST SUPPER. i"
Confined From Page l. J

If carelessly dropped at the altar. You patter
your prayers day and night
Your finger woorn rosary, keeping the crucifx al
ways in sight.
You celebrate Mass in your chasuble, gorgeous
with gold,
Which the linen-clad priest of the bells and pome
granates would gasp to behold.
The smoke of rich gums is around you, and wor-
shippers fall on the knee
As you mutter your snatches of Latin. You bark
to the penitents plea
And, sitting in judgment, you pardon the venial
sin,
Or haply prescribe the fagellum which raises blue
welts the skin
But what do you know of that Master whose life
all pity and love?
Or Of what you call Spritus Sanctus, once seen IN
the form of a dove!
I would that you knew it, Fra Lppi, the draughts-
mans miraculous art
And might crayon me swiftly a sketch of the
Christ that you bear in your heart,
Though | know very well, [ deem, what the
picture would be:
Some bony deaths-head of a Cadi, extensively
just whose decree
Crushes a culprit for running away with morsel
of bread,
And eVens the score with the lashes and gashes
that make his back red.
For me- though | write son of the Militant
Church, yet | know
But little of God or of heaven, though much of
these shadows below;
And though | can counterfeit life on the canvas
so much | have won,-
| shrink from the task of portraying the glorltled
face of Gods Son.
Unless [ shall see it before me, the same as I've
seen fair star
Leaning and passioning down in the night from
IT. blue window-bar.
That grace l aspire to. sigh for it, burn for II,
seek it by prayer,
Nor ever will paint, till it, the Face that has
been my despair"
The Prior's eyes snapped, and he rushed to the
Duke with choleric complaint
Of the obstinate artist who waited vision before
he would paint:
He's laggard, a dawder dreamer, accom-
plishing nothing at all.
What had he done, when you set him to splash
the refectory wall?"
"Why," quoth his Highness, certain embarrass-
ment marking his air,
"He had painted Rotella del Fico, (2) labor &C
counted most rare.
The Angel with Uplifted Arm, and gracious
Madonna or two,
And Neptune Behind his Sea-Horses, with all of
the nereid crew
Attending him. Also beautiful, curious SKETCH
[ believe,
For tapestry-work, to be known as The Story OF
Adam and Eve.
No doubt of his masterful genius, but, like the
green rennet, it needs
Time and the rpening sun to impart the brown
touch to the seeds"
'Time and the ripening sum-" sneered the Prior:
chats all very we'll,
But tell me what cycles must pass ere the cluster
shall redden and swell?
Four times hath the fig brought its blossome to
fruitage, and yet |
Nothing but shrivelled and puckery crabs on this
niggardly tree.
It's too bad for there's scarcely cloister in Italy,
barring my own,
But boasts of some beautiful sculpture, some mar
tyr done grandly in stone,
Or altar-piece lovely to see, where the Virgin is
pelted with flowers,
Which the wives of the peasants, with babes at the
breast glue their eyes to for hours.
Must each padre who wears old cossack, and
lights up a candle two,
Brag of his frescoes, and none dip the brush for
a ruler like you?
The city has painters of sign-boards for taverns,
and surely your Grace
Might light on botcher IN colors to finish a
head and face.
Pray, send for this dolt of painter, and give him
his cue once for all:
To hasten the end of his daub on Our Lary's con-
ventual wall"
So the bronze-bearded grand Leonardo still seek
ing through heavenly grace
To rise to the height of portraying the saviour's
maiestical face,
Was bid to the palace, obeyed, and assembled the
chrysoprase stair;
Entered the presence, and waited, uncovered, with
reverent air,
While the sumptuous ruler of cities, as only a
great patron might,
Child him for dreaming and praying, and echoed
the pale Prior's spite.
(To be continued)
IMPRESSIONS AT BERLIN.