The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-12-28
IAN LEGENDS OF THE MA
TIVlTY.

,oahgn Father Faber, still an Angli-
~ hrson, visited Pisa he was deep
y impressed on seeing the Bapistry
go" the glorious Bapistry (most UNI
Usual sight) raised to the sole honor
)f the Sacrament Of Regeneration" In
Florence he might have seen a chapel,
the Riccardi, whose walls are covered
all over with frescoes commemorate
ing the Nativity of our Lord and the
Epiphany. This is one of the grand
est achievements, of the abundant
oyerfiowi:lg art which has surrounded
with adornment the sweet feast of
Christmas, and given JOY and beauty
to the pretty and attractive legends
that the fervid hearts Of the Christian
generations wove around it in the long
course of the centuries.
This chapel in Florence shows how
FAR art has gone in its treatment OF
the Christmas story since the early
ages, when the circumstances sur
rounding it formed the theme OF the
hare and simple representations to be
met with in pictures on the walls OF
the Catacombs, or carved in marble
on the face of the early Christian sar-
cophagi.
There is one feature which is not
expressed in these early works; but
it appears at a later date, that is, the
snow that is said to have covered the
ground and the hills of Bethlehem at
the birth of the Saviour. 1t is referred
to by Father Faber in that beautiful
hymn: See. amidst the winters.
snow, born for us on earth below"
ETC, and also by the seventeenth cen.
tnry poet Crashaw in an exquisite
Christmas poem. The same fact is
seen in picture by Sienese early
painter which the late Pontiff Plus X
added to the new Vatican Gallery.
The late Burne Jones followed the eX-
ample of the early Sienese artist, as
to snow in his picture of the Nativity,
The OK and the Ass.
None OF the traditions that surround
Christmas has maintained it's hold on
the popular mind SO long as that
which refers to the presence of the
OK and the ass at the stable at Beth
lehem. Though they are not men,
toned in Scripture they appear early
in legend and in art. The earliest
specimen of the scene of the Nativity
which, in all probability, exists, is that
traced rudely on a fragment of mar
BILE slab, presumably part of mortu-
airy inscription, bearing the names OF
the Roman ConsUls, Placidus and
Romulus, who We're Consuls in the
year A. D. 343 1t is reproduced in De
Rossi's first volume of inscriptions.
There are but two persons besides the
Infant Christ, represented; He is
wrapped in "swaddling clothes" and
lying on the ground, and the heads OF
the OK and the ass are seen leaning
over Him. AT the right a figure with
outstretched arm addresses another
standing on the left; what seems {
palm tree stands at the extreme lef
of the group.
The fact that this design on the
marble slab, so securely dated, is two
centuries earlier that the Apocrypha
Gospel, known as the Pseudo
Matthew" shows that it is not derives
from that source This writer relate
that when the Blessed Mary hal
placed the Child in the manger, eth
OK and the ass adored Him." as al
nature did.
Theme in Sculpture.
The theme is more common i
sculpture than in painting, only on
rs specimen of the latter having bee
yet found in all the researches of tn
,Catacombs. That was brought
light by De Rossi, and published
1887. A few years later the damp {
this part of the Catacomb destroye
the picture and not vestige of it no
remains.
Several sarcophagi in the Latera
Museum. at. Rome. and in Ancon
,Mantua and other cities, have spec
ments of this theme represented G
them. The simplicity and Unite
5number of figures of this early peric
scontirTes; but as time goes on tt
j. Alteration of the Magi is introduce
ias a1pendant. to the Nativity in Il
one picture, and thus the figures
come numerous In all of these, uni
a late period, the OK and the ass ha7
their place, as in the first design {
ready noticed. Those here who,
this season of Christmas, contempla
the representations of the scenes
the Nativity and Alteration of Il
Magi shown in so many churches
Rome and who consider that, in the
essential elements these scenes a
the succession and repetition of tn
simple picture on marble of the we
343. and of the fresco of Saint Sebf
tian century or SO later, and OF t
- inuumerable representations OF the
that have been made during the S
teen centuries intervening from t
first half of the fourth century to t
first half of the twentieth centul
are powerfully impressed by the m;
'yellous continuity of all that concer
the Catholic Faith. One feels de
sense of awe in looking back over t
many changing years on the unch "a
Ing and sweet devotions of Christmlf
and the worship of the Child Jesus
~ Ir1N1 RI