At the
head went King Saturn, with his horn of plenty, corn-sheaves, and
doves; he was followed by the Virtues, Fortune, Wealth, Peace,
Righteousness. Then followed an actor dressed like the Emperor, and
by the hand he led a captive, who, in honour of the day, had been
freed from his chains. He was followed by citizens who took their
slaves by the arm; and these in their turn by women and children,
who scattered corn from the sheaves for the sparrows in the street.
The procession passed through the streets, and at first pleased the
beholders.
Then they entered the temple, where there was a seated image of
Jupiter in the apse. It had been cunningly modelled to resemble God
the Father, or Moses, as he began to be represented about that time.
Near and a little beneath this image stood Orpheus in the character
of the Good Shepherd, with a lamb on his shoulders, and carved in
relief on the pedestal was to be seen his descent to Hades, from
which he returned bringing Dike (Justice),--a play on the name
Eurydice. This was a direct hit at the Christians. Before the
divine images stood the Jewish shewbread table, with the bread and
the wine--a reminder of the source from which the Christians had
taken the Eucharist or the Mass. As though by chance, a new-born
heathen child was brought and baptized in the font.
Pages:
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154