XVIII 



THE LILY OF THE SAINTS 



The ancient Hebrews took the lily as the symbol 

 of chastity. The name of the chaste woman of 

 the apocryphal story was Susannah, in Hebrew 

 Shusan, which signifies a lily. The derivation 

 was not forgotten by German artists, for a lily 

 is usually conspicuous in the elaborate garden 

 scenes in which they set this subject, though 

 the Italians reserved the flower for the Madonna 

 and the saints of the monastic orders. 



Originally the lily was given to all virgin 

 saints, and it was considered their special attri- 

 bute before the flower was particularly associated 

 with the Virgin Mary. 



' Jesus, corona virginum 

 Qui pergis inter lilia 

 Septis choreis virginum 

 Sponsus decorus gloria.' 



In the Catacombs there are no virgin martyrs 



depicted, and the few lilies found there repre- 



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