252 THE VITAL FORCE, 



society), often regard with astonishment and admiration 

 what they do not comprehend : this picture had occupied its 

 place for a hundred years ; but though Syracuse contained 

 within the narrow limits enclosed by its walls more of the 

 genius of art than the whole of the remainder of sea-sur- 

 rounded Sicily, no one had yet divined the hidden meaning 

 of the design. It was even uncertain to what temple the 

 painting had originally belonged, for it had been rescued 

 from a shipwrecked vessel, which was only conjectured from 

 the merchandise it contained to have come from Rhodes. 



On the foreground of the picture youths and maidens 

 formed a closely crowded group. They were without 

 clothing and well formed, but at the same time did not 

 exhibit the more noble and graceful proportions admired in 

 the statues of Praxiteles and Alcamenes. Their robust 

 limbs, shewing the traces of laborious efforts, and the purely 

 terrestrial expression of their desires and sorrows, seemed to 

 take from them every thing of a diviner character, and to 

 chain them exclusively to their earthly habitation. Their 

 hair was simply ornamented with leaves and field-flowers. 

 Their arms were outstretched towards each other, as if to 

 indicate their desire of union, but their troubled looks were 

 turned towards a Genius who, surrounded by bright light, 

 hovered in the midst. A butterfly was placed on his 

 shoulder, and in his hand he held on high a lighted torch. 

 The contours of his form were soft and child-like, but his 

 glance was animated by celestial fire : he looked down as a 

 master upon the youths and maidens at his feet. Nothing 

 else that was characteristic could be discovered in the pic- 



