ON AN ALABASTER SCULPTURE. 89 



St. Peter, as the flanking figure of the sculpture on the right 

 side, is obviously the most suitable possible figure, as representing 

 the Universal Church of Christ, supporting the doctrine of the Real 

 Presence; his position is simply inexplicable, if the carving 

 represents some unknown cult of the Baptist's head, and there is 

 not much more meaning in it if the chief apostle is supposed to 

 appear in support of the legends of St. Veronica or King Abgarus. 



The like remarks apply to the left flanking figure of St. Thomas 

 of Canterbury, as representing the attestation and support of the 

 most honoured Saint of the English branch of the Church Catholic. 

 It should, however, be mentioned that Monsieur Fleury suggests 

 to us that this figure of an archbishop is intended for St. Augustine, 

 the great apostle of the Saxons, and the first of the See of 

 Canterbury. In support of this may be urged the close connec- 

 tion between Pope Gregory and Augustine, and also the absence 

 of any martyr's emblem in the figure of the archbishop, which 

 might reasonably have been looked for in any representation of 

 St. Thomas of Canterbury. 



The smaller figures that appear in some examples of the 

 B.V.M. and St. Catharine, coincide equally well with the supposi- 

 tion that we have adopted, and that seems to us, the more we 

 reflect upon it, to closely approximate to a certainty. Of the 

 appropriateness of the introduction of the mother of our Lord 

 in such a combination, with such an object, not a syllable is 

 necessary from a Christian ; of the signification of St. Catharine's 

 presence, it may be pointed out that she was regarded as the 

 patroness of Christian science and learning, having converted fifty 

 pagan philosophers to the following of Christ, and also that, as the 

 legendary spouse of Christ, she was not unfrequently taken as 

 signifying the Bride of the Bridegroom, that is the Church.* 



All the known examples of this sculpture are of about the same 



* St. Catharine was specially venerated in England ; there was hardly a 

 minster or large church without an altar to her name, and many of the parish 

 churches were directly dedicated in her memory. Archbishop Langham, 1366- 

 1368, authorised and enjoined a special hymn for the Church of England, in 

 honour of this virgin martyr. 



