36o MORE POT-POURRI 



pictures that used to be pointed out to me as the great 

 gems in my youth seemed iiow comparatively uninter- 

 esting. Botticelli, whom I at that time never heard 

 of, stands indeed a head and shoulders above his con- 

 temporaries. Two quite little cabinet pictures in one 

 of the small rooms at the Ufftzi gave me much to think 

 of. One was the exquisite little 'Judith.' His render- 

 ing of the subject first gave me a kind of understanding 

 why the old masters were so fond of the ghastly story 

 which must have appealed to them from their own wars 

 and dissensions. I have always hated the usual treat- 

 ment of this subject — the bleeding corpse on the bed 

 and the uplifted head in Judith's hand. But here the 

 beautiful heroine widow, her deed accomplished, her 

 country saved, trips home again with stately pride 

 across the open country. Warriors are in the dis- 

 tance, fields and flowers in front, and her child-like, 

 innocent face is turned full towards one. In one hand 

 she holds the emblem of peace, an Olive branch ; in 

 the other the sword of power. Behind her comes the 

 maid, with the handsome head of Holofernes in the 

 meat-bag on her head. The maid's expression of 

 mingled awe and admiration is quite as much beyond 

 the time in variety of expression and powerful story- 

 telling as is Judith's own, which shows one how she 

 will shortly say, with a loud voice : ' Praise, praise God, 

 praise God, I say ; for He hath not taken away His 

 mercy from the House of Israel, but hath destroyed 

 our enemies by mine hands this night.' 



The other picture, 'Calumny,' is hung quite near. 

 It is a little larger, and is unique and remarkable in 

 every way : an allegorical picture full of thought. The 

 idea was- suggested to Botticelli by Lucian's description 

 of a painting by Apelles. For the benefit of those as 

 ignorant as I was, I may as well say that Apelles was a 



