3° 



THE PIGEON-FANCIER. 



reach of Christian Art, from the earliest times 

 to the present day, the dove retains its place 

 as the symbol of the Holy Spirit. The evil 

 spirit invariably is represented under the image 

 of the serpent. 



Being the symbol of the Holy Spirit, it was 

 not unnatural that Art should also adopt the 

 dove as an image of the in- 

 visible spirit of man — the 

 soul. In the two following 

 illustrations we have examples 

 of it. 



The above represents the 

 death of a martyr who is 

 kneeling before his execu- 

 tioner, and the liberated spirit is taking flight 

 in the form of a dove. Below, the soul in the 



shape of a dove appears to be entering into, 

 rather than departing from, the body. 



Both these sketches are from MSS. of the 

 fourteenth century in the British Museum. 



