M E A 17 X. 
foon (in which the point of fight is placed pretty high) 
occafions the fea to make a fine back-ground for the fi 
gures, which, from its natural hue, fails not of (howing the 
colouring of them to the utmolt advantage. At a great 
diitance upon the fea-fltore appear feveral groups of figures 
defigned in a mafterly manner, the principal of which 
feems toconfift of a number of perfons w ho are employed 
in thabaptifra ot infants, 
4. Nearer to the altar is placed Paul and Barnabas at 
Lylira. This is reckoned one of the belt of the l'even car¬ 
toons. The horror expreffed in the attitude of the apoltles 
at being taken for Jupiter and Mercury, who according 
to mythology were aceuftomed to travel together, (lee 
©vid’s fable of Baucis and Palemon,) and at being made 
the objeCt of pagan worfhip 5 the man wondering at the 
cripple that had been lately cured; the claflicallity of the 
proceflion previous to a facrifice; the beauty of the boys be¬ 
fore the altar; the richnefs of the back ground, and the 
architectural correctnefs of the buildings ; never fail to 
excite admiration. The manner in which Raphael has 
defcribed this ceremony is perfectly fine, and agreeable to 
«he cuftom of the Romans; and is entirely taken from 
the bas-relief of the Trajan column, the priefts and boys 
employed in the intended facrifice being almoft exaCtly 
copied from thence, particularly the prielt of Jupiter, who 
is- in all refpeCts the fame, except in the drapery, 
die figure in the column being without any. In the cha. 
rafters of the priefts and people there is a general ex- 
preflion of enthufiafm and fuperftitious fear which is 
finely defcribed. Paul is the principal figure in this pic¬ 
ture : he is reprefented as ftanding upon a kind of ftep, 
from whence he is about to defcend, in order to (top the 
miftaken religious fury of the people ; and at the fame time* 
with the utmoft grief and perturbation, which are ad¬ 
mirably expreffed in his countenance, is rending his gar¬ 
ment, and expofes part of his breaft, which produces a 
fine effeCl. Barnabas, who (lands behind him,isagrand 
character; he is feen entirely in (hadow ; but his attitude 
and expreilion are incomparable ; grief and pity are blended 
in his countenance, and he clafps his hands together with 
a fervour not to be defcribed. Mr. Richardfon, in (peaking 
of this cartoon, and the facrifice reprefented in it, lays; 
“ The occafion of all that is finely told : the man who 
.was healed of his lamenefs, is one of the forwarded to ex- 
prefs his lenfe of the divine power which appeared in 
frhofe apoftles; and, to (how it to be him, not only a crutch 
kunderhis feet on the ground; but an old man takes up 
the lappet of his garment and looks upon the limb which 
he remembered to have been crippled, and expreffes great 
devotion and admiration ; which (entiments are alfo feen 
in the other, with a mixture of joy.” The whole figure 
of this man is finely defigned, and vaftly expreffive ; but 
the leg, which the old man is looking at, is remarkably 
elegant, and was undoubtedly painted from nature ; the 
figure ot the old man is alfo finely drawn and imagined, 
and his attitude, which is (tooping, brings feveral lubor- 
dinate figures into view, which could not otherwife have 
been feen. The architecture in the back-ground of this 
cartoon is magnificent ; the forms of the buildings are 
finely varied ; and the whole together exhibits a noble 
compofition. 
5. In the fouth-choir aide, we find the Death of Ana¬ 
nias. A8s v. 3, 4, 5. This cartoon is particularly ad¬ 
mired for the writhing pofture of the dying fimoniac, and 
the aftoniftiment wrought upon the faces of the byftanders, 
gaining progreftively from one to another, according to 
the diftance. This cartoon is compofed of three diftinft 
groups, and Ananias is the principal figure; but it re¬ 
quired no lefs than the profound (kill of this great mafter 
to make him appear fo. The figure, being proltrate by 
neceflity, mult have appeared to fome disadvantage had 
the (peClators been all (landing, even though they had 
inclined as much,as the two men who are (looping over 
him ; Raphael therefore has molt judicioufly given all the 
figures in the fore-part of the picture fuch attitudes as 
Sit 
at once perfectly correfpond with the fiery, and make the 
figure of Ananias more confpicuous. Accordingly, the 
fubordinate figures are all either kneeling or (looping ; 
and thefe, at the frfme time, give an inexpreflihle dignity 
to the apoftles, who are (landing, and foi‘m a diftinft' 
group in the middle of the back-part of the pi flu re, in 
the centre of which Peter is placed, who is deferine'd as 
having juft pronounced the anathema. The whole figure 
of Ananias is inimitably fine; there appears to be (irongly 
marked in the features not only the ftroke of death as a 
corporeal (uftering, but the agonies of a wounded conlci- 
ence ; from which immediately proceeds the writhing con¬ 
tortions off the body and limb's, the very extremities of 
which appear to be contracted and convulfed. The cha¬ 
racter ot Peter is alio finely imagined and defigned ; there 
isa holy feverity in his countenance which is inexpreffibly 
great; his attitude is majeltic ; and,though his fituation is 
fonrething remote, and his whole figure rather flioYt, it is 
impofiihle to avoid feeing that his is the fecond principal 
figure in the picture. The whole group of apoltles are 
charaflers of great dignity; each feems collected within 
himfelf, and revolving upon this terrible Cataftrophe ; and 
one of them, who is next to Peter, appears with reveren¬ 
tial awe to addrefs himfelf to the Almighty. Horror, fear, 
and amazement, are blended in the character of the man 
who is oppofed to Ananias; and this figure makes the 
fined contrail imaginable to that of thedyingman. The 
woman next to him difeovers her terror in a manner per¬ 
fectly adapted to her fex. The character of John, who is 
employed in relieving the neceffitous perfons who compofe 
a part of one of the fubordinate groups, is extremely 
graceful. Compaftion and benevolence are (irongly ex¬ 
preffed in his countenance ; and his aCtion difeovers that 
he not only relieves them with money, but likewife be¬ 
llows with it his advice, and appears to exhort them to 
make a proper life of it. The apoftle, who feems to 
beckon to fome who are fuppofed to be out of the picture 
to bear teftimony of the punilhment inflicted on Ananias, 
is a character of great dignity, and his attitude is finely 
varied from that of Peter. The draperies in this cartootl 
are perfectly fine, and extremely well caft ; particularly 
thofe of the apoltles, which are remarkably graceful, and 
the folds finely difpofed and contrafted. That of Ananias 
requires particular obfervation ; he has lefs than any other 
figure in the picture, his arms, legs, and feet, being en¬ 
tirely naked: this is a fine artifice; the violent agitation-, 
of the mulcles is thereby made apparent ; and the limbs 
of the figures near him being moltly covered, ferve to 
(how his figure more diltinCtly, and of courfe help to dife 
cover its confequence. In (liort, the whole compolitioii 
of this picture is perfectly great and (triking, and is a re¬ 
markable inftance of the genius of Raphael. In this car¬ 
toon, the grandeur, dignity, and effeCl, are totally derived 
from the invention and difpofition of the charaClers : or¬ 
naments there are none; and the by-works are extremely 
plain, and agreeable to the fimplicity of the church of 
Chrift in its. infant ftute ; the chief of them is the curtain, 
which is behind the apoftles; it is indeed fimple, but 
then it is finely folded, and ferves admirably to break the 
llraight line which is made by the heads of the apoftles, 
which without this help mult, have appeared fome what 
difagreeably. The back-ground is alfo artfully varied 5 
and relieved by an opening on one fide, and a flight of. 
fteps, with figures afeending them, on the other. 
6. In the north-choir aide, is Paul (triking Elymas the 
Sorcerer with Biindnels. This cartoon is alio much ad¬ 
mired on account ot the attitude of the man who has juft 
loft his fight, who evinces, by his ftretched-out hands, and 
the cautious polition of his feet, the punifliment he has 
juft received. The aftonilhment of the proconful feems, 
to communicate itfelf to the by-(landers; and the dignity 
of the apoftle on the fore-ground, completes the extraor¬ 
dinary merit of this picture. See ACts xiii. 6-12. Elymas,. 
who is the principal figure in this cartoon, is blind from 
head to foot, and is altogether a moll inimitable character;. 
3, perhaps. 
