M E A U X. 
61 C 
perhaps Raphael hardly ever conceived one more expref- 
five ; and, though this great matter thought proper to 
affift the understanding, by making the fubordinate figures 
more fully explain the principal fubjeCt, yet this figure 
was alone fufficient to have done it. DejeCled arrogance 
is amazingly defcribed in his character, together w ith that 
fhame.and confufion, which mull: naturally have appeared 
in it when he felt the irrefittible force and fuperiority of 
the divine power. His attitude is alfo extremely fine; 
and can only be thoroughly underftood by viewing the 
picture itfelf, or a very good copy of it. The apoftle 
Paul is the next principal figure ; he is placed oppofite to 
the forcerer, and is reprefentcd with one arm extended, 
as having juft denounced fentence upon him, to the exe¬ 
cution of which, he feems to demand the proconful’s at¬ 
tention. He is likewifediftinguilhed by a book, which he 
holds under the other arm. In his character, which ap¬ 
pears in profile, and in the fliade, the expreflion is awful 
and majettic ; his whole figure is finely, imagined and 
drawn, full of dignity, and perfectly graceful. The next 
is the proconful Sergius Paulus, who is more attested than 
any of tlie fpeCtators. Terror and aftonilliment are ex- 
p re fled in. his countenance; and evidently djfcover, that 
he feels the force, and is fenfible of the equity, of the di¬ 
vine judgment; but it appears in a manner perfectly be¬ 
coming his character. The apoltle Barnabas, who ttands 
behind the forcerer, is employed in explaining his fate 
to thofe who mutt neceflarily be ignorant of it, as being 
placed behind him. The man who ttands between Elymas 
and the proconful, is prodigioufly fine ; he is, indeed, all 
amazement and attention ; and in his character there is 
exprefl'ed a mixture of doubt, and an eagernefs to difcover 
whether the forcerer’s blindnefs be real or not. The man 
whofe head appears direCtly behind Paul, is alfo full of ex¬ 
preflion ; he is apparently a believer, which is fhown by a 
fine mixture of fear and devotion in his countenance. There 
is likewife great expreflion in the liCtors, who ftand upon 
the fleps ; and alfo in the reft of the characters which com- 
pofe this pidture. The draperies in general are extremely 
fine; particularly that of Paul, which is noble, well caftand 
folded ; that of the forcerer is alfo finely imagined, and 
fuitabie to his character. The fcenery, or back-ground, 
of this cartoon is magnificent, and well adapted ; it will 
be fufficient to fay, that, in order to break the ftiffnefs 
of uniformity, Raphael has taken fome liberties in the 
architecture, which produce an effect that makes am¬ 
ple amends for any Teeming irregularity. The arm of 
the man at the right hand of Sergius Paulus, has been ob¬ 
jected to, as not being perfectly right with refpeCt to fore- 
Ihorlening ; but we mutt recollect that, in the time of 
Raphael, the art was ftill in its infancy, and the racourci 
was oftener avoided than attempted. This is the only 
one of the cartoons, in which Raphael borrowed the help 
of an epigraph to make the fubjeCt known. Upon the 
fockie of the proconfular feat we read a Latin infcription, 
the fenfe of w hich is : “ Lucius Sergius Paulus, Proconful 
of Afia, embraces the Chriftian faith through the preach¬ 
ing of Saul.”—Why not Paul ? for it is known, that the 
name of Saul w r as changed into Paul foon after the conver- 
fion of the apoftle. The bas-reliefs about the feat, and 
the corredt elegance of the pavement, have been little no¬ 
ticed, but are much worthy of attention. 
7. Next to the above, in the north-choir aide, is the 
fine picture of Peter and John healing the Lame Man. 
This truly-great compofition is divided into three diftinCt 
groups, by means of the magnificent columns which ap¬ 
pear in the front of the picture, and are a part of the co¬ 
lonnade which fupportsthe roof of the portico. The two 
apoltles Peter and John, the cripple, and four figures 
whofe heads only arefeen, compofe the group in the cen¬ 
tre ; one fide of the picture is filled with people going to 
the temple, and its oppofite with others coining from it. 
There is not perhaps in the world, a picture fo thoroughly 
tharaCterifed, or fo artfully managed, as this cartoon. The 
moment of Peter’s having pronounced the words, In the name 
of Jefus Chrijl of Nazareth, rife up and walk, (1 ACts iii. &.) 
is the time chofen by Raphael ; and is the inftant when 
the lame man finds himfelf l'uddenly enabled to rife ; when 
the mufcles of his limbs, releafed from the contraction 
which till now withheld and deprived him of their ufe, 
are expanding, and an extraordinary impulfe urges him 
to the exertion of their hitherto-ufelefs functions; all 
which is 1110ft amazingly conceived and exprefl'ed. At 
this period, thofe who were apprifed of fomething extra¬ 
ordinary which was then tranfaCting, are endeavouring to 
thru It forward on the fide of the picture where the cripple 
is placed ; and thefe, with a woman and boy who are hafti- 
ly palling on to the temple, together with the inimitable 
boy in the front of the picture, who is eagerly pulling 
back one of the figures, remarkably chiaraCterife the prin¬ 
cipal fubjeCt of the cartoon ; which is that of the agents 
of divine power giving ftrength and agility to the torpid 
limbs of the man'who was born a cripple. Wonder and 
amazement are finely exprefl'ed in the characters of the 
fptCfators ; and on the fide of the picture next to Peter, 
who with great dignity has conferred the divine gift, every 
thing is ftill, but expreffing filent amazement. Thus, in 
the parts where dignity fhould be prei'erved, all is quiet; 
and where ftrength and activity is given, every thing is 
in motion. The character of the cripple is finely ima¬ 
gined : it is perfectly that of a mean perfon; for the ex¬ 
preflion of joy and gratitude which appears in it, is finely 
balanced by a mixture of doubt and aftonifhment; and he 
feems fcarcely to believe the reality of the bleffing he is 
receiving. The character of Peter is devout and majettic ; 
and that of John is full of divinity, and Tuperlatively grace¬ 
ful ; he is reprefented with the urinoft pity and affability 
concurring with Peter in this aCt of true piety and charity : 
the reft of the heads in the fame group are finely invented 
and drawn, particularly that of the old man leaning upon 
his crutch, and of him who is looking over John’s fhoulder. 
It is remarkable, that the peculiar airs of the head which 
Raphael has given to the two apoftles, are nearly the 
fame with thofe of the man and woman on that fide of 
the picture; and the aCtion of Peter’s arm is repeated in 
the lame rnan with a very little variation. He has alfo in¬ 
troduced another cripple into this group, whofe character 
is unlike that of him who is healed ; and the expreflion is 
of another kind, for it fhows a fort of difinclination to 
believe the truth of this miracle. Befides, the little barrel 
dangling at his girdle is meant as a proof that he was a 
toper, and therefore an unfit object for the compaffion of the 
apoftles. There is a wonderful expreffion of malignity 
in the character of the man who prefl'es his lips with his 
finger in the fame group. The woman with the child in 
her arms has a character full of expreffion, is exquifitely 
deligned, and perfectly great and graceful. The fine boy 
in the fore-part of the picture, who, being unconcerned, 
is eager to be going, and pulls the man’s garment, is a 
fine contrail to the figure of the cripple ; and at the fame 
time breaks a mafs of ihadow which would otherwife have 
had a very difagreeable effect: this boy is alfo contrasted 
by another, who is led along haftily by a woman with a 
a bafket upon her head ; and thefe, as has already been 
obferved, give motion to that fide of the picture. In the 
copies we are deferibing at Meaux, a common glazier and 
painter has been employed to put a fort of garment round 
the loins of the two boys; by which over-nice fcrupulo- 
fity, the effeCt of two beautiful figures is entirely fpoiled. 
The principal ornaments are the columns; which, with 
regard to the picture, are the fineft that could poflibly 
be imagined, and in themfelves are a proof of the amaz¬ 
ing genius of Raphael. We have lome confufed recol¬ 
lection of having read that thefe. very columns were 
brought from Paleftine by the Venetians, during their 
wars with the Turks in the fifteenth century, and that 
Raphael copied them at Venice. They have been co¬ 
pied by many artifts in that age; and the great canopy 
over the altar under the dome of St. Peter is fupported by 
columns of that defeription. To conclude ; The ragged 
* appearance 
