1. The Evangelistic Symbols.

THERE seems to be little doubt that the mysterious forms used from an early age of the Church as symbols of the four Evangelists, were derived from the visions recorded in Holy Writ by Ezekiel and S. John as follows:

"As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle a.”

"In the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind. And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle b."

Their exact coincidence with these descriptions almost puts the matter beyond question, and the adoption, as symbols of the four Evangelists, of these mysterious creatures, which, though agreeing with each other, were recorded the one under the old, the other under the new dispensation, would be both obvious and natural to those who regarded the Evan

a Ezek. i. 10.

b Rev. iv. 6, 7.

gelistic writings as the great testimonies which fulfilled the Mosaic, and established the Christian covenant. But whatever may be their origin and interpretation, certain it is that from an early age these symbols have been employed in sacred art to typify the four Evangelists, and Greek mosaics are yet in existence shewing their use as early as the sixth century, from which period they may be traced, through the successive and varied ideas of a thousand years, down to the total absorption of Christian art in the revival of the classical styles.

In the very earliest representations these symbols varied at different times, in not being always appropriated to the same Evangelist, but for many centuries they have been assigned to those whom they now represent, apparently in accordance with the interpretation of S. Jerome in his Commentary on Ezekiel, the angel to S. Matthew, the lion to S. Mark, the ox to S. Luke, and the eagle to S. John.

There are many interpretations given to these attributes, many reasons assigned why each Evangelist is typified by his attendant symbol, some of these are singularly fanciful, and tend to shew that in these

There is a dissertation by Thomasius on this subject in the Thesaurus Theologico-Philologicus, vol. ii. pp. 57-62, containing an analysis of more than fifty authors who have illustrated the visions of Ezekiel and S. John, and an explanation of the Sententiarum Divortia of Irenæus, Jerome, and Augustine, respecting the application of the symbols, or of the quæstio vexata "quodnam animal cui Evangelistæ comparandum sit."-Notes and Queries, vol. ii. p. 364. See also vol. i. pp. 385 and 471, and vol. ii. pp. 45 and 205.