accepted by Catholic
Doctors, I neither know nor care to know. It was first formalized by
Dante, but never accepted for an instant by the sacred artist teachers
of his time--or by those of any great school or time whatsoever.[69]

[Footnote 69: The most authentic foundations of the Purgatorial scheme
in art-teaching are in the renderings, subsequent to the thirteenth
century, of the verse "by which also He went and preached unto the
spirits in prison," forming gradually into the idea of the deliverance
of the waiting saints from the power of the grave.

In literature and tradition, the idea is originally, I believe,
Platonic; certainly not Homeric. Egyptian possibly--but I have read
nothing yet of the recent discoveries in Egypt. Not, however, quite
liking to leave the matter in the complete emptiness of my own
resources, I have appealed to my general investigator, Mr. Anderson
(James R.), who writes as follows:--

"There is no possible question about the doctrine and universal
inculcation of it, ages before Dante. Curiously enough, though, the
statement of it in the Summa Theologiae as we have it is a later
insertion; but I find by references that St. Thomas teaches it
elsewhere. Albertus Magnus developes it at length. If you refer to the
'Golden Legend' under All Souls' Day, you will see how the idea is
assumed as a commonplace in a work meant for popular use in the
thirteenth century. St. Gregory (the Pope) argues for it (Dial. iv.
38) on two scriptural quotations: (1), the sin that is forgiven
neither in hoc saeculo _nor in that which is to come_, and (2), the
fire which shall try every man's work. I think Platonic philosophy and
the Greek mysteries must have had a good deal to do with introducing
the idea originally; but with them--as to Virgil--it was part of the
Eastern vision of a circling stream of life from which only a few
drops were at intervals tossed to a definitely permanent Elysium or a
definitely permanent Hell. It suits that scheme better than it does
the Christian one, which attaches ultimately in all cases infinite
importance to the results of life in hoc saeculo.

"Do you know any representation of Heaven or Hell unconnected with the
Last Judgment? I don't remember any, and as Purgatory is by that time
past, this would account for the absence of pictures of it.

"Besides, Purgatory precedes the Resurrection--there is continual
question among divines what manner of purgatorial fire it may be tha