full sensuous art-faculty that would have made true painters
of them, being taught, from their youth up, to look for and learn the
body instead of the spirit, have learned it, and taught it to such
purpose, that at this hour, when I speak to you, the rooms of the Royal
Academy of England, receiving also what of best can be sent there by the
masters of France, contain _not one_ picture honorable to the arts of
their age; and contain many which are shameful in their record of its
manners.

241. Of that, hereafter. I will close to-day giving you some brief
account of the scheme of Tintoret's Paradise, in justification of my
assertion that it is the thoughtfulest as well as mightiest picture in
the world.

In the highest center is Christ, leaning on the globe of the earth,
which is of dark crystal. Christ is crowned with a glory as of the sun,
and all the picture is lighted by that glory, descending through circle
beneath circle of cloud, and of flying or throned spirits.

The Madonna, beneath Christ, and at some interval from Him, kneels to
Him. She is crowned with the Seven stars, and kneels on a cloud of
angels, whose wings change into ruby fire, where they are near her.

The three great Archangels meeting from three sides, fly towards Christ.
Michael delivers up his scales and sword. He is followed by the Thrones
and Principalities of the Earth; so inscribed--Throni--Principatus. The
Spirits of the Thrones bear scales in their hands; and of the
Princedoms, shining globes: beneath the wings of the last of these are
the four great teachers and lawgivers, St. Ambrose, St. Jerome, St.
Gregory, St. Augustine, and behind St. Augustine stands his mother,
watching him, her chief joy in Paradise.

Under the Thrones, are set the Apostles, St. Paul separated a little
from the rest, and put lowest, yet principal; under St. Paul, is St.
Christopher, bearing a massive globe, with a cross upon it; but to mark
him as the Christ-bearer, since here in Paradise he cannot have the
Child on his shoulders, Tintoret has thrown on the globe a flashing
stellar reflection of the sun the head of Christ.

All this side of the picture is kept in glowing color,--the four Doctors
of the church have golden miters and mantles; except the Cardinal, St.
Jerome, who is in burning scarlet, his naked breast glowing, warm with
noble life,--the darker red of his robe relieved against a white glory.

242. Opposite to Michael, Gabriel flies towards the M